Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender
Chapter 19: Fixing the Mistakes of the Past
The next day...
"I'm grateful you've chosen to join us." King Kuei greeted them, as Mai, Ty Lee, and Azula entered the throne room. "Please sit."
Azula nodded, taking a seat on one of the three cushions in front of the king's throne. "And what was it you wanted to talk to us about, your majesty?" She asked.
"Long Feng, will you please explain to our guests what the situation is here?" The king asked, gesturing to his Grand Secretariat.
Long Feng nodded, stepping foreword. "My Dai Li have been spying on the house of a group claiming to be the Avatar for some time now. Last night, we overheard them taking about their plans to inform the king about a secret war going on beyond the walls, which is just ludicrous."
"Of course it is." Azula agreed, smiling. "The world is at peace. Anyone who suggests otherwise must be a traitor."
Long Feng nodded, his face masking all emotion. "That is exactly what I thought. My request is that you go to this house, and eliminate the problem." He passed a rolled up scroll to Azula. "Here is the address. My Dai Li can help you. Can I count on you?"
"Anything for the Earth Kingdom." Azula said, standing up, Mai and Ty Lee following. "I promise your majesty, that by the end of the day, this problem will be taken care of."
King Kuei smiled. "I knew I could count on you. Guards, please escort them back to their quarters."
"That was just too easy." Azula smirked, as the three of them headed towards their house. "My brother won't know what hit him."
Behind her, Mai and Ty Lee exchanged a look, one thought on both of their minds.
"We have to warn Zuko."
"I will be gone for the rest of the day." Azula said, as soon as they had arrived back at the house they were staying in, and the king's guard had left. "I need to go talk to my contact in the city. I trust you two can make yourself busy."
Ty Lee grinned, bouncing up and down on the couch. "Of course Azula. Mai and I are going to the market."
"I want more knives." Mai said, by way of explanation. "And Ty Lee wants to look at clothes."
Azula nodded, her look cold and calculating. "Have fun."
She exited through the door, closing it behind her. As soon as Azula was out of sight, Mai and Ty Lee jumped up out of their seats.
"I can't believe she bought it." Ty Lee commented.
Mai nodded. "Let's go, before she comes back."
The two girls left the house, closing the door behind them, heading towards the house that the Avatar and his friends were staying at. Around the corner, unbeknownst to the two of them, two cold, golden eyes followed their movement.
"There it is." Ty Lee said, pointing at a house in front of them. Through the windows, Zuko and the rest of the Avatar's companions were visible, not having noticed them yet.
Mai sighed. "Do you think they'll trust us?"
"Zuko will." Ty Lee assured us. "He's our friend."
The two girls approached the door, knocking on it. From inside the house, they could hear the others scrambling around, before the door was yanked open and Zuko stared at them in shock.
"Mai? Ty Lee? What are you two doing here?" He asked, shocked.
Mai eyes darted around the square, before she turned to her not really an ex-boyfriend. "Can you let us in? This isn't a conversation we should be having on the front steps."
"Oh of course." He said, opening the door wider for them.
Inside the house, the Avatar's companions, along with the Avatar himself, stared at them in confusion and uncertainty, while the blind girl simply stared bored in their general direction.
"What are they doing here?" The waterbender asked. "They're going to tell Azula where we are."
Mai sighed. "Azula already knows you're here. Long Feng had the Dai Li spy on you. He told the king that you're imposters pretending to be the Avatar and knows about your plan to tell the king about Lake Laogai."
"Shit." Zuko swore. "How else are we supposed to get the Earth King on our side?"
Ty Lee smiled hesitantly at him. "We could help. We don't want to work for Azula anymore."
"Why should we believe you?" The Water Tribe boy asked. "You hunted us with Azula. You're Fire Nation."
Mai crossed her arms. "So is Zuko and you trust him. Besides, we risked our lives coming here to tell you this. Azula will kill us if she finds out we helped you."
"They're telling the truth." The blind girl spoke up. "I think we can trust them."
Zuko nodded. "Toph's right. I've known Mai and Ty Lee almost my entire life. They're being honest."
"Welcome to the team." The Avatar said, grinning. "I'm Aang, and that's Katara, Sokka, Toph, and Momo. And you already know Zuko."
Ty Lee grinned. "I'm so happy you let us help."
"I'm going to go get Iroh and Derai." Zuko told them. "If Azula is going after us, she's going to go after them too."
Katara nodded. "We'll stay here and make plans."
Grabbing his bag, Zuko ducked out of the house, heading towards the Jasmine Dragon.
"We've got a mole." Azula announced, stepping into one of the caverns deep below Lake Laogai, where Long Feng sat, surrounded by several Dai Li agents.
Long Feng raised an eyebrow. "Who is it? Should we be worried."
"My two companions, Mai and Ty Lee." Azula told him. "I overheard them deciding to tell the Avatar and my traitorous brother about our plans. Later, I spied on them, to make sure they followed through with it. But, we should be okay. I've told them very little."
Long Feng frowned. "You promised me that we'd be okay. This is not okay."
"You misunderstand." She smirked. "My uncle is also in the city. Zuzu will no doubt leave to go get his darling uncle. We have enough Dai Li agents to be able to capture the Avatar and his companions while those two are away. We'll still take the city."
Long Feng grinned. "Then let's get going. There is no time to waste."
A knock at the door startled the Gaang, plus Mai and Ty Lee from their planning.
"That must be Zuko, Iroh, and Derai." Sokka said, walking over. "I'll go get it. Though I don't know why they're knocking. Zuko has a key."
But when he opened the door, it wasn't Zuko, but two Dai Li agents standing there instead.
"Can I help you?" Sokka asked, confused.
The two agents nodded. "You can. You're under arrest for helping the traitorous Avatar impersonator, by order of the Earth King."
"This must be some mistake." Sokka said, backing up. "Aang isn't an impersonator, he's the real thing."
Mai drew knives from her pockets. "This has to be Azula."
"Then I think we should be prepared for a fight." Katara muttered, pulling water from her water skin.
Suddenly, the glass of the house smashed in, as Dai Li agents swarmed the building from all sides. Toph bended a large portion of the floor of the house, sending it flying at the agents, who simply batted it away. Katara sent out a large wave of water, freezing several of the agents in ice momentarily, before they were quickly freed by others, who used their earthbending to smash the ice to pieces.
Ty Lee ran towards several of the agents, incapacitating them quickly, while Mai pinned several to the wall with her knives. Sokka unsheathed his sword, using everything Zuko had taught him to slash at the agents. Aang sent a gust of air flying at several of the Dai Li, knocking them over and into each other.
"There are too many." Toph yelled, battling off ten agents by herself, as large chunks of rocks went flying.
Katara groaned as more of the agents she froze were freed, and sent a water whip at two attempting to sneak up behind her. Several agents who had climbed to the ceiling, sent their rock gloves flying, capturing Katara's hands, and rendering her incapable to bend. All around the house, the Dai Li sent their rock gloves flying at the Gaang, until they were all knocked out.
Eyes widening, Sokka saw the last glove flying towards him. Whipping out his boomerang, he slammed it into the ground, just as the last glove incapacitated him. As the Dai Li dragged them out of the house, knocking them out as they went, Sokka smiled as he caught a last glimpse of the weapon.
"Zuko will know we're taken, I never leave boomerang." He thought. "He'll come save us." As the Dai Li agent hit him on the back of the head, and everything went black.
When Aang came too, the sound of Toph yelling filled his brain, causing him to wince at the loud sound.
"Where are you dunderheads taking us! Come on, untie me and fight me fair and square. I can beat you! I'm the best earthbender in the world!" She yelled, struggling at the metal bonds to no avail.
The Dai Li agent who was carrying her rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. You're just a little girl, you can't take us. And you're prisoners, you don't need to know where you're going."
Aang grinned internally. He knew full well Toph could escape if she wanted, but she wasn't going to give away her superior advantage just yet.
"We're taking you somewhere no earthbender can escape." The Dai Li agent holding Aang told her. "Have fun while Princess Azula and Long Feng take control of the city."
The agent holding Toph smacked him. "Lihi, you don't just tell the prisoners what's going on. Haven't you learned anything?"
"Its not like they can do anything." Lihi said, rolling his eyes. "Despite what she might say, even she can't bend metal. They're not going to escape."
The two agents deposited them in a metal cell, suspended off of the ground by chains. As soon as their voices disappeared around the corner, Aang turned to Toph.
"Can you get us out of here?"
Toph rolled her eyes. "Of course I can Twinkle Toes. I'm the best earthbender in the world. Now, stand back."
Rubbing her hands, Toph placed them on the metal bars, before bending them back with ease. As soon as there was a hole big enough for them to walk through, Toph bent a staircase of earth, and motioned to Aang.
"Come on Twinkle Toes. We can escape through the ground. Then, they won't know we're missing until its too late."
Aang grinned, following her down the stairs. "Now let's go find our friends."
"Where did you take them?" Katara demanded, as two Dai Li agents carrying Aang and Toph peeled off from the rest of them.
The agent holding her laughed. "Somewhere they can't bend out of. You four on the other hand are going somewhere where no one will ever find you. Not until its too late at least."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Katara hissed.
The guard simply shook his head. "You'll find out."
Two Dai Li agents in front of them earthbended a staircase into the side of the mountain, before stepping aside, allowing the Dai Li agents that were carrying Katara, Sokka, Ty Lee, and Mai to walk down. The group traveled in complete silence and darkness, until Sokka was able to make out a faint glow coming from the path below them.
They broke out into a large, open cavern, glowing green crystal littered all around, and causing the light they had seen before.
"Have fun down here." The Dai Li agent holding Katara cackled, as they set them down, earthbending their bonds off, and closing the door so they couldn't follow.
Mai sat down on the ground, leaning up against one of the crystals, Ty Lee joining her. "What do we do now?"
"Aang and Toph will find a way out, I'm sure of it." Katara told her. "And Zuko and Iroh weren't captured. They'll find us."
Sokka looked around in concern. "Hopefully they can find us in time, before Azula and the rest of the Dai Li get to them."
"Who are you?" A voice asked, and the entire group turned around in surprise.
Sitting on the floor was an Earth Kingdom man with black hair and bright green eyes. He wore a green and yellow chaofu with horse-hoof cuffs and a green piling. On his head was a black guanmao with a red trim, gold finial, and the Earth Kingdom symbol. He wore a sash that was fashioned with a buckle shaped like the Earth Kingdom symbol and a set of jade court beads. Next to him was a bear, who wore a yellow tunic and a green guanmao.
"You're the Earth King." Katara said in suprise. "What are you doing down here?"
The King stood up. "Call me Kuei, since we're both captured down here. And this is Bosco." He said, gesturing to the bear. "Long Feng turned on me. One of the Kyoshi Warriors threw me down here. You're the Avatar imposters, aren't you."
"Your majesty, they aren't imposters." Mai said, stepping foreword. "Ty Lee and I were with Azula, the Kyoshi Warrior who threw you down here. None of us are actually Kyoshi Warriors. Azula is princess of the Fire Nation. She and Long Feng lied about them being imposters, so they would be imprisoned."
King Kuei nodded. "I remember you two. Why did you turn on her?"
"Azula's brother Zuko was with the Avatar." Ty Lee explained. "We realized he was right, when he told us to switch sides. He was a way better friend to us than Azula ever was. Luckily, he wasn't in the house when we were captured, so we still have a chance."
Katara turned towards the wall. "Let's hope Iroh and Zuko get here soon. And Aang and Toph escape. I have a feeling Azula won't wait to complete her coup of the city."
Zuko opened the door of the Jasmine Dragon, which had closed about a half an hour ago. Derai and Iroh, who were cleaning out in the front room looked up when he entered.
"Azula's here." Zuko gasped out. "Ty Lee and Mai warned us. They're going to try and take over the city. I came to get you two, because I know she'll go after you."
Iroh's eyes widened. "If my niece is in the city, we're in serious trouble."
"Come on," Zuko said, gesturing to them. "Everyone is back at the house."
Derai and Iroh set down their supplies, following Zuko back towards where the Gaang had been staying.
"Do you know what Azula is going to do?" Derai asked, as they ran.
Zuko shook his head. "Azula didn't tell Mai and Ty Lee much, but whatever she's going to do, it'll be bad. My guess is she's going to try and perform a coup."
The three of them ran around the corner, skidding to a stop in shock when they saw the house. The entire ceiling was caved in, the glass shattered and laying on the ground outside. The front door was split in half, one side falling in, and the entire right wall was crumbled.
"What happened here?" Derai asked, shocked.
Zuko ran towards the steps. "Come on, there may be some clue as to what happened to my friends."
The three of them stepped through the broken door, and took in the surroundings. The wall leading to one of the bedrooms was completely crumbled, and the few remaining walls had large cracks running through them. Holes in the ceiling allowed light to stream through. The table had been flipped on its side, two of its legs missing. Sitting in the center of the room, was Sokka's boomerang, planted almost as a warning.
"They've been taken." Zuko said, pulling the boomerang out of the ground.
Derai glanced at him confused. "How do you know that?"
"Sokka would never just leave his boomerang here." Zuko explained, holding up the weapon. "Its his most prized possession. He left it here, so I would know they're in trouble."
A flapping noise sounded from above, startling the three men, and Momo flew out of what was left of the ceiling, alighting on Zuko's shoulder, who reached up to pet the small lemur. A baying noise out back alerted the group to Appa's presence.
"Derai, you take Appa and get out of the city." Zuko told him. "Take Momo with you."
Derai glanced at him, confused. "Why? I can fight."
"If something goes wrong, we need a way to get out." Zuko explained. "Just please, go."
Iroh placed his hand on Derai's shoulder. "My nephew is right. If you leave, you're our best chance."
"I'll go." Derai told them. "Stay safe."
The other man ran to the back, jumping onto Appa as Momo followed him. With a shout of "yip-yip!" he was on his way, as Iroh and Zuko stood outside the demolished house, watching him fly away.
"That's not good, nephew." Iroh said, pointing down the hill towards the Great Walls of Ba Sing Se, where an army of red came into view, marching into the city.
Zuko sighed. "This is just like what happened last time."
"Even with all the knowledge in the world, you can't save everyone." Iroh told him.
A rumbling near their feet caused the two former Fire Nation royalty to jump back, lighting their flames. The ground broke away, revealing Aang and Toph.
"You're okay." Zuko sighed in relief, extinguishing his flames.
Aang nodded. "They put us in a metal cage, underneath the palace. But, they didn't count on Toph being able to bend metal."
"Did you see where they took the others?" Zuko asked.
Aang shook his head. "They separated us. I have no idea where the others went."
"Normally I would be able to feel them, but this city is so big, I have no idea where they would be." Toph said, sighing.
Zuko's eyes widened. "The Catacombs under Ba Sing Se. That's where the Dai Li kept them last time. They'll be there again."
"Lead the way." Toph gestured. "I'll take care of the earthbending."
As they began to run off, Aang skidded to a stop. "Wait! What about Appa?"
"I sent Derai with him and Momo out of the city." Zuko explained. "If something goes wrong, we needed a way to get out quickly."
Toph nodded. "Good idea Sparky. Now let's go save our friends."
The wall suddenly began to rumble, and the group turned to the wall, holding whatever weapons they still had. Katara grabbed the leftover water from her water skin, while Sokka pulled his sword out, Mai grabbed her few remaining knives, and Ty Lee held up her hands, poised to strike. King Kuei hid behind one of the crystals with Bosco. But when the dust cleared, it revealed Toph, Aang, Iroh, and Zuko.
"You're okay!" Katara cried, dropping her water and running to Aang, wrapping him in a hug.
Aang nodded. "Toph got us out. The Dai Li didn't expect her to be able to bend metal."
"Come on," Zuko called. "The Fire Nation is already overtaking the city. We need to go and help."
"Not so fast." A voice called out, and Azula stepped out of the shadows, flanked by too many Dai Li agents to count. "You know, I expected this treachery from Zuko and Uncle, but Mai and Ty Lee. I thought you were on my side."
Mai frowned, raising her stilettos. "Zuko was right Azula. This is wrong and I'm ashamed it took Ty Lee and I this long to realize it. You aren't the girl we became friends with."
"You're right, I'm not. I'm stronger and I'm better than I was as a child." Azula said, smirking. "Oh well, I guess I'll have to kill you two. It doesn't matter, I don't need friends."
Zuko summoned his fire, staring at her. "It doesn't have to be like this Azula."
"Oh I think it does." She said, summoning her own fire. "Dai Li, take care of the others. I have these three."
The Dai Li punched foreword, and Azula threw her blue fire, as chaos broke out in the cavern. Ty Lee jumped around, hitting what Dai Li opponents she could, chi-blocking them and causing them to fall to the ground, paralyzed. Mai sent foreword a barrage of knives, skewering the earthbenders and attaching them to the wall.
Katara pulled waves of water out of the underground rivers in the Crystal Catacombs, sending a wall of water towards the Dai Li, sweeping them out of the way, while Toph bended large sheets of earth, blocking the Dai Li's earth gloves. Sokka charged several of the earthbenders with his sword, knocking them away, while Aang used his staff to send large gusts of wind at the earthbenders. Iroh sent large waves of fire, causing the earthbenders to jump back, or send up sheets of earth to block him. But despite their best efforts, more and more Dai Li just kept coming.
Meanwhile, Zuko battled his sister, sending large waves of fire to combat her blue flames, and shooting fire balls, which Azula batted away with ease.
"My my Zuzu," she taunted. "You've gotten better in your banishment. No where as good as me, but I suppose you're not a failure anymore."
Zuko frowned, shooting another fire blast. "You couldn't resist the opportunity to tease me, couldn't you Zula."
"Don't call me that!" She cried, furious, sending frantic blasts of blue fire at Zuko, who batted them away with ease.
Zuko smirked. It was too easy to get under her skin, and for a second, he understood why she always called him Zuzu. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you're upset about that nickname."
"Oh whatever gave you that impression." She hissed, sending another powerful blast of fire his direction.
As the battle raged on, Aang took a look around. He knew, that unless he did something, they wouldn't make it out of this alive. There were just too many Dai Li, and too little of them.
"Cover me!" He called to Katara, before bending the crystals that were littered around, and making himself a cover so he could meditate.
Toph glanced over, as the crystals began to glow, and even the Dai Li stopped, staring at in shock. Both Azula and Zuko calmed their fire, to turn and see what was glowing.
"What's he doing?" Toph called to Katara, who simply shrugged in response.
Suddenly, the crystals exploded outward and a beam of light shot up into the air. Aang began to rise out of it, his tattoos glowing in the tell tale sign of the Avatar State. Wind began to whip around the cavern, and everyone covered their faces, to shield themselves.
Zuko felt movement on his right side, and turned to see Azula shoot a stream of lightening directly at Aang.
"No!" He yelled, running and tackling her.
But the damage was done, he knew, even as he felt Azula smirk underneath him. Aang spasmed in the air, falling quickly towards the ground. Katara sent a wave of water, riding on it, as she barely caught Aang before he hit the ground.
"Its over Zuzu." Azula said smugly. "The Avatar is dead. You've lost."
Jumping off of his sister, Zuko ran over towards where Katara was cradling Aang in her arms.
"You all need to go." Iroh said, turning to them as the Dai Li advanced. "I'll hold them off."
Zuko gaped, grabbing him by the arm. "No uncle. You can't do this."
"I'll be fine nephew." Iroh promised him. "You children are what matter now. You all need to go."
Iroh pulled away from Zuko's grasp, sending a large wall of fire out, and causing all of the Dai Li to jump back. Katara bended the water from the waterfall, pulling all of them up and out of the cavern, as she held Aang in her arms. As Zuko looked down, the last thing he saw before the cavern disappeared beneath him, was his uncle, restrained by crystals.
"What happened?" Derai demanded, as the group burst out of the ground, outside of the walls of Ba Sing Se, landing Appa next to them.
Zuko jumped up onto the saddle, pulling Bosco and King Kuei up with him. "Azula shot Aang with lightening. We need to go now. Set a course for Chameleon Bay. The Southern Water Tribe are there, we can lay low for a while."
The rest of them jumped up onto Appa, and Derai steered them away from Ba Sing Se. Katara cradled Aang in her arms, as she pulled some of her Spirit Water out of its container. Bending the water into a globe, she held it over the lightening wound.
As the entire group watched with bated breath, Aang's tattoos glowed and he groaned, opening his eyes for a second, before closing them. Everyone let out a relieved sigh, grateful Aang was okay.
As they flew away from the city, Zuko turned back to face it, as the giant walls disappeared behind the clouds. A million thoughts flashed through his brain at once, but one stood out among all the others.
"How could I have failed the city again?"
I'm sorry for doing that to everyone (or am I? hehe). I promise the next chapter is going to be a (mostly) fun one. Everyone needs a good break and some therapy, because we all know these children have a lot of trauma.
Please review. I love reviews.