Author's Note: Hey everyone, before we start with Book 3, a few things first. In the last chapters, or more like this whole story, I tried to stick close to the actual series. In the beginning of this Season, this will change a little, since Mori is neither travelling alongside the Avatar nor is she "officially" involved in Zuko's main story. She rather has her own stuff to do. In conclusion, what I wanted to say is, we'll cover a few episodes quicker than in the last chapters since our protagonist, for example, has no idea what happens on Ember Island. Anyway, I think it is all going to clear out once you read. So, again, thanks for the ongoing support for this story, please review it and enjoy!
A Fire Nation Ship, 100 AC
Zuko leaned over the railing of the ship that would bring him home. He knew, he should be happy now. Everything he wanted for the last three years was in his reach now. But he felt miserable. A deep sadness had taken hold of him.
He heard soft footsteps behind him. Mai approached him and laid a hand on his back, "Aren't you cold?", she asked in an unusual caring tone.
The prince didn't look up, with a raspy voice he said, "I've got a lot on my mind. It's been so long, over three years since I was home. I wonder what's changed. I wonder how I've changed."
Mai yawned, "I just asked if you were cold, I didn't ask for your whole life story.", he frowned and she took his face in her hands, giggling, "Stop worrying.", she kissed him. Zuko was taken aback. Three years they hadn't seen each other and now she just kissed him? Besides, Mori was still circling in his head. He hadn't even had a moment of silence to think about her, let alone mourn. Of course, Mai didn't know what the other girl meant to him, how her loss weighted on him. In the end he didn't respond, and Mai disappeared below deck.
Alone again he faced the dark waves just a few steps away from him. Nobody could see him now as he took out a light green piece of fabric. Its edges were burned black, but the stitched pattern could still be seen. Tears ran down his face as he clenched into it. Was it his fault? If he had decided differently, could he have saved her? He didn't know the answer to that, but he felt an enormous amount of guilt on his shoulders whenever he thought of her. I didn't even tell her that I love her, he thought.
Caldera, Port, 100 AC, a few days later
Mori was glad when her feet touched solid ground again. Not that she was averse of being on a ship, after all she was from the Southern Water Tribe, but it was different if you were basically cargo. She stretched before she picked up the little bit of luggage that she had and made her way to the city.
First, she had to find a place to stay, somewhere halfway safe. Then she had to find out where her Sifu was located and somehow visit him. He would know what to do then. She was sure he would be glad to see her, well, alive.
Her new identity as an imperial guard gave her some freedom and abilities, along with an income, but also some responsibilities. She would have to train everyday with the other guards and also do some actual guard duty in and around the palace. She shivered at the thought. Would Zuko recognize her? Would she be able to control herself when seeing him? She shook the thoughts out of her head. First things first, the way to the city could be a long one.
Finding a place to stay was easier than she had anticipated. A few streets in the city she read a sign that led towards a little hotel, renting single rooms, preferably to military personal. It was led by a plum elderly lady called Yona. She was caring for the soldiers in her hotel like a mother would and Mori needed about two seconds to win a special place in the old lady's heart. Not that the other guests weren't nice to her, but Mori started helping her around the hotel at once, putting groceries away, cooking and cleaning whenever she found a bit of spare time.
Finding her Sifu was a harder task. She couldn't just go around and ask after all. Mori also had to get accustomed to her new working conditions. She gladly trained with the guards, it had been a long time since she could train firebending openly, but the ever-changing shifts of guard duty and the way it paired dullness and boringness with the feeling of looming danger and constantly being on edge drained her more than she had anticipated.
Once she was given a night shift, standing alone in front of a bedroom, guarding its door. She shivered slightly when the owner of the room walked by. Suddenly she was very thankful for the skull mask covering her face. Anger welled up in her, but she swallowed it down and bowed shortly before the prince. He nodded towards her, obviously not recognizing her. Once he had closed the door behind him, she let out a small, relieved sigh.
A little while later she saw that the light in his room was extinguished. Would she really have to stand guard in front of Zuko's bedroom all night? The walls of these rooms were designed not to let out a lot of noises, the only weak point in that regard was the door, so, standing in front of it, Mori could hear somewhat if something was happening inside.
And really, after a few hours she heard him tossing and turning in his bed. She moved closer to the door, careful that no one would catch her eavesdropping. She pulled her helmet off and put her ear directly on the wooden door, so she could hear better. Obviously, he had some kind of nightmare, serves you right, she thought, let that guilty conscience work. He had betrayed his uncle, her Sifu, so she thought he deserved some bad dreams at least. Then she heard him groan as if he was in pain and then, was that, crying? Her heart sank, her anger dispersed into thin air. It was a heartbreaking sound, then she heard him say her name, over and over again. She covered her mouth with one hand, not to cry out herself. He begged her for forgiveness, not knowing that she stood just outside his door.
Slowly and silently, she opened the door. Zuko didn't notice the light shining into his room, before she closed it again. She laid her helmet down on the carpet and walked over to him, her curly black hair falling openly a bit beneath her shoulders. Sneakily she went up to him and cupped both sides of his face, stroking the tears away with her thumbs.
Zuko was surprised when someone carefully touched his face. The nightmares had followed him every night since the fight in Ba Sing Se, they would wake him at least once a night, if not more often, leaving him a sobbing, crying mess. It was always nearly the same dream. He imagined how Mori died, burned, screamed for help, help that would never come. Now his vision was blurred from his tears and his voice dry from crying. But as he looked up, he saw two familiar blue orbs, looking down on him worriedly in the pale moon light. Either I'm still dreaming, or I'm having a visit from a ghost, he thought.
He was stunned as her hands stroke his face, wiping the tears away, he couldn't even choke something out. Then he heard her speak, "Shh, Zuko. Don't cry.", he closed his eyes as she came closer and put a light kiss on his forehead. "What happened to me is not your fault, Zuko."
He just stared at the apparition in front of him, "But Mori, if I had…", he was silenced by a finger on his lips.
"Shh, there was nothing you could've done, believe me. When you sided with your sister, the imperial guard was already at the Jasmine Dragon. I just don't understand why you betrayed my Sifu. For everything else, whatever you might think of, you have my forgiveness, Zuko.", she ended her sentence by kissing his forehead again. She went back around the bed, his eyes following her every movement, before she said almost silently, "Now go to sleep, Zuko. I'll be not far and watch over you. I love you.", she didn't know herself why she added that last sentence.
She heard him suddenly move in his bed and he called after her, "Mori! Please don't go! I-I miss you! Just don't leave me alone, please! Mori! I need you!", but she didn't look back at him, afraid that the tears she was holding up, would come out if she did.
Outside she quickly covered her face with her hands and grimaced, before she straightened her face again and put her hair back. Then she put her helmet and mask back on. Taking a deep breath, she returned to her original position in front of the door as if she was never gone, hoping that nobody had seen her absence. She could still hear Zuko sob behind the door of his bedroom and wondered if he had put two and two together and was aware that she still lived, or if he thought her a ghost or dream. That he didn't even try to follow her made her think, that the second option was probably right. She hated that she was the reason for his misery, but she couldn't fix that at the moment. Eyes on the prize, she reminded herself. Finding her Sifu had to be her top priority.
The answer came to her rather unexpectedly in the cafeteria a few days later. She was sitting next to a group of five others when she heard them talk. Apparently, Zuko had taken a habit of visiting one particular cell in the prison tower. It seemed, he often left very angry, but nevertheless continued his visits. One of the guards laughed, "Warden Poon told me, on his last visit he even cried. Can you imagine that? I wonder what he's searching for in this cell."
Rumors travel fast in this city, Mori thought. That cell Zuko was visiting, that must be where her Sifu was held. So, her next step had to be to get into that cell. She could follow Zuko on his next visit, but no, the danger of being exposed was far too great. Also, she could follow him outside of the prison, but inwards would be impossible. But there had to be a way. Looking down on her armor a thought shot through her mind like lightning. Hastily she got up.
It had cost her two days to search for the chamber where the warden's uniforms were stored. Much to her delight it was not locked, so she snuck in and got herself one of said uniforms. She spent another day in her room, training to act naturally in that role, until she felt confident enough. On the fourth day she went to her room after her guard duty was over and changed into the warden uniform.
Mori hurried to the prison tower, she had researched when the prisoners would have dinner, and she didn't want to miss it. That would be the best opportunity to get into that cell and speak to her Sifu. She arrived just in time. Warden Poon was standing in front of some trays and called out to her, "Hey, you. I don't know you."
She stopped and smiled at him, "Ah, yes, you are Warden Poon, right? I heard a lot about you on my way here. My name is Chan Ryu, I was sent over from the colonies. This is my first day, Sir.", she bowed quickly.
Flattered, the warden smiled back at her, then his grin got a little bit more devilish, "Alright freshblood. We are about to feed our customers at the moment. There is a special one in cell 2.43. He's a peculiar old man, doesn't speak, vegetates like an animal and reeks more of it. Go ahead and bring him his dinner."
Mori smiled, "Of course, Sir.", she already had a suspicion who this might be. Peculiar old man, she thought, grinning as she walked.
As Iroh heard footsteps approaching his cell, he quickly sat down and faced the wall. The warden mustn't see him training. To his surprise the steps were lighter than Warden Poon's usually were. The iron door creaked open and a figure in a warden uniform entered, holding a tray with his dinner. She closed the door behind her and knelt down, shoving the tray through a hole in the cage that surrounded him. He didn't look at the warden, but then he heard a familiar voice, a voice he thought he'd never hear again, whispering, but clear, "Hello Sifu."
Iroh's eyes widened and he turned around in an instant, facing a smiling, blue-eyed girl in a warden uniform. He grabbed the iron bars that parted them, and tears streamed down his face. His voice was shaking when he said, "Mori. You're alive."
Her smile widened and she nodded. "Yes, I am. I'm so happy that I finally found you, Sifu.", she said, putting her hands on his.
His voice was tear-struck, "But how? I saw your burned dress, your passport, how did you survive?"
Her smile saddened considerably as she answered, "The imperial guard was sent to the Jasmine Dragon, four of them. We had quite a fight, mainly in the kitchen as the guests panicked in the shop. After a while I managed to put them out one by one, but I knew that if I remained alive, someone would come after me. So, I changed clothes with a female guard and burned her body until she was not recognizable anymore.", she paused for a moment, it hadn't been a good experience. Taking a deep breath she continued, "Then I put on her armor and helmet and reported of the four bodies, I gave that servant a piece of my dress and my passport as proof. Then other servants transported the bodies away and incinerated them. I was actually standing on that high wall when you boarded that ship. I know, I caused a lot of hurt this way, but I had to find a way to get out without showing my passport around and close enough to help you when needed."
Iroh nodded and they sat in comfortable silence for a few moments. He had to clear his head. That his student was still alive changed the whole situation, allowing new opportunities. Then he began to speak, "Zuko visits me from time to time. I usually don't speak to him at the moment. On his last visit he broke down in tears. He thought he had seen you in his dreams, or your spirit. Do you happen to have any knowledge of that?"
Mori mirrored her Sifu's knowing smile, "Well, actually, yes. I was put on guard duty for that night guarding his bedroom door. When I heard him having a nightmare, I thought it would serve him right, but when it changed to crying, I couldn't just stand by. I know, it posed a risk, but I just couldn't let it go on.", she looked to the side, avoiding her Sifu's gaze.
The old man smiled at her, "So, you have forgiven him?"
She looked back into his amber eyes and nodded, "Yes, for everything he feels guilty about concerning me. There's not so much actually there anyway. Though I told him, for betraying you, he should not search for my forgiveness."
Her Sifu patted her hands through the bars, "You did the right thing. He told me that he has way fewer nightmares now and can actually get some rest. He needs a clear head for the weeks to come. Anyway, now that you're here, I might have a few tasks for you to do.", Mori listened excitingly.
Getting paper was not a problem for her, she borrowed a lemon from Yona and began writing with its juice. After that had dried, she wrote above it with normal ink. On a whim she wrote in clear, big signs, almost calligraphic. Yes, it would cost more paper, but it was important that the message was understood. On her next guard duty assignment, she snuck away shortly and placed the scroll in Zuko's chamber.
Afterwards, on a free afternoon she put on a big cloak and snuck into Iroh's old house. Memories of her childhood shot through her mind, how she was trained by her Sifu in the garden, a brief glimpse of his son, her little adventures with Zuko. She smiled sadly, those innocent times were over, permanently. She remembered the task Iroh had assigned to her and hurried inside. Mori entered the old man's bedroom and shoved a commode to the side. There in the wall was a small hole. She reached into it and pulled out a little package. She opened it shortly to look inside. It was a royal artifact, the traditional headpiece of the crown prince, given to Avatar Roku by then Fire Lord Sozin. She didn't know how it ended up in Iroh's possession. She didn't ask. Carefully she put it in her bag and hurried back to her hotel.
The next day she dressed as a warden again and brought the artifact to her Sifu. He put it into a hidden spot in the wall behind him. "So, you want to tell him about his heritage now?", she asked.
Iroh nodded, "It is time for him to learn, who he really is. It will help him grow, though I don't know which of the sides inside him will come out victorious, but it's all the help I can give him now."
Mori nodded quickly, "I've got my hands on some white jade tea. I'll bring it to you the day before the eclipse. Then we'll get you out of here."
Iroh looked at her questioningly. As an answer, Mori gripped one the iron bars, quickly it lit up red under her hand. Then she made a circular gesture, "If we weaken all the bars, you should be able to push through. I'll officially take a one-week vacation, so nobody misses me. I'll say something about a family visit. I'll be waiting for you on a boat at the backside of the city where no one is watching."
The former general nodded. He was proud of his student; she thought a lot of things through. "You know that it is most likely that the Avatar will attack my brother that day, don't you? I think, your family would be with him. Don't you rather want to leave me the boat and go and join them?", he asked in his usual friendly tone.
A hint of guilt lit up in her blue eyes. Then she looked down and shook her head. "No, I'll be of no use during the eclipse. Also, they think I'm dead, I'll just distract them and maybe do more harm than good.", her Sifu nodded understandingly.
On the day of the black sun, Mori's plan worked out perfectly. Iroh had to admit, knocking down Warden Poon had been quite enjoyable. He then made his escape over the cliffs that surrounded the city and immediately saw Mori. She wore Fire Nation civilian clothing and stood on a small boat with one sail, just big enough to hold a few passengers, but small enough to be stirred by one or two persons. She smiled at her Sifu with just an inch of nervousness. Though she believed what she had said about her family and the invasion, it itched in her fingertips to go and help them.
They sailed in silence for more than an hour. Then Iroh decided to talk, "Mori, thank you for everything you did and are still doing for me.", she smiled at him, "after we reach Earth Kingdom shores I'll call the remaining members of the order of the white lotus, and we'll gather outside of Ba Sing Se. I want to free that city on the day of Sozin's comet."
Mori nodded, "Then I will be at your side, Sifu."
Iroh shook his head, "No. I have another task for you.", Mori's eyes shot up, "Don't worry, I'll not abandon you.", he said, giggling a bit, "But your new identity as an imperial guard could come in handy. I want you to sail back to the Fire Nation. Keep your guard up. And keep an eye on Zuko for me. If he needs help, I need someone to be there for him, protect him. You know, I would trust no one else with this."
Mori's mouth hung open for a moment. Then she closed her eyes and nodded. Trusting her Sifu was always the right decision, she reminded herself. She stirred the ship towards the Earth Kingdom and a few hours later they reached the shore. Before she left her Sifu hugged her tightly and smiled at her as she returned to the High Seas.
Back in the Fire Nation she was surprised to find out that Zuko was gone. Apparently, he had confronted his father during the eclipse. The Fire Lord had somehow managed to hold him up until the event was over and had shot lightning at his son. Mori frowned at the thought. That a man could be so despicable. But Zuko had redirected the lightning towards his father, he had not killed him, but only because of the armor. Mori felt proud about her friend. I always knew, you had it in you, she thought.
That didn't change though, that the person she was sent to help and protect was nowhere nearby. She sighed, should she run after him? But she had no idea where he went. It wasn't exactly easy to follow the trail of a balloon in the air. While she was on guard duty, she heard that Princess Azula had taken the task of searching for her brother and the Avatar as well. A thought shot through Mori's brain. She would stick as close to the princess as she could.