Rise from the Ashes Chapter 8: Reconciliation

The blimp swiftly glided through the morning sky. It had been a restless and sleepless night for the former Prince Zuko. From this day onward, that title was utterly meaningless. He would be branded a traitor once again. The lack of sleep was nothing new, his relentless pursuit of the Avatar had caused him to be accustomed to long sleepless nights.

He had been prepared to make the flight on his own, and while Mai was with him now, she did not know how to fly a blimp or how to get to the Boiling Rock. So Zuko remained attentive in order to get them to the prison as fast as possible. Mai had been unwilling to be the only one to fall asleep, so she had sat by his side for the duration of the journey.

They took the time to formulate their plan. Through a rare stroke of luck, Mai's uncle happened to be the warden of the prison and she believed she could get them inside through the regular entrance. It would be better than any attempt at infiltration. With the guard posting and the surrounding boiling lake, other possible rescue plans seemed to have been doomed to fail.

As far as plans go, there have been far better. Iroh had always scolded Zuko for acting rashly and without thinking things through. It seems he had not improved too much in that regard, but options were thin at the moment. Zuko could practically hear his Uncle's reprimands. Just like how he had been scolded for nearly freezing to death at the North Pole, and how he had not had a plan after he would have taken the Avatar's sky bison from Lake Laogai.

Regardless, once they found Iroh they would have to rely on him being strong enough to help them fight their way out. Time would not be on their side once Iroh was sprung from his cell.

In the dead of night the visibility was so scarce that Zuko could only guide the airship in the general vicinity of their destination.

What a perfect representation of my journey so far. Zuko thought to himself in irritation. The path is not clear and I am flying in half blind. I hardly know what I am doing, only that I need to do it.

There would be no way to return back home, and there would be no second chance to claim his birthright as heir of the Fire Nation.

Not that he gave a damn about that anymore. The thought of standing at Ozai's side as his son and heir made Zuko sick. What good would that title be if the rest of the world suffered for it?

His thoughts drifted to when he had used firebending to save a young boy from corrupt Earth Kingdom soldiers, and in doing so he had proudly declared that he was the son of Fire Lord Ozai and heir to the throne. It was impossible to forget the look of revulsion and hatred on the face of the young boy when he heard the truth about where Zuko's allegiances had been.

Never again. Never again will I be associated with Ozai. With that monster. I have a real father, and I am going to save him today.

He was seemingly the last to realize just how disastrous his decision to aid his sister in the caves under Ba Sing Se really was.

He had never belonged at Ozai's side, it could not have been more clear in hindsight.. There was always an uneasy presence when he had returned to the capital as a supposed hero. Seemingly every word he spoke in the Fire Lord's presence was false or guarded in some way. When he tried to measure up to what Ozai demanded from his son, Zuko found himself unable to follow through.

I dreamed of returning, but I was not myself there, and without my mother the capital was no home at all.

The night transitioned to the day, and they had made good use of their time. Zuko could tell by the landscape that they were nearly there and at last he could make out the prison itself in the distance.

He was in the process of moving to the edge of the blimp in order to gaze out at the prison when he suddenly froze in shock. The sensation was fierce and nearly overwhelming.

"What is it?" Mai asked. There was a slight amount of concern that came through her typically monotone voice. "Is it the Great Comet? I do not see it yet, can you feel it?"

"Yes." Zuko said through clenched teeth. "I can feel it coming."

It was like a raging fire had been ignited in his gut and it was burning more intensely with each passing moment. His entire body felt hotter, and his fingertips ached. It was as if the power that he was acquiring was begging him to be released. It was only the beginning, in the distance the comet came within sight and his power continued to grow.

"You cannot imagine the power I feel." He heard himself say out loud.

If I fought the Avatar or the Waterbender girl right now I would win, I'm sure of it. If I feel this way, then I can only imagine what Azula and Ozai will be able to do. The Northern Tribes stand no chance at all. They will fall today.

He remembered the great wall of ice at the North Pole that had required a massive naval assault from Admiral Zhao in order to have any chance at victory. Now, there was no doubt that Ozai and Azula would burn down those defenses with ease. Zuko could picture his sister laughing as she sent fire down on anyone unfortunate enough to get in her way.

His thoughts were interrupted by a strong grip on his shoulder.

"You've gone pale. Now is not the time to lose your resolve, Zuko. We have a rescue to carry out, and I did not hitch myself with you just so you can get yourself killed now. We are getting your Uncle out of there and you need to keep your head on straight or the three of us are screwed."

Then it suddenly dawned on him. Imagine what Uncle will be able to do.

"There will be no need for a rescue." Zuko spoke with confidence.

Mai's hand slipped off of his shoulder. Zuko had known her since they were children and he had never seen her so surprised.

"What did you say?" Mai's gaze shifted from astonishment to irritation. "We just flew across the country and you are backing off?"

"We will not have to leverage the warden after all." He told Mai with confidence. "We will not have to take one step onto the Boiling Rock."

"You needed your sleep after all. Why are you talking nonsense? This is the most heavily guarded and secure facility in the world. Hardened killers pale at the thought of being imprisoned there. Your Uncle is not going to escape on his own. No one can."

Zuko shook his head. "I believe in him. I know my Uncle. He will find a way. He will find the Avatar, and he will fight back. We need to be ready when he does."

So that I can beg for his forgiveness. He added silently to himself.

A short time later

Iroh propelled himself through the air at a rapid speed. The prison guards had looked on in shock and astonishment as he had walked through the infamous Boiling Rock prison unscathed and had lifted himself into the sky.

The prison that had contained him had faded further and further behind him until it had disappeared completely.

There had been airships positioned over the prison, but they had been ill equipped to pursue such a small and quick target.

I will be long gone, and I need to do what I should have done when we had first found him. I must train the Avatar, and help him fulfill his destiny.

"Damn it, I am not going to lose him!" Zuko shouted with fervor and anger. His chance at redemption was launching away from him at an unbelievable speed.

There was no doubt that it was his Uncle out there in the sky, and despite his preparations of positioning the blimp near the prison. It was clear that he would never keep pace with his uncle in the blimp.

I refuse to fail, if I lose sight of Uncle I doubt I will be able to track him down easily.

"We will never keep up like this Zuko. You need to act now." Mai responded. In quick strides she closed the distance between them. "Forget the blimp, can you catch him?"

There was only one possible answer. "I will. But what about you? You can't fly this thing on your own!"

Before he had even finished speaking however, she had brandished one of her knives and in a quick elegant motion she cut off the clothing below her knees as well as the drooping sleeves around her arms, thereby minimizing wind resistance.

She jabbed him in the chest with a single long finger. "Then catch him. If you can handle me, take me with you. BUT. DO. NOT. LET. ME. FALL."

"I won't lose you either"

If Mai had blushed at his words, Zuko would never know because immediately in response Mai pivoted behind him and gripped onto him as if her life depended on it. She positioned herself so that his palms and feet were unobstructed.

Thank goodness she is not that heavy.

With Mai clinging to his back Zuko vaulted up to perch himself on the thin outer wall of the blimp. His Uncle had a head start, a longer delay and Zuko risked losing sight of him.

Firebending comes from the breath. He could hear his uncle's lecture as clear as if he were standing there with him.

He will be soon. Zuko worked to get his breathing under control. He would need all the strength that he could muster.

Neither of them looked down at the hundreds of feet of empty air between the teenagers and the fierce, crashing waves of the ocean. If Zuko could not support them then either the impact into the water or the unrelenting waves would kill them both.

Without a moment's hesitation Zuko leapt off. Flames erupted from his feet and palms and launched him forward.

I am being pursued.

Iroh had to admire the bravery and persistence of the guard that was following him. Using flames as propulsion was no easy feat.

The airships of the Fire Nation were already outmaneuvered, but this single guard was risking their life to chase him.

No one within my power will lose their life today. I will restrain the guard gently before continuing on.

His attunement to the Spirit World had always been a great blessing. He had been a lost man when his son Lu Ten had died. He had wandered the world for a time without aim or purpose, broken and defeated. This time of enlightenment had allowed him to forge a connection with the spirits, their world, and his own in ways he would not have thought possible as a younger man.

But now this connection was bringing him great pain, and its intensity was rising exponentially. The balance of the world, already wounded from the Air Nomad genocide and the Hundred Years War, was been torn apart once again. The comet had only just arrived, and already its' wrath was being felt.

I should have been able to stop this. The world will need an Avatar now more than ever.

The Earth itself was in pain. Large portions of the North Pole were melting. The very area under the feet of thousands at the pole was washing away. The resulting rising water levels would flood and devastate the coasts of the Earth Kingdom. Across the Earth Kingdom, the Fire Nation attacked cities, fortifications, forests, and fields across the entire continent. Entire stretches of land were being torched, burned and scarred. Spirits across the world saw their homes in the physical world destroyed and were lashing out in anger.

There was an open gaping wound growing in the world, and it would need to be healed or the damage would be irreversible.

Ozai's callousness has inflicted despair and pain everywhere. He does not comprehend what he has unleashed. But he will be satisfied if he were to rule over the ashes.

No other member of the Fire Nation was in sight of him and he led his pursuer to a small secluded stretch of land off the coast. There was a village nearby, once his pursuer was stopped, they could be safely transported there.

The guard would certainly be tired and flying through the air at this speed was far from pleasant. Much further and there was a threat that he would falter and fall. Iroh remained close enough so that he could stop the guard's fall if it came to that.

Iroh landed gently on the ground and felt relief at feeling the earth beneath his feet after his period of captivity. He turned to finally get a good look at his pursuer who landed rather inelegantly about fifty yards away.

Zuko gasped as he lay on the ground. He had landed about fifty yards away from his Uncle as he had descended as soon as he could. Mai still gripped him tightly, as if the danger had not yet passed.

"Well, that was not at all boring." She breathed in a tired whisper as she released and rolled off of his back. Her typically styled and neat hair was a tangled mess.

"So, you enjoyed it?"

"Not at all." She looked at him as they both lay on the ground. "Go to him. I'll give you all the time you need."

"Thank you." Zuko grunted as he rose to his feet. I will go to my knees and say everything that I need to.

"He will forgive you Zuko, make sure you forgive yourself." He heard Mai say.

Step by step he approached his uncle, as Zuko got closer he saw that Iroh was hardly recognizable from the man he knew. His uncle had always seemed to be well-groomed. Even when they had wandered together across the Earth Kingdom, Iroh always found a way to appear neat. He had been disheveled in the capital dungeon, but he seemed ten times dirtier now. His hair was long and unkept. His beard had grown thick and reached down past his waist. The smell was repugnant. His customarily thick gut was gone. He was smaller, but he looked far from weak. In fact, Iroh looked stronger than Zuko had ever seen him.

As he came within ten feet, Zuko saw what looked like tears in the old man's eyes. Zuko flinched away in guilt. He fell to his knees and he could feel his arms begin to tremble.

"Uncle." Zuko choked out. "I know you must have mixed feelings about seeing me….But I want you to know…."

He found it hard to get the words out. He could feel the tears begin to trickle down his face. "I am so, so sorry, Uncle. I am so sorry and ashamed of what I did. I can't ever properly make it up to you. But I swear I'll..."

He was abruptly cut off by an embrace. It felt as if Iroh would never let his nephew go. Zuko could hear his uncle's sobs.

Just like that? After all I've done. After I defied all his advice and betrayed him?

"How can you forgive me so easily? You should be furious with me. You should hate me." Zuko's voice trembled in disbelief.

"I was never angry with you Zuko. I was sad, because I was afraid you had lost your way."

"I did lose my way. Despite all your guidance I still failed."

Iroh let go of him and gave his nephew a relieved smile. "But, you found your way back again. I am so happy you found your way here."

"It was not that hard Uncle. You have quite the powerful scent."

Iroh laughed lightly. "Apologies for my lack of hygiene." The smile did not leave his face. "The road ahead will be perilous, and there is no one I would rather have at my side during these dark times. Would you be ready for such a journey?"

"I will not let you down Uncle. The Avatar has to still be alive. I believe he is out there somewhere, and we need to find him."

A/N

Reviews are greatly appreciated. They do help motivate me to write more as I tend to get busy.