Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“I am the proudest father in the whole world.” Hakoda smiled at Katara, wrapping his arm around her. “And your mother would be proud too.”

Warmth surges through Katara and builds a lump in her throat as she reflects back to Zuko’s coronation. The war that had raged for over a hundred years was now over. She instinctively reaches for her necklace, wishing that Kya could have seen the war’s end too. 

Her inner voice nags at her, reminding her the work isn’t over. After all, she’s in Ba Sing Se for the announcement of the Harmony Restoration Movement: the monumental process of removing the Fire Nation colonies from the Earth Kingdom. Then she’ll finally be returning home to rebuild, after three years of travelling with Aang.

Out of the corner of her eye, she notices Aang leaving the Jasmine Dragon and instinctively follows him.

“What are you doing out here?” she asks, sitting on the steps next to him.

He stares into the distance and says flatly. “Just thinking about how the war’s finally over.”

“Sometimes I thought it would never end. But it is, because of you. Because of us,” Katara soothes.

But Aang meets her smile with a tightened expression and grits out, “When I was on the balcony with Zuko, looking out at the crowd, I saw so many people. Delegates from the Earth Kingdom, Water Tribes, and even the Foggy Swamp Tribe. Friends and allies reunited, a mix of red, green, and blue. But no yellow and orange…” he trails off.

“No Air Nomads,” echoes Katara.

“No Air Nomads,” he confirms, fixating on his lap. “I’m the last one.”

She leans forward. “That doesn’t mean you can’t preserve Air Nomad culture. You can restore the temples, make records of everything. People can move in and preserve the culture. Or maybe some airbenders survived Sozin’s comet. I never thought I’d meet waterbenders in the swamp, there could be communities of Air Nomad descendants somewhere. Now that the war’s over, they might come out of hiding.”

Aang’s face lights up. “You’re right Katara! We can restore the temples and then they could move back in!”

“Tomorrow, Sokka, Suki, and I are heading to the South Pole. You could stay with us while you work at the Southern Air Temple.”

His grin manages to grow. “That’d be amazing! I can’t wait to get started!”

Sokka clambers down the stairs, the rest of their friends behind him. “Aang! We’re taking Appa on a ride so we can all watch the fireworks from the sky!”

As Katara and Aang follow them to where Appa waits, Aang reaches for Katara’s hand. “You’ll really help me restore the Air Nation?”

“I will, Aang. I promise.”

Katara’s thoughts drifted back to the end of the war while she listened to the raucous cheers at the announcement of the Harmony Restoration Movement. The world was beginning to heal the wounds left by the Fire Nation. Removing the Earth Kingdom colonies. Rebuilding the Southern Water Tribe. It wouldn’t be easy, and there was so much to do. But she knows that she’s ready for whatever the future holds.

Toph’s shouting in Sokka’s ear breaks Katara out of her musings. “Toph! The night’s beautiful and we’re celebrating that we saved the world!” she laughs. She then glances around and notices Zuko and Aang deep in conversation, Zuko hunched over with a hardset frown. What could he possibly be sulking about? Leaving Sokka, Suki, and Toph to their antics, she crawls over to the other side of the saddle and next to Zuko.

“I visited my father in prison the other day,” Zuko rasps. “I’ve been meaning to ask you for a favour.”

“Sure, anything,” replies Aang.

“If you ever see me turning into my father, I want you to…I want you to end me.”

The request smacks Katara across the face. Did Zuko say ‘end him’? She awaits clarification, sure that she must have misheard.

“What?” Aang says incredulously.

“Even now, after everything that's happened, my family's legacy is still a part of me. That's why it's my duty to heal the scars that the Fire Nation has left on the world.” Zuko pauses, considering his next words. “But the Fire Lord's throne comes with a lot of pressures. And if I'm honest with myself...I need a safety net. The world needs a safety net. That's what I need you to be, Aang. The safety net.”

Her mouth falls open as time grinds to a halt. A safety net?

“Zuko, you're not your dad! And you're my friend!” He turns to Katara, desperation scrawled on his face. “How can you expect me –”

Zuko pushes harder. “As your friend, I'm asking you – if you ever see me go bad, end me,” he pleads. “Promise me, Aang.”

Despite the shock, she nods, searching for words. Aang’s right, of course. Zuko would never turn into his father, and Aang would never kill his friend.

“...Fine, I promise.”

The fireworks blur, her stomach tightens, as she replays the exchange in her head. How did that conversation end so wrong?

The moment Appa lands, Zuko leaps from the saddle and storms off to the hotel they’re staying at.

Katara grabs Aang’s arm in a vice-like hold. “Why would you ever go along with that? Killing Zuko?” she hisses.

“What? You told me to! You nodded while Zuko was talking!”

She had been more frozen than she’d thought. “I was agreeing with you that Zuko wouldn’t turn into his father! I didn’t think you’d promise to kill him!”

“Calm down, Katara. It’ll be okay. You know I’d never hurt Zuko.”

Rage bubbles up within her. “Calm down?!? What do you mean, calm down ? Tui and La, has Zuko said anything about wanting to die before?”

“What do you mean, before?”

Her eyes somehow get wider. “You’ve been writing to him, haven’t you?” she screeches.

Aang rubs the back of his head. “Actually, I’ve been pretty busy this past month. I haven’t really been writing to Zuko. But he’s got this whole Fire Lord thing, doesn’t he?”

“Clearly he doesn’t, if he’s asking you to kill him!” She releases Aang’s arm and resists the urge to shake him to his senses. “I’m going to get to the bottom of this,” she says, marching to Zuko’s room.

Why did he ask Aang to kill him?

The longer he ruminates on it, the less it makes sense. His mother was a herbalist, for Agni’s sake. Surely he could figure out what poison she used to eliminate Fire Lord Azulon and procure some for himself. It would be a much better option if he started acting like his father: quieter, without the messy political implications of the Avatar assassinating the Fire Lord. Of course, doing it himself would require enough self awareness to know whether or not he was acting like his father. Aang would know if he did. But if Aang wouldn’t kill him, who would?

Katara knocks on the door, interrupting his muddled thoughts. “Zuko!”

Zuko runs his fingers across the soft, dark sheets on the bed. There’s no point in wondering what she wanted to discuss. Not after the conversation he had had earlier that night. He considers throwing open the door and getting this over with, but realizes that he still doesn't have any answers to her questions. 

It had to be her. He knew it would be. She was the only one who’d heard his request to Aang.

“Zuko! Open up!” Katara’s pounding echoes through the room.

He lies on the bed a little while longer, willing her to leave him alone. The idea of asking her to kill him crosses his mind. No, she definitely wouldn’t do it. Maybe Toph would. Or Sokka.

“Zuko! Zuko! I will break this door down if you don’t answer!” A tendril of water creeps under the door and rattles the handle.

“I’m coming!” Zuko groans, dragging himself off the bed for the confrontation. The water retreats but the rapping doesn’t cease.

Mid-knock, she nearly punches him in the face. “I only answered so I wouldn’t be charged for the broken door,” he grumbles.

To Zuko’s chagrin, Katara shoves forward without invitation. Eyes narrowed, blue robe flowing behind her, she leans forward and pokes his chest hard. “What were you thinking? Asking Aang to kill you?”

He instinctively steps back from her harsh glare, up against the bed. “You weren’t listening? The world needs a safety net. Aang’s the Avatar, keeping peace and bringing balance is his job,” he protests.

“Don’t be ridiculous!” Katara rubs her temples and paces. “Aang wouldn’t kill your father when he was razing the Earth Kingdom to the ground. What makes you think he’d kill you?”

“You’re right, I should have asked Sokka. Or I’ll just let one of the assassins succeed,” he replies, flopping onto the bed.

“Stop it!” she shrieks, barrelling forward to disturb the calm he was trying to exude. “Zuko, you are not dying and no one is killing you! Aang, Sokka, Suki, Toph and I - we’ll all be your personal bodyguards, protecting you from any assassination attempts. We are not letting you die!”

He rolls his eyes and moves towards the door. So far this conversation was going as painfully as he had imagined it would.“This is my room!” he snaps as the realization hits him.

A wave of water flies to the door and freezes it shut. “I’m not done talking about this!”

Thwarted, Zuko stomps back to the bed. “You guys barely write,” he whispers, sinking onto the bed. “I don’t think I’ll have to worry about you all moving into the palace.”

“What do you mean?” Katara stammers, joining him on the edge. “I know I’ve been busy, and I haven’t written as much as I would have liked. But everyone else has been writing…haven’t they?”

Zuko turns away from her but Katara rests her hand on his shoulder, refusing any silence. “Zuko, why didn’t you tell any of us about the assassination attempt?”

“Attempts, Katara,” he says quietly, burying his head in hands. “My proposed reforms aren’t popular.”

“It’s only been six months since your coronation.” She forces a smile, and Zuko wants to believe her. He almost believes her. “People will see that what you’re doing is for the best.”

But he knows that she’s being optimistic. She wouldn’t be saying that if she had stepped foot in the Fire Nation any time after his coronation. “They definitely don’t see it now,” he scoffs. “Everyone’s fighting me over everything. Reparations, a new education system, our industry. Do you have any idea how many Fire Nation citizens are out of work now that we aren’t making weapons or fighting anymore?”

“Okay, so you’ll figure it out -”

“I know what needs to be done!” Zuko cuts in, defeated. The sheer scale of resistance he faced every day couldn’t be put in words. “The problem is that no one else wants to do it. So many people benefitted from the war, and they don’t care about who it was hurting. They’re the ones in my court now and I don’t know where to look for their replacements. Which means I’m doing everything from negotiating the reparations, to overhauling our economy and industry, to rewriting the school curriculums.”

She squeezes his shoulder. “That’s a lot, Zuko. I get why you’re exhausted, but you don’t have to do everything yourself.”

“You sure about that?” He crosses his arms and meets her eyes. “No one else is doing anything.”

Katara wraps her other arm around him, and Zuko almost pulls away but her skin’s cooler than his and his anger ebbs away. “Zuko,” she whispers. “I’m sorry that I didn’t write more often. I really thought everyone else was. Okay, maybe not Toph, but what about Sokka and Aang?”

“They’re busy too.”

Katara sighs. “Things are going to change. I will write. I will bully Sokka into writing. And I think the two of us can spend some time in the Fire Nation to help out. I can ask Suki and Aang too.”

Her offer’s too good to be true, but his spirits still lift a little. “Would you all really come?”

“Yes. Sokka can help with reorganizing the economy, Toph could help with the education system, her metalbending students are really excelling.”

Zuko scoffs, “I think the Fire Nation schools need less violence, not more.”

“You’re right, but she might still have ideas,” Katara chuckles. “Aang and I can help with negotiating reparations.” She pauses, wondering what else Zuko might have on his plate. “Tell me what else you need. And we can help you replace your court. But as I said before, Aang is not killing you. You aren’t your father.”

He contemplates challenging her with his other ideas, of brewing his own poison and surrendering to assassins. Just because Aang won’t do it doesn’t mean he’s out of options. “Aang doesn’t have to kill me,” he presses slowly, testing out the idea. “Imagine the mess we’d make if the Avatar killed the Fire Lord.”

Her smile tightens. “What are you talking about?”

His resolve immediately falters. “Nothing! Forget I said anything!”

Katara throws her hands up and the vase in his room bursts, the water gushing onto the floor. “Tell me what you’re planning, Zuko. Now!”

“My mother was a herbalist,” he mumbles. “She poisoned my grandfather.”

A pregnant pause grows as the admission’s true meaning dawns on her. “You’ve been thinking about this for a while, have you?”

Zuko considers her question, letting the pause grow more. She was wrong, he hadn’t been thinking about his mother’s history and how it could benefit him until she was banging on his door. But it didn’t seem like a good idea to tell her that. “Maybe a different Fire Lord is what’s best for the Fire Nation.”

“And just who,” Katara says stiffly, “do you think would be a better Fire Lord?”

He shrinks back slightly. “Uncle Iroh?”

“If Uncle Iroh was the better choice then he’d be the Fire Lord now! Do you remember what he said? It has to be you, Zuko.”

“It doesn’t have to stay that way!” he cries. “I’ll find someone before, before I -”

“Zuko, I will make sure you are guarded all day and night before I let you die!”

“I’ll ban you from the Fire Nation.”

“No, you won’t.” The water from the vase flies up and slams onto the walls.

“Please don’t destroy the room!” begs Zuko.

“Then promise me you won’t poison yourself! Or let an assassin kill you!”

He could cede that to her and search for another way. But somehow, Katara sees straight through to the gears turning in his head. The regret of asking Aang in the first place, of even entertaining this discussion or confessing the depths of his ideation, returns with a vengeance. I should have known she’d read between the lines.

“No, no, no - that does not mean you find another way. This isn’t your Fire Nation court!” She inches closer to him, desperation curling her shoulders forward. “Please, talk to me, Zuko. Tell me what’s going on.”

The damn finally breaks. “Ever since I moved back into the palace, I can’t sleep. When I do, I see my mother before she disappeared, my father telling me I’ll never be good enough to rule the Fire Nation, that I was lucky to be born. How I got the scar on my face, us fighting Azula. I don’t know if I can do this, but I have to. And it’s terrifying.”

Katara crawls into his lap and pulls him into an embrace. “Zuko, I know you can do this. I know they’re resisting it now, but you will lead the Fire Nation into a new era. You’ll settle into the palace and it’ll feel like home. Tomorrow, I have to go to the Southern Water Tribe and get the rebuilding efforts started, but I’ll come to the Fire Nation as soon as I can.”

He looks down at her, tears pooling in his right eye.

She wipes them away with her sleeve. “Zuko, I’m going to help you. I promise.”

Chapter Text

“I need to borrow Hawky.” 

“No. He can’t fly to the Fire Nation all the way from the South Pole again.”

“Who said I’m sending him back to the Fire Nation?”

Sokka raises an eyebrow. “Then who are you writing to?”

For Tui’s sake. Of course Sokka says no when he’s vanished for two weeks. Doesn’t he realize something could have happened to Zuko? Her heart races as she wracks her brain for a cover. Who did she know in Kyoshi Island that she could be writing to? Was Gaoling too far for Hawky? Toph was blind, but that hadn’t stopped Sokka from thinking she could write a letter.

“He’s exhausted, Katara. You can’t make him fly to and from the Caldera nonstop.”

“I have to! Zuko hasn’t answered my letters for two weeks!”

“So you’re sending him another one?”

“Yes!”

“Maybe he’s busy,” Sokka smirks. “Or maybe he finally realized how annoying you are and decided to stop writing to you.”

Katara slams the table, sending his papers flying and his tea toppling. “Not funny Sokka!” she screeches. “What if an assassin got him? What if he…if he -”

At the sight of tears sliding down her face, Sokka bolts to the other side of the table, nearly flinging the chair across the room. He trips on the chair leg, face planting into the table and emitting a giggle from Katara. After some fumbling, he manages to sit and rests his hand on her knee. “Katara, I’m sure he’s fine,” he soothes, rubbing his forehead. “Why are you so worried?”

She steadies herself, breathing in then out and bending the tea back into his cup. “Do you remember the night that the Harmony Restoration Movement was announced and we were flying on Appa?”

“Not really.” Sokka’s brow furrows. “Just that the fireworks were very bright.”

“That’s because you got really drunk on sake, thought you were a penguin seal, and were about to jump off Appa until Toph and I stopped you,” Suki interjects, snickering in the doorway. Her casual demeanour shifts quickly when she sees Katara in tears and she drags a chair next to her, wrapping her arm around her shoulders. “Katara? Are you okay? What happened?”

Her worry for Zuko momentarily replaced with worry for her brother, Katara gapes up at Sokka. “Thought you were a penguin seal? Penguin seals can’t fly!”

“They jump off cliffs all the time!”

“Into the ocean! We were flying over Ba Sing Se!” splutters Katara. "And you aren't a penguin seal!"

“Enough about me,” Sokka whines. “What were you going to say?”

Katara rolls her eyes. “While you were, apparently, being a flightless bird trying to fly, Zuko asked Aang to kill him.”

“WHAT?!” Sokka yells.

Suki’s jaw drops. “He didn’t really ask that, did he?”

“He said that the world needs ‘ a safety net’ in case he ever turns into his father. Which is absurd! As if Aang would ever kill him! He wouldn’t even kill Ozai as he was burning down the Earth Kingdom!” Katara rants. Her lip quivers, as she continues her explanation. “But I’m really worried that he asked in the first place. We’ve been writing a lot more and I’ve been advising him on rebuilding the Fire Nation. It's been two weeks and he hasn’t replied to my letters!”

Sokka sighs. “You can’t borrow Hawky.”

“Sokka, I swear, I will waterbend myself to the Fire Nation if–”

“You don’t need to do that either. If there’s no letter by tomorrow, you can take my airship.” His chair clatters to the floor as he leaps to his feet. “And Dr. Wang Fire is coming with you! Suki, where’s my beard?”

Suki stands and rests her hand on his shoulder. “You can’t go, you have those building projects. Remember, the Mechanist is coming next week,” she pauses. “But Katara should go.”

She nods, a plan taking shape. “Now that Aang and I have figured out how to set up the water systems for the Air Temple, he can do it himself. Maybe you and Suki can join me when you finish your building projects.”

Suki eyes Sokka before glancing to the table. “Actually, I was thinking of going to Ba Sing Se. There’s been some issues with the Harmony Restoration Movement.”

Katara chews her lip, “Issues? What issues?”

“It’s not a huge deal but -”

“Yes it is Sokka!” shouts Suki. “Do you have any idea what those colonies mean to the Earth Kingdom?”

“It’s Zuko! I’m sure he has a good reason for whatever he’s doing!” Sokka shoots back. “It’s not like he withdrew support for the movement!”

“He’s not doing anything! That’s the problem!”

“What do you mean, not doing anything?” cuts in Katara. “Zuko’s working on the Harmony Restoration Movement! Making sure people have homes and jobs when they return to the Fire Nation.”

“That’s not it, Katara,” Sokka replies. “There’s a couple colonies where the Fire Nation settlers are refusing to leave. Large ones.” 

Still avoiding Katara’s eyes, Suki adds, “If Zuko’s doing anything to facilitate their return, the Earth Kingdom doesn’t know about it.”

“He hasn’t mentioned it to me, but I’m sure he isn’t doing it on purpose.” Katara stands and crosses her arms. “The other resettlements are going well and most people are happy to be back in the Fire Nation. Some were even able to reunite with their families.”

“This is bad, Katara. King Kuei is getting impatient. Word is he thinks Zuko is trying to hold on to them.” Sokka wrings his hands. “And honestly, I get why it looks that way. He’s blowing off the Earth Kingdom ambassadors, ignoring requests for meetings.”

Katara argues back, “I told you, he’s overwhelmed! You would know all that he’s dealing with if you ever bothered to write to him.”

“I believe you!” Sokka protests, throwing his hands up. “I’m just telling you what everyone is saying, that’s all. Things are getting tense and a lot of people still don’t trust the Fire Nation.”

“We can’t keep treating the Fire Nation as an enemy if we want peace,” Katara huffs. “I have to pack. But I’ll make sure to bring it up to Zuko. He’s not keeping the colonies, that’s ridiculous!”

As it was during their travels, Katara was cooking dinner alone. Sourcing vegetarian ingredients in the Southern Water Tribe was harder than she had anticipated. The last time she travelled to Kyoshi Island to purchase food, she suggested that she and Aang stay there while they rebuilt the Southern Air Temple. But he had said no, the Southern Water Tribe was closer.

Privately, Katara suspects that Aang just wanted to go penguin sledding more often.

She tosses salmon in some Fire Nation chillies and lays them on the frying pan. Then she pulls out the scroll that Aang had given her and squints to read the instructions. Last time she made this mung bean & tofu curry, Aang had said the sauce was too thin. While the recipe had her frying the ginger, garlic, and chillies separately from the vegetables, she doesn’t think it makes much difference and dumps them all in a wok together.

As she flips the salmon, she wishes that Aang hadn’t found those recipes. Meals were much simpler when all she had to do was stir fry some vegetables in whatever spices and seasonings she was using for the rest of the dishes.

‘ No,’ she thinks. ‘ I should be glad he found it. Food is so important to a culture, and he needs this to revitalize Air Nomad culture. Besides, once I figure out how to make it, I can teach him.’

“Katara! You have a letter from Zuko!” Aang crows from the kitchen entrance. “His hawk arrived a few minutes ago.”

She runs to the doorway and snatches it from him in relief. “I hope it’s feedback about my suggestions on helping set up the labour unions. In his last letter, he said he’d be trying some of them.” A twinge of guilt washes over her as she reads on. “There was another assassination attempt.”

Aang’s face falls. “Is Zuko okay?”

“Physically, yes.” She scans the rest of the letter, before tucking it into her pocket. “Tomorrow I’m going to the Fire Nation,” she blurts out.

“Tomorrow? Shouldn’t you take some time to think about this?”

“I have been thinking about this. When we were in Ba Sing Se, I promised Zuko that I’d come to the Fire Nation and help him overhaul the Fire Nation.” She wraps her arms around herself, averting her gaze from Aang. “I’ve been advising him by letter for a couple months now but there’s still a lot to do and he could use the help. I wanted to go sooner, but we’ve been so busy.”

“What about setting up the irrigation for the Air Temples? I need a waterbender.”

“I showed you how to do it at the Southern Temple. Besides, it won’t be forever.” She’d offer to look over the irrigation one last time, but knows something will come up if she keeps putting off her departure. “I’ll go help Zuko and when you’re ready to move on to the next temple, send a letter if you can’t figure it out. I’ll meet you there or send a master waterbender.”

“You promised me that you’d help me with the Air Temples!” pleads Aang. “Please don’t go.”

“I also promised Zuko I’d help him! Sokka told me that things are getting tense with the Harmony Restoration Movement. Some people are refusing to leave and Zuko’s got his hands full.”

“But you promised me first! You can’t just leave!”

“Aang, it won’t be forever.” To no avail, Katara attempts to placate him. “I’ll only be gone for a few weeks.”

“I need you here Katara!”

“To do what, Aang? To do what?”

Smoke fills the air and burns their noses as both remember the food Katara had been preparing.

Aang rubs his eyes. “Clearly not to cook dinner,” he scoffs before leaving Katara to clear out the smoke single-handedly.

Sokka sticks his head into the chilly, slightly smoky kitchen. “It’s getting late.” He pads over to the counter and cranes his neck over Katara’s neck and into the fire. “Is dinner ready?”

Katara shoves a plate with a slightly charred piece of salmon into his hands and slops a spoonful of sea prunes onto it. “Here!” she snaps, snatching the bowl of mung bean & tofu curry and slamming it on the table. She sets out two identical plates of salmon and sea prunes with equal force. “Aang! Food’s ready!”

“Thanks for making dinner,” says Suki, seating herself at the empty place setting. “It looks delicious.”

For the first time that day, Katara smiles. “You’re welcome,” she replies as she grabs chopsticks, knives, and glasses of water.

Aang strolls in a few minutes later and looks at the curry. “Is this it?”

“There’s sea prunes and salmon.”

“You know I don’t like sea prunes,” Aang complains, poking at the curry. “And I’m a vegetarian.”

She jabs her fork at the stove. “The kitchen’s open if you want something else.”

“Okay, okay.” Aang digs into the curry. “The sauce is better this time, but you need to spend more time bringing out the flavours. Maybe add more ginger?”

Katara clenches her jaw and grits out, “While I’m gone, you can try making it and let me know how to make it taste more authentic.”

Aang’s jaw drops, his chopsticks falling to the table. “While you’re gone?”

“I told you Aang, I’m going to Fire Nation to help Zuko with all the reforms,” answers Katara, now addressing the whole table. “I’ve been advising him on nearly everything, but now I think I’ll be more helpful in the Caldera.”

Sokka shrugs. “Sounds good to me,” he mumbles around a mouthful of sea prunes.

“I think it’s a great idea,” Suki adds. “Maybe you can fix the snags in the Harmony Restoration Movement. Oyaji also said he’s had a hard time negotiating trade with the Fire Nation. If you could put in a word for him, that'd be great.”

Aang gestures wildly at Suki. “Why don’t you go?”

“I can’t go that far from Kyoshi Island. Katara’s more than capable.” Suki grimaces slightly. “And there’s currently a major conflict between the Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom. Katara, or you, would be better.”

“You know I can’t go! Sokka?”

Sokka shrugs, cutting into his salmon. “I have to help rebuild the Southern Water Tribe. I think Katara will do great. His last letter to me said that her advice has already helped him make a lot of progress.”

“She can’t just leave!” grumbles Aang, jabbing a pepper with his fork. “Where am I going to find another waterbender?”

“Ask the Northern Water Tribe to send a master. Or the Foggy Swamp Tribe,” Katara suggests. “Zuko hired several of them to help clean the rivers. He even told me there’s rumours of waterbenders on the Outer Islands.”

Aang sighs, rolling his eyes. “It won’t be the same.”

Katara exhales loudly and nearly snaps her spoon as she stuffs her mouth with stewed sea prunes. “I’ve made up my mind. I’m going to the Fire Nation.”

After dinner, Katara sends Zuko’s hawk back with a quick letter saying that she’s happy to have heard from him and she’ll be leaving for the Fire Nation the next morning. Then she starts packing, eventually accumulating her entire wardrobe on her bed. Even her summer Water Tribe tunics seem too warm for the Fire Nation heat, and she might just make Zuko take her shopping when she reaches the Caldera.

“Katara?” Aang sheepishly leans in the doorway. “You’re really leaving tomorrow?”

“Yes, Suki and I are going to Kyoshi Island at dawn. From there I’ll catch a second boat to the Fire Nation.”

He shuffles into the room. “What’s your plan after helping Zuko?”

“I’m not sure. Probably the same things I’ve been doing, rebuilding now that the war’s over.” She tosses aside a parka and examines a pair of leggings, before tossing them into her luggage.

Aang sits on the bed, fixated on Katara’s backpack. “King Kuei asked me for advice on the Harmony Restoration Movement.”

“Sokka and Suki mentioned that some Fire Nation settlers are refusing to leave. Is that what he needs advice about?” Katara asks.

“Yes, next month I’m going to the colonies to help with the relocations. If that doesn’t improve anything, I might be going to Ba Sing Se,” Aang says. “But I hope that things don’t get that bad.”

She nods, despite an uncertainty she can’t put her finger on. “Send a hawk when you leave for the Earth Kingdom, if you need me I can meet you there.”

“You’ll come back, will you?”

“This is my home. Of course I’ll come back.”

“I meant to me,” Aang whispers, swallowing a lump in his throat.

“I -” She hesitates. Lately, fulfilling her promises hasn’t been as easy as she thought it would be. “I’ll do my best.”

I can promise that much.

Chapter Text

Zuko paces the dock in anticipation, dressed in simple pants and tunic. Ever since Hawky had returned with a letter from Katara stating that she was writing from a ship headed towards the Fire Nation, he had felt his burdens lighten with each passing day. He can’t wait to show Katara how much progress she’d made through just by advising him in letters, that he couldn’t wait to see what she’d accomplish while she was here.

He stops in his tracks as the ship pulls into port. As soon as the bridge lowers, he runs onto the deck to search for Katara.

Having spotted Katara in a short blue top and skirt, he ignores the protests of his overworked guard and sweeps her into his arms, inhaling the scent of ocean salt and lavender. “Thank you for coming, Katara.”

She smiles and buries herself in his arms. “I promised I would, didn’t I?”

He holds her for another moment, savouring the knowledge that he won’t be alone for the next few weeks.

Katara soon releases him and they depart the ship. “Are we taking the palanquin?” she asks.

“Uh, no. I don’t normally use it,” he stutters, wishing he had thought to bring it. She was his guest, of course he shouldn’t make her walk back to the palace. “Did you want to take the palanquin? I can ask someone to go get it. Or -”

“Zuko, I was kidding,” she laughs, resting her hand on his shoulder. “It’s okay, I don’t mind walking.”

Her touch instantly relieves some tension in his body. “Good. I prefer walking. I like seeing the city. Sometimes it gives me ideas of how to be a good Fire Lord.”

She nods in agreement. “We might get some ideas on our way to the palace too.”

Despite their simple clothes, their presence still draws eyes. Zuko yanks his hood up and reaches for Katara’s hand.

She’s the first to make conversation. “How’s Mai?”

“I don’t know, we broke up.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

“It’s okay Katara, it was mutual. Politics bore her and I’m busy with nothing but politics,” he replies wistfully. “How’s Aang?”

She hesitates, before giving a clipped response. “Rebuilding the Southern Air Temple is going well. But I’m glad to be here now.” Before he can answer, she stops in her tracks. “Zuko! Is that the office for the merchants' union?” She runs to the window and presses her nose against the glass. A harried looking secretary eagerly steps out to greet them, bowing deeply before addressing Katara.

“Fire Lord Zuko! I was just telling Master Katara how much our wages have increased after forming the union,” the secretary chirps as he catches up to them. “And hiring former soldiers as security was a great idea. While you’re here, I want to show you the latest figures…”

Katara beams at Zuko. Strangely, he finds himself smiling back as they follow the secretary into the office.

Maybe he’s on the way to figuring out this whole Fire Lord thing after all.

Zuko dumps a pile of scrolls on the table. “Cleaning up the rivers is going well, your idea to hire waterbenders from the swamp worked out great. The rice and wheat planting is also going well, hopefully we’ll have yields soon. People are also growing ash bananas, cherries, and ocean kumquats. We mostly imported food in order to focus on industrializing, now we need to diversify our crops and livestock and expand agricultural industries. Figuring out how to provide food while all that’s being set up has been a challenge. The education reforms are going slow, teachers are struggling with the new curriculum. I’m thinking of closing the schools next semester so we can finalize it and prepare the teachers. So far the labour unions are reporting success, they’ve been invaluable in organizing the working class and the new industries. And -”

“Zuko!” Katara interrupts. “Take a breath! I’m going to be here for at least six weeks, probably longer. We can talk about work tomorrow. Right now, let’s relax.

He nods, turning towards the door. “I’ll get us some tea.”

Although she’d just admonished Zuko for working too much, she sifts through the piles on the table. A scroll from Yu Dao catches her attention and she carefully unrolls it.

To: Fire Lord Zuko

From: Mayor Morishita

I once again write to you asking that you reconsider the Harmony Restoration Movement. The city of Yu Dao has been in the Earth Kingdom for over a hundred years. To remove it would separate both Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom families.

“I thought we weren’t working tonight,” says Zuko, carrying a tray of rice balls and tea. He sweeps the scrolls off the table and sets the tray down.

“I just got here, you’ve been working hard for months.” Her conversation with Sokka and Suki about the colonies replays in her head but she quickly shuts it off and reaches for a cup.

He collapses onto the couch and gestures vaguely at the scrolls. “That isn’t even half of what I have going on.”

She joins him, resting her head against his shoulder. “Your last letter mentioned another assassination attempt.”

He stiffens. “I was fine.”

“Do you still think about letting one succeed?” She can barely bring herself to say the rest out loud. “Or about poisoning yourself.”

“It’s getting worse, not better,” he whispers.

“What do you think is causing it?” Tears build in the corners of her eyes at the thought of Zuko not being here. “Other than the stress of being Fire Lord.”

Zuko hesitates, wrapping his arm around her in return before replying. “I’m having nightmares.”

“About what?”

“Everything. The Agni Kais, my mother’s disappearance, my banishment. Azula or my father break out of prison. We lost the war.” He glances down to where the lightning scar is, running his hand across it. “I wasn’t fast enough and I lost you.”

She interlaces her fingers with his. “When did they start?”

“Since I moved back into the palace. Growing up here with my father wasn’t easy.” He sips his tea, swallowing a lump in his throat with it. “When I first returned to the Fire Nation after Azula took Ba Sing Se, the same thing happened. Living here brings back so many memories, and most of them aren’t good.”

“Like what? What memories?”

He chews his lip, answering her question before she can tell him not to hurt himself. “Did I ever tell you how I got the scar on my face?”

She shakes her head. “What happened?”

“Do you remember when we fought Azula?” he begins. “She challenged me to an Agni Kai.”

“Yes.”

“It’s a traditional fire duel fought for honour and respect. When I was thirteen, I begged Uncle Iroh to let me attend a war meeting. I challenged a general who wanted to use a division of new recruits as bait.” He stares into the tea cup, downing the dregs. His breathing quickens as he continues, like the words would get stuck if he spoke them too slowly. “My father said that I disrespected the general and the only way to resolve it was an Agni Kai. I said I would do it. But it was the Fire Lord I had disrespected, and it was my father I was expected to fight. I fell to the ground, begged for forgiveness, and told him that I wouldn’t fight him.”

“And he burned your face?”

Zuko’s silence provides all the answers and she pulls him into an embrace. A minute or two later, he says flatly, “Then he banished me from the Fire Nation and said I couldn’t come back until I caught the Avatar.”

Katara leans back startled. “Catch the Avatar? But he’d been gone for over a hundred years! You never would have…so that’s why you were hunting Aang...” she trails off. The thought of her father hurting her or Sokka then sending them on an impossible mission crosses her mind but remains unfathomable.

“My father wasn’t very kind to us growing up. He said that Azula was born lucky and I was lucky to be born.”

She gulps her tea. What could she possibly say to Zuko, surrounded by ghosts of his past? What could possibly fix any of it? “Maybe you should change things up a bit,” she suggests, testing the words on her tongue. “Then living here won’t bring back so many bad memories. Start with what’s reminding you of the worst ones.”

His jaw sets and he stands, gathering their glasses onto a tray. “You’re right, and I know what needs to go first.”

Zuko takes her hand and marches down the scarlet red hall and out of the palace. “We need to find some accelerant.”

“Maybe the groundskeepers have some,” Katara suggests, somewhat struggling to keep up. “But I don’t think we need that much, you don’t want the fire to get out of control.”

He nods. “I’ll keep it contained.”

Without words, they split up upon reaching the maintenance sheds and begin searching. 

Sweat beads on their foreheads as they drag two barrels of kerosene into a simple looking building, coated in dark red lacquer. Moonlight illuminates red flags between giant steel spikes, to where the stage lies. 

Katara sets her barrel down and makes her way down the aisle, to the front of the seats. “It’s so gorgeous,” she blurts out. Fingers grazing the ornate gold inlay on the pillar, she forgets the reason that they’re there in her marvel. Her eyes dart to the swirls making up the huge Fire Nation symbol. “What is this building?” she asks.

Zuko finishes prying the lids off the barrels and wanders to the front row. “This is the Agni Kai chamber,” he replies, knuckles white on the bannister. “The palace’s special arena for the duels.”

Her face heats slightly, remembering that despite its beauty, this building is what Zuko sees in his nightmares. “This is where your father burned you?”

“Yes, the seats we’re standing in were full of spectators.”

And not a single person could do anything about it. Did any of them even want to? How do you reform a culture where the Fire Lord can mutilate a child and no one even bats an eye? “You were right, this needs to go.” She extends her hands and calls the kerosene, but it doesn’t respond. “I need water. A lot of it. Both to spread the accelerant and put the fire out if it gets too wild.”

A shiver runs through Zuko, seemingly bringing him to his senses. “There’s a pond in the garden. I’ll show you.”

They make a ten minute trek back to the palace, where the gardens are even more beautiful than the Agni Kai chamber. She stops herself from admiring the flowers, what horrors are hiding behind them? “What is this place?”

A smile flickers across Zuko’s face. “The Royal Palace Gardens. I spent a lot of time here as a kid.”

He looks out across the courtyard and Katara can’t tell if the memories are fond. “Did you like spending time here?”

“Yes,” he replies, his smile faltering slightly. “But after my mother vanished, it was different.”

I’m sorry. That’s something we have in common.

Zuko crouches down and runs his fingers across the water. “My father said she’s alive, but I’m not sure that I believe him. Even if I did, I wouldn’t know where to find her.”

The implication wraps around Katara’s aching heart and squeezes even tighter. Should she suggest changing the Royal Palace Gardens or do they hold enough fond memories for Zuko to hold onto them. “Let’s get the water and head back to the arena.”

To the chagrin of the sleeping turtleducks, Katara drains the pond and carries it back to the arena. She churns the water and kerosene while Zuko gazes listlessly at the stage, lost in thought.

He points to the platform in the middle. “That’s where it happened.”

A faint but clear mirage of thirteen year old Zuko appears, prostrated on the stage pleading for mercy and she drowns it in kerosene. Then she guides the remaining kerosene mix and sends a crashing wave against the walls. How could the former Fire Lord do that to his own son? A thirteen year old child! With even more fury, she slams the accelerant mix against the walls again and over the seats before drawing back the water into the now empty barrel.

Zuko shoots a fire blast at the stage.

Katara wraps her arm around his shoulders as the flames consume the stage.

It’s something, a beginning. After learning what she did about Zuko, nothing seems like enough for him to heal. He needs a rest, a long one, after things have quieted down. But he will get through this and be the Fire Lord that the world needs. I know it.

“Let’s get out of here,” says Zuko, breaking Katara from her thoughts. He grabs the barrel full of water and gestures for her to take the other handle. “Before the flames catch the walls.”

The night air chills Katara as they curl up on the walkway. This time it’s her who reaches for Zuko’s hand as she leans into Zuko and they watch the building collapse into smoldering embers.

She loses track of how long they sit there. When the fire finally dies out, Zuko stands and hauls Katara to her feet. “We should get back to the palace.”

“The turtleducks will probably want their pond back,” Katara chuckles. “Before we go to bed I’ll find them something fresh.”

“You’re probably right,” Zuko laughs with her. “If we don’t give it back, they’ll bite you when I introduce them to you tomorrow.”

Chapter Text

The next morning, Zuko and Katara begin their day digging through papers, the mass somehow bigger than what he had dumped on the table last night.

Zuko heaps the scrolls from the floor back onto the pile, dislodging the one at the edge of the table back to the ground. “We’re organizing these scrolls into high priority, low priority, and medium priority. I’m also looking for some agricultural reports from Capital Island.”

“You’ve got a lot of those here.” Katara opens the scroll nearest to her. “Here’s something about tea production from Shuhon Island.”

“High priority. My predecessors industrialized so much that we don’t have the infrastructure to grow our own food,” Zuko groans. “Building our agricultural capacity and making sure people are able to buy food has been my top priority.”

She hands Zuko a scroll about fishing on the Outer Islands. “Is this the report you need?”

He looks it over then tosses it in the high priority stack. “No, those reports will be signed by Yuina Pataka. She’s organizing an agricultural union there and I need them to convince my ministers that unions are working.”

“You’re really backing them hard,” Katara replies, unrolling a parchment with a Northern Water Tribe seal. “When I first suggested organizing the working class together so you can better meet their needs, I didn’t think you’d be this supportive.”

“I just told you, making sure everyone can buy food is a top priority. It was a great idea, everyone loves them.” Zuko’s face crinkles as he corrects himself. “Everyone except the noble class and my ministers.”

Katara shrugs. “The war’s over now, they’ll have to get over it. Chief Arnook wants to trade fish and seal turtle oil for metal and produce.”

“Low priority, I’ll get back to him when we can feed ourselves,” Zuko mumbles. “I’d prefer to gain some ground before I fight my court. If I can just prove that my plans are working…”

While searching for Zuko’s reports, her mind wanders to the letter she saw yesterday and she starts looking for Mayor Morishita’s letter instead. “Sokka and Suki told me that the Harmony Restoration Movement isn’t going well,” she says, testing the waters.

“What do you mean? It’s going great.” Zuko flings a scroll across the room and sighs. “Most of the colonies have been removed, people moved back and are settling into their new homes and jobs here in the Fire Nation.”

“They mentioned some of the larger colonies are refusing to leave,” Katara explains. “King Kuei isn’t happy.”

“I haven’t even started relocating the larger ones, so King Kuei can…” Zuko bites his lip and furrows his brow. “I figured I’d start with the smaller ones, see what does and doesn’t work first. Yu Dao, Cranefish, and the others are next.”

“Well...” Katara presses. “The Earth Kingdom thinks you’re going to try to keep the colonies.”

“What? That’s ridiculous!”

“Word is you’re ignoring their ambassadors and requests for meetings.”

Zuko dives back into the pile of scrolls. “I haven’t gotten any requests or heard anything about this! Dissolving the smaller ones was going so well that I…I didn’t think there’d be problems!”

“Hey, I knew there had to be more going on. I’m on your side, Zuko.” Katara remarks, “I saw a letter yesterday, or part of one. The scroll I read while you were getting tea.” She joins him on the floor to search. “It said something about separating families.”

“Separating families?” Zuko argues back. “How would the Harmony Restoration Movement do that? Everyone’s moving back to the Fire Nation.”

“Stop firing at your messenger. But to answer your question, they’ve been there for over a hundred years,” she muses. “Some families are probably both.”

“There can’t be that many, considering that the Fire Nation took over by force,” Zuko grumbles, grabbing two crumpled pieces of parchment. “This is what I was looking for! My council really doesn’t like the idea of unions. If I can show that they make our exports more successful, not less, I think they’ll consider backing some of their initiatives. Then I can push for more.”

Forgetting the letter from Mayor Morishita, she crawls over to read it. “That’s wonderful Zuko. Have you given any thoughts on who you could replace your council with?”

Zuko meets her eyes. “Do you want a spot?”

She stares at her lap, unsure what to think of the offer. “I don’t think they’d accept a waterbender.”

“If you accept it, I’ll make them accept it,” he declares, folding the report into his pocket. “You’ve already proven yourself to be a capable political advisor.”

  Katara opens another scroll, changing the subject of her possibly staying in the Fire Nation. “Here’s something about war crime trials.”

“Is it from the Fire Nation or the Earth Kingdom?”

“Fire Nation, looks like some investigators have reports ready.”

Zuko rubs his temples. “It’s finally happening. First scholars and advisors had to figure out what constituted a war crime. Then I had to find and dispatch investigators. There was a lot of resistance through the entire process.” He snatches the paper before Katara can read through it. “Medium priority, I still have to assemble prosecutors and see who the Earth Kingdom wants a piece of.”

Mildly perturbed, Katara opens a letter from a Mayor Nishi, voicing more concerns about the Harmony Restoration Movement. “You said that nearly all the smaller colonies have been removed. How did you convince them to leave?”

He leans back against the couch. “I didn’t have to, when my representatives showed up and said that we were returning the land to the Earth Kingdom, they all came willingly.”

“You could offer some incentives for Yu Dao and the holdouts to leave.” Katara mulls over their concerns. “Make it clear they’ll be supported when they return.”

He nods in agreement. “I’ll tell my representatives to make sure they know what the other returning settlers got and that they’ll get the same. And that I’ll meet with them all when they arrive.”

“Aang said he’ll be travelling to the Earth Kingdom to help King Kuei with the Harmony Restoration Movement. I could go to Yu Dao and see what the situation looks like.”

His face pales at the mention of Katara leaving. “I want to visit all the islands myself and see what they need. A lot of Fire Nation citizens suffered from the war, but if they suffer more they’ll want to go back to how things were. Ozai’s already trying to claw back power.”

“Exactly, you have to make sure that they’re heard,” Katara assures him. “That’s why the unions have been so successful, they make it easier for people to voice their concerns and advocate for themselves. A tour of the islands is a great idea.”

“I can’t leave now though, I’m afraid of what the ministers will do in my absence,” he complains. “Ozai loyalists are swarming like spiderflies and I’d come back to find all my progress undone.”

“Then I’ll go,” she declares. She hates to say goodbye to him so soon, but he needs to hear from his people immediately. 

Zuko grabs a blank piece of paper. “We’ll plan an itinerary so I know where to send messenger hawks and I’ll put together a small team.”

Despite her apprehension at leaving, Katara grins at the idea of travelling and helping people again.

Dear Zuko,

As discussed, I’m starting my trip on the eastern part of Capital Island. I met with the union leader Yuina Pataka you mentioned while I was in Caldera City. She showed me crops of ash banana, chillies, and lychee nuts that are all doing well. However, they don’t have resources to export the surplus and merchants do not want to pay them fairly.

A minimum support price - an amount that merchants are required to pay per kilogram of produce - would ensure that the farmers are able to sustain themselves. Strong transportation networks should also be prioritized to bring food to other parts of the Fire Nation.

While looking at our itinerary, Sayaka and Michi thought it odd that we didn’t stop at an island just south of Capital Island. As we made our way around the clusters of villages, I realized we were on Yon Rha’s island.

He fled when he saw me come as a direct representative of the Fire Nation. He’s still the same pathetic, weak man that I confronted some years ago. I know you told me not to mention the war crime trials to prevent fugitives, but I must admit that the thought of seeing him rot in prison is deeply satisfying. Even Fire Nation citizens have been hurt by the war, and I eagerly await the day the victims of the Hundred Year War get justice.

Your friend,

Katara

Dear Zuko,

Yesterday I arrived to Fire Fountain City on Shuhon Island.

Most of the residents are out of work and starving, either because they’re former soldiers or worked in factories designed to support the war. Gambling and alcohol addictions have worsened and the giant statue of Ozai has been stripped down and the metal sold.

Many residents have experience in metal work and manufacturing. Fire Fountain City has the infrastructure to repurpose metal for construction materials, crafts, and tools. Many people have used scrap metal to invent devices that can be used in cooking, healthcare, and agriculture.

I suggest that you arrange for the surplus crops on the eastern part of Capital Island to be immediately sent to Shuhon Island. Then employ residents to break down weapons and war machines and support innovation in metallurgy and the resulting sales. Fire Lord Sozin was wrong about expanding the Fire Nation empire, but he had a point that prosperity can be shared. We could build schools that would eventually open to students from other nations and send Fire Nation students to other nations.

The surrounding villages will also need support to build the agricultural industry as they lost many people to the war. Settlers from the Earth Kingdom colonies could relocate here. Additionally, healers should be dispatched to Fire Fountain City and the surrounding villages to help residents struggling with alcohol and gambling addictions.

With strong support to both Shuhon Island and Capital Island industries, you could soon have the resources needed to trade with the other nations.

Your friend, 

Katara

Dear Zuko,

The rumours of waterbenders on the Outer Islands were true! They have a very unique style of waterbending with short and strong blasts similar to firebending. They also favour ice - in combat they prefer it as offence rather than defence or to entrap their opponent. They use sheets of ice to corral fish and extend weapon range. I wanted to stay and learn from them for weeks.

They’re very reluctant to industrialize their fishing as they don’t want to deplete the population or damage the ecosystem. They’re quite self-sufficient, catching and growing their own food, trading locally for what they need, and using waterbending to protect their shores from pollution. They’re also glad that you’re the Fire Lord, now they can practice their waterbending openly.

However, their communities still deal with prejudice from other villages, for example some islands won’t trade with them. Material about the other nations needs to be part of your school curriculums. It’ll take time to root out old attitudes, but until then we should strengthen the legal system to protect people from other nations or who bend other elements.

Your friend,

Katara

Dear Zuko,

I got a letter from Aang. He said that a bunch of Fire Nation settlers have left Yu Dao. I guess the job offers in Shuhon Island worked. However, he said that King Kuei was still unsatisfied, and that worries me. He wants all Fire Nation settlers to leave immediately.

I’m sending the rest of my team to visit the western part of Capital Island and going to the Earth Kingdom. I plan to help Aang and Sokka with the relocations and visit Yu Dao to find out why they won’t leave.

Your friend,

Katara

Zuko reads through Katara’s letters, although he's already diligently noted down the problems she’d identified. Despite her tour beginning only a month ago and being cut short, implementation of the many proposed solutions - some of them his, most of them hers - had already begun. It was an overall success.

As he crawls into bed, he realizes that his only regret was that she wasn’t returning to the Caldera, so he could share the victories with her. And his anxieties. The threats of assassination had increased, meaning he was spending his nights in a tower he’d never stepped foot in before.

She had signed all her letters “your friend, Katara.” Friendship wasn’t something he’d experienced before joining the Avatar, yet something feels different.

You’re just lonely and anxious about the assassination attempts.

Aang, Sokka, Suki, and Toph hadn’t written much either, but he didn’t miss them. Not like this.

It’s because she just spent three weeks in the palace with you. That’s the only reason you’re thinking about her.

A faded memory of sea salt and lavender wafts over him. Katara curled up in his arms as they talked late into the night, swapping stories and planning strategy.

She’ll finish her projects and leave after the war crime trials end. She isn't staying here.

One koala sheep. Two koala sheep. I’m not over Mai. Three koala sheep. Four koala sheep. It’s nothing serious. Seven koala sheep.

Zuko tosses and turns all night, eventually jolting awake. “Who’s there?” He runs to the door and throws it open. “Someone’s here! I can feel it!”

The guard’s eyes widen and he extends his palms down. “Fire Lord, please go back to sleep! We’re in the most secure tower in the entire palace!”

His attempts to calm Zuko don’t work. “There have been two credible threats and one attempt on my life since Katara left!”

“That’s why we moved you here. Please, no one will get to you -”

Before the guard can finish his sentence, a large projectile flies into the guard’s helmet and knocks him out. Zuko automatically launches a fireball down the hallway. “Show yourself!” he screams.

“Down with the Fire Lord!”

To Zuko’s shock, the would-be assassin is a young girl. “Down with the Fire Lord who betrays his own people!” she shouts.

He shoots a blast of fire that she nimbly dodges, but when he steps back to throw a snap kick she manages to trip him with the chains she wields.

From the ground, he manages to overwhelm her with a stream of fire and quickly subdues her. “Convince me not to take your life.”

“Go ahead,” she spits out. “You’ve already betrayed my family enough.”

“Your family?” Zuko stammers.

“My father’s the mayor of Yu Dao! You think he would leave us just for land and a job in the Fire Nation?”

“You’re from Yu Dao? The first Fire Nation colony?”

“Yes! You and the Avatar are destroying my home with your so-called Harmony Restoration Movement!”