Chapter 3: Tombs and Spirits
It had only been a few days since Zuko's previous trip to the royal prisons, and he already found himself returning. But not to speak with the assassin, she had said all Zuko needed to hear. This time he was going to see his father.
"What am I doing? This is a terrible idea." Zuko mumbled as his carriage approached the prison gates.
Zuko had been to visit Ozai on several previous occasions, mostly to grill the old man for information on his former wife, Ursa. But this time was different, Zuko needed advice, and Ozai was the only person alive with experience being the Fire Lord. His insight could prove valuable, no matter how poorly he had ruled the Fire Nation.
Zuko's carriage stopped outside the prison entrance, and he exited his transportation flanked by two Imperial Firebenders.
"This must be what déjà vu feels like."
He entered the prison and was guided towards the cellblock Ozai was being held in, although Zuko didn't need directions, he had been here enough times to memorize it. Contrary to what Mai and Azula said, he wasn't completely inept at navigation. Ozai's cellblock had remained empty of other prisoners, per Zuko's orders. While he liked to think better of himself these days, Zuko did derive some form of sick pleasure from depriving his father of human contact.
Zuko entered the cellblock alone, since Ozai could no longer bend, his guards were an unnecessary precaution. And Zuko did enjoy what little privacy he could attain. Despite this however, he had begun to feel vulnerable without armed protection, the fear of an attack had been weighing heavily on his mind.
"Relax, that's why I'm here. I want advice on how to handle this situation, and then my mind can be more at ease."
As he approached Ozai's cell, he was surprised to find the old man faced away from the bars, meditating. Zuko couldn't recall many times he had seen his father meditating. Although it did make sense, given the fact that bending was part raw power and part spirituality; and one needed mastery over both to properly bend. And until recently, Ozai was the strongest firebender in the world. Zuko thought he might've even surpassed Fire Lord Azulon in strength, whose status as a firebending prodigy was well known. Zuko saw that same kind of power in Azula, and sometimes it frightened him. Although in recent years, Zuko had learned several abilities she had not, so they were essentially an even match.
Unlike during his previous trips, Ozai was sitting outside of the shadowy corners of his cell, and Zuko was able to view him more clearly. The former Fire Lord had lost some weight since being imprisoned, but his back still maintained its usual muscular structure. And without regular care, his hair also appeared more wild and greasy. There were even a few strands of gray to be found.
Zuko waited for several more moments, but Ozai didn't stir, or even seem to recognize his presence. Eventually, Zuko began to feel agitated, and his father seemed to notice the change.
"Your brooding is ruining my zen."
Zuko was briefly surprised by his sudden statement, but he quickly began to compose himself.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you. It's not like I came here for a reason or anything."
"You should really lay off the sarcasm boy. You're not very good at it."
Much like Azula, Ozai had a habit of getting under Zuko's skin. But unlike Azula, his words seemed to resonate on a far deeper level. There was something ominous about whenever he spoke, something his sister lacked.
"So… have you come to wring some information out of me? It seems my time in jail has allowed me to better compile my memory, I have some information you might find fascinating."
His tone was mocking, but Zuko had become numb to such displays at this point. He wasn't interested in playing games, least of all with his father.
"I'm disappointed father… usually you're better at this."
"Oh, is that so? Sorry I'm not up to your lofty expectations."
"Whatever, I'm not here to discuss the usual." This seemed to pique Ozai's interest, although he did a good job hiding it. "Being the Fire Lord is a truly unique position, and there're certain challenges one faces during their tenure. And since you're the only other living person to have held the job, I figured you and I might share some common ground."
"So you want my advice?"
"Yeah, that's more or less what I want."
Ozai was silent for several moments, a smile began to creep across his face, and then he began to cackle wildly. Zuko had never seen him do such a thing before. Ozai's deafening laughter continued unabated, and he showed no signs of slowing down. However, Zuko's patience had grown thin over the years, especially towards his father.
"Shut up and listen, this isn't funny!"
Ozai ignored his outburst and continued to laugh. Finally, seeming to calm down, he locked eyes with Zuko. "I believe you were saying something boy?"
"I was, and it's Fire Lord to you."
"Oh but of course, my son, the mighty Fire Lord, however shall I repent?"
"I didn't come here to play games and be mocked, you will listen to what I say, and then you will answer." Zuko's tone was firm, and Ozai seemed to back down.
"Now, I'm having a bit of a crisis at the moment. There're rebels out to get me, mostly thugs and ex-soldiers trying to usurp power. They've proven to be quite a thorn in my side, and they're getting bolder. Their attacks are clogging up my administration and wasting my time, not to mention all the innocent civilians who have been caught in the crossfire."
Ozai was silent for a moment, clearly deep in thought.
"Wipe them out."
"What?"
"I said wipe them out. They're causing you trouble, so eliminating them should provide a temporary solution."
"A temporary solution, what do you mean?"
"Come on boy, you can't be this dense. Someone is leading them; otherwise they would fall apart in a matter of days."
"I had already deduced that, but I'm not certain who the culprit is." Zuko paused before continuing, "Unless… you know who is responsible?"
"Come on, you can't be serious? I've been stuck in this cell for months, I have no way to communicate with the outside world, and all the guards that see me have been vetted by you. How could I possible know anything about this?"
"Answer my question. Do you know who is behind this?"
Ozai's lips curled into a twisted smile. "I have a few guesses."
"Who are they, tell me!?"
Ozai began to chuckle once again. "I don't think I will." Zuko could see the glee in his father's expression, and wondered whether this had been a good idea after all.
"I order you to tell me what you know!"
Zuko was shouting now, Ozai was teasing him with the lure of information. But unlike last time, Zuko didn't intend to leave empty handed. Ozai's laughter grew stronger, and Zuko's temper began to boil over. He curled his left hand into a fist and took a deep breath. A flame quickly ignited below his fist, forming a blade of scorching heat. Zuko lunged forward and brought the blade inches from his father's face. Ozai stopped laughing and, realizing what was happening, began to back away from the bars of his cell.
"Now that I have your attention, I demand you tell me what you know."
Ozai was hesitant, but his body relaxed and he began to speak. "I don't know for certain, it could be anyone in the upper nobility. A general perhaps, or a powerful nobleman, I really can't say. I expect it would be someone with whom I am well acquainted; otherwise they would have little reason in financing these rebels. I don't see the point in listing names. If I'm wrong then you've wasted time. Investigate anyone you suspect, seize all their resources, and do whatever you wish to them afterwards. You need to move swiftly, cut off the serpent's head before it can strike."
"So that's all you have to say?"
"It may be someone closer than you think. How does that motto go? Keep your friends close and your enemies closer?"
Zuko was well aware of this mantra, but he didn't want to entertain the possibility of a traitor within his inner circle. He was tight for allies as it was, at the signs of another purge, most of his supporters would bail. Still, Zuko was satisfied with this answer, it was more than he had expected from Ozai. He extinguished his fire dagger, and resumed a more relaxed stance.
"You seem more helpful than usual, what gives?"
"Oh, I'm just doing my duty to the Fire Nation."
"That was a terrible lie."
Ozai's expression darkened and he almost snarled. "Listen here boy… I haven't been the same since your friend the Avatar stole my power. And now my weakling son is dismantling the empire I dedicated my life to building!"
"You were dedicated to building suffering and misery! The world is better off without you!"
Ozai continued to glare at Zuko, but his expression slowly morphed back to his signature smirk. "It must feel good, to have all this power. At your fingertips is the most successful empire the world has ever seen, and you have the ability to do anything. And here I am, behind bars and completely defenseless. You could strike me down right now if you weren't so weak. Payback, against the man you hate."
"I don't hate you father… I pity you. Goodbye."
Ozai emitted a guttural sound and lunged at the bars, gripping them with his boney hands. "You don't talk to me that way boy, you're lucky right now! If it weren't for the Avatar I would have my hands around your neck!"
Zuko ignored him and left the prison. He had what he needed; Ozai could starve to death for all he cared. What mattered was that he now knew the mysterious leader behind this rebellion was someone his father had been close to. The investigation could properly begin.
The sun was beginning to set on the horizon as Zuko approached his destination. He had visited the Dragonbone Catacombs before, shortly after his return to the Fire Nation. The area was located beneath the High Temple, and was off limits to anyone besides the Fire Sages or members of the royal family. Zuko arrived to find no sages walking about on the grounds, but even so, he ordered his guards not to accompany him below, out of respect for tradition. He positioned himself in the middle of the central emblem, and bent a stream of fire into the ground. The emblem opened to reveal a spiral staircase leading down into the dark tunnels below.
Zuko descended into the depths, with only his own fire illuminating the darkness. The catacombs were named for the many dragon remains that decorated the tunnels, but this place served a much more important purpose. The catacombs housed the tombs of every Fire Lord to rule the Fire Nation, going all the way back to the First Fire Lord, whose true name had been lost to history. On his previous trip, Zuko had visited the tomb of Fire Lord Sozin, and discovered his final writings expressing his regrets about the war. Many historically texts had been hidden away in the catacombs, including texts that expressed supposedly backwards beliefs and superstitions. Such writings weren't in line with the view of a modern and progressive Fire Nation, so Fire Lord Sozin had hidden them in the catacombs. Thankfully, they were still in good condition, and Zuko had plans to let the Fire Sages reprint them. But right now, Zuko hoped he could find information about the Kemurikage.
As Zuko made his way through the tombs he began to hear noises, but whenever he stopped to look around the noises stopped. Whatever was responsible for the sound was very quiet, and Zuko wondered if it was merely his mind playing tricks on him. Steadily, he crept forward into the darkness.
Azula had kept quiet since her return to the capital. The servants avoided her whenever possible, and she was mostly content to do the same. She had no need or desire to boss them around and make her presence overly encompassing. That also worked fine for Mai, who would only spare Azula the occasional loathing glace. Azula couldn't understand what had gotten into her former friend, but if she insisted on being enemies that was perfectly fine. This bothered Zuko of course, but the situation was out of his control.
Speaking of her brother, the new 'job' he offered her had worked out about as well as she suspected it would. Azula's main purpose was to sit by her brother's side during sessions with the royal court, and keep them as anxious as possible. Besides doing that and attending to any documents Zuko forgot about, her life was largely the same. The biggest change was that she was seeing a lot more of her brother, and that had not gone as she had expected.
It didn't feel like she was talking to the Zuko she knew, and Azula had gathered that he felt the same way about her. It was almost like they were new acquaintances, and not two people who had grown up together. Perhaps they had spent so much time apart over the years that they really didn't understand each other as they once did.
Zuko still had many of the same qualities, but even so, there was something different about him. He was more concerned with her than he used to be, although Azula could tell that he hadn't forgiven her for all the torment she had put him through. Strangely enough, she found herself drawn to him, at least when he wasn't nagging her. In particular he was worried about her isolation; although Azula had assured him that she was merely busy observing how life in the palace had changed.
She found talking about his relationship troubles much more aggravating. Zuko's romance with his girlfriend had been rocky for several months, and it was clearly bothering him. Mai had yet to move in to the palace because it was apparently too much of a commitment. Azula tried to be understanding, but she had no idea how to repair a friendship, let alone a romance. These talks usually ended with Zuko storming off in a huff, unsatisfied with whatever she had to say. Curiously, it was one of the few remaining topics that routinely made him angry.
Azula also noticed that being Fire Lord was causing her brother to change. Zuko was beginning to realize that strength was needed to rule, and not whatever silly nonsense he had learned from the Avatar. Azula was fully supportive of this change, and she was determined to keep him on this path. Unfortunately, he seemed to be avoiding her today.
Zuko had called off his meetings for the day and seemed much more reserved. Much to Azula's shock, he had become surprisingly sneaky, managing to avoid most of his usual daily encounters. She had still caught wind of his excursion to the capital prison, presumably to see their father. And she was determined to find out where he was going next.
Her brother would have been difficult to follow in secret, if not for Azula's detailed knowledge of the capital, complete with all its hidden passageways. Zuko arrived at the High Temple and positioned his guards around the perimeter. The Fire Sages where inside the temple and did not notice the Fire Lord's arrival.
Zuko knelt down on an emblem in the middle of the courtyard and blasted it with fire. Then the emblem rolled back, revealing a passage below. Without looking back to his guards, Zuko entered the passage and it sealed behind him.
Azula quickly remembered that there were catacombs beneath the city, and she reasoned that this was probably an entrance. The real question was what reason Zuko could possibly have for going down there, since they supposedly just housed dragon remains. And if Azula wanted to investigate, she needed to find a way to distract Zuko's guards, since they likely wouldn't let her follow him.
Azula hastily thought up a plan and made her way behind a nearby fountain, just barely within the guard's range of sight. Nobody ever came by this spot, so she wouldn't be caught. In this moment, Azula was somewhat grateful that she lacked her typical blue fire. Even though it was powerful, it might have given away her identity. Azula took a deep breath and concentrated on the heat within her body. She directed it out towards her palm and focused the energy. The air around her palm began to ignite, and a ball of hyper condensed fire formed, the surrounding air whistling from the extreme temperature. Then she tossed the energy towards the fountain, causing it to shatter in a massive explosion.
The sound of the combusted rock echoed through the surrounding area, and Zuko's guards rushed forward to investigate. As far as they knew, their master was perfectly safe underground, and whatever had caused the explosion was more demanding of their attention. Thankfully, Azula's fire mixed with the water from the fountain, creating a screen of steam that allowed her to escape unnoticed. She managed to arrive back in the courtyard and quickly bent fire into the emblem, causing it to reveal the dark passages below.
Azula entered into the catacombs and was engulfed by darkness. She lit a fire and began to slowly creep through the dusty tunnels. She could hear faint sounds in the distance, and assumed it was Zuko. Her brother wasn't the most observant individual, but she froze whenever she heard him stop just to be careful.
At some point Azula must have taken a wrong turn and ended up in a side chamber. It was full of historical knick-knacks collected over the past few centuries. There were also many scrolls which painted a much more complex history of the Fire Nation than what she had been taught in school. Azula briefly wondered why these documents were sitting in a glorified basement, instead of a museum.
Before she continued reading, something on the wall caught Azula's attention. She fanned away the dust to reveal a painting of a man and two young boys, none of whom she recognized. Then she realized there were more paintings afterwards, each depicting a different group of people.
"These must be the official portraits of the royal family. I haven't seen these in years, I forgot they existed!"
Azula dusted off several more paintings before stumbling upon relatives she recognized. Her grandfather Fire Lord Azulon was smiling, something Azula had never seen him do. Next to him stood his wife Ilah, and in front were his sons Iroh and Ozai. Her uncle was dressed in a military uniform much too large for his prepubescent body, and her father stood on a stool, sporting a goofy grin.
"No wonder this is no longer hanging in the palace."
Azula's heart skipped a beat on the following painting. It depicted the then prince Ozai, alongside his wife and children. Based on their age, Azula reasoned that this piece must have been completely mere months before Ursa's departure and Ozai's ascension to the throne. She vaguely recalled a session with the court painter, but the final work was probably never displayed in the palace.
"I'm surprised father didn't have it destroyed."
Azula felt a slight twinge of sadness in her heart. Everything had ended up so rotten. Apart from Uncle Iroh, whom she never had much connection to… Zuko was all she had left. Azula's eyes briefly passed over the face of her mother, and her sadness was joined by anger.
"Why did you abandon us… why did you abandon me?"
The moment was ruined by a faint whisper. Azula turned around instantly and put more energy into her fire. There were no more sounds, but something still felt… off. The bright yellow flames didn't illuminate as much of the room as Azula thought they should have. It was almost like the darkness was a tangible presence, and not merely a lack of light.
Azula slowly crept forward and exited the storage room. As she made her way along the gloomy passage, she felt a chill run down her back. She only ever experienced such a sensation when she was being watched. Azula lit a second fire in her other hand and extended both arms outwards, trying to illuminate as much as possible. Then she directed her fire towards several unlit torches. Unfortunately, all it seemed to do was increase the temperature.
"Great, now I'm shivering and sweaty at the same time. This truly couldn't get any better."
Azula felt another chill, and decided to call out to the darkness.
"I know you're there, reveal yourself!"
All she received was a quiet whisper in response, and Azula felt a seed of fear take root. The last time she had been afraid of the dark was during a thunderstorm, and she had crawled into Zuko's bed for safety. This was different, this time it was too quiet.
"I really hope I'm not going crazy again."
Eventually, Zuko made his way to the tomb of the First Fire Lord, and was amazed at what he found. The ceiling was much higher, and the room was far more expansive than the other tombs. But the most marvelous aspect was the beautiful murals decorating the ceiling, and the text written on the walls. There was more information in this tomb than any other, and it was remarkably well preserved despite being beyond ancient.
Zuko strode towards a mural on the far side of the room, which featured a man and a woman in white robes, positioned in front of a rising sun. He looked down at the inscription, which he could mostly understand. The royal family used the language of the Fire Sages, and it largely utilized the same written characters today as thousands of years ago. It read something along the lines of 'The Fire Lord and his Sister-Wife, son of dragons, mother of kings.'
Zuko returned to the center of the room and noticed four wooden blocks, which had many illustrations carved into them. Interestingly, some of these blocks sported small burn marks. Zuko looked at the inscription on a piece of metal located between the blocks. It read 'One sees only a fraction of what really is; light the plank to understand what always has been.'
Zuko thought about the inscription and looked back to the small burn marks on the wood. He cautiously directed his fire at a small section of the wooden block, and it began to smolder. Suddenly, smoke rose from the wood and Zuko stopped his burning. He breathed in some of the smoke and began to cough furiously, his eyes began to water, and his vision blurred. He began to worry as his vision disappeared completely and his mind began to feel fuzzy. But something about the fumes kept him from fully panicking, and slowly, his vision began to return. Zuko got up from the ground, his senses of hearing and touch were dull, but his vision and mind felt sharper than ever before.
He looked at the inscriptions on the wall, and his mind began to visualize a picture of the events. They were so vivid; it was as if he were experiencing the story in person.
It all began thousands of years ago, long after the collapse of the Sun Warrior civilization. In that time there was no true Fire Nation, and the land was divided between many small kingdoms and tribes. These states were led by warlords, who conquered territory and fought against each other in petty squabbles. The strongest among these tyrants was Toz, an incredibly cruel man who demanded luxurious tributes from his subjects. One year a village refused to give tribute to Toz, so the warlord took the young children of the village instead. The mothers died of grief, and they returned to the physical world as the Kemurikage, vengeful spirits who kidnapped children to replace the ones they had lost. They continued to haunt the Fire Nation for centuries, until the unification wars. With the support of the Fire Sages, the First Fire Lord defeated all the warlords, and united the Fire Nation for the first time in history. The Fire Lord then confronted the Kemurikage after they attempted to steal his child. He reasoned that with the warlords gone, the dead mothers had been avenged, and there was no need for them to continue stealing the innocent. The Kemurikage then returned to the spirit world, where they could finally be at peace.
Zuko looked up to the ceiling and stared at the murals, they seemed to convey the same story he had just experienced. His eyes lingered on an illustration of what he assumed were Kemurikage. They wore tattered black robes, with plain masks covering their faces. There was something extremely unnerving about their depiction, something human, but also something decidedly not human.
The longer Zuko stared at the illustration, the stranger he felt. Suddenly, he noticed smoke out of the corner of his eyes, which quickly began to fill the room. Zuko was confused, since there was no other fire in the room besides his own. Then his gaze returned to the painting of the Kemurikage, and he noticed that they were moving. And not just in any direction, they were moving towards him.
"No, no, no… this can't be real!"
The spirits floated down to the floor and encircled Zuko. Their presence sent a chill down the Fire Lord's spine. He hadn't been so close to a spirit since his journey to the North Pole, and these beings were far more frightening. That is, if they were actually real, and he wasn't hallucinating from inhaling that smoke.
"Fire Lord…" The spirits spoke in unison, their voices an eerie whisper.
"Are you real? What do you want?"
"We are the voices of ages long past, although you know of us as the Kemurikage. We come before you because you desired our presence."
"But I never asked to see you!"
"No, you did not ask with your voice, but with your mind."
Zuko could hardly believe what he was seeing. He could sense that these spirits were real, and they could understand his mind. It was true that he had wanted to find out more about them, and this was certainly a way to do that. Zuko decided to probe a little deeper for answers.
"Why have you have appeared for me when you have not been seen in thousands of years?"
"Our losses can never be amended, but our thirst for vengeance has been quenched. Your ancestors brought justice for us, and we are forever in your gratitude."
"I see… then tell me Kemurikage, for I must know. Are you responsible for the recent kidnappings attributed to you?"
"We are at peace… we will always be at peace… till the end of days…"
"I don't understand. If you are at peace, how can you come before me?"
"Because you understand what has always been…"
With that the Kemurikage began to fade, and the smoke slowly dissipated from the room. Zuko took one last look at the murals on the ceiling, and proceeded to exit the Fire Lord's tomb. He did not notice any noise on his way back, perhaps because whatever he had inhaled was still altering his senses. Instead of reaching the entrance he got turned around, and ended up in Fire Lord Azulon's tomb. The lights in the tomb were lit, and he noticed an open passage in the distance. Hesitantly, he walked towards it and entered into what appeared to be a storage room. His heart skipped a beat upon realizing what decorated the wall.
It hosted the official portraits of the royal family, which Ozai had removed from the palace after becoming Fire Lord. Zuko slowly walked along the makeshift gallery, taking in the faces of his family across previous generations. A barrage of images flashed through his mind upon seeing each picture, and he struggled to maintain his composure. Eventually he stopped at the most recent portrait, displaying Ozai with his wife and children. Zuko didn't realize he was crying until the tears began pouring down his cheeks. He collapsed on the floor, and a feeling of deep sadness engulfed his heart.
With his dull senses, the Fire Lord didn't realize he was being watched. Azula had followed Zuko from the palace all the way to the catacombs, and had begun exploring them on her own. Now she was right behind him, as he cried in front of their portrait. Azula reached out her hand to comfort him, but stopped just before she made contact.
"I don't know what I was thinking; I doubt he wants to be disturbed…"
Then without warning, Zuko collapsed on the floor.
"Zuko!" Azula quickly moved over to him, and gently nudged his shoulder.
He groaned at her touch. "Azula… what are you doing here?"
"I followed you here dum-dum."
"So you were responsible for the noises I heard?"
"Perhaps…"
Zuko let out a weak chuckle. "Not as stealthy as you think, huh?"
"Apparently I'm still quiet enough to sneak up on you. What the heck are you doing down here?"
"None of your business…"
"Fine, keep your secrets. I suppose it has something to do with you being so loopy?"
"Yes…" Zuko paused to let out a long yawn. "Let's head back to the palace."
Azula cast a suspicions look in Zuko's direction, and the two of them exited the Dragonbone Catacombs. Night had fallen by the time they returned to the High Temple, and the full moon illuminated the palace grounds in an eerie light. When they reached the living quarters, Zuko bid Azula goodnight and retired to his chambers. There, he quickly fell asleep. The effects of the smoke were still lingering in his mind, and he slipped into a dream.
Author's Note
I had wanted to get this chapter out sooner, but it took some time to rework. In the end, the full thing was far too long, so I ended up splitting it into three separate chapters. Enjoy this first part! : )
