I woke up in a white tent, something felt off. I wasn't guarded, but this could easily be a trap. I threw off the blanket over me and ran out of the tent. I saw soldiers around me, so I did the normal thing a waterbender would.
I lashed out.
"Well, you're still not a morning person," a voice said from behind me.
"Uncle?" I asked in surprise as I ran into Pakku's arms. "What are you doing here? What am I doing here? What's going on?"
Uncle was about to explain when a body latched onto my legs, "Emi!" Lu Min said as he buried his face in my skirt.
"What is he doing in a war camp?" I asked concerned as I picked my little brother up.
"I had to protect my grandson," a voice said from behind me.
"Iroh?" I questioned.
"Hello, Emiko it's good to see you," Iroh said smiling.
"I am so confused," I muttered.
"We have a lot to talk about," Iroh said as he gestured for me to follow him. "Come, I just made some tea."
"Grandfather's tea is the only good stuff I've had," Lu Min said as he wiggled out of my arms and grabbed onto Iroh's hand.
"It's so nice that someone finally appreciates my talents in my family," Iroh laughed as he led me inside the tent.
~H~
"Emiko, look what I can do!" Lu Min told me as he stood in front of a fire and then took the flame and began to firebend. "Grandfather taught me, he said I could only do it with experienced benders around to make sure I didn't hurt myself though."
"When did you start firebending?" I asked curiously as Lu Min put the fire back.
"It started a few week after we left the North Pole," Uncle explained sitting next to me.
"How was the North Pole?" I asked as Lu Min began to show me more things.
"Very good, I asked Kanna to marry me," Uncle said casually.
"I have an aunt?" I asked excitedly.
"Yes," Uncle said simply.
"That means that Katara and I are now family, and Sokka too, but this wonderful," I said smiling.
"I thought you might be happy," Uncle said smirking. "I need to go on patrol, I'll be back in a few hours."
"I'll be here, then I leave in the morning," I said simply.
"We could use your help here," Uncle said simply.
I smiled at him, "my friends need my help. And you all kidnapped me before I could really do that."
Uncle rolled his eyes, "we apologized for that."
I winked, "I am so holding that over you."
I continued to watch Lu Min practice firebending, and for the first time, I was happy that he was a firebender. I was always so afraid that him being a firebender would be bad for him, but it helped him bond with his grandfather. "Lu Min, why don't you show your sister what you've been drawing?"
Lu Min's eyes lit up as he dragged me inside the main tent and pulled out his paints supplies, "Grandfather showed me a picture of Father and Mother, so I painted all of us together. It's not exactly the same as the pictures, but it's like a family portrait. They're together now, see?"
I nodded smiling, "they would be so proud of you."
Lu Min yawned, "I think it's time for bed." Iroh said laughing as he led us out of the tent and to the one they had set up next to it for me. "I'll see you off tomorrow, my nephew is very lucky to have you by his side."
"It's not only Zuko I'm going back for," I told Iroh with narrowed eyes.
"If he was the only one, you would still go back for him," Iroh said with a wink. I shook my head as I put Lu Min to bed, and then I sat outside with a book in my hand and the picture Lu Min on my lap. I sat like that, just thinking. I fell asleep like that, until an annoyingly familiar voice woke me up.
"Sokka, what have I said about being too loud?" I said and then my eyes snapped open when I realized who was in front of me.
"See! I told you it would wake her up," Sokka said as the group stood in front of me.
~H~
"Are you okay?" I asked Zuko when I found him sitting outside Iroh's tent early in the morning.
"No, I'm not okay. My Uncle hates me, I know it. He loved me and supported me in every way he could and I still turned against him. How can I even face him?" Zuko said as I sat next to him.
"Zuko, you're sorry for what you did, right?" I asked him gently as I took his hand.
"More sorry than I've been about anything in my entire life," Zuko said looking at me.
"Then he'll forgive you," I told Zuko smiling. "He will." Zuko turned to the tent and then stood up, he opened the tent flap without a word and walked in. I waited for a few minutes before I followed in behind him to see Iroh hugging Zuko like his life depended on it.
"It wasn't that hard, to find you, Uncle. You have a pretty strong scent, and Emiko's sword led us right to her," Zuko said smiling.
"It's good to know you made sure to grab it," I said smiling from the tent flap and then Lu Min ran in.
"Grandfather, you should see what's outside. It's the Avatar's bison, I got to ride it once when we were in the North Pole. I helped save the Avatar that day, and the North Pole," Lu Min said proudly as he jumped up and down.
I started laughing at Lu Min as Zuko looked at him very confused, "grandfather?"
Lu Min immediately panicked at seeing Zuko and then ran to my side, "who's this?"
"I believe he is your cousin technically," I said smiling.
"Cousin?" Zuko asked in disbelief.
~H~
"Uncle, you're the only person other than the Avatar who can possibly defeat the Father Lord," Zuko said and I chocked on my tea.
"You mean the Fire Lord," Toph said as Katara started to pat on my bag as I coughed.
"That's what I just said," Zuko defended.
"Hmm..." Iroh muttered as he patted me hard on the back and the coughing went away.
"We need you to come with us," Zuko said.
"No, Zuko. It won't turn out well," Iroh said.
"You can beat him and we'll be there to help," Zuko said.
"Even if I did defeat Ozai, and I don't know that I could. It will be the wrong way to end the war. History would see it as just more senseless violence, a brother killing a brother to grab power. The only way for this war to end peacefully is for the Avatar to defeat the Fire Lord," Iroh said.
"And then... then would you come and take your rightful place on the throne?" Zuko asked.
"No. Someone new must take the throne. An idealist with a pure heart and unquestionable honor," Iroh said looking at his nephew. "It has to be you, Prince Zuko."
"Unquestionable honor? But I've made so many mistakes," Zuko said.
"Yes, you have. You struggled, you suffered but you have always followed your own path, you restored your own honor. And only you can restore the honor of the Fire Nation," Iroh said.
"I'll try, Uncle," Zuko said.
"Well, what if Aang doesn't come back?" Toph asked.
"Sozin's Comet is arriving and our destinies are upon us. Aang will face the Fire Lord. When I was a boy, I had a vision that I would one day take Ba Sing Se. Only now do I see that my destiny is to take it back from the Fire Nation so the Earth Kingdom can be free again," Iroh said.
"That's why you gathered the members of the White Lotus," Suki said amazed.
"Yes," Iroh nodded. "Zuko, you must return to the Fire Nation so that when the Fire Lord falls, you can assume the throne and restore peace and order. But Azula will be there, waiting for you."
"I can handle Azula," Zuko said confidently.
"Not alone. You'll need help," Iroh said.
"You're right," Zuko said looking at myself and Katara. "How would you two like to help me put Azula in her place?"
"It would be our pleasure," Katara and I answered smiling.
"What about us?" Sokka asked. "What's our destiny today?"
"What do you think it is?" Iroh asked.
"I think that even though we don't know where Aang is, we need to do everything we can to stop the airship fleet," Sokka said.
"And that means when Aang does face the Fire Lord, we'll be right there if he needs us," Toph added.
"We should go soon then," I said.
"She's right," Iroh said and then everybody went into a flurry of activity to get ready. I went to where I was staying with Lu Min to see him sitting on my bedroll crying.
"What's wrong?" I asked him as I scooped him into my arms.
"You're leaving again," Lu Min cried.
"I'll be back soon, but for now you need to stay with Grandfather and Uncle. They'll keep you safe," I told him as I rocked him back and forth gently.
"Will you sing to me, one more time before you go?" Lu Min asked.
"Of course, but first I need to finish packing," I told him.
"I'll help," Lu Min said eageraly as he zoomed around and started helping me put things where they belonged. "Now sing," Lu Min ordered as he sat on his bed smiling.
"So bossy," I said as I tickled him.
His delighted giggles filled the air, "please Emi?"
I took a deep breath and sang the song that Iroh taught his son, who taught my mother, who taught it to me so that I would feel alone again. "Leaves from the vine, falling so slow. Like tiny fragile shells, drifting in the foam. Little soldier boy, come marching home. Brave soldier boy, comes marching home."
"You'll come marching home, right?" Lu Min asked.
"I will do my best," I told him as I kissed his cheek.
"It's time," Zuko said from the tent entrance.
"I love you," Lu Min said clinging to me.
"I love you too, little brother," I told him as I grabbed my bag and followed Zuko out. "How much of that did you see?"
"I heard him laughing and I was curious, you have an amazing singing voice," Zuko said smiling.
I blushed, "thanks."
"Nothing runs faster over land or swims quicker than a giant eel-hound," Piandao said as he handed Sokka the reigns. "The airship base is on a small island just off the EarthKingdom shore. You should be able to intercept the fleet within a day's journey."
"Thank you, Master," Sokka said with a bow.
"So if I'm going to be Fire Lord after the war is over, what are you going to do?" Zuko asked his uncle as we walked up.
"After I re-conquer Ba Sing Se, I'm going to re-conquer my tea shop and I'm going to play Pai Sho every day and teach my grandson how to firebend," Iroh said smiling.
"Goodbye, General Iroh," Katara said.
"Goodbye, Iroh," I told him as I hugged him tightly. "Thank you so much."
"For what?" Iroh asked.
"For raising such an amazing man, and being willing to do it again," I said.
"You raised Lu Min, and I'm just the lucky grandfather who gets to spoil him," Iroh said with a wink.
"Take care of him," I told Iroh and he nodded.
"Goodbye, everyone. Today, destiny is our friend. I know it," Iroh said looking into the distance. It's time to win this war, and to bring the world back into an era of peace.
~H~