Chapter 16 Sozin's Comet
They had been flying for some time as quickly as they could, and in almost complete silence. Ari shivered looking out at the orange sky and realizing that you could already see the comet.
"Zuko, don't worry. We can take Azula." Katara tells him confidently.
"The whole secret lies in confusing the enemy, so that he cannot fathom your real intent. When able to attack, we must seem unable; If your opponent is temperamental, seek to irritate him. Pretend to be weak, that he may grow arrogant. When the enemy is relaxed, make them labor. When full, starve them. When settled, make them move. Force him to reveal himself, so as to find out his vulnerable spots. Avoid what is strong and strike at what is weak. Thereby you can be the director of your opponent's fate." Ari mused speaking barely above a whisper remembering the words she had once read in Sun Tzu's Art of War.
"That was incredible Ari." Zuko told her absolutely shocked. Sometimes he was awestruck at just how smart she was.
"One may know how to conquer without being able to do it." Ari answered simply.
"It's not her I'm worried about. I'm worried about Aang. What if he doesn't have the guts to take out my father? What if he loses?" Zuko asks them.
"Aang won't lose. He's gonna come back. He has to." Katara said with hope.
"Hope can be a powerful force, Katara. Maybe there's no actual magic in it, but when you know what you hope for most and hold it like a light within you, you can make things happen, almost like magic." Ari told her and the two girls hugged for a moment.
"Ari when we get there I need you to stay by Appa. If things don't go our way, I need you to take Appa and run. Do you understand." Zuko told her.
"Yes." She whispered with tears in her eyes burying her face in Zuko's chest, not willing to let go yet.
As they reached the familiar sight of the fire nation capital they flew over an almost empty courtyard as Azula was about to be crowned fire lord.
"By decree of Phoenix King Ozai, I now crown you Fire Lord..." A fire sage declared holding the crown aloft, but pausing as Zuku came into view.
"What are you waiting for? Do it!" A disheveled Azula says in an annoyed tone as we land in front of her.
"Sorry, but you're not gonna become Fire Lord today. I am." Zuko tells her jumping from Appa's saddle while Katara and Ari slide down and stand behind him flanking him.
"You're hilarious." She says laughing.
"And you're going down." Katara yells.
"Wait. You want to be Fire Lord? Fine. Let's settle this. Just you and me, brother. The showdown that was always meant to be. Agni Kai!" Azula challenged.
"You're on." Zuko says seriously.
"What are you doing?" Ari ask him, shocked and scared.
"She's playing you. She knows she can't take us both, so she's trying to separate us." Katara adds.
"I know. But I can take her this time." Zuko explains.
"But even you admitted to your uncle that you would need help facing Azula." Katara says questioning him.
"There's something off about her; I can't explain it but she's slipping. And this way, no one else has to get hurt."
The Agni Kai began as Azula and Zuko got into position.
"I'm sorry it has to end this way, brother." Azula says sarcastically, dropping her robe.
"No you're not." Zuko answers getting into a fighting stance.
Azula smiles and assumes an awkward fighting stance of her own. She spins and sends a sudden blast of blue fire toward Zuko. Zuko brings his hands up and jumps forward, bringing his arms down in front of him. He bends a flame in each hand and they merge. He sends the fire toward Azula. A wall of fire, blue colliding with red, takes shape. As the wall begins to die, Azula leaps up on a jet of fire and kicks her legs forward, sending a wave of fire from her feet during each of her three spinning kicks. Red and Blue flames hammer each other relentlessly. Zuko punches a powerful blast of fire toward his sister, His stream of red blends with a blast of blue fire. He turns his foot around in order to steady himself, a powerful fire blast streaming from his fist. Suddenly, Zuko and Azula stop their attacks. The scared and confused Azula turns to find that Zuko's strong attack has caused the plaza behind her to be smothered in flames. She leaps forward with a blast of fire that she swings at Zuko. Just as he is about to be hit, Zuko thrusts his palms outward to create a wall of fire that slices the blue flame. Azula is crouching on the ground as the flames slowly die down, she is panting heavily, and she grits her teeth and narrows her eyes in determination. A determined look flashes over Azula's face. Zuko punches two large fireballs toward her, and the fire combines to create one massive blast. Azula dodges using a jet of blue fire, but she looks terrified. She flies forward into the air, using jets of fire from her feet and hands. She thrusts her fists forward creating two blue fire blasts. Zuko crouches low with his arms out, blue and orange flames swirling around him. Azula is flying toward him as she swerves to the right to dodge Zuko's last blast. Azula shoots fire at Zuko and circles him, a trail of blue fire coming from her feet. Zuko quickly defends himself by creating a shield of fire for protection. He tries to attack Azula, who is still circling him, but she is too fast. Zuko stops firing as Azula, crouches, and begins spinning and kicking immense and powerful flames from his feet. Azula is flying forward; when she sees the attack, she tries to stop, but it is too late. Azula falls and rolls forward onto the ground. In pain, she picks herself up, her hair has come undone and she is extremely angry.
"No lightning today? What's the matter? Afraid I'll redirect it?" Zuko says mockingly getting into his lightning redirecting stance.
"Oh, I'll show you lightning!" Azula says as she moves her fingertips about in order to generate lightning, but her stance is irregular and off.
Zuko starts inhaling and exhaling deeply. He holds his stance and prepares to redirect whatever lightning may come his way. As Azula charges her lightning it isn't Zuko she's looking at though, she turnes her sights on Ari standing behind him. Azula smiles and shoots directly at Ari. Zuko is stunned as he races to put himself between Ari and the lightning, and Ari can do nothing but stare wide eyed frozen in place.
"No!" Zuko yells jumping in front of her and absorbs the lightning as Ari watches in shock and horror. Zuko falls to the the ground groaning in pain.
"Zuko!" She yells closing the distance between them, as she hears Katara yell Zuko's name. Ari looks up and sees Katara trying to run to Zuko, but she's stopped in her tracks by another bolt of lightning shot by Azula. Azula looks crazed, all hunched over and swaying side to side. Everytime Katara would try to get close to where Zuko lay Azula would send another strike of lightning.
"I'd really rather our family physician look after Little Zuzu if you don't mind. Zuzu, you don't look so good!" Azula says tauntingly.
Ari has had enough of this, even if Azula tells people she's an airbender, who would believe her. Ari summoned up a large vortex of air to push Azula out of the way.
"Lead her over there!" Katara yells to me running to hide behind a column before creating multiple water whips. Azula gets her footing and starts running after Ari.
"An airbender how is that possible?! You're all dead?!" Azula yells at Ari.
"Maybe I'm just a figment of your imagination then, have you really gone that crazy Azula?" Ari taunts her, getting up on an air scooter before looping around her and leading her to where Katara lies in wait.
Azula catches sight of Katara. "There you are, filthy peasant!" Azula yells at Katara as she steps over the grate Ari had led her to.
Katara uses multiple water whips to hold her to the grate, as Azula tries to shot Katara with lightning again, Katara freezes them both. It's the most amazing sight seeing them both frozen in ice. Katara exhales and slowly unfreezes herself while moving around the still frozen Azula and chaining her to the grate. Katara releases the water and checks to make sure the chains are tight. Katara runs to where Zuko is now lying with his head on Ari's lap and begins healing him. Zuko opens his eyes and smiles faintly.
"Thank you, Katara." He whispers as both girls begin crying.
We help him to get up and are supporting him between us as we watch Azula writhing and screaming in madness as she breathes fire in an attempt to free herself. We watch in pity for a moment before walking away.
They head inside the Royal palace as Zuko begins issuing orders. Katara's eager to leave and search for Aang but with Zuko needing multiple healing sessions she can't leave yet. The three of them wait anxiously all day for news of their friends.
Their wait ends finally as an airship lands in the courtyard late that evening. They run out and are reunited with Aang, Toph, Suki, a hobbling Sokka, and a bound Ozai. Zuko quickly sends his father to the Capital City prison where Azula is already locked up. Katara and Ari get the others inside and Katara tends to Sokkas injury as quickly as she can; though there isn't much she can really do. Once she finishes we all settle in with cups of tea to tell our tales of the day.
Zuko tell them about the fight with Azula and then Sokka tells them about taking out the airships. Finally Aang begins the retelling of his epic adventure: of Lion turtles, fighting Ozai, unblocking his 7th Chakra, and finally using the energy bending he had learned from the lion turtles to take Ozai's bending away.
Ari and Zuko found themselves talking at the same time. "You unblocked your 7th Chakra?" "You took his bending?"
Aang rubbed his face, it had been a long day after all.
"Yes, I took his bending. It was the only way I saw to end the war without taking his life."
"Honestly I still think you should have killed him." Toph said nonchalantly.
Aang turned to Ari having left her news for last and Ari held Zukos hand while she listened. "Ari after the battle, on the way here, I was able to meditate into the Avatar state. I can see your timeline, it looks strange, like someone put a straw through gelatin and pulled it out. There is a tunnel leading to the moment you left. Your children are frozen in that second, They aren't lonely or frightened or hungry or scared, they're frozen. I can't return you to them though, the tunnel is too narrow and unstable. If I touch it, it will collapse. I can return you to your world where the tunnel ends where your 18. Or I think I could bring your children here, but we would only get one chance."
Ari's heart was in her throat as Zuko pulled her to him and whispered, "Option 3."
"Ari and I have things we need to discuss, we can reconvene in the morning. In the meantime I've had rooms prepared for you all. Goodnight." Zuko said standing abruptly and leading Ari from the room. Once in the hall he pulled her into his embrace once more and just held her for a few moments, before pulling back and whispering, "I have someplace I want to show you, it's my favorite place in the entire palace." Zuko led her away to his mothers garden with the pond and the turtleducks.
"This is beautiful Zuko." Ari told him her emotions all over the place.
Zuko came up behind her and held her in his arms.
"Marry me Ari, Ariadne, be my Fire Lady. I will love you, and protect you, and be father to all of your children." Zuko told her sincerely.
Ari started crying. "Do you mean it Zuko. Do you really mean it? You would let Aang bring my children here and raise them as your own?"
"Yes I would do anything for you Ari. I will love them no differently than I will love the children we will have together."
"Yes Zuko I will marry you!" Ari told him and they kissed passionately.
The next morning the group met and ate a breakfast that Ari hadn't cooked for a change, and started to make plans. Starting with the most important, Ari's children.
"The timeline is stable as long as it's not touched." Aang told them all at the table. "But I can keep checking to make sure that doesn't change, it only takes a second to do so, so it will be no problem."
"No matter what, if that timeliness starts closing you get them out of there." Zuko told him with authority.
"Yes, sir Mr. Fire Lord." He responded.
"First things first we still need an heir to the Fire Nation." Zuko told them.
"Agreed" said Ari. "I think we should tell people it's twins. Our baby will be my oldest son Rowans twin. We'll tell people I'm sick, which shouldn't be too hard, I will most likely be just as sick as I was with my first three, and I'll go into seclusion for a time."
"That sounds like a good plan." Zuko told her with approval.
"There are a few problems though." Ari addressed, "First I'll need somewhere to go for the four years of seclusion that's rather remote, and secondly we won't want anybody we can't trust knowing what we're doing, but our baby will need a wet nurse. I have never been able to nurse, I have had supply issues all three times, our baby would starve."
"You can stay in the South pole." Sokka offered her.
"Yeah." Katara agreed excitedly. "We'll tell everyone that your sick and need to stay with a healer, and that you're staying with us."
"As for the second part. Well you aren't the only one who got engaged last night." Suki told them all with a sly smile. "I think it would be possible to try to plan to have babies at the same time, right Sokka."
Sokkas face turned bright red as he went, "Yep, yep babies." With embarrassment.
"Thank you Suki, and congratulations!" Ari told her, hugging her best friend.
"Would you guys really be willing to do all this. The lying and the sneaking around, for me?" Ari ask them with tears in her eyes.
"Of course we would." Suki answered first.
"Your a part of this group Ari." Aang told her.
"You realize that everyone here loves you don't you." Zuko told her.
"Thank you, thank you everyone I don't know how I'll ever repay you." Ari said crying.
Everyone got up and hugged her.
They had other matters to attend to afterward. Zukos coronation, two weddings to plan, countries that needed to be run, as well as a peace treaty to sign with the other nations. Their lives were about to be very, very busy.
The day of Zuko's coronation came quickly. Ari and Zuko were in their room getting ready. They had never even pretended to sleep separately it just wasn't worth it. After Aris' maids had left she was putting the finishing touches on her outfit; when she looked up and realized Zuko was struggling to get his robe on.
"Here let me help you with that." She told him with a warm smile, rushing over to help him dress.
"There you're ready. You look incredible Zuko." Ari told him proudly.
"So do you, future Fire Lady Ariadne." Zuko told her leaning down for a kiss and pulling her closer.
"Is this a bad time." A flat bored voice said from the doorway.
"Mai! You're okay! They let you out of prison?" Zuko called to the newcomer as he slowly released Ari.
"My uncle pulled some strings. And it doesn't hurt when you're friends with the new Fire Lord."
"I'll meet you out there." Ari told him giving them a minute alone. "Nice to meet you." She said with a smile, nodding her head towards Mai.
"So does this mean you don't hate me anymore?" Zuko ask her.
"We're good Zuko. I'm not going to lie though, I am definitely annoyed at how fast you moved on. She just seems so...perky." Mai said angling her head in the direction Ari had just left.
"I'm not sure perky is the right word, but I think you'll like her if you give her a chance." Zuko told Mai.
Ari headed outside to the coronation pavilion to greet her friends. Looking around she was surprised how many people she actually knew.
"I hear congratulations are in order." Iroh said coming up behind her.
"Thank you General Iroh." Ari said bowing reverently.
"Call me Uncle! We're going to be family after all!" Iroh said with a smile.
"Thank you Uncle." Ari said face bright.
"How are you Ari?" Hakoda said walking up to her.
"Some days I can scarcely believe I survived it." Ari answered with a coy smile.
"The war?" Questioned Iroh with a frown.
"No! The teenagers! Some days I was fairly sure one more sarcastic comment and I was going to snap." Ari said jokingly.
Both men started laughing heartily.
Inside the Royal palace Aang is wearing the robes and necklace of an airbending master when Zuko in full Fire Lord attire walked up to him.
"I can't believe a year ago my purpose in life was hunting you down. And now..." Zuko started to say.
"And now we're friends." Said Aang. finishing his sentence.
"Yeah, we are friends."
"I can't believe a year ago I was still frozen in a block of ice. The world's so different now."
"And it's gonna be even more different... when we build it together." Zuko told him and they embraced warmly.
A gong strikes as Zuko approaches the crowd gathered in the coronation plaza. The crowd starts cheering for him.
"Please. The real hero is the Avatar." Zuko says as Aang stands next to him on the dias. The crowd cheers again. "Today this war is finally over! I promised my uncle that I would restore the honor of the Fire Nation. And I will. 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 and peace." Zuko kneels down preparing to be crowned the Fire Lord. The Fire Sage approaches and places the crown in his top knot.
"All hail Fire Lord Zuko!" The Fire Sage announces. The crowd cheers as Zuko stands.
That evening Ari is serving tea to Iroh and Zuko while they talk.
"I went to visit my father the other day. " Zuko tells them.
"Ohh." Uncle Iroh says in shock, "And how did that go?"
"Not well." Zuko sighs, "I want to know where my mother is."
"Uncle, I wonder if I could ask you a favor?" Ari ask him.
"Anything my dear what is it?" Iroh asks a little bit thrown off by the change in direction.
"I find myself in need of an introduction." She answers.
"Oh, to whom."
"Ozai. I think I could get the information out of him." Ari tells him.
"What's your plan."
"I'm simply going to bring him tea, but I think my patience can achieve far more than force could."
"I believe you may be wise beyond your years my dear." Iroh tells her.
"That was the other thing I wanted to talk to you about, Uncle, Ari's origins. This may be hard to accept but Ari is actually an Airbender from another world. She had a life and family before being drug here." Zuko tells him.
"What?!" Says Iroh startled.
"It's true." Says Ari, "See." Ari holds up her hands and produces a small wind funnel between them.
"I think she is my destiny just as much as being Fire Lord is, bringing more airbenders to the world after having been decimated by my ancestors. Well that and I love her dearly. There will come a time when we may need your help Uncle, we still need to rescue her children from her world." Zuko explains.
"I will always help in whatever way I am able." Iroh swears to them.