Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar.
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Morning came quickly upon the young friends, all whom had recovered from their injuries of the previous night. Crisp yellow sunlight spilled gently into the room, invading the eyes of the sleepers as they slowly woke up. Stirring in their beds, a knock on the door disturbed their gentle peace. A tall palace Advisor slowly glided into their room, hesitating momentarily; and after a moment of confused silence, he began speaking in a stern voice.
"Young Avatar, Katara and Sokka of the Water Tribes; I'm afraid I have grave news I must burden you with." He looked at Aang. "You and King Bumi were good friends many years ago, were you not?" He asked while adjusting his shirt sleeves.
Aang nodded, and only grew more confused. What was all this about? Katara and Sokka exchanged glances, neither of them having any clue as to what was going on. Had Zuko escaped?
"I am sorry to say that, the King was found dead this morning. He died in his sleep, of old age." The sharpness of his voice surprised the three, and they could do nothing but stare in awkward silence. Seeing he wasn't going to get a word from anyone, the advisor bowed, and quickly took his leave. Katara remained sitting on her bed, propped up by her hands, and was staring at Aang; who had a sad, but serious look on his face. After a few minutes, the young boy sighed, and hastily pulled himself up from his bed, and turned to look at Katara.
"I'm going out." Aang said simply as he picked up his staff from the side of his bed, and quietly slipped out of the room.
"D'you think we should go talk to him?" Katara looked over and asked her brother.
"No, I think we should leave him a lone for a little while. We can talk to him later."
Laying back on the bed, Katara started up at the ceiling, finding patterns in the cracks. Why do things have to be so hard for him? She thought. He loses everyone he loves, and on top of it all, handles it better than Sokka or I ever could. She then began thinking of her father again, and how she didn't think she would be able to bear it if she lost him.
After Aang walked out the door of his room, he headed directly to the stables. Once outside, he jumped onto his glider and soared through the still air and upon reaching the stables, alighted on the ground. Ignoring Appa, he airbended himself up into the loft where hay was kept, and he settled himself down on a bundle. 100 years ago, peace was taken for granted, he thought. All four nations existed in a simple harmony that had not been broken for hundreds of years, why should he have expected any different? Oh, how times had changed. The state of the world came crashing down when the Fire Nation began it's quest for domination, destroying alliances that had been in existence for the longest of times. Things now were in no better a state. If one wrong step was taken, the war that had been raging for so long might finally turn in favor of the Fire Nation. All the lives that had been lost in defense of cities during those hundred years would be in vain. The Fire Nation had conquered countless territories, this much was true; but not all is tangible enough to be taken. Hope, was the one thing the Fire Nation could not conquer. He was the hope. Despite all this, he was still filled by innocence; but innocence that was being weathered away slowly and carefully by the present times, by all the wise men that turned to him and again told him how important he was to the world. Like he didn't already know. Living in Omashu for the past two months with King Bumi was probably the best thing to happen to him in such times. He knew Bumi, and things never got too serious when the King was around. In a funny way, Bumi reminded him of monk Gyatso, and the death of King Bumi was almost like losing his precious mentor all over again. Things just couldn't be easy, could they? But then, things were never easy, not even before he was frozen in the iceberg. It was just the way things were meant to be, he guessed.
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That afternoon, the funeral of the King of Omashu began. There was much sobbing in the streets, Aang noticed as he walked the city. Fathers and mothers clung to one another, mourning the death of their King. Guards wore solemn faces, eyes lowered and shoulders slumping. Small children asked their mothers why everyone was so sad, and they were explained to with much difficulty, that King Bumi was dead.
"What does dead mean, Momma?" A very young girl asked, tugging her mother's arm impatiently.
"It means that someone goes into a kind of sleep that lasts forever, they enter the spirit world, moving on from this world."
"Like where Daddy went, you mean?"
"Yes."
These were the words that engulfed Aang's ears. He barely saw the colors that flashed around him, the sad music playing, or the carriage carrying Bumi himself. Yellow, purple, brown and green flowers graced the palace and streets, giving off the feeling of a wedding, instead of a funeral; but King Bumi had always wanted things done differently. He preferred to be remembered in bright 'cheerful' colors, as he had always said. Death was only the next step, after all. As a result, it was a splendid funeral, his casket lined with the finest (and most 'original') cloth that could be purchased in the city. Everyone in Omashu packed the streets for a last goodbye to their honored King. No send off had ever been finer; but nothing had ever been harder for Aang. Having the last person that reminded you of your old life die, strikes a rather hard blow. Yes, he had Sokka and Katara, but they were not the companions he had when he was young. But he was thirteen, he was the Avatar. He would not cry, he told himself when his lip began to quiver.
"Aang?"
He tried to snap himself out of it, and succeeded well enough to appear as though he was fine.
"Yea, Katara?"
"How are you feeling?" Katara had been feeling pretty concerned about Aang all day, as they had not seen him until the funeral began. She hoped he wasn't taking the King's death too hard.
What kind of question is that? "I'm fine, you know me. I'm fine, really, Katara." He answered as she looked at him kindly, and he spoke as cheerfully as he could.
"All right, I was just making sure." She wasn't convinced of his act, and watched him as the service ended and they walked back to the Palace. It was too beautiful to stay cooped up inside, so they decided to stay out a little longer.
Evening fell, gracing the city with quiet. Out of respect, many shops had closed early, and everyone was at home with their families, just being together. Katara, Sokka, and Aang sat outside, next to a fountain in the courtyard. The water was soothing to all of them, and just sitting together in silence meant something. The three together had overcome many obstacles, and had grown together. They squabbled and fought just as any band of three teenagers might, but more importantly, they got over their differences. The bond between the three of them was unbreakable, some would say. Others countered that their alliance would not last long, and that the fate of the world was doomed because of them. What those people didn't know, was the three had been tested already by temptation. Sokka and Katara had very nearly left Aang in pursuit of their father, but they had turned back. That was why they would last. However, Sokka, in the past few months, had been drifting away bit by bit, and no one really knew why; but King Bumi's death somehow snapped Sokka back to himself. It was lucky that he did, for they would need each other later on, to remind each other what they were fighting for. As they sat, Katara gently trailed her fingers in the cool water, bending small streams of it around in the air once in a while, as Aang sat in silence, and Sokka lay flat on his back, gazing at the sky. At the moment, they didn't have to be anywhere, doing anything, they could just exist; which was nice for a change. Then, for the second time that day, their peace was interrupted by a Palace messenger.
"There is a meeting which you are all required to attend; if you will follow me, please." The messenger bowed, and the three reluctantly got up to follow him. They entered a large room and saw a crowd, and a man about to speak.
"Ahem!" A medium sized, mustached man stood in front of the King's throne, waiting impatiently for quiet. His appearance suggested he was middle aged, and very bitter; you could tell just by looking at his face that he rarely smiled. Katara, Sokka and Aang stood in the small crowd, staring critically at him.
"I'll bet that whatever this guy has to say, we're not going to like!" Sokka whispered to his sister, who stood quietly in the crowd, and acknowledged her brother with an absentminded nod.
"I think you're right, Sokka. I don't like the looks of that guy." Aang replied softly, as he stared intently at the man.
"If you all would please be silent for a moment, I have an announcement." General Kado (as was his name) said as he cleared his throat once again. Finally, there was quiet.
"Now, as everyone knows, the King did not leave an heir to the throne, and so as I am his last remaining relative, the throne will be passed to me, his nephew." Katara gasped, Aang looked like choking, and Sokka said 'I told you,' as chatter broke out among the group.
"And, as most of you know, we currently have two members of Fire Nation royalty in our prison cells at this very moment; Prince Zuko and General Iroh. I have decided, considering the acts they have committed against the Avatar, they will be put to death tomorrow. This will send a strong message to the Fire Nation, a message that the Earth Kingdom means business!"
Aang jumped forward, parting the crowd as he stormed towards the man.
"You can't just kill them! They're people too! You have no right to take their lives like that!" Aang shouted angrily, clenching his staff tightly, and fuming.
The man turned his head slowly to face the enraged boy, and a smirk crept to his lips.
"You must have a rather short memory, Avatar. You must know that these are the fiends who attempted to carry you off with them last night, or is that poison they used on you still clouding your head!"
"Don't you think I know that! Zuko and his uncle have been trying to capture me ever since we left the South Pole, but that doesn't justify your putting them to death like this! It's not right!"
"Aang.. be careful who you're talking to, he's King of Omashu now.." Katara whispered to him in a warning tone, grabbing his shoulders.
"They are from the Fire Nation! Why should we show them pity? They have shown us none! One hundred years of war have brought many brave Earthbenders to an early grave by the hands of the Fire Nation! Their fate is not for you to decide, Avatar."
"Killing will not solve the problem. Fighting death with death will only result in more people dying!" He desperately tried to explain to the man.
"They are to be executed at noon tomorrow." He glared at Aang one last time, and swept angrily from the room. Aang stood stock still, his face stony. Then, his expression lightened ever so slightly.
"Do either of you know where the prison cells are?" He asked Katara and Sokka in a whisper.
"I'm sure we could find them, why?"
All I can tell you, Aang, is that you might find what you are looking for in the least likely of places.
"I have an idea."
"Oh, no! You are NOT going to let them free, are you Aang?" Sokka whispered angrily. How could Aang be so stupid? In Sokka's opinion, that prince deserved to die.
"Here, we shouldn't be talking about this in the middle of the Palace- let's get back up to our room first, and then Aang, you can tell us what you're thinking." Agreeing with Katara's suggestion, they snuck out of the room and walked quickly back to their own, shutting the door behind them. Aang then turned to face Sokka and Katara, a curious expression on his face.
"Guys, Zuko can teach me Firebending."
"What? Aang- have you gone mad? He just tried to capture you again last night! He'd kill you before lowering himself to teaching you Firebending!"
"Think about what King Bumi said, Sokka. He said to look in unlikely places, and well, I think asking Prince Zuko to teach me is the last thing that any of us ever could have thought of. We don't have any other place to turn, and we can't just sit here waiting until the comet arrives- I need to start learning Firebending now. This may be a chance that we have to take."
"But there's no guarantee that Zuko will agree; and if he does agree, can we trust him? Think about it Aang, you're taking a huge risk."
"Katara- he's going to want to stay alive. If we offer him his freedom in return for him teaching me Firebending, he'll accept, I know he will."
"I guess, but, we have no way of knowing if he'll keep his word; he and his uncle could just run off as soon as they're free."
"Well, then, at least I'll have saved their lives."
How could this one little boy be so good? Prince Zuko, the living representation of the Fire Nation and a daily reminder of what they were up against, shouldn't get any pity from him. Aang should hate him, like she did. Yet instead of loathing every bone in his body with utter passion, he valued the Firebender enough to feel compassion, and to desire his freedom. That was the second time Aang's stubborn side shone through about Prince Zuko. Easily, he could have left Zuko to die in the blizzard at the North Pole, but he couldn't do it. Katara would have just left him there to a deserved death, like the little rodent that he was. She was quite confounded and utterly moved by Aang's passion for life; she hadn't yet seen him desire the death of another. What would happen when he had to face the Fire Lord? Would he be able to kill if it was necessary? She could kill, she knew that.
"What do you think?"
"I don't know Aang, there are so many ways this could go wrong.."
"You'll never gain anything unless you take chances, Katara. I have to do it, I might not get another chance like this one."
"All right Aang, it's your decision, Sokka and I are here to back you up." There she was again, in her classic supporting role, in control of nothing.
"Tonight we'll go ask him, and if he says yes, we get them out as quickly as we get, get on Appa and leave."
"That sounds wonderful." So, so many things could go wrong, but what could she say to him? He was convinced of his plan, and she didn't want to provoke anything by questioning his judgment too much. Now, all they could do was wait until night.
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"Shhhh!" Aang held his hand up, a signal to stop moving. Quietly, he glanced around in the darkness to check for any guards. "Here, I think this is it!"
"Aang, are you sure you want to do this? You're putting yourself in danger as well as all of Omashu-"
Ignoring Katara's talking, Aang turned and faced the brother and sister. "Guys, I can handle myself. You brought your stuff all packed, right?"
"Yea, but-"
"Sokka, I'm only going to say this once. Be quiet!"
With that, Aang approached the wall, and as quietly as he could, Earthbended the wall open. Zuko and his uncle looked up in shock to see the Avatar in front of them, with no weapons, none the less. Katara and Sokka then walked in after him, and glared and the two Firebenders. Aang may trust them, but they sure as hell wouldn't.
"You know you're going to die tomorrow, right?" Aang asked them, pointblank.
"Yes, we are aware." Zuko answered roughly.
"Teach me Firebending."
"What?" Zuko's head snapped up. Did his ears deceive him? Zuko stared hard at Aang's face, and saw it was no joke. The young boy who was standing before him, whom he had captured (or attempted to capture) multiple times, was asking him, Prince Zuko, to teach him Firebending.
"Teach me Firebending and we'll get you out of here." His voice remained calm and businesslike, his expression unfathomable.
A chance to get nearer to the Avatar, to travel with him, to get to know his weaknesses, and at the same time, save his and his uncle's lives. Zuko wasn't stupid. Yes, he was potentially teaching the Avatar the element that could be the downfall of the Fire Nation, the last element the Avatar needed to be all powerful, but Zuko wasn't going to let it get that far. The foolish boy trusted him, and Zuko would use that to his advantage. The Avatar had a weakness for valuing life, for having compassion. Zuko would make sure it proved to be a fatal mistake on Aang's part. He would agree to teach him, with an explanation being he had a change of heart. Plus, this meant he lived. He certainly couldn't capture the Avatar if he was dead. This plan forming in his head, he decided to stay silent for a minute, so it appeared as though he was considering; he couldn't seem too eager, that would be suspicious.
"Get us free and I'll teach you." Zuko finally answered.
"How do we know we can trust you?" Sokka asked warily.
"Are you really in a position where you can worry about who teaches him? Aren't you a little desperate at the moment?" His uncle elbowed him sharply in the ribs. He paused. "I give you my word." He said quietly.
Sokka could do nothing but accept it.
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Thank you Avafangirl! You gave me the idea to have Aang rescue Zuko. I originally had something much more complicated planned, involving Zula and much, much chaos, which would have taken tons more explaining, but your short comment gave me this idea! Kudos to you:)
Yes, I killed someone off already. Oh just you wait..
I'm not sure this chapter will stay like this, I might change it around quite a lot. It feels choppy, but there's so much to cover. Ideas? Suggestions?