Chapter Text
Darts,
I sent Her a blank letter. Either she burned it without opening, like I figured she would, or she somehow predicted I would predict her and opened it and is fuming. Either way, I'm sure she'll be demanding to read your letter once she knows you got one. So now you're warned, the Her-safe letter is attached.
Dao
Dear Mai,
I would have written sooner, but I've made less progress on my mission than I would have liked. I still haven't made much progress, but I got presents for you, Ty Lee, and Azula. Couldn't really send them without an update, no matter how meager. (By the way, I packed all three presents together and sent them to you in hopes they'd survive the delivery.)
Part of my search brought me to the Si Wong Desert in the middle of the Earth Kingdom. I've been posing as a scholar from the colonies and was welcomed by one of the sandbender tribes. Oh right, I was there because I was looking for a supposed spirit library! A Navy captain I met told me about it and it seemed like the best place as any to further my quest for the Avatar.
I found the library! Its guardian Wan Shi Tong was like something right out of a play. Wan Shi Tong has these spirits called Knowledge Seekers that assisted me throughout my stay. Apparently, these Knowledge Seekers go out and collect anything they can get their paws on. So either there hasn't been any written record about the current Avatar, or whoever knows about them has been keeping the information under close guard.
Wait, I got sidetracked. Your presents are from one of the sandbender tribes that specializes in making glass. I visited them quite often and found things that reminded me of the three of you. Hope you like them?
Zuko
For someone who loved storytelling as a craft and could perfectly recite a good number of theatrical scripts, Zuko was horrid at sharing his own stories. He didn't agree with Iroh as to what was important enough to go into detail about. If Zuko had his way, the explanation of his new firebending technique would have begun and ended with, 'did it by accident and figured out how to do it again with Sarnai's help.'
It took both Iroh and Major Hifumi's relentless questioning to get the full story of why Sarnai knew he was a firebender to begin with. This then led to coaxing Zuko into elaborating on his passing comment about Sarnai's brother finding out as well. Iroh almost had to take a break when Zuko finally confessed to using his firebending to fend off a sand shark.
His reckless nephew had encountered and barely escaped a sand shark, but still had not hesitated in running off in the middle of the night to cross the desert by himself.
It only got worse when Major Hifumi got him to explain how he accidentally discovered he could bend heat. Honestly. A raid?!
Seaman Shen thought he was being sly, having another steward bring in more tea at regular intervals, so he wouldn't miss any of Zuko's jumbled tale. At the rate Iroh was draining his tea, he doubted Seaman Shen could have kept up with the demand if he had to leave to brew every new pot.
Tea aside, Iroh was glad the ship's resident gossip was getting this story first hand. He could only imagine how disjointed the rumors amongst the crew would be if they had to piece together any passing comments Zuko made. Or spirits forbid, who knew how out of hand the story would get if Zuko's young friends were responsible for disseminating it.
Once Iroh and Major Hifumi were satisfied with Zuko's recounting of his time with the Xitao tribe, the line of questioning turned to what he discovered in the library. Somehow the research Zuko did for finding the current Avatar was deemed unimportant information this time. Almost an hour into Zuko rambling about Avatar Yangchen and her companions, it still baffled Iroh how reverently Zuko spoke of the previous Air Avatar.
The last time Iroh had the opportunity to address the reality of the Fire Nation's war, Zuko hadn't been ready to accept it. But had he found the truth on his own? Surely his nephew wouldn't be speaking so highly of an Air Nomad, compellingly written memoirs or not, if he still believed an Air Army had existed and strove to attack the Fire Nation.
"I'm confused," Seaman Shen said. He interrupted Zuko's near incoherent attempt to explain the philosophical debates Avatar Yangchen and Master Huizhong engaged in. Iroh was rather confused as well but was content to let his nephew ramble on in his excitement. "Avatar Yangchen was an airbender first, right? Was she raised outside of the Air Army? By some sages or something?"
Zuko's eyes widened. He glanced between everyone present and fidgeted with his cup. Was that hint of panic because he was unsure if they would accept the truth? Iroh smiled reassuringly. Hopefully, it would be enough to convince Zuko to share what he'd discovered. And even if Seaman Shen and Major Hifumi were upset by the reality of this war, they would not turn from Zuko either.
"Uh- No. She was raised by airbenders, but they weren't the Air Army yet. In Yangchen's time, they were all philosophical and stuff like she was. A lot changed after she passed."
Wait, what?
As Seaman Shen nodded and accepted this explanation, Iroh leaned closer to his nephew. "Truly, Prince Zuko? Where did you learn such a thing?"
"Where did I- What? You don't believe me?" Zuko's shoulders curled in defensively as he crossed his arms. "It's true! I- Everything I read came from the Fire Nation wing of the library! Not Yangchen's memoirs of course, Toasty had that hidden somewhere special. But everything else I read about came from the Fire Nation! Or- or if it came from another nation I made sure it was reliable first. Regardless, why would our people lie that the airbenders weren't always an army?"
Iroh's stomach dropped as he forced a placating smile. "No, Prince Zuko. I didn't mean to doubt you. I was just... surprised."
The conversation continued around Iroh, furthered by Seaman Shen's questions as he forwent his ruse of a silent, unobtrusive server. Though he had the world's wealth of knowledge at his fingertips, Zuko still restricted himself to the writings of the Fire Nation? Perhaps Iroh had been expecting too much from one so young. Iroh himself had not been able to accept the hard truths of the war until he was a great many years Zuko's senior.
Misguided he may still be, Zuko's admiration for Avatar Yangchen was a good start. If Iroh played his hand right, he could cultivate that admiration to her culture as a whole. Yes, Zuko was still young. There was plenty of time to broach the harsh realities of the world.
"Well, sir, all I have left to ask is what our bearing will be when we leave port tomorrow."
Major Hifumi's question pulled Iroh from his musings. Before he could hope to re-educate his nephew, Iroh needed to keep him alive. Zuko's quick explanation about his Avatar research had implied that...
"Well, the closest spirit gateway is in the South Pole. So, I guess let's start heading there?"
Agni help him.
"Prince Zuko, are you sure that is the most prudent course?"
Zuko furrowed his brows. "Why wouldn't it be? I doubt the South Pole is any more or less dangerous than the North Pole."
"Sorry, sir, but I don't believe that is the wisest decision either," Major Hifumi said. "Didn't you say it took an Avatar two years to reach one of these gateways?"
"And? The Avatar has to be in the spirit world, so I need to get there to find them. What's there not to get?"
The expressions Major Hifumi and Seaman Shen shared said there was plenty to not get. Iroh was inclined to agree. While he commended Zuko for this research and working hypothesis as to the Avatar's whereabouts, his brief explanation had not completely discredited other possibilities.
"We are not running straight for the poles, Prince Zuko. While your theory is sound, there is still a chance the Avatar has been reborn and the library had no documentation on them." Iroh held a hand up to keep Zuko from arguing. "Even if your assumption is correct, the spirit gateways are not the only way to make contact with the spirit world. Why don't we focus on trying to find spirit activity and possible leads for the Avatar in more accessible places first?"
This was not the decision Zuko was hoping for, but he could see Iroh would not be swayed. With a drawn-out groan, Zuko threw his hands over his head as he stood. "Fine! Sure. We'll exhaust all my options and time before getting to a spirit gateway. I don't care where we go tomorrow, because it doesn't matter! Anywhere will get me just as close to finding the Avatar. As in no closer!"
Zuko stomped across the room and threw the door open. "I'm going to ask Petty Officer Myeong to teach me about the thoughtful and useful present the crew got me. Because clearly, I'll be using it a lot more than I initially thought!"
"Don't stay out too late, and don't be rude to Petty Officer Myeong!" Iroh called after his irate nephew as he stormed off.
"I wasn't going to!" Zuko screamed back, his voice bouncing against the Sazanami's metal walls and likely through the entire ship.
Seaman Shen sighed wistfully as he pretended to wipe a tear from his eye. "Ah, I've missed our prince's temper tantrums ringing through the halls."