Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Izumi faced Min, getting into the starting position. Their teacher stood on the sidelines, watching with a scowl already on his face. Min smirked, already prepared to beat Izumi. Izumi rolled her eyes. The other Academy students got such an ego boost over beating the princess. As if beating her was any different from beating the other students.

“Start!” the instructor called.

Min fired a burst of flames at Izumi’s feet, forcing Izumi to scramble backward. She may not have cared about winning, but she did care about not being burned. She sent her own flames towards Min’s abdomen, but the shot wasn’t aimed very well. She only needed to put in the minimum amount of effort required for Master Huo to acknowledge that she tried something.

Not that it would work. He’d always accuse her of being lazy. At this point, there wasn’t any way for her to change that, even if she actually applied herself. What was she supposed to do? Even when she tried her hardest, he’d been convinced she wasn’t performing at her best. If she couldn’t prove herself either way, she might as well do the bare minimum.

Orange flames flew in her direction. Izumi turned at the last minute before they could graze her arm. If there was one skill she’d perfected, it was dodging. As she dodged, though, her balance wavered. She didn’t do much to right herself, instead letting her body fall to the ground. Min was hovering over her in seconds, her fist inches from Izumi’s face.

“Yield?” she asked.

Izumi gave an exaggerated sigh. “I yield.”

Master Huo was expressionless as he declared, “Min wins.”

Min cheered, sending several bursts of flame into the air. The other girls joined her, cheering and jumping around. Izumi ignored them as she stood, dusting off her clothes. At least it was over for the day. She wouldn’t have to spar again until tomorrow afternoon.

She joined the gaggle of other girls to avoid Master Huo, staying on the fringes of the group. She’d never quite fit in with most of the Academy students. At first, they’d been intimidated by her. Then they’d seen her mediocre firebending and had decided that being superior to the princess was better than being her friend. Izumi preferred to stick with the nonbenders, two of whom were her best friends. Unfortunately, they couldn’t be around for firebending lessons.

“How does it feel to always lose?” Min asked, quiet enough that the grumbling Master Huo didn’t hear her.

Izumi shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. It’s not like firebending is important.”

From the looks on their faces, she might as well have slapped them.

“Firebending is the foundation of the entire Fire Nation,” Ashuna pointed out, sounding too much like their teachers for Izumi’s liking.

“And the most distinguished form of bending,” Min added, puffing out her chest.

“What does that matter?” Izumi crossed her arms against her chest. “When are you going to use it outside training? It’s not like there’s a war anymore. Who are you going to fight?”

“There’s more to firebending than fighting!” Ashuna exclaimed. She followed after Izumi as they headed back inside the school building. “It can be used in engineering or in the arts too. It’s incredibly versatile if you know how to use it properly.”

If nothing else, her classmates were great at parroting back things that Master Huo had told them over the years.

“These days, machines can do most of those things too,” Izumi said, though her voice was flat. She wasn’t interested in arguing about the strengths of firebending. There was no changing anyone’s mind. Even a lot of the nonbenders she knew had some strange reverence for firebending that she didn’t understand.

Ashuna stopped walking, letting Izumi put distance between them, but she still called out, “You’re just jealous because you’re not a good bender.”

Izumi kept walking. She wasn’t jealous. She wasn’t ashamed of not being great at something that didn’t matter anyway, but when a few students turned to look at her, having heard Ashuna shout, she refused to make eye contact with any of them.

A knock on the door drew Zuko’s attention away from his paperwork. He carefully laid down his brush. “Come in.”

Rina, one of his attendants, entered, bowing briefly before straightening back up. “Firelord, the headmistress of the Royal Fire Academy for Girls is here. She wishes to speak to you. Shall I bring her to the throne room?”

Zuko bit back a sigh. “No, Rina. Please, bring her here instead.”

Rina’s face was expressionless, but Zuko felt like she was questioning his decision anyway. The “proper” place for the Firelord to have an audience was in the throne room. But the headmistress wasn’t here as one of his subjects, at least not first and foremost. He already had a good idea of why she’d come, and it was because of his daughter. Discussing Izumi’s school performance in the throne room didn’t feel right, even if she was the crown princess.

He carefully rolled up the scroll he’d been writing on and placed it to the side. While he may have been less formal than his predecessors, the headmistress didn’t need to get a glimpse of the Firelord’s correspondence. It was too easy for bits of information to morph into outlandish claims when they began to spread.

It didn’t take long for Rina to reappear with Headmistress Hui in tow. Rina didn’t enter the room, lingering instead in the doorway as Hui stepped past her and bowed to Zuko. “Thank you for meeting with me, Firelord.”

Rina quietly closed the door, leaving them alone.

“Of course, Headmistress Hui.” He motioned towards one of the chairs that sat around a low table at the front of his office. “Please, sit.”

She did so, carefully arranging her skirts as she did. Zuko took a teapot from the tray that sat next to his desk and poured into it water from a jug that had been filled earlier that morning. He carried the pot carefully over to the table, where a small burner sat in the middle. Taking a seat across from Hui, he lit the coals beneath the pot.

“I’m guessing this is about Izumi,” he said.

Hui’s lips pressed together. “It is. I’m afraid the princess’ behavior in school hasn’t been improving in the way we’d hoped.”

Zuko bit back a sigh. He’d gathered as much from his own conversations—mostly short and snippy—with Izumi, but he’d been hoping for the best. “I’m sorry to hear that,” he said. “I hope she hasn’t caused too much trouble.”

He lifted the teapot, pouring a cup and handing it off to Hui. The headmistress took it, cradling it carefully in her hands.

“As we discussed last time, primarily her attitude,” Hui said, keeping her voice carefully devoid of emotion as if she was worried about offending Zuko if she sounded annoyed. “And it’s mostly centered around her firebending lessons, though her performance in other subjects is beginning to suffer as well. I’m afraid she continues to lack motivation.”

Zuko nodded as he took a sip of his own tea. He was far too aware about Izumi’s opinion on firebending. He hadn’t seen her bend since she was young. She refused any request he made to spar together or to even show him the forms she’d learned at school.

“I understand,” he said.

Hui hesitated, taking several sips of her tea before she spoke again. “The main concern of several of her teachers remains her relationship with her classmates. Of course we do not tolerate bullying at the Academy.”

Zuko smiled politely even though he was sure that Hui’s assertion that the Academy didn’t tolerate bullying was aspirational at best.

“Still,” Hui continued, “the princess has not been getting along with her classmates, and I worry that it’s having a negative effect on her schooling. Our teachers can’t give her the one-on-one attention that would help her thrive. You know that the Academy has always strived to serve the royal family and prepare its members with the best education in the Fire Nation, but as we discussed last time, Izumi might be a good fit for private tutoring.”

No matter how many times she brought it up, Zuko’s answer would not change. “I have to respectfully disagree, Headmistress Hui.”

He thought about his own childhood, when his father had pulled him from the Academy because he was embarrassed by Zuko’s firebending ability compared to others in the class. His situation wasn’t the same as Izumi’s. He really had been trying his best in his lessons while, as far as he could tell, Izumi didn’t care enough for that. That didn’t stop him from comparing their situations. He wouldn’t have Izumi growing up isolated from others her age like he had.

“Being a member of the royal family can be isolating,” Zuko said, carefully considering each word.

Hui’s eyes widened. Zuko had told her something similar the last time she’d suggested tutoring for Izumi but not in such direct words. She clearly hadn’t expected the Firelord to admit such a thing to her.

“That can be a problem when your job is to lead the nation,” he continued. “How can we do that if we don’t have strong connections with our citizens? Izumi needs to learn how to get along with others.”

In actuality, Izumi understanding others from the perspective of a future ruler wasn’t Zuko’s biggest concern, but it was one of them. And admitting to his daughter’s headmistress that he was scared of his daughter having no friends felt cruel to Izumi.

Hui nodded. Whether she was convinced or not, she wasn’t going to argue with the Firelord, especially when doing so meant possibly having to insult his daughter.

“I will speak to her again,” Zuko said. “With time, I do think things will get better.”

At least he desperately hoped so, for Izumi’s sake.

Izumi was sitting by the turtleduck pond when Zuko found her, a large book cradled in her lap. She watched him approach with hesitance in her eyes. Even if she hadn’t seen the headmistress arrive, she’d guessed that it was only a matter of time before Hui came to talk about her school performance.

Zuko lowered himself onto the ground next to her. The ground was soft from the rain they’d received a few days prior, but he ignored the way the dampness seeped into his robes.

“I talked to Headmistress Hui.”

Izumi scoffed and turned back to her book. It was one Zuko had never seen before, but from a quick scan of the page, it appeared to be a romance novel. An unusually thick romance novel, based on Zuko’s admittedly limited experience with the genre.

“If it’s about my firebending, then I don’t know why she bothered,” Izumi said, her gaze fixed on a paragraph at the top of the page. “Who cares if I can win against someone else? Are we going to revert back to the ancient days when someone could challenge me for the throne with an Agni Kai?”

Technically, someone could still do just that. The law had never been revised. Zuko had considered it once or twice over the years, but ultimately, he’d decided it wasn’t a priority. No one seemed keen to use the power, and there were so many other things to change in the aftermath of the war. It wasn’t the time to give Izumi a history lesson though.

“She’s concerned,” Zuko said. “It’s not solely about your firebending. It’s also your attitude in class generally speaking. She says you don’t pay attention, and you’ve been struggling to make friends with your classmates.”

She remained quiet, her eyes still on her book.

“Izumi,” Zuko said softly, placing a gentle hand on her back. “As the future Firelord, your education is important.”

She scoffed, and Zuko bit back a sigh. He wasn’t oblivious. He could tell that Izumi’s ambivalence towards school was wrapped up in her ambivalence about becoming Firelord. But he’d never directly addressed it with her. It scared him. The last thing he wanted was to force his daughter into a future she didn’t want. At the same time, she was his only child. He had no idea what to do for the nation if she didn’t take the throne. Offering it to Azula was dangerous, even if she was doing better these days, and she had never had children who Zuko could pass it onto either.

He decided to sidestep the issue of her future.

“Firebending is the reason the Fire Nation exists. It’s our past, present, and future. Maintaining firebending is maintaining firebending culture. Izumi, I don’t care how good of a firebender you are. Your teachers and I do want you to recognize how special it is though.”

Izumi crossed her arms against her chest. “There are plenty of nonbenders. Are you saying that they’re lesser citizens because they can’t bend?”

Zuko had always known Izumi was clever, but he was never prepared when she turned that cleverness on him.

“That’s not what I’m saying.” He used the same neutral tone that he used when talking to citizens in order to keep from offending them. “Every Fire Nation citizen contributes to the richness of the nation in different ways. It just so happens that bending is the way some contribute. They get the honor of learning an ancient artform.”

Izumi snorted. “It doesn’t feel like an artform when Master Huo makes Min blast fire at my feet.”

Zuko frowned. It was true that sparring wasn’t the best way to view firebending as an artform, particularly when you were fighting other young students.

“What would you say to firebending lessons with me?” he asked.

Izumi’s gaze shot up from her book. She stared at Zuko with wide eyes.

It wouldn’t be the only time she’d taken lessons with him. As the crown princess, there were things she could only learn from the sitting firelord, but those lessons were usually about politics and diplomacy. He had taught her the basics of firebending as soon as she’d produced her first flame, but that had been a long time ago. And a rundown of “here’s how not to burn the whole palace down by accident” was very different from showing her how beautiful firebending could be.

“Are you serious?” Izumi asked.

He found it reassuring that she didn’t immediately say no. Maybe she wasn’t as adverse to firebending as she’d led everyone to believe. Maybe showing her the full breadth of what firebending could do really would make a difference.

“I’m serious,” he said. “Like I said, I don’t care how good your bending skills are, but a Firelord should always understand how precious the art is.” He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and tugged her into his side. “And I always cherish being able to spend more time with you.”

She shook her head like he was embarrassing her, but she couldn’t hide the smile on her lips. “Okay, fine,” she said. “I guess we can do that.”

He pressed a kiss to the top of her head, holding her close for a few more seconds before letting her go.

Zuko had known he wanted to share what he’d learned from the Sun Warriors and Ran and Shaw with Izumi since she was a baby. His experience with the dragons had profoundly changed him, and he wanted his child to understand firebending in the same way he’d come to.

But he’d put off sharing it with her in the past, thinking that she should master the basics at school. It was the path he’d taken. While he could have used Ran and Shaw’s teachings earlier, he didn’t think he’d have appreciated it without the foundation he’d received from his other firebending teachers, especially his uncle.

Now he felt like he’d put it off too long. He’d seen the way Izumi had been increasingly frustrated about firebending, but he’d written it off as a phase. After all, he’d been careful not to put the same pressure on her that his father had put on him. In some ways, he’d been relieved that she didn’t struggle for perfection no matter the cost. He’d thought that was good for her. There wasn’t any worry about Izumi pushing herself too far like he once had. Eventually, something would click, and she’d find the magic in firebending.

That had been naive of him to believe. Master Huo clearly didn’t click with Izumi in the right way. He’d never pull her out of the Academy like the headmistress had suggested, but he needed to step in and give her extra guidance. And there was only one way he knew how to do it.

For all her dismissiveness of firebending, she actually seemed somewhat eager for the lesson. She sat cross-legged on the grass, watching Zuko as he performed the Dancing Dragon as well as he could by himself. When he finished, it was silent. He held the final pose for a second before dropping his arms and turning to find Izumi frowning up at him.

“That seemed more like a performance than a fight,” she said, her brow creased.

“It’s not just for a fight,” Zuko said.

Izumi squinted at him, a look that had become all too familiar over the past couple of years. She thought he was saying something ridiculous.

“What else would it be for?”

Zuko sat down across from her on the grass. “That’s what I was trying to tell you the other day. There’s more to firebending than just fighting or smelting metal.” He held his hand out, cradling a small flame in his hands. “Many people think of fire as destruction, but it’s also crucial to life. We need it for warmth and for cooking. And nature needs it for rebirth. Think of wildfires. They’re necessary so that new plants can grow.”

Her expression hadn’t changed. His flame reflected off her irises. “So you want me to do silly dances instead of fighting?” She crossed her arms against her chest, suddenly looking angry. “Why would I do that?”

Zuko extinguished the fire and took a deep breath, trying to control his own annoyance creeping up on him. “It’s not a silly dance, Izumi. It’s an ancient firebending form.”

“It’s not like anything Master Huo has taught us.”

“I thought you didn’t appreciate Master Huo’s teaching?” He tried to keep his tone as neutral as possible, but there was a spark in her eye regardless.

“It’s not Master Huo that I don’t appreciate,” she muttered. “It’s firebending. It’s not important, and showing me a stupid dance won’t make me think it is either.”

“It’s not a—” Zuko cut himself off, taking several deep breaths before his temper got out of control. He didn’t get angry with Izumi often. He had far better control of his temper than he had when he was younger, but there were times where she knew how to press his buttons, and those moments were a struggle. “How about we try it?” he suggested more calmly. “You might feel differently after doing it.”

Izumi leaned away from him. “No. I don’t want to dance.”

He stood, holding his hand out to her, but she refused to take it. “It’s not dancing.”

It would be impossible for him to tell her what the name of the form was now. He was starting to feel like a broken record.

Izumi scrambled to her feet, ignoring his hand. She took several steps away from him. “I don’t want to do it.”

While he’d known she might be hesitant, he hadn’t expected this level of resistance. He regretted even more not stepping in sooner.

“Izumi, we agreed that I would teach you firebending.”

“Yeah, firebending. Not whatever that was.”

“It was firebending. An ancient form.”

“A stupid ancient form.”

He ran a hand over his face and took more calming breaths. Before he could say anything else, Izumi snapped.

“This is stupid. I’m leaving.”

She turned on her heel, fleeing the courtyard.

“Izumi!” Zuko called after her, but when she didn’t respond, he let her go. Her words had gotten to him, and it was probably better that they both calm down before trying to talk further.

He paced across the grass. He really had thought that Izumi would be more receptive to Ran and Shaw’s forms than she had been Master Huo. For the first time, he let himself consider the possibility that his daughter would always hate firebending.

It didn’t make him angry, but it did make him sad. Even when he’d struggled with firebending, it had always been a core part of who he was. The pressure from his father had tainted it for part of his life, but he never would have given it up. At the end of the day, he supposed a Firelord didn’t have to have such a deep connection with the element, but Zuko couldn’t imagine it any other way.

Zuko stared down at the scroll Rina had given him. As soon as she mentioned that it had come from the Sun Warriors, Zuko’s heart had raced. He had heard from them several times since his coronation. That had been enough contact for some in the Fire Nation to start whispering about their continued existence, though nothing had become a widely acknowledged fact.

For the moment, that seemed like the best course of action. He’d taken it as a deep honor that they’d contacted him at all after he became Fire Lord. He knew that was a sign of trust that he would have to prove he was worthy of.

Their previous contact had been largely well wishes and nothing more. This scroll was different.

They wished for Zuko to travel to visit them, for they had something important to discuss. There was no information about where to go. They trusted Zuko to remember the way and to bring with him only those who could be entrusted with the Sun Warriors’ secrets.

While there was a strong lack of information in the letter itself, Zuko was already fearing the worst. There could only be one subject that would lead to them summoning Zuko to them: Ran and Shaw. Possibly the last dragons on earth.

Had the whispers been detrimental? Had someone gotten too curious and caused trouble?

Zuko hoped not, but he couldn’t imagine what else they would need from him. The Sun Warriors had been functioning perfectly fine on their own for hundreds of years after all.

Whatever was afoot, Zuko needed to investigate the situation, and he’d have to do so with as scaled back a travel party as he could manage. Preferably, he’d travel alone, but even that would require a sufficient excuse. People didn’t like him traveling alone these days.

His biggest concern was Izumi. It had been a week since their disastrous firebending lesson, and she’d hardly spoken to him aside from one word answers when he asked her how she was. It was a terrible time to leave her alone in the palace while he took care of Firelord duties. She’d be even more sullen when he returned.

But, when one was Firelord, sometimes there was simply no other choice.

He decided to tell Izumi over dinner. It was one of the only times he could guarantee that he would see her. She’d been avoiding him even more than usual since the disastrous lesson, but he wouldn’t let her skip meals over something like that.

“I’m going away for a while,” he said.

Izumi paused, her chopsticks halfway towards her mouth. “Now?” she asked, already sounding disappointed.

Zuko sighed and sat his chopsticks down, giving her his full attention. “Tomorrow. There’s been a situation in another part of the Fire Nation that I need to check on.”

Izumi raised an eyebrow, and Zuko immediately knew why. She was the next Firelord, and for that reason, he’d been quite open with her about the business he tended to over the years. He’d never been so vague as saying there was a ‘situation,’ but he’d made promises to the Sun Warriors—and to Ran and Shaw. He couldn’t disclose their existence without their blessing, especially to Izumi, who was still so young despite everything.

“Can I go with you?” she asked, leaning forward.

In many ways, it was a relief to see her show interest in something. That made it so much harder to turn her down.

“I’m afraid that’s not possible this time. Headmistress Hui made it clear that you need to improve your school performance. Being absent won’t help your case.”

Izumi pouted, leaning back in her chair and crossing her arms against her chest. “I’d be with the Firelord though! Isn’t that what both you and her want? For me to become a good Firelord? That’s what you all claim anyway. Surely going on an official trip with you is more useful than learning yet another useless firebending form.”

Zuko bit back a sigh. It was only a matter of time before Headmistress Hui showed up at his office to implore once again that Izumi could use a private tutor. But it wasn’t just her school performance that was a problem. Bringing Izumi along with him to meet the Sun Warriors opened up a whole set of challenges. She already despised firebending. How could he guarantee that she’d respect what she learned there?

“No,” he said, packing authority into his voice that he rarely used with her. “Not this time. I’m sorry, Izumi. I’ll be back within a few days.”

Izumi huffed and pushed her chair back, letting it scrape against the floor. She threw her chopsticks onto the table. One rolled until it hit Zuko’s plate.

“Why is everything about stupid firebending? I never get to do anything that’s actually important.”

Before Zuko could argue, she hurried from the room. Zuko sunk into his chair, looking forlornly at Izumi’s half-eaten dinner.

After that, it didn’t take long for Zuko to change his mind. Izumi was going to be Firelord one day. He had to trust that she could handle such things. Besides, Ran and Shaw had fundamentally changed his own relationship with firebending. They could do the same for Izumi.

He knocked on her bedroom door. It had been less than an hour since she returned home from school, but she had been spending more and more time in her room lately. She rarely went out with friends or had them over, and she didn’t like to hang out in Zuko’s office the way she once had either.

“Come in,” she called, though Zuko could tell it was begrudgingly.

He stepped inside, letting the door fall shut behind him with a gentle click. Izumi was sitting on her bed, a book open in her lap.

“What are you reading?” he asked as he crossed the room and took a seat on the edge of her bed.

Izumi held the book up to show him the title. “Flight of the Dragon,” she said. “It’s about an ancient dragon rider.”

How ironic, Zuko thought. It wasn’t the most surprising thing to find her reading. She’d loved the idea of dragons when she was younger, and Zuko had fostered that love while thinking about Ran and Shaw and dragons’ importance to firebending.

If he told her that they were probably going to see some dragons on the trip, she’d be even more eager to go, but he couldn’t do that yet. She’d ask an abundance of questions that were better answered once they were there, lest she not understand the importance of keeping such information quiet.

Izumi was gazing at him, clearly wondering why he was in her room. He mostly left her to her own devices when she wanted to be alone, though he made sure to stress that she could talk to him at any time.

“I’ve given it some thought and decided that you have a point,” he said. “You can come with me on the trip.”

Her eyes lit up, but she struggled to act like she wasn’t as excited as she actually was. “Really?”

“Yeah.” He smiled. “You’re right that you’ll be Firelord one day, Izumi. It’s important that I teach you everything I know before that happens. There might never be a better time for me to share this particular lesson with you.”

She scooted forward until she was sitting beside him on the edge of the bed, her book forgotten. “Then why did you say no at first?”

“You’ll understand better once we’re there,” he said. He wanted to answer truthfully without saying too much. “There are secrets involved that aren’t mine to tell, but I think the people we’re visiting will be open to sharing them with you if you prove yourself.”

Her good mood darkened. “Prove myself? How? You’re not saying I have to firebend, are you?”

He hadn’t expected her to question that particular comment, and he didn’t know what to say. It was true that some firebending on her part was almost certainly going to be involved if she wanted to meet Ran and Shaw, but he didn’t know how to explain that she might want to firebend once she understood what was going on.

“Maybe,” he said, hating how vague the answer was. “That depends on how things go.”

She shied away from him, not happy with the way things were progressing. “Is this trip an elaborate ploy to make me like firebending?”

Zuko might have laughed if he hadn’t known it would make her angrier. “No, Izumi, I promise. I’ve received word from some old friends that there’s a situation they need to discuss with me. This is a secretive group, and it’s true that they hold deep respect for firebending. For that reason, they may encourage you to firebend, but no one is going to make you do it against your will, least of all me.”

Her expression shifted again. Her curiosity mingled with her frustration. “You can’t tell me more than that?”

He placed an arm around her shoulders. “For now, no, but I promise it will make more sense when we get there.”

The trip to the island that the Sun Warriors lived on had been an interesting one. Izumi wasn’t trying to hide her curiosity after she realized that they were traveling with a massively scaled back entourage. The crew navigating the small ship was a skeleton crew who he could count on not to talk.

“Are they not coming with us?” Izumi asked once they were on the beach, looking over her shoulder at the crew still on the ship.

“No.” Zuko held out his hand to her, and she took it without complaining that she was too young for such things. “They’ll stay here. The rest of the trip is only for the two of us to make.”

Izumi’s eyes darted around everywhere as they traversed through the jungle. Zuko had made sure they came ashore at the place where they’d have the shortest trip, but it wasn’t a casual stroll to the Sun Warriors’ city. Izumi stayed close to him the whole time, never letting go of his hand even as they clambered over tree roots and vines.

She didn’t ask any questions either, which Zuko was grateful for. He knew she must be turning over a thousand questions in her head.

When what looked like ruins first came into view, she gasped and finally broke her silence. “What is this place?”

Before Zuko could answer, the Sun Warrior chief and several of his people stepped out from behind the ruins, revealing themselves. Izumi shuffled closer, half hiding herself behind Zuko. He held her close.

“Izumi, these are the Sun Warriors.”

Chapter Text

Izumi stared at the Sun Warriors in shock. “I’ve read about you, but I thought you died out years ago.”

The Sun Warriors grimaced, and Zuko jumped in before Izumi accidentally said something they found more offensive.

“They never died out,” Zuko said. “They’ve been living in isolation here, away from the rest of the Fire Nation, for centuries.”

Izumi’s frown deepened. “Why?”

Zuko looked to the Sun Warriors. It wasn’t his place to reveal Ran and Shaw’s secret. He had already brought Izumi to the island without asking for permission. That was bad enough.

The Sun Warrior chief was serious as he watched Izumi. “That is knowledge we don’t give out easily. Firelord Zuko was the only visitor we expected today.”

“I’m sorry.” Zuko cringed. “This is my daughter, Princess Izumi. I should have asked your permission before bringing her, but your message was urgent. I didn’t want to waste time waiting for a response. She’s the future Firelord. Surely the experience will be good for both her and the future of your people?”

The other Sun Warriors behind the chief shared looks. The chief peered at Izumi like she was a book he was examining. Izumi stared back, her eyes wide with curiosity.

“Very well,” the chief said after a moment. “You are right that fostering continued relations will be good for us, but she must go through the same process to learn the truth as everyone else.”

“The truth?” Izumi tugged on Zuko’s sleeve with an enthusiasm she hadn’t shown in years. “What does that mean?”

“Patience,” Zuko cautioned her. “You’ll learn in time.”

Izumi opened her mouth to protest, but the chief cut her off.

“We should head back to the village.” His eyes scanned the horizon. “We don’t like to spend much time near the shore, especially in groups. It might attract attention.”

Suddenly, Izumi became bashful. She clutched Zuko’s arm, staying close to his side as the Sun Warriors led them towards the village.

Even after visiting several times, Zuko couldn’t have found the Sun Warriors’ village on his own. He swore the forest shifted every time he came. The surroundings were always different, but soon enough, they were passing the ruins that were familiar. Izumi gasped softly at the sight.

“Do you live here?” she asked. “It looks ancient.”

“It is,” the chief said over his shoulder. “Once, this was our home, but now, it is nothing but a trap.”

Izumi scooted impossibly closer, making Zuko stumble when she stepped on his foot.

“We’re fine,” Zuko assured her. “There are traps set for intruders, but the Sun Warriors will show us the way around them.”

“Yes, yes,” the chief said almost dismissively. “The only way for an outsider to find our true city is by following our lead.”

Izumi kept her gaze firmly on the Sun Warriors ahead of her after that instead of scanning their surroundings. She followed their every step with great care, her hand never leaving Zuko’s.

“Is this some secret Firelord thing?” she asked him in a hushed voice. “Like you’re crowned and then you get to read the secret files about this place?”

Zuko laughed. “No. My predecessors didn’t know about the Sun Warriors. Your uncle Aang and I found it during the war while I was training him in firebending. It’s a long story that’ll make more sense once you’ve learned more about the place itself.”

They entered the Sun Warriors’ city. Izumi took it in with delight, her eyes darting over every single detail she could spot. The chief led them into a large building where a group was already gathered inside. He motioned for Zuko and Izumi to sit at the front of the room. As soon as they sat down, Izumi scooted her cushion as close as she could to Zuko.

It had been years since she’d been clingy, but the Sun Warriors, as fascinating as she found them, were certainly a surprising sight. Still, this trip wasn’t about Izumi. As much as Zuko wanted her to see the dragons for herself, he needed to focus on the real reason for the trip.

“Your letter was vague,” he told the chief. “All it said was that there was some sort of trouble.”

“Yes.” The chief nodded. “It’s best to show you rather than tell you, but you should eat up first, before we head into the mountains.”

A tray of food was set before him and Izumi, but his stomach was tight and his appetite gone.

Up in the mountains was where Ran and Shaw were. He’d suspected that they were the reason he’d been summoned. There was little else the Sun Warriors would need to call on him for, but the fact that the chief couldn’t bring himself to explain it in words worried Zuko more than ever before.

Still, he tried to put on a brave face for Izumi. He ate his portion of food and kept his expression neutral.

The whole way up the path to Ran and Shaw’s home, Zuko focused on the delight in Izumi’s eyes to keep his fear at bay. His heartbeat quickened as they reached the top of the mountain.

The chief turned to him. “You remember the form?”

Izumi tilted her head back to look up at him. “What form?”

“Do you remember the firebending form I tried to teach you back home? The one you said looked like dancing?”

Izumi frowned. “That’s from here?”

She looked around them at the Sun Warriors and the nature that stretched as far as the eye could see.

“It is,” Zuko said. “We have to perform it to learn the truth about this place.”

Izumi was wary, but she didn’t explode like she had last time. Her curiosity was too great.

“Do you remember the steps?” Zuko asked.

Izumi shook her head.

“That’s alright,” Zuko promised. “I can show you.”

For once, she copied him obediently as he helped her through the form step by step. The Sun Warriors stood to the side, watching in silence as their fists finally came together.

Zuko’s heart raced as Shaw appeared, putting on a display of colorful fire, but his awe quickly turned to concern when Ran was nowhere to be found. Oblivious, Izumi gasped and cheered as she watched the fire show play out.

“This is incredible!” she exclaimed with a laugh. “I thought the dragons died out a long time ago.

When no one responded to her, she looked away from Shaw and finally saw the discomfort on everyone’s faces. Her smile fell.

“What is it? What’s wrong?”

“There are supposed to be two dragons,” Zuko said. “Ran is missing.”

Finished with his fire display, Shaw settled onto the ground beside them. Zuko held his hand out and approached carefully. Shaw let him touch his face. Izumi huddled close behind Zuko’s back, eager to get close to the dragon but scared to touch him herself.

The chief approach, his expression somber. “This is why we invited you here, Firelord Zuko. You see, a few months ago, we were surprised to notice that Ran was pregnant.”

Izumi gasped in excitement, but Zuko could tell from the chief’s tone that something wasn’t right.

“Did something happen to the baby?” he asked. “Is that why Ran isn’t here?”

“No.” The chief sighed. “Unfortunately, it’s worse than that.”

“Worse?” Zuko’s blood ran cold. He reached blindly for Izumi, tucking her into his side. “What could be worse?”

The chief looked out over the landscape as he spoke. “A few weeks ago, we began to notice signs that there were others on the island. We didn’t see the people directly, but we did find footsteps, disturbed plants, and evidence of extinguished fires. We increased security to ensure they didn’t come anywhere near the village or Ran and Shaw. As far as we could tell, we’d been successful. There was no sign of them on the outskirts of the city. We wanted to be especially vigilant considering Ran’s pregnancy.”

He shook his head and turned to face Zuko. “We thought we were doing a good job, but Ran disappeared a few days ago. She’s due to give birth any time now. We need your help, Firelord Zuko.”

Chapter Text

Zuko stared at the chief in shock. “How is that possible? With all the safeguards your people have in place, after the centuries you’ve spent protecting the dragons, how did these people discover Ran and Shaw? How did they manage to kidnap a dragon?”

“We have asked ourselves that question every day since Ran disappeared,” the chief said. He approached Zuko and Shaw, placing his hand on Shaw’s back. “Perhaps we were too confident after so long. We believed we were doing everything we could, that we had every possible point of access guarded. Clearly, we were wrong.”

Zuko put an arm around Izumi’s shoulders, needing to remind himself that she was still there and safe. “Have you found any trace of them since then?”

“Traces? Yes.” The Sun Warrior chief sighed. “There were some scorch marks in the jungle not far from the city that we believe were Ran’s doing. Whoever did it was too powerful to be a human firebender. We have been keeping a close eye on them to make sure they don’t flee the island, but we don’t have the capacity to detain them long-term either. That’s why we invited you here, Firelord Zuko. We may be able to rescue Ran ourselves, but you are the only one who can help us ensure that this doesn’t happen again.”

As Firelord, Zuko was asked to handle a lot of problems, many of them too complicated to have a clearcut answer, but rescuing a dragon from kidnappers was a new one. It wasn’t something he’d prepared for, and he had no idea if he was up for the task. If the criminals learned that the Firelord was involved, there was no telling what the consequences would be.

There was also Izumi. He looked down at her and found her watching him with shining eyes. It had been a long time since she’d been invested in something. It was what he’d wanted when he agreed to bring her to the Sun Warriors, but he hadn’t known what danger he was getting her into.

Despite that, he couldn’t abandon Ran. It would bother him on a personal level, but he also couldn’t allow it as Firelord. The dragons had taught the first human firebenders. They were the heritage of the Fire Nation. It was bad enough that Ran and Shaw were all that was left. To know that Ran was pregnant and that there was actually hope for the species… He couldn’t abandon her.

“What information do you have on these kidnappers?” he asked.

The chief sighed. “Not much, I’m afraid. We believe there are three of them, but we do not know who they are or where they’ve come from.”

“Do you know if they’re benders?”

“We believe at least one of them is. There was evidence of human firebending in the same spot we found Ran’s scorch marks.”

It wasn’t a lot to go off of, but at least it was something. Three people were a lot easier to deal with than twenty. The Sun Warriors vastly outnumbered the kidnappers.

“Do you know where they are now?” Zuko asked.

“No, but we’re confident we can find them. We know this jungle better than anyone. There’s nowhere for them to escape to.”

“And getting Ran on a boat would be harder than hiding her in the forest,” another Sun Warrior pointed out. “We’d spot any vessel of a significant size on our shores, and she would burn anything made of wood.”

“Criminals like this aren’t likely to have a boat large enough to transport a dragon easily.” Zuko nodded. “I just wish we knew how they discovered Ran and Shaw were here, but I suppose that’s something that will need to be dealt with once they’re found.”

“That’s what we really need you for, Firelord Zuko.” The Sun Warrior chief smiled at him. “We can capture these people ourselves, but we have no desire to keep them on our island, and we can’t let them go and risk them coming back again or alerting others to where we are.”

“I will take care of that,” Zuko promised.

He wasn’t sure how. If he imprisoned these criminals anywhere in the Fire Nation, they were sure to spread word about the dragons to any guards or fellow prisoners who would listen, but that was a problem that would come later. They had to find Ran first, before she or the baby were harmed.

“I’ll assist you in any way that I can,” Zuko said. “When will you set out to look for them again?”

“Right away,” the chief said. “We were only waiting for you to arrive.”

“Someone will need to watch Izumi here in the city.”

He placed his hand on her shoulder, but Izumi wrenched it out of his grip, turning to face him. “What? I want to go!”

Fear welled up in Zuko’s stomach. “No. You’re too young. It’s not safe.”

Izumi crossed her arms over her chest. “My firebending isn’t that bad, no matter how much the headmistress complains. She only has unfairly high standards for me because I’m the princess.”

“Izumi.” Zuko reached for her again. “It has nothing to do with how good your firebending is. You’re too young to be tracking down dangerous criminals. You must stay here in the city while I go with the Sun Warriors to track them.”

She tugged away from him with a growl. Instead of saying anything, she stalked off, stomping down the mountain. The Sun Warriors moved out of her way quickly, each shooting Zuko sympathetic looks.

Zuko ran a hand over his brow. He should have trusted his initial instinct not to bring Izumi. He could have brought her to see Ran and Shaw at a different time, when things were good. Now, even if she remained safe, he’d never hear the end of it.

The chief motioned for Zuko to follow, and they began down the same path that Izumi was taking. Zuko kept a close watch on her, making sure she didn’t take any long turns.

“We’ll ensure she’s watched over,” the chief promised. “Nothing will happen to her while she’s here.”

Zuko nodded. The kidnappers weren’t aware that he was there, let alone the crown princess of the Fire Nation. They had no reason to come for her as long as she was safely hidden in the village.

They set off into the jungle almost immediately after they descended the mountain. Izumi was left behind at the home of a middle-aged woman and her children. The children were thrilled to have a new playmate, and as hard as Izumi tried to continue pouting while Zuko was there, he was sure she’d warm up to them quickly.

He was glad he didn’t need to worry about her as the Sun Warriors showed him what they already had of a trail.

“This is the first campsite we found,” Tan said, pointing at the remains of a fire in the center of a small clearing. “This was when we knew for sure that someone was lurking around.”

“They move around a lot,” Shu added. “That’s why we haven’t been able to find them yet.”

“How can you hide with a dragon?” Zuko asked.

Tan shrugged. “Your guess is as good as yours. At first we were worried they were already long gone, but we keep turning up evidence of them. They’re keeping Ran subdued somehow.”

Zuko shivered. There was no good way to subdue a dragon.

“I hate to ask this,” he said hesitantly, “but what will happen to Shaw if Ran is gone?”

The Sun Warriors shared a look.

“We don’t know,” Tan admitted. “He’s been with Ran since he was young. There’s no way to predict how he’ll react.”

“But for now he seems to sense that she’s still close,” Shu said. “He’s upset, but it’s not as horrifying as it might be.”

“And it would be the end of the species.” Tan shook her head. “We’ve searched a long time for other dragons, but we’ve never found anything.”

They kept walking for an hour, following signs of humans that Zuko never spotted until the Sun Warriors pointed them out.

“We’re getting closer,” Tan said after a while, keeping her voice low.

Zuko tensed in anticipation.

Chapter Text

Zuko followed Tan into another small clearing. Like the previous campsites they’d encountered, the plants were bent down in some places where people had clearly slept. Shu stooped down, touching the bent plants.

“This one is fresher than the others,” he noted. “They slept here last night.”

Tan knelt down at the tangled roots of a giant tree. With a grunt, she pulled out one sleeping back and then another from within a large knot. She tossed them to the ground in front of Zuko and Tan before straightening up with her fists on her hips.

“This is their current camp.”

Zuko scanned the area, but there were no signs of a large dragon. “They must be keeping Ran somewhere else.”

“Not a bad idea,” Shu said. “If we found Ran first, they might have had time to escape. Or, if we found them, they could claim plausible deniability that they didn’t kidnap a dragon.”

“Yeah, well, too bad for them we cracked their master plan.” Tan carefully maneuvered back over the tree roots. She pointed at a snapped twig hanging off a bush nearby. “Their talent for concealing themselves only goes so far. We can track them from here.”

She set off, keeping her eyes peeled for signs that they were on the right path. Zuko and Shu followed closely behind.

Zuko’s heart beat quickly in anticipation. The dragon kidnappers couldn’t be far away, he was sure of it, and wherever they were, Ran was sure to be close by. There were only so many ways you could hide a massive dragon who didn’t want to be hidden. As long as they got close enough, Zuko was sure that Ran would alert them to her presence.

Something rustled behind them. Zuko swirled around, putting his hands up in a defensive stance.

Before he could firebend, a familiar, shrill voice yelled out, “Wait! It’s me!”

Zuko gasped and lowered his hands as Izumi stepped out from behind a tree.

“Izumi?”

He went through multiple emotions in record time: fear that she was in danger, anger that she’d come, and relief that she hadn’t been harmed yet.

“Have you been following us the entire time?”

He marched towards his daughter, who kept her head low.

“Yes.” Her voice was so quiet he could barely hear it. “I was trailing you, but I got too close on accident.”

Zuko grit his teeth. He’d never been so angry with her before, not even when Headmistress Hui came to speak to him yet again about her behavior at school.

“You shouldn’t be here,” he said. “You’re going to get hurt.”

Izumi lifted her head, jutting her chin out. “I won’t. What’s the point of years of firebending lessons if I don’t know how to protect myself?”

Zuko closed his eyes. Firebending lessons or not, Zuko refused to test her in a real life-or-death situation. Izumi was not only the sole heir to the Fire Nation throne, she was also the only family he had left.

“Firelord Zuko.” Tan appeared at his side. “I know the situation is no longer ideal, but I think I’ve found something.”

Zuko’s heart raced. From the tone of her voice, she’d found a sign that the kidnappers were close by. There was no chance of getting Izumi back to the village before confronting them.

Izumi stared at Tan with wide eyes like she’d only just realized the potential danger she was in.

“Stay close to me,” Zuko told her. “Don’t engage them unless you absolutely have to.”

Her earlier defiance was gone as she nodded. She followed behind Zuko, sticking as close to him as she could.

It didn’t take long for Zuko to figure out what had alerted Tan to the kidnappers’ presence. The followed a thumping sound interspersed with occasional laughter.

Finally, they saw them in the distance. Tan motioned for them to crouch down behind a large fallen log. Through the trees, Zuko finally caught sight of Ran. She’d been shoved in a cage that was too small for her. She thumped her tail against the bars, rattling them. Her snout was tied shut with metal chains, but smoke drifted out of her nostrils in small tendrils.

“What’s wrong?” one of the kidnappers taunted. “Still can’t get out?”

She laughed along with her two companions, another woman and a man.

They appeared to be Fire Nation, and each wore black and red.

Ran snorted in anger, and a shower of sparks rained down on the kidnappers. Both women yelped and jumped away, but the man kicked out his leg, sending flames at Ran.

“You stupid dragon!” he snapped.

Izumi tried to rise. In a fit of panic, Zuko grabbed her arm, pulling her roughly back down to the ground.

“We have to save her.” Izumi turned to Zuko with pleading eyes. “They’re hurting her.”

His own chest ached seeing Ran in such a pitiful state, but he shook his head. “Not yet. We need a plan of attack first.”

“Your dad’s right,” Shu said, his sharp eyes watching the kidnappers. “We have to be smarter than them.”

Izumi settled down beside Zuko, her bottom lip stuck out in a pout.

“We need to catch them by surprise,” Tan said. “If we could surround them, that would give us a bigger advantage—”

One of the kidnappers struck out at Ran again, causing the dragon to whimper.

Izumi was on her feet before Zuko could stop her, launching herself over the log and straight into the path of the kidnappers. Zuko’s stomach dropped. Without thinking, he bolted after her.

Chapter Text

“Izumi!”

Zuko was right behind his daughter as she ran towards the dragon kidnappers. One of the kidnappers shot a burst of fire in her direction. Izumi put up her hands to block it, but she didn’t react in time to the second burst of fire that the kidnapper sent right after the first. Zuko kicked out, encircling him and Izumi briefly with fire and blocking the kidnapper’s bending.

He was vaguely aware of Tan and Shu joining the fray, but he was too focused on Izumi to worry about how they were faring. Izumi sent her own burst of fire at the kidnapper who’d attacked her, but the kidnapper blocked it easily.

The kidnapper wasn’t exactly skilled as far as firebenders went, just proficient. Unfortunately, Izumi wasn’t much more than proficient herself.

She tried to strike again, but the kidnapper was faster. She shot out quickly, and Izumi abandoned her firebending form, trying instead to move out of the way of the flames. She stumbled, falling to the ground.

Zuko gave a sweeping kick, spraying thick flames in the direction of the kidnapper. He wanted nothing more than to fall to his knees beside Izumi and make sure she was okay, but that wasn’t an option as long as they were facing a threat.

He sent a quick volley of flames at the kidnapper. She backed up rapidly to escape. Her feet collided with a log, and she fell backwards. Zuko was quick to pin her arms and legs so she couldn’t bend. He slipped the cuffs we wore on her.

Only then did he become aware of how Tan and Shu’s struggle with the other kidnappers was going. He watched briefly as Tan took down the last one before he rushed back over to Izumi and stooped down beside her.

“Are you okay?” Zuko asked.

She nodded, but she was clutching at her ankle.

“Let me see.” Zuko gently lifted her hands away. He hissed at the sight. “It’s swollen, but it will heal.”

That was the most important thing. Izumi wouldn’t be forever scarred from this encounter. That pained him, but he also hoped it scared her enough to keep her from ever being so foolish again.

“I don’t know if I can walk back to the Sun Warrior village,” she admitted. “It hurts too much.”

“I’ll carry you.”

Izumi’s nose wrinkled, and Zuko couldn’t help but laugh.

“It’s either that or walking on it,” he said.

Izumi nodded in resignation.

It took a bit of discussion to figure out how they would get both Izumi and the prisoners back to the village. Eventually, the Sun Warriors reworked the chains that bound each kidnapper so that they were bound to each other instead but still able to walk. It wouldn’t completely prevent them from firebending, but then, neither would the handcuffs. It would at least make it much harder for them to inflict serious damage.

Ran was happy to be out of her cage, and also, it appeared, happy to monitor the kidnappers as they walked and ensure they didn’t get up to something they weren’t supposed to.

Zuko carefully carried Izumi on his back. She was heavier than the last time he’d carried her, but his determination to get her back without further damaging her ankle was strong enough that he made it work.

“Are you mad at me?” Izumi asked quietly after a while.

Zuko sighed. “A little,” he admitted. “You knew you weren’t supposed to follow us, yet you disobeyed me. You could have been far more seriously hurt than a sprained ankle.”

“I know, but I was worried about Ran. I wanted to make sure she was okay.”

Her gaze was fixated on Ran, who was walking in front of them beside the kidnappers. She had hardly been able to look away from the dragon the whole walk back.

“Am I going to be punished?” she asked.

“We’ll discuss that once your ankle is healed and we’re back home.”

Truthfully, he didn’t know what he should do. He thought the sprained ankle and the fright she’d experienced was enough of a punishment, but his own childhood always made him question being lax about disobedience. At any rate, he wasn’t going to force himself to make a hasty decision while trekking through the jungle. It could wait until later.

By the time they reached the village, Zuko’s back ached, but he did his best not to show it. As long as Izumi was safe, he’d take whatever consequences came with it.

The villagers cheered when they saw they’d returned with the kidnappers and Ran. Zuko accepted the thanks from those who approached him while trying to get away from the fray. A woman ran up to him, concern on her face.

“Does she need a healer?” She motioned at Izumi.

Zuko exhaled in relief. “Yes, please.”

The woman led him to a small building near the center of town, not far away from where everyone was congregating in celebration. Two more women and a man surrounded them as they entered, asking questions about her injury.

“I fell while fighting the kidnappers,” Izumi explained as Zuko carefully lowered her from his back. She limped over to the low bench that sat against one wall. “I twisted my ankle.”

One of the women stooped over her, inspecting the ankle closely. “This is easy enough to take care of, but you’ll need to rest your foot as much as possible for the next week or so.”

Zuko smiled. From what he’d been able to tell, the injury wasn’t particularly serious, but there had still been that worry in the back of his head that wouldn’t calm until a professional confirmed it.

“A week?” Izumi asked, her eyes wide. “Does it really have to be that long?”

The healer laughed. “I’m afraid so.”

Izumi’s shoulders drooped in dismay until she caught sight of Zuko. Instantly, she straightened up and put on a remorseful expression. “But I know I deserve it as my punishment.”

Zuko didn’t bother to hide his laughter.

Chapter Text

They got Izumi laid out on one of the mattresses in the healer building. Now that the initial shock of the situation was over, Zuko started to wonder how he’d get her back to the ship without putting too much stress on her ankle. They’d have to take the would-be kidnappers back to Caldera with them as well, and Zuko would prefer that they have as little contact as possible with Izumi on the way.

Then there was the question of what he’d tell everyone back in the capital when he showed up with three dragon kidnappers. He had no way to guarantee that the criminals wouldn’t talk, and if information about the Sun Warriors and the dragons spread, there was no telling what future danger would come for Ran and Shaw.

He was interrupted from his thoughts by sudden shouting outside. Zuko stiffened and made for the door. Poking his head out, he watched the people gathered in the center of town rushing about. The crowd was too thick to see Ran, but she gave low snorts that carried through the town.

“What is it?” Izumi swung her feet over the side of the mattress.

Zuko held up his hand to stop her. “You heard the healer, you shouldn’t put pressure on your ankle.”

She huffed in frustration just as a low growl filled the air. Zuko looked between Izumi, who hadn’t laid back down, and the commotion outside. He needed to know what was going on. With a huff of frustration, he flew out the door, knowing that Izumi would follow him despite her ankle.

He pushed through the crowd, aware of Izumi’s huffs of pain behind him as she struggled to keep up. The crowd parted easily for him, and soon enough, they made it to the center of the crowd, where the Sun Warrior chief was hunched over Ran on the ground.

He looked up at Zuko, his face tight. “It’s okay. She’s only in labor.”

Only then did Zuko notice that the healer who’d helped Izumi was also crouched at Ran’s side. He knew none of them had witnessed a dragon give birth, yet she seemed to know exactly what she was doing as she spoke calmly to Ran.

The dragon let out a particularly long, low growl.

“It’s coming,” the healer said quietly. She moved closer to Ran’s backside.

Zuko wrapped an arm around Izumi’s shoulders, pulling her close as they both watched with a mixture of awe and horror. Ran gave a hard push, and a baby came out, red just like its mother. Zuko gasped in surprise.

The baby looked remarkably like an adult dragon, just smaller. Ran nuzzled up to it right away. Smoke drifted out of her nose, and the baby snuggled into the warmth. Izumi wrapped her arms around Zuko’s waist, standing close as they watched.

It was a remarkable sight, one that Zuko never expected to see. He’d found the knowledge that Ran and Shaw were still in the world comforting, but he’d never allowed himself to hope that more dragons would follow. Now, though, there was at least one more of their kind. Dragons would survive for a bit longer on earth.

Chapter Text

After the initial rush of excitement that came with Druk’s birth, Zuko ushered Izumi back to the healer’s. “You’re not doing yourself any favors putting pressure on your ankle,” he reminded her.

He carried her on his back once again even though it ached after the trek back to the Sun Warrior village. Izumi sighed in relief once she was back on the bed and didn’t need to put any more weight on her ankle.

“We’ll wait until you’ve healed more before we travel back to Caldera,” he promised.

The sailors waiting for them could be patient. Zuko hadn’t given them an exact time frame for their trip and had warned them to expect the unexpected, though he had hoped they wouldn’t need to stay long.

“Dad.” Izumi grabbed his arm, tugging him closer. “Can we come back soon? I want to visit Druk.”

Zuko smiled and smoothed her hair away from her forehead. “Of course we can. I’ve always wanted you to meet Ran and Shaw. I hope you can see them under better circumstances.”

He didn’t think the Sun Warriors would have any objections. Izumi was having just the sort of reaction to the place that he’d hoped for. She may not have a completely revolutionized view of firebending like Zuko had received from the dragons, but at least she was curious about them. That was a positive first step.

He only wished she hadn’t put herself in danger because of it.

Within a few days, Izumi’s ankle was making noticeable progress. The healer gave her permission to venture up the cliffside to see Ran and Shaw as long as she used a crutch to help her.

It was slowgoing, but eventually, they made it. Izumi’s face shone with pride.

“We have to do the dancing dragon form!” she declared excitedly, causing Zuko to chuckle.

The form was tricky with Izumi’s healing ankle, but they made it through. Ran and Shaw appeared in the same rainbow of fire that Zuko remembered from the first time he’d met them all those years ago. He gasped when the baby appeared, already issuing his own flames alongside those of his parents.

Izumi stood close to Zuko, staring up at the display in awe.

“I never knew firebending could be like this,” she said in a quiet voice.

Zuko smiled and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

Ran and Shaw landed, but the baby kept flying for a while longer until Shaw let out a low growl that called him down from the sky.

“Druk,” Zuko said quietly to himself as the baby landed in front of his parents.

The baby turned to Zuko, watching him with curious eyes.

He’d been named by the Sun Warriors’ shaman during a naming ceremony several days before. Zuko and Izumi had remained behind in the healer’s hut while most of the Sun Warriors made the trek up the mountain. Now that Zuko was looking at the baby again, he couldn’t deny that the name fit.

Druk approached them cautiously, and Zuko held his hand out, letting him nuzzle against it. The feeling was a lot different than meeting Ran and Shaw. With them, Zuko had been filled with awe at their power. Druk was different. He didn’t yet have the power of his parents, though Zuko could sense his potential. What he felt was different; it settled deep inside of him.

Izumi watched the exchange with wide eyes. “Dad,” she said in a rushed voice. “Do you think Druk could be your companion? Just like the Firelords used to have before the war?”

Zuko’s heart raced at the idea. Most Firelords of the past had had a dragon that stayed by their side, but it was never something he’d considered possible for himself. Until now.

“He’s still young,” he said. “He can’t be away from his parents.”

That didn’t dissuade Izumi.

“But when he’s older.”

Zuko shrugged. Druk seemed to feel the connection too, judging by the way he weaved around Zuko in circles, but there was a lot to think about before Druk could leave the island. The thirst for dragon blood had died down over the years, but there was no guarantee that would remain true if word got out that more were alive, as the kidnappers had proven.

He couldn’t guarantee that Druk would be safe in Caldera, but the kidnappers were already coming with him back to the capital. It was almost inevitable that word would get out soon that there were dragons left in the world. Maybe Druk really would be safer with him than he would in the jungle.

“We’ll see,” he told Izumi.

He couldn’t promise anything different when both of them could wind up disappointed. Izumi accepted the answer easily. Clearly, she believed she already knew what would happen.

As they descended the mountain, leaving Druk behind with his parents, it felt inevitable to Zuko too. He still wasn’t entirely sure of what the future held, but he’d have to explain the situation to the guards who would be looking over the kidnappers.

Over time, more and more people would become aware that there were dragons still out there, and Zuko had to ensure that they wanted to protect them, not harm them.

As soon as they arrived back in Caldera, Zuko threw himself into making the Fire Nation a safe place for dragons. A lot of the work he’d already done since becoming Firelord was useful, but he wanted to make sure Ran, Shaw, Druk, and any other dragons out there never needed to worry about being hunted again.

Other changes that came after their return he didn’t have to work so hard on personally.

He visited the Royal Fire Academy a week after their return and met with an astonished Headmistress Hui.

“Princess Izumi is like a different person,” she told Zuko, shaking her head in shock. “She’s one of the most attentive firebending students.”

Zuko couldn’t help but laugh. “I promised that I would get through to her. I’m gratified to hear that it worked.”

He wouldn’t tell Headmistress Hui the truth of what had happened. Not yet. The world wasn’t ready to know quite that much.