Chapter 30 - The Sibling Conspiracy
Fire Lord Ozai was in a triumphant mood. With his treasonous daughter dead by his own hand, and his traitorous son buried under the Beifong estate in Gaoling, there was nobody left to seriously threaten his rule over the entire world. Small resistance pockets throughout the Earth Kingdom continued to stir up trouble, but they were not significant enough to worry about, and Ozai's advisors believed that after some decisive action during the passing of Sozin's Comet, all remaining resistance in the Earth Kingdom would be crushed.
However... Fire Lord Ozai was no longer certain that the power of Sozin's Comet should be used to quash the Earth Kingdom rebels. No... a recent conversation with the High Fire Sage had changed Ozai's perspective, and now, in a meeting with his advisors, he was about to spring a surprise on them all, something that made him grin like the cat that had eaten the proverbial sparrowkeet.
"I know all of you expect me to give the order to ready our airship fleet to deliver the knockout blow to the Earth Kingdom," Fire Lord Ozai began in an imperious voice, addressing his advisors, covering before him. "These orders will not be coming. Instead, our airships, as well as our navy, will be ordered to attack a different target. The source of the Fire Nation's greatest military shame in the recent years."
"My Lord?" Ozai's Minister of War piped up nervously. "You... you want us to attack the Northern Water Tribe again? After the failure of Admiral Zhao..."
"The loss of our fleet because of the incompetence of Zhao alone would demand retribution, minister," Ozai barked. "And I know from your reaction that you all consider the Northern Tribe an insignificant target. However, you only think so because you lack the crucial information that I possess."
The throne room fell silent in anticipation at Ozai's dramatic pause, before he continued again. "I have been speaking with the High Fire Sage about the matters of the Avatar Cycle," Ozai spoke, his words sowing immediate confusion in the hall. "We all believed that the cycle was broken. Avatar Aang was killed while in the Avatar State, so we all thought. Well... it's possible that we thought wrong. Avatar Aang received a fatal injury while he was in the Avatar State, but we also know that he did not die instantly. Can we know for sure that the cycle is also broken if the Avatar died later, when he was no longer in the Avatar State?"
The confused and worried chatter in the throne room instantly intensified at Ozai's words. "Ah, you're starting to realize what I'm getting at, aren't you?" he chuckled at his advisors. "We can't ignore the possibility that the Avatar Cycle has not been broken. The High Sage assures me that the next Avatar, if they were to be born, will be born a waterbender. That means one of the two water tribes, and with a much greater likelihood that they would be born into the Northern Tribe. They are much stronger and more numerous. That should make them our first target."
"The wisdom of the Fire Lord continues to be astounding," the Minister of Intelligence bowed deeply. "The Southern Tribe would have to be wiped out as well, of course, but as a secondary target."
"Correct, minister, but remember that this will have to be a delicate operation," Ozai spoke aloud. "We do not want to kill the young Avatar. They would be simply reincarnated into an earthbender and good luck trying to find a toddler in the vastness of the Earth Kingdom! No, our plan will be to force the Northern Water Tribe to surrender all children born since the death of Avatar Aang. We will do so by displaying our overwhelming firebending power under the influence of Sozin's Comet. Once they have handed over the children, we will wipe out the Northern Tribe to the last man and woman. And after that, we will repeat the same process with the Southern Water Tribe."
"That is a brilliant plan, my Lord," the Minister of Intelligence gushed. "This way, we will gain control of the new Avatar and make sure that they always remain on our side."
"Exactly, minister," Ozai nodded with great self-satisfaction. "And now, all of you, go and carry out my plan to the letter! Dismissed!"
Come the morning of the day of their agreed upon meeting, Zuko found Ty Lee exactly where she said she would be, further down the overgrown path leading up to the estate. The girl seemed to have been waiting on him for a while, pacing back and forth nervously, a relieved smile appearing on her lips upon his arrival, Ty Lee giving him a cheerful wave.
"Hi Zuko!" Ty Lee greeted him happily, though Zuko could see that the girl still appeared a little tense. "How did it go? Did the others agree?"
"Ty Lee," Zuko began slowly. "I want to see my sister. I want to talk to her... talk to you both."
"I... uh," Ty Lee hesitated. She nervously glanced over Zuko's shoulder. "I don't want to think that you're trying to spring a trap on us, Zuko."
"This isn't a trap, Ty Lee," Zuko shook his head. "You both should hear what I have to say straight from my mouth. And... I just want to see Azula, honestly. She's my sister, Ty Lee. If she has changed the way you have told me, then I want to see it for myself."
"That's a fair request, I guess," Ty Lee shrugged. "But I can't take you to Azula without her agreeing to it. She might get spooked and assume that I've also turned on her. You understand that, don't you?" she asked, earning a nod from Zuko. "Wait here, okay? Promise you won't follow me. Please, Zuko."
"I promise, Ty Lee," Zuko smiled at the girl. It was clear that Azula was somewhere close by and he probably would have been able to track her down, but he definitely didn't want to make it seem that Ty Lee had broken Azula's trust. If what Ty Lee had told him was the truth, then she was a massive positive influence in Azula's life, the only one she had ever enjoyed, and he would rather cut off his arm than sabotage the relationship between his sister and the fiercely loyal girl who clearly felt very strongly about Azula.
Zuko didn't have to wait for too long before Ty Lee reappeared on the overgrown path, wearing a big, goofy grin on her face as she motioned for him to follow her. Ty Lee then led him down the path all the way to the beach and a short distance to the left where he finally spotted his sister behind a large stack of volcanic rocks. As Zuko approached, Azula remained sitting, using a stick to draw figures in the sand.
"Hey," Zuko said softly, sitting nearby, not too close at first. Azula stopped drawing and threw the stick aside. Without saying a word, she quickly scooted over to Zuko's side and wrapped her arms around her brother, both of them content to stay like that for a while, until Ty Lee eventually joined in, enveloping them in a warm group hug.
"How are you doing?" Zuko asked once they had separated again. Even at the first glance, he could tell that Azula had been markedly changed by the recent events. The carefully cultivated image of perfection was gone forever. Instead, there seemed to be an aura of profound sadness surrounding her.
"I'm starting to understand what you've been going through these past three years," Azula replied in a somber voice. "This has been an eye opening experience for me, I have to say."
"Having uncle with me made it a lot easier," Zuko smiled. "But you have Ty Lee, and that's also a very good thing."
"No offense, Zuko, but I'd much rather have Ty Lee than Uncle Iroh," Azula rolled her eyes.
"Aww, thanks Azula," Ty Lee gushed, surprising Azula with a quick hug. Zuko couldn't stop the smile from spreading across his face as he observed his sister enduring Ty Lee's affection with patience he didn't know she possessed. From the half-hearted way in which she eventually batted Ty Lee away, it seemed as if Azula was actually enjoying the physical contact with the other girl.
"I'm so relieved to see that you've been coping, Azula," Zuko smiled at his sister.
"Coping," Azula slowly repeated the word, almost like chewing on it. "Coping, yes... that seems like a good way to describe it. Everything used to come so effortlessly to me that I had convinced myself of my own infallibility. Invincibility. I thought that after I had survived our father's cruel punishments and had become the tool that he now used with pride, nothing was going to stop me now. And then... that crazy bloodbender girl of yours, Katara... she was moments from snapping my neck. It still hurts..." she touched the back of her neck. "Ty Lee thinks I might have a slight whiplash."
"We really should have it checked, but it's too risky," Ty Lee frowned. Zuko swallowed guiltily. The only healer he knew would not be exactly jumping at the opportunity to heal Azula, what she wanted to do to Azula was the opposite of healing.
"It doesn't really trouble me that much, I'll be alright," Azula waved off the other girl's concerns. "And then our dear father blasted me with lightning. If not for Ty Lee dragging me away and reviving me, I'd be rotting in some unmarked grave, reserved for traitors. Like I said, I thought I was invincible... and then two near death experiences, back to back."
"I can see how that could change someone a great deal," Zuko said softly. "And you've clearly changed, sister."
"Losing everything I've had and hitting the rock bottom will do that, I guess," Azula shrugged. "I've even lost my perfect looks," she sighed, tugging lightly at her robe. "I'm a walking spider web of scars. Though Ty Lee seems fascinated by my scars."
"I, uh... some of the patterns are very nice... they make you look really exotic," Ty Lee mumbled, blushing deep red.
"Anyway, enough about my sad fall from grace, Zuzu," Azula shrugged. "Ty Lee asked you to pitch a plan to your friends. Were you able to convince them to join forces?"
"Not a chance," Zuko sighed as he shook his head, watching Azula and Ty Lee instantly become jittery and worried. "I'm sorry, Azula, but they just don't believe that they can trust you not to betray us all to our father."
"Don't they understand that he'll never accept me back, regardless of what I do?" Azula exclaimed in frustration.
"No, they don't know our father the way we both do," Zuko said. "And well... Katara has sworn to take you out because of the whole thing with the Avatar..."
Azula actually shuddered at those words, Ty Lee moving to embrace her. "I remember how I used to fear our father when we were both younger," Azula spoke quietly. "The fear to disappoint him in any way, because I knew what would happen, those cruel punishments to teach us a lesson, to make sure that we never dared to make the same mistake twice. You remember that, don't you, Zuko?"
"I do," he nodded at the unhappy memory. "He held you to a much higher standard than me, too. I think he must have written me off as a failure early on. He spent much more time breaking and molding you, sister."
"And even with all that, I eventually reached a point where I stopped to fear him," Azula stated proudly. "I felt like I was in control of everything. I felt like maybe he was starting to fear how powerful I had become. But when Katara used that crazy bloodbending on me, she reminded me that I don't actually control shit. Katara taught me that everything is fleeting and can be taken away with the snap of a wrist. Now that... that was truly frightening. She is frightening. You know how much I would hate to admit something like that, Zuko, but... I'm really terrified of Katara," she whispered, allowing Ty Lee to keep hugging her.
"There's a good reason for it, Azula. I know that she can be very frightening," Zuko nodded in agreement. "And I say that as someone who likes her a lot. Umm," he blushed deeply, shifting nervously in the sand. "Well, more than just like her, truth be told."
"Ah..." Azula realized immediately. "I... suppose she's... pretty? If you like that kind of exotic water peasant type."
"Don't ask me to explain, it's fucking complicated," Zuko laughed darkly. "Anyway, I'm doing all I can to talk her out of harming you, believe me. I haven't been successful with that quite yet, but I promise that I will not stop trying."
"Thanks, Zuzu," Azula smiled at him. "Until then, I'll make sure not to show my face anywhere near Katara."
"That's probably wise," Zuko nodded. "I hope they'll all see reason and understand that we need you if we want to take down our father."
"Let's hope so," Ty Lee added with a hopeful look on her face.
"Zuzu?" Azula spoke up, an idea clearly forming at the tip of her tongue. "We both know that our father has to be stopped, or else our lives will never truly belong to ourselves."
"I could not agree more, Azula," Zuko nodded at her. "What are you thinking?"
"I'm thinking that you probably have some plan to take on our father," Azula said. "And since we both know that you'll need me and Ty Lee against the Fire Lord, I think that... that maybe we should find a way to be there even if your friends are all opposed to it. When they see us attacking the Fire Lord, perhaps it'll change Katara's mind."
"It's risky," Zuko frowned. What Azula was suggesting could prove very dangerous for her. Mercy was becoming a very alien concept to Katara. "But it's probably necessary if we can't find another way."
"Tell us the plan, Zuko," Ty Lee urged.
"We want to make use of the opportunity that might open up when father leaves the royal palace," Zuko explained. "I know he hasn't done that in months, but I believe that he will do so once Sozin's Comet arrives."
"That's in... three, four weeks?" Azula mused.
"Yes, by the end of summer, it's been said," Zuko nodded. "We'll need to learn our father's plans, and then we could track him while waiting for an opportunity to strike."
"Not exactly a solid plan yet, but at least it has the makings of one," Azula smirked. "But we're not going to learn about his plans while sitting here on Ember Island."
"Exactly," Zuko said. "That's why we're heading to the capital tomorrow evening. We're going to find a place to squat and try to gather what information we can."
"Good idea," Azula nodded. "Ty Lee, we'll have to do the same."
"Sounds good, Azula," Ty Lee grinned excitedly. "I'll find someone to take us there. There's plenty of nice fishermen here who can't resist my smile. Also, this means disguise time! I love disguises!"
"We'll also need to find a way to communicate and coordinate our actions," Zuko mused. "It will be a bit tricky for me, because I might have to keep it hidden from my friends." He suddenly remembered about Toph potentially catching him in a lie, another aspect he hadn't considered. Zuko hated the very idea of lying to Katara and the others, but he could not abandoned his sister, especially not now when he had met her and seen the drastic changes in her.
"I know this might sound stupid because it would be right under the nose of the Fire Lord, but... Azula and I know how to access the palace gardens without being seen and we know every nook and cranny there," Ty Lee suggested. "You probably know the place just as well, Zuko?"
"Not as well as you, but I know how to get in without being seen," Zuko replied.
"Great, then we just need to agree on a drop spot to leave messages for each other," Ty Lee rubbed her hands excitedly. "How about under the rocks by the turtle duck pond?"
Zuko's heart clenched at the mention of the turtle duck pond, his thoughts turning to his mother and some of the happy memories he still had of her, but he forced himself to quickly return to the matters at hand. "Yes, I obviously know that place well," he said. "Sounds perfect, Ty Lee. Now... as much as I'd love to stay here with you a while longer, the others might start wondering where I am."
"We really don't want Katara to show up and assume that I've kidnapped you or something," Azula said, looking rather uncomfortable.
"Exactly," Zuko smiled a little pensively as he leaned closer to his sister and hugged her tightly, then repeating the same with the hopeful looking Ty Lee. "Take care while in the capital, you two," he said, turning to walk away. "I'll be in touch very soon." With that, he began his lonely walk back up to the estate, leaving behind two girls sitting in the sand, their hands joined.