𝐖𝐀𝐓𝐂𝐇 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐈𝐍𝐅𝐄𝐑𝐍𝐎 𝐁𝐔𝐑𝐍 | prince zuko

ᵉᵖⁱˡᵒᵍᵘᵉ

EPILOGUE

     THE YEARS HAD BEEN KIND FOR YAN AND ZUKO. Time flew by at a quick speed; it didn't feel like fourteen years had passed between the Fire Lord and the earthbender woman. They had gone on countless adventures with the Gaang and saw many new sights. Of course, everyone had their own lives and marriages and families that they were beginning to bring up. Katara and Aang had three children the last time Yan had contacted them, two sons and a daughter. Their eldest was a non-bender boy named Bumi who was named after Aang's oldest friend, their daughter was born when Katara was 29 and her name was Kya who shared her mother's waterbending abilities and was named after her grandmother, and their newest addition was a baby boy whom Aang decided to name Tenzin. Even Sokka and Suki had a child, a daughter who looked very much like her father whom they called Taqqiq.

Yan stood in the garden, facing a boy who took in a deep breath as he stared intently at a rock. "You cannot force it; let it come to you." she gently coaxed, noticing how hard the boy strained for the rock to move. When he relaxed and looked at the rock again, it still hadn't moved; noticing his dejected expression, she tilted her head and watched as the rock flipped over onto its side. The boy, however, was no fool and knew he did not move the rock on his own.

"Mother, I know that was you doing it." he sighed sadly, sitting in the grass and pushing the rock away with his foot. The mother sighed softly and sat at his side, knowing how much he internally beat himself up for his failure to earthbend.

The years have indeed been kind to Yan and Zuko. Living in the Fire Nation, they had decided a year into their marriage that it might be a good time to start a family. After much discussion, they both agreed just to try out for a baby and if their prayers were answered, they knew it was time. The spirits answered their prayers seemingly fast because before she knew it, Yan had fallen pregnant with her and Zuko's first child. By summer, their first child was born, a beautiful girl that graced their lives. The girl resembled Zuko in many ways down to her golden eyes and her firebending abilities; their first daughter was named Jingyi. They had two additional children together, a son named Zhihao and their youngest daughter named Guiying. Jingyi was the oldest at thirteen, Zhihao was eleven years old, and Guiying was the baby of the family at the age of eight years old.

"You aren't going to get it right away, my love. It takes time." Yan said gently as she stroked his brown hair, the boy sighing and pulling a blade of grass out of the earth.

"There's no point anyway. I'm not even a real prince," he muttered, tears coming to his eyes at the simple mention of it. Unlike his sisters, Zhihao looked very much like his mother. He shared the same brown eyes with flecks of gold and green as well as her earthbending abilities. When the news got out that the Fire Lord and Lady were blessed with children, the citizens of the Fire Nation were divided. They did not see their children as pure Fire Nation, something many cared for; they mostly belittled the second son, saying that he wasn't a true Fire Nation Prince all because he could not firebend, unlike his sisters and father. It was a constant reminder to him and it struck him deeply. For being a boy of only eleven, he was very intelligent and picked things up quickly, especially the negatives that constantly followed him around whenever he went out in public with his family.

"Don't you ever say that. You are a prince, do you hear me? Don't ever listen to what you may hear from the gossipers; they speak untruthful statements and lies." she said firmly while turning him to face her. "I felt the same way as you when I married your father, but with time ― and with Uncle Iroh's guidance ― I saw my worth. You are just as much of a prince as your sisters are princesses. Your father and I love you regardless if you are a bender or not, or if you can bend fire or earth; you are our son and we would never, ever treat you differently. Come on, let's practice some more." After placing a kiss on his forehead, Yan wiped his teary eyes and rose to her feet, helping the young prince up as well.