Hi! So, now you know what I've been working on so hard. I've been Novelizing The Promise! (Shall now commence my round of applause). Okay, so here's Part One, completely novelized and perfect, and (I've never said this before) I truly actually believe I've really outdone myself. For once! Haha.
Enjoy.
***Part One: Aang***
Water.
Earth.
Fire.
Air.
Long ago, the four nations lived together in harmony.
Then everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked.
Only the Avatar, master of all four elements, could stop them.
But when the world needed him most, he vanished.
A hundred years passed and my brother Sokka and I discovered the new Avatar, an Airbender named Aang.
Although his Airbending skills were great, he had a lot to learn before he was ready to save anyone.
But from the day I first met him, I believed Aang would save the world.
And you know what?
I was right.
With the help of his friends, Aang defeated Fire Lord Ozai and ended the hundred year war.
Zuko, Ozai's son and our ally, became the new Fire Lord.
Together with Earth King Kuei, Aang and Zuko promised to restore the four nations to harmony.
Aang's finger rested on the map. "I never realized the Fire Nation had built so many colonies in the Earth Kingdom," he said, a little emptily.
Next to him, the Earth King inspected the map. "For the Earth People, they're a constant reminder of the war." He sniffed. "Like an old scar."
Zuko's eyes (or what was left of them) narrowed slightly and he glared over the Avatar, leaving the Earth King to stammer out, "Oh, I… I—Fire Lord Zuko, I meant nothing personal!"
Zuko turned and faced the map, answering calmly. It was astonishing how he'd managed to temper his temper. "No, Earth King Kuei. You're right. After all the pain my father has caused, it's my duty to bring healing to the world. I'll remove those colonies." He said firmly, "I'll do whatever it takes."
There was a small chittering noise from behind them, on their raised dais, but no one paid it any attention. If they'd looked, however, they would have seen Momo snagging Bosco's hat and placing it on his own little head.
Aang's response needed hardly any thought. "But removing the colonies won't be easy. A lot of people's lives are gonna be disrupted. We need someone to oversee everything, to make sure it all goes peacefully." He paused for effect. "Someone like me!"
He pointed to himself, grinning.
"Really? You'd want to do that?" Zuko was smiling for the first time this whole meeting, partly in relief, partly because of Aang's goofiness, even after he saved the world. As hard as it was to believe, he was Fire Lord now, Aang had defeated his father, and they were still just kids.
"Yeah, I'm the Avatar!" Katara smiled to herself, remembering when he was so desperate to hide his own nature. "Making stuff go peacefully is kind of my thing!" What he didn't add is that he didn't trust anyone else do do it for him. The world was in a shaky state right now, and any mishaps could cause for all their work to collapse, which would be really disappointing after a hundred years of war.
"Wonderful!" The Earth King was still unaware of how things were actually going in the world. "The Avatar's personal involvement will give the entire process an air of hope!" Toph smirked.
"Sokka and I can help!" added Katara enthusiastically, gesturing to her brother.
Sokka groaned, leaning against the rail in a way that would have been too casual if he wasn't one of the Avatar's best friends. "Aw. I was gonna visit Kyoshi Island." Behind him, Bosco snatched his hat back, scowling at the flying lemur.
The Earth King was still talking over the drama. "It'll be a movement -" he said passionately. "A movement towards harmony! We'll call it… we'll call it…" He fumbled for a good name.
Sokka butted in, pointing up to the sky in delight. "The Harmony Restoration Movement!"
"Yes! The Harmony Restoration Movement! I like it!" He pounded a fist into his hand.
"What's with you and your goofy names for everything?" Toph asked, and Sokka leaned toward her, smiling almost devilishly. "It's a gift."
Earth King Kuei planned a celebration where he would announce the Harmony Restoration Movement. Before the festivities began, we decided to visit the Jasmine Dragon, a tea shop owned by Zuko's Uncle Iroh.
"Hey, my belly's not that big anymore. I've really trimmed down," protested Iroh to the group clustered around Sokka's ridiculous 'painting'.
As Aang headed outside, Toph ended the conversation, exclaiming, "Well, I think you all look perfect!"
There, Aang and I…we figured out what we meant to each other.
They were holding each other, not the tight, frantic hugs from the time during the war, but a gentle embrace to keep each other from floating away.
Or, we were about to, anyway, before my stupid brother interrupted.
"Hey guys - - AH!" He tried to shield his face with an arm, backtracking so fast his leg flew up in the air and he almost overbalanced.
Aang jumped away, blushing hard. "Nothing! We're not doing anything out here!" It was too late, anyway, since Sokka'd just seen them kissing…
"Haven't you ever heard of knocking, Sokka?!" Katara demanded, furiously pointing her finger in his face.
"First of all, you're supposed to knock before you go inside, not outside!" He stuck his tongue out. "And second, as my sister, you really shouldn't be kissing anyone in front of me! It's your sisterly duty to avoid giving me the OOGIES!"
" 'Oogies'?! Aargh! You are so immature sometimes! What about you and Suki?!"
They were nose to nose, yelling nonsense in each other's faces. Aang sighed, then intervened.
"Uh, Sokka? Sokka!"
Sokka held up a hand less than an inch from Katara's nose. "Time out. Yeah, Aang?"
"What'd you come out here to tell us?"
"Oh! Right!" Sokka pulled himself together. "We're about to head out."
"But the Earth King's celebration doesn't start for a couple more hours!"
"I know," Sokka said gleefully. "We wanted to take Appa out for a ride first!"
*** Five minutes later ***
Zuko and Toph were holding on for dear life, while Sokka, Suki, and Katara screamed with joy, Aang at the front, steering Appa into a vertical downfall.
"Ha ha! Let's go again!"
"Wait, guys!" Suki leaned out over the saddle, pointing to the sky. "The fireworks are starting!"
POOM! POOM! POOMPOOMPOOMPOOM!
"Wow," said Katara softly, in amazement. "The view is amazing!"
"It is," Aang reached down to pat Appa's head. "Thanks, buddy!"
Appa roared in response.
They floated over the capitol, and suddenly screaming reached their elevated perch. "WOO- HOO! YEEEAH!"
"Sounds like the Earth King just announced the Harmony Restoration Movement," commented Aang contentedly.
"Hey," scowled Toph. "Wanna know what fireworks are like for me? Close your eyes." Haughtily, Sokka did so.
"BOOOOM!" screamed Toph, jumping up behind him. "AAAH!"
"Oh, Toph." Katara hugged the blind Earthbender. "Don't be such a grump! You're out with friends on a beautiful night, celebrating the fact that we saved the world!"
Toph grinned, "True." Or, she could have been just grinning at Sokka, who she could hear was swinging around on the floor of the saddle, moaning, "Ouch," while Suki laughed.
"You too, your New Majesty Fire Lord Zuko Sir!" Aang pulled up the corners of his mouth into an enormous smile, and next to him, Momo did the same. "Turn that frown upside down! It's happy time!"
The brooding Fire Lord was watching the glow of the fireworks so close to them. "Zuko…?"
He turned his head and said softly, "I visited my father in prison the other day… I've been meaning to ask you for a favor, Aang."
Aang stopped smiling. "Sure. Anything."
Zuko didn't hesitate, but said gravely, "If you ever see me turning into my father, I want you to … I want you to end me."
"What?!" Aang's eyebrows rose into his arrow.
"Even now, after everything that's happened, my family's legacy is still a part of me. That's why it's my duty to heal the scars that the Fire Nation has left on the world. But the Fire Lord's throne comes with a lot of pressures. And if I'm honest with myself… I need a safety net. The world needs a safety net. That's what I need you to be, Aang. The safety net."
Immediately, Aang said severely, "Zuko, you're not your dad! And you're my friend! How can you expect me-"
"As your friend, I'm asking you –- if you ever see me go bad, end me. Promise me, Aang."
Katara nodded slightly, her eyes blazing in the darkness.
"…Fine." Aang looked down, his eyes closed. "I promise."
Poom! Poom! Poom!
Countless fireworks went off behind them, but for the people on the flying bison, the night was ruined.
ONE YEAR LATER
The Royal Palace, Fire Nation Capitol
Moonlight inched over the bed, lighting up Zuko's face. Anguished, sweat dripping down his cheek, just under his scar.
He woke with a strangled gasp. "WHO'S THERE?!"
He jumped out of bed, reaching around the doorpost and demanded to the guards, "Someone's here! I can feel it! Someone's trying to assassinate me!"
Panicked, his guard responded, "Fire Lord, please. Go back to sleep. We're in the most secure tower in the entire palace!"
The other guard added, "No one will get to you tonight, I assure you!"
"Just like no one got to you last night, or the night before that, or the night before that…" he trailed off in a small voice.
"Do not mock me!" Zuko grabbed him by his shirt, pulling him close to his face. "There have already been five attempts on my life since I took the throne!"
"And that's why we moved you here!" protested his comrade. "Please, you have to trust-"
Something slashed through the air, hitting both guards on their helmets and throwing them to the floor.
"Show yourself!" The fire blast flew down the whole corridor, rippling at the curtains as it passed.
"Down with the traitor! Down with the Fire Lord who betrays his own people!"
A heavy metal ball, ringed with spikes, crashed into the floor by Zuko's foot from behind him. He jumped up as the assassin yanked back the other side with the long chain attached, deranged eyes just visible between the cloth masking her face and the thick black bangs on either side of her head.
Zuko shot a stream of fire from his palm, aiming for the other, but she leapt backwards, airborne as the flames zoomed between her legs.
She landed easily, flinging the ball, nearly wrapping it around Zuko's ankle as he jumped to avoid it. Missing, it swung back around and smashed against the inside of his knee.
Glaring from the floor, he regained his feet again, swinging a leg with a trail of fire toward her, followed by another punch. She couldn't keep a grip on her weapon, and it clattered to the floor as he aimed again. She bent backwards, just barely avoiding the blast, and he ripped the mask off her face.
It was a girl, a lot younger than he'd expected. Her eyes blazed with malice, mouth set like she expected to die cursing him in her last moments.
"Convince me not to take your life!" Zuko's fist was quickly burning through her scarf, thick steam rising in an angered column.
"Go ahead!" Zuko's arm dropped, shocked. "My family has been loyal to yours for generations! By getting rid of me, you would simply complete your betrayal!"
The scarf had stopped burning, and Zuko asked, "Your family?"
"My father is the mayor of Yu Dao!" she hissed.
"Yu Dao…" comprehension was not yet dawning. "The first of the Fire Nation colonies." The one that had almost driven his great-grandfather Avatar Roku over the edge to kill his great-grandfather Fire Lord Sozin.
"Yes," the would-be assassin snapped, "My home! And now you and the Avatar are going to destroy it with your precious Harmony Restoration Movement!"
The City of Yu Dao, Earth Kingdom
"Stop! Stop!" The mayor was yelling. A man bedecked in the Fire Nation Army's uniform shoved the girl toward her father, the chains binding her hands clinking together.
"Kori! Where have you been?! Your mother and I were worried sick!"
He was holding her up by her wrists.
"Wait - - who are these men?! What are these chains?!"
"I went to go see someone about our problem, Father," she breathed.
"Who?" She was being supported against his chest now, his face in her hair.
"Him."
"F-Fire Lord Zuko!"
He strode up to them, flanked by two guards, with all the authority of a Fire Lord.
When he spoke, his voice was hard. "You must be Mayor Morishita." There wasn't prattle, and Zuko's angry tendencies rose to the surface as he exclaimed, "Your daughter snuck into my home and tried to kill me!"
"Kori?!"
"Someone had to do something!" she spit, gritting her teeth and glaring from her father's arms.
"My sincerest apologies for my daughter's rash behavior, Fire Lord!" the esteemed mayor was prone, flat on his face at his superior's feet. "Have mercy!"
"I should have this place burned down!"
"Why bother?" Kori was shouting, yanking at her chains. "The Harmony Restoration Movement will accomplish the same thing without you having to lift a finger!"
"Why can't you colonials get it through your thick skulls?!" Zuko was very calm, for him. So, it wasn't nearly a bellow. "The Harmony Restoration Movement is a means to peace!"
"P-peace?!" Morishita pushed himself up. "Peace for whom?! With all due respect, your majesty, my family has lived on this land for generations! This city was built on our blood and sweat! We have as much a right to be here as anyone else!"
"You're Fire Nation citizens!" cried Zuko in exasperation. "You should live in the Fire Nation!"
"You're right, Fire Lord!" Morishita spread his arms in anger. "We are Fire Nation citizens! And I'll tell you this –- your father would never have let the Avatar and the Earth King bully him into something so obviously bad for his own nation's citizens!"
"My father…?"
"I should count myself lucky. The new Fire Lord has graced me with his presence in my lowly prison cell."
Zuko's shadow didn't quite reach Ozai, light from the door spilling over both of them. "You should count yourself lucky that the Avatar chose to spare you."
Zuko's memory skipped, then continued. "Banishing me was the best thing you could have done for my life. Maybe your time in here can do the same for you."
"Why are you really here?"
"Because you're going to tell me something."
Zuko leaned closer, and whispered intensely, "Where is my mother?!"
Ozai smiled.
"You ought to bring me some tea, Zuko."
He was barely supported by the wall. "We'll talk while sipping from steaming little cups, much like you did with my traitorous brother. I'll give you advice on how to be a good Fire Lord. Wouldn't that be nice? Perhaps even the subject of your mother will come up."
"I don't need this." Zuko turned definitively to leave.
"Do you think being Fire Lord is easy?!" Zuko was unaffected. "The throne comes with many pressures, and those pressures will change you!" Ozai grinned. "But if you can stand the heat, you'll become something more. Of all the people in the world, I have the wisdom you need, the wisdom of experience!"
Zuko had reached the threshold, being helped out by guards.
"Be honest with yourself, Zuko," he called behind him. "Do you really think you can handle it all on your own?"
The guard made to slam the door.
"You'll be back. And I'll be here waiting for you. Son."
Click.
FWOOOOM!
The fire blast was so large and uncontrolled, it concealed the Fire Lord from sight. When it cleared enough to be seen through, Zuko was pressing the mayor to the wall, a fire dagger in his hand, yelling, "I'M NOT MY FATHER!"
"No, young man. You're not. Fire Lord Ozai had many faults, but he was never a coward.He was never a traitor."
The one good eye that could express anger narrowed.
Off the coast of the Fire Nation
A banner with all four nations on it rippled in the wind, tossed over Appa's back. He was soaring along beside a used-to-be Fire Nation ship, with a matching banner. Katara was helping the boat go even faster, balancing against the lopsided deck. Sokka, just a few feet from her, had a wide stance and a determined look, supervising the whole operation. Piled around them were a town's worth of cargo and dozens of people.
"Don't worry, Mayor Nishi!" Aang said cheerfully from high above, turning to look back at a distressed woman leaning over the front of the saddle, flanked by her nobility. "My team and I have helped dozens of Fire Nation colonies move back to your homeland already! They've all loved being back!"
"Those colonies were young," pondered Nishi. "Their people had no roots in the Earth Kingdom."
"Things are different in the Fire Nation now, you'll see," smiled Aang. "Fire Lord Zuko's reintroducing classic Fire Nation culture to his people. You'll learn so much about your past by living here. And you'll have fun too!"
Discarding the reins, Aang stood and faced her on Appa's head. "Check it out –- this is a Fire Nation dance from a hundred years ago!" It looked suspiciously less like the traditional, and more like the made up on the spot kind of Fire Nation dance. Beside him, Momo attempted to imitate the crazy jig.
"How fun is this?" He was grinning so widely all his teeth were showing.
Nishi's mouth dropped open.
They landed without a hitch, unpacking commencing swiftly after touchdown. Then, "Stop! Stop unloading!"
Aang was in the process of swirling his hands, creating an orb of air to hold two crates and a parcel, not paying much attention to the action going on behind him.
"Return to the Earth Kingdom, by order of the Fire Lord!"
Aang's concentration broke at this, sending the three pieces of cargo crashing to the ground. "What?!"
There was a soldier at his back. The shouter repeated again, "FIRE LORD ZUKO HAS OFFICIALLY WITHDRAWN HIS SUPPORT OF THE HARMONY RESTORATION MOVEMENT!"
Bei Fong Metalbending Academy, Earth Kingdom
"Come look! There's a crowd at the city gates below!" Toph Bei Fong's sole three students gazed out the window, where they could see the group of angry people shouting at the city gates.
"I wanna know what's happening!" screamed a little girl, pointing.
"Whatever it is, it's bad! Bad! The city's probably doomed! We're probably doomed!" A large, round young man fretted behind her nervously.
"I hate doom," a dark haired teen sighed emotionlessly.
STOMP!
Toph slammed her foot on the ground, shooting her three students into the air. "AAAH!"
"How are you lily livers gonna learn Metalbending by staring out a window?! Get back to practice!" she yelled.
"Sifu Toph!" Ho Tun tried to shield his face, while The Dark One scowled at the floor, and Penga squeezed the most pathetic tear she could out of the corner of her eye.
"Something's happening in Yu Dao, and I wanna know what!" she whined, thrusting an arm into the air.
"It's bad!" Ho Tun added emotionally. "So bad! I'm too young for doom!"
"I hate being young."
"My parents live in Yu Dao," Penga continued. "Who's gonna buy me new shoes if anything happens to them?!"
"ALL our parents live in Yu Dao! And they're all doomed!"
"Huh," Toph huffed. "You lily livers are right. Something is happening in Yu Dao. I can hear it."
She crossed to the window, resting her elbow as she tried to construct an idea of the ruckus below. Something familiar roared overhead, and Toph's head snapped up in delight. "Appa!" She was almost crying with happiness.
"I'll be back soon!" she shouted at her students, already running. "Stay put and do your forms! If you don't, you're really gonna get it when I come back!"
"I wanna go with you!"
"I just don't wanna be doomed!"
"I hate you guys."
Toph sprinted to the edge of the cliff by her academy, waited for a split second as Appa roared again, calculating, and catapulted herself into the air with Earthbending. She landed squarely in the saddle, causing Katara to grit her teeth and Sokka to cry out in alarm, Momo screeching in agreement.
"Hey, guys!" She hopped down from her solid stance on the rolls of blankets and things at the back of the saddle to sit in the middle – far better for group hugging.
Katara picked up on that immediately.
"Toph!"
The two of them rushed at her, enveloping her in a crushing embrace. Katara's hand was on her head, pulling her close. "I can't believe how long it's been," Katara exclaimed gleefully.
"I missed you, too!" Sokka smirked – when had Toph turned this emotional? Not that it was a bad thing she was happy to see them. He was ecstatic.
Sokka drew back, but Katara's hands remained on her shoulders.
"Hey, I heard you started a Metalbending school!"
"The Bei Fong Metalbending Academy!" She wouldn't be this excited to be describing her failure students if it wasn't Sokka and Katara asking. "You guys just flew over it! I heard Appa, so I had to come say hi!" Toph hadn't felt this good in months.
"Wow! Your own school!" She could hear Sokka shifting in the saddle to get a good look. "How's that going?"
"Meh."
Katara began speaking before Toph had a chance to elaborate. "I'm so glad you're here, Toph. Aang needs all the support he can get right now, because of what he might have to-"
"Hey, where is Twinkle Toes, anyway?" Toph lazed back comfortably in the saddle – after so much time with the lily livers, it was good to be with them again. Her family.
Katara and Sokka straightened up, and Toph could tell from the sound in the saddle (and the fact that Aang hadn't rushed to hug her) that Aang must be on Appa's head. Meditating? "Oh, there he is."
"Zuko's changed his mind about the Harmony Restoration Movement," Katara said worriedly.
"You're kidding," Toph replied blandly, lowering her eyebrows.
"He's holed himself up in Yu Dao with a bunch of his soldiers. He won't let anyone in or out. That's where we're headed." Toph could tell Sokka's face was not pretty right now. And it would be fun to fly right over the defense keeping everyone else out.
"So that's what's going on! The lily livers –- I mean, my students were talking about it. Zuko's starting to act like his old man Ozai then." She sounded so nonchalant, Katara wondered. She was close to Yu Dao – could she know something they didn't?
Sokka tried valiantly. "No. We don't know that yet." His voice wasn't that certain.
"But Aang's meditating on what he might have to do -" Katara gazed at Aang, who was sitting indeed on Appa's head, unmoving, his necklace suspended between his hands. "Because of the promise he made."
Click.
With a little noise, the beaded necklace slipped in its rigid form. Intensely concentrating, Aang moved from the circle for earth to fire.
Blue enveloped him with a noise like wind; he opened his eyes solemnly. He was no longer sitting on the brown fur of Appa's arrow, but surrounded in black. Avatar Roku – his predecessor – sat before him.
"You've done your duty," Roku told him simply. "The war is over. And yet the world is still not at peace.
"I'm sorry, Aang. You are still dealing with the consequences of my own indecisiveness."
Aang sighed. "Avatar Roku, I never should've made that promise to Zuko."
He looked down, ashamed. "I mean, I didn't even kill Ozai, and he was evil all the way through! How am I supposed to kill my own Firebending teacher? My friend?"
He was close to being distraught.
"What kind of person would I be?"
"A person who keeps his promises. Zuko was in his clearest moment when he asked you for that promise. He knew what was at stake."
Somehow, through this turmoil, Aang felt like they were finally closer to equals now. "All those lives that have been lost in the last hundred years… I could have saved them. I had so many chances. Sozin almost never had his guard up when he was with me."
Aang was shocked. "Wait, what are you saying? You regret not… ending Fire Lord Sozin?" He couldn't bring himself to say the word killed.
The Avatar of the past looked down. "Yes."
"But he was your friend!" He cried.
Was Roku telling him to keep his promise – and kill Zuko? He couldn't do that.
"More than a friend. He was like a brother to me. But because of him, the world burned."
Roku met Aang's eyes and said to him seriously, "When you are in a position of power, you must put the needs of the world above your own. Zuko, at one time at least, understood this."
Aang disregarded this, and told himself firmly, "I'll go to Yu Dao and find Zuko. Then we'll sit down and talk."
"Remember the wisdom I offered you, Aang –- you must be decisive. A promise is a promise."
Aang talked over him, continuing. "Because that's what friends do. We talk."
He pulled himself out of the Spirit World and guided Appa down to the gates.
From the moment they touched down, he knew things were going to go wrong.
"FIRE NATION OUT! HARMONY NOW! FIRE NATION OUT! HARMONY NOW!"
A teenager of indistinguishable gender was resting on a boy's shoulders, punching the air. "Fire Nation out!"
Around her, the crowd followed the chant. "Harmony now!" They waved banners and signs angrily.
Aang looked back at the saddle, not that surprised to see Toph resting there like she owned it. He grinned, and as the rest of them slipped down, he hugged her. He had to lean down to reach her now, and she had to stand on her toes. It was good to have them back together; the original them. Besides, he'd missed her. It was lonely with only Katara and Sokka as the only company that he didn't have to be Avatar with.
Katara and Sokka had taken off running.
"Isn't that Smellerbee?"
"Yeah, he's with the Freedom Fighters!" Aang caught up to them just in time to hear Katara retort, " 'She,' you mean. She's with the Freedom Fighters."
"That's what I said." Sokka pointed elaborately. "She's with the Freedom Fighters."
"Look, everybody! It's the Avatar!" Smellerbee's face lit up, but beneath her, Longshot's stayed as blank as ever.
"YEEEAH! AVATAR AANG! AVATAR AANG!"
He grinned, and could feel Sokka and Toph smiling to themselves behind him. "Aang! We were hoping you would come!" She'd slipped off Longshot's shoulders, and ran over to him. "So what's the plan of attack? The Freedom Fighters are at your service!"
That was nice.
"I appreciate your confidence, Smellerbee, but I really just want to talk to Zuko."
"What?!" She squawked, raising an arm in her protest. "The time for talking was over as soon as the Fire Lord broke with the Harmony Restoration Movement!" Smellerbee was outraged, but it wasn't at Aang. Hopefully.
"Besides," growled Smellerbee. "You're not getting into that city without a fight! Fire Nation troops are everywhere!"
Aang exhaled. Just like old times.
"We'll break open a new gate for you! Just give us the word!" Sneers linked his fingers together evilly.
"That won't be necessary, Sneers," Aang held up a peaceful hand. "We'll find a way in." He was not impressing Smellerbee, he could tell. But he turned to Katara, holding out his glider.
"You ready, sweetie?"
"I'm ready, sweetie."
They each held on to one of the bars at the top of the staff, and his other arm was circled around her waist. Their feet left ground, and he guided her legs to cross on the bars of his glider with his foot, zooming over the walls as the Fire Nation soldiers looked up in surprise. "What - ?!"
The five left on the ground watched as they soared upward (except for Toph) in shock. Then, " 'Sweetie?' Seriously?"
"I know, right? SOO OOGIE."
It didn't take them a minute to clear the walls. They landed in an empty courtyard, and Aang glanced around, surprised (but surprisingly pleased) to see such classic Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation architecture mixed.
A line of soldiers was quickly approaching, though. Katara immediately took a fighting stance, but Aang let his glider drop to the floor carelessly (after all, he didn't actually need a weapon to beat them) and said happily, "Flamio, hotmen!"
The leader marched out from the middle. "This city is under the protection of the Fire Lord himself! No one may enter without his express permission, not even the Avatar!" He pointed a thick finger in Aang's direction, despite his hands placed together and his lowered face. "LEAVE NOW."
"Please." Aang's eyes were closed. "I'd like to talk to Fire Lord Zuko. That's all."
"You were warned." He raised his arms, and Aang barely had time to jump up and out of the way as fire lit the ground underneath him, mouth falling open – he'd thought the days of the Fire Nation targeting the Avatar were over!
A raised leg slashed through the air, and Aang, still with his arms together in a bowing posture, bent back away from it.
That was it – anything he did now would be in righteous self-defense. He slammed a leg into the ground as hard as he could, pulling a fist upward, the other downward. Pushing the leader of the squadron into the ground, ringed by rocks.
The soldiers were impressed – and alarmed – and the imprisoned soldier snapped, "What are you dolts waiting for? Attack!" The first to respond was, coincidentally the one nearest Aang – who punched out angrily, sending waves of flame toward him.
Aang jumped, slightly concerned, but not that much – the fire missed him completely. Before he had a chance to touch down, another person shot a stream of fire directly underneath him. He pulled his legs up to his chest, spreading his arms for balance. Maybe he should have held onto his staff…
He had to get down so he could return fire. Maybe they'd stop in respect if he used defensive Firebending. Before he was able to, someone barely missed his back.
"Aang!" cried Katara, beginning to rush toward him.
"Don't worry, sweetie!" Aang smiled at her upside down as he leaned back to avoid a blast. "I can handle them! Just give me a sec!"
He ducked under an attacker's leg, causing his flames to waver, and as two soldiers kicked toward him on the ground, he leaped skyward, spread out, far above the fire. He ducked again, frowning now – this was getting upsetting – he'd saved the world, so weren't the days of hiding from the Fire Nation over?
Three of the soldiers were growling at him, lining up to do a Firebending form – Aang barely managed to jump backward and flip out of the way as three identical Firebending blasts lit the air beside him.
A sliver of flame attached itself to his one-sided robe. He didn't notice. Katara, however, did.
"Aang! You're on fire!"
He wasn't facing her. "What'd you say?"
Katara gripped her face in distress. "You're clothes! They're on - "
She flipped open her waterskin, hurling it at Aang's sleeve. "Oh, for crying out loud!"
"That's it!" Katara screamed, reaching for the vat that a courtyard fountain emptied into.
"STOP
She flung an enormous amount of water at the two nearest her –
TRYING
chasing them into a wall -
TO
freezing them (panicked) in place –
SET
She led another stream of water toward another two, who were running as fast as their uniforms allowed -
MY
With a coordinated swipe of her arm, she encased their legs in ice up to the calf –
BOYFRIEND
She raised her arms viciously –
ON
slamming the last one on the head with enough snow to give him a concussion
FIRE!"
Hair blowing back, Katara put her hands on her hips, surveying the courtyard. Scorch marks coughed smoke into the air, puddles were everywhere. One of the men frozen to the wall was beating his fists against it in a desperate attempt to free himself. The two frozen to the floor couldn't even stand. The first soldier gazed hopelessly at his men from the ground.
Aang was dazed. Rubbing his head, he grinned. "Whoa."
Katara had a very nasty expression on her face, but it melted as she ran toward Aang. "Aang, you're okay?"
When had she gotten this protective?
"I'm fine."
A man came out of nowhere, fingers sheathed in flames, screaming. "AAAH!" Aang barely had a chance to look up before Katara screeched, "CAN'T YOU PEOPLE GIVE IT A REST? HE JUST WANTS TO TALK!"
She summoned the puddles into icicles, racing toward the lone attacker, whose war cry had dwindled into a much weaker "Aaah…?" in the face of a dozen razor sharp projectiles.
A hand grabbed Katara's wrist.
"Katara! Stop!" She knew that voice. She twisted as Zuko grabbed her other arm, twisting it high above her head, forcing the icicles to fall and break.
"Let go, Zuko!" If she'd forgiven him, she took it back. She shrieked, "You're hurting me! Don't make me hurt you back!"
Incredulously, Zuko narrowed his eyebrow. "I'm hurting you?! What are you doing to my soldiers?! My PEOPLE?!"
Katara's eyes were beginning to scrunch up from the pain of Zuko's thumb in her pressure point. She made a small noise but didn't try to speak.
"Let go of her, Zuko!" Aang shouted, stalking forward angrily. "She said you're hurting her!"
"First she has to agree to stop hurting my people!"
Aang couldn't believe this was happening. "Your soldiers attacked first!" He was too close now, yelling, "Let her go now!"
Zuko was unfazed, and declared hotly, "I am the Fire Lord! I have to protect the citizens of the Fire Nation!"
Losing patience – because Katara's eyes were squinched, teeth were grit, and her restrained fists were balled, and he couldn't stand it – Aang inhaled with a great huffing sound.
He blew with the force of a tornado, a hurricane – an angry Airbender. Air spiraled out in seven directions, throwing Zuko several feet into the air. Katara raised her aching wrists to block the wind and debris, which was enough to blow her hair back but not enough to hurt her.
The Fire Lord skidded in the dirt, and before Katara could comprehend what was happening Zuko was up again, shooting fireballs out of his fists at Aang.
Why?
Aang was more furious than she'd ever seen him – he raised his arms, crashing two streams of water in front of him, the fire hissing into his shield. "I came here to talk to you, Zuko! As a friend!" Aang's face darkened. "But you've changed! You've forgotten what we fought for!"
It was quiet, this time. As he finished shouting around his watery shield, white slipped over his eyes, illuminated his arrow.
When he yelled again, a thousand voices echoed with his. "Maybe Avatar Roku is right." Katara's heart hurt to watch as Aang's arms lifted offensively. "Maybe a promise is a promise."
Zuko's eyes widened.
Clenching his fists, the power of his fury at Zuko's betrayal lifted him off the ground, winds pushing Zuko away, away from him.
"Aang!" Katara screamed over the wind. She reached toward him. "STOP!" She pleaded, "If you enter the Avatar State in such an emotional way, you won't be able to control yourself!"
She pushed herself forward as hard as she could, the front loops of her hair banging around her. She'd kept them, and the topknot, and the whole hair-down thing after the war in the Fire Nation style. Could she really have been that wrong?
She managed to get inside the hard sphere of air, which was spiraling Aang higher and higher into the air.
"You have to calm down," she insisted, cupping his rigid face in gentle hands. Did he look more confused? "Please, sweetie. For me."
They died suddenly, and Aang dropped to his feet, leaning into Katara. She was still holding his face tenderly, and he was bent over, holding himself up by her shoulders.
"I can't believe it." She'd never seen him so sad. He stumbled forward, her arms around him. "I might've done something terrible without even thinking it through. Zuko, I'm so-"
Earnestly, Zuko raised a hand to stop the apology. "Katara's right." He paused. "We both need to calm down. And talk."
Aang froze, all the energy suddenly flooding back into his body. "Are you kidding me?!"
"THAT'S WHAT I WANTED IN THE FIRST PLACE!" Zuko winced in the Airbending-fueled shout. Katara tightened her restraining arms around him in alarm.
"Did you know that Yu Dao is the oldest of all the colonies?"
Trailing behind the regal teen, Aang held his staff above the ground, straight, parallel to his body. He was worried, still, but glad Katara was at his back.
Zuko continued on. "Many of the Fire Nation families here immigrated over a hundred years ago, when Yu Dao was just a tiny village at the bottom of a valley."
Zuko rested an arm contentedly on a wooden post. (Did that mean he wasn't afraid of Aang doing something to him? Maybe he shouldn't predict that – after all, Aang hadn't expected his fierce, loyal Firebending teacher to transform into 'the freak with the ponytail'.) Katara drew level with him, hands in fists, worrying them together.
Anxious.
Scared.
"Together with the Earth Kingdom people who were already here, they built all this. Yu Dao now makes the finest metalwork ever produced, using both Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom expertise."
Does he even know about Toph?
Disappointed, Katara leaned in a blacksmith's shop to watch a Fire Nation smith instructing a sweating Earth Kingdom apprentice. She could see that Aang wasn't impressed.
"That's why this is one of the richest cities in the world." He stopped as Aang turned to watch a young Earth Kingdom man shining the shoes of a Fire Nation noble.
"It doesn't seem like the Fire Nation citizens and the Earth Kingdom citizens share equally in that wealth," Katara ventured.
"It's not perfect, Katara," Zuko snapped, not even facing her. "But all the city's people, including the Earth Kingdom people, are better off now than they were a hundred years ago."
How did I ever manage to be friends with him? Aang was on guard, wary, but as he hadn't taken the motions Katara pretended to be at ease.
"The history lesson is great and all," Aang interrupted, "But none of it matters! By betraying the Harmony Restoration Movement you're going to start another war!"
"Look, Aang." Maybe Zuko did realize what he'd done. After all, he hadn't looked her – or Aang – in the face once since Aang had lost his temper. "When I came here a week ago, I had planned to personally enforce the removal of Yu Dao from the Earth Kingdom!" He paused. "But then…"
"Fire Lord Ozai had many faults, but he was never a coward. He was never a traitor." Morishita was furious.
Zuko stood his ground. "You'll regret saying that, old man!"
"Guards, seize him!"
As his three soldiers started forward, spears in hand, a pillar of earth burst from the ground, suddenly, noisily, blocking their way.
Zuko spun backwards, mind immediately gone to Toph. "Who - ?!"
A Yu Dao woman, dressed in the many layers of an Earth Kingdom noble, straightened out of a grim stance. "Fire Lord, please!" she begged. "Forgive my husband's foolishness! I've told him time and time again to control his tongue, but he never does!"
"You're Mayor Morishita's wife?!" Zuko was astonished. "An Earthbender…?"
She beckoned him closer. "Yes, I'm an Earthbender. As is our daughter."
At the same moment, a spire of rock rose from the ground swiftly between Kori's arms, shattering the links between her shackles. In one swift motion, she swung her bonds at the soldier holding her weapon. Dashing forward almost imperceptibly, she snatched them from his belt and held up the spiked balls threateningly.
"I am be an Earthbender, but through my father's bloodline I am a Fire Nation citizen!" She cried, striding up to stand next to her mother. "My father always taught me to be loyal to the Fire Nation, to my people." She paused. "Something you obviously never learned from your father."
Zuko grit his teeth, forcing calm. He was in enough trouble, he didn't need more by losing his temper once again.
"Would your majesty be willing to stay in Yu Dao for a few days? It would be an honor for us to show the Fire Lord our way of life."
"So I stayed. I saw what my people had created here. I saw what the Harmony Restoration Movement would destroy." Katara couldn't stop looking. It didn't seem fair, but the people seemed to be happy. Well, if not happy, well off. Far better than some towns that they had been to. "I changed my mind."
Behind him, Aang shook his head.
"Ever since my coronation, I've had trouble finding peace. Now, I think I've finally figured out why. I'd forgotten about my people."
Peace? What does he know about peace? There has never been peace in his lifetime. Until now. He thinks he can't handle being the Fire Lord? What about being the Avatar?
For the first time, Zuko turned to face him. "I know you defeated the Fire Nation, Aang, but my people still deserve respect!"
He was flabbergasted. Maybe Zuko actually had forgotten what they'd fought for. Or that he fought at all.
"I defeated the Fire Nation?!" He raised an arm toward Zuko. "You mean we defeated the Fire Lord!"
"It'd be disrespectful to take from the a life they spent generations building! I won't let you do it!"
I won't let you? I can do whatever I need to to protect the world from people like you!
"Harmony," retorted Aang furiously, "Requires four separate nations to balance each other out! Out can't have balance if one nation occupies another!"
Glaring at Zuko, Aang didn't notice Katara looking back at the family regretfully. Morishita, who would be carted back to the Fire Nation. His wife, who would stay. And Kori – where would she go? As Katara watched them, Kori was staring at her defiantly. Katara catalogued her clothing – a mix of Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation. A Fire Nation Earthbender.
How…?
Too many families had been destroyed by the war. She couldn't let this happen to another.
"Maybe Yu Dao can be an exception," she said quietly.
"What?!" Aang whirled back to her.
"It's just a thought," she said hurriedly.
"Exceptions should be made for all the remaining colonies," Zuko said disparagingly. "Most of them have been around for well over a century." It was completely humorless when he added, "They're older than you, Aang!"
What does it matter? Roku lived then. Roku almost killed Sozin over this. Maybe Zuko forgot. Maybe he doesn't realize we've already begun repeating history.
I've lived through everything.
"You have got to be joking," Aang responded aggressively. "That would make peace impossible!" What he didn't say was that he was already doubting peace would ever exist again. The Fire Nation had destroyed his people. The world was already catastrophically out of balance, but no one ever seemed to see it that way.
"Well, regardless," Katara intervened, "The Earth King needs to be a part of whatever happens next. If Aang nad I can arrange a meeting, will you be there, Zuko?"
"I'll be there," Zuko said, touching his chin thoughtfully.
"Talking's good," snapped Aang. "I guess."
"What's taking the Avatar so long?"
"The Fire Lord's captured him!"
"We have to go in and save the Avatar from those ash makers!"
"Everybody calm down!" Sokka demanded to the mob at the gates. "Avatar Aang can handle himself!" When did we start believing that? Wondered Toph. We've always been there to support him. His friends. "The best thing do right now is wait!"
And since when is Boomerang boy crowd control? Man, I've missed a lot.
A rock smacked Sokka in the face, knocking him backwards. "Outta our way, you Water Tribe savage!"
"THAT'S IT!" yelled Toph, elevating herself on a slab of rock, while Sokka rubbed his cheek regretfully. "DON'T YOU DUNDERHEADS KNOW WHO I AM?! I'M TOPH BEI FONG, THE GREATEST EARTHBENDER OF ALL TIME! WHEN MY FRIEND TELLS YOU TO CALM DOWN, YOU CALM DOWN!"
She lifted a boulder with her fist. "NEXT PERSON TO THROW ANYTHING – OR SAY ANYTHING – GETS A BOULDER STRAIGHT IN THE NOGGIN! GOT IT?!"
Silence fell.
"Now that's more like it." Toph grinned.
"Good thing you listened to her, folks!" Sokka crowed. "I was about to bust out Mr. Boomerang!" He whipped it from its sheath. "WACK – A – POW!"
A man feet away held his hands together piously. "Oooh. "Mr. Boomerang"! Soooo scary!" With a highly satisfying sound, Sokka flung Boomerang and hit him in the head, flinging him over.
As he turned, a shadow fell over him and Aang, arm wrapped protectively around Katara, dropped down from the sky.
"So what happened?" Sokka asked anxiously.
"Did you have to … do it?" Toph said as delicately as she was capable.
"Do what?" Protested Smellerbee. "You killed the Fire Lord?"
"No, no!"
"So what's going on, then?" Interrupted the new leader of the Freedom Fighters. She was doing a better job than Jet, Aang thought. "What are we supposed to do now?"
"Katara and I are gonna visit the Earth King to try to arrange a meeting," Aang explained calmly. "Can you please tell the protesters to go home? We need more time to figure out a solution, Smellerbee. All this shouting won't help."
Longshot at her back, Smellerbee held her face in her hand for a moment, thinking. "The Earth Kingdom has wanted for over a hundred years to be rid of those ash-makers. We'll give you three days, Avatar Aang." Aang took a deep breath, bracing himself for more. "After that, the Freedom Fighters will figure out a solution of our own."
It almost felt like old times, Aang thought, the four of them in the saddle as Appa floated through the clouds – after all, he didn't think that old rowboat they'd decked out once the real saddle was stolen would have withstood Toph's leap earlier.
"I don't totally get why you two need to talk to the Earth King," Toph complained, spreading her legs across the floor. "Zuko knows he's wrong, doesn't he? The Fire Nation colonies have got to go!"
"It's complicated, Toph," Katara said sadly, but refusing to elaborate. "There are … a lot of … issues involved."
"Plus, talking's always good." The mantra had lost most of its enthusiasm. "Right?"
No one responded.
He climbed down from the edge of the saddle to crouch by Katara. "Sweetie, when we were back there … thank you for not letting me do something I'd regret." Toph tried to piece the story together – the Fire Nation didn't want to leave, Zuko lost his mind, and Aang apparently had gotten so put out that he went into the Avatar State.
"If you ever have to … you know, fulfill your promise … you can't let it happen like that." She patted a hand next to her. "You have to be calm enough to know you're making the right decision."
They embraced. "I just hate seeing you get like that, Sweetie."
Their careful moment was interrupted by Sokka's voice, which said lazily from the background, "Um,Aang? Katara? You're giving me the OOGIES over here!"
Katara leapt away, fuming. "AARGH! I am so sick of hearing about your stupid "OOGIES" Sokka!" She snorted angrily. "I don't even know what that means!"
"I can explain," Toph said nonchalantly, holding out her palm. "Give me your hand."
Suspiciously, Katara handed it over. Toph grabbed it tightly and licked it, all gross and wet. "Gaaah…"
Katara froze, squeaking. Her shriek rang in the air long after they'd passed. "OOGIE!"
The Royal Palace, Fire Nation Capital
Wearily, Zuko walked down the hall to his throne. A voice in the shadows spoke with a sarcastic, dreary voice.
"So the Fire Lord has returned."
He whipped around. "Mai!" He talked toward her. "The mob outside Yu Dao is gone. For now, at least, the Fire Nation citizens there are safe."
He used to care about everyone. That's why he joined the Avatar. What happened?
"You left without saying anything to me!" Her mouth hardened. "I had to figure out where you were from official edicts your soldiers posted around the capital!"
He turned his head into his collar.
"You're doing it again, Zuko." Her eyebrows drew together, concerned. "If you're having problems, you're supposed to talk to me. I'm your girlfriend."
"You're right." He nodded to her. "I'm sorry. It won't happen again."
She touched his face, as if heartbroken by it. "You've been having trouble sleeping."
"How -"
"Have you looked in the mirror lately?" It was true; his one good eye had a deep wallow.
"Your bodyguards are a bunch of incompetent idiots," continued Mai emotionlessly. "You're the Fire Lord now. You need real security." She drew back a curtain.
"So I asked some friends to come help."
Five green, skirt-clad warriors painted in white, red and black stood proudly in a group, Ty Lee and Suki foremost. Playfully, Ty Lee flicked out her fan, and, smiling, fanned herself with it.
Every window was ablaze with lights except the tower. At the open doorway, the top Kyoshi Warriors stood guard, unmoving, unspeaking. Even Ty Lee's perpetual smile had fallen from her face.
Inside, Zuko thrashed, gasping in his bed. He jerked awake, sweat flying free. He rushed to the door, stumbling through it.
"Do you hear anything?"
"No, Zuko," Suki said calmly. "It's been quiet all night."
"Honest to goodness!" Ty Lee added. "There hasn't been a peep!" she exclaimed.
He walked forward, feeling their eyes on him. He went to the window, feeling the draft. He knew what he had to do.
"I'm sorry. It's not that I don't trust you. I know the Kyoshi Warriors are the best guardsmen in the world."
"Guardswomen, you mean," corrected Ty Lee cheerfully.
"You have to go back to sleep," Suki said. "At least try."
"No." Zuko put a hand over his scar. "I'm going to get a drink of water."
"Do you need someone to escort you?" She leaned forward, worried.
"I'll be fine. The walk will do me some good."
Suki reached out halfheartedly, but he was gone.
Along the clifftops, the only light was his lantern. As he neared the prison, the light of the torches inside the fortress came into view.
He discarded the royal outergarment and the lantern, checking into the guard station. When he came out again, he was alone.
With a tray, upon which sat a nondescript teapot and two teacups.
He reached the cell.
His eyes followed the stream of tea into the cup, mind on Katara. Had he lost her friendship for good? This was why he was here. He needed it.
He gripped the top of the cup, setting the tray on the ground, sitting before it, head low.
Scowling fiercely, he bit out the words. "I need your advice … …" He forced himself to say it. "Father."
Steaming teacup an inch from his face, the deposed Fire Lord smiled.