Ten years ago, Avatar Aang defeated Ozai in the four-part finale Sozin's Comet. Nine years after starting this story, he will finally meet his end in this fanfic.
Two more chapters guys and this story will finally be wrapped up. Stay tuned!
Chapter 26: Zuko vs Ozai
Ozai raced through the courtyard amidst the commotion, holding his still bleeding nose but refusing to stop, less he be spotted escaping. Once the battle between the pirates and rebels had started, Ozai took his opportunity to slip past everyone and attempted to flee through the gates. However, various reinforcements had shown up on all sides, blocking the exits and trapping Ozai within the confines of the courtyard. Desperate to escape, Ozai used his Fire Bending to blast himself up into the air and towards the palace roof. As Ozai made his assent, Zuko spotted him escaping from across the courtyard and used his own Fire Bending to propel himself upward in his direction.
Once Ozai reached the roof, he raced toward the ocean side view of the palace, where he planned to escape over the wall and onto the beach in hopes of finding a ship to commandeer. Before he could get that far however Zuko suddenly appeared, blasting his way through the air before crashing hard into Ozai from behind, causing them both to fall and stumble over each other. Zuko rolled away from Ozai and though slow to get up, was mostly unharmed. Ozai however kept collapsing back down, groaning from the immense pain in his back caused by the collision.
Seeing his uncle injured did nothing to deter Zuko's blood lust however as the prince ignited his fist and quickly stomped over. Ozai looked up at the prince, this time not with smugness or defiance, but intense fear.
Zuko glared down at Ozai as the flames roared around them. "Murderer…"
"Zuko please." Ozai pleaded as he attempted to move. "I beg you, have mercy-"
"Mercy!? Did you show my father mercy before you killed him!?" Zuko shouted. "You don't deserve any sort of mercy from me! You don't even deserve the right to live!"
As Zuko stared down his uncle, Azula finally made it onto the roof as well. She immediately spotted the two and tried rushing towards them, only to be cut off by a flaming tower pillar which collapsed in front of her, blocking her path. Unable to get around the bulky burning structure, she could only watch through a small opening in the flames as her father groveled like a coward before the prince.
"Please Zuko, you wouldn't do such a thing to your own family? Besides it's not really my fault! It's Azula and those damn wretched pirates! They're the ones who put me up to it. She and her filthy compatriots are the real enemy here!"
Azula froze in shock upon hearing her father's words.
"I don't believe you." Zuko said, stepping towards him.
"But it's true!" Ozai protested as he tried sitting up. "Azula's the one trying to tear our family apart! She claims to be my daughter, but she's just some common street trash who threatened me with scandal if I didn't humor her delusions!"
Azula squeezed her shaking fists so tight that her nails pierced the skin on her palms, causing them to bleed. Breathing heavily, Azula clenched her jaw and furrowed her brow in anger as she turned and ran off in the other direction.
Zuko however, was having none of Ozai's excuses and delivered a swift kick to the false king's side, causing him to scrunch over and cough painfully.
"Why should I believe anything you say? Everything you ever told me was a lie!" Zuko shouted. "Well no more!"
Ozai wiped his mouth which had a trickle of blood going down in. He then got onto his knees and looked up at Zuko, who now had an intense murderous look in his eyes. In a last ditch attempt to attain mercy, Ozai bowed his head before him. "Very well then. If your desire truly is to dethrone and kill your old broken Uncle, then I won't stop you. You deserve to get your revenge. Do as you will."
Zuko looked surprised to see Ozai willingly submit himself but nonetheless, raised his fist to carry out the deed.
Before he could strike, Zuko heard a whisper in his ear. A familiar voice that finally managed to break through his blood lust with one simple word…
"Remember…"
Lowering his fist, Zuko let out a sigh. "No. I won't do it. I'm not like you Ozai. I won't kill my own family…no matter how much you deserve it."
Ozai looked up with a sigh of relief on his face. "Really? Oh Zuko thank you! Thank you so much for sparing me-"
"But don't think that lets you off the hook either." Zuko said sternly. "You're going to pay for your crimes, both against the crown and the other nations."
"Oh yes, of course." Ozai nodded in agreement. "Whatever trials or jail time I will face, I will be sure to do so with dignity."
Zuko narrowed his eyes. "Jail time isn't what I had in mind. I have a much better solution for you."
Ozai's face faltered. "Better…solution?"
"Yes. And that solution…is banishment." Zuko said simply.
Ozai looked at the prince in confusion. "But…why would you choose such a foolish option? How do you know I won't gather reinforcements to help take back the kingdom? What will your subjects think when they learn that you let me go free?"
"I don't think either of those will be an issue." Zuko shot back. "From what I heard, you're not exactly popular with the common folk nowadays. Even your own armies have lost respect for you. If I were to imprison you, you'd turn the Fire Nation into a giant target, sought after by everyone, including the other nations who will all come here demanding to take you as their own prisoner and threatening us with further war if we don't comply. I refuse to let my nation become your safe haven any longer. Once you're on the run, any person from any nation can hunt you down and you'd be subjected to their version of justice with no homeland to fall back on for protection."
The color drained from Ozai's face as the realization of Zuko's plan hit him. "No…no, you wouldn't!"
"I wonder who would inflict the harsher punishment?" Zuko thought out loud. "The Earth Kingdom, whose fleets you've destroyed, the Water Tribe whose royalty you've held hostage, or perhaps your own subjects who you've tortured and starved for years."
"No! Please Zuko! Throw me in jail! Send me to a labor camp! I'll do anything-"
"Then do this!" Zuko glared down at him. "Run. Run away Ozai. And never return."
Ozai's face twitched slightly as his own words from long ago echoed in his head. Ozai scrunched his face in rage, his fists trembling. Zuko watched as the disgraced Fire Lord carefully got to his feet, cracking his back slightly as he stood tall.
Then in an act that greatly surprised Zuko, Ozai bowed to him. "As you wish, your majesty."
He then slowly started limping away towards the direction of the beach. Zuko couldn't believe it, watching as Ozai seemed to accept his command and was now walking toward his banishment.
"Oh, and one last thing." Ozai said looking back at him.
It took Zuko a moment to realize that there were spark coming from Ozai's fingers.
"Long Live the King."
In an instant, Ozai turned and shot a bolt of lightning straight at Zuko.
Zuko was just barely able to dodge the blast, the lighting grazing his arm and leg. Before he could recover, another bolt of lightning flew at him. He ducked and rolled away as Ozai unleashed bolt after bolt of lightning at him. Zuko was able to take cover behind a tower, catching his breath as Ozai limped forcefully towards his direction.
"The only way you're taking my crown is to pry it off my cold dead body!" Ozai yelled out.
Zuko breathed heavily, gripping his burned arm which was searing in pain. Before he could come up with a plan, Ozai suddenly appeared and shot lightning straight at Zuko, who managed to duck around the tower and run in the opposite direction. Ozai then attacked again, getting more and more reckless with his lightning as he attacked every corner of the roof, hitting more towers and further spread the flames. Knowing he had to stop Ozai from completely incinerating him and the palace, Zuko ducked out of the way behind another tower, waiting for Ozai to appear around the corner.
"I know your father didn't teach you the lightning skills passed down in our family, so unless you want to die right now, act like the ruler you pretend to be and fight me!"
As Ozai turned the corner and attempted to swipe at Zuko's head with his electrified fist, Zuko immediately ducked down before upper-cutting Ozai's jaw. Knocking him off balance, Zuko kicked Ozai's legs out from under him so he was flat on the ground. Before Ozai could strike back, Zuko grabbed his wrist and fingers before twisted them back forcefully, breaking them. Ozai screamed out in pain and swiped at Zuko's head with his other hand before rolling out of the way. Nursing his crippled hand, Ozai then kicked flames up at Zuko, who yelled out painfully as the flames burned his left leg. He got out of the way before Ozai could attack again, patting out the flames on his pants and shirt.
Ozai then attacked head on, punching with his unbroken hand and kicking up a barrage of flames. This time Zuko was ready and fought back, parrying and counter attacking with his fists as he unleashed wave after wave of fire attacks upon Ozai. The two continued to fight until finally they each unleashed a big burst of flames, causing an explosion which struck each other simultaneously, knocking the other back. Zuko rolled toward the edge of the roof that overlooked the garden, his body now covered in burns and exhausted beyond belief as he struggled to get up under his own power. Ozai was also smoldering from the flames but was still able to get to his feet, murderous rage radiating in his eyes. Grabbing his broken fingers and foregoing the pain, he forcefully popped them back into place before making a tight fist.
"It's time to end things nephew! Say hello to your father for me!"
Lighting up both fists, Ozai blasted his way forward, flying toward Zuko at break neck speed as he prepared to deal the final blow. Zuko struggled to stand, trying desperately to think of a way to stop the attack. That's when he got an idea.
Getting to his feet, Zuko took a stance and waited until Ozai got close enough to raise his fist. In that split second, Zuko grabbed Ozai by the arm and flipping him onto his back, slamming him hard onto a decorative statue that hung off the roof. Ozai let out a painful scream as he landed hard on the stone structure, his shoulder dislocating and sending shock waves of pain to the rest of his back.
Before he could move, the statue cracked from the weight of the impact and broke off, sending Ozai plummeting down the side of the palace. He screamed as he went crashing through the roof of the green house below, landing among tools and bags of manure. The landing was so rough that it dislodged his crown, causing it to roll across the ground.
Zuko looked over the side where Ozai had fallen. He had not meant to throw his uncle off the roof and looked around for a sign of his survival. As soon as he spotted where the Fire Lord had landed, he heard a loud battle cry behind him. He turned to see Azula, who had finally found a path through the burning roof wreckage, jumping down from one of the nearby towers and racing toward him, her face distorted with rage. Quickly Zuko moved to defend himself but was surprised as she leaped over him and used her fire to blast her way down toward the green house.
Down below, Ozai struggled to move. Between his dislocated shoulder, his now broken ankles and the pain in his back, his was practically paralyzed with pain. As he tried thinking of a plan, Ozai heard a shout, followed by a shadowy figure that fell through the roof and landed among the smoke and flames.
The figure then stood and walked toward Ozai, revealing herself to be Azula, who scowled down at him with a menacing look. "Hello your highness."
"Azula! H-Help me up quickly!" Ozai pleaded.
"And why should I do that?" Azula asked crossing her arms.
"What do you mean why? I am your Fire Lord and your father and you will obey me!" Ozai demanded before flinching back in pain.
"Father? I thought you said I wasn't your daughter." Azula said as she lowered her arm and advanced on him. "That I was common street trash, the true enemy and mastermind behind your whole rise to power. Or did I hear wrong?"
Fear overcame Ozai's face as he realized what she heard and noticed the increasingly murderous look growing in Azula's eyes.
"Now Azula, I was merely trying to-AHH!"
Azula stomped her foot on top of his broken ankle, causing him to scream out in pain. She then knelt toward Ozai, rage now present on her face. "Enough of your lies! All I ever wanted was for you to value and acknowledge me as your daughter! To love me like a real father should! But I guess that was never in the plan was it? I was just another one of your pawns!"
She stomped on his ankle again, causing Ozai to shout louder. Between his injuries and Azula keeping him pinned down, he had no means of escape. It was made all the more worse by the rising flames around them that were now engulfing the shed.
"Release me at once or we'll both perish in these flames!" He screamed out in panic.
A deranged smile then grew on Azula's face as blue flames erupted from her hands and she raised her arms high above the broken Fire Lord, who looked up at her in horror.
"Then I'll see you in the eternal fires, FATHER LORD OZAI!" Azula shouted before slamming her arms down.
Up on the roof, Zuko heard a loud, blood curdling scream ring from below, followed by a huge eruption of blue flames that completely devoured the green house. Zuko shielded his eyes before looking down in shock at the small building, which was now a burnt husk that quickly disintegrated to cinders.
Zuko barely had time to react when a nearby tower collapsed and the flames around him began closing in. Quick he could, Zuko ran in the opposite direction toward the courtyard, a feat not made easy by his injured leg. He was halfway across when another piece of tower fell in his way blocking his escape. Zuko looked frantically around for another way out when he heard a screeching noise from above. Looking up, he spotted a white lemur flying toward him, trying to loudly get his attention.
"Momo!" He called up to the lemur.
The white bat-like creature let out another screech and flew around Zuko before heading in a different direction, indicating he wanted him to follow. Zuko followed after Momo, stumbling through the smoke and flames before eventually coming upon one of the fallen towers, indicating a dead end.
"Where do we go now?" Zuko asked out loud.
Suddenly there was a loud banging noise. Looking toward the tower, Zuko watched in surprise as a crack appeared on its side, followed by a fist punching its way through the wall, causing the whole mid-section to collapse around a short dark haired girl in Earth Kingdom clothes.
"Yeoch! That smarts!" She said shaking out her hand.
"Toph! You're here!" Zuko shouted excitedly.
"Well duh! Like I was gonna let you get yourself burned to a crisp." Toph asked before turning and whistling with her fingers toward the sky. "Hey Twinkle Toes! I found him! Get your butt down here before we become toasted marshmallows!"
"Got it! Incoming!"
Aang then flew down off of Appa, who hovered above them, and used his staff to blast a gust of wind towards the roof, blowing away the flames and allowing a temporary clear spot for Appa to land.
"Quick, hop on!" Aang shouted.
All three climbed onto Appa's saddle and together with Momo, flew off the roof as the remaining towers collapsed in flames. Just as they landed on the ground, gathering storm clouds opened up allowing rain to pour down and extinguish the flames around the palace.
Zuko dismounted Appa and looked up at his beloved childhood home as it was covered in fire and rain. Although there was much structural damage from the now extinguished flames and smoke, the palace was thankfully still standing much to Zuko's relief.
He then felt a fist punch his arm. "Ouch!"
"Don't ever do that again!" Toph scolded. "Next time you wanna go off and overthrow a nation, you better have proper backup first!"
Zuko rubbed his arm but rather than be annoyed, nodded gratefully at Toph. "Of course. You're right Toph. Thanks for coming to rescue me."
Toph was taken back slightly by his gratitude but merely scoffed in response. "Yeah well…just don't expect me to bail you out again okay? You're just lucky I didn't have better things to do."
"I know." Zuko nodded, then quickly embraced her. Even though she was taken off guard, Toph quickly returned the hug, along with Aang who hugged them both.
"Alright, alright, no need to get so mushy." Toph said pulling away slightly. "I mean, we're just doing what friends do after all."
"But you're more than that to me." Zuko said, looking at them both sincerely. "You and Aang…you guys are my family. You've looked out for me more than some of my real family has." A brief look of guilt crossed Zuko's face. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you both about my past sooner. But I'm done hiding from it. The time has come for me to embrace my destiny and help rebuild this nation. You think you can both help me to do it?"
"You can count on me your majesty!" Aang said bowing low.
"I guess...I mean, someone has to make sure you don't totally bomb your first year as Fire Lord." Toph said lightly punching his arm again.
Zuko smiled gratefully and together the three headed off to meet up with the others.
Out in the palace courtyard, the remaining pirate army had finally been defeated by Bumi, who used his Earth Bending to create a stone jail cell around them, trapping them all into a single corner. Bato, his soldiers and the Kyoshi warriors searched the palace, rounding up the remaining pirates while Katara, the water bending soldiers and townsfolk worked together to rescue injured people and put out the flames spreading throughout the palace. Soon the rain started, extinguishing the remaining flames and freeing up the benders and soldiers who began constructing make-shift tents throughout the courtyard for cover.
Ursa, Sokka and Ty Lee meanwhile gathered all the wounded in said tents and tended to their injuries the best they could. Among the wounded was Mai, who got hit in the shoulder by a spear while taking on a pirate and had to have her whole right arm bandaged.
"Need some water my dear?" Ursa asked as she presented Mai with a cup of water.
"Oh uh, thank you…your highness…" Mai said hesitantly as she took the cup.
Ursa then knelt and examined her bandages. "How is your shoulder feeling? Are the bandages tight enough?"
"Yes they're fine, thank you." Mai said, an uncomfortable look on her face. "Um, you're being awfully nice to me your highness…"
"Well you are injured. Why shouldn't I be?" Ursa asked as Mai said nothing and looked awkwardly to the side.
"Oh boy, is Mai being a grumpy pants again?"
Both ladies turned to see Ty Lee moving towards them, also sporting her own set of injuries, though was still able to walk and move easily.
"Your friend is perfectly fine. Though I think she could use someone to talk to right now." Ursa said, smiling gentle at a still embarrassed Mai.
Ty Lee let out a small chuckle. "I can see that. May we have a moment your majesty?"
"Of course." Ursa said as she gathered her medical supplies and went to attend more wounded.
Mai let out a sigh of relief as Ty Lee sat next to her, noting her obvious discomfort. "You don't have to feel bad accepting their help you know. They're happy to do it, not to mention grateful. I mean if it wasn't for you, Bato and his men wouldn't have found their way past the blockade to the palace and we wouldn't have gotten the numbers we needed to overwhelm the pirates. You're a hero Mai."
"Pff. Yeah right. Some hero I am." Mai scoffed. "In case you've forgotten, I still helped Ozai in his plans to take over the Fire Nation. He and Azula killed people and threw others in prison, while I stood aside and did nothing. I didn't even try to defend you when Azula locked you away. I mean…how can you and everyone else forgive me so easily after all that?"
"Hey, we all make mistakes." Ty Lee said as she put a comforting arm around Mai's good shoulder. "You may have done some bad things but you still came through when it mattered most and saved a lot of lives in the process. I think that's worthy of forgiveness, don't you?"
Mai looked at Ty Lee in surprise and finally smiled in acknowledgment. "I guess you're right. Thanks Ty Lee."
"No problem!" Ty Lee said cheerfully, accidentally slapping Mai's bandaged shoulder, causing her to flinch. "Oops! Sorry..."
Mai groaned and rubbed her sore shoulder. "By the way, where'd you learn all that mushy forgiveness stuff from anyways?"
"Oh…just a very special and forgiving friend." Ty Lee blushed as she glanced over at Sokka, who was helping bandage up a soldier's leg.
"Really? You and the Water Tribe prince?" Mai asked looking between them.
"Well it's nothing official yet…" Ty Lee said, blushing more.
"But, how is that going to work when he goes back?" Mai asked.
Ty Lee froze. "Goes back?"
"I mean, assuming Zuko overthrows Ozai and becomes Fire Lord, that would mean the Water Tribe siblings are free to go back home right? And given their dad is dead, that would make Sokka the new chief of the Southern Water Tribe right?"
"That is right…" Ty Lee said as a sad realization spread across her face. "He'll have to return home…I might never see him again..."
Seeing she was upset, Mai frowned. "Sorry. You came to cheer me up and I ended up upsetting you…"
Ty Lee glanced at her friend, managing a half smile. "So what else is new?"
Mai then leaned forward and put a reassuring arm around Ty Lee who hugged her back. Ty Lee then glanced sadly over at Sokka, hoping she'd at least have one more chance to be with the Water Tribe boy before he left behind the Fire Nation for good.
"Look! It's the prince!"
Everyone looked toward the sky as Appa flew overhead, landing in the middle of the soggy, rain drenched courtyard. Aang and Toph appeared and helped Zuko to the ground, each supporting an arm of his as he walked forward tenderly, his leg covered in a make-shift bandage. A few citizens rushed forward to offer cover from the rain and helped escort the three under one of the tents.
"Zuko!" Katara cried out as she rushed toward them. Aang and Toph moved aside as Katara lunged forward and hugged him tightly. "Thank goodness you're okay!"
"For the most part." Zuko winced under her tight grip. "Can you ease up a little? Feeling a bit sore right now."
"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Katara said releasing him quickly. "Are you hurt badly? What happened to your leg?"
"It's just a burn. Nothing a quick healing session can't fix." Zuko said gesturing to his bandaged leg.
Katara looked over his injuries, noting that they didn't seem too serious, and sighed in relief. "I'm just glad you made it through in one piece."
"Me too. Though honestly, if a herd of a baboofallo couldn't destroy me, I don't think anything could at this point." Zuko said with a halfhearted smile, which Katara returned.
"Zuko, my baby!" Ursa cried out as she rushed forward, throwing her arms around Zuko. "Are you alright? Are you injured? What happened to you?"
"Relax mom, I'm alright." Zuko said hugging her back. "Just a little battle damage is all."
"And Ozai? Is he…?" Ursa started to ask.
"Yeah what happened to Ozai?" Asked a solider.
"Has he been defeated?" Asked a Fire Nation citizen.
"Are you the new Fire Lord now?"
"Does this mean the war is over?"
"Is someone gonna fix my house!?"
Zuko paused as he noticed the increasing crowd of people, both Fire Nation and Water Tribe alike, who now gathered around loudly asking questions all with varying senses of urgency. These were the people who came to his aid and now the ones looking to him for guidance. And he knew exactly how to give it to them.
"People, please!" Ursa yelled out. "Give my son some space, he's injured and-"
"It's okay mom." Zuko then placed a hand on her shoulder, causing her to pause mid-sentence. He gave her a reassuring look before limping forward, taking a deep before addressing the curious crowd.
"Friends, citizens and allies of the Fire Nation. I would like to make the announcement that Fire Lord Ozai's reign...has officially come to end."
The crowd gasped in surprise before dissolving into relieved and celebratory cheers, only broken by the voice of a one citizen.
"So does that mean you're the one in charge now?" Asked the skeptical citizen. "And just how do you plan to fix things exactly? You haven't exactly been around much nor do you have any experience ruling. How do we know we can rely on you as Fire Lord?"
The crowd talked in concerned murmurs until Zuko addressed them.
"Your concerns are valid. I know I wasn't around to witness all the strife and hardship you all faced these last eight years. Part of that is my fault for failing to accept my royal responsibilities and fight back for the crown sooner. But I did come back and I fought tooth and nail against my Uncle in order to free everyone. There's no way I will let that sort of thing happen again. I know a lot of you might be hesitant or would refuse to accept me as your Fire Lord due to my past choices, but if given the chance, I swear to uphold the ideals and values of my father Fire Lord Iroh and will spend the rest of my reign fixing the damage caused by Ozai. No longer will our nation wither and starve or be in a constant state of war. Together with your support, I would like to rebuild our nations anew."
The crowd deliberated in murmurs at first until a loud chuckle broke through the crowd. Bumi then walked toward Zuko, laughing cheerfully before clapping him on the shoulder. "An excellent speech my dear boy! Reminds me of the way your father would address the crowds. All you need now is a little support to give your words some weight."
Zuko smiled gratefully as Bumi turned to address the crowd. "Citizens of the Fire Nations! Let it be known that I, King Bumi of Omashu, one of the reigning monarchs of the Earth Kingdom and a long-time friend to the Fire Nation royal family, do so give my blessing to Prince Zuko's claim to the throne. Should he assume the crown, I pledge to involve my fellow rulers in ending wartime and helping to rebuilding our nations together, effective immediately."
The crowd chatted in surprise, further enhanced once Sokka stepped forward. "The same goes for me. I, Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe, rightful chief of the southern icy regions and longtime friend to the Fire Nation royal family, also give my blessing to Prince Zuko's claim. Upon his coronation, I will agree to a mutual ceasefire between us and our northern sister tribe, as well the reopening of all trade routes. I also give my blessing to whatever possible future unions that may occur between our nations." He then glanced and smiled over at Katara who looked surprised at Sokka's declared support but nonetheless clapped excitedly with the crowd.
Sensing that the crowd was coming around, Toph elbowed Aang. "Come on twinkle toes, put in your support."
"What, why? I'm not a king or a political figure." Aang said in confusion.
"Yeah but you are the only representative of the Air Nomads here currently." Toph said. "Zuko's gonna need all the help he can get from all four nations. Besides, we did say we'd help him any way we could."
"But how am I supposed to-" Toph then pulled his ear down and began aggressively whispering into it. Aang's eyes widened as he suddenly understood.
As the crowd talked among themselves, Aang nervously stepping forward and raised his hand. "Um, I…I too would like to throw in my support for Prince Zuko. I am Aang, former member of the Gyatso division of the Southern Air Temple. I may not have any royal roots or political influence, nor have I known the Prince as long as the others here have. But I do know him, and can vouch for his convictions and his character. I'm just a regular kid, and yet Zuko has never let me down or treated me as anything less than a friend. He's gone above and beyond, even going so far as to save my life. I can't promise you anything from my nation, but I can promise my personal loyalty to Prince Zuko, a loyalty I know he's given me and will give all of you tenfold."
Zuko looked gratefully at his friends who both gave him a thumbs up. Even Bumi looked impressed with the air benders words. With the support from all four nations, the crowd was finally swayed and began chanting for Zuko to become their new Fire Lord.
"All hail Prince Zuko! All hail the new Fire Lord!"
Zuko beamed proudly upon the crowd as they cheered for him. Well, most of them.
"Boo! Hiss! Down with the royal family!"
Everyone looked outside the tent where the pirates resided in their make-shift prison, drenched from the rain and looking miserable. One of the nastier looking pirates gripped the bars of his cage as he yelled out loud. "You're nothing but a usurping, lying weasel you fire-spinning pretty boy!"
The citizens began to boo at the pirates until Zuko walked over to them, much to the surprise of everyone.
"Well looky here boys, the new Fire Lord has come to grace us with his presence." Said one of the louder pirates. "Come to silence us or you just gonna execute us where we sit? Doesn't matter to us, do your worst you filthy royal. We've already suffered enough at the hands of your no-good lying family!" The pirate spat at his feet while others shouted in agreement. Zuko looked over the crowd pirates, most of whom were silently looking away or looked genuinely scared by small group of pirates taunting.
Zuko then turned to Bumi. "Would you mind bending a roof over their heads please?"
Bumi looked confused but nonetheless complied as he raised his arms, causing a stone slab to appear out of the nearby wall, shielding the pirates from the rain. Zuko then stepped toward the pirates, who looked confused as well as suspicious.
"Alright what's going on?" Asked one of the pirates wiping the rain water from off his face. "Is this some kind of trick?"
"No trick." Zuko shook his head. "I just wanted to shield you all from the rain."
"Well aren't you as sweetheart now?" A pirate said in saccharinely sweet tone. "Need to dry us off before you hang us?"
"There will be no executions today. Or at all, if you listen to what I'm about to say." Zuko responded. "I know a lot of you are skeptical and even outright hostile against the crown, but I'm here to offer you a genuine alternative to both jail time and possible execution."
The pirates looked between themselves in confusion. "And that would be?"
"I have a plan that involves a rehabilitation project for the Fire Nation." Zuko explained. "Given a lot of you are responsible for the destruction of many homes and businesses, I think it only fair to the citizens of the Fire Nation that you all help clean and rebuild the mess you've helped to make. Work for me on this project and in exchange, I promise to grant you all amnesty for your crimes as well as a job as part of the first royal reconstruction crew. Anyone who refuses or has committed a particularly egregious crime will still be sentenced to jail time but will also receive a fair trial that hopefully won't result in execution."
The pirates murmured between themselves, skeptical of Zuko's plan. Meanwhile behind him, the crowd began chatting worriedly, as they still remembered what happened the last time their Fire Lord showed the pirates mercy.
"What is he doing?" Katara asked Ursa worriedly. "He's going to lose the crowd again if he shows the pirates mercy."
"Let's just see where he's going with this." Ursa said cautiously.
Eventually the pirates ended up laughing out loud to themselves in amusement.
"Ha! As if we'll believe the words of a royal. Your forefathers all broke their promises to us pirates. Even your uncle, who said we'd never go hungry, kept all the food for himself and left us to starve! How do we know you won't do the same exact thing?"
"Because unlike my forefathers, I've been in your shoes before." Zuko responded. "I've lived on the street and know what it's like to scrap for food. I've even broken the law on many occasions in order to do so. I know what it's like to be desperate enough that you'll do whatever it takes to survive. I'm sure that's what a lot of you have done as a result of my uncle's promises and why many of you newer people became pirates over these last eight years. Which is why I'm giving you all this chance to redeem yourselves and be treated like regular citizens again. Even those who've been pirating for years will get a second chance should they so choose. Do this, and not only will you be rewarded with food and housing for your hard work, but you'll never have the need to steal or turn to crime for support again."
The pirates all looked uncertain and mumbled to each other, some seeming to consider his offer while others merely scowled in disapproval.
Just then, Mai walked forward, her arm now wrapped in a sling. Standing before Zuko, she knelt down and bowed before him, much to the surprise of the pirates.
"I accept your offer Prince Zuko. I've done many things I regret in the name of Lord Ozai's regime and am eager to redeem myself for my shameful mistakes. If you'll have me, I pledge eternal loyalty to the Fire Nation throne and will rebuild what I helped destroy."
The pirates looked between themselves in confusion, amazed that Zuko managed to win over one of Ozai's top generals.
Ty Lee then stepped forward as well and bowed before Zuko. "The same goes for me. I too pledge my eternal loyalty to the Fire Nation throne and will help rebuild."
Spurred by that, two of the pirates got up and walked toward the bars of their prison before bowing down to Zuko. "We pledge ourselves too."
"As do we!"
"And us!"
Four more followed suit. Then eight, then twelve, then twenty. Before long, nearly all the pirates were kneeling toward Zuko, pledging their loyalties to the crown. The select few who refused merely scowled silently and looked away in disgust.
"We'll do as you ask Fire Lord." Said one of the pirates. "So long as you keep your promise and grant us amnesty."
"Thank you all. I assure you, I intend to keep those promises, so long as you do your part and respect my rule." Zuko responded, nodding to the pirates.
From behind, the once apprehensive crowd was now applauding their soon-to-be Fire Lord, clearly impressed with his diplomatic skills and ability to win over the pirates.
Bumi put his hand on Zuko's shoulder. "Inspiring former enemies into becoming allies eh? Now that is the mark of a true leader."
Zuko smiled proudly as he looked at all his new subjects and back at his other subjects, who were now cheering and ready to put their faith in him, confident that he would restore their nation to its once former glory.