Big thanks to Kimjuni2 and Kelev for reviewing last chapter. So this is the most exciting part of Zuko's rites of passage, his final choice in going against his father and joining Aang's group to save the world. I had to admit that I probably didn't get as many people's POV's in here as I wanted, mainly because I had so much to write about. Whatever the case, I purposely left some stuff open for interpretation, so if there is any confusion, feel free to raise them to me.
Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko own Avatar.
Zuko's POV
There was a strange silence at the palace as I stepped back into my bedroom, removing my headpiece and changing out of my formal clothes. It was the day of the eclipse, and my father ordered a full-scale evacuation into underground bunkers. While there would be a few battalions of Fire Nation troops defending the capital city for the moment, all citizens and other military staff were to head below. Mai told me she would be down there, and would meet up with me once this was over, but I had a feeling that wouldn't be for a very long time.
My mind was a mess as I unfurled a long piece of paper, setting it upon my desk as I prepared ink and brush. Part of my departure from the Fire Nation to join the Avatar meant I had to separate from Mai, which was something I truly didn't want to do. She and I had such a great bond, to the point where not even Azula could tear us apart. But with what happened at the war meeting, there was no way I could continue sitting back while the world blew up around me. Right now, the most difficult thing seemed to be conveying in exact words what I wanted to tell Mai. "Dear Mai, I'm sorry you have to find out like this, but I'm leaving," I began, every single word stinging my heart. Why was it that by choosing the world I had to sacrifice my girlfriend?
After what seemed like a painstaking eternity, the letter was finally complete. I nearly felt a tear creep up to me as I rolled up to sheet and placed it on the side of my desk. I still had other things to gather before heading out, but my mind seemed anything but ready. Throughout the whole time, I kept thinking about how wrong this was, and only days ago I was completely happy here, feeling welcome, safe, and even with Azula's intrusions every now and then, protected. No one in their right mind would cast aside this life just to journey on the road again.
But this journey not only would affect the outcome of my life, but the lives of many people still struggling in this war. With so many lives at risk, letting this plan proceed wouldn't just be madness, it would be immoral. Putting on my cloak, I took my dual swords out and grabbed Mai's letter. Before heading off, I stepped up to a portrait containing the face of my mother. My mother, who I hadn't seen for years, and most likely dead, reminded me off all the things I stood for. When I was young, she would tell me how proud she was of me, as I never stopped fighting even when the odds were weak. She felt my actions showed character, relating it to me never backing down from my principles either.
I nearly chuckled as I how hard it was to fight for my principles when I didn't even know what they were until now. All this time when I thought I did the right thing, it was actually the wrong thing. Mom's death meant no one was there to guide me on the right path, but I soon found that advisor in Uncle, whose words strangely resembled my mother's. He told me to never give up, and he never gave up on me either, and all I did in return was break his heart. I made a mental note to address this before I left, as I still had to rush this letter to Mai's house first.
To no one's surprise, the streets were empty and silent, with only the occasional breeze of hot wind whistling through. I quickly entered Mai's house and into her bedroom, with no servant being there to greet me. Mai told me her servants went to the bunker with her, just to be safe. As I made it to Mai's bed, my feet felt heavier than boulders. She kept a picture of us together there, making me realize how much more this would hurt her. "I'm sorry, Mai," I whispered, putting the note on her pillow. I stood there for a couple of minutes, trying to erase the impending sadness. There was no way this hole in my heart would refill anytime soon.
I made my way back to the palace, returning to my chamber one more time to gather all the needed materials. After I left, there would probably be no coming back here for a long time, almost like I was placing myself in exile again. My main plan was to deal with my father, telling him what I was going to do, before rescuing my uncle. As I put on all my weapons, I glanced at my mother's portrait one more time. "I know I've made some bad choices, but today, I'm going to set things right," I vowed, taking a deep breath before doing a full kowtow to her. My true journey of redemption would start today. Only a few people, myself included, knew of my father's actual location, and it was time I took advantage of that privilege.
I slipped into the underground bunker and made my way to the Fire Lord's chamber. There was rumbling from above as I ventured deeper in, signalling that the invasion had begun. Part of the advantage of living in an extinct volcano was that there were natural underground passages within, allowing one to access the heart of the volcano. It was purposely decided that the Fire Lord's bunker would not be overly elaborate, as a way to mislead our enemies, should they make their way down here. But for me, the Avatar's group wasn't the true enemy anymore.
Finally, I was at my father's door, an unassuming grey metallic entrance with no special decorations whatsoever. My heart raced to indescribable rates as I thought about what would happen here. Last time I truly confronted him, I ended up walking out with a scar on my face. But this time, even if there were to be physical damage, I would stand my ground. There was absolutely no fire bending involved right now, with the eclipse about to begin. Both of us would be incapacitated, and there was no way he could hurt me. Taking a deep breath, I murmured to myself, "I'm ready to face you." With that, I slowly stepped forward and opened the door.
I caught my father sipping a cup of tea, all the while sitting comfortably behind a line of guards. "Why are you here?" he demanded, giving me a suspicious look. Normally, that look would get me scurrying away in fear, but no such thing today.
"I'm here to tell the truth," I replied, my muscles tensing as I stared him down. My father seemed somewhat amused by that idea, as he dismissed the guards, leaving us two alone. Well, at least that was a good start, given it was truly a one-on-one battle should he attack me. "First of all, in Ba Sing Se, it was Azula who took down the Avatar, not me," I stated, bringing him back to the set of lies Azula fed him when I first returned home. I nearly wanted to say that it was my father's own gullibility and blind patronage to my sister that led him to believing her lies. "The Avatar's not dead, he survived. In fact, he's probably leading this invasion. He could be on his way here right now."
"Get out!" My father roared, shooting out of his seat, "Get out of my sight right now if you know what's good for you." Wow, that got a reaction out of him. So finally he realized his precious fire bending prodigy wasn't the loyal little princess that he expected her to be? Wait until he heard about what was really going on; he would really blow a gasket then!
"That's another thing, as I'm not taking orders from you anymore," I retorted, just as he slowly stood up. Pulling out my dual swords, I forced him back into his seat, pulling the reversal on him as I ordered, "I am going to speak my mind, and you are going to listen."
My father begrudgingly took a seat, his eyes shooting death glares at me. But I was not about to let him intimidate me anymore, opting to stand up for my beliefs and what was right for the world. "For so long, all I wanted was for you to love me, to accept me. I thought it was my honour that I wanted, but really, I was just trying to please you. You, my father, who banished me just for talking out of turn. My father, who challenged me, a thirteen-year-old boy, to an Agni Kai," I stated my grievances. He and Azula might call this pointless emotional rambling, but I didn't care about that now. "How can you possibly justify a duel with a child?" I challenged.
To no one's surprise, my father insisted the duel and the subsequent exile was to teach me respect. "It was cruel, and it was wrong," I shouted, pointing my right sword at him, "I've learned everything, and I've had to learn it on my own. Growing up, we were taught that the Fire Nation was the greatest civilization in history. And somehow, the war was our way of sharing our greatness with the rest of the world. What an amazing lie that was! The people of the world are terrified by the Fire Nation. They don't see our greatness, they hate us, and we deserve it!"
There was no reaction from the Fire Lord as he continued staring emotionlessly while I pointed out the result of us committing these horrendous crimes against humanity. "We've created an era of fear in the world, and if we don't want the world to destroy itself, we ought to replace it with an era of peace and kindness." I concluded, my words echoing from the walls.
My father laughed in my face as he heard this idea, ridiculing it with unbelievably cruel words. "Your uncle has gotten to you, hasn't he?" He sneered. It took every ounce of energy not to attack him on the spot, as the reason Uncle was in prison right now was because of my father.
"He has," I responded, turning anger into confidence. Uncle taught me more about life than the individual before me. "After I leave here today, I'm going to free Uncle Iroh from his prison, and I'm going to beg for his forgiveness. He's the one who's been a real father to me."
Taking a deep breath, I released the last bit of information, one that would change the Fire Nation forever. "But I've come to a more important decision: I'm going to join the Avatar, and I'm going to help him defeat you." This was the same choice Uncle gave me when we were in Ba Sing Se, only to have me royally mess it up. Now, with these the eclipse and the invasion simultaneously happening, hopefully I could set things right. I doubted anyone, including Uncle, would be happy to see me in this state, but I had to do it for everyone's sakes.
My father's defiance in my face only proved he wouldn't accept this easily. Claiming that neither of us had fire bending, but I still had my swords, he again challenged me to fight him. But I wasn't about to fall for the temptation. "I know my own destiny," I replied, "taking you down is the Avatar's destiny." With that, I sheathed my swords and bid him farewell.
I could hear my father taunting me, claiming I was a coward by challenging him during an eclipse when our powers were down. Again, I knew better than to listen to that nonsense. There were bigger issues at hand, such as freeing Uncle Iroh. I still hoped Uncle would forgive my actions at Ba Sing Se, and assuming he did, I really hoped Uncle could help me find the Avatar's group and convinced them to accept me. Uncle seemed to get along with most people in their group quite well, so surely he had some way of swaying them, right?
Suddenly, my father unleashed some words that I couldn't possibly ignore. "Do you want to know what happened to your mother?" he suggested, freezing me on the spot. Given that she disappeared for so long, she must have died, right? What information was he withholding?
I slowly turned around, facing my father again as he described what happened on the last night my mother was still around. "My father, Fire Lord Azulon, had commanded me to do the unthinkable to you, my own son, and I was going to do it," he explained, referring to that final meeting between them. I still recalled how Azula demonstrated her fire bending skills so well, but I flubbed the test of reciting our nation's history to him. So Azula wasn't lying after all when she told me I was going to be killed that day. My father wasn't just cruel, he was a monster!
"Your mother found out, and swore she would protect you at any cost," my father continued, his voice monotonous but laced with acid, "she knew I wanted the throne, so she proposed a plan, a plan in which I would become Fire Lord, and your life would be spared. Your mother did vicious, treasonous things that night. She knew the consequences and accepted them. For her treason, she was banished." He concluded, showing no remorse for what happened.
The same, however, couldn't be said of me, as I broke a tear when I heard there was a chance that she was alive. So my mother gave up everything just to keep me alive, and I messed up my own life just to please this despicable human being? How many more disgusting things might have occurred had my mother didn't step in? How could I have been so ungrateful for those who supported me when this was how far my mother went? This only strengthened my will to set things right, as not only must I redeem myself before Uncle, but also before my mother.
But my father was far from done, and based on how I felt my fire bending chi getting stronger, I realized the eclipse was ending and fire bending was about to return. "Now I realize that banishment was far too merciful a penalty for treason," he stated, "your penalty will be far steeper." With that, he whipped his arms around, lightning snaking out his hands. In one smooth gesture, he shot the bolts towards me, enough to send me reeling back.
Luckily, I brought my hand up in time, absorbing the energy and letting it pass my body. I hadn't told anyone about Uncle's lightning redirection technique, and this was the first time I ever attempted it. Uncle warned me how dangerous it was to store that much energy in my body, and I was in total fright as the power coursed through me. Twisting around, I sent the electricity out my other hand. Earlier, I told my father I would leave his life in the Avatar's hands. But right now, if I didn't take him out, I would be taken out. Besides, after what he did to my mother, he should get a taste of his own medicine. Aiming at the throne, I shot the lightning back.
I didn't even bother to see the results as a huge explosion rocked the area. I hurried out of the chamber, through the tunnels and towards the prison. My mind was still flustered from the notion that my mother might still be alive, but I had to cast that aside for now. Uncle Iroh was the main priority here, and I couldn't let anything happen to him before I got there. As I raced into the dark, damp building, heading straight for Uncle's cell, I realized there were injured guards all around me. What happened in this place? "Uncle," I called as I reached his room.
Oddly enough, the place was in tatters, with the bars of the cell being nothing more than a twisted wreck. There was one guard lying at the side of the cell, dazed and beaten. What if there was a fight, and this guy either tried to hurt Uncle, or couldn't defend Uncle from whoever came in? Grabbing the guard by his collar, I demanded, "Where is my uncle?"
The guard was weak and tired, but still managed to eke out, "He's gone. He busted himself out. I've never seen anything like it. He was like a one-man army," he stuttered. Well, at least that was one piece of good news, with Uncle at least surviving the eclipse. There wasn't any time to find out where he was, and with fire benders now out and about in the city, the only chance I had was to get to the Avatar's group before they left.
I got out just in time to see our Fire Nation airships bombarding the shores, presumably at whatever equipment the Avatar's team had left to get out of this place. I recalled that the Avatar had a Sky Bison, meaning he could fly away if need be. The only thing fast enough to catch him was our air fleet, and the only equipment small enough was a war balloon. With that thought, I raced to the nearest base and boarded one, piloting it all by myself as I took to the skies. I might have thought this plan through thoroughly, but it was evident that it failed nonetheless. With Uncle missing and no one in the Fire Nation I could turn to, I was truly all alone.
Zuko's POV
"I've changed, and I'm good now," I stuttered to the Avatar and his three friends. I followed the Avatar's Sky Bison to the Western Air Temple, which, coincidentally, was the first place Uncle and I went to after my exile. It was fairly ironic that journey led to three years of fruitless searching, only for me to run into the Avatar again in the same spot.
"Oh, and I can teach fire bending, to you," I continued, gesturing at the young air bender to the far left of their formation. My hands shook violently as I emphasized my coming in peace, albeit not very successfully. I didn't expect it to be easy, with how many old wounds this opened up. For half a year, I harassed this group nonstop, to the point where some might have lost their lives. Now, to convince them I was good and to be trusted, I could imagine how difficult it was.
There was no surprise at all when the group unleashed on me simultaneously, giving me a cacophony of angry words ranging from trust, to hunting them down, and capturing the Avatar, all of which I was guilty of doing. Seeing their reaction, I knew I wasn't having too much success here. My goodness, how could I swing the argument my way?
"I've done some good things," I pointed out, looking at the large furry creature lying peacefully to my right, "I could have stolen your bison in Ba Sing Se, but I set him free. That's something." I already received a huge lick from the bison when I first approached the group, and I just got its tongue splashing against my backside again. Even the bison itself agreed with me, and the Avatar bonded closely with it, so that would show them my point, right?
Their earth bender agreed with that act, pointing out the bison did seem to like me, but I was still having trouble cracking their armour. They even claimed I poured honey all over myself just to get licked by a bison. What? Would I ever do something that crazy? But then again, I was crazy enough to send an assassin after them, so maybe they weren't too far off...
Wait, shouldn't have said that out loud. Now they brought the full load on me, pointing out how I invaded their village, how I stole the water bending necklace from them, and how I kidnapped certain individuals at various times. I took several deep breaths to clear my head, but I knew the situation was getting the best of me. The two girls claimed the assassin locked them in jail and tried to blow up a town, making things go from bad to worse. As I scanned the scene, I realized the Avatar didn't speak. "Why aren't you saying anything?" I asked gently, "you once said you thought we could be friends," I pointed out the Blue Spirit incident. I reacted angrily to him after we left Zhao's prison together, but would the Avatar still feel the same way now?
The boy glanced at his group, and then back at me like a metronome as nervous beads now raced down my head. The boy's grey eyes were restless, almost like he was torn between his team and me. I doubted he had any fire bending experience, and that was one factor he had to consider. But could practicality of having a fire bending teacher outweigh our tainted history?
Unfortunately, the Avatar's verdict was in the negative. "There's no way we can trust you after everything you've done," he spat, his eyes now flashing in anger, "We'll never let you join us." With that conclusion, I knew my mission was pretty much dead on arrival.
By then, nothing I said convinced them. Even when I offered myself as their prisoner, they still wouldn't take me. Their water bender was harsh enough to douse me with her water, as each set of eyes stared murderously at me. It didn't take a genius to figure out that I was no longer welcome here, I slowly climbed out of the temple, drenched and dishonoured. I hated to say it, but this equalled my father stripping me of my title in terms of humiliation.
I retreated back to my camp, trying hard not to yell in frustration. I didn't doubt their anger at me, but I seriously hated the way I handled their anger. I understood that being honest to them was better than feeding them more lies, but telling them I sent an assassin after them was just plain stupid! Why didn't I just slide that blame to Azula or someone like that? Sheesh! With nothing more I could do, the only thing I could think of was set up camp and rest for the night. I had a feeling that their group would be staying here for the next little while, so I was bound to have another chance to reach out to them. With their defeat at the Fire Nation capital still fresh on their minds, maybe they were just having trouble facing up to their failure there?
As I lied down on my sheets, staring at the shadows flickering over my tent, I thought about how I used to be a messed-up person thinking only about myself. I was so obsessed with capturing that boy that I didn't care for the wellbeing of others, including my uncle and my crew. Seeing how poorly I treated everyone, forcing them through life and death situations and hurling an immense amount of insults and putdowns at them, I wasn't surprised that I was now subject to this treatment by the Avatar's group. Funny how karma always got back at you, huh?
But at the same time, I realized how this would truly test my mettle, not just as a prince, but as a person. The current world was full of mistrust and bad feelings, and there was no way we could achieve peace without finding some common ground. Considering the Avatar's group was as diverse as it would get, I would say this was a good first test for me. As my mother said, I was a fighter, and wouldn't back down for anything. It'd be cowardly if I backed down now.
Suddenly, I heard a slight rustling from the woods. "Who's there?" I demanded, leaping out of my sleeping bag. The Avatar's group was pretty steamed at me earlier, and it wouldn't put it past me that they might be on the attack. Moreover, with me being branded as a traitor by the Fire Nation, I was fearful that Azula somehow tracked me here, and was sending the army after me this instant. Hearing the sounds getting louder, I hurled a fire whip that way. "Stay back!"
But the second I heard the voice yelping in pain, I knew I made yet another mistake. It was their earth bender, and she just took a dive to the ground. "You burned my feet!" She yelled in pain, turning around and trying frantically to crawl away. Geez, I was really on a roll today, wasn't I? Was there anyone that I hadn't insulted with my words or actions yet?
"I'm sorry, it was a mistake!" I called, trying to dodge the clumps of earth she now threw at me with her hands, "Let me help you!" I finally got a hand on her shoulder, flipping her onto her back. Even in the darkness, I saw her feet becoming bright red, which wasn't a good sign.
But putting that blind girl on her back was an even worse sign for me, as that meant she had full access to the earth below. Before long, a huge pillar shot up from under me, sending me straight into the air before landing a short distance away. My entire body was in numbing pain, and all I could do was keep hollering at the girl, who disappeared into the night. As if her team didn't harass me enough, now this was truly embarrassing. "Why am I so bad at being good?" I shouted. At this rate, they might just come after me right now!
I had a relatively sleepless night as that vision swirled in my mind, wondering if I just severed my last tie to the Avatar's group. I was a traitor to the Fire Nation, and sworn enemy of the Avatar's group. It was times like these I really wished Uncle was around, as I really wanted his convoluted wisdom right now. Unfortunately, until further notice, this was something that I had to do on my own. By the time morning broke through the dark sky, I pretty much wasted all night going back and forth and in circles in my thoughts.
But whatever sleeplessness I had was jolted away by the sounds of battle, with rocks rumbling and ground shaking throughout the canyon. I raced down to the air temple, only to see that same assassin I hired attacking the Avatar's group with reckless abandon. Either he took my words literally when I ordered that he ended the boy, or he no longer acted under my command. With the Avatar's group distrusting me, how would this make them feel? Getting desperate, I jumped into the scene, blocking the assassin's path and ordering him to stop attacking.
Well, how rude! As if the Avatar's group tossing me wasn't enough, now the assassin was doing the same to me? I slowly picked myself up, dodging more debris as he shot another blast at the group below. At this rate, this whole place would be destroyed. Was there anything that I could do to stop this madness? As I rushed at him again, this time I got clutched right at the collar. "I'll pay you double to stop!" I shouted. Cheesy, but whatever worked to halt him, right?
Apparently, I was wrong. In my attempt to get free, I spun around and kicked the assassin right in the chest. Now I was at the receiving end of his blasts, blocking his highly precise shooting with my fire. Before I knew it, I ran out of room, skidded off the edged and hanging onto a vine underneath the platform. "Kind of hard to climb back up when this whole place is shaking," I muttered to myself as the assassin unleashed another series of shots, the resulting aftershocks threatening to shake loose my grip.
Just then, there was a huge explosion, the largest one yet, tearing a large section of the temple adjacent to me right off the cliff side. I had no idea what just happened, but I couldn't hear the assassin anymore. The only thing I saw was a glitter falling into the gorge below, most likely a piece of the assassin's armour. I was in total shock, but it seemed like the Avatar's group really defeated him. With no more blasts coming my way, I pulled myself back to the platform, crossing whatever rubble was left of that section before sliding down to meet the Avatar. It was only right that I came clean with them all, and truly explained myself to them.
Several sets of eyes bore into my soul, but none more important than the grey pair belonging to a certain bald boy. I didn't know how to describe it, but he seemed almost thankful that I tried to stop the assassin for them. "I've been through a lot the past few years, and it's been hard," I recounted, thinking of all the times I was hunting this boy down, "I thought I had lost my honour, and that somehow my father could return it to me. But I know now that no one can give you your honour, as it's something you earn for yourself by choosing to do what's right."
I slowly glanced around the formation, reading their faces one-by-one. With the exception of the female water bender I fought so many times before, I could see their expressions softening. My eyes stopped at the young earth bender now sitting on a lump of rock, her feet still swollen from my fire. "I'm sorry for what I did to you," I stated, giving her a quick bow, "it was an accident. Fire can be dangerous and wild, so as a fire bender, I have to be more careful when I control my bending, so I don't hurt people unintentionally."
Just then, in the biggest gesture so far, the Avatar himself approached me. Referring to my comment about being careful with fire, he told me of an incident in which he rushed into fire bending before the other elements, and burned someone he cared for. "But now I know that you understand how easy it is to hurt the people you love," he continued, oddly mirroring how my life had been this whole time. I had hurt a lot of people, mainly because I wasn't careful with my words or actions. So if the Avatar himself went through a similar trial, then maybe we had more in common than we originally thought. "I'd like you to teach me," he requested.
Before long, we bowed to each other, realizing that I was officially part of their group. The Avatar, Aang, introduced the others to me, inviting them to comment on his decision to allow me to join. Toph, the young girl I burned, was fairly accepting, claiming she wanted a chance to get me back for burning my feet. I could tell sarcasm in her voice, so dealing with her shouldn't be too much of a problem. Next was Sokka, the male water tribe warrior, who only cared for ending the war, and didn't mind me in the group as long as it served the goal. That was another easy pass, given I wouldn't go out of my way to cause him trouble. Finally, Aang set his eyes on the last person, Katara, the water bending girl. Out of everyone in the group, she had the most suspicion against me, and battled me individually the most. Could she let her anger go?
The fume etched onto her face said all, but despite her grudge, she was willing to go along with the Avatar's decision. I was totally overjoyed, wiping the cold sweat rushing down my face as I promised the group I wouldn't let them down. As they went their separate ways, I couldn't be happier with myself, realizing that for the first time ever, a plan that I concocted all by myself had went right. Despite all the failures in capturing the boy, and all the failures during my time in exile in the Earth Kingdom, I finally broke through for the first time. Things were looking up, and hopefully they would continue improving as we tried to end the war.
Zuko's POV
"I don't believe it," I whispered, watching the huge fire burning before my eyes. After I joined the Avatar's group, I immediately proceeded to teaching him fire bending. It wasn't a good start, as his teammates kept coming around, either taunting my efforts or making snarky remarks about our lessons. I could really do without being called a jerk bender, that's for sure.
But above all that, I came to a horrifying conclusion: I was losing my ability to bend. Throughout my life, I was taught in the Fire Nation that rage, anger, and hate fuelled the ferocity of our fire. But ever since I started teaching Aang, I no longer had that in me. For so long, Aang was the Fire Nation's biggest threat, and hunting him down was a main priority. Now that I was with him, I no longer felt hatred within me, losing whatever drive I used to have. That naturally decreased my powers, leading to a terrible situation where Aang might have to get a new teacher.
Because of this, Aang and I decided to travel to the original source of bending, on the advice of Toph. And here we were, in the ruins of the ancient Sun Warriors, whom I believed were extinct for over a century. Even though they were supposed to be long gone, their booby traps still worked pretty well, as Aang and I spent our whole day stuck in some gooey substance. We did a crazy dragon dance in front of some statues and a golden egg-shaped treasure appeared. Well, at least I took initiative and grabbed it, rather than let Aang go wishy-washy and babble aimlessly. How could he be the all-powerful Avatar if he couldn't even make up his mind?
"You will each take a piece of it to the masters, to show your commitment to the sacred art of fire bending," the Sun Warrior chief explained, his tone stern and uncompromising. Given my family history, I wasn't really welcome here. Fire Lord Sozin felt it was a great way to attain status by defeating dragons, the most powerful fire benders in the world. The last dragon was supposedly killed by my uncle Iroh, who did it before he went on his siege at Ba Sing Se. The chief told us the masters would judge us worthy and taught us, or judge us unworthy and burn us to ashes on the spot. How come I had a bad feeling that they would do the latter to us?
The large man pulled out a fireball from the source, splitting it into two and placing one in each palm. "This ritual teaches the essence of Sun Warrior philosophy," he continued, handing the flames to us, "you must maintain a constant heat. The flame will go out if you make it too small. Make it too big, and you might lose control." With that, I calmly took it into my hands.
Aang on the other hand, was nervous beyond belief. His hands shook uncontrollably as he reached for the fire. Earlier, he told me he was afraid of fire because he once burned Katara, and from that moment on he vowed never to bend fire again. But as the Avatar, part of his repertoire was to bend fire, whether he liked it or not. So unless he was willing to fight my father one element short, he better start getting used to dealing with fire.
Slowly, Aang allowed the chief to slide the flame into his hands, until it finally balanced onto his palms. "It's like a little heartbeat," he stuttered, his fearful expression now replaced by a mix of awe and apprehensiveness. Well, at least that was a start.
"Fire is life, not just destruction," the chief responded, and I knew he directed that at me as well, "you will take your flame up there," he pointed to a strange, two-peaked mountain, "the cave of the masters is beneath that rock." Suddenly our test became more complicated. Not only must we balance our force with the fire, but we must also navigate through their terrain. At least we were learning something new about fire bending. Hey, Aang was the one who insisted we went on this trip with an upbeat attitude, so maybe it was all worth it?
Aang and I traversed through forests, open grasslands, and up the mountain side, all the while staying relatively silent. All my life I saw him as the enemy, nothing more than my prize to regaining my honour. But while my honour was lost for three years, his was lost for a hundred years, as his disappearance from the world was the whole reason this brutal war continued the way it did. If I thought I had it hard going through all that suffering, how would that compared to Aang, who had to see all the destruction all the while knowing that he couldn't do a thing about it? There was no way I could compare our cases, as what happened to Aang was much more traumatizing than what happened to me. That's why my main mission right now was to help him end this war, and allowed him to establish a new harmony in living together.
Just as we neared the peaks, I saw Aang lagging behind, struggling to climb the rocks while keeping his fire intact. Sighing, I realized the main thing he had to do right now was to let go of his fear of fire. "Your flame will go out because it's too small. You're too timid," I stated, looking down the hills at the bald boy, who was still fretting about not being able to control the fire, "you can do it, I know you can. You're a talented kid."
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, we reached the pinnacle of our destination. There before us was a huge staircase leading to a horizontal platform that linked the two peaks, each with a cavernous opening that led to the masters. The Sun Warriors were already gathered before us, and the chief approached to give us final instructions. I swallowed hard as he again reminded me that it was my ancestors who killed off the dragons, knowing that the masters might not be too pleased to see me. But more shockingly, even Aang wasn't immune from their criticism either, as the chief pointed out Aang's absence from the world was what allowed the Fire Nation to kill the dragons. Well, way to point out our tainted pasts, huh?
In sequence, the Sun Warriors took a bit of fire from Aang and me, turning them into large rings as they got into a circular formation ending at the base of the stairs. Tribal drums were brought out, placed on the ground before each bearer of the fire ring as we were led to the front of the steps. Aang wanted to back out right now, claiming he learned more about fire bending than ever before, but I insisted we ventured ahead. "We're going to meet these masters and find out what's so great about them." I was more concerned with righting the wrongs of my country. "I think we can take these guys in a fight, whoever they are," I assured Aang.
Drummers and chanters sounded off simultaneously as Aang and I climbed the stairs. I took each step carefully, as the sheer age of this structure made me wonder what kept it standing all this time. Not a word was spoken as we reached the dizzying height of the platform, staring at the two cave located ominously on our sides. A voice below instructed us to present our flames. Well, this was it; sink or swim, it was all down to this act. I turned to the cave on the right while Aang did so likewise to the one on the left, our heads bowed in humility as we offered the flame. Masters, you could come out now! Feel free to teach whatever it was that you wanted us to learn.
A loud crunch from the caves shocked Aang into running at me, wondering what was happening. I looked around, my insides coiling as well, but there wasn't a person to be found. Just as I was about to tell Aang to stay concentrated, the boy was back again. "Zuko, my fire went out," he stated desperately, "give me some of yours."
I tried holding Aang off, insisting that he tried making some for himself, but he kept coming at me. "Stop cheating off me!" I yelled, all the while Aang accused me of being stingy. Our voices really echoed off the walls, to the point where I believed the Sun Warriors below us could hear. Boy, how would the masters react when they saw two guys wrestling each other at the pedestal fighting over a small fireball? They would roast us alive, that's for sure.
By the time our wrestling match ended, Aang was all over my back, his arms underneath mine while staring at me from over my shoulder. Despite the awkward posture, the bigger issue was evident: we lost the last bit of flame in the struggle. Now, with only our bare hands, we were at the mercy of the masters. Two eyes that glowed in the dark flashed at us, before the master shot out from the cave. I was in complete awe, as the master wasn't a person, but a dragon! The red beast snaked out from the opening and flew around us in a circle. This was followed by a blue dragon, identical in appearance to the red one, who followed suit and flew around in the opposite direction. Now we were in the spinning hub known as the dragons' serpentine bodies, not sure what to do as they continued their pattern. What could this all mean?
As the strange scene continued, I heard Aang, who stood a short distance away, make a strange request. "I think we're supposed to do the Dragon Dance with them," he whispered, referring to the crazy movement we did at the treasure room before we got booby-trapped. "Let's just try it, okay?" he insisted. Even though I thought Aang was crazy, I somehow agreed to it.
Aang and I stood back-to-back, going around our halves of the platform in a circle before meeting back in the middle. I took each step carefully, positioning my body like the statues in the treasure room. I could catch from the corner of my eye the red dragon flying parallel to me, almost mimicking my every move. With each swing, slide, and duck, I was in synch with the creature, almost like we were one. What was the dragon trying to tell me?
By the time Aang and I finished the routine, the two dragons stared ominously at us. Even though fire was the heat element, I felt shivers up my spine. The two dragons then perched below the platform, their mouths aiming right at us as judgment time arrived. Before I could even shield myself, a fire tornado shot up, covering us entirely and cooking this place. Were the Fire Prince and the Avatar about to be roasted alive by the two original fire benders in the world?
Oddly enough, the fire didn't touch our bodies at all. In fact, as I slowly opened my eyes, I felt no ferocity or anger in that fire. Rather, the flames were beautiful as they reached into the evening sky, creating colours that I never envisioned seeing before. It was then that I realized the masters' fire was radically different than what the Fire Nation was used to. It wasn't about rage or hate, but a celebration of life. Fire represented life, and the diversity of colours I saw in there was all about how each culture became a part of life. There was no battling between each one for power, but a melding of sorts, making our differences becoming one. As the vortex disappeared, the dragons flying back into their caves, I whispered to Aang, "I understand."
We slowly descended the stairs, still too shaken to say anything more. Aang and I both agreed there was new meaning to fire bending. As the Sun Warrior chief approached us, I asked him why the dragons were still alive. "My uncle Iroh said he faced the last dragon, and killed it."
Apparently, my uncle was lying, at least according to the chief. Uncle did indeed face the dragons, but they deemed him worthy and taught him the essence of fire bending. "He lied to protect them," I concluded. That would also explain why Uncle was able to be such a powerful fire bender, despite living most of his life without any anger or frustration. Now, thinking back to his lessons, I truly regretted not listening to his advice on fire bending.
I also came to another conclusion, and that was fire bending involved having an inner sun of some sort, serving as our energy to guide us. I lost my fire bending because I lost the only thing that guided me all those years: hunting Aang down. "But now, I have a new drive. I have to help you defeat my father and restore balance to the world," I declared to Aang. With that, I shot a fist out, this time unleashing the biggest fire blast I had seen in years. I was no longer angry, but still powerful. The dragons did me a good thing, and I would never forget their lesson.
But more importantly, I glanced over at Aang, who mimicked my move. And this time, there was fire coming from his palm, lighting up the sky and enough for me to see the huge smile on his face. Whatever the case, the Fire Prince and the Avatar were back, and there would be no stopping us in achieving our goal of ending this war.
Sokka's POV
"Oh good, you guys have met," I approached Zuko and Suki mopping up a corner. I was embarking on what I considered the be the craziest adventure I had ever gone on, going into a Fire Nation maximum security prison known as the Boiling Rock to rescue my father. Just like Aang, who felt he failed the world yet again after our botched invasion, I too felt I failed all our allies. It was my decision to stay in the Fire Nation capital rather than evacuated that led to them being captured, and it was only right that I alone righted this wrong. As Zuko would always say when he was still capturing Aang, I wanted to restore my honour. The original plan was to sneak out of the Western Air Temple on Appa in the middle of the night, but things quickly changed.
"Actually, we kind of met a long time ago," Suki pointed out, eyeing Zuko suspiciously, "you kind of burned down my village." Zuko somehow invited himself along, insisting we used his war balloon instead of Appa. I wasn't too keen on having him around, since I didn't want this to affect anyone else. But when said war balloon crashed into the prison, we were forced to work together. Surprisingly, Zuko was very cooperative, showing me where to get guard uniforms just to blend in, and asking around to see if my father was here. Unfortunately, he wasn't, but we did manage to find Suki, and I was intent on freeing her as well.
"Oh, sorry about that. Nice to see you again," Zuko stuttered, recalling his invasion of Kyoshi Island way back when. Unfortunately, Zuko's disguise was shot down when I was in Suki's prison cell, meaning he was now a prisoner as well. The only thing I could do right now was to make sure they all got out safely. Earlier, I went to a set of isolation rooms known as the coolers, which were so cold that a regular fire bender couldn't possibly fire bend inside. Any unruly prisoner would be thrown in there for a period of time, just to incapacitate them for a while. But with the war balloon destroyed, that might be our only way out.
"I checked out the coolers again," I explained, pulling them further into the corner, "they are completely insulated, sealed to keep the cold in. To keep the cold in, they have to keep the heat out, right? It's a perfect boat for getting through the boiling water." I further described how there was a blind spot between two guard towers, letting us push the cooler down the hill and into the water. As long as we didn't make a sound, the plan should work perfectly.
Just then, what I didn't want to happen happened, as a prisoner overheard me. I recalled him as the prisoner who I helped throw into the coolers, a large man by the name of Chit Sang. He somehow was in the right place at the right time, and heard everything we said. Insisting that we let him in or he would inform the warden, I realized we had no choice. Pulling out a wrench, here was when Zuko really came in handy. Based on the way Zuko survived the cold at the North Pole, there was no way he couldn't stay in the cooler for long enough to unbolt it. He had been really great working with Aang in learning fire bending, and I had faith in him in working with me to get out of this place. "It's in your hands now," I reminded the fire bender.
Chit Sang and Zuko then decided to stage a fake fight in which Zuko would do a minimal amount of fire bending. Since fire bending was against the rules, Zuko would be thrown into the cooler where he could work his magic. Indeed, all went well as Zuko unleashed a fire fist at Chit Sang's feet. As Zuko got hauled away, I pulled Suki and Chit Sang aside again, informing them to meet at the blind spot at a specific time later in the day. If Zuko could make this work, then we would be home free. Think how happy everyone would be when Suki came to the air temple!
As I slowly followed the guards leading Zuko away, I thought about how crazy this whole thing was. We barely had enough time to breathe at the Western Air Temple when Zuko showed up, and naturally none of us trusted him. Toph was surprisingly warm to him, claiming he deserved a second chance, contrary to what we all thought. But when we saw Zuko defend us against the Combustion Man, that was when opinions started changing. Maybe having Zuko around wasn't a bad idea, and it was okay to start trusting him again. He did bond well with Toph, and later on Aang, who went to the Sun Warriors with him to learn fire bending, and he hadn't done anything to make us suspect him of turning on us again. Maybe Toph was right, and that we did let our emotions get in the way when he first came to us. So if this plan worked out, Zuko would have my undying gratitude when we got back to the temple.
But the temple also brought up another issue: my sister. I had never seen Katara this angry at a person before, to the point where she would take every chance possible to belittle that individual. I understood that she took our mother's death personally, and Zuko did once betray Katara in Ba Sing Se. But for me, I didn't think this could continue any longer, not when our goal was to work together to end the war. How could we work as one if we were busy fighting one another? If they still couldn't resolve their issues, then I would volunteer as their mediator, without any question. It was the very least I could do to repay Zuko for helping me, and perhaps allowed me to mend some fences, given I was personally affected by Mom's death too.
I waited until there was no one around before approaching Zuko's cooler. As I opened the door, Zuko showed me all the nuts and bolts wrapped up in his prisoner's garb. But before I could even speak, a couple of guards came by. Zuko lunged out to close the door, but left a sliver open to hear what they were saying. Apparently, new prisoners were coming, and they included war prisoners. "War prisoners, it could be your father," Zuko pointed out, "are we going ahead with the plan or are we waiting another night?" he asked, putting me in a sticky dilemma.
I thought about it for a long time, realizing that staying here for a slim chance that my dad would appear would mean compromising Suki's freedom. But if I came all this way with only saving my dad in mind, was it right to let this chance go? It really ate away at me as my mind twisted and turned, realizing that each decision I made I was going to sacrifice someone.
But with Chit Sang and other prisoners around, it wasn't worth the risk. If they didn't get out of here, then our plan would be in flames for sure. Deciding to go, I asked Zuko to help me pull the cooler out from the side of the building, slowly rolling it down the hill where everyone else would be waiting. "If I had just cut my losses in the invasion, maybe we wouldn't be in this mess," I concluded just as Chit Sang introduced two of his friends to us. They hopped into the cooler as I gathered my belongings at a nearby rock, all the while adding, "Maybe sometimes it's better to call it quits before you fail." It was my brashness and refusal to quit that made our allies be taken prisoners in the first place, so perhaps I shouldn't make the same mistake again.
But again, Zuko got involved, telling me not to worry about that. He didn't exactly make me feel better when he reminded me how many times both he and I failed, but I thought he had a point when he told me, "You can't quit because you're afraid you might fail." That was when it hit me: Zuko and I had more in common than I originally anticipated. I might have failed many times during my journey, but Zuko did so likewise when he failed many times trying to find Aang. But if those failures didn't stop him from reaching for his goal, then why should my failures stop me? Finally coming to a commitment, I told Chit Sang I wouldn't join him.
Fortunately, Suki and Zuko both decided to join me, leaving Chit Sang and his buddies to float down the currents by themselves. As we hid waiting for daybreak, when the gondola was supposed to arrive with new prisoners, I thought about the possibility that my dad wasn't on this gondola. If he wasn't here, I would have come for nothing. Before I found Suki, I originally felt this way, thinking I totally wasted our time. Here's hoping that I wouldn't feel this way again.
As the gondola arrived, my heart nearly skipped a beat. The doors creaked open in slow motion, with each prisoner slowly trudging out, wearing identical prison garbs with their hands chained. I bit my lower lip, hoping to all the spirits out there that my father was on board. An eternity passed before one final figure in the shadows slowly edged out. My eyes automatically widened as that familiar figure, tall and confident, strolled into the light. There was no doubt about it: my father had arrived at the Boiling Rock.
As the prisoners lined up for the warden, I glanced back at Zuko, who had to be taken back to his cell soon. I almost felt bad how I had to keep him here for this seemingly selfish reason, but knowing Zuko, there was no way he would leave this place without me. If he could regain his honour by joining our group, then I could regain my honour by saving Dad. And if it meant the two of us would do something nuts to get Dad and Suki out of here, then so be it. Zuko and I were a team now, and we would see this through to the end, no matter what.
Zuko's POV
"All I get is a letter? You could have at least looked me in the eye when you ripped out my heart!" Mai exclaimed, reading the very letter I wrote to her when I left the Fire Nation. I never expected to confront Mai in the Boiling Rock, but somehow she made her way here when her uncle, the warden himself, made me his special prisoner. Now not only did I have to plot an escape plan with Sokka to free his father, I had to deal with my angry ex-girlfriend spitting my every word back in my face. Seriously, how bad could this get?
"This isn't about you! This is about the Fire Nation!" I interrupted, trying to make her understand the circumstances. Somehow Mai had to see what I was attempting. "Mai, I never wanted to hurt you, but I have to do this to save my country." Like most Fire Nation kids, she was brought up with the notion that everyone was inferior to us. So perhaps, if I described my journey and told her of the suffering, she would be open enough to consider it? I knew Mai well enough to know that she could change, so could I change her one more time?
Mai crossed her arms angrily as I explained how throughout our lives, we were taught to fear our elders and superiors, letting them have all the authority while keeping our thoughts to ourselves. Anything out of line meant harsh and severe punishment, such as the scar on my face. I no longer found it painful to discuss my past with her, when before I joined Aang's group I wouldn't open up about it. But now that I came to terms with my past, I felt much freer in talking about them with anyone. This was what the world ought to be about: coming to terms with our past in an honest way, fostering understanding between nations and creating a new harmony.
As I discussed how we could create an era of peace, I found Mai slowly loosening her stance. I guessed my speech about respecting others for who they were rather than imposing our beliefs on them was working. It hit home the relationship Mai and Ty Lee had with Azula, in which they were under her constant control. I could see her arms relaxing and her shoulders dropping. "Being banished was actually a good thing, because it allowed me to truly see the world. And it is with this conviction that I decided to join the Avatar's group." I concluded.
Just then, a guard rushed in, informing us he was sent by the warden to protect Mai from the riot outside. Knowing a fight would most likely mean Sokka was behind it, I knew the escape plan was on. With Mai still arguing with the guard, I blasted the guard's feet with fire, rushed past Mai and out the door. I slid it shut and locked it just as Mai hurried up, getting a good look at her eyes through the slit. Those dark orbs were a mixture of sadness and pain as I had to leave her again. I wasn't sure if she would ever forgive me for ditching her twice, but it had to be done. "Forgive me," I murmured through the door, before rushing outside into the courtyard.
I finally made my rendezvous with the group, who told me they had to grab the warden before leaving. Seeing him stand several stories up on a balcony, I realized Sokka made yet another mistake. "I thought you thought this through," I shouted, gesturing at Mai's uncle. With the brawl right in our way, how in the world could we get to that tower safely?
"I thought you told me it's okay not to think everything through!" Sokka retorted, his voice squeaking like a girl. I slammed my palm into my face, completely flabbergasted at how Sokka could have let such an important detail slip. What type of water tribe genius was this?
Luckily, Suki did us one better, as she raced through the crowd on their shoulders and heads, scaled the pipes and beams, eluded the guards, and tied up the warden before anyone of us could even speak. With the warden as our prisoner, we made a rather uneventful trip to the gondola, making sure no one attacked us as we boarded the cab. I even broke the control lever just so they couldn't stop us. As I leaped into the now-moving cab, getting pulled on by Sokka, I realized the plan wasn't too bad after all. Now if only Sokka could give me a plan in which I could reconcile with Mai afterwards, then the world would be perfect.
Oops, spoke too soon, as Azula and Ty Lee made their way into the picture. Using a pair of handcuffs, Azula linked herself to the gondola wire and jet-blasted towards us. Ty Lee also proceeded on her way, climbing onto the top gondola wire and raced up as well. Realizing we had a fight on our hands, Sokka, Suki, and I climbed to the roof. Sokka told me he felt we made a great team, so let's show Azula what we could do.
Azula first aimed low, firing a blast at our feet. I leaped out of the way and mimicked her action, slamming a fist to the boards and sending fire back at her. Somehow, I couldn't help but think back at the dragon dance Aang and I did back with the Sun Warriors, as those techniques incorporated every aspect of fire bending. Azula might have fast and furious on her side, but I had the real skills. Sokka and I alternated offence and defence, with each of us get a shot in via sword and fire, respectively. Before long, we had Azula on the ropes, nearly knocking her off the gondola. Ha, I bet you never expected that, did you Azula? You thought you were this all-mighty, undefeatable fire bending prodigy? Well I got you right where I wanted you now.
But the gondola came to a screeching halt, nearly sending Sokka into the boiling water below. I managed to grab him just in time, but not before a sickening scratching sound echoed from the tower. "They're about to cut the line!" I heard Ty Lee exclaim. I turned my head just in time to see the two girls leaping onto an adjacent gondola, the one that was heading back to the prison. Given our position, I would say we were about to experience what a pot stew felt like.
But just as I returned into the cab, I saw the most amazing thing. A figure dressed in dark clothing whizzed around, hurling projectile after projectile at the guards with the saw, and even removed the block stopping our progress. "It's Mai," I sputtered, not knowing what to think. We had a rather nasty breakup back in the cell, and I never expected her to help me out. Now she was helping me escape? Who would have thought that would work out?
As the cab reached its destination on the other side, I couldn't help but feel a sense of relief. Sokka got what he was looking for, and in the process redeemed himself. I didn't want anything in return from him, other than his faith and trust in me. I showed him at this prison that I could be a part of this team, and I was willing to help him save the world. Now my only worry was with Mai, and how she would fare against Azula once the other gondola arrived. It felt like just when I formed a new bond, I had to severe an old one. I could only wish that Mai could stay alive, as I promised I would return to help her once I ended the war.
Zuko's POV
The old man trudged his way back up the stone steps, slowly moving away from the town site and back to his home. "That was him, that was the monster," Katara whispered beside me, her tone filled with hate. Originally, I didn't plan on taking another journey, after having helped Sokka rescue Hakoda and Suki from the Boiling Rock. But after Azula found out about our hiding spot, we had to make an escape. Hakoda took a few people out a back exit, leading to the airship I commandeered from the Boiling Rock, while I stayed behind with Aang, Katara, Sokka, Toph, and Suki to fight off Azula. With my sister now on our trail, we had to move again.
But that wasn't the main issue right now, as even though the whole group accepted me more, Katara still remained bitter about it. I personally had no idea why, given that everyone, even Suki, who I had known for the least amount of time, opened up to me. But Katara, it felt like every time she had something to say about me, it was filled with insults. It finally got to a boiling point a couple nights ago, when I called her out in front of everyone. That was when she gave me a hint: it had something to do with her mother's death all those years ago.
After probing Sokka a bit, I found out the group that led the attack causing their mother's death: the Southern Raiders. Originally, we attacked their naval base via Appa, but the one we were looking for wasn't there. It was only after some interrogation that we found out the man who killed Katara's mother, Yon Rha, retired a few years ago. And that was what brought us here, to this island at the corner of the Fire Nation, stalking this weak old man with stringy grey hair. Normally, I would have never agreed to do this, but I realized it was for Katara's own good. If she didn't deal with this problem, then it would eat away at her for the rest of her life. With a steady downpour now appearing, we followed Yon Rha down the rocky road
Suddenly, Yon Rha turned around and unleashed a fire fist, torching a tree where he thought we were hiding. In reality, we were to his sides, holding a small string barely off the ground. Just as he grabbed his groceries, we pulled the string hard, tripping him up and sending him straight to the mud. I raced out and blasted fire right before his face, threatening him not to fire bend anymore. "Whoever you are, take my money, take whatever you want, I'll cooperate," he stuttered. Wow, and he claimed to be the leader of the famous Southern Raiders? Our troops were taught never to be afraid, even if we faced our deaths. What a spineless gutless chicken!
But there was something he ought to be afraid of right now, as Katara stalked up beside me. "Do you know who I am?" she demanded, lifting her hood to reveal her face, "you better remember me like your life depends on it! Why don't you take a closer look?"
From this moment out, I was nothing more than a spectator, watching Yon Rha search his brain and recalled Katara as the little water bending girl he saw during his raid at the South Pole. Katara's anger was overflowing, to the point where she created a huge water dome around all three of us, absorbing more water from the outside and making it stronger. Earlier, when we were on the base, I saw her do some bending that controlled a person's body, and it was truly frightening. I always thought that water, being the opposite of fire, would be a peaceful element, rather than a ferocious one. But seeing the move she pulled, I had second thoughts. Maybe just like lightning, Katara's move was the sinister move for water, and I didn't hope to see that again.
Soon enough, Katara turned all the water around us into sharp icicles, aiming them right at Yon Rha. Normally, at a time like this, I would be the first to jump in and stopped her, but this time I chose to stay on the sidelines. Sokka and Aang did all they could to convince Katara not to go on this trip, but I told the boys she had to do this to find closure. Just like how I had to get through the journey of leaving my nation, relearning fire bending from the Sun Warriors, and facing my former girlfriend all on my own, Katara had to find out about what her true goals were on her own. If Katara was truly the kind and caring person she and the rest of the team claimed she would be, then there was no way she would push those icicles down. If only she could find the strength inside to stop her from committing this horrible act...
Then, to my expectations, Katara halted her act just before the blades impaled Yon Rha. My mouth dropped in shock as to how close to a tragedy that could have been. As Yon Rha was soaked by the now-melted ice, Katara turned away, leaving Yon Rha on the ground begging for mercy. He even asked Katara to take his mother's life in exchange, something that I would have found comical had it not been for the seriousness of the situation. If Yon Rha was old enough to retire, how old would his mother be? Why was he even wasting his time trying to convince us?
But then, Katara spoke loud and clear, and her words meant more than anything else we had done. "As much as I hate you, I just can't do it," she pointed out. With that, she turned on her heel and marched away, leaving Yon Rha and I without any speech.
The journey back to the team was uneventful as I suggested we hid in Ember Island, where my family's old abandoned beach house was. I didn't say anything to Katara as I dropped her off at the location, before going back to our hideout to pick up the rest of the team. Katara ought to take this time by herself to reflect upon her actions, and hopefully found the strength to move on. Maybe this was what was required to make her an even better person.
By the time the rest of the team arrived at Ember Island, nobody was more worried about Katara than Aang. During the ride on Appa here, I told Aang and Sokka what Katara did, or as Aang put it, didn't do. Both guys were quite confused about it, but Sokka was glad that she chose to spare Yon Rha. I figured that if Katara could let it go, then certainly Sokka could too, as the deceased was also Sokka's mother. Either way, as Sokka left with Toph and Suki to take our belongings to the beach house, I went to the dock with Aang to confront Katara.
"I wanted to do it," she explained as Aang and I approached, "I wanted to take out all my anger at him, but I couldn't. I don't know if it's because I'm too weak to do it, or if it's because I'm strong enough not to." Katara stood up, her expression a complicated mix of relief, sadness, and helplessness. "I'll never forgive him, but I am ready to forgive you," she declared, coming up to me and pulling me into a big hug. Somehow, my idea worked, and Katara was really on the journey to healing. With this, I knew she and Aang would have a much brighter future together.
As Katara marched off, looking more confident than ever, I turned to my air bender friend, who agreed with me that violence wasn't the answer, at least in this situation. But before we could celebrate Katara's rebirth, I realized something graver than anything we had ever seen before. Katara might not have to kill Yon Rha, but I doubted I could say the same about Aang for his final battle. "What are you going to do when you face my father?" I asked Aang.
Aang went from upbeat to deflated in a matter of seconds. Katara might find closure in not beating up a weak old man who was too feeble to harm anyone, but Aang was facing a very ruthless man. Adding to the fact that Sozin's Comet was about to come, there was no way any ordinary being could stand up to my father in terms of fire bending. If Aang failed to kill my father, then this was the end of the line for the world. How would he deal with that dilemma?
Iroh's POV
For the first time in a little while, my old bones didn't go creaking as I woke up from my sleep. I had been here, gathered with the members of the White Lotus, preparing for our attack on the Fire Nation-held Ba Sing Se. I didn't spend all that time working out in my prison cell just to do nothing for Sozin's Comet, and gathering my allies from around the world was the best way to do it. With these masters at their arts at our arsenal, I was sure we could achieve victory.
Just then, I realized there was someone in my tent. I glance over my shoulder, and saw a young man kneeling there. One look at that scar across the left side of his face, and I knew who it was. "Uncle, I know you must have mixed feelings about seeing me," Zuko began, his voice hoarse and broken, "but I want you to know, I am so, so sorry, Uncle."
I kept my back turned, not sure how to react. For the first time since losing my nephew, my mind was unclear. While Zuko was apologizing for the way he acted in Ba Sing Se, I wasn't innocent either. I treated him very poorly after he returned to the Fire Nation, ignoring his every visit to my cell, and refusing his offerings of food. Zuko went astray, and chose the wrong path. Deep down, I knew he had the strength to face his mistake and did the right thing, but yet why was I the one who lacked the strength to face Zuko? Why did I choose to turn away every time he visited, and shunned him for making a poor choice?
"I am so sorry and ashamed of what I did," Zuko continued, a slight sobbing coming from his tone, "I don't know how I can ever make it up to you..." By then, I heard enough. There was no need for Zuko to make anything up to me, but it was me who had to make it up to him. People were allowed to make mistakes, as long as they found out what they had to do to make things right again. Zuko received many chances from me in the past, and there was no way I could sit here and let him continue berating himself while knowing he did the right thing.
Without another thought, I whipped around and pulled him in to the biggest hug I could ever muster. "I was never angry with you. I was sad, because I was afraid you lost your way," I stated, tears flowing out of my eyes, "but you found it again, and you did it by yourself, and I'm so happy you found your way here." Perhaps I was in denial for too long, not wanting to face the consequences of Zuko siding with Ozai, hence ignoring Zuko for the longest time. But when Roku visited me in my vision, that was when I received the strength to forgive. Hopefully, with this reunion, it would mean the building of a new bond between us.
I took Zuko outside, where all of our friends were waiting. Zuko introduced me to the rest of the Avatar's team, while I showed him the rest of the members of the White Lotus. As we gathered for a quick breakfast, Zuko insisted that I went with him to face Ozai. While I realized his concerns, I also felt it wasn't the best way to go. "Even if I did defeat Ozai, and I don't know that I could, it would be the wrong way to end the war," I explained, "the only way for this war to end peacefully is for the Avatar to defeat the Fire Lord."
I also told the group that I didn't want the throne, even though it was rightfully mine to begin with. "Someone new must take the throne, an idealist with a pure heart and unquestionable honour," I described, turning to my nephew, "it has to be you, Zuko."
Zuko almost spilled his congee as I proposed the idea to him. Apparently, he was still very unsure of himself, wondering how his mistakes constituted honourable. But for me, it was the fact that he faced his mistakes, and went through all those hardships in the world, that I felt he was the right choice. "You restored your own honour, and only you can restore the honour of the Fire Nation," I insisted. In my mind, if he could find his way back to the side of good, then he could bring the Fire Nation back to the side of good. No Fire Lord in the past went through so many trials before taking the throne, and no Fire Lord absorbed so many different ideas to take to the throne. If there was one candidate I could think of to take the throne, it was Zuko.
"Zuko, you must return to the Fire Nation so that when the Fire Lord falls, you can assume the throne, and restore peace and order," I instructed my nephew, "but Azula will be there, waiting for you." I also knew that at the current rate, even with the comet, there was no way Zuko could take Azula alone. Her mind was still too strong to crack, and her skills with the comet would be unbelievable. No matter what he felt, Zuko and I both knew he had to get help.
Immediately, Zuko turned to Katara, the water bender he was trapped with under Ba Sing Se, only to be freed by Aang and me later on. I saw the way she fought Azula and the Dai Li in those catacombs, and knew how powerful she was. If she fought alongside Zuko, then I felt they would have a chance against Azula. With that settled, I made preparations for the others. Ozai was to send a fleet of airships to the Earth Kingdom, scorching their land from the Fire Nation border all the way to Ba Sing Se. For their purposes, the remaining threesome was to stop the airship fleet until Aang returned. That way, when the final battle came, they could help Aang out.
Sokka, Toph, and Suki boarded a giant Eel Hound brought out by the sword master Piandao, while Zuko and Katara boarded the Avatar's bison. Determination ran through my body as we prepared for judgment day, and I knew deep down, Zuko felt the same way. "So if I'm going to be Fire Lord after the war is over, what are you going to do?" Zuko asked.
"After I re-conquer Ba Sing Se, I'm going to re-conquer my tea shop," I replied, flipping a Pai Sho tile featuring the White Lotus symbol into the air. This was the same type of tile that I used to get Zuko and me out of that desert and into the city. I guessed after this experience, Zuko probably gained a new appreciation for the game. "And I'm going to play Pai Sho every day." Looking everyone in their eyes, I announced, "Today, destiny is our friend, I know it."
As everyone departed, I realized that the hope of the new world lied within the hands of these young people. I had full faith in my nephew to get the job done, as did I with the rest of his team. The next generation seemed so bright and energetic, so full of new ideas, so much so that I was perfectly content in leaving the world in their hands. Zuko truly grew up in my eyes, and it was time I let him take the lead and brought the world into a better age. I knew if this group put their minds to it, and didn't back down from challenges, there was nothing they couldn't do.
Katara's POV
There was complete silence in the Fire Nation palace courtyard as Zuko and Azula took to opposite ends. As expected, Zuko and I arrived on Appa just in time to see the Fire Sages preparing to coronate Azula. Zuko was about to take back the throne when Azula challenged him to an Agni Kai, with the winner taking the role of Fire Lord after. Originally, I had major doubts about Zuko doing this. Didn't General Iroh tell us not to face Azula alone? Was Zuko out of his mind accepting the challenge? At this rate, he would burn to a crisp.
But Zuko claimed he saw something off about her, and wanted to face her alone, just so I didn't get hurt. Now that I observed Azula from the sidelines, I realized Zuko was fairly accurate in that statement. Azula didn't have that usual tart tongue and arrogant swagger, and almost seemed physically unbalanced. Her hair was a mess, and during the coronation I saw her get strangely irritated at the Fire Sages. Why would someone at the moment of becoming Fire Lord be that abrasive? There was definitely something up, and I could only sit and watch.
Both sides turned to face each other, getting into their fighting stances before unleashing a gigantic wall of fire at each other. Even though I was a fair distance away, the fire was strong enough that embers darted onto the ledge and nearly touching my feet. I was amazed by the display, but also frightened at its sheer power. Zuko told me that he and Aang went to the Sun Warriors to learn a new fire bending technique, and I did do my fair share of ridiculing him for that. But now he was using all his skill, some of which I never saw before when we fought in the past. As he matched Azula shot for shot, I never dared to say another bad thing about it again.
The comet-enhanced fight was getting fiercer and fiercer now, doing collateral damage to the buildings around me with several already on fire. For now, the two combatants still had their feet planted to the ground, but Azula soon took the initiative as she leaped into the air, sending down an aerial kick. The blue fire blast heading straight for Zuko was split in half with ease by the Fire prince, who retaliated with a double-barrel twisting fire bomb. My eyes never left the battlefield as Azula barely dodged it, taking up fire with her feet and jet-blasting towards Zuko. Come on, Zuko, we had to end this soon! The longer the fight, the more likely you'd get hurt.
I slowly got up and edged to the corner where Zuko was before the fight began, trying to get a closer look. Other than a high jump to avoid Azula's first blow, Zuko stayed within the same area. It almost felt earth bender-like, as I always saw Toph teach Aang to take a firm stand and reacted to the elements around. I knew Iroh was a far-seeing man, incorporating knowledge from every side into his skill. Was Zuko applying Iroh's trait by using earth bending techniques to defend against Azula? If that were the case, then it was no wonder he had the upper hand!
As Azula circled him, I trained my eyes on Zuko, who seemed to be timing her moves. At just the right moment, Zuko got to the ground and did a spinning leg whip, jetting fire low from his feet and knocking Azula out of her position. As the Fire Nation princess tumbled onto the ground, Zuko further taunted her, "No lightning today? Afraid I'll redirect it?"
Just then, I realized Zuko and I both made the biggest mistake of our lives, as Azula got her electricity ready. It wasn't directed at Zuko, who was in perfect form to redirect it, but at me, who had gotten near Zuko just moments before. My legs went to jelly as I tried to run, but the world spun around me in slow motion as the blue bolt sizzled its way towards me. All was a blur as Zuko hollered into the air, diving in front of me and taking the shot with his palm. I couldn't see what happened, but judging from the result, I knew Zuko didn't absorb the shot cleanly. With lightning hissing out his other hand, he soon slumped to the floor, convulsing violently.
With the smell of burnt skin still fresh, now I had another worry to deal with. Azula, who was cackling manically, now pursued me with her jet blasts again. I had no way of reaching Zuko to give him assistance, and with a crazed Azula on the war path, this wasn't looking good. Azula, I never challenged you for the Fire Lord position, so could you get off my case already?
Luckily, there were a couple of water troughs near me, and I was able to use that to fend off Azula, but barely. "Zuzu, you don't look so good!" She continued to exclaim aimlessly. Okay then, maybe Azula had really lost her marbles. As I ducked behind pillars and bars, she blasted them down with her lightning, all the while hurtling towards me on her jets. Turning the water into ice, I slid around the arena, trying to hide while Azula continued smoking my rear end. Seriously, if I could only get more time, I could launch an attack on her. Why was this so hard?
Azula's flames soon got the best of me, as the ice behind me melted rapidly. I used the blue fire as a smokescreen, letting Azula continue to blast my trail while I slipped off to the side. I landed hard to the ground, trying to catch my breath. As my eyes darted around, I saw a very important source underneath me: the sewers! With that much waste water flowing through, that had to work out, right? And in the distance, there was a set of chains for a padlock used during maintenance. With the covering filled with small openings, maybe that was a way to trap Azula?
"There you are, filthy peasant!" Azula's voice jolted my attention back to reality. She was leaning right against a pillar, her face the very definition of the word monstrosity. I also realized I had seconds to get my manoeuvre right, if I wanted to leave this place in one piece. My heart raced and beads dripped down my head as I watched Azula come at me. If I could only bait her into my position, then it would all work out. How about I water whip her feet...
A-ha! The plan worked, as she's now jumping forward and jabbing her lightning finger at me. I acted quickly as I pulled the water up, covering us both and turning it into solid ice. I had the chains in my hands, and had to negotiate through the ice block carefully as I made sure they tied around Azula. Unlike Toph, she didn't know metal bending, so there was no way she could escape from this. Making sure they were tight against the sewer cover, I released us from the water, coughing and wheezing as I tried to catch my breath. At least I knew one threat was neutralized, so time to deal with the other issue, namely the one that saved my life.
Zuko was a complete wreck by the time I reached him. He was barely breathing, and was shaking uncontrollably. I had always imagined him to be the same as his sister, a cruel monster who didn't care for the world. I took it personally too when he betrayed us back in Ba Sing Se, nearly causing the death of the one I loved the most. I managed to use the Spirit Water to save Aang, and how appropriate it was that I had to use water (just regular one, mind you) again to save Zuko. Taking a deep breath, I pulled some water from my sash and pressed on his chest.
Zuko groaned and gritted his teeth as I healed him. I thought about all the nasty things I said to him back at the air temple, and subsequently on our way to avenge my mother. During that time, I never gave him a chance to correct himself, opting to let my emotions get in the way. Toph was right at the beginning, when she accused us of being too selfish and not open-minded enough to accept Zuko. And even as Aang and Sokka soon learned to let go of their mistrust of Zuko, I still held on. I could go on about how stupid I was for doing that, but berating myself wouldn't do me any good. Maybe if I could save Zuko now, I could apologize to him later on.
Relief washed over me as Zuko's vital signs returned to normal. He even managed to lift his head, whispering a quiet "thank you" to me. But I knew better than that, as without his act of jumping before the lightning bolt, I would never be alive right now. "I think I should be the one thanking you," I replied, slowly lifting him to his feet.
Together we approached Azula, who was nothing short of insanity right now. She was sobbing and hissing violently, fire shooting out her mouth in uncontrollable spurts. I felt almost sorry that this monster was the one to influence Zuko so negatively throughout his life, only to turn into a shadow of her former self. I guessed by defeating Azula, Zuko was finally freed from his past demons. I would leave the now insane Azula for Zuko to deal with, as my mind was back worrying about Aang. If Zuko wanted to keep his word to his uncle and would make the world a better place to live, I knew he and Aang would have a lot of cooperating to do.
Zuko's POV
"Mai, you're okay. They let you out of prison?" I asked, both surprised and relieved to see the girl of my dreams strolling into my room. After my successful Agni Kai against Azula, I had her committed to an asylum, after finding out that her mental state was frail at best. I owed Katara a big thank you after Azula shot me with lightning, as I would probably be worse off had I not received Katara's healing. Now I had a scar on my torso to go along with the one on my face. But this time, this scar was one that I was proud to wear, as it showed what I stood for and how I fought for my principles, even in the face of Azula.
"My uncle pulled some strings," Mai replied, helping me put on the rest of my clothing. I was truly worried about her wellbeing in the Boiling Rock, when I had to unceremoniously leave her behind again. But to see her in such a good mood on the day of my coronation, I could tell things were on the mend. "It doesn't hurt that the new Fire Lord is your boyfriend," she added.
I was overjoyed to hear that. More than anything, I wished from the bottom of my heart that Mai would forgive me for what I did. But hearing that, I knew not only was she forgiving me, but also supporting me in every way possible. I knew that from now on, not only did I have to play my part in healing the world, but I also had to reconcile with Mai. There was a new sense of understanding between us now, and our bond was bound to be stronger than ever before. "But don't ever break up with me again," she warned, before we engaged in another round of kisses.
After enjoying each other's company for another few minutes, Mai hurried out to the courtyard, leaving me to take the long stroll out. There was one another person I had to pick up before getting crowed, and he was the one person I never thought I would be friends with. Aang apparently defeated my father by stripping him of his bending, leaving him nothing more than a bitter prisoner in the same prison Uncle Iroh was kept in. I knew I had doubts about Aang before, after all the talk from him about not being able to take a life. But to find an alternate way to end the war while keeping his morals intact, this was truly remarkable. Maybe just like how I had to fight to keep my morals intact, this was Aang's big test to the world. And now, to celebrate both our accomplishments together, I couldn't have envisioned a better moment.
Just as I reached the exit to the courtyard, I saw Aang sitting on the ground to the side, his face solemn and formal. Aang switched into some Air Nomad robes that seemed almost too big for him, the bagginess hanging over his sleeves and pant legs. But from my perspective, it almost felt like he matured by nearly a decade since I first saw him at the South Pole. "I can't believe a year ago my purpose in life was hunting you down," I commented to Aang, recalling the days when we were still on opposite sides. We were both immature and didn't understand the world back then, so to see us both grow up like this was truly something different.
"I can't believe a year ago I was still frozen in a block of ice," Aang replied, slowly getting to his feet. Had anyone told me a year ago that Aang and I would become friends, I would have been in shock. But now, seeing things turn out the way they did, it felt like Aang and I did become friends, and we would have plenty more chances in the future to cooperate with each other. "The world's so different now," Aang stated, indirectly referring to our relationship.
"And it's going to be even more different," I added, "We'll rebuild it together." With that, we pulled each other into a hug. The task ahead of us would be difficult, but there was no doubt that Aang and I had what it took to make things right again.
Aang and I were greeted by the gongs on our either side, and the boisterous crowd before us. Unlike past Fire Lords, I chose to invite members of every nation to witness my coronation. The war had officially ended, and the time for reconciliation began now. The applause continued as I introduced Aang, declaring that he was the real hero who ended the war. "The road ahead of us is challenging. A hundred years of fighting has left the world scarred and divided. But with the Avatar's help, we can get it back on the right path, and begin a new era of love, peace, and hope," I announced to everyone with conviction. It was then that Aang and I both turned to each other and nodded, fully realizing that our legacies would depend entirely on this task.
I immediately got down to my knees, allowing the Fire Sage to step up behind me with the royal headpiece. "All hail Fire Lord Zuko!" He declared, pushing the headpiece into my hair with one smooth motion. The crowd roared in approval once more, sending tingles up my spine as I waved Aang over. These were the people we were in charge of helping, and we ought to never forget that without their support, none of our successes would be possible.
The first act I did after my coronation was to visit the prison. Even though my father wouldn't be harming anyone anymore, I still had an old score to settle with him. "You should count yourself lucky that that Avatar spared your life," I spat as I entered the call. My father was an absolute mess behind the bars, his hair mangled and his clothing tattered as he was almost completely slouched over. "Banishing me was the best thing you could have done for my life. It put me on the right path. Perhaps your time in here could do the same for you." I pointed out.
I didn't expect my father to treat me with any more respect than he did before. I knew inside him he still felt I was an immature, soft, and overly sentimental individual. But I would rather be accused of having too much compassion than not having enough. "You're going to tell me something," I snarled, lowering my face to his, "where is my mother?"
Unfortunately, I didn't get an answer from him. No matter how hard I interrogated him, there would be no budging from this disgusting human being in divulging more detail as to what happened to my mother. But if he felt this was the best way to stir up weaknesses in me, he was dead wrong. Strength didn't come from fear or control; rather, it came from facing one's flaws and learning mistakes from the past, making sure we would not repeat them again, for now and in the future. Finding my mother would be a task for another day, but for now, it was time to deal with reconciliation between the Fire Nation and the other groups. I would start with the Earth Kingdom, hoping to set up a bilateral meeting with the Earth King, who I heard would be repatriated soon. I had plenty to talk about with him, including a potential prisoners' exchange that would see Mai's parents returning to the Fire Nation. The least I could do for the girl who nearly got killed by Azula because she wanted to save me, right?
And said meeting did come to fruition, as I arrived at Ba Sing Se, ready to hold my first official visit as Fire Lord the next morning. For now, I was content to spend the evening at my uncle's now-reopened tea shop, serving everyone tea and enjoying the moment. It was like Uncle said to me: I was stronger and freer than ever before, to the point where I was truly the beautiful prince, now Fire Lord, he envisioned me to be. All these people around me, they all used to be my enemies some time ago. To bond with them all and accepted them for who they were, only to have them accept me for who I was, this was truly an honour. I was glad I could be their friend, looking out for them as the Fire Lord, and helping out Aang, who I was sure was just as happy to serve them as their Avatar. As the sun slowly dipped to the horizon, I thought of one thing...
My name is Zuko. That was my story. Those were my rites of passage.
With that end scene where Mai and Zuko reconciled, I want to revisit the Zutara comment I made last chapter. Another issue I felt most Zutara fans don't address is the importance of Mai, as most of their fics either don't include Mai or reduce her to nothing. Let me remind you bozos that Mai is a very important character. Unlike your crazy assumptions, she didn't get parachuted in from nowhere; rather, Mai and Zuko were in love with each other since they were kids. Their love for each other is strong, to the point where Zuko left Mai because he didn't want to hurt her (not because he was ditching her, hint hint), and Mai sacrificed her freedom to free Zuko at the Boiling Rock. Unless you have legitimate evidence to prove that this didn't mean a thing, don't bring up your immature ideas in front of me again. If Mai herself were here, I'm sure she would say, "I love Zuko more than I fear you," with you meaning Zutara fans. As for everyone else, thanks for reading, and see you next time.
