Capital Island, in the Fire Nation Capital City, was lit up all around with torches and fires. The stars glittered up above, as children and adults alike found something new: they found a festival. They found stalls selling goods, they found stages with performers giving plays, singing songs, teaching tricks, or even teaching skills. The scents of spicy cuisine and sweets tinted the air in an oddly tantalizing aroma.
For once, it wasn’t war that was involved for the celebration, either.
Four years since the 100-Year War ended, and Fire Lord Zuko was holding a festival to honor their history, to instill a sense of pride into the Fire Nation, for what it had been, and could be again – as well as the feats it had accomplished even during the war, from the powers of industry and innovation.
He knew, some of the other kingdoms might think this was ‘too soon’, but they had to find a way to move on, and celebrate themselves. They couldn’t always be beaten down by all that they’d done. They had already spent four years trying to fix it, and were still fixing it – they needed a reason to fix it.
A reason to be better.
Although the tension of it all still weighed on Zuko’s shoulders as he looked down upon it all, in all his royal regalia. ‘Bit heavy.’ There was so much metal and armor bits with the attire, but he had to look the part. At least his hair was back the way he liked it, pulled up into his hairpiece.
He left the palace with some guards following at a distance. He could never be alone anymore, one frustration of being Fire Lord, but he was getting better at ignoring their presence. Toph had a few good lessons on that, amusingly enough.
He moved through the festival, giving awkward smiles to those who greeted him, bowing or inclining their head. A few gasps came; people didn’t really expect to see him just walking about like the rest of them. It was another thing he wanted to change, too. He didn’t want to rule by fear. So, he wanted to seem approachable.
The first thing he wanted to approach, though, was his uncle’s performance, which was a show of Fire-bending talent, those who were learning to use the art without the rage and anger that predominated the practice before. These students would also inherit dragons, in time, to remind people of the old ways. ‘Those are safe, thankfully.’ And expected to hatch at the end of all of this.
He was anxious about that.
He and Iroh both would have a dragon, but he worried about how that bonding experience would actually go.
Those thoughts left him as he saw the stage that Iroh had set, and people starting to arrive, anticipating the show. Zuko easily moved around the stage, to see the performers garbed and moving about.
He caught sight of his uncle Iroh, speaking with one of the performers, a short woman who he was sure he’d seen around before, but couldn’t place her name. “Uncle Iroh—”
His uncle just held up a hand to silence him, apparently wanting to finish his conversation with the woman first, and so Zuko sighed, but waited, folding his arms across his chest as he did so. Only Iroh could put him off this way.
~***~
Yina stood out amongst the Fire Nation guards as she moved through the festival to her first ‘post’. Unlike the other soldiers in heavy plate of red, she moved in lighter armor of black, a more clothe-and-leather blend than anything metal. Metal wasn’t the best idea anymore, with a metal bending school starting up in the Earth Kingdom.
Not to mention it was heavy, and hot.
And Yina needed mobility more than the others. She couldn’t just throw a fireball at anyone who upset her. Not to mention, she was more of a ‘private guard’, rather than employed directly through the Fire Nation army. ‘A wonder we’re still allowed to have that.’ She’d try not to think too hard on that.
Just as she’d try not to consider the way Saso snubbed her when they were getting their marching orders from the festival director. He would hardly look her way, or answer anything with more than a single syllable, or a grunt.
‘At least this should take my mind off of it, a bit.’ She thought, as she found the first place she was set to watch, a stage with plenty of open space around it, that would be re-introducing Fire Nation dances to the community.
Much of that had been lost as the Fire Nation cracked down on such things, so music and dance were now returning at the festival. Some of it had been preserved in the Earth Colonies, a blessing in disguise for them not being watched as much. Yina did wonder how ‘true’ to the history of the Fire Nation it could be, though.
She greeted a few people who came to the area with smiles, and nods, but kept to her post to one side.
Well…at least until she got hungry, and the show hadn’t started yet. ‘Just five minutes.’ She told herself. She could grab something from a stall, and get right back to her post.
At least, she hoped it would be that easy. There weren’t too many lines at any one stall, so she slipped into line at one for the chocolate sizzle-crisps. Someone had discovered how well chocolate went with spicy fare, and made it into various delectable treats that, well, Yina wasn’t about to say no to anytime soon.
Thankfully, it was no problem getting her bag of treats, and returning to the staging area – and on time!
There was no worded greeting, just the sound of drums, and music, before a couple danced out onto the stage to applause, and then silence, as the crowd observed what had once been forbidden. Yina, also, watched it – but also watched for anything suspicious or that may threaten this clandestine event.
Ozai’s supporters weren’t entirely gone.
For once, it wasn’t war that was involved for the celebration, either.
Four years since the 100-Year War ended, and Fire Lord Zuko was holding a festival to honor their history, to instill a sense of pride into the Fire Nation, for what it had been, and could be again – as well as the feats it had accomplished even during the war, from the powers of industry and innovation.
He knew, some of the other kingdoms might think this was ‘too soon’, but they had to find a way to move on, and celebrate themselves. They couldn’t always be beaten down by all that they’d done. They had already spent four years trying to fix it, and were still fixing it – they needed a reason to fix it.
A reason to be better.
Although the tension of it all still weighed on Zuko’s shoulders as he looked down upon it all, in all his royal regalia. ‘Bit heavy.’ There was so much metal and armor bits with the attire, but he had to look the part. At least his hair was back the way he liked it, pulled up into his hairpiece.
He left the palace with some guards following at a distance. He could never be alone anymore, one frustration of being Fire Lord, but he was getting better at ignoring their presence. Toph had a few good lessons on that, amusingly enough.
He moved through the festival, giving awkward smiles to those who greeted him, bowing or inclining their head. A few gasps came; people didn’t really expect to see him just walking about like the rest of them. It was another thing he wanted to change, too. He didn’t want to rule by fear. So, he wanted to seem approachable.
The first thing he wanted to approach, though, was his uncle’s performance, which was a show of Fire-bending talent, those who were learning to use the art without the rage and anger that predominated the practice before. These students would also inherit dragons, in time, to remind people of the old ways. ‘Those are safe, thankfully.’ And expected to hatch at the end of all of this.
He was anxious about that.
He and Iroh both would have a dragon, but he worried about how that bonding experience would actually go.
Those thoughts left him as he saw the stage that Iroh had set, and people starting to arrive, anticipating the show. Zuko easily moved around the stage, to see the performers garbed and moving about.
He caught sight of his uncle Iroh, speaking with one of the performers, a short woman who he was sure he’d seen around before, but couldn’t place her name. “Uncle Iroh—”
His uncle just held up a hand to silence him, apparently wanting to finish his conversation with the woman first, and so Zuko sighed, but waited, folding his arms across his chest as he did so. Only Iroh could put him off this way.
~***~
Yina stood out amongst the Fire Nation guards as she moved through the festival to her first ‘post’. Unlike the other soldiers in heavy plate of red, she moved in lighter armor of black, a more clothe-and-leather blend than anything metal. Metal wasn’t the best idea anymore, with a metal bending school starting up in the Earth Kingdom.
Not to mention it was heavy, and hot.
And Yina needed mobility more than the others. She couldn’t just throw a fireball at anyone who upset her. Not to mention, she was more of a ‘private guard’, rather than employed directly through the Fire Nation army. ‘A wonder we’re still allowed to have that.’ She’d try not to think too hard on that.
Just as she’d try not to consider the way Saso snubbed her when they were getting their marching orders from the festival director. He would hardly look her way, or answer anything with more than a single syllable, or a grunt.
‘At least this should take my mind off of it, a bit.’ She thought, as she found the first place she was set to watch, a stage with plenty of open space around it, that would be re-introducing Fire Nation dances to the community.
Much of that had been lost as the Fire Nation cracked down on such things, so music and dance were now returning at the festival. Some of it had been preserved in the Earth Colonies, a blessing in disguise for them not being watched as much. Yina did wonder how ‘true’ to the history of the Fire Nation it could be, though.
She greeted a few people who came to the area with smiles, and nods, but kept to her post to one side.
Well…at least until she got hungry, and the show hadn’t started yet. ‘Just five minutes.’ She told herself. She could grab something from a stall, and get right back to her post.
At least, she hoped it would be that easy. There weren’t too many lines at any one stall, so she slipped into line at one for the chocolate sizzle-crisps. Someone had discovered how well chocolate went with spicy fare, and made it into various delectable treats that, well, Yina wasn’t about to say no to anytime soon.
Thankfully, it was no problem getting her bag of treats, and returning to the staging area – and on time!
There was no worded greeting, just the sound of drums, and music, before a couple danced out onto the stage to applause, and then silence, as the crowd observed what had once been forbidden. Yina, also, watched it – but also watched for anything suspicious or that may threaten this clandestine event.
Ozai’s supporters weren’t entirely gone.