"I brought those scrolls you asked for," Bao whispered to Iroh, pulling the dozen scrolls from his armor and sliding them into the old man's cell. "You can't let anyone know you have these. If they catch you with one, we'll all be forced into an Agni Kai."

Iroh nodded. "And my nephew?"

"I delivered your message last night."

"Thank you, Bao," Iroh bowed to show his respect, and Bao did the same. "Your assistance is greatly appreciated." After flashing me a quick smile, Bao left to return to his duties in the palace. Iroh looked at me, a teasing smile on his lips.

"Not a word," I warned. "Anyway, what are the scrolls for?"

"For you," Iroh replied, handing me the scrolls one-by-one through the bars separating us. "You said that you have questions, and now you will have the answers."

Unable to think of a response, I unraveled one of the scrolls.

Dear, Takoda, it read. I send my deepest condolences to you. I have just received news of your wife's passing. It's so sad that your little girl will never know Hikari as we did. I also to congratulate you! Your daughter will be beautiful, just as her mother was, and children are a blessing. What will you name her? If I may suggest something, Saki is a beautiful name for a baby girl. It means "blossom of hope", which is exactly what she is. She is your blossom of hope, especially in such a difficult time.

I looked up at Iroh, who gave me a nod that suggested I keep reading as he made a small flame to make it easier for me to read.

Or perhaps you would prefer a Water Tribe name? I have always liked the name Leinani. If my studies have been correct, it means "gorgeous child". Whatever you choose to name her, it will be so perfectly fitted. When the time comes, I hope that she and my son may have the opportunity to meet! I believe they will become good friends someday, much like us.

I await your next letter.

Sincerely,

Ursa

I looked up at the old man in the cell beside me, tears welling into my eyes. "What are these?" I asked, but I didn't need an answer. I tossed the letter aside and grabbed another. It read:

My dear Hikari,

I am so sorry that I could not attend your wedding to Takoda. Ozai and Azulon thought it completely inappropriate for a member of the Fire Nation's royal family to attend a Water Tribe ceremony. How I miss our days together as young girls, harassing the generals and catching the eyes of their sons. But now we are women, finding love and starting our families. I wish you both the best, Hikari. Please, do come visit! As an admiral's daughter, you are welcome into the palace any time! Your brothers, especially Zhao, continue to speak of you fondly.

Love,

Ursa

My throat suddenly tightened. Any attempts to speak came as a strangled squeak rather than comprehensible words. I wanted to cry, or scream, or punch Zhao in his stupid face. None of which I could do. Zhao was most likely dead after what had happened in the North Pole, and any noise could draw attention to us and get me caught with these scrolls. I looked at Iroh in disbelief. Zhao was my uncle! I wanted to ask if anything could be worse, but, knowing my luck, things could most definitely get worse. "Did you know?" I finally asked, but I wasn't given an answer. I frowned, and looked at another scroll.

Ursa,

It is with much pleasure that I share the name of my daughter. After you have given me two beautiful suggestions, I have decided. Her name is Saki. You were right. She is my blossom of hope. She look so much like Hikari, it almost pains me. She is what encourages me to continue to fight with my men and protect my village from this war. I hope that she and the young prince can become friends in the future, and continue our legacy of friendship.

Sincerely,

Takoda

Tears were flowing along my cheeks. Iroh reached between the bars and wiped them away. There were so many more letters.

Takoda,

I am so pleased that you liked my suggestion! I truly wish I could see her! I wonder, with your genes and Hikari's, will she be a firebender or a waterbender? Imagine a firebending Water Tribe girl! The irony would be hilarious! I wish you both safety during this war, and that it will end soon. Please stay safe for this little girl. She has only you, and I could not imagine the poor child having to grow up with neither of her parents. Please, Takoda, as your friend, I beg of you. Come home to Saki, stay with her. She needs you more than you can imagine.

Sincerely,

Ursa

There was a final letter, this one dated about eight years later.

Dear Ursa,

I am leaving for a voyage to ward off a possible threat to my sister tribe, the Northern Water Tribe. In the event that I do not return home, I must ask something of high importance. Please, take care of my little girl. Our tribe consists of very few people, most of which are elderly, and I doubt they would be able to keep up with another young child. Please, Ursa. You are the only person I can trust to take care of Saki and protect her in my absence. You are the closest thing to a family member she has, and I wouldn't trust Hikari's brothers with a blade of grass, let alone my only child. As much as I don't trust the Fire Nation, I know you will love her as much as we would.

Yours truly,

Takoda

I stared down at the scroll. My hands were trembling. My heart was beating so hard against my chest that I was sure I would burst at any moment. The rest of the scrolls seemed pointless to read at this point. I looked at Iroh, but I had nothing to say. Before I could conjure something up, Zuko came bursting through the door. He held a scroll tightly in his fist and a snarl painted on his face. I pushed the scrolls behind me as he shouted at his uncle, "You sent this, didn't you? I found the 'secret history' — which, by the way, should be the called the 'history that everyone already knows'! The note said that I need to know about my great-grandfather's death, but he was still alive in the end!"

"No," Iroh replied gravely, speaking to his nephew for the first time in ages, "he wasn't."

"What are you talking about?"

"You have more than one great-grandfather, Prince Zuko. Sozin was your father's grandfather. Your mother's grandfather was Avatar Roku."

Zuko's demeanor changed, shock replacing his anger. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because you need to know this, Zuko," I interjected. My voice was as dry as could be, and Zuko looked at me with an expression that insinuated that he'd no clue I was even there. "To fully understand why you're doing what you are, you need to know the conflict between your two bloodlines."

"Saki?" His golden eyes widened. "What are you doing in that cell? Azula said you ran away! What happened?"

I ignored his questions and continued speaking, not looking at him. "For as long as I've known you, you've had a constant internal battle between good and evil. It's in your blood, and there's no escaping that." He sat on the floor, head held in his hands. I finally looked at him, and softening my voice. "However, there's a bright side to it. What happened between your great-grandfathers was a century ago. You can redefine your legacy by resolving the war between you and the Avatar. You have the ability to restore balance, and fix Sozin's mistakes."

Iroh stood and removed a brick from the wall, pulling out a balled up cloth and replacing the brick. "This is an old artifact." He unwrapped it and revealed a crown. "It is to be worn by the crowned prince."

"Zuko," I said quietly, "I need you to do something for me."

"Anything," he replied.

"Make me proud."