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It is said that there has only ever been one line of Fire Lords. In the Earth Kingdom dynasties rise, and dynasties fall. But in the Fire Nation, they do not. Whatever family name the Royal Family once had has long since been forgotten. The sages liken it to a great metal chain. Father to Son. Mother to Daughter. Uncle to Nephew to Cousin. Perhaps the chain at times curved or looped, but it has never been broken. Even the Hundred Years War did not change that.
When Crown Princess Izumi’s Daughter is born, there is a great celebration throughout the land. For another generation, the line of Fire Lords that stretched back for millennia was secure. There is, as often surrounds royalty, a great deal of formality. Paperwork validating the birth, an official proclamation from Lord Zuko, and someone has to sort through all the congratulatory letters pouring in from across the world. The Chief of the Northern Water tribe sends the young princess a fine tapestry. The Southern Chief sends a boomerang (“At some point, I’ll find an apprentice” the accompanying note explains.) An elaborate ceremonial sword comes in from Ba Sing Sae, and a thousand other trinkets pile up. The Avatar personally brings some diapers and a rattle (“Finally, something she’ll actually use” notes the exhausted Crown Princess wryly.)
All of this was of course unusual. A thousand babies could be born in the Fire Nation and not receive the attention young Suzu is getting. But she will receive one thing all newborns in the Fire Nation would.
On Suzu’s third day in the world, she is given a ball of wood, cotton, and oil. Perhaps the most eminently flammable substance ever made. She does not yet have the skills to fiddle with it, but she grasps it tightly.
Surrounding her are doctors, her parents, her grandparents, her great-grandmother, and a few servants. All expect a fire, proof that her strong bending heritage runs true. But nothing comes.
Perhaps it was her ancestry, whisper the servants. For generations, Fire Lords have only married benders of the most pristine lineage. But Zuko and Izumi have both married non-benders, and that blood now runs through Suzu. No one wishes to consider this eventuality. No Fire Lord had ever reigned without bending.
They needn't be worried. After what seems to be an eternity, a small, desperate line of gray smoke emerges from Suzu’s weak fist. Were those present not so closely watching, none would notice. But they are watching, and so they saw proof that Suzu had the gift. There is not even a hint of ember, let alone flame, but Suzu begins to sob nonetheless and is quickly bundled up by her mother.
It is enough, barely. The Fire Sages announce to the world that Princess Suzu, Daimyo of the Caldera, is a Fire Bender. Still, they whisper amongst themselves. That had been the most pathetic fire bending from a royal baby since...well…
Zuko has already been predisposed to being protective of his granddaughter. He has been a fiercely protective father (As the Crown Princess’s husband could attest to) and is poised to repeat the effort. But seeing the nervous chatter of the servants, wondering whether the child was “strong enough,” to be Fire Lord. Hearing the whispers of the Fire Sages, about how another child might provide a “better option.” After those displays he is in a different place, just a small child, listening to the jibes of his sister. Listening to his father’s insults.
Zuko resolves to do right by Suzu.
…
The birth of the Crown Princess’s son is met with much pomp and circumstance, but not as much as his elder sister’s over a year prior. There is a celebration across the Fire Nation, but not the palpable sense of relief that had blanketed the land for Suzu. Another official proclamation, affixed with the royal seal. More gifts from abroad. The Chief of the Northern Water Tribe sends a scarf. The Southern Chief sends another boomerang (“SOON” was all the note said). The stubborn court at Ba Sing Se apparently finds the boy’s name terribly insulting to the honor of their city, and so only sends a short note. The Avatar again brings diapers and a rattle.
Young Iroh is, like his sister, surrounded for the test of fire bending. His parents are there, as are the Fire Lord and Fire Lady. His great-grandmother rouses herself one last time from what will prove to be her deathbed to witness the event. The Sages are there of course, as well as servants who prepared the ball for the test.
Not even a second after the mixture touches his hand it catches ablaze. Not a thin wisp of smoke. Not a tiny ember. Not a spark, or of a flash, or a tiny flame. No, a full-blown fire, one that engulfs the ball quickly and burns out, the thing was not made to last long. The Fire Sages are shocked, one even starts clapping. Iroh gives a contented gurgle, apparently quite pleased with himself.
Once again the Fire Sages make an announcement to the nation. Prince Iroh, Daimyo of the Twin Knife Sea, is a fire bender. They do so with considerably more enthusiasm this time.
The Fire Lord, however, is a world away. The flames are orange, but for the briefest second they seem blue to him (although Mai insists he was just seeing things.) And Iroh has made Suzu cry. The young girl is startled by the sudden flash of light and the sound of fire, and bursts into tears.
Another younger sibling causes pain to the elder one.
Zuko is predisposed to adore his grandson. He is a doting grandfather (just ask his exasperated daughter) and his love for his Uncle has not faded since the elder Iroh’s passing. Still, something is not sitting right.
…
No one claims that Suzu can not fire bend. She produces flame just fine. And she has a genuine talent for moving it around, making it curve and flicker and dance. The portly man who manages the fireworks for royal events thinks she is a genius. But what she possesses in skill she lacks in power. Her flames lack heat, even a non-bender could walk through most of them unscathed.
Not that Suzu would ever want someone to do that.
The young girl is deathly afraid of hurting anyone, she does not like fire bending in the direction of people. She can barely tolerate having her instructors (all of whom are masters) near her to correct her forms. She blanches at the thought of attacking a target, and although she is still too young to spar, it hardly seems as though she will enjoy that.
Izumi assures her father that Suzu does well in all of her studies. She has a good head for math it seemed and takes her duty as future Fire Lord as seriously as any 8-year-old could be expected to. She has a wide array of pets that she cares for diligently (the Fish are her favorite) and like the other members of the royal family, adores the turtleducks. Zuko is perfectly content with his granddaughter's progress.
Yet he knows that there are those who disagree. Try as he might, those who still think conquest was the future of the Fire Nation lurk around the fringes. Twice already they have made major efforts to overthrow him. Both times they have been definitively defeated, but they still plot…
Iroh is only 6, yet the word “prodigy” is already being thrown about with abandon. His bending is truly something to behold. Pure heat emerging from his fists. His precision is equally incredible for a boy his age, never missing his targets by much, if at all. He can not wait to begin sparring. His tutors say they had never seen anything like him.
But his tutors are young men. Zuko has seen something quite like this before.
…
When Iroh is 13, he enters a dueling tournament. The days of Agni Kais deciding matters of legal disputes are long gone, and to kill or maim someone in a duel is now just as illegal as anywhere else. Ironically this has made Fire Dueling even more popular than ever. Freed from being the overly formal preserve of the nobility, Agni Kais are now the most exciting entertainment in the Fire Nation. Royal family members are not supposed to attend, let alone participate.
Iroh tries to enter under the name “Li,” but is told there were already too many Lis and could he please choose a different obviously fake name (they did not recognize him as a prince, but they know a rich boy fighting without permission when they see one.) So he goes with “Su.”
‘Su’ easily wins the tournament. And the next one. And the one after that. And pretty soon word is out that there is a new Agni Kai fighter in Caldera who is the best there is. And that he is the Fire Lord’s grandson.
(Many, many, palace employees enjoy the fights during their spare time)
Eventually, of course, the word gets around to the Royal Family. And they are not pleased.
He is grounded of course, how could he not be? No dueling training for months, since he apparently thinks himself an expert already. Not allowed in the yards to play. Gets stuck with the chores for a bit. Nothing excessive, but enough that he gets the message from his Mother.
However, shortly thereafter he receives a summons to meet with the Fire Lord.
This has never happened before. He has received invitations to have tea with his grandfather or feed the turtleducks with Zuko. He has been to ceremonies with his mother. But that has always been the Crown Princess being welcomed to court by her father.
Iroh has never been summoned.
“Why did you do this?” The Fire Lord demands. “Why would you disregard your instructors? And your family? All to fight in some Agni Kai.”
The Fire Lord says ‘Agni Kai’ like it is poisoned. For him, the Agni Kai is still life and death. Every burst of fire carries the weight of the future of the world. It still means pain and lighting and scars.
For Iroh, it is a sport, a game. Like racing horsehounds or Pai Sho in the garden or fetching a dragon.
“Grandfather,” He says firmly, the young prince had no talent for honeyed words like his great-grandfather. “I offer my sincerest apologies. It was rude and improper. It will not happen again.”
The brazier of flame to the left of the Fire Lord roars. He thinks of all the times his own sister had “sincerely apologized” for her transgressions. His eyes narrowed at his grandson.
“That does not answer the question. Why?”
Iroh considers the question for a moment. He shrugs.
“It was fun, more so than my lessons.”
When Iroh speaks here he meant it in a certain way. He enjoys the way he was no longer held back by strict forms, the way he has a chance to apply what he had learned. He enjoys breaking the rules a bit, in the way children often do, but he also enjoys the opportunity to do something not as merely the spare but as his own person.
But that is not what Fire Lord Zuko hears.
Zuko hears that his grandson enjoys the fight. That Iroh enjoys the thrill of his flame on another’s skin. That he enjoys pain and causing pain. He hears that Iroh thought his royal blood gave him the right to beat others and escape all consequences.
He roars. The brazier blazes higher than ever. Fire spits from his mouth. Iroh flinches, although none came near him. He has never seen his Grandfather so furious.
Iroh is dismissed curtly, but he does not miss the sound of the brazier crashing down as he leaves.
…
The Fire Lord and the Crown Princess argue it is known. They will argue about tax policy, or philosophy, or Fire Bending, or the quality of the Emer Islands players. They will argue in private at family meals, and they will argue in front of the ministers.
But they do not fight.
When they debate it is always polite and reserved. There is always an underlying love to their disputes and genuine respect between the pair. It is in part the Fire Lord’s way of training his occasionally shy daughter on the ways of government, in part the curious Izumi’s way of learning things her father might not otherwise tell her. But it is all in good fun. Never a true fight.
But now they are fighting.
Izumi knows her son, and will not hear an unfair word said of him. She tells her father of Iroh’s kindness for all living things. Of his acceptance of the punishments already levied. Of his studious nature. He is rebellious, as teenagers often are, but no more so than any other boy his age.
Zuko’s scars run deeper than his face, and they interfere with his judgment. Iroh’s power is too great, he argues, they need to scale back the training. There is too much risk. And perhaps he should not go to the Academy. Other boys may be a bad influence, cruel as teenagers often are, or maybe Iroh will be a bad influence on them.
The Crown Princess does not understand, truly she does not. Why is her father, always so generous and protective of his family, so set against his only grandson? There is talk of cloistering and not allowing Iroh to the annual vacation on Ember Island. It did not make any sense, and she says so.
“You don’t understand,” says Zuko. “It’s not your fault. You could not understand what it was like.”
“What are you talking about?” She demands, far more harshly than she ever has on her own behalf.
The Crown Princess knows, on an intellectual level, about her Aunt. She has met Azula several times, seen the tension between the Cloistered Princess and the Fire Lord. But by that point, Azula had reconciled herself to a dull life on a small island. Izumi has no siblings, no one who grew up alongside her as equals. She would not understand even the friendliest of sibling rivalries, to say nothing of what her own father has experienced. And Zuko cannot simply pass his experiences onto her. So he is left to splutter.
"His is dangerous 'zumi." He insists. "We have to…"
"My Lord Father," Izumi interrupts, responding harshly to the use of a nickname in an argument such as this. "To whom he is dangerous? You have taught me that evidence is everything in matters of law. So tell me who has he hurt, aside from your pride?"
The Fire Lord fumes and tugs at his beard in anguish.
Izumi stares long and hard at her father, then turns and leaves without permission.
They do not speak for a long week afterward. Finally, a minute discussion of fishing rights brings them together, but the tension remains.
…
Suzu wants to study fish.
From a young age, she has loved the sea. Loved the smell of salt in the air. Loved the crashing of the waves. Be it the clear waters of the Mao Ce Sea, or the deep blue of the western coast. Every chance she gets to explore the ocean she does. When visits are made to the Water Tribes she looks over the ship’s edge the entire way there. She is more interested in the Unagi than anything else on Kyoshi island. When her grandfather tells stories of his youth, she listens to the tales of his time aboard a ship most of all. But hers is not truly a sailor’s love of the sea, no she loves more what lives in it.
Yes, she loves the turtleducks, but she loves other things even more. The tigersharks, the baboonwhales, the pufferfishauks. Her room is filled with glass, each containing a different environment of marine life. When water benders visit she begs to be taken under the water to see the creatures of the sea in person. When she speaks at family dinners it is about the wonders of the deep blue sea. Her mother and father listen politely, although they do not always quite understand what she is saying
She is not just an enthusiast, she is a scientist. She keeps extensive logs of her observations, hypothesized and revised. In her free time, she sneaks into lectures at the university on the subject of marine biology. Her first major policy initiative is the introduction of payments to fishermen to incentivize them to release certain rare fishes they catch. She is very good at this. She has, at the age of 19, already written several anonymous papers on the subject, including the first conclusive summary of the mothseacucumber’s complex life cycle.
None of this is remotely acceptable behavior from the heir to the throne.
Yes, she attends her classes and yes she does her duty to the letter. But the eventual Fire Lord is expected to go above and beyond. Hobbies have little place in a Royal Court. And if they do they should be something proper, like war or poetry or art collecting. The friends she surrounds herself with are scientists, not the future power brokers of the nation. Suzu has little time for politics and little time for the backrooms of diplomacy. She is not anyone’s rube, she simply does not play the game at all. She, like her mother and grandfather, receives a dragon as her steed. But she enjoys it more for pleasure flying and observing whalegazelle migrations than for being an imposing leader.
Even her love life is unacceptable. It was bad enough for the Crown Princess to marry a second son of little distinction. But at least he was of noble blood. The man Suzu courts is not even that. A fisherman's son who has worked his way into university, barely. Untrained and uncouth it is said. In truth only the former is true. He has not a sailor's mouth and is equally as sweet as his beloved. But that means aspiring puppet masters cannot find a domineering husband for Suzu.
There are some who whisper that she will lead the nation to ruin if she is ever crowned. Perhaps she should be passed over.
Fire Lord Zuko will not hear of it. Tampering with the succession is what brought the nation his father, and nearly his sister. To do so would be to show that the Fire Nation has no respect for the rule of law. To dispense with such a peaceable heir would indicate the Fire Nation has no desire for peace. And, although he would never admit it, it would hurt him, and stir up old inadequacies and fears he had long thought buried.
His daughter stands with him on this front. She has her own worries, but there is time to address them. Some chats with Suzu, making some things that were previously unspoken expectations for her schooling written requirements, things of that nature. They will ensure stability.
“Everyone else seems to think I am foolish,” Suzu says to her grandfather one day. “I am simply doing what brings me joy.”
“To do what brings you joy is life’s greatest pleasure,” Zuko replies. “My uncle taught me that once.”
“Wow,” Says Suzu. “I can see why Mom named Iroh after him.”
"Yes," said Zuko, eyes glancing nervously toward the horizon.
…
Iroh wants to join the United Forces.
From a young age, he has wanted to see the world. Well, not just to see the world, but help it. Travel around and help people, stop the forces of evil, just as his grandfather had done in his youth. Yes, he had always enjoyed a good fight, but hardly in a bloodthirsty sense. Every time he has been abroad he has wished to go out and meet new people, to understand and bring them together. When he listens to tales from the past, he always wants to hear about how his grandfather had united with his former adversaries to defeat the greatest threat. But more draws him to the United Forces than just that.
When he has seen them, or any other military for that matter, there has been a sense of camaraderie he had always found lacking. He has always been separate from everyone else as a Royal and that has left him lonely. And if he went into the Fire Nation Army, that divide would still remain. And always lingering would be his name. Iroh. The great general. How could he ever live up to that? But in the United Forces? He could be his own man.
And he remains his own man. Many, at home and abroad, wish their daughters and even sons would wed the prince. But he remains focused like a mantiseagle on the United Forces.
It is a respectable choice. Formed in the wake of the Hundred Years War the United Forces serves to protect the United Republic of Nations, as well as a global fleet, keeping the waterways safe. Many second sons have had illustrious careers there (And even First Sons, just ask Bumi.) With the Fire Nation's military severely limited to avoid the specter of war, many would-be soldiers and sailors have joined the ranks. Many with ambitions as well, who see this as a way to ensure the Fire Nation will once again have a corps of warriors when the time comes.
These are a tiny minority, and Zuko knows this. He fervently, and honestly, denies that the United Forces are a Fire Nation plot. But still, some wish it so.
And when the Fire Lord hears that Iroh wishes to join, well, he assumes the worst about his own flesh and blood.
To join the officer corps of the United Forces, one needs a letter of recognition from a 'respected leader of your nation.' A very broad requirement to be sure. Anyone from politicians to famous authors to military men may write such a letter.
Yet despite this wide array of options, Iroh cannot find anyone to recommend him. His tutors clam up and avoid the issue. Ministers whom he likes and respects turn him down. The only men or women who might do so are those who might seek to push young Iroh down the path of conquest. And he is wise enough to avoid them.
But every honest dealer in the Fire Nation is refusing him. And it is readily apparent why. The Fire Lord has laid out his will. His grandson is not to join the United Forces. And all obey their Fire Lord.
But there is one who does not fear the Fire Lord.
Izumi is loathe to write a letter of recommendation for her own son. It reeks of nepotism, which offends every bone in her meritocratic body. But with her father being so unreasonable, she sees no other way out but forward, but to force a confrontation with her father.
And she shall get her way.
A grim invitation arrives, not a cheery invite for dinner with the family. But a summons for the Crown Princess and her family to sup with the Fire Lord to discuss matters relating to the Royal Family.
Not wishing to unduly disturb his granddaughter, he arranges for the Fire Lady to take Suzu to some knife lessons. This does not particularly calm her. Suzu hates knives. But, more relevantly it does not distract her at all from the tension in the family. The tension seems to coil around her and her brother, even though no tension exists between them.
As they leave, Mai gives the Fire Lord a glare. Suzu looks at her brother with a fearful gaze. A plea for help in her confusion. But the Fire Lord does not see it that way.
"Why would you do this?" Demands the Fire Lord. "You know my thoughts on the matter. The boy is not fit to join the United Forces."
Iroh bristles. He does not like being talked about like being spoken of like he is not there.
"Why not?" He asks, with the familiarity of family.
"You are impetuous and reckless. Hardly the material of a great soldier." The Fire Lord snaps back.
"If I recall," Izumi interrupts sharply. "Bumi has made quite a career in the United Forces. And he has caused ten times the trouble that Iroh has."
"Exactly," Iroh adds, ignoring his mother's glare trying to tell him to keep his mouth shut. "You're always pushing Suzu to find a career. I need one too don't I?"
"Perhaps we should find something more fitting to your needs."
"Like what?"
"Perhaps service at a Fire Temple, or in the Environmental Corps," Zuko muses.
"What?" Iroh sputters. "Grandfather, you know no one in this family has patience for the sages. And the Environmental Corps seems far more in Suzu's interests than in mine."
"So now you wish to dictate where your sister, the rightful heir, goes now? Send her to obscurity while you reap military glory?" Zuko accuses.
"Father, you know that is not what he meant!" Cries Izumi.
"I want to HELP people!" Iroh yells, his voice wavering, tears welling in his eyes. "Why can't you see that? I want to serve the world, just like my namesake.
"You are not worthy of his name." The Fire Lord says with a quiet fury.
Iroh runs from the room crying, and his mother races after him, all decorum is forgotten in order to comfort her son.
Izumi’s husband, the future Prince Consort, is named Suwaru. He is a pleasant man, well-liked by all who meet him. He is an astronomer by trade, having met his wife at university. Inside the field, he is seen as an iconoclast. His ideas are radical, overturning years of accepted wisdom in his field. His work on comets was viewed as practically heretical until new mathematical developments proved him right. Even so, he has a reputation as a loose cannon amongst astronomers.
To everyone else, save his wife, this would be absolutely shocking news. Suwaru is a nonentity, politically speaking. One could write an extensive story about the Fire Nation Royal family and barely mention him until now. His ideas boil down to “conquest bad, more funding for academics good.” In fairness, this is better than the ideas of many. But still, he lacks a deft hand in politics.
He knows this, and leaves the scheming and governing to his wife. To be quite honest, Zuko is only impressed with him insofar as he seems to make Izumi happy.
He was invited solely as a matter of form. He has not spoken at all.
Until now.
"How dare you," He growls across the table to the Fire Lord. "How dare you say that to MY SON. YOUR GRANDSON."
Zuko blinks as if emerging from a trance. He frowns slightly.
"He, he needed to learn…" He says suddenly unsure.
"Learn what?" Sneers Suwaru, in the most anger he has ever shown to his father-in-law. "That the Grandfather he so adores despises him? That he fails to live up to the name he strives for every day?"
"I…" Zuko says.
"I didn't want to name him Iroh, you know," Suwaru says. "Too much pressure on his head, so much to live up to. But Izumi insisted, saying that it was a name of honor to the family. I guess she was wrong."
He stands and leaves.
The Fire Lord sits alone with his thoughts.
…
No one actually finds Iroh, after he flees that dinner. Not the guards. Not his grandfather. Not his parents. But they do find a note.
Iroh may not be able to be commissioned as an officer. But to simply enlist as a regular sailor or soldier? That he can do.
The Fire Lord is furious and his agents scour the capital. But they find nothing.
Perhaps the Prince is truly skilled. Perhaps the agents are incompetent. Perhaps they do not want to find anything.
The Fire Lord fumes. But there is one ritual he will not miss. Not for all the world.
Every week, he and his beloved granddaughter feed the Turtleducks at the pond.
He walks swiftly there and finds her sulking beneath the tree.
"Hello, Suzu," He says lightly. "How are they looking today?"
"Bring him back," replies the eventual heiress of the Fire Nation, crossing her arms.
"I do not know where he is," Zuko admits sadly. "But he will be found. And justice will be given."
"I don't give a fuck about justice," Suzu sobs. "I want my brother back."
Zuko, for all he has seen and all he has done, is taken back. He has never heard his granddaughter swear.
"Well," Suzu hisses in a very un-Suzu-like way. "I'm waiting. I know what you said to him. Apologize."
"I do not know where he is…"
"You're the Fire Lord!" She begs. "If you decree it, your apology will be on every wall in every home in the nation! He cannot miss it!"
"Your brother has made his choice…"
"His name is Iroh!"
"...Iroh has made his…" Zuko stutters.
"So he is worthy of his name then?" Suzu asks harshly.
"I said words that I regret yes," Zuko says quietly. "But Iroh was out of line. I needed to ensure your future reign is secure. Protect you."
Suzu bursts out laughing. It is a high, maniacal laugh.
"Protect me? From Iroh?" She gasps for air. "You think he wants to be Fire Lord? Agni above he'd be terrible at the job! And he knows it better than anyone."
"Some think his line…" Zuko begins.
"Iroh hasn't looked at any women like that in all his life," Suzu says. "Nor any man. His line is already over."
"Still, as I'm sure your mother has told you," Zuko says, grasping at straws. "There are factions that think he should supplant you as heir. And should these factions begin to influence him, there may be issues."
"You actually think he would join them? If he had his way we wouldn't even have a military, we'd just have the United Forces."
"I just want to protect you," Zuko begs.
Suzu's head snaps up and her jaw drops.
"You're serious," She whispers. "You actually think you need to protect me from him? Iroh, the one who helped me learn how to bend. The one who got me those toy fish for my birthday. You think I need protection from him."
Zuko looks down.
"Suzu," He says gravely. "Our family has a tendency to hurt each other. To turn sibling against sibling. Please, I just want to avoid that happening."
"Maybe your family does," Suzu says quietly. "But mine does not. We are always loving and supportive. Except you I guess."
She storms off, not having fed the Turtleducks at all.
…
The next day, the Crown Princess announces her intent to withdraw to Kaino Bay, long the domain of heirs apparent. She has often vacationed there. But this time she does not announce when she shall return. Or even if she will.
…
The Avatar is dead.
Well, the Avatar is alive. She is a child at the South Pole, raising havoc for her tutors.
But the Avatar who brought the diapers and the rattles for both children. The Avatar who had helped return dragons to the Royal Family. The Avatar who had been a favorite uncle to Izumi and a best friend to Zuko.
That Avatar is dead. And while the Avatar always returns, Aang does not.
He might have mediated, provided his lighthearted wisdom, and sought to bridge the gap. Knowing Zuko he might have imparted some understanding of his friend's worries to Izumi. Always a friend to the young, he might have been able to tell Zuko more of Iroh's nature.
But Aang is dead. Katara is at the South Pole, dealing with the new Avatar. Sokka is ruling, keeping the fractious chiefs in line. Toph is spirits know where.
Mai is too old for this. To be the one smoothing things over is not her way, not normally. But someone has to. Someone has to heal the rift.
She visits her daughter and granddaughter at their stately house by the bay. She listens idly to their gossip and small talk but does not contribute. She despises such things, but she indulges her daughter's vices. Finally, the conversation turns to Iroh, after Suzu runs off to look at some new fish specimens.
"You need to speak with your father," Mai says bluntly. "This fight is boring now."
Izumi frowns into her tea, swirling it slightly as she thinks.
"I rather think he should speak to me," She replies evenly. "He is the one who insulted my son, his own grandson! Mother, you should have seen the way Iroh cried!"
"Oh don't talk to me like that," Mai snaps. "Your father is being an idiot, just like he always does. He's been that way since we were young. I know that you know that, he probably knows that."
"Then why hasn't he apologized?"
"Because he is as stubborn as he is stupid," The Fire Lady says. "Don't give me that look Zumi, I'm allowed to say the truth. His pride is what's blocking him. Reach out to him, and start talking to him. He'll come around. You don't even need to apologize."
"It's not that simple," Izumi insists. "He's trapped politically as well."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Do you read the papers mother?" The Crown Princess asks.
"I try to avoid them."
"They've spun this thing into a major dispute over succession and political goals."
"That's why I try to avoid them. You should too." Mai opines.
"They think I'm favoring Iroh over Suzu, that I'm pushing to replace her with him in the line of succession. Push her aside so we can have a strong, military, crown prince when I'm on the throne." Izumi explains.
"Well, are you?"
"Of course not!"
"Well then what are you worried about?" Mai asks. "If half of what you say you have planned is true, you'll need to pull wool over the reactionaries' eyes at least for a bit."
"I'm worried that either father has bought into the rumors, and thinks he is protecting Suzu's claim. Or he's worried backing down will make him look weak, or both," Izumi admits. "It's a delicate political balance."
"Izumi, your father did not have a political bone in his body when he came to the throne," Mai replies. "He has a couple now, but only because Sokka and I shoved them into him. And he still lets his instincts get ahead of him sometimes, that's why you'll twice the Fire Lord he is. And I'm not just saying that because you have my skills as well."
"Your point?"
"My point is that if you think my husband thinks this is a political issue, you're as stupid as he is!" Mai snaps. "This involves family. And that means feelings and love and lots of other sappy things that made me fall in love with him in the first place. This is a personal dispute! Father, daughter, grandchildren. He'd be doing the same thing if he were a rice farmer! Stop approaching this like a funding request to the Fire Lord and start looking like when you guilted him into taking you to Omashu so you could ride the mail chutes!"
Izumi downs the rest of her tea.
"Thank you, mother, I shall…consider your advice."
"Of course, you will."
…
"You need to speak with Izumi," Mai says as they sit down to dinner one evening. Just the two of them. There is precious little time for that, so they do try and savor it. "This fight is getting boring."
Zuko sighs into his rice.
"So we really have to do this right now?"
"Yes," She insists. "Ever since you hounded your only grandson from the country you've been moping."
"I did not hound!" Zuko protests futilely. "And I do not mope."
"You mope," Mai insists. "You mope all the time constantly. That's why I married you, because you look so good when you mope."
She smugly takes a bite as Zuko gapes like a gibbonfish.
"Anyway," She continues. "You need to talk with Izumi. And then track down Iroh."
"I've been trying to do that for weeks!"
"I think you'll find it much easier once it's apparent you realize you were wrong."
"What does that mean?"
"I mean you haven't been this unpopular since right after the war," Mai says, pausing to take a bite to eat. "People love Iroh. That's why you can't find him. People all over the world are covering for him."
"I was unpopular after the war because people wanted us to take over the world!" Zuko protests.
"That is not what I'm talking about and you know it," retorts his wife. "And don't think I haven't noticed you didn't deny you were wrong in what you said to him."
“I…I messed up so badly, Mai,” Zuko admits, his voice barely even a whisper. “Oh spirits, what have I done?”
“Zuko…” Mai starts.
“When ‘zumi got married I thought to myself, you did it,” Zuko rambles, ignoring his wife. “You managed to raise a child right, you didn’t become your father. But I guess I just waited an extra generation.”
“Zuko,” Mai says so sharply she might have thrown a knife. He looks up. “You have burned a lot of bridges here, but you are not your father. You never have been. You love your family. The fact that you even care about Iroh is proof you are better than your father ever was. But you are not going to make anything better by moping around.”
"You're right…"
…
It is a rare thing for the Fire Lord to visit another's palace. There are vacation homes and government palaces. And even foreign palaces. But to visit the matter of someone beneath them in the Fire Nation hierarchy? That is near unheard of.
On one hand, it might be seen as giving undue favor to one clan over another, disrupting the balance of power between them. On the other hand, it is also a sign of a weak Fire Lord, to go to another's lands and play guest.
And yet, today the Fire Lord goes.
In fairness, he is visiting his daughter at her property. It can hardly be said to be unduly favoring anyone. And certainly, one cannot say a visit to his children makes him weak.
But still,, it is cause for note.
The Fire Lord and the Crown Princess have disagreed in the past. Sometimes she has had to back down. Sometimes she has talked him around. But never have they quarreled so bitterly, as discussed before. And never has she won so unambiguously as to merit a humbling visit from her father.
She is gracious in victory. In fact more than gracious. She is relieved.
Izumi has always been, truthfully, very much a daddy's girl. This is the longest she has ever gone without speaking with him in her life and it has been eating away at her from within like a tapewormhyena. So when she hears that he is visiting, she is overcome with relief. Her husband as well, for his wife's sake.
Suzu, however, is less impressed. The young have always had a capacity for holding grudges, and even the sweet natured Princess is no exception to that rule. She never even got to say goodbye to her brother. She glares out the window as the Fire Lord arrives, bringing with him as small an entourage as he can.
Dinner is a tense affair, but a productive one. Zuko lifts his prohibition on Iroh being commissioned into the United Forces, and even produces an, admittedly slightly stilted, letter of recommendation himself. The nationwide manhunt for Iroh is also dropped, in favor of requests for proof that he is safe and nothing more. A formal apology will be issued, a significant use of political capital for Zuko. Far more important, far more significant, is the deeply personal apology Zuko gives to his family.
It has not fixed everything. But it is a start.
…
The first news that is heard of Iroh, Prince of the Fire Nation, is that after several months of exemplary service and leadership as an enlisted soldier, he has been granted a commission. His letter of recommendation comes from Toph Beifong. No one is entirely sure how he found her, or why she wrote the letter, or rather dictated the letter, or rather yelled at a United Forces officer until Iroh is commissioned.
Zuko, however, has an inkling of an idea. Something about a life changing field trip.
A royal proclamation is issued upon the arrival of the news, commending the Prince's promotion and service to the cause of world peace. It bears the official government seal, but also the personal seal of the Fire Lord, indicating that Zuko himself drafted the document.
As word of the proclamation percolates through the United Forces, a letter is delivered via messenger hawk to Princess Suzu. For her eyes only. She cries her heart out as she reads it.
An apology for not saying goodbye, and she wishes he was there so she could tell him that he had nothing to apologize for. Tales of adventures on the high seas, and of friendships forged. And stories about all the wonderless sealife he has spotted. He's not the scientist she is, but he jots down as much information as he can and forwards it to her. He apologizes for the lack of samples, promising her some prize arctic foxfish as soon as he is able.
It's not much. And it is hollow compared to actually seeing her little brother again. But it is the best Suzu has felt since he left.
No one else gets any letters though, not yet.
…
The Crown Princess is dispatched to the Southern Water Tribe to handle some delicate negotiations surrounding fishing quotas and tariffs on meat.
In a convenient coincidence, elements of the United Forces Fleet engaging in an anti-piracy operation are rotated off patrol duty for rest and relaxation.
One of the officers with shore leave is Lieutenant Iroh, recently promoted. He enjoys some time with his friends carousing on the docks. But once he is done, he manages to slink off towards the conference.
He is not AWOL, not technically. He is, after all, on shore leave. His commander offered him family visitation leave, but Iroh declined. He will not use his station to gain an advantage over his comrades.
A brief visit it is then. He has known the man guarding his mother's guesthouse since he was two. Still, he insists on getting the proper paperwork filed and confirming his identity with a signet ring he'd brought along when he ran away.
Crown Princess Izumi is still awake, despite a long day of negotiations. Ever since Sokka passed (having tragically never found a boomerang apprentice) dealing with the Southern Water Tribe has been like bumblecats. Just a lot of work.
Still, she has heard about the United Forces Fleet at the docks and has been hoping against hope. And her wish is fulfilled as her youngest child rushes into her arms. Tears run down both of their eyes.
They talk well into the night. She carefully treads around the issue of the Fire Lord but tells him of home. Of what his sister is up to. And his father. Of countless friends. Also, although he cares little for politics, she cares greatly. And he is simply happy to hear his mother speak again, and so he indulges her rambling.
In turn, he tells her of life in the fleet. Of the hard work he has done. Of the new friends he has made. Of the people he has helped and the places he has seen. He edits around some of the more embarrassing parts. Like the first time he had drunk the sailor's rum, which is far stronger than the refined wines at the palace. Or the incident in Shuhan with the monkeybird and the tortoisetiger. He also leaves out the near miss with the pirates. His mother has worried about him enough, he thinks. But he does tell the tale of other swashbuckling tales with his siblings in arms and the ports of the world that he has seen.
The night turns late. And then later. And then so late it is now early. The Antarctic Sun rises late this time of year, but rise it still does. And they both have duties to attend to.
"Mother," He says, voice cracking. "It is good to see you again. I have missed you."
"I…I came after you, you know," She admits. "Right as you left."
"I know," He replies. "I hid behind the vase from Omashu then snuck out the window that it blocks. I heard you pass."
Izumi smacks her forehead gently.
"I should have checked," She says. "I'll have to have it moved, that's a security risk."
An awkward silence falls over the pair, as they contemplate how they got here.
"Do you think you will ever come home?" Izumi asks quietly.
"Yes," Iroh replies. His answer is so swift and assured it makes his mother want to cry.
"Your grandfather," She begins. "He regrets what he said and did."
"I know," Iroh says, face as solemn as stone. "I know, mother. Still, I will not return solely for his sake. Something else, perhaps. But not just for him."
…
The 'something else' turns out to be his Sister's wedding. In her letters to him, she tells of her romance with a fellow expert on sea life, and then her impending nuptials. Suzu has generally avoided touching touchy subjects, but she begs Iroh outright to come and he will not deny his older sister this.
Suzu's fiancee, a friendly man named Saito, is everything feared by those elements in the Fire Nation that despise her. He is more interested in pufferfishprawns than politics and prefers marine trenches to military trenches, overall he just isn't that concerned with making the Fire Nation great again.
When some of the less well-informed militarists here that Iroh will be returning for the wedding, they celebrate. Surely he will unite with his mother, or perhaps he will act alone. Either way, he will claim the mantle of leadership and restore the nation to glory.
The better informed in the nation scoff, but the rumors still swirl.
Iroh gets shore leave for a Family Obligation, the same as any other Commander in the United Forces. But upon returning to the Fire Nation he pointedly avoids the main Royal Palace. Instead, he proceeds directly to his immediate family's residence.
He tearfully reunites with Suzu, congratulating her on her big day. The pair twirl each other around like they did when they were little children. Steadying himself he turns to his future brother-in-law and introduces himself, and advises Saito to keep his sister happy.
Iroh reunites with his father, who in an unusual display of emotion hugs his only son for several minutes before letting go. Iroh had never expected the small bits of astronomy knowledge he picked up from his father to be useful. But sometimes the stars are the only way to navigate at sea.
And, when she returns from a long day at work, Izumi finds her son at home for the first time in forever. She cries. Again.
The day before the wedding Iroh spies the Royal Palanquin approaching the residence and freezes in place. However, mercifully it turns out to only be his Grandmother.
Well, mercifully might be a strong word.
Mai discovers that neither of her grandchildren has been practicing their skills with the blade and they spend an hour throwing knives at things. Mai is in a good mood, so Suzu doesn't have to do it in a dress.
After that interlude, they have tea. Good, high-quality tea all the way from Ba Sing Se.
"Iroh," Izumi says carefully. "I'm sure your grandmother can attest that the Fire Lord is still quite ready to make amends."
"Yes," Mai says. "Desperate, really. You should hold out, try to get a deal."
"Mother!" Snaps Izumi, scandalized.
"I'm just saying," The Fire Lady says. "You have leverage."
Iroh stays silent.
The wedding itself goes off without a hitch, the bride and groom both glow with happiness. It is of course a resplendent occasion. The Chief of the Northern Water Tribe attends, all smiles and smooth edges. Tenzin, the world's only Master Airbender, arrives to congratulate his honorary niece. Even the Earth Queen deigns to make an appearance, although she doesn't look happy at any point.
The foreign dignitaries are exempt from the moment when all Fire Nation citizens are expected to kowtow to their future Fire Lord. As are her Mother and Grandfather, being in the line themselves. But her father, grandmother, and even her new husband must bow. And so they do.
And so does her brother.
Suzu is more than a little flustered at all of this. Being the center of attention is not her preferred method of existence. She flushes deeply and indicates for everyone to rise as quickly as she can. But the message is sent. Iroh recognizes his sister as the heir. This has been true for their entire lives, of course. But now everyone knows it.
At the lively party that follows Suzu huddles in a corner with all of her scientist friends while the dignitaries swirl around playing their diplomatic games.
Meanwhile, Zuko stares across the room awkwardly at his grandson. Iroh stares across the room awkwardly at his grandfather.
Eventually, Iroh turns to leave, only to find his grandfather's bony hand gripping his robe in the hallway.
"Iron," Zuko croaks. "I am so, so sorry."
"I know."
An awkward and tense silence falls over the pair. Each wondering what to say or what will be said to them.
"Your fleet sails for Makapauu next?" Zuko asks suddenly.
"Yes," Iroh replies. "How did you know?"
"I've been worried," Zuko says. "And world leaders have a certain amount of special access."
"I would have joined without…what you said," Iroh says, trying to reassure his grandfather.
"And I would still have worried," Zuko replies, looking straight into his grandson's eyes. "It is what families do."
Iroh nods, and Zuko releases his grip. Zuko reaches inside his robes. Iroh raises an eyebrow in confusion. Zuko pulls out a bag and tosses it to Iroh. Iroh opens it and finds it full of coins.
"I make my own pay," He grumbles. "I don't need a princely allowance."
"No allowance," Zuko clarifies. "A one-time gift. When you are in Makapauu, try the Golden Quokkagoose Inn. Buy a round for your men. If there is still a Zhu running the place, tell them the brat apologizes for the bar fight last time."
Iroh cracks a small smile.
"Anything else?"
"The Red Lantern is a den of vice, if any of your men fail to show up after shore leave, that's where they'll be. And try the Hibiscus Tea Shop, your namesake loved it. And he was always very picky with his tea."
Silence falls again.
"I'll definitely try it," Iron says.
Zuko smiles.
“I will not keep you here,” Zuko says. “But know you will always have a place here, please know that.”
“I do.”
…
The Death of Fire Lady Mai is a solemn moment for the Fire Nation. Banners of mourning cover the Caldera and beyond. Not since the death of Fire Lady Dowager Ursa has such a funeral been seen.
Everyone knows that Fire Lord Zuko is not a teenager anymore. The days are long gone when he was “the New Fire Lord” or the “Young Prince.” But he has always seemed an image of strength, atop the dragon.
But now he leads the funeral procession, clad in white, and it becomes disturbingly apparent to his people just how old the Fire Lord is. His hair is white, and his steps are slow.
Behind him trail his immediate family and close friends. Katara has come north, Ty Lee has as well. Even old Toph Beifong has emerged from wherever it is she lives now. The last of a dying generation, shuffling forward. But they are not dead yet.
The Crown Princess and her family do not hide the grief on their faces as they follow. Izumi mourns the Mother who taught her so much about the push and pull of politics. Suzu mourns the surprisingly kind woman, who once taught her to dissect a fish. Iroh mourns a formidable woman who was always, if sometimes sourly, in his corner.
But now she is gone.
The procession reaches the royal tombs. As they climb the steps the Fire Lord, distracted by grief and an aging body, trips and nearly falls. But his grandson, his only grandson steps forward and catches him. Tension ripples through the crowd, everyone knows of the tension between Iroh and Zuko at this point. Zuko merely grasps his grandson and accepts his aid as the family climbs the steps to the pyre.
But the Fire Lord cannot do it, he cannot bring himself to cremate his beloved wife.
So his daughter steps forward. And then her daughter. And then her son.
And together they send Mai on her way to the spirits.
…
It has been centuries since there has been an abdication in the Fire Nation. And even more, centuries since there was a voluntary one.
Still, the Nation is surprisingly calm about this unprecedented event. Well, maybe it isn’t a surprise. After all, Izumi is a very popular woman. Those who tire of the aging Zuko view her as a spark of youth, even if she is hardly a spring pigeonchicken at this point. Those who hate the new order, well they don’t like Izumi, but they really really really don’t like Zuko.
The sun shines brightly as the family exits the palace, the ceremony completed. Now Retired Fire Lord Zuko is preparing to go on his first mission of international charity, Earthquake relief in the Si Wong Desert.
Newly crowned Fire Lord Izumi has removed the crown already. She fiddles with it in her hand, staring contemplatively as the light reflects off the metal.
“I would tell you to use it well,” Zuko says quietly. “But I already know you will. But remember not to let it consume you. Keep your friendships and hobbies alive, and allow yourself vacations. You already work so much. This job takes what you give it, don’t give it everything.”
“I won’t,” Izumi replies. “And I will use it well.”
“Your mother was proud of you,” Zuko says. “She always was. And she always will be.”
“I know.”
Zuko turns to Suzu, who looks both sad to see her grandfather leave and nervous. She is, after all, now one heartbeat away from the throne.
“That goes to you too,” He says. “Do not let anyone, anything ever take you away from your studies. You have duties to the nation and to yourself. But your heart is your strength, do not lose it.”
“I won’t,” She says with a resoluteness that reveals that she still has the blood of the dragon in her.
“Here’s a tip,” Zuko whispers conspiratorially. “If anyone calls you weak because you study fish, just ignore them to show you can stand up to pressure.”
Suzu giggles at that.
Zuko turns to his grandson, now Major General Iroh of the Fire Nation. Still resolutely refusing to use his royal title when on duty for the United Forces. But here he is a Prince.
“Iroh,” Zuko says quietly. “Your Great-grand Uncle was a great man, yet I think…”
“Don’t patronize me, Grandfather,” Iroh says lightly. “I know you don’t think I’ve surpassed him.”
“I don’t,” Zuko says bluntly. “And while you have a long life ahead of you, I doubt you ever will. I doubt anyone ever will. But I think he would say you have surpassed him. He was always self-critical.”
“Really?”
“He spent most of his life on the wrong side,” Zuko said. “It took the loss of his son to push him to help others. And here you are, still so young, yet doing so much good already. He would be honored to share your name.”
The former Fire Lord draws his grandson in for a hug. Only to be joined by his daughter and granddaughter. Tears run down all of their faces.
Perhaps it is true that the chain of Fire Lords has never been broken. But it has been reforged now, after the rust of the war. Reforged into something truer, stronger, better.