You & I

Family: Part 2

Y/N's POV
I stood outside of my home- or, I suppose it's my parent's home, my palms were sweaty and my heart was racing.

Iroh stood behind me as I hesitated to knock on the door.

Moments after I finally did, my mother opened the door, when she laid her eyes on me, she gasped and pulled me in for a hug.

"Oh, umm, hi mother."

My father approached soon after and set an angry gaze on me before pulling my mother back.

"Well, look who's come crawling back."

"Father, I-"

"Save it. I don't want to hear anything you have to say."

My mother glanced at my father with soft eyes,

"Dear, please. Let's at least talk to her."

He glared at Iroh before continuing,

"She has the audacity to bring him back to our home- after everything they've done."

She grabbed onto his hand and pleaded with her eyes, my father sighed and retreated to his room yelling:

"Do what you want. I'm not going to involve myself with that child anymore."

My heart sunk and my mother sighed, she gestured for us to come inside and made some tea for us before sitting down at the dining table with us.

"Mother, I'm sorry for hurting you, and for hurting father, I really am."

"Y/N, I- where have you been?"

"Well, I sort of- ran away with Prince Iroh,we went all around the world, then I got back about three weeks ago and have been staying in the palace..."

"I see... Y/N, what you did was irresponsible and childish. How do you think your fiancé felt when you ran off the night before you met him?"

"Mother, I didn't want to marry him in the first place."

"You need to marry some day, and you showed to initiative in pursuing a relationship on your own so-"

"Actually, mother..."

I grabbed onto Iroh's hand, resting them on the table in front of my mother.

"I'm in a relationship."

She rolled her eyes,

"Y/N, we read the letter, I'm aware that you're relationship is fake."

"No, that was before, now it's for real, we've been in a relationship since we arrived at the Southern Water Tribe."

She raised an eyebrow, I doubt she believed a word I said, understandably, considering I had lied about this in the past.

"Even so, it was wrong, Y/N."

"I know and I'm sorry. All I'm asking is that you give me a chance to mend what I've broken between us. I want to have a good relationship with you and father, I want to know the rest of our family, and one day I want my future kids to know their grandparents, so please, understand that everything I've done has shaped me into a better person, it's helped me find love and decide who I want to be. I just need you to give me another chance, mother."

"I- Y/N, I don't know if I can do that, I need to talk with your father first."

Iroh cleared his throat and asked,

"Ma'am, what has Y/N done so wrong that you are unsure if you can allow yourself to have a relationship with her. She's your daughter, shouldn't your love for her be unconditional?"

"I do love her, more than anything. But she has defied the traditions and customs of our village, she has brought great shame and dishonour upon us."

"By deciding she doesn't want to be a part of a patriarchal society and married off to a man she doesn't know? Your village needs a change in customs, this is not what the fire nation stands for and I'm sure my female mother, better known as the Fire Lord, would agree. I'm also sure that Master Katara, Master Toph, Suki, the Kyoshi warriors would be happy to debunk the sexist gender roles that your village instilled if I requested them to do so."

"They can say or do whatever they like, nobody is going to listen. I'm a female myself, I know how much we're driven by emotion and hormones, they shouldn't have been fighting a man's war."

"Might I remind you that every element's greatest bender is female, not including air since there is no female air benders yet. Master Toph, Master Katara and Princess Azula. My grand-aunt might've been driven to insanity but she was one of the most powerful fire benders to ever live, grandfather tells me that her flames were so hot, they were blue. She even took out the dragon of the west, my great grandfather Iroh. Her bending surpassed her father's easily, so it could be argued that the war was hers, not a man's, considering she conquered Ba Sing Se as well. She was feared more than Fire Lord Ozai. Your point about females being driven my emotions is wrong, she was best known for her ability to detach herself from emotions."

My mother stared at him speechless, she knew he was right, she just couldn't bare to admit it.

She ignored everything he said and turned to me,

"I'll send a letter to the palace if your father decides that it's fitting, now I think you should leave."

Her gaze was stern and assertive.

"Okay, fine. Bye, mother."

I bowed to her and left, pulling Iroh out behind me.

We walked down the street, back towards the palace as he nodded at passers by who would wave at him.

"That could've gone better."

"The most important thing, Y/N, is that you made the effort. The ball is in their court now, so you just need to wait for their move."

"I know. You're right."

I leaned onto him sighing.

When we returned to the palace we were met by dreary faces.

What was going on?

Iroh and I searched the palace for his family but they weren't anywhere in sight, then a messenger ran up to us.

Iroh turned to him and asked,

"What's going on? Where is everyone?"

"You don't know?"

He shook his head.

"It's Avatar Aang... he's dead."