Author's Note: Did anyone notice this story passed 20000 words in the last chapter? I'm positively surprised. This time, we're in for Book 2's season finale, so behold for some drama. There's going to be a lot of heartbreaking, so be prepared. Also, thank you for the ongoing support and please enjoy this chapter. Reviews would also be great, just saying…
Ba Sing Se, Upper Ring, 100 AC
Mori had ended her shift earlier than her companions, someone had to cook dinner after all. While she cut the vegetables she thought of the last night, smiling as she did. She just hoped her Sifu hadn't noticed how she sneaked out of Zuko's room with the first light of the day or that she hadn't been in her bed all night. She remembered his touch, his gaze, falling asleep in his arms and waking up in his embrace. The events of the last night had changed their relationship on a whole new level.
After a while, she was almost done cooking, she heard the door. Someone approached her and hugged her from behind. The banished prince kissed her neck and cheek, "What are you cooking? It smells delicious."
Mori smiled at him as she turned his face towards him and put a quick kiss on his lips. Then she said, "I bought some duck at the market today, so I thought, I'd make your uncle's favorite, Roasted Duck."
Iroh entered the kitchen, the smell leading him towards the pots and pans. With a dreamy expression he turned to Mori, "Ah, thank you so much, Mori. It smells better than I even remember it. I'm sure it will taste the same, if not better."
Over the course of the dinner Iroh told Mori that they received a letter from the Earth King himself earlier at the shop. They were invited to serve tea to him tomorrow. Iroh had decided that he would bring Zuko along, but Mori should stay at the Jasmine Dragon, since somebody had to run the shop. Mori nodded understandingly.
At the next morning Mori helped Zuko dressing up to face the Earth King. As Iroh joined them in the main room, she was about to set the prince's collar right. Zuko smiled at her focused expression. Though she would not join them she was determined to make that meeting as perfect as she could. He hugged her quickly before he joined his uncle and left the apartment.
Just as they were a few meters away from their flat, Mori left herself, locking the door. She, of course, turned into the other direction, towards the Jasmine Dragon. On a whim Zuko ran quickly towards her and pulled her into a passionate kiss, surprising both, Mori and his uncle. The blue-eyed girl laughed and ran a hand through his hair. Then she kissed his scarred cheek and turned towards the tea shop again, Zuko staring a moment after her, then running back to his uncle. He smiled at the old man, "Sorry, I forgot something.", his uncle smiling back at him as they continued their way to the palace in comfortable silence.
Mori had a busy, but quiet day at the Jasmine Dragon. She wondered what her two companions were doing at the moment. As she went to the kitchen to brew some tea, she shivered. A sense of danger filled the air, it had not been the first time she noticed it today. Maybe she was becoming paranoid, but she couldn't help but remain on edge.
At the palace, it had been revealed that not the Earth King had sent for them, but Azula. Iroh and his nephew had been on their way out, but Zuko had decided that he would face his sister instead of running away. Iroh had already jumped down through a hole in the wall he had created with lightning and couldn't help his nephew. He just heard how Dai Li Agents took him prisoner. Quickly the old man made his way out of the palace. He needed help if he wanted to rescue Zuko.
He thought about going to his tea shop and alarm Mori, but her help alone wouldn't be enough. He needed an earthbender. So, he turned towards the Avatar's house instead. On his way he took a Dai Li agent prisoner and dragged him along. He needed some information.
Out of breath he banged on the Avatar's door. It was opened by a girl he knew, the blind earthbender he had once served tea. She was exactly who he needed right now. "Glad to see you're okay.", she greeted him.
He answered way more directly than he would've if his nephew hadn't been in imminent danger, "I need your help.", he saw that the other teens were getting into a fighting stance, obviously angry at seeing him. Toph smiled and waved at the former general.
The young Avatar was surprised, "You guys knew each other?"
Toph answered, "I met him in the woods once and knocked him down. Then he gave me some tea and very good advice."
Iroh interrupted carefully, "May I come in? Princess Azula is in Ba Sing Se."
Aang quickly concluded, "She must have Katara."
To which Iroh added, "She has captured my nephew as well."
"Then we'll work together to fight Azula, and save Katara and Zuko.", the young Avatar said with a determined expression.
Sokka intervened, "Whoa there! You lost me at 'Zuko'".
Iroh tried to calm the boy down, "I know how you must feel about my nephew. But believe me when I tell you that there is good inside him."
Sokka was still not persuaded, "'Good inside him' isn't enough! Why don't you come back when it's outside him too, okay?"
Aang interrupted him, "Katara's in trouble. All of Ba Sing Se is in trouble. Working together is our best chance.", hesitantly Sokka nodded.
Iroh walked back to the door, "I brought someone along who might help us.", it turned out to be a Dai Li agent, bound and gagged. Iroh took the gag off.
"Azula and Long Feng are plotting a coup! They're going to overthrow the Earth King.", he blurted out right away.
Sokka interrupted angrily, "My sister! Where are they keeping Katara?"
The Agent answered immediately, "In the Crystal Catacombs of old Ba Sing Se, deep beneath the palace.", quickly they all hurried towards the Earth King's palace.
Deep under the city Katara and Zuko had first argued, but when Katara had told him that the Fire Nation had taken her mother away and started crying, he turned towards her, "I'm sorry. That's something we have in common."
Taken aback Katara stopped crying and looked at him. Apologetically she said, "I'm sorry I yelled at you before."
Zuko shrugged his shoulders, "It doesn't matter."
Katara continued to explain, "It's just that for so long now, whenever I would imagine the face of the enemy, it was your face."
The Fire Nation prince was obviously hurt by this, "My face? I see.", he said, touching the scar on his face.
Katara came closer to him, "No, no. That's not what I mean."
Sadly, he said, "It's okay. I used to think this scar marked me. The mark of the banished prince, cursed to chase the Avatar forever. But lately, I've realized I'm free to determine my own destiny, even if I'll never be free of my mark."
Almost silently the waterbender said, "Maybe you could be free of it."
Zuko turned towards her, "What?"
"I have healing abilities.", she explained.
"It's a scar, it can't be healed.", he sounded like he had researched on that.
But the waterbender held up a small flacon with a lunar design on top, "This is water from the Spirit Oasis at the North Pole. It has special properties, so I've been saving it for something important. I don't know if it would work, but …", she raised a hand and touched his scar. Zuko closed his eyes, but the moment was shattered when Iroh and Aang arrived.
Aang quickly hugged Katara, and Iroh hugged Zuko. Confused he looked at his uncle, "Uncle, I don't understand. What are you doing with the Avatar?"
The air nomad answered, "Saving you, that's what."
Iroh had to hold his nephew back from attacking the monk afterwards. "Zuko, it's time we talked.", he turned towards the other teens, "Go help your other friends. We'll catch up with you."
Zuko turned to his uncle, confusion still in his voice, "Why, Uncle?"
Iroh sighed, "You're not the man you used to be, Zuko. You are stronger and wiser and freer than you have ever been. And now you have come to the crossroads of your destiny. It's time for you to choose. It's time for you to choose good.", he smiled reassuringly at his nephew, who seemed unsure of what to do.
Suddenly his uncle was engulfed in green crystals. Azula walked up to them, still in Earth Kingdom attire, followed by two Dai Li Agents. "I expected this kind of treachery from Uncle.", Zuko stepped between her and the old man in order to protect him as his sister continued, "But Zuko, Prince Zuko. You're a lot of things, but you're not a traitor, are you?
Gritting his teeth he answered, "Release him immediately."
Not caring to answer him, Azula went on, "It's not too late for you, Zuko. You can still redeem yourself."
His uncle interrupted her, "The kind of redemption she offers is not for you."
Azula was slightly angered by this, "Why don't you let him decide, Uncle? I need you, Zuko. I've plotted every move of this day, this glorious day in Fire Nation history, and the only way we win this is together. At the end of this day, you will have your honor back. You will have Father's love. You will have everything you want."
His uncle interrupted her again, "Zuko, I am begging you. Look into your heart and see what it is you truly want."
Azula added, "You are free to choose."
Pictures raced through his mind as he contemplated, stopping at Mori laying in his arms, her black hair sprawled around her as the first sunrays of the day touched her skin. What she would choose was not a question, she was always loyal to his uncle. But would she understand if he chose otherwise. Their relationship had been elevated over the last weeks, suddenly he was sure she would understand. Yes, she would be incredibly angry at him at first, but if he had the chance to explain it to her, she would finally understand him. He dropped his head and sided with his sister.
A few hours later Zuko still couldn't really believe what had happened next. He and his sister had fought the Avatar and the waterbender together. It was intense, especially the wrath he faced from Katara. Then Azula shot the Avatar with a lightning bolt and his uncle had jumped in between them and the waterbender, so she could escape with the presumed dead monk. Iroh had ceased all fighting after they successfully made their way out and was trapped by crystals again. By now he was sitting in a cell below the palace, they would get on a ship home the same night. By now he was standing next to his sister, who sat on the Earth King's throne.
Triumphantly she said, "We've done it, Zuko. It's taken a hundred years, but the Fire Nation has conquered Ba Sing Se."
He couldn't find any joy inside him at that, "I betrayed Uncle."
His sister's gaze shot towards him, "No, he betrayed you. Zuko, when you return home, Father will welcome you as a war hero."
Zuko looked downwards, "But I don't have the Avatar. What if Father doesn't restore my honor?"
Azula laid a hand on his shoulder, "He doesn't need to, Zuko. Today you restored your own honor.", he turned away, uncertain how he should feel, what he should say or even think.
Later that night he was about to board the ship that would bring them home when he saw his uncle again, chained, held by four imperial guards. He caught a disappointed gaze from Iroh and guilt washed over him.
A servant ran up to Azula with a small package, Zuko couldn't hear what he said, but Azula smirked. She turned to him with a triumphant grin. She spoke loud enough that their uncle could hear her too, "Hey Zuko, about that peasant that was living with you two.", both men suddenly listened closely, "since I found out where you lived, I've sent some imperial guards to check her out. And look what they brought.", she opened the package and pulled out a blue passport, "Did you know she was from the Southern Water Tribe? Don't tell me you fell for a spy. I mean, Uncle, okay, but you?", he was surprised to learn that. Mori had never told him much about her origins, his mind started to trail around her.
He looked downwards; his mind resented the thought that Mori should have been a spy. He closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them again, he asked, "Where is she?", looking up to face his sister.
She shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly and said, "Well, if I can trust this servant's accord, she fought bravely, taking out almost all the imperial guards I sent. Three of four, can you imagine that? A peasant taking out more than one imperial guard? Anyway, it seems the fourth was enough to defeat her, and she suffered a traitor's death. She was burned alive.", she took out a piece of cloth from the package, holding it up triumphantly. It was burned black at all sides. Zuko knew it all too well, it was of a light green color, and adorned with stitched birds and plants.
He felt like the world would fall apart around him. It couldn't be, not Mori. He had kissed her just this morning, and now? He felt his knees becoming weak. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath and steadied himself. He couldn't show his true feelings to Azula. He heard someone weep behind him. Zuko looked over his shoulder and saw that his uncle had collapsed on his knees, crying and shaking his head. The guards had to drag him to his cell on the ship. Zuko too felt tears welling up in his eyes, but he wouldn't let them fall. He grimaced shortly, before straightening himself. "What is going to happen to her body now?", he asked, his voice suddenly dry and raspy.
His sister rolled her eyes, "What always happens, dum-dum. She was incinerated already, and her ashes sent to her family. According to her passport, she's the daughter of a guy named Hakoda of the Southern Water Tribe, I wonder if the package will reach him this year.", Zuko's head dropped a bit. So, there wasn't even a chance of saying goodbye. He almost didn't hear it, but his sister added, "Be glad you don't have to see her, according to the servant she was not a pretty sight, all black and burned."
Outside of Ba Sing Se, Camp of the Southern Water Tribe, 100 AC
Hakoda was more than just alarmed by what had just happened. His children had arrived at their camp on the Avatar's sky bison. But it was not a merry reunion. The young airbender was almost dead, shot by lightning. His daughter had used the water from the spirit oasis and every ounce of her healing abilities to save him and was now sleeping, exhausted from the healing and the fight before. He and the others had meanwhile made a plan to escape. They would capture a Fire Nation ship and so, bypass the blockade the Fire Nation navy had set up.
Now he was standing outside in the night, thinking about everything. His mind wandered to his elder daughter. He wondered how she was, if she needed help escaping the city. Should he search for her before they departed? No, he told himself, if you go into the city, you will be a prisoner yourself immediately.
Suddenly a messenger ran into their camp. He stopped and looked around. Since Hakoda was the only one outside, he turned to him, "Are you Hakoda of the Southern Water Tribe or do you know his location?"
Hakoda was confused by this, but answered, "I am Hakoda, Chief of the Southern Water Tribe. What do you want?"
Sokka had heard the noise outside of his tent and walked towards his father. He saw the messenger bow and quickly handing is father a small package, maybe about the width of a hand and a few inches deep, together with a small note. His father read it, while the messenger quickly made his way back towards the city. Sokka ran up to his father when he saw that Hakoda was collapsing to his knees.
As he approached him, he saw that tears ran down his father's face, "Dad,", he said out of breath, "What is it? Why are you crying?"
His father closed his eyes and was silent for a little while, his hands cramping around the little package. Then he looked up into his son's eyes. His voice shaking, he said, "They killed her. Mori, they killed Mori. This, this," he held the package up a bit, "this package contains her ashes.", his shoulders slumped down and shook as he cried.
Sokka was shocked at this, in a second, tears streamed down his face as well. He couldn't believe it and took the package from his father's hands. He read the note:
This package contains the ashes of Kemori of the Southern Water Tribe, daughter of Hakoda and Kaya. She was found guilty of treason against the Fire Nation and espionage and suffered a traitor's death by being burned alive. The ashes will be delivered to her family. Her belongings remain at the hands of the Fire Nation.
Sokka hugged his father tightly and they mourned together. If he only had found the time to search for her, the Water Tribe boy thought. Maybe he would've come in time to save her. Katara had woken up from the noise outside and joined them in their mourning when she heard the news. The others in the camp stayed back respectfully.
As the first rays of sunlight hit the bay, they all got to their feet. They walked down to the shore. Hakoda still held the little package, his whole body was still shaking and none of the three could stop crying, but the chief knew what he had to do. Slowly and carefully, he opened the package and took out his daughter's ashes, hand by hand, and threw it into the wind and bay. Then he hugged his two remaining children.
Ba Sing Se, Port, 100 AC
An imperial guard stood on top of a wall, high above the people boarding the metal ship. Behind the skull mask blue eyes watched closely what happened down there. For a moment the guard was worried when the chained old man collapsed. But the guard would not show it.
The mask hid it, but the guard's face grimaced angrily at the sight of the Fire Nation Prince. A thought shot through the guard's head. Kill him, kill him now, him and his sister. They deserved it. But the guard held back. Iroh wouldn't approve that; the guard knew what that moron meant to him. With a deep breath the guard's hands first tensed into fists, before relaxing again.
As the princess mentioned that the ashes would be sent to the victim's family, a single tear ran down the guard's face and the guard whispered, "I'm sorry, father.", the guard knew what pain it would cause to the man.
Another guard approached. He put a hand on the first guard's shoulder, "Great work today, Captain. You'll probably get a medal for your bravery when we return home.", the first guard didn't answer and the other one soon left.
The guard watched as the Fire Nation Royals boarded their ship. The guard would not join them. But the guard would follow them. The guard would take the next ship.