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Chapter Text

Kanika’s weary from travel by the time she reaches land. The volcano was an easy landmark – when she saw the modest-sized village nestled nearby, she figured that was as good a place as any to stop – with any luck, they’d have an inn.

“Let’s land there.” She calls to her bison, guiding her down to the outskirts of the village.

As she dismounts Dipa, she stretches her achy muscles – while sky bisons were the easiest forms of travel, it wasn’t that fun to steer for long stretches of time. She tried to be gentle for Dipa’s sake, flying in one to two-hour increments, but they had been flying over water for hours.

The bison, grateful for the reprieve, lets out a lazy growl and unceremoniously flops to the ground. The earth beneath the duo shudders for a moment, before slowly settling.

“I know, girl,” Kanika laughs. “I feel the same.”

“Oh, thank goodness!” A voice from behind her exclaims. Kanika whirls around, face to face with an older man – not too much taller than her, but with very bushy eyebrows and thin grey hair, pulled into a small bun at the crown of his head. He’s dressed in a dark green tunic, one that Kanika has found to be a common style in this part of the Earth Kingdom. “I felt that rumbling and was scared it was Ol’ Mt. Makapu,” He laughs. “Goes to show Lady Hualin is never wrong!”

“...I’m sorry?”

“Ah, where are my manners!” The gentleman exclaims. “Especially in front of an airbender, for shame, Biao!” He scolds himself. “My name is Biao. Please, follow me – it would be my pleasure to provide your lodging.” He bows.

Kanika looks to Dipa, then back at Biao.

“Don’t worry, I have a very comfortable stable for your friend over there.”

“Thank you for your hospitality.” Kanika bows, before following him, leading Dipa by her reins. The bison struggles for a moment, before hauling herself up.

As they make their way through the village, Kanika takes note of a large pavillion at the base of the volcano. She’s not sure how she could have missed it, considering the village is practically constructed around the property surrounding it. A large set of stairs lead from town square upwards. Perhaps that’s where the mayor or governor of the village lives? Kanika isn’t too well versed in Earth Kingdom politics, but she’d traveled enough to get the gist. Kind of.

She asks Biao that very question – if that is the town’s

“No, that’s Lady Hualin’s property! She’s our resident oracle,” he smiles. “Her predictions, no matter how outrageous, always come true!”

“Always?” She asks, immediately skeptical. Sure, she believed in fate, but the point of fate was that one wasn’t supposed to directly know about it. Or something. Sister Ayana’s lessons had to be rattling around in her brain somewhere.

“They say airbenders are a good omen – I wonder what fortunes Lady Hualin may reveal to you...” Biao questions, ignoring her question entirely.

Eventually, he leads her to a nice-sized building on the opposite end of town. At least Biao wasn’t lying about the stables – she’s sure Dipa will be sleeping comfortably.

As she drifts off to sleep, she can only hope the weather is good tomorrow. She’s not sure she wants to be stuck here any longer than she has to.

It’s a cruel joke – a twist of fate, a voice deep inside mocks her – when she wakes up to dark skies hovering over the village.

Biao invites her to breakfast – she guesses Makapu doesn’t have many visitors, considering how empty the table is. She’s shoveling rice into her mouth when the inn’s front door slides open.

A girl, maybe a couple of years younger than her wearing some ugly – though Kanika will never say anything – yellow robes, bows deeply. Biao returns it. Kanika bows her head slightly, accidentally spilling some rice on her in the process. Great.

“I understand you have an important visitor staying here.” The girl addresses Biao, but grins at Kanika. She smiles back, suddenly nervous.

“Oh! I knew you were here for a reason!” Biao snaps his fingers, before turning back to the girl. “Is our Lady requesting our visitor’s presence?”

“I cannot say anything.” She closes her eyes. “Only that when you are finished with breakfast, you must follow me.”

With that, the girl sits on her knees, staring at Kanika the entire time. The unnerving feeling of being stared at makes Kanika lose her appetite very quickly, so they’re off not much longer.

“Don’t worry about your companion, I’ll take good care of her!” Biao calls as they leave the inn.

The girl leads Kanika up the grand staircase she had taken note of the night before. Wind whips through the air – flowing through her hair. It’s not that much, if she’s being honest – only curling right under her ears. The short locks tickle her earlobes as she peers up to the still-dark skies. She’s grateful they’re not walking through the rain, though she’d had her fair share of being out in unpleasant conditions – Kanika had taken to traveling as soon as her mastery tattoos had healed enough for her to bend, and had been on the road since. The whisps that make it in front of her eyes are still pretty annoying, though. How had she ever worn her hair any longer?

Eventually, they make it to the grand building in the middle, passing attendants and servants on the way. Biao had said Makapu only had a governor, but the way they treated this Lady Hualin was like a queen.

The girl brings her through the front doors – barely getting inside before being greeted by an old woman – her shock white hair being a daring contrast to her colorful robes, presumably Lady Hualin. She bows before Kanika.

“Young traveler, welcome to our humble village.”

Kanika bows once more – thankful she stretched this morning.

“Thank you for retrieving her, Wu,” Lady Hualin nods to the girl. “I’ll take it from here.”

The girl, now known as Wu, nods before scurrying off to somewhere else in the complex.

“Please, follow me.” Lady Hualin beckons her forward with a sharp, well-manicured nail. Various shiny bracelets dangle from her wrist with the motion, clinking together. This final trek is a little more straightforward – just to the back of the building this time. Lady Hualin slides open yet another ostentatious set of doors, that reveal a small, dark room.

Kanika barely has any time to survey her surroundings before having a porcelain cup of what smells like the forest unceremoniously shoved in her face.

“Drink this,” Lady Hualin instructs. “When you are finished, hand me the cup. I shall start our session with reading your tea leaves.” She smiles, steepling her hands together.

It’s… not bad, actually. She’d always been partial to sweeter flavors – especially missing the buffalo milk tea of her home temple, but she found she didn’t mind earthier tastes.

She finishes the beverage, handing it back to the woman, who begins to stare intently at the remains of Kanika’s drink.

“Hmmm…. Very interesting...” She mutters, hemming and hawing as her eyes flit all over the inside of the cup.

“What is it?” Kanika asks, curiosity getting the better of her. The nervous feeling from earlier had only grown – she’d never been the biggest believer in prophecies, but it was easy for the aura of the place to affect her.

“These symbols indicate you hold a great power within you.”

“Really?”

“I can sense it, you have a most powerful lineage!” the old woman nods sagely, “You must be related to an Avatar. Mek, perhaps? He was the most recent Air Nomad Avatar...”

“I wouldn’t know,” she shrugs. “that’s not the way Airbenders are raised.”

She’s certain that the nuns keep records of everyone’s lineage, but it’s inconsequential. The only family that matters are the ones she was raised with, not powerful and mysterious faces of the past.

“Are you doubting my tea leaves?” She raises a bushy eyebrow. “Just think – you could be related to Avatar Mek! Or even Avatar Ananda. Hmm… that would be a more distant relation, and I sense a closer connection…” The woman mumbles something under her breath.

“Actually, I’m sensing something else,” Lady Hualin speaks, after a moment. She closes her eyes. “Yes… he is here.” She nods.

Before Kanika can ask, Lady Hualin rises. “I have someone I’d like you to meet – someone tied to your destiny.” She adds a whispered flourish to the last word. “Sit tight – I’ll be right back.”

Which leaves Kanika alone. She can hear rain beating against the roof – ugh, as soon as this rain clears up...

She’s still bewildered by… everything about this village. She’s half worried she stepped into the Spirit World with how bizarre things are here – she’d been all over the Earth Kingdom and had never encountered a village like this before.

She fiddles with her hands – her fingers, stained a deep red, curl around the bracelet she’d received from the Southern Water Tribe family she’d spent two weeks with at the beginning of her journey. Her fingertips bring a stark contrast to the blue stones around her wrist, as well as her mastery tattoos themselves. She’d received the henna at a Fire Nation festival a couple of weeks ago, one only celebrated on the outer islands. The delicate designs weave around her arrows, curving along the rest of her hand as she fiddles with the stones.

The crrrreaakk of the sliding door breaks Kanika out of her thoughts. She looks up to see that Lady Hualin has returned – this time, with company. She drags in a gangly young man, dressed in a simple green tunic. He has shaggy, chin length hair and a bandana wrapped around his forehead.

“This is my nephew, Sup.” She grins, gesturing to the man next to her. He waves, looking distinctly uncomfortable. Kanika doesn’t blame him – she suppresses a grimace before it can form over her own face.

“In addition to fortune telling, I do offer matchmaking services. Sup here is about your age, and he’s just so awkward with girls. But the leaves say the two of you are connected.”

With mounting horror, Kanika realizes where this is going. Spirits, help her. She half-listens to Lady Hualin for another half an hour, praying to whatever spirits she can to stop the rain.

They’ve heard her, thankfully – the moment rain stops beating down on the roof, Kanika leaps up.

“Thank you for the offer, but I really must be going.” She bows, one final sign of respect, before rushing out of the building – back to the inn in record time. She waves a hurried ‘goodbye’ and ‘thanks’ to Biao, before leaping onto Dipa’s saddle.

“Yip yip, girl!” She commands, perhaps with too much enthusiasm. As they fly away from Makapu, she breathes a heavy sigh of relief. Not that she’s not grateful for their hospitality, but…

Air is the element of freedom – if Kanika is to be tied down to someone, she’d rather it be on her terms. Not the ones of some stranger.

She looks off, to the horizon – if she makes it past the stormclouds, she and Dipa might be able to make it to Jang Hui by lunchtime, to her friend Kaoru, who she had known even before she and Dipa found each other, lived there, and was training to become a Fire Sage. He’d probably find the whole thing funny – especially at her expense.

It’d be nice to be in the company of friendlier, less pushy faces, at least.

She huffs, trying to put as much distance between herself and Makapu as much as possible.

Chapter Text

Uma stares at the carved necklace – a betrothal necklace, her mind supplies – with wide eyes. She’s honestly not sure how to react. She’s heard of the custom, sure, but marriage back home, in the Southern Tribe, was less… well, less.

But she’s not home.

It was supposed to be a simple, diplomatic visit – Uncle visited all corners of the world at least once a year as a gesture of goodwill, aiding conflicts and disputes along the way. Part of being the Avatar, she supposed.

She’s surprised he allowed her to tag along; she’s even more surprised her mother allowed it, but here she was, traveling all over the world with Uncle and his companion. It was more daunting than she had expected – she’d barely left her own village, let alone the South Pole!

Mesose was nice enough, if a little nerdy. He’d pointed out all kinds of interesting facts about the places they stopped, too. She’d met him only once or twice before their travels, but it was clear how much he and Uncle cared about each other – Uncle even called him Se-Se. She’d felt too awkward to get in on the teasing, but she could tease internally.

It was strange seeing Uncle in his element (hah, even seeing him bend more than one element was still bizarre), witnessing firsthand the power that he holds. She could also see how much of a toll it took on him. He had little patience for the petty disputes people tried asking him to solve in village after village. Going to the Northern Tribe earlier than their itinerary stated was a reprieve – it wasn’t home, but it was close enough. Even if Mesose complained about not seeing the first bloom of the Panda Lily like they had planned for that weekend.

Upon arriving to their sister tribe, they were welcomed with open arms. A great feast, customary blessings to her Uncle, all of that. It hadn’t phased Uncle, but she’d been in awe.

A few days into their stay finds her exploring the city, while the Elders of the Tribe officially call for Avatar Gun’s presence. She’s not sure why, but she knows better than to ask. She’s not sure where Mesose wandered off to, either, but she’s sure he’s somewhere near Uncle Gun.

Which leads her here, with the Prince of the Northern Water Tribe kneeling before her, betrothal necklace in hand.

“Look, I know we haven’t talked all that much, but I think you’re really cute,” Ikiaq starts. “I know this is a bit forward, but from the moment I first saw you, I couldn’t imagine spending the rest of my life with anyone else. You are the most beautiful girl I have ever seen. Will you have me?”

She’d seen Prince Ikiaq at dinner the past few nights, and only then. She’d thought he was cute, in a distant way – but other than that, she hadn’t really thought about him at all.

“I...” Uma starts, staring wide-eyed. “I… I think I’d rather get to know you first. Before we get into… anything.” She stutters, trying to temper down her flush. It’s not that she wasn’t flattered, but... Why her? What is happening?

“I can work with that,” Ikiaq stands, pocketing the necklace. He offers her an arm. “May I show you around the city? I know you’ve only been here for a couple of days so far, and it’s a pretty confusing place if you don’t know your way around.”

She hesitantly accepts, wrapping her arm around his. She’s heard stories like this before – love at first sight. All of the boys back home were too gross to think of in a romantic light, at least in Uma’s opinion, so she’d never thought it was real. Or that it could happen to her.

In the early weeks of their travels, Uncle and Se-Se had taken her to see an Earth Kingdom Opera. She’d seen and even participated in mask dances, but nothing as elaborate as the Operas in Ba Sing Se. Between the glimmering costumes twirling around stage over colorful sets, alongside fast-paced and occasionally heart-wrenching melodies, Uma had been entranced. The one that they’d seen had been all about love at first sight – in the beginning, at least.

While the play had ended in tragedy for the main couple, it had given Uma some new insight about how love worked. She’d tried to express her newfound knowledge to Uncle and Se-Se, but both of them had brushed her off, trying to ‘correct’ her. What did either of them know, she had huffed to herself after being shut down. Neither of them are married!

As Ikiaq guides her around the city, she begins to wonder if this was fate. If this was true love.

She doesn’t tell Uncle. Not out of fear of disapproval or anything, she just wants to be certain of her decision.

At dinner that evening, gathered in the great hall of the palace, Ikiaq catches her eye from across the room. She blushes over her shaved moose-reindeer meat – it melts over her tongue as heat rises to her cheeks. He winks at her before turning away, as if nothing happened. She looks dead ahead, trying not to call attention to herself.

“How do you like it?” Uncle asks, sitting at her side.

“It’s good,” she nods. “better than some of the other dishes we’ve tried.”

“Still not a fan of Northern Sea Prunes?” He asks, raising a brow. She shakes her head rapidly.

“What’s the difference between the two?” Mesose asks from Gun’s side with a gleam in his eye – Uma can practically hear the wheels in his head beginning to turn.

“Ever the scholar.” Gun mutters under his breath, teasing.

“I’m just curious!” Mesose protests. “It’s not like I’m gonna write a paper on the differences between sea prunes.”

“You’re the one who suggested it.” Gun remarks, tone dry as ever. Uma giggles at their antics – as much as Uncle complained, he definitely enjoyed being out and about in the world.

After that evening, she meets up with Ikiaq every day, spending a few hours together before they have to part ways. She was serious about wanting to get to know him, and he was serious about his proposal. It’s like an Opera come to life – he treats her like… well, a princess, and he truly listens to her when she speaks. They discuss music and poetry, and he takes her dancing under the moonlight, sneaking away when everyone else is asleep.

In turn, she listens to his worries. His hopes for the future, that he wants his younger brother to take the chiefdom instead of him. An implied quiet life with her doesn’t sound out of the picture, the way he describes it. She finds out that his favorite color is red and he doesn’t really like hunting that much. His family has an impressive hunting lodge, but she learns his main passion is woodcarving.

(“We import wood from the Earth Kingdom for our ships, so whatever material that’s left over goes to me.” He explains. He displays a broad, dark knife in his hands – it’s so shiny she can practically see her reflection in it.

“My dad gave this to me. It’s supposed to be for hunting, but...” He looks off to the side, wincing. “you can hold it if you want.”

She extends a hand, before a sharp pain prickles the side of her palm. A lazy crimson seeps over her wrist, dripping down to the ground.

“Oh, careful, careful,” He coos, grabbing her hand. He raises his arm, before a steam of water swirls around them, before enveloping her hand. It’s warm, with a light glow that vaguely illuminates their faces. She meets his eyes, before looking down to where her wound has been resealed, as if there was never a cut.

“I didn’t know you were a bender.” Uma raises her hand to her eye before looking back to him, starry-eyed.

“Sure am.” He raises a finger to his mouth. “Don’t tell anyone I can heal, though. My dad wouldn’t be happy.”

She giggles, not understanding what he means. Maybe it’s another cultural difference. She watches as he puts the knife back in it’s sheath, a small pouch made of polar bear dog skin.

“If you promise not to injure yourself anymore, you can keep it.” He holds it out to her. She rolls her eyes before processing what he had said.

“Oh no, I couldn’t possibly accept something like that.”

“In that case, think of it as a wedding gift.” He smirks.)

His hobby explains why the betrothal necklace is so intricate, beautiful – carved from a master’s hands. She hasn’t taken to wearing it yet, but she finally accepted it from him. She doesn’t want to cause a scandal – the whole tribe had seen her arrival, bare-neck. Spirits know what kind of gossip would pop up if suddenly she started wearing her betrothal necklace.

They’re sharing a bowl of moonberry-flavored ice cream when she brings up the topic of bringing up their engagement to their families.

“I haven’t told my Uncle about us yet, but we’re leaving in a few days.” She looks to Ikiaq with shining eyes. “I don’t want to leave you yet.”

“I don’t want you to go either,” He takes her hands in his. “I think my dad is meeting with him today. Why don’t we tell them together?”

“I would love that.” Relief washes over her. “And hey, if I can’t stay, I’m sure I could talk my uncle into letting you join us.” ‘Talking Uncle into letting Ikiaq go with them’ was code for ‘Ask Mesose and get what you want’. Uncle had a serious weakness for Mesose – they’d gone to an Earthbender festival a while back and when she asked Uncle if she could try some festival food, he said no. But when she asked Mesose, who asked Uncle, he said yes. She’s sure that if she could convince him with something that small, he’d fall like a bunch of snowflakes for this.

“As long as I’m with you, I’m happy.” Ikiaq gives her a peck on the cheek. “Let’s go.”

“Wait,” She stops him, reaching into her pocket. “Before we go… could you help me put this on?” She holds up the necklace, looking to his face – he turns bright red for a moment, before grinning widely.

“Nothing would make me happier.” He steps behind her, delicately wrapping the fabric around her neck. She already feels happier – the weight of the necklace solidifies her resolve, making their engagement feel real.

She feels like she’s walking on air as they make it to the Chief’s temple – is this how airbenders feel? She’d passed by a group of them a few weeks ago, and they all looked so joyous, it was practically contagious.

Even the humbling, large halls of the temple aren’t enough to dampen or tone down her joy.

At the far end of the hall sits Chief Saniraq, alongside the other Chieftains.

Uncle – Avatar Gun – stands before them, looking tired, the last remains of anger etched into his features. Mesose stands slightly behind him, watching with what she would classify as scared eyes.

They look like they were arguing, Uma purses her lips. She looks to Ikiaq, trying to signal that they should probably come back later, when he steps forward, pulling her along.

Their footsteps are loud in the now quiet chamber – Uncle and Mesose turn around, while the Chieftains turn their attention to the couple.

Gun furrows his brow, confused by their presence while Mesose looks on, curious.

Chief Saniraq’s eyes find her neck immediately – an expression akin to delight spreading across his face.

“Ah, I see my son went through with his proposal. Congratulations.”

Heat rises to Uma’s face.

“You talked about me?” She whispers to Ikiaq.

“What’s not to talk about?” Ikiaq whispers back. “You’re incredible, I had to gush a little.”

She tries to suppress her smile – she

“Proposal?” Gun looks to her, expecting an explanation.

“Well… we’re in love!” She gestures to the intricate carving wrapped around her neck, smiling sheepishly. “I’m sorry for not saying anything about us sooner, but I wanted to wait until I was sure to approach you, Uncle.”

“You’re 12.”

“But –”

“He’s 17.”

“Sir, I know it’s not traditional, but I would like to offer this as a symbol of my dedication to your niece,” Ikiaq interrupts, walking confidently over to Gun, before offering the polar bear dog skin pouch. Off to the side, Mesose looks like he’s trying not to laugh.

Gun regards Ikiaq with a raised eyebrow.

“I’m willing to wait, if it’s for Uma,” Ikiaq squeezes her hand tightly. She squeezes back – steeling her face. “We don’t have to marry yet, I just want to know if I can have her hand.”

“That’s not–” Gun starts, before pinching his brow. He sighs. “I am not her keeper for matters such as this. If you wait until she comes of age and you come to the South Pole to meet her parents...”

“Of course.” Ikiaq nods. Uma beams – once she’s an adult, she knows no one can prevent them from marrying. That’s how it works back home – which makes Uncle’s statement all the better!

“Thank you, Uncle!” She rushes to him, giving him a tight hug. She hears him sigh deeply in the embrace.

They let go – she rushes over to Ikiaq, kissing him on the cheek – only on the cheek because of Uncle’s watchful eye.

“How joyous!” One of the Chieftains exclaims. “A union between one of our own and a relative of the Avatar is bound to produce significant power!”

“Indeed, good work, Ikiaq.” Chief Saniraq nods, smiling serenely.

“’Good work?’” Mesose questions. Saniraq pales, eyes comically large.

“I meant… well, good choice in selecting a bride. Good work.” He stutters. Something about his response makes her gut coil – the air shifts. Her blood runs cold – as if she’d been standing outside for too long. She looks to Ikiaq, hoping against hope that what she’s thinking isn’t true.

Ikiaq refuses to meet her eyes, eyes pointedly focused on the ground. Uma steps back, heart beginning to shatter.

“Well… we thought it beneficial for someone directly related to an Avatar to marry into our family,” Saniraq starts. “We’ve been in dire need of powerful benders in our line, and –”

“So you thought ‘arranged marriage’?” Mesose parries. “And you sent the boy to manipulate Uma?”

“That’s not what this is about.” Ikiaq argues. “I love her, I do!”

Uma feels her throat close up. That’s all their sister tribe, how Ikiaq thought of her? As a means to produce powerful heirs?

“Uma, please,” Ikiaq pleads as he turns to her. “I love you. Yeah, at first I approached you because my dad told me to, but –” He steps closer.

“No!” She cries, stepping back. Tears flood her vision. “You lied to me!”

“Wait, Uma, it’s not what you think!” Ikiaq rushes over to her. She shrugs him off, eyes burning. He’s faster, though – he grabs her hands within his, meeting her eyes. “I do genuinely like you.”

She tears her arm away from him.

“Is that because of or in spite of your family?” She spits out, feeling hot, angry tears rush down her face.

“Please, young lady, calm down –” Someone calls to her. She doesn’t listen, squeezing her eyes shut. She tries yelling something, but someone yells over her, sparking further outrage.

A cacophony of voices fill the room – hers, Mesose’s, Ikiaq’s, the pitiful voices of the Chieftains – but it is one voice and one alone that manages to bring everything to a standstill.

“This is how you view my legacy?” Gun’s deep voice silences the room. “If this is how you treat my loved ones while I still breathe...”

“Avatar Gun… we mean no offense,” Chief Saniraq starts, bowing before the man. “We were just thinking of the future...”

The ground beneath them rumbles – Uncle turns away from her, walking closer and closer to the Chief. Mesose’s at her side in an instant.

“Get back to the boat.” He hisses between clenched teeth.

“What?”

“Just go. We’ll meet you there.” An icicle falls from the ceiling a few feet in front of them. “Now!”

At his command, she runs, faster than she’d ever ran before. Her lungs burn – away from Ikiaq and his stupid face and his stupid lies. How could he have ever liked her?

They weren’t even starcrossed lovers like in the opera – even though that had ended in tragedy, the couple died together. How naive is she to have assumed she’d have a love like that? Uma stumbles as the ground shakes once more – she dares a quick glance behind her, only to be met with a blinding light.

Nope nope nope nope.

She makes it back to their boat on the opposite side of the city, back at the harbor – the rest of her run is a blur, but she’s relieved to be back there, safe. She’s suddenly grateful she hadn’t thought about inviting Ikiaq to their boat. It’s untainted by his presence.

She sits in the cold for a while longer, before seeing the approaching figures of Uncle and Mesose in the distance.

They prepare the boat for setting sail in strained silence. She refuses to meet both of their eyes, ashamed by her own outburst and naivety.

As they change course to the Earth Kingdom – or, what she assumes is the Earth Kingdom – Uncle and Mesose walk away from her to the boat’s bow, speaking in harsh whispers. Uma can’t find it in her to care.

She just wants to go home.

She looks to her side, where the dagger Ikiaq had given her Uncle lays on deck. She's not sure why it's on their boat, but as soon as she spots it, she flings it into the sea with a satisfying, nearly vindictive splash. It's better than feeling hollow.

The wood below her creaks as a presence settles to her left. She doesn't look at him, content to stew.

"We're going to the Northern Air Temple next. Se-Se said it's only a couple of hours away," Uncle's voice rumbles from behind her. "Get some rest."

With that, he stands up. Something warm and soft rests over her shoulders, as the dull thud thud thud of his boots indicate he's walking away.

It's... his coyote wolf pelt. She curls it around her shoulders, trying to suck in as much warmth from it as she can. Tears sting at her eyes.

She thinks of Uncle’s words – When they visited the Eastern Air Temple, Uncle had told her about the Air Nomad's philosophy of detachment. Maybe they can help her get over Ikiaq and help her clear the shattered remains of her heart.

But for now, she breathes in the cold arctic air – and watches as her tears fall, turning into ice and shattering against the deck.

Chapter Text

The union tying her to Ozai wasn’t the only marriage contract Ursa had received.

It wasn’t even her first – but it was the first she couldn’t say no to.

Her family had been hunted by proposal after proposal over the years – it got worse when she came of marrying age. Whenever Ursa walked in to see her mother burning a scroll or shooing a stranger away from their house, she didn’t need to ask.

Usually, it was various noble families from around the Fire Nation – power-hungry clan leaders asking for her hand in marriage, in the hopes of making their lineage look more appealing.

She knows her mother had to deal with it, too – according to family legend, when Grandfather was still alive, he would disarm any prospective suitors with a surprising level of hospitality. He was apparently more of the diplomatic type, trying to smooth things over with words instead of resorting to violence. With the way the world is now, Ursa thinks, it’s a lost art.

“Hosting them was the bare minimum of respect,” her mother had told her. “I know Father hated it when suitors showed up, but as the Avatar,” she practically spits the word, “shooing someone away like that could cause an... incident.”

As for the more stubborn suitors… well, they were dealt with accordingly. Grandfather leaned towards pacifism, yes, but he had no issues about putting someone in their place.

Ursa was never sure what exactly that meant, but she was grateful someone was looking out for her mother.

But that all changed when her mother’s childhood home – the place Mother was supposed to raise her – was drowned in magma – proud homes, lives reduced to nothing but ashes. Grandfather gone in the wake of its destruction. Whatever was left behind on Avatar Roku’s island was only a fraction of what was to come.

Mother was always surprised that their family wasn’t branded as traitors by Fire Lord Sozin, especially considering the things Grandmother had to say about the man. Perhaps exile would’ve made future courtship easier for the family. More peaceful. But with Grandfather out of the picture… unique opportunities began to present themselves. No one had to worry about potentially offending the Avatar to his face – no risk of being struck down by whatever element may prove to be most painful.

In an instant men, like viper leeches, began to swarm for her mother’s affections.

Even moving to Hira’a – a town close enough to Forgetful Valley, a forest in which most of the Fire Nation held a respectful amount of fear for – wasn’t enough to deter minor nobility. Blessedly, the proposals stopped once mother married father.

Unfortunately, they didn’t stop for long. The birth of a daughter with Avatar Roku’s only made suitors all the more eager.

While the letters were bad enough, matchmakers showing up at their door was infinitely worse.

Ursa had been deep in her studies when her mother’s raised voice alerted her to something very, very wrong. Mother didn’t yell very often, causing tight fear to grip her heart. Ursa rushes out of her room, racing to the front of the house –

Rina stands in front of the door, arguing with a man in… green robes?

Ursa stops, confused. The man looks past her mother, spotting her instantly.

“Lady Ursa,” He bows, deeply. “I am here on behalf of the great Téngyuán family, I implore you to listen to what I have to say.”

“I… okay.” Ursa finds herself saying in a small voice. Rina looks to her daughter, shocked. Ursa merely shrugs – maybe if we hear him out, he’ll leave quicker.

“My, you are even more charming than I had anticipated!” He smiles. “Clearly an excellent match already!”

...Match? Oh no.

“Get on with it.” Her mother crosses her arms. He clears his throat, before continuing in a haughty tone.

“Right. The Esteemed Governor Changyin Téngyuán of Kangfao desires a union between yourself and his son, Lieutenant Aiguo Téngyuán.”

“…Why would an Earth Kingdom family want my hand in marriage?” Ursa blurts out. Fire Nation families, yeah, made sense, but an Earth Kingdom one? If anyone knew about this, her family may actually be branded as traitors. Based on the way her mother’s jaw clenches, Ursa isn’t the only one who’s come to that conclusion. The matchmaker looks unperturbed – excited in fact, as if he’d been waiting for her to ask that very question.

“It is no secret that our nations are at war,” He starts. “This war has proven to be harmful to both of our nations – it is our belief that the bloodline of an Avatar may produce powerful benders. Ones powerful enough to end this war. Think about it!” He gestures wildly. “The Téngyuán Family has already boasted a proud line of strong benders, who knows what kind of power you could bring to the table!”

She’s sure she’s heard of some Avatars producing powerful benders, but she’s not sure how the statistics work. Her mom is a decent firebender, but Uncle Rihito isn’t even a bender, just like Ursa herself. She expresses that thought – only to be met with a scoff.

“Sometimes bending skips a generation or two – but considering your ancestry, your children are likely to be very strong.”

Ursa makes a face – sure, she wants the war to be over too, but not like this. Being used like this makes her feel beyond sick to her stomach.

“I don’t like this,” Ursa shakes her head – slowly at first, but it increases in speed as she takes a shaky step back. “I don’t accept.”

“I agree. I won’t entertain this matter any more,” Rina butts in, the lines across her face looking harsher and harsher. “My daughter will not be accepting any proposals at this time. I kindly ask you to leave,” she adds, through gritted teeth.

“My, my – Lady Rina,” He chides. Big mistake. “You put your father to shame! I know for a fact that Avatar Roku would hear out and even host potential suitors.”

“My father is dead,” Rina’s face darkens. Ursa takes a large step back. “I am not bound to the same social conventions as he was. Leave at once.”

A ball of fire forms alongside her mother’s fist – she raises it at the matchmaker, who stutters out an apology and all but runs away, nearly tripping over his robes.

If there was something to admire about the strategy, Ursa at least admired the boldness of it – sending such a message and messenger through Fire Nation territory like that took guts.

She doesn’t get any more proposals for a few years after that – until Ikem, who she gladly accepts.

Ursa runs home to deliver the good news to her family – she opens the door, feeling light, before spotting her mother, tears running down her face, clutching a headpiece she’d never seen before in her life. It looks like the one featured in statues of Grandfather, the one described to her on evening nights of her childhood, when she asked why she’d never met her mother’s parents before.

There’s no time to dwell on it, thought – as she’s whisked away to a future she never wanted, by people who want to use her as a conduit for future power. She’s reminded of the Earth Kingdom matchmaker from so many years ago and resists tears. She never wanted this – never wanted to be used in such a way. But no one can refuse the will of Fire Lord Azulon.

She dares one last look at Hira’a, home, through the curtain of the palanquin. A hand reaches over her – curtain closing, fluttering in her face as if taunting her. She turns to her right, as home flies out of her reach.

“No more of that, my love,” Ozai smirks. “it’s time to focus on the future. Our future.”