The Great Gift

by Rob Morris

EARLY IN THE SPARKING YEAR OF ZUKO RLF

One of two men with the weight of the world on his shoulders gestured at two old women.

"I cannot banish you, for that would be wrong. Your only crime is loyalty to my house, however poorly I got along with my family. I only ask that you keep to your estates on Ember Island, and make no effort to ever see my sister again."

Which Zuko truly hated to do, even to Azula. For if anyone had ever truly loved her, these two were certainly it.

"We find no objection to your terms, Fire Lord Zuko."

"We have no desire to see the former Princess Azula ever again."

Zuko chose his next words very carefully.

"I would like to believe that. But you two were her teachers for far too long for me to accept that my word alone will keep you away."

Li and Lo seemed on the verge of being offended, but pulled back.

"My Lord-you are the winner of the Agni Kai between you and your sister."

"This fact is beyond dispute. Even though the Fire Nation loves a winner, and you are in fact on the throne..."

"...if we felt in any way shape or form that your victory was in question, we would oppose you firmly..."

They finished as one.

"...and even an order of execution could not alter that."

Mai was at his right, but Zuko pointed to Sokka on his left.

"Still, everyone knows it was Commander Sokka's sister that truly took Azula down. That doesn't taint my victory in your eyes any at all?"

Both women waved dismissive hands in the air.

"The former Princess only ever disregarded our counsel twice. The first time, we suggested that you be brought in to the lessons so that she could learn by instructing. That did not go well."

Zuko could only imagine that it didn't. In a way, he was glad. As sharp as his skills might have become, being tutored by Azula held no appeal for him at all.

"The second time was when we recently suggested the delay of her coronation, a story whose outcome you well know. But never in living memory had the Princess ignored the lessons she swore to uphold the same as Sozin's Oath, recently taken out of the coronation ceremony."

The second sister (or was it the first? Zuko fought off nightmare images of beach-wear) spoke next.

"When Azula attacked the Lady Katara, she first spurned our sacred bond by compromising the Agni Kai itself. Even in a land that seeks results before rules, the outcome of the Agni Kai must never be called into question."

"But her greater crime lay in diluting her focus. Suppose your wounds were not as grave as she had hoped? Then, she would have faced two estimable opponents, with all rules of fair combat cast away. Her growing insanity was never proved more fully than at that moment. When a non-combatant was drawn in by her actions, she forfeited far more than just an earthly throne."

Other matters of state took less than a half an hour to publicly address, and when this was done, the Fire Lord withdrew to his work-chambers, his two top advisers at his side. Mai made a tough admission.

"You called it. They were offended by Azula breaking procedure."

Sokka cut some fruit and shook his head.

"I only thought they might be. Really, before the session started, I kind of thought you were right, and that maybe we were taking a chance by giving them a public forum."

Mai poured herself some juice.

"Yeah, but then that would have been a clear excuse for Zuko to banish-Zuko?"

The ruler of a good portion of the planet was sound asleep in his chair.

"You gonna take him to his bedchambers?"

Mai shrugged.

"We'd be stopped by aides and officials along the way. Face it, he'll get more rest here. Hey-any word on Kuei?"

Sokka grabbed at his head.

"No change. No change. He's enjoying the world too much to be confined to one city."

Mai's face now showed genuine anger.

"Well, what about Zuko? He wants to withdraw Fire Nation troops from Ba Sing Se and formally relinquish it back, but he can't do that until its King stops riding his bear and puts his butt back on the throne. Until then, Zuko looks like a tyrant and an oath-breaker!"

When said Fire Lord nearly stirred, Mai looked concerned.

"I need food-real food, made in a roadside shop by someone who doesn't quake and quail about who they're making it for. Sokka-you know all the local places. What have you got?"

Sokka ticked off some possibilities mentally, then chose one.

"This one place with a brick oven-no metal-started making this flat bread topped with spin-cut pig-cow cheese and the gravy of ground-up red apple-peppers. I've heard good things."

Mai calculated that her mother would absolutely hate the sloppy thing Sokka just described.

"Get one for each of us-and top them with meat. None of the vegetarians are here to make us feel bad."

Mai lay her boyfriend down on a cot she hid from intrusive servants who wouldn't hear of such a thing for their Lord.

"Why is it only Sokka and I can see how this is wiping you out?"

It wasn't exactly a friendship, but alliances were shifting in the world after Ozai's fall. Ty Lee and Suki were away with the other Kyoshi-Nai seeking to hunt down Mongke and the Rough Rhinos on a tip they were planning to bust Azula and/or Ozai out of prison. While Zuko was trying to handle his destiny, Aang seemed hyper-liberated by the fulfillment of his, and Katara was overjoyed to see him so happy. That left Toph in Omashu, under the tutelage and protection from parental intrusion of Bumi. Mai had seen that the ruling sessions were wearing on Zuko, but had to be away for her little brother's birthday, and feared that he would push himself to breaking when she was gone. But Sokka saw to it he ate and rested, and Mai was not such a loner as to spurn a like-thinking ally.