Rewrite, Rewind

Chapter 16


The flames of the war-room were white-gold, making everything blindingly bright and painful to the eyes of those not yet adjusted to the room. Iroh was sitting on the edge of the fourth line, closest to the exit, with an easy view of his father through the flames and on everyone else in their neat little rows before the Fire Lord.

"Since everyone is here now, we'll begin," Iroh glanced at the other side of his line, his brother was kneeling with a confused glace sent his way. Iroh and Ozai may not have been the closest of siblings but small mannerisms were still readable between the two, leftover signals from their time spent on the same war-front. "As you may have known by now, my grandson, Zuko, had fallen ill yesterday morning." Iroh was and wasn't surprised by the news, he had seen his nephews sickly red face the previous evening but he didn't understand why this was the cause of an emergency summoning of their thirty-six highest-ranking officials in the Fire Nation. The fifteen Council members were all present, the ten oldest positions still fighting for power were present, and the remaining seven people were generals in their army. Granted four of their war-generals were currently stationed on the front lines of the war against the earth kingdom, so those four were excused from this meeting.

"What you don't know is that Azula was poisoned last night as well."

"WHAT?!" Ozai was the first to burst at the information, everyone turned him with frowns but Ozai kept his panicked stare locked on their father. Azulon stared his son down before closing his eyes, sighing and turned away from his second son. Iroh frowned at the look of disappointment, whatever test his father just gave them, Ozai had promptly ruined.

"Our imperial physician discovered that Zuko wasn't having his usual episode," Azulon continued, turning his cold gold eyes on everyone else. "Zuko, too, was poisoned." Everyone erupted into whispers of concern, some quieter than others but Azulon could hear most of the voices. Ozai seemed to calm down, outwardly at least. Azulon turned his focus to everyone, his eyes drifting to Iroh. He could see his eldest observing everyone else with angry gold eyes, his face pinched into a frown and his fists clenched tightly as he searched everyone's faces. that was a good sign, Iroh loved his niece and nephew but Azulon had to make sure all the same. He looked down at the thirty-six cups sitting in neat rows before him, four were iced-over to indicate that those four people were not present; the rest were still steaming.

"La, drop them." Azulon watched as everyone's attention turned to him as he spoke, curious and confused about his words. From above three figures drooped, two shattering upon impact with the floor, sounding like glass to the populace. Many of those exposed to shards of broken colored glass cringed away from it, using their sleeves or folded fans to push away the bits of red glass. Then the red glass melted to reveal itself as frozen blood and the larger pieces of colored glass revealed themselves to be pieces of body parts or chunks of fire-nation civilian clothing. Retching could be heard from the council members as the generals gaged and took deep steadying breaths, trying to breathe through the iron-rich air suddenly surrounding them.

"F-Fire Lord A-Azu-ulon," one of the council members stuttered out, having just heaved her breakfast up. "Wh-what?" The third figure that fell was kneeling before Azulon, the melted blood rippling around their black sheathed body. Slowly the head rose, revealing a simple white porcelain mask, no markings nor shapes upon its perfectly smooth surface.

"Water bender," one of the generals snarled, rising to send an attack at the masked figure. He stopped moving as blood froze his feet in place and a red spiral danced between his eyes warningly.

"La, stand down." Azulon ordered, the masked figure dispersed the blood from the general, scattering the red pools to surround each person in a lazy circle. Then the figure twisted, leaped and danced through Azulon's white-gold flames to hide in his shadow, hiding perfectly unseen by those kneeling before the Fire Lord.

"Father?" Ozai questioned, "just how… how did you get a water bender's loyalty?"

"Did you brainwash them?" A council member asked

"Did you raise them?"

"Is everyone in your specially trained guards a water bender?"

"Just La," Azulon answered the last question. "All the others are orphans of the fire nation. They will obey me and no one else." Iroh fringed ignorance when his brother sent a pointed look his way, pretending not to know something was Iroh's specialty after all. "Back to the meeting at hand," he pointed at the larger chunks in the red mush, "Those are the corpses of the two assassins who tried to murder my grandchildren, for a third time." The Council members struggled not to look at the corpses, some caving just for curiosity's sake, others remained valiant in their efforts to keep their last meals soundly grounded in their bellies. The generals though, now understanding and steeled for the gruesome sight and smell, started using their own fingers to push the pieces of flesh about, searching for marks of identification.

"They were fire nation?" a general asked, eyeing a piece of stomach skin curiously

"Nope," another answered, lifting a frozen green eyeball.

"Earth benders?"

"They must've been chosen for this mission because they could blend in easily with our people," a green-looking councilman said through the cloth of his sleeve.

"Even if that was true, how'd they get past the soldiers?" Iroh asked. "Civilians aren't allowed to travel to our nation, nor out of our nation."

"Could they have made a ship and crossed the ocean?" a councilwoman asked, looking like she might hurl again.

"there would've been reports," another general replied.

"Could they have stolen one of our ships?" a council member asked weakly

"again, reports," another general replied

"Could they have traveled underground?" Ozai asked, staring at a piece of a face floating in the blood-pool nearby his feet.

"Without getting lost? Not likely," a general replied. "besides that, they would need to surface for air."

"What if they got an inventor and some water benders?" Ozai asked everyone, turned to look at him. "What? We have plenty of inventors working with us but any number of them could just as easily be helping the earth or water nations."

"Said countries would be using said inventions against us already," another general scoffed.

"not if they were given specific tools for this mission specifically," Iroh countered. "a vessel that could transport people underwater, below our ships to evade detection, to surface for air once every few hours to, again, avoid detection."

"Then add on the earth benders," General Xue murmured. "they could easily hide the vessel once they reached the main island."

"How many people do you think that vessel could hold?" Ozai asked, "It wouldn't have been very large, the bigger it is the more water benders it would take to move it underwater."

"If they got one master assassin, who looks close enough like our people at first look, then I don't see why the ship would need to be very big," Xue said thoughtfully. "maybe big enough for five people? Maybe?"

"You underestimate earth kingdom generals," Iroh grunted. "They're known for back up planes listed with back up plans."

"Then what's your suggestion brother?" Ozai asked, scorn lacing his voice. "A fleet of earth and water benders?"

"Not a fleet," Iroh rolled his eyes. "I think they would need only two assassins. One with the primary task, one just in case of a failure happened to occur. They would need between two to four earth benders to hide and guard the vessel. The water benders most likely wouldn't exceed the same number as earth benders. They would need to be masters as they would need to rotate between themselves to keep the vessel moving underwater."

"Why would you think they would do rotations for that?" Ozai asked, "did you plan with them?" it was a simple jab, one made in anger but with no truth behind it. However, the other generals seemed to have taken offense to his words, each turning to give him dirty looks.

"If our men can't go from the Main Island to the nearest Earth Kingdom shore without several rotations themselves, how then can the water tribe bend for a week straight without breaks?" Iroh rolled his eyes, dismissing his brother's angry question with ease. Ozai tsked at his brother and turned to glare at the nearest floating piece of flesh of the assassins.

"Father," Ozai's voice shook with the word, stopping General Xue from speaking up, "how many assassins were there?"

"La killed two," Azulon answered. "Her search revealed no other earth benders nor water benders within palace walls."

"…when was the attack, father?" Iroh asked, catching Ozai's distressed look and suddenly realizing the problem.

"Early this morning," Azulon answered, "When the sun was twenty meters above the horizon."

"Then they're long gone," General Xue sighed. "It's already past noon."

"How do you know they're gone? They could still be on Fire Nation soil," a council member questioned.

"you don't send two assassins in to kill to royals without a plan," Iroh sighed. "I'm afraid that since the assassins didn't return to their group in time, the others would take it as a mission failure and leave."

"The good news is that they'll assume the assassins couldn't make it into the palace and died in their attempt to enter," General Xue rolled a shoulder and cracked her neck. "That means they won't attempt this again for a while."

"How long is a while?" Azulon questioned

"If I were them, I'd start planning the next attack extra-carefully," General Xue frowned thoughtfully at an ice-burnt hand near her. "I'd pick a few years down the road, ensuring a greater mass of masters to join the next assassination attempt."

"When would you attack?" Azulon asked

"I don't know," General Xue shrugged. "What day would the royal palace be the least guarded? Or what day would make the guards less prudent in their rounds?"

"Day of black sun," Iroh whispered the words about the same time his father announced them.

"Day of the black sun?" General Xue questioned, clearly confused.

"It happens once every one hundred years," Azulon answered her question. "About three weeks before Sozin's commit arrives."

"Okay," General Xue still looked confused, "What's so special about it?"

"it's a day where fire benders can't fire bend," Iroh answered. General Xue's face paled drastically at the information, her gold eyes widening in surprise and fear.

"Oh damn," was her perfect response. "I mean uh, that day. If I were an earth bender or water bender, I'd pick the day where I had the most advantage." Xue's attention went from Iroh to Azulon, her hands shaking in her lap. "The day of Black Sun would be perfect for the next attack."

"It wouldn't be just an attack on the royal family," Ozai hissed. "They'd take out our entire navy! Our ground soldiers! Our—"

"our capital," Iroh gasped. "They'd charge the Palace, thinking father was at his weakest—"

"and execute him—" Ozai interrupted

"execute all of us," Iroh continued

"when is the day of black sun?" a council member asked, "how much time do we have?"

"Thirteen years," Azulon answered. "We have thirteen years to prepare for that day."

"Thirteen years?" Xue questioned, "no, they wouldn't wait that long… would they?"

"I wouldn't," Ozai admitted aloud, receiving various glares. "What? I wouldn't if I were them."

"baby brother has a point," Iroh sighed. "Thirteen years from now might be their big finial but it's not the next assignation attempt."

"When's the next big celebration the twins have to be in attendance for?" Xue asked

"Why do you ask?" Azulon questioned

"I just find it weird that the assassin waited for four days after the twin's arrival in the palace to make an attempt on their lives," Xue answered. "Why not when they were outside of the palace? Isn't that when they have the least amount of guards? They spent months outside the palace, why not attack them then? Why wait until they were securely, safely within the palace walls?"

"because they were safe within the palace walls," Ozai snarled.

"The assassination attempt was to make a point?" Azulon asked, frowning at the people before him.

"We're here," Iroh said suddenly. "That's the message. If you're not safe in your own home, how could you be safe anywhere?"

"It's a scar tactic?" Xue frowned, "Then does that mean that the Earth Kingdom royals don't know about the day of black sun?"

"It's possible that this was more of a test than anything else," Ozai said thoughtfully.

"A test?" Xue questioned, "see how far they could get during summer when the fire nation is at their strongest, to see how far they could get when we're at our weakest?"

"Perhaps it's a small elite group like brother said," Ozai considered aloud. "designed to deliver a message and retreat?" he frowned, "That seems too easy…"

"We'll think more on this later," Azulon sighed heavily. "Zuko and Azula are awake now. I wish to go see them. This meeting is adjoined for now. We'll review it again a few days from now." Azulon raised a hand, his favorite maid Liah suddenly appeared at his side, helping him to his feet. "La, clean this room. I don't want a sent left behind." Everyone watched as the blood swirled together, reforming the two bodies of the assassins, revealing a young woman and an even younger boy.

Perhaps father isn't the only one kidnapping and brainwashing, Ozai thought, staring at the refrozen corpses. Others must be doing the same thing, taking orphaned benders and training them to be assassins. At least father trained his to protect him. The corpses were then lifted at their feet with a wave of water from his father's throne and lifted into the air, where they disappeared behind huge sections of crimson cloth. Ozai felt his guards stop behind him, sighing he stood and retreated back to his rooms. If he had known that the guards were instructed to only follow Ozai and not escort him, he might've taken the opportunity to go to the infirmary and visit his children.

It was another test from his father, one that he unexpectedly failed.

As Azulon sat with his grandchildren, he wondered where his second son was. After the visit one of his guards informed Azulon that Ozai hadn't even tried to see his children, he didn't voice any questions nor look at the hall that would've taken him to the infirmary as he passed it. Ozai just retreated to his room, silently.

I'll give him one week, Azulon thought to himself, a real father wouldn't be able to stay away from his children with the knowledge that they were hurt. He'd want to see them himself.


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