An Alliance of Traitors

An Alliance of Traitors

Disclaimer: "Avatar: the Last Airbender" – among the things I regretfully do NOT own.

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PROLOGUE

The man turned sharply around, his eyes wide in fear, and a shiver going down his spine. But there was no one there, only the shadows of the trees whose branches danced in the moonlight. There was no other sound but the rustling of the leaves against the breeze and the occasional hoot of a night owl. Everything in this darkness seemed to be in perfect harmony and he felt that he was somehow an intruder in this idyllic place. It was eerie to find such peace in a land that was plagued with war and turmoil.

But this was no time to be contemplative. Sighing with relief at the assurance that he wasn't being followed, the stranger continued his solitary march through the woods. He mentally estimated the length of time he had been gone and concluded that it had been approximately two hours since he had left the encampment under the cover of night. The current watch man was probably still gulping down the fire whiskey from the bottle that he had inconspicuously left by the watch tower. No one would have noticed his absence yet and he doubted that anyone would. Even when he was present, he was mostly ignored anyway. All the same, he needed to return to the camp before dawn. But hopefully, this little midnight stroll would not be for naught.

As he passed through the woods, the soldier tried to remember why he had set out on this risky escapade in the first place. His position in society was relatively secure and the Fire Nation's victory is practically a certainty considering the elaborate preparations and plans the Fire Lord and his military officials had been implementing lately. They, the citizens of the Fire Nation, were constantly reminded of the imminent success of their campaign and the triumphant end of the war. Princess Azula's spies in Ba Sing Se continued to transmit vital inside information on the enemy's plans and everything was going very, very smoothly. It was two days before the solar eclipse, the second darkest day in Fire Nation history, and all firebenders had finished the necessary preparations. Even without the benefit of their bending, firebenders were skilled in other defensive arts and even an attack by earthbenders and waterbenders had been well planned for. The strategies were dynamic and flexible, to give allowance for "the element of surprise" that enemies of the Fire Nation were constantly depending on.

As for the Avatar and his allies, the Fire Lord had declared that he was more than ready to face the master of all elements. In fact, based on how the nation's leader and the princess were behaving, it seemed that they were challenging the young airbender to attack them. The destined confrontation between the Fire Lord and the Avatar had been long anticipated and in spite of all the beliefs that the Avatar would defeat Ozai, it seemed that the latter was not the least bit threatened.

There had been much talk going around among the soldiers about an ancient and astounding power that the Fire Lord had discovered long before the Avatar had been confirmed alive. In all likelihood, Fire Lord Ozai would draw great and unimaginable strength from this mysterious source which even the Avatar could never harness even if he mastered all the four elements. The exact nature of this "ancient power source" was mostly speculation but there had been sightings of strange, inexplicable events occurring in the heart of the Fire Nation Royal Palace and a special, top-secret regiment had been formed specifically to deal with these mysterious occurrences.

And yet, despite all these assurances of complete victory, there had been a nagging voice in the soldier's ear that told him that the Fire Lord would not succeed in his plans. The man couldn't find any flaws in the military strategies or in the logistical preparations for the invasion and the eclipse, but he nevertheless had a hunch that something was bound to go very, very wrong. Everything seemed like a mere façade for a more sinister undertaking that would not benefit the Fire Nation citizens at all. He dared not voice his opinions about the matter, of course. That would be a very, very stupid, not to mention dangerous, thing to do especially in these precarious times.

There had been rumors going around that he, through his expertise at remaining inconspicuous and invisible around others, had heard which had only strengthened his suspicions about the Fire Lord's seemingly flawless plans for the future. There had been whispers in the darkest alleys, in the most hidden corners of the city, about murderous plots, treacherous acts, and the mysterious whereabouts of the Fire Lord's banished son. No one had seen or heard from Prince Zuko ever since he miraculously escaped from captivity in the Crystal Catacombs of Ba Sing Se. Princess Azula's spies had given reports on some of former general Iroh's activities and it had been confirmed that the Dragon of the West was indeed aiding the Avatar in his campaign against the Fire Lord. But as to the prince's role in the coming weeks, no one was quite certain. Many suspected that Zuko was dead but there was nothing to substantiate such a claim. Others suspected that he too supported the Avatar but many argued that this seemed an action so contradictory to the prince's nature, since Zuko had always relentlessly pursued the Avatar, eager to capture the airbender to restore his honor. Other people speculated that Prince Zuko might be acting as a double agent for his father by pretending to befriend the Avatar only to betray the latter at the crucial moment. And based on the latest reports of Princess Azula's spies in Ba Sing Sewhich the soldier had found remarkable access to, even the Avatar himself has not been seen or heard from in the past few weeks. But again, nothing was certain.

But even more suspicious were Princess Azula's recent actions. Because of her successful infiltration of Ba Sing Se, she had acquired a rather extensive network of loyal spies who were able to acquire information from all corners of the Four Nations. Despite her failure to capture the most powerful fortress in the Earth Kingdom, she was still able to maintain some control of the city from the inside. And from what the soldier had heard from the whispers, not all of the information contained in the spies' reports was reaching the Fire Lord. Apparently, the princess was keeping certain things to herself, for some ulterior motive of her own. And aside from spies, Princess Azula seemed to be assembling a formidable group of fighters, consisting even of earthbenders and some renegade waterbenders as well as mercenaries from the coast, to serve as a personal army. Why she would need such military support when the Fire Nation clearly had more than enough skilled soldiers and she herself was a formidable fighter could only be speculated on. Whatever her reasons, Princess Azula was surely going to stir some trouble. And that wasn't an especially comforting thought, for anyone.

The Fire Lord himself seemed suspicious of his favorite child and the soldier had heard from certain loquacious courtiers that Ozai was rather disappointed in his daughter for her failure to capture the Avatar and invade Ba Sing Se. On face value, it didn't look like Azula was losing favor with her father. He continued to bestow the same honors on her which he had denied her brother and she didn't seem to be suffering from even the slightest punishment despite her failures. But the Fire Lord had lost some of his trust in his extremely talented daughter and it was said that he was withholding some information even from her.

The lone soldier continued his walk, mulling all these things over, and with the recollection of these suspicious events and not to mention other ominous occurrences that had been reported from various Fire Nation outposts, his resolve was strengthened. All of this was an elaborate masquerade and he did not intend to be caught in the crossfire in the event of the slightest mishap. Luckily (he hoped), he had come up with a back up plan.

Among the many conversations he had expertly eavesdropped on was one about a gathering faction of rebels in the northern mountains. These rebels were not the usual bandits or Fire Nation army deserters or passionate malcontents. According to the rumors, this nameless group of fighters was a highly organized group of experts and that this secret sect was extremely selective about membership. No one knew exactly who the members of this organization were and according to more rumors, even the members themselves were not well acquainted with each other. Most of the information was very vague and many people who heard about this mysterious group of rebels dismissed the idea as propaganda, hearsay, and even superstition. For it was whispered by some of the more bizarre gossips that these rebels actually had ties to the various spirits that haunted the Four Nations and even the Avatar seemed unaware of their existence. There were no indications that they were allies of the airbender although they were supporting his cause.

Any reasonable individual would dismiss all these speculations as baseless, ridiculous rumors but this soldier had found reason to believe in the existence of this rebel group, reasons that he was reluctant to divulge at present. Suffice to say that he was not usually an impulsive fellow and it would take the greatest and most convincing of arguments and evidences for him to even think about daring to step out of the comfort zone of the army. But as things stood, he had sneaked out of his encampment in order to seek out the mysterious rebel faction.

His information was that recruitment for this group happened in the dead of night in the middle of the thickest woods. Another proof of the unquantifiable but real threat posed by these enigmatic rebels was the fact that the Fire Lord had ordered various regiments to set up encampments on the edge or in the vicinity of these woods, to try and monitor "suspicious activities." But the soldier was not very worried about detection. Contrary to the belief that the members of the Fire Nation army were some of the most ruthless and fearless fighters in the Four Nations, the men in his regiment were actually some of the most spineless and superstitious. They feared to go within meters of the woods, tales of malevolent spirits, vicious wild animals, and all sorts of murderous mythological creatures were enough to make them keep their distance. And that was what made it so easy for him to escape.

But his problem now was to find the rebels. He was certain that they were here, somewhere. They were also probably aware of his presence and they were merely waiting for a moment to strike. He realized what a hare-brained idea it was to go here alone, unarmed, and with very mediocre firebending skills. But he was determined to try to convince them of his reliability.

He pushed a branch out of his way and stepped into a small clearing, illuminated by the moon light. He looked around him, trying to sense the presence of others but then, he immediately stopped. He had never been very good at that sort of thing so it was rather pointless to even try. But despite this, he always had very good hunches which were inexplicable but rather effective. And right now, he had one of those remarkable hunches that he was surrounded by those he had sought out.

Realizing that this was probably his only chance to make his intentions known to the rebels who right now might be aiming their arrows at his heart, the lone soldier took a deep breath and stood up straight. A slight breeze blew through the trees and the silence that followed the rustling of the leaves was eerily deafening. He raised his arms in a gesture of surrender. But he willed himself to be brave, or at least daring enough to speak.

"I know you're out there," he said in a shaky but firm voice, "and I want to join you."

There was no response and the uncanny silence continued. The soldier was feeling both silly and nervous, to be addressing invisible people. He wasn't much of a talker and he found it rather challenging to compose a speech of this importance. But he also knew that it was important for him to prove that he was trustworthy.

"Please don't be deceived by this Fire Nation armor that I'm wearing," he continued saying, "I have not come here to try and subdue you. I doubt that that is even possible. And besides, I didn't bring any reinforcements. I come unarmed and I am a very poor firebender." To demonstrate his last statement he performed one of the most basic firebending motions – punching the air with flames coming from his fists and showed how weak and small the fires from his hands were.

And still, there was no response from any part of the forest. He sighed and continued talking, growing uncomfortable with every passing moment.

"I belong to the army but I do not believe in its cause," he said with conviction, "the Fire Lord is planning something evil and I don't think it has anything to do with ending the war. Personally, I don't like the war. I think it's a bloody nuisance and a lot of imperialist rubbish. I'm not old enough to know about the days of peace in the Four Nations prior to the reign of Fire Lord Sozin, but I have heard stories about that time and I wish to go back to it, if that is remotely possible."

Again, only the rustling of the leaves and the chirping of crickets could be heard. The soldier gave another big sigh.

"Listen, I'm not very good at this speech-giving thing, and I don't really know the requirements of your group," he rambled, "and all I do know is that I want to join you. I've seen what you have achieved in your secretive ways and I am really impressed. And though this may seem rather strange, I believe that you are doing a more effective job of stopping the Fire Lord than even the Avatar is doing."

At the last sentence, the soldier felt a sudden movement of the earth beneath his feet and before he knew it, the ground had shifted and had thrown him face first on the ground. He scrambled to get up and began to dust his armor and spit out some grass that he had unwittingly swallowed. But he was content. It seemed that the rebels were finally responding to his cause somehow.

"Please," he entreated once more, "I know I don't look like much but I can act as a spy for you. I can give you inside information on all the Fire Lord's plans and strategies. Heck, I can even tell you what he had for breakfast this morning."

To his relief and joy, he heard soft snickers coming from the trees. He now realized that he had finally gotten to them. He looked around but still saw no one. So he waited patiently, wringing his hands in anticipation.

"Is that it?" came a deep voice from somewhere in the forest. And again, no matter in what direction he looked, he could see no sign of anyone's presence.

Realizing that it was pointless to try and detect whoever had spoken, the soldier simply muttered a nervous "yes".

And then, there was another movement of the earth and without warning, his legs were covered in a thick and sturdy layer of earth, effectively pinning him to the ground. No matter how much he struggled, he couldn't break away. This was followed by a pair of earth shackles which seemingly flew out of nowhere and clamped themselves on his wrists. And even as his movement was impaired, someone came up from behind him and placed a very thick blindfold over his eyes.

"Boy," he commented, "you guys are careful."

"We need to be," replied a low voice, "I'm sure you understand."

The soldier nodded vigorously. He tried to make out the gender of the speaker but it was difficult to tell because the voice was effectively disguised. So he decided to simply trust those who addressed him and to hope for the best.

"You are extremely brave to venture out into the woods all by yourself," the voice told him, in a tone of slight amusement, "I don't think your comrades would have even dreamt of facing the demons that haunt this forest."

"I'm not very superstitious," the soldier replied curtly.

"Ah, but you are wily," replied the strange voice, "we have all been aware of your presence for some time now. And in fact, our scouts have been following you ever since you entered the forest."

The blindfolded man gave a gasp of surprise but said nothing. But he had a hunch that whoever was talking to him was now smiling with more amusement.

"It should come as a relief, you know," continued the voice, "that your paranoia was not unfounded."

At this, the man heard a few soft snorts from one direction in the forest but he decided to ignore them.

"Anyway, time is of the essence," said the voice, on a more serious tone, "so let's get down to business. You say you want to join us. That is a very audacious claim but we have heard our fair share of those. You, at least, have been completely honest with us up to this point so we're willing to give you a chance. But if you feel in the least bit threatened or doubtful, tell me so right now. This will be your final opportunity to back out, and live."

The soldier gulped but muttered that he was determined to see his decision through.

"Choose your words carefully, stranger," the voice warned him, "for we have ways of knowing whether or not you are telling us the truth."

The nervous man nodded and waited for the unknown person to continue questioning him.

"First off, joining us is a risky business, as you may well be aware," explained the voice, "and as much as possible, we don't want any innocent people to be involved. So, do you have any family members or friends to whom we should extend our protection?"

"I have no family to speak of," replied the soldier truthfully.

"That's quite convenient," the voice answered but not sarcastically, "you volunteered your service as a spy for us. Do you have any experience in that particular field?"

The soldier hesitated slightly but then decided that eavesdropping on many conversations didn't exactly qualify as "spy experience."

"Unfortunately not," he answered.

"So why suggest yourself for that? Do you have any particular talents that might recommend you for such a job?"

"Well," the soldier said rather sheepishly, "I can be very inconspicuous and no one really notices me much. I also have a forgettable face and so it's easy for me to eavesdrop on conversations. And I'm a good listener. At least, I'd like to believe that I am."

"Those are useful skills, and are well worth our consideration, I am sure. I am also certain that you did not come here empty handed. You have information that you want to trade for our trust in you."

The blindfolded man looked surprised at this but had to admit that he was going to use all he knew as a bargaining chip for membership, although the opportunity had not yet presented itself a few minutes ago. And he knew that it was pointless for him to deny anything so he decided to divulge all of the information he had accumulated from all his eavesdropping and intercepting of official reports. He had done his fair share of investigating the truths behind the various rumors so he was able to give some credible information to the unknown leader of the rebel group.

The whole time he was talking, the faceless leader said nothing and seemed to be listening intently to his every word. The stranger also seemed to be weighing whether some of what he said was worth believing. But as he spoke, he was never interrupted and he figured that whatever means they had of determining his honesty was quite effective. And he was careful not to twist the truth even in the slightest. He concluded his sharing of information and waited patiently for the leader or interrogator to address him once again.

"You have given us much to think about," said the voice, still in an unidentifiable tone, "and we are definitely grateful to you for all this information. Perhaps you do have potential as an asset of our organization."

"So you'll let me in?" the soldier asked with rude frankness. Realizing his mistake, he quickly apologized.

"Not quite," replied the voice, "although you have been completely honest about the things you said earlier, some of us still feel that you are leaving certain things out."

The soldier was about to protest but he thought better of it. He was leaving certain things out but it would not do at all to lie to these people about it. His life was on the line for this and he didn't want to mess it up.

"I'm taking your silence as a yes," continued the voice, "and I'm glad that you seem to understand that there will be consequences if we learn that you are lying to us about anything. If you don't want to tell us all you know, fine. I will let it go for now because I think you may prove to be quite useful to us. But I must ask you certain questions now which I want you to answer as truthfully as you can. Is that understood?"

"Yes," he replied eagerly but solemnly.

"First, are you a traitor to the Fire Nation?"

He gave it some thought before answering, "No."

"And why not? You are going against the Fire Lord."

"The Fire Lord is not the Fire Nation," he replied simply.

"Very impressive," praised the voice, "next, why did you not decide to join the Avatar?"

"I don't think the efforts of a twelve-year old child, no matter how talented, will be enough to stop the Fire Lord."

"That's an honest enough answer. Some of us will disagree with you there but it is important that you tell us the truth. Lastly, are you ready to sacrifice everything, even your own life and identity, in order for us to succeed?"

At this the soldier gulped and thought long and hard. But he had known all the risks involved in this endeavor long before he had decided to even go through with it. So he answered, with conviction, that he was ready.

"That will do for now," said the voice, "we will confer on how much of the organization we will actually reveal to you but for now, simply wait for us to get in touch with you."

"Thank you very much," the soldier replied with a sigh of infinite relief, "this means a lot to me."

"I'm sure," the voice said curtly, "but there's one other thing I want to ask you before we let you go."

"What is it?"

"Did anyone from your regiment follow you here?"

"No," he replied calmly, "no one even knows I snuck out."

It was then that the earth shackles tightened around his wrist and he felt an armor of earth cover the rest of his body until his neck. He began to tremble violently, wondering what had gone wrong and he even had the frightening notion that maybe he had not met the rebels after all and instead, had come upon Princess Azula's spies. And then, another voice spoke up, one that was distinctly female and seemed to belong to a very young girl.

"You're not lying," she said, "but neither is that the truth."

And there you have it, ladies and gentlemen, the prologue to the sequel to "Sojourn in Solitude". The main cast (with certain exceptions whom I will not mention) do not make their formal appearance here because this is an expository chapter to sort of give the setting for the story from an outsider's perspective The soldier for now will remain unnamed but he will play a small but pivotal role in the story. But that should be a surprise. And just in case you're wondering, the secret rebel sect he approached is NOT the Order of the White Lotus. I just needed to clear that up.

This is going to be a different kind of story in terms of tone and style. A lot more characters will be involved so it will be on a larger scale and the plot will be a lot more complicated. It doesn't help that I will be competing with the actual (and surely awesome) Avatar season finale so I will only say that this will be a different ending that cannot compare to the canon ending but will hopefully be interesting on a fanon level. Please do not hesitate to give me suggestions and feedback. Unfortunately, the updates will not come as frequently as they did for "Sojourn" because I have tons more school work now and my schedule is pretty much jam packed. So the story will definitely not finish before the actual Avatar finale and I will completely understand if you lose interest after that. Nevertheless, this sequel has been requested by my good friends and I am doing everything in my power to make it worth your while. Thank you very much.