I hope everyone liked the first chapter. I'm trying to portray everyone's personality accurately, but at the same time show that they have changed over the course of four years. For example, Sokka is a little more serious, but still jokes around and just tries to be a genuinely funny guy, while Katara still tries to act in a motherly fashion, but has a darker side to her which is making itself known more and more frequently, most often when she is dealing with Zuko. Edit: I made a small change to this chapter by adding a couple new paragraphs, paragraphs 6 and 7 to be specific, as I felt that it was necessary to provide at least a basic description of those characters even if they are not going to be appearing with much frequency at this point of the story. Now then, here's Chapter 2: Fall of a Nation
A man sat at the head of the table at the former Fire Nation war room, though the untrained eye would see him as just a boy. He was nearing his adult years to be certain, but truthfully he could not be more than sixteen years of age. He was a man before his time, he looked young but his eyes and expression betrayed a man with experience far beyond his years.
He wore a button up white, shirt, and while it was tight across his chest, the sleeves were far looser and the cuffs open enough to hide a whole cabbage without raising suspicion. Both sleeves were trimmed with royal red, while the rest of the shirt was trimmed with a deep navy blue, while his pants were sandy brown and form fitting. He was of fair skin, though not pale, his eyes were a pleasant shade of sky blue, while his eyebrows, for that were all the hair he had upon his head, were a very dark brown. Starting at his back from the base of his neck, extending to his forehead, was a sky blue tattoo of an arrow, which thus marked him as an air nomad, quite likely the last.
The boy's chair sat back from the table, and stood upon an incline that gave him a point of view significantly higher than those others whom joined him at the meeting. It allowed him to make direct eye contact with any person at the table without having to turn his head, and also allowed him to see what actions everyone was taking; useful both for showing his respect, and as a security measure. At one side of the table sat four men dressed in Water Tribe garb, while on the other sat two men and two women in Earth Kingdom attire.
The two Earth Kingdom men were old, with grey, almost white hair. One, the one sitting closer to the boy, had a thin moustache that trailed down just below his jaw line, other than that he was of average build and was not all that unique. The other Earth Kingdom man however, was quite obese, and while the other 7 chose to rest their hand son the table, his lay upon his belly. The two women appeared to be of drastically different ages. The older one was frail, with thing white hair that she tied behind her head. The other was younger; her hair was still a deep shade of black, it hung down her shoulders and shined like fine silk.
The four Water Tribe men were all old with greying or even white hair; the youngest among them, sitting farthest from the boy, still had some brown, while the oldest almost bald man sat the closest. Even with their advanced age, they had an air about them that spoke volumes of their early days. They were warriors, all four of them, and fought on right to the end of the war, and then they were elected to take up far more political positions. To continue fighting for peace, but not with swords but rather words.
They were all much older than the boy, his seniors by more than twenty years, yet they had all come because of him. He'd carefully selected these eight representatives from the two nations based off the amount of respect they demanded combined with their motivations. He did not want political squabbling, so each person present was selected based off a single motivation; to help their people. Some, like the fat Earth Kingdom man whom made his living as a merchant, benefited from ensuring the well being of his people, while many of the Water Tribe men simply wanted the next generations a chance to live without the threat of war.
At the moment no one was paying attention to the boy, rather they were yelling across the table at each other. From what they boy could pick it, it seemed to be the same argument that occurred every time he gathered these eight together. The Earth and Water countries had been arguing over which of the two countries would get possession of the former Fire Nation land for close to two years, and if things continued to escalate, it would mean a second war.
"Avatar Aang," Called the Earth Kingdom man with the moustache, sitting closest to the boy of those from his nation. "I assume that since you have called us all here that you have come to a decision on how we will be distributed the lands that were once part of the Fire Nation?"
While the Earth and Water countries were the stage for most of the battles during the long war, it was the Fire Nation that was completely decimated by it. When Fire Lord Ozai fell to the Avatar, the entire country fell into chaos, the military was without a unifying leader, while the ignorant citizens were suddenly forced to think and act on their own. Taking advantage of the ensuing panic, the Earth and Water armies finally mustered the courage to launch a devastating counter attack. The various cities captured by the Fire Nation were hit first, and recovered with startling efficiency, as the occupying forces were out of communication with their homeland, and had no reinforcements. The armies did not stop there and soon proceeded to invade the Fire Nation itself, and within a year of the fall of Ozai, the Fire Nation surrendered.
The Fire Nation military disbanded, and scattered to the four corner of the globe, many choosing to live their lives as nomads, while some forming groups of guerrilla combatants, causing no end of trouble for the other countries. The citizens too were evicted form their homes, and now an entire country of refugees wonder a world that views them as an enemy. Many attempts have been made to set up new villages, but the local military often harasses the settlers until there are forced to take up root and leave. The refugees have drifted to the Earth Kingdom, where the land is vast and it's far easier to disappear than in the occupied Fire Nation or the small Water Tribes.
"My answer remains the same," Replied Aang, crossing his arms over his chest so his sleeves meet halfway, concealing his hands within the cuffs of the opposing arm. "In regards to this issue, all the captured lands shall be returned to their respective countries; so that things might return to the way they should be, the way that they were before the start of the war."
"We have returned the land captured by the Fire Nation during the war, Omashu and Ba Sing Se the largest among them, but what of the Fire Nation itself? Who will get that land now that the war has ended?" questioned the younger Earth Kingdom woman sitting two seats from Aang.
"You seem to fail to understand the meaning of what I have said. All the lands shall default to their original owners, the Fire Nation lands among them," Sighed a tired and frustrated Aang.
This time the youngest of the Water Tribe men spoke. "You are new to this council, so perhaps you did not know, but Avatar Aang is quite sympathetic towards the Fire Nation, despite the atrocities they committed," There was more than just a hint of sarcasm in the man's voice.
"The atrocities, against all your people, as well as my own, were committed by the military under the orders of the Fire Lord. The citizens had nothing to do with the war beyond being forced into the military and working to support the Fire Lord's campaign. To punish them is unjust, and makes you all no better than Ozai himself," Explained the Avatar, who was now beginning to have trouble maintaining his composure.
"You have just yourself explained why we cannot let them have their lands returned; the citizens are the military, and they worked to support the war. To allow them to return to their homes and continue as though there was no war would be to imply that there are no consequences for their actions!" While Aang was able to keep his temper in check, the Earth Nation man sitting closest to him was not as controlled.
The balding Water Tribe man, sitting closest to Aang, took this as an opportunity to speak his piece. "Despite his outburst, he has a point. Regardless of how the lands are distributed, they cannot be returned to the Fire Nation; to do so would only invite them to begin a second war. What's more, their military is hardly destroyed, only disbanded; it would be a simple matter for them to re-enter the country disguised as citizens. Everyone present believes that allowing the Fire Nation the chance to begin a new campaign is madness."
Aang seethed, and jumped from his chair, landing in the middle of the table. "With or without the Fire Nation, with things as they are now, there will be a second war!" boomed the angered Avatar, creating a violent torrent of wind within the room, and those representatives whom had drinks found the liquid contents of the cups literally boiling. "You are all supposed to be representing your countries, yet you all seem to fail to notice the most important fact. The trading between Earth and Water has grinded to a halt, the citizens of the two countries blame each other and the two halves of the allied army are each ready to tear the other apart. Despite defeating Ozai, we still have not achieved peace, yet you all act as though the only concern to be had is who gets what property. The only way to resolve the issue of the lands is to give them to a third party, of which there is only one. "
"To which we strongly object," continued the closest Water Tribe man. "You say that we are on the verge of a civil war, and you wish to hand the means to attack us back to a country that waged war against us for over a hundred years? We simply cannot take that chance, and while we understand that you are the Avatar, you are being far too naive. The ambitions of the Fire Lord, and thus the royal family, will not be so easily cast aside with just the death of Ozai."
"The royal family of the Fire Nation is of no concern. I killed Fire Lord Ozai myself, while General Iroh fell in the battle, while assisting us I might remind you. Princess Azula has been captured, as you should all be aware; having been present at her trial, and she is awaiting her execution for her crimes." Aang had calmed somewhat, but the sharp tone had not left his voice. "The royal family is broken, and without their leaders to guide them on a path to war, the citizens will continue just living their lives."
"Without their leaders they will be even more dangerous and unpredictable than they were with Ozai leading them. Perhaps not a war, but be certain that local riots would be a common thing, and even then, we cannot be certain that they wouldn't simply elect a leader and begin the war anew."
"Which is why I will take the responsibility of leading them on a path to peace," Aang leapt from the table into the air and appeared to float as a gust of wind gently carried him back to his chair as he took several deep calming breaths. Sitting back, he placed his hands idly upon the arm rests. "I defeated their former leader in combat, and was at the head of the army that lead to the downfall of their military. They will respect both my power and my ability to lead, and I will ensure that there will not be a second war. This is my decision, and it is why I have called you all here."
"You miscalculate Avatar," A new speaker, the older Earth Kingdom woman. "Perhaps were the Fire Nation royalty completely wiped out you could make such a bid for power. However even after the execution of Princess Azula there will remain one obstacle."
"What if this obstacle should be dealt with? Will you all then support me in this line of action?"
There were a few minutes of discussion among the group before they turned their attention to Aang once again. One by one they nodded their heads in confirmation. They did not seem certain that this was the best course to take, but as thing stood it seemed to only way to prevent another war. In Aang's eyes it was also the only way to give the citizen's of the Fire Nation a place to live again without worry of being persecuted. Perhaps had circumstances been different four years prior, it would have been another man standing here in Aang's place, a man far more willing and capable of ruling over the Fire Nation. Events had failed to unfold in such a convenient manner, and now the man who was once destined to lead the Fire Nation to peace was instead on the run from the very allies he once assisted.
Aang opened his mouth to speak, but found he had trouble articulating his words. Taking a deep breath to calm his nerves he tried again. "The thrice banished prince will be caught and he will be present at the execution of his sister. Of this, I am certain, and will give you my word as both the Avatar and as the last of the Air Nomads."
"You speak as though you mean to spare him, Avatar Aang. You are aware that we cannot suffer one who would betray not only his own country, but each and every other country, to live amongst us," The closest Earth Kingdom representative again.
"You presume too much," began Aang. "I never spoke of sparing him. He will be tried for treason, and he will be present at his sister's execution, because it will most likely be his own as well. You would do well not to forget that while he has by extension betrayed each of you; his treachery was originally directed at me. He challenged my honour, and if I am to become the leader of the fire nation I must rectify that. Crown prince Zuko will die, and so then shall Sozin's line be wiped from the pages of history."
Satisfied with the Avatar's answer, the various representatives excused themselves. Filing out of the room none dared look back at Aang, his sudden ruthlessness leaving more than a few representatives unsettled. When at last he was alone, Aang brought his hands up and rubbed his tired eyes. Bringing his hand in front of his face, his summoned a small flame, and began to meditate, much as he'd been taught to four years prior. In a hushed tone he spoke to the fire as if it were a person. "I'd hoped it would not come to this. I am sorry Zuko, but I can see no other options. You will be sacrificed for the sake of peace."
Far away, in the Earth Kingdom, a young man strode confidently across the barren land. Only several miles from the Ocean, he was hastily making his way inland in the cover of the night. The moon shone brightly down upon him, bathing him in its pale light, illuminating him for any who would see. However, this wasn't the most hospitable of climates, so he remained unconcerned that anyone might take notice of him.
He had his right arm tightly wrapt in black bandages, and on that hand he wore a gold trimmed leather gauntlet and black glove. On his left arm he wore a similar black gauntlet, but lacked the bandaging and glove, exposing his pale skin, all that much paler in the moon's light, and his well toned arms. What hair he did not have hidden beneath his cloak was jet black, while his eyes are a golden yellow hew. His hair, a little longer than shoulder length, was parted just over his right eye, falling over the left side of his face, a large scar around his other eye peeked through his bangs. His cloak was royal red, with gold trimming, and beneath it he wore tight fitting black clothing and fiery red leather armour.
Strapped to his side were his weapons; dual Dao swords, side by side in their single sheath. The pommels of the swords resembled dragons, the blade protruding from the mouth while the body made up the handle and the tail looped back to meet the base of the blade and formed the guard. The fore claws extended out and beyond the blade, creating a small catch useful for disarming others. One pommel was polished silver, with small sapphires serving as the eyes of the dragon and blue leather wrapped around the handle to form the grip, while the other was gold with ruby eyes and a red leather grip.
His airs of nobility, as well as his confident stride, were ruined as he let out a loud sneeze that echoed into the night. Wiping his nose upon his bandaged arm he grimaced. "I wish people would stop talking about me, I'm getting sick of changing this thing every day."
Chapter 2: End.
I figured it's about time that I gave a description of Zuko, originally this was going to be in the next chapter, but he really needed to make some sort of appearance in this one. For happy-Aang fans, I'm sorry I made him a bit dark, but given his childhood as well as the responsibility thrust upon him during the war I felt he'd eventually take on a resolved and indifferent persona, at least around people that he doesn't consider friends. As for how he acts around Katara and his other friends, you'll have to wait and see. Next update will hopefully be in two weeks, but it could be sooner or later, as with everything in life there are no guarantees. I'll try to stick to a schedule but work tends to interfere with my hobbies more than I'd like it too. As always, remember to always seize the day.
-fallendeathlord
