Hi again, heres another chapter of Freedom from Failure. I'd like to thank all of my reviewers and all of those who offered to edit my work. At the moment I have someone editing my chapters, but for some reason he/she hasn't replied back with the edited work so I'm just going to post it anyway and if theres any errors, then oh well, I'll fix them later.
Zuko stood on his balcony looking over the city as it slept. He hadn't been sleeping well since the day he had betrayed his uncle. Even though he never visited Iroh, he made sure the retired general was given his tea everyday. Zuko wasn't ready to face him, just not yet anyway. Zuko believed he made the right choice by going against his uncle's wishes, but there were times when he wasn't so sure.
That morning, for example
Zuko was eating with his sister and her friends when a messenger bird flew in. The red crested bird landed next to Azula; they all recognized it instantly as their father's royal messenger hawk.
"News from Father?" Zuko asked from the other end of the table. Everyone looked up at Azula, waiting for her to speak.
After several minutes, Azula looked up from the parchment and smiled. "Father is coming in a week to inspect his new city . He knows of what you did Zuko and he says he is very proud."
Zuko was shocked to say the least. "How did he…"
"I sent word to him a few days ago about how you betrayed uncle and helped take down the Avatar. His reply says he is looking forward to seeing us," Azula placed her hand on Zuko's shoulder. "Both of us." She walked back to her end of the table and continued eating.
Zuko sat in silence, soaking up the knowledge that was just bestowed upon him.
"Wow, won't it be great to see your dad again Zuko?" Ty Lee said from her seat at Azula's left. "It'll be just like old times won't it?"
Zuko had just continued eating this breakfast. "Just like old times…"
The news of his father returning was too much to take in. Zuko would finally see the face of the man who banished him. He hurt his uncle and his father was... proud of him? But was his father's approval even worth it?
His father said he was proud of him for hurting and betraying his uncle. Long ago, he wouldn't have given his uncle a second glance if it made his father happy, but now…
Zuko turned his gaze from the sleeping city to the lake that lay beneath his balcony. He watched the surface of the water as it sparkled in the moonlight.
"I thought you changed!"
Zuko shook his head of such thoughts. He didn't care what the waterbender thought of him. Zuko had restrained himself from not attacking her in that cave, no matter how much she yelled at him. He thought that in itself was proof enough that he was different than before.
"I have changed…" The prince of the Fire Nation whispered into the night. He turned his back against the city and walked out of his room. He needed to take a walk.
Iroh and Katara slowly made their way up the stairs. Getting Iroh out of his cell was simple enough (it was probably the simplest thing she had done all night). After getting his word that he would teach firebending to Aang, Katara used her waterbending to slice the bars on the cell and the shackles on Iroh's wrists and ankles. They were on their way back to find the Earth King when they heard commotion coming from the hallway on their left. They heard shouting and a bear growling in rage. Katara gasped and ran in the direction of the noise.
Katara and Iroh stopped in front of an odd looking scene. There were several Dai Li all stuffed into a metal box with the Earth King and his bear sitting on top of it.
Katara stared in amazement. "Wow your Highness…," She said as he and Bosco jumped down. "I didn't know you could earthbend…,"
"Well, you never asked. Isn't that right Bosco?" He smiled and petted his bear who groaned in reply.
Katara was still trying to figure out where the king found that metal and why he didn't mention that could earthbend before when they heard more Dai Li agents coming their way.
Iroh pulled Katara and the king into the dressing room. "We need to hide!"
When they entered the room, the king simply grabbed some fabric from one rack and handed it to Katara and Iroh. They looked at the clothing and back at the Earth King as he pulled a fake duck beak and platypus tail onto Bosco. He himself put on his disguise. He frowned when they didn't move.
"Well? Do you want to get caught?"
Katara looked from the king and back to Iroh. She sighed and pulled the dress over her head. Katara unpinned her hair and let it fall and then grabbed a fan and hid her most of her face with it. Perfect disguise.
"Does this dress make me look fat to you?" Katara heard Iroh say.
Katara whirled around began to laugh. There Iroh was in a beautiful pink dress with frills and lace and a lot of sparkling things.
The king laughed nervously. "I guess I must have grabbed the wrong one. Sorry," He said grabbing another set of clothes. "Here, try these-"
The yelling had grown louder. The Dai Li were nearing on their location.
"No time! Let's go!" Katara said grabbing another fan and running out into the hallway. She shoved the fan in Iroh's face and pulled a headdress over his head. They quickly walked away from the scene, just missing the Dai Li.
They all sighed in relief and began to walk toward the exit. Many Dai Li agents passed them without giving them a second glance, and they heard the Dai Li talking about the missing prisoner.
Katara said a prayed for the poor soul who had to deliver the bad news to Azula.
The group froze when an agent singled them out.
"You three! And the platypus bear! Halt!" A Dai Li agent shouted at them.
The man that stopped them was very old; Katara told a little too old to be earthbending. He looked at the Earht King, being the only maled dressed, and demanded reasons as to why they were there.
The Earth King stuttered and was thankful that his headdress hid his mouth. He knew the Dai Li would instantly recongize him as their ex-king. "W-well, uh...We had heard the commotion and..." The King was having trouble thinking of a lie, but it seemed it didn't matter anymore. The old man's gazed was no longer on the king, but instead of Iroh. The man cut the king off and raised his eyebrows in a flirtatious manner towards Iroh.
"Why hello there... Such a beautiful flower you are." The gaurd asked Iroh as he kissed his hand, "Madam, may I ask to be graced with your name?"
Iroh giggled in a girlish laugh. "Oh it's I...Roia. Yes, Iroia. Pleased to meet you." He said with a high pitched voice.
Oh gods...
Zuko ran through the hallways of the huge palace trying to find a way out of the place.
"I'm such an idiot. Of course Azula lied! She always lies!" Zuko yelled at himself as he sprinted through the hallways.
After gazing out onto the city, Zuko left his room to find the kitchen for something to eat when he found himself outside his sister's door. There was yelling (obviously from his sister) and the sounds of someone throwing things (most likely from Azula too). His uncle's name caught his attention.
"What do you mean Iroh's gone?! Can't you do anything right you idiot!" Zuko found putting his ear to the door was going to eventually give him a headache.
"W-we're sorry your highness! He just disappeared! We have no idea where-"The target of Azula's wrath was cut off by Azula herself.
"My stupid brother is still loyal to our uncle. We NEED Iroh otherwise Zuzu won't stay long enough for my father to be rid of him! That's the whole reason he's coming to Ba Sing Se!" Azula screamed so unlike her usual calm demeanor.
Zuko stumbled from the door and began to run in the direction he assumed was the exit.
"I'm such a fool! How could I believe her? I need to fix this somehow."
Zuko stopped in front of the entrance of the palace when he heard a familiar voice in the distance. He hid behind a large vase and spotted the last person he wanted to see.
The waterbender.
After they got rid of the guard that was ogling Iroh, they sprinted toward exit and ditched their disguises on the floor. Bosco suddenly stopped and began to sniff at the ground.
"BOSCO!! Let's go!!" Katara yelled at the bear while the Earth King tried to haul Bosco away, but the bear weighted too much. Iroh tried to lift him, but he ended up hurting himself.
Iroh called to Katara. "Just go get the bison, we'll catch up!"
Katara nodded and ran for the doors that led to freedom when someone stepped in her way. She ran into him, but he grabbed her wrists before she fell. She looked up and froze.
"Zuko!" Katara gasped.
"Missed me?" Zuko said with a smirk.
Katara scoffed and pulled free. "Hardly."
Katara summoned her water and threw it at him. He ducked and fired a wave of fire blasts at her, but she drenched them. Katara threw sharp shards of ice at him. He dodged almost everyone, but the last one cut his cheek. While he was distracted, she threw a huge chunk of ice at him and it hit him in the chest. While the wind was knocked out of him, she pulled out the bison whistle and blew it as hard as she could. Katara turned and saw the Earth King carrying his bear on a huge piece of stone and headed their way.
Zuko looked up just in time to meet his uncle's glance. Time froze as he stared into the hurt eyes of his uncle. Before he knew it, they were out of the palace. He got up and ran outside in time to see them take off.
Zuko shouted into the night something that he wanted to say to his uncle ever since he left that cave.
"UNCLE!! I'M SORRY!" Zuko didn't know if his uncle heard him, but he was going to make absolutely sure that he did.
Zuko was known for making stupid and rash decisions on the spot, but there was no doubt in his mind now. Zuko knew what he wanted now.
Zuko wanted a second chance.
End of Chapter 2
Yay! chapter 2 done!!
I have to give credit for the idea that the earth king bending metal and the scene with Iroh and the guard flirting to my friend Gordo aka SenicOrinite aka my account's previous owner until he gave it to me. Go Gordo! Yay!
Next chapter: All about Aang, Toph, and Sokka...and possibly even the Cabbage Man...
The Guru tells Aang some important news, Toph discovers a new friend, and Sokka needs to create an army.