Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar or anything associated with it except my fanfiction.
One very long chapter. Enjoy. I actually like this chapter. At least the beginning. Hope you guys do as well.
Edit 9/16/2020: Finally! Expect a new chapter sometime this week or into the weekend
9/20/20: ...so sorry... only several thousand words in. DEFINITELY BY THE END OF THIS WEEK or I don't even know what punishment I'll give myself for depriving you loyal and much beloved readers from a story a majority of you seem to enjoy.
Zuko might as well have been walking in quicksand, what with his rhino's gait - that was, when a Fire Nation soldier wasn't goading the cumbersome beast onward, of course.
His backpack, although somewhat emptied since he started on his journey, felt as though a camelephant was living inside. His legs were screaming insults at him, and his arms lay limp, unmovable since he had fallen down into that stupid valley and he had to climb back up. His arms were completely used up from the sheer exertion upon them - and he hadn't even had a chance to fight anyone, Earth Kingdom or Fire Nation. He was afraid that when the time came to protect himself, all he'd be able to do was perform a pathetic dance of stumbling back and forth while his attackers would gang up on him and claim the glory of having killed the Fire Nation Prince... traitorous Fire Nation Prince. Too bad the Earth Kingdom ignored the traitorous part, and that his own country ignored the Fire Nation part. Life would've been so much better if it was the other way around, but then again... wince when was luck on his side? Well, he thought, I still do have my swords somehow. And my mask. Great. I get useless tools of murder, and lose the actual valuables in my life...
He shook his head, only wishing that his Uncle could have been here with him, supporting him on his pilgrimage through the vast Earth Kingdom... despite the devastation of the ship, Zuko had held out some hope that maybe, just maybe, his Uncle would have enough of his former wiliness to escape the ship or at lesat protect himself from the blast - but that hope quickly faded away the moment Zuko set eyes on his Uncle's prized tea set. Although it had been shattered beyond repair, his Uncle, ever the sentimental man, would've tried to salvage the pieces he could find. And that proved beyond a doubt in Zuko's mind that his Uncle was gone for good.
He felt the first vestiges of water forming in his sore eyes. He blinked rapidly, initially cursing the wetness in the eyes, but then realizing it offset the sharp pains shooting through his eyes due to his lack of water - he had drank the last of his water hours ago, and there were no clouds nor bodies of water in sight. This physical relief offset his internal grief at losing his father figure, but he quickly shook his head and moved on. That's what Uncle Iroh would have wanted anyway... and avenging his Uncle's death by usurping his brother that caused the mortality of Iroh would be the sweetest form of retribution Zuko would get.
But even that wouldn't come to fruition if he died prematurely of lack of water. At least with food he could try finding some nuts or roots - although he hadn't really paid enough attention in his tutoring sessions to know whether or not a certain plant was toxic or not. He would cross that bridge when it came to it.
He was walking - well, limping - through a very... interesting... forest. Despite it still not approaching the end of winter, there were still leaves on the trees. And furthermore, despite fall being long gone, the leaves were a vibrant red, and it almost hurt Zuko's eyes to look at the dense foliage before him. Sure, any other color besides blue had been a welcome change, but this was overdoing it. Yet another strike the spirit of luck had taken on him. As always, he was on his own, striking his own path, desperately and successfully proving that he was not swayed easily by the whimsical notions of the spirits above.
Well, not always...
He already missed Aang's and Sokka's relentless teasing, missed their jokes and easy banter, missed having company. Sure, he had had a crew to accompany him on his search for the Avatar for three long years, but... he never really interacted with them, except to insult them or yell at them for their imagined faults. Zuko shook his head, trying to clear himself of his past guilt. He knew he shouldn't dwell, but... it was so hard. Especially without anyone to chase the ghosts away.
Zuko sighed, took another step forward - and ended up suspended in midair. Disoriented, he tried to gauge the extent of his predicament as the trap holding him swayed back and forth through the air. He was held within a wooden cage, too small for him to stand up - not that his legs would have supported his weight for much longer in the first place. Across from him were two identical traps, containing some poor animals - he couldn't tell what they were, what with the thickness of the cage obstructing his view - who were hooting and screeching in anger and fear. He wondered what had caused them to get caught in the first place, and then his eyes fell to the bottom of his trap. Lychee nuts. Without a second thought, he greedily grabbed the small fruit and stuffed them into his mouth. The juicy succulence was the best thing he had ever tasted in his life, and furthermore drove away his unsatiable thirst, at least for a while. This alone was worth getting caught. No wonder the other traps were sprung long before he stumbled upon one. But now he wanted out. He simply put his hands to the wood, and it caught aflame. He immediately punched through the wood, and it easily snapped like the fragile kindling he had burned the sturdy trap into. He tumbled to the forest floor, and he looked back up at the creatures, who had finally became silent.
"Alright... I guess I'll free you guys too," he said. He shot thin streams of flame at the ropes holding up the other traps, and within moments, the creatures became flashes of brown as they quickly scurried away without so much as a glance in Zuko's direction. He sighed. The good never received recognition.
But at least it was better than the horrifying state being evil brought to oneself.
He surveyed the traps on the ground excitedly, knowing that where there were elaborate traps, there were sure to be humans. He was dying to just open his mouth and speak something that wouldn't just be received by the rustling leaves and the blinking prince.
His excitement, however, was quickly replaced with horror and fear as he realized that the traps were those of the Fire Nation. The design of the cages and the pulley system were too advanced and intricate to be those of the Earth Kingdom - no offense meant, but that was what happened when the Fire Nation industrialized when the other nations stuck to more conventional ways. At the very least, it meant a troop of Fire Nation soldiers was nearby - and Zuko was not willing to become prince kabob after three long years of misery and then one short window of hope.
Having been somewhat rejuvenated by the feeling of real food on his tongue, he stood up, hiked his pack, and started trudging along, hoping he wouldn't stumble into the waiting hands of the Fire Nation.
As usual, life blew up in his face.
Despite all the doubling back he did, all the twists and turns he made, all of the signs of Fire Nation he kept a lookout for, luck just had to one-up him. After examining a path through the woods to make sure Fire Nation soldiers hadn't traipsed through, he pulled the brush aside satisfied, knowing that he wasn't going to suddenly stumble on an entire contingency of Fire Nation soldiers
The lively campfire in front of him coupled with the raising soldiers in red that readied the spears they wielded made him realize otherwise.
Idiot.
Zuko groaned, taking out his dual swords. They had served him in many a scrape, many a tight situation, many a skirmish. But none of this caliber. He was terrified, tired, and was outnumbered thirty to one. He cast a brief thought to Aang and Sokka, hoping that they at least had better luck than he did. He raised his swords, croaked out a defiant shout, and charged recklessly to battle, Mai's name forming on his lips.
But before his blades had even reached out halfway to the first unsuspecting soldier, the entire rear of the formation against the prince suddenly fell to the ground as a flash a cloth landed atop the soldiers. Zuko saw that the flash was in fact a boy only about his age beckoning with dual hooked swords - an interesting parallel to his dual broadswords. One offered more utility, the other was more efficient. "C'mon. You gonna get a piece of the action or what?"the boy asked, smirking, a piece of straw dangling from his mouth.
Zuko couldn't help but grin, wading into the fray, working with the other boy to cut down Fire Nation soldiers as though they had been well-aquainted with each other for years. Flashes of light came with the clangs of steel as the soldiers attempted in vain to fend off the unstoppable whirlwinds of steel cutting their spears down like scythes in a wheat field.
As the battle progressed, more and more ragtag fighters joined the fray - all of them children, Zuko noted. He saw an especially young boy fall on top of one soldier's head, and the soldier yelped and careened wildly to the side as the boy turned around the soldier's helmet and blinded him. On the other side of the camp, Zuko could make out a boy with a boy and arrow disarming the soldiers from a safe distance, while a large boy and another boy with three stripes on both cheeks landed down and finished off the hapless soldiers.
An enormous man came lumbering up to some men, and when they rose their weapons fearfully, the man simply took out a long log and bashed their weapons to nothing, and they were quickly dispatched by the other fighters.
Before long, all that remained within the camp were the Earth Kingdom kids and the burned prince.
The boy walked up to Zuko. "Thanks for that. Those soldiers have been camping there for weeks, and we've been waiting, trying to find a window to strike. Then you came stumbling along. Granted, with those swords you wield I'm surprised you aren't sauntering through those woods with swagger."
Zuko shrugged. "Well, I didn't want to attract too much attention to myself - or leave that large a trace."
"Well... seeing as you just walked into a Fire Nation camp, I'd say you pretty much failed at that."
They shared a chuckled. Zuko appraised the other boy. "Nice fighting, there. Ingenious use of those swords. I never would've thought those hooks could be so handy - let alone be so deadly."
The other boy snorted derisively, although his eyes gleamed with pride. "Eh. You haven't seen anything yet. The name's Jet, and these are my Freedom Fighters: Longshot -" the archer raised his head in greeting. "Sneers -" the rotund boy waved cheerfully at Zuko. "Smellerbee -" the striped boy with a dagger now in his mouth nodded. "The Duke, and Pipsqueak," Jet gestured towards the large man and the small boy in the back.
Zuko walked up to the unlikely duo. "That's a pretty funny name, Pipsqueak, he said, crouching down to the little kid. Suddenly, he felt a presence at his back, and he turned to see the large man leering down at him.
"You think my name's funny?" the man threatened ominously, one hand on his log. Zuko gulped. That log had finished off the Fire Nation soldiers very easily, and would make quick work of him as well. How was he going to get out of this one?
He was saved by a laughing Jet, who clamped a hand on Zuko's shoulder. "Yo, Pip, cool your jets! - pun intended." The other boys laughed. "we gotta show some mercy to this kid, show him we're not like those firebenders." Jet turned to the prince. "Now... what's your name?"
"Um... Lee."
Jet squinted at Zuko, but decided to let it slide. "Alright, 'Lee'... so how about joining my Freedom Fighters? You're pretty good with your swords there, and we could use another man."
Zuko shook his head. "I'm sorry, but I can't. You see, I'm traveling throughout the Earth Kingdom to regather my thoughts. My Uncle was killed by firebenders, and my mother was lost to the Fire Nation as well." Jet nodded, and Zuko suspected they might have more in common than just their weapons. "I even got this burn from a firebender." He pointed to his scar.
Jet nodded. "Yeah, that's how we knew you weren't one of them. No one who's helping the Fire Nation is going to have such a deliberate and nasty burn on their face. But then why won't you help us fight them?"
"On my own terms. I just need a little bit of time to myself to reflect," Zuko said.
Jet nodded slowly. "Then what do you say to staying a day or two to see whether I couldn't change your mind?"
Zuko opened his mouth to say no, when his stomach growled and did the answering for him. He thought some more and began to think maybe a meal wouldn't go amiss. "Alright. My stomach speaks for me." Jet laughed, and wrapped an arm around Zuko.
"C'mon, man," Jet said. "Let's show you to our base."
She was kneeling on the floor, in obligatory deference to her dear father. The heat from his glare fueled the flames serving as his final protective barrier more so than usual. Most likely, this was due to the recent events that had been brought to her father's eyes. She knew that if she had heard the news, the flames of her throne would engulf the entire hallway, consuming the palace she lived in with hatred and pain. It was just too unbelievable... the news of their crippling defeat at the North Pole as well as the discovery that Zuko had switched sides were dismissed as preposterous presumptions until the beleaguered fleet had finally returned home, downcast looks on the men's faces, morale sinking lower than a crater. After much interrogation and many royal tantrums thrown, it was undeniable that these horrors had come to pass.
As it was, the flames of her father's emotion did not even reach above the shrine he was seated under. Pathetic weakling. But he was her father, and of course, there had to be good reason for him to have been able to claim the divine right to the throne, so Azula had no concern or misgiving over her father's appointment as ruler of his nation. At the very least, he proved himself a much better ruler than his soft-hearted oaf of an older brother. An interesting parallel to her: parent and child both second of kin, yet both had ascended to powers beyond all others. "My admiral has been humiliated and defeated. My failure of a brother has been killed. My son - your brother - has dishonored our otherwise pure name and bloodline, and is a traitor to our Nation," her father's gravelly voice boomed, merely restating all that they had heard. Azula lifted her head as she regarded her father with a grim feeling of pride and triumph - being the only one who ever gained her father's pride and approval, now the one set for the succession for the throne. "Azula... I have a task for you. As heir to the throne, to prove your worthiness, you must find the Avatar... and your brother. And then bring them both back here."
Her lips slowly curved into a victorious smirk as Firelord Ozai continued to speak. "I will deal with them personally, in front of the entire world. The Avatar will come to know pain beyond anything known to man. And when he is at his weakest... when he has reached his lowest... when he is groveling on the ground, sniveling in self-pity, begging for mercy... I will end him, and destroy the Avatar for good."
"And Zuzu?" Azula said in a low voice, mocking her brother even now during a moment of solemnity and betrayal.
"Your brother... we shall simply say that he will be begging for the Avatar's punishment before I even start on him," Ozai said with a sinister smile.
Azula stood up, clasped her hands to her chest in a show of respect, and strode out of the room with a grace only present in that of truly royal blood.
It was time to rid the world of her Zuzu for good. She would take any opportunity to completely ruin her competitor-turned-traitor. The taste of sweet victory against her failure of an older sibling would quench her desire for revenge and violence. And would solidify her claim to the throne.
Although she had to admit, the Avatar would be a rather nice bonus.
They walked up to a thicket of very tall trees, with nothing in sight except the large trunks. The leaves served a faraway canopy, high in the sky, blocking out any vestige of sun that might have made it past the impregnable caps of darkness the treetops cast on the forest below. Jet brought his hands together and brought them to his mouth. Lifting his thumb up and down, he mimicked the calling of a bird. An answer warbled out from a far distance above, and ropes with loops on the ends dropped down next to them. Jet took one and offered it to Zuko. "Here you go."
Zuko curiously took the rope, wondering what was going to happen. He was slightly displeased and completely caught off guard when he found himself rocketing upwards through the air once more.
"For the Love of!-" he yelped, and then he realized that the situation wasn't as bad as he made it out to be. For one, the others were also heading up through the ropes, so the chances that he would die from his own was very slim. Furthermore, the ascension to the treetops wasn't as rough this time around - he could see the branches and leaves going by in a smooth blur, not the sudden jerk of the trap he had been caught in hours earlier. His wonder grew at the magnificence of the place as he went still higher and the top of the tree was still nowhere in sight. He looked at his surroundings in wonder. They didn't have anything like this at home... maybe they could recreate something like this once the war was over? Besides its obvious usefulness in elevating people, it was also rather exhilarating to shoot up into the sky, almost as if one was well on their way to reaching the stars.
Finally, the rope stopped, and Zuko settled on a wooden platform to survey the amazing view he was presented with.
Platforms were scattered all across the trees as far as the eye could see. Tents covered the platforms - likely as protection against the rain - and wooden bridges spanned the gaps between the trees and the homes. Despite all of this - and perhaps because of it - Zuko began to wonder how many people fell while constructing this haven from the Fire Nation. Probably very many, but then again, if Jet was any indicator, there likely would not have been any devastating consequences.
"Pretty cool hideout," was all Zuko could say. He saved most of his brain for trying to take in the unbelievable scene he was staring down at.
Jet hopped down to where Zuko was. "It is. And the best part is... the Fire Nation can't find us."
"They would love to find you Jet, isn't that right?" Smellerbee rhetorically asked with a grin. It was the first time Zuko heard Smellerbee talk, and he realized with a start that Smellerbee's voice was more... feminine. "You're a girl?" he blurted out. He covered his mouth. "I'm sorry. I've been without food or drink, and I've been hallucinating. That's kind of why I accidentally stumbled upon the Fire Nation camp -"
Smellerbee snickered. "No need to fish empty excuses out of thin air, Lee. I'm used to that kind of thing, especially since I'm not Miss Ladylike, what with my armor and my knife. But hey, you gotta adapt if ya wanna live... and fight back."
Jet nodded. "Yeah... it's our fighting back that makes us some of the most wanted enemies of the Fire Nation. They've taken over a nearby town, and we've made it our mission to drive them away from our homes."
"We've been ambushin' their troops, cutting off their supply lines, and doing anything we can to mess with 'em." Pipsqueak interjected.
"And one day, we're gonna drive out the Fire Nation for good and free that town."
Zuko grinned. "About time someone stood up to the Fire Nation." He leaned in an nonchalantly asked. "Have you heard anything about the Avatar?"
Jet blinked. "As a matter of fact, yes. We weren't exactly that poorly off in the past years - we've managed to attract some high-ranking officers to our place. We finished them off, of course. But now, with rumors that the Avatar is back and is learning the elements at a breakneck pace..." Jet spread an arm to his home. "Well, you can see for yourself. We've more than tripled in size since word of the victory at the North Pole reached us a few weeks ago."
Zuko nodded. "The tides of war are turning for the better, and soon the Fire Nation will be put down for good - at least, the bad part of it."
Jet stared at Zuko blankly. "What do you mean? There's absolutely nothing good about the Fire Nation, nothing. All of us here, we've lost something to the Fire Nation. Longshot - his town got burned down by the Fire Nation. My own parents were killed when I was eight. That day changed me forever. Pipsqueak here was captured and sold to a Fire Nation circus because of his size - he ran away and wound up here. Smellerbee..." Jet shuddered. "Not a tale for the fainthearted. And the Duke, we found him stealing from our supplies. I don't think he ever really had a home, thanks to the Fire Nation. So I took him in. He's young, but enthusiastic. And he's showed some real potential.
The Duke, who was walking alongside them all, beamed up at Jet. Zuko smiled.
"You're really good at leading, man." Unlike me, who was deemed an imbecile the moment my father laid his eyes on me, Zuko thought bitterly. The sad thing was - he wasn't wrong.
His life back at home was all about suffering - but a vast majority of it was self-inflicted. From trying to learn how to sword-wield and nearly cutting his mentor's head off, to failing to reproduce a technique his prodigy firebender of a sister had created, to failing all of his courses despite constant tutoring... Zuko tried, he really did. But he lacked everything he needed to be a capable leader. And that was all embodied in the confident boy walking beside him whom Zuko was beginning to envy.
Jet smiled. "Thanks, man. I really try. All this responsibility was thrust upon me at a really young age, and I had to grow up quickly..."
"Too quickly," finished Zuko. "That's the consequence of war," he said sadly.
Jet put an arm around Zuko. "And that's why we fight. So no one else has to endure what we went through at such a young age," Jet said. His face suddenly drew tight. "The Fire Nation is merciless. It doesn't let anything go. All it knows to do is take and destroy. That's why I swore to myself, if I ever saw someone even remotely connected to the Fire Nation, no matter how old or young or innocent, I will cut them down without a second thought." The whole group chorused their affirmation of Jet's words. Jet looked over to see Zuko's face gone pale. "Hey. Is everything alright?"
Zuko nodded, although he felt like he was going to throw up. "I'm fine. I just need some time to myself."
Jet nodded. "Gotcha. See you at dinner."
"See you." As soon as the group had left, Zuko stumbled over to the edge of the bridge they were walking on, and winced when the residue of lychee nuts in his stomach splattered on the leaves below.
How long would it be before they sniffed him out? And what would they do to him? His stomach churned again as sickening thoughts presented themselves in his mind. He groaned inwardly. Those two questions probably weren't the best to think about at this moment - he was feeling queasy even before the vertigo of being halfway in the sky had set in! The ground was much easier to observe on the back of a fluffy animal who had proven himself time and time again as a reliable safety net against falls. After leaning over the railings to catch his breath, Zuko shakily got back up, and teetered towards the others, who were laughing and talking and discussing and joking as though nothing had happened.
A black, three-pronged ship sliced through the water with effortless efficiency, heading a rapid course for the Earth Kingdom. Nary a splash marred the eerie silence that accompanied the ominous ship. The lone naval vessel was void of activity as it sluiced through the waters. Rocks that promised a swift and violent end at sea dotted the ocean, proving a treacherous maze to tread through. But the ship kept steadily on its course, nothing barring its way to its destination.
The sun was rising in the sky - symbolic of Azula's rise to power. The metal ship signified her unstoppable path to the Fire Nation throne - the throne that would rule them all.
She sat patiently in her palanquin as her loyal servants dragged her painstakingly along to the decks. Although the pace was sluggish, it would be uncomely to have royalty have to use their own legs to move around. This sedentary position was proof of the power Azula wielded. Although, come to think of it, perhaps she needed a change of escort... these cretins were proving themselves mightily weak, even for those as lowly as her own servants. Especially when considered they had every incentive to move faster - a threatening ball of fire held to one's face often accomplished much more than one would expect.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, they reached the doors to abovedecks. They were opened, and slowly the palanquin staggered along until it was finally set down on the ground.
As though imitating a wave, the royal retinue provided for her own protection fell to the ground, prostrating themselves in their inferiority. Pathetic. They should've been groveling at her feet long before the doors opened, as she made the guards well aware that she would be joining them several minutes ago.
Perhaps she should show them the same amount of disrespect. She crossed her legs and leaned back on her seat - unseemly of royalty, but perfect for insulting the stupidity of these lowlifes. She felt her carriers lower the palanquin to the ground gently - the first thing they got right all day - and the front pair gracefully opened the curtains for her, her invitation to step out and make the speech she needed to make.
She slowly got up, and walked amongst their ranks. For a moment, she considered berating them for their shortcomings in presenting themselves to their leader-to-be, but she decided to let it slide. They would have other worries to plague them soon enough. "You know what the aim of our excursion is: to hunt down my brother and the Avatar." Silence reigned as Azula studied the still bodies prostrate towards her. Only a few short months before, they would have been standing. A few calculated blasts of blue fire and strategical lightning strikes smoothed out that little obstacle. "I understand if you have any misgivings about attacking my brother; after all, he is a member of my royal bloodline and heritage. I perfectly understand if you have conflicted feelings about attacking a member of the Royal family." Her eyes narrowed. "But do not mistake my intentions, for I intend to dispel those reservations that you might have. For if you do not strike my brother down - if you hesitate to bring him down - rest assured I will strike you down, and will not hesitate to do it." She could taste the fear of her men, could feel their tremors of fear through the deck. She smiled. This was how she established loyalty amongst her soldiers. Fear was the strongest tool for manipulating and ruling. Anything else was the work of fools. "Dismissed!" she said coldly.
They quickly got up and scurried off the deck, relieved to have been subjected to a relatively merciful ordeal for the moment. As quickly as they retreated to the deep recesses of the ship, the captain just as quickly ran towards her. He knelt. "Princess... we are arriving at the Earth Kingdom soon."
Azula nodded. "How long until we are able to dock?"
The captain blanched. "M'lady... the tides are against us, and it will be impossible to land until nightfall."
The air around them plummeted several degrees. Azula turned around to regard the captain with a baleful eye. "My deepest apologies, captain, for I am ill-versed in matters of the sea, and do not know anything about the tides. In that vein of thought, could you so kindly explain one thing to me, captain?"
The captain eagerly nodded. "Yes, Your Highness."
"Do the tides command this ship?" Azula asked.
It took several seconds for the blundering idiot to register what she had said. "E-excuse me, Your Highness?" he stuttered, voice changing to a terrified squeak.
"You heard what I said. Do the tides command this ship?" Azula said starchly, biting into every word as though she was a tiger shark biting into its prey. She was starting to wonder if she didn't have the self control to prevent herself from executing her actions before she intended to.
"I'm afraid I don't understand," the captain said.
Azula turned around to regard the sea before her, and the supposed tides that were apparently trying to obstruct her mission to get to her brother. "You said the tides would not allow us to bring the ship in," she said sweetly. "Do the tides command this ship?" she asked in an innocent voice.
"N-no, princess..."
"And yet you said that the tides were obstructing our way to the Earth Kingdom. Do these tides have us in their consideration?"
The captain was visibly shaking. "I... I don't understand what you're trying to say, M'lady, but... I don't think so?"
"So if I were to have you thrown overboard, would the tides think twice about smashing you against the rocky shore?" Azula's voice had transformed into something quieter, yet harsher and sharper. She could literally see the captain shrinking in his uniform. The doddering fool.
"No, princess..."
Azula ran her fingers through her hair. "Well then... if the tides aren't in charge of this ship, and they don't give two copper pieces over your welfare as the person who commands this ship... then maybe you should worry less about the tides who have already made up their mind about killing you, and worry more about me, who's still mulling it over. Especially since you are the one bringing us to shore, and not the tides." She turned around slowly to face the defeated captain.
"I'll... I'll pull us in." The captain kowtowed so hard that when he got up, blood was trickling down from his forehead. Azula sighed inwardly at the stupidity of the captain. At least she fostered that much loyalty in her crew, although there were certain... boundaries that served as a fine line between loyalty and idiocy, self-inflicted injuries for no reason being one of them. The captain sprinted off to land them, and Azula wandered the ship's deck deep in thought, wondering how she should go about approaching her dear old traitorous brother.
Zuko was gazing down on the makeshift shelters below, the quaint feeling in his stomach having not yet dissipated. Most of the lights were snuffed out, although a solitary torch or two flickered feebly, far away from any source of flora that could catch fire and destroy the hideout.
Dinner passed by in a flash. The food was very good, and the warm deliciousness of the meal reminded him of home. Of course, there was the fact that the food had been pilfered from dying embers the dead guards from earlier in the day were cooking on, and thus Zuko had his first real taste of Fire Nation food since his crew was blow-
His stomach roiled rebelliously, and Zuko doubled over, desperately trying to keep the food in his stomach. It did taste good, after all...
He was just about fully recovered when he remembered Jet's speech about how the Fire Nation would be ruthlessly cut down by the Freedom Fighters, and for the second time that day the starved prince was denied his sustenance. He regarded the mess below him with disgust, the slimy vomit glistening under the sparse lighting, and he failed to notice the boy creeping up behind him until his shoulder was tapped and a voice whispered, "Everything alright there, Lee?"
Zuko jumped so high that he smacked against the top of his temporary wooden house, settling back to the floor with a groan of pain. But inwardly, he thanked the lucky stars that he hadn't firebent out of shock. He didn't know how he was going to be able to fight his way out of a lofty fortress of anti-Fire Nation rebels. Especially ones so skilled in the art of war.
Jet stood over Zuko, brows furrowed in genuine concern. "You've been seeming kind of down. You've been pale off and on, and now this. I know it's Fire Nation food, but at least it's not Fire Nation soldiers that are eating it!"
"It's not that," Zuko whispered hoarsely. "It's about..." he waved his hand at the plethora of homes before them.
Jet nodded grimly. "It's all the Fire Nation's fault, isn't it?"
"It is. They take everything. My mother was taken from me." This was true; his mother had one day disappeared without a trace, the only memento left behind her declaration of love for Zuko the night before. "My Uncle was killed by the Fire Nation, as well as everyone on the ship I was sailing on." Zuko lowered his eyes in grief, remembering how their moment of enlightenment and realization was senselessly cut short by a fiery explosion. "And of course... there's the matter of my scar," he finished. The memory was too painful to relive. Now was definitely not the best time to bring up his sister, especially one so power hungry and merciless as her. "This scar is a constant, painful reminder of all the wrongs the Fire Nation has committed. It's the reason why they must be stopped." He decided not to mention the fact that he was the Crown Prince of the Fire Nation, and decided to not say anything about his sister. Zuko was many things, but he wasn't suicidal.
"Then why not start fighting back now?" Jet said animatedly. "Look at me and my Freedom Fighters. We're able to make a difference in this war, no matter how small or insignificant our actions might seem sometimes. We've killed Fire Nation civilians - lowering enemy morale. We've stolen their supplies - and denied them sustainability in enemy territory. We're making a difference in this war, one that brings us closer and closer to victory. So why not join us now to stop this needless violence?"
"I don't know," Zuko answered blandly. "I kind of need some time to collect my bearings. Besides, violence only begets violence, and will lead to no solution."
"But is the Fire Nation going to give us any time? Will the Fire Nation ever be merciful to us? No, they will never do good or be good, and the only way to fight their destruction is to give them a taste of their own medicine."
"Isn't that... counter-intuitive? Shouldn't you be showing that you're better than the Fire Nation?"
"Does the Fire Nation care that we're better than them? No! So why should we bother with the superiority complex when they won't? They won't listen to us until they've felt what they've done to us. And that means destroying them back, at any cost."
Zuko now regarded Jet with shock and horror. Whereas before Jet seemed like the mighty warrior and leader who led the good fight against the Fire Nation, now... Zuko saw him for what he really was, a hooligan with a thirst for enemy blood. But then again, he thought ruefully, this is the war's fault, and no one else's.
He played a desperate tile to try to get Jet off his back. "I need time to grieve and think. My Uncle was killed very recently, and he has been my father for the past three years - maybe even my entire life! With him gone, my life seems to be one gigantic hole I won't be able to climb out of..."
Jet softened. "I guess you're right. I understand what you mean. It took me a while to find my own drive as well." Jet sagged and sighed. "Being a leader put so much pressure on me. I mean, it's great to be the one most responsible for the sufferings of the Fire Nation, but... it also means that one slipup, and everything bad that happens is my fault. I don't want the blood of the Earth Kingdom staining my hands." He paused. "Although ashmaker filth is an entirely different matter." Zuko could feel Jet turning around to leave. "I guess that's it, Lee... I won't withhold you from your journey. But remember, there's always a home, a meal, and a good fight for you with us."
Zuko cracked a weak smile. "Yeah... thanks..."
And Jet walked off, twirling his hooked swords. Zuko stood there for a long time, and then finally sat down heavily from exhaustion. That exhaustion led him to lie on the floor, and to let his leadened eyes droop ever downwards.
Azula stormed into the decrepit old town, eyes narrowed in cold calculation, lips thinned in a false pretense of anger. None were able to stand her wrath, no matter how feigned it was, and she planned on putting it to good use.
One of the guards ran up to her and bowed low. "Princess Azula, what an honor it is for you to visit this humble Fire Nation outpost. What brings you here?" the soldier asked with a little smile that was betrayed by the wild look in the man's eyes as though he was a cornered animal. Azula decided to make this man as uncomfortable as possible. After all, the supposed Golden Rule of treating others only applied to equals; with divine right on her side, Azula had no need to follow the moral stipulations of the common peasantry.
"I am on a mission to rid the world of my disappointment of a brother, on my father's orders." Azula said. The soldier trembled under her glare. "My brother has traveled all over the world. Even an idiot like you should recognize the scar on his face. Surely you must have seen something happen around here."
The fearful guard was only too happy to share everything he knew. "... And I saw the scarred man walk into the shops, and then I joked with one of my fellow soldiers that it must have been quite the cooking accident to leave quite a horrible scar, and then he left the next morning without his companions -"
Azula sighed in exasperation and held out a hand. "Silence!" This idiot talked too much, and Azula was going to have to figure out and do most of the work on her own. As usual. "You said the man left the town alone?" The soldier nodded eagerly. "In which direction?" she asked. The soldier pointed to the northeast, towards Gaipan Village - the place of the supposedly formidable Freedom Fighters. Azula grinned, a plan forming in her head to murder two birds with one stone. "I see..." Azula suddenly shot out her hand, coming to a stop a mere hair's width away from the soldier's cheek. Azula lowered her voice ominously. "You know, the Fire Nation is all about honor. Serving your country in a war is an honorable task that requires a certain amount of devotion." Azula pressed forward until her nose almost touched the grubby, terrified victim. "Make fun of someone behind their back, even if it's a traitor - disrepect your line of serving your country one more time - and I will ensure that the scar on your face will not come from a cooking accident." She lifted her hand back up, and made it burst into flame. The guard yelped and landed on his behind, and quickly crabwalked himself out of sight, limbs scrabbling on the ground in a desperate bid to escape the wrath of his soon-to-be leader.
Azula looked up to the sky, noticing the Sun starting to set. Azula grinned. She had briefly considered going after the Avatar, but the mere child could easily be dealt with later. Besides, she had heard many stories of the famed rabble of children who made Gaipan village's garrison life misery. She strode off in the direction of Gaipan. Just a few more days, and her plans and wildest dreams would fall into place...
Zuko groaned and rolled over, trying desperately to ignore the existence of the rays of light hitting his closed eyes. He wasn't going to be woke up by the stupid Sun. Besides, it was so nice and warm here, nothing but him and the chirps of the trees - and a fire crackling and people talking...
Zuko's eyes shot open. He pushed himself off the ground with his arms, and grabbed everything he had. He was going to leave this forest, and although he was sad that he was leaving a sympathetic band of peers, he knew he had to move on. He did have an Avatar to meet up with after all.
But as he heard more and more of what was going on, he realized that maybe his immediate departure was as immaterial and unrealistic as the Spirit World. "I don't know, Jet. I know that with what we plundered during that raid, we might have a chance of doing it. But we've been over this hundreds of times. You're killing innocents! And what if the plan doesn't work? They'll send the entire Fire Nation down on us, and then we can kiss our resistance goodbye!"
"But they won't send troops here if there's nothing left, right?" Zuko heard Jet saying. "If there's nothing to conquer, they'll just be wasting their time. Besides, sometimes we have to make sacrifices to keep out the Fire Nation."
Jet sighed. "I like it about as much as you do. But this is the only way I can see. Either that, or we do nothing and let the Fire Nation run rampant in our lands. I won't stand for that. They've already took too much from us."
Zuko was reeling from the news he had heard. They were going to wipe out innocents just to get some petty revenge against the Fire Nation? He quickly exited his tent and walked over to the meal area.
Jet nodded at Zuko. "Hey Lee. Good to see you're awake."
Zuko nodded. "I feel better than yesterday at least." At least, he was before he heard what he thought he just heard.
"That's always a good thing," said Jet. He turned back to Smellerbee, and faced Zuko once more. "Have you heard what we've been talking about?" Jet asked.
Zuko was shocked at the directness of Jet's statement. "Uh..." he stuttered, turning red. "... Yeah... well, I heard something about you wanting to wipe out some villagers with the Fire Nation," Zuko admitted reluctantly, and he noticed Jet's fleeting triumph before it morphed into impatience.
"All of them," Smellerbee interjected, glaring at Jet. "It isn't like the Fire Nation doesn't deserve their comeuppance, but... taking out an entire village to exact revenge from a few dozen Fire Nation patrols? I really don't think it's a good idea." She studied Zuko. "It's probably best if you hear the entire story, Zuko."
"I agree. The entire camp's been divided into two - and since we have an even number of people, we've reached a stalemate over this issue. Even if you aren't joining us at the moment, would you care to be our tiebreaker?" Jet asked with a glint in his eye. Dang it. He was good. Little bits of involvement until someone was sunk up to their head in the quagmire of war and couldn't back out. Zuko groaned inwardly. Way for his subpar mind to not realize the trap until it was too late. "Alright... I guess it wouldn't hurt to know all the facts," Zuko relented.
Jet grinned. "That's what I wanna hear. You know about that village nearby that's swarming with the Fire Nation? I've had this idea for a while, but we haven't really had the means or the firepower to carry it out - until we procured several boxes of blasting jelly from our little raid." Jet looked expectantly at Zuko. "There's a dam that serves as the main water source for the town. If we blow it out, the destruction we cause will be massive - and there won't be anything left for the Fire Nation to take."
"But what about the innocents?" Zuko asked. Jet groaned and placed a hand on his head, while Smellerbee looked on jubilantly. "There's no point in driving away the Fire Nation if there's nothing to drive them away from."
"But there's no point in taking anything if there's nothing to take," countered Jet. He took a deep breath. "Listen, guys, I understand. I really do. These are innocents we are killing." He looked pleadingly at them. "But it's for the greater good. Their sacrifice will not be forgotten, and their lives won't be lost in vain. Although the price of one's life is a high price to pay, it's worth it if it paves a road of safety for others to travel upon."
"But do you speak for the villagers on a personal level?" Zuko asked. "For all we know, they could be content enough - I'm not saying they're going to be happy with the Fire Nation running their lives," he added hastily under the scrutinizing gazes of Jet and Smellerbee. "But they might not be willing to throw their lives away just to get some petty revenge on the Fire Nation."
"They should be! And it isn't just petty revenge!" Jet stood up and passionately made his case. "We've all lost people to the Fire Nation. Our families. Our friends. Our homes. Our country. And it's time we put a stop to this senseless violence, and the only way to do that is by doling out to the Fire Nation what they did to us. Meekness and peaceful protests haven't gotten us anywhere - the past century of oppression and suffocation shows us otherwise. We need to stop this, no matter the cost. Because no matter how destructive we are in our path, it will end up being nowhere close to rivaling the destruction of this war if it continues indefinitely. Think about it, guys. More people's lives ruined. Do you really want that on your guilty consciences? That you turned away when you were most needed? Zuko, I can understand that you need a little bit of time - but I'm not referring to your brief respite! I'm talking about full-on shirking one's duty to their nation! We need to do something, we can't just sit idly by and watch our homes burn! By destroying this dam, we show who are the ones really in control here - and we can make a difference in this war, tip the scales of the balance in our favor. And so what if the villagers die - at least it's by our hands for a worthy cause, and not the Fire Nation's for a wanton one!"
"But that's even worse!" cried Smellerbee, now up on her feet as well. "How could you betray your own people like this? You're saying that we should kill off our own people to prevent the Fire Nation from taking us down. But you'll only be aiding the Fire Nation in their ultimate goal of the destruction of the Earth Kingdom. How do you turn such a blind eye to reason? I know you've been angry ever since you lost your entire town, but all of us have, too! Violence isn't always the answer. Harsh action isn't always the sole method of communication!" She turned her head away in shame. "I can't believe I worshiped you as my hero, Jet. I see you for what you truly are - a bitter man consumed by the hatred of revenge."
"I'm not consumed by revenge! Trust me, there's no way I'd even be thinking of doing this unless there was something we could get out of it. We're ridding the area of Fire Nation influence?"
"But at what cost?" Smellerbee softened her gaze at the hurt Jet. "I know we have to make sacrifices. I know we have to lose some to gain some sometimes. But there is a line, Jet, that we shouldn't cross. And this is beyond the border."
Jet sank back to the wooden floor, eyes downcast in defeat. "But we swore that we would fight for our nation. How are we going to be able to do this without sacrifice?"
Zuko's eyes shot up. "Maybe... maybe that's it!" he shouted elatedly. Smellerbee and Jet looked at him oddly. The gears in his mind were whirring, and had suddenly clicked into something distinguishable, for the first time in his muddled life. "Jet, why not just lure the Fire Nation troops out of the town, and then call your Freedom Fighters to ambush them?"
Jet shook his head. "There will be investigations when communication lines suddenly go silent. We've be sniffed out, rooted out, flushed out, and summarily executed before we could say 'Pipsqueak and The Duke.' We've thought about this long and hard, Lee, and it just wouldn't work."
Zuko shook his head fervently. "That's not it. Then, after defeating the soldiers, you evacuate the town, and set off the dam. Tell the villagers to leave everything behind. Set off the dam, and the town will be destroyed - along with any evidence of our doings. Sure, things will still be sacrificed, but Earth Kingdom people won't have to die. And the best part is, without any leads, the Fire Nation will be forced to not waste its resources on finding out what really happened, and you guys will still be able to do your thing. And they could just be relocated to Ba Sing Se. It's much safer there anyways - and most importantly, there's no way the Fire Nation can get within at all."
As Zuko spoke, grins began to form on the other's faces, and they gradually grew as Zuko went on about his idea. When he finished with his proposition, Zuko swore that if they smiled any more, their heads would be split in two.
Jet took out one of his hook swords and playfully tapped Zuko's shoulders. "I-" tap on one shoulder. "Dub-" tap on the other shoulder "Thee-" another tap. "Our-" one last tap. "Residential strategist," Jet finished with a genuine smile.
Zuko blushed. "Yeah, to be honest, I'm also kind of surprised I came up with that. I mean -" he shut his mouth closed as he realized he had almost slipped up and mentioned his sister. No. That was the last thing he needed at the moment, especially when he had just given these Freedom Fighters such good tactical advice. They would think he was double-crossing him, and he would end up as sliced cheese on the forest floor.
"You mean what?" Jet asked with an eyebrow on his face.
Zuko frantically fished around for an idea in the deep yet empty recesses of his mind. "Um... I mean... I wasn't exactly the brightest back at my home," Zuko admitted.
Jet shrugged. "Bright or not, I can't believe I didn't think of that. Good thinking, Lee!" Jet rubbed his chin as he formulated a plan. "First, we're going to have a few people try to bait and lure the Fire Nation soldiers away from the village, in the opposite direction of our homes. We'll leave Smellerbee and Sneers behind to deal with anyone left behind as a lookout. And then once we get them lost, we attack, and after we've dispatched them, we'll talk to the people of the village and get them to evacuate! Except..." Jet frowned. "How exactly are we going to make them get with the plan?"
"It's not like they'd have any choice in the matter," Smellerbee pointed out. "If they stayed, they would be labeled as the offenders, and who knows what punishment the Fire Nation will cook up for them. And besides, everyone's heard of the grand tales of Ba Sing Se, how even the great General Iroh was unable to penetrate its walls -"
"Inner wall." They turned to look at Zuko. He coughed. "The one thing I remember. Iroh actually managed to break through the first wall after five-hundred and ninety-nine days of besieging Ba Sing Se, but after learning that his son died, he immediately withdrew his troops in grief and returned home in disgrace."
Jet squinted. "Don't believe everything you learn. The Fire Nation has no compassion, never forget that, Lee. I don't think they even care for their own children. Sometimes I wonder if they're even human themselves," Jet muttered under his breath. He brightened. "But at least we have a viable pan for removing Fire Nation influence from the area and protecting the villager's lives, if not livelihood." Jet grinned. "I say we put this plan into action tomorrow. Call a meeting, Bee. We're starting preparations today." A collective sigh of relief rippled throughout the table at this resolution to a long-standing crisis.
"Yessir!" Smellerbee chirped. She playfully pushed Jet."See? We didn't have to kill our own people! I told you there was another way to drive out those ashmakers!"
Jet sheepishly rubbed his shoulder. "Well... it wasn't like you were the one who came up with the idea that could do it," he said deviously.
And with that, they set off, hope blooming within their hearts. Except for Zuko, who was still feeling sick over the animosity shown towards the Fire Nation.
How long until they find me out?...
Gaipan Village. Such a disgustingly pathetic lowlife settlement. If it weren't for the Freedom Fighters that populated the forest around the village, even Azula herself would write this village off as useless and insignificant. And she never left a clod of dirt unturned.
She winced as she remembered at her failure earlier today - she was displaying her lightning bending to her teachers Lo and Li, fully intending to have mastered the technique today. She had went through the motions multiple times, trying to memorize the feelings of her muscles tensing and relaxing with her movements, power tingling through her fingertips. Electricity began to course through her hands as she circled one arm around, spiraling and enlarging it to encompass her entire body. As she brought that arm overhead, she brought her other arm up, joined her arms, and then sent lightning slicing through the air.
All this effort and care put into her training, and yet she received the exact same response she had been receiving for the past several months.
"Almost perfect."
"Just one hair out of place."
Shameful though it was to admit, this had developed into a sort of weekly routine between the Fire Nation Princess and her mentors. Every week she would diligently practice everything she knew - which was practically everything - and all her hard effort would culminate in another failed assessment of lightning bending. Azula had cried about it for several days the first time, the first time her crafted mask of apathy had crumbled - and then after that, she experienced the disappointment so many times that she had become numb. Well, at least more so than her old apathetic self.
She marched to one of the seedy-looking guards that patrolled the little outpost. "Take me to your commander."
The guard paled and shook. "Y-yes, Princess," he stuttered, too much in shock and fear to give Azula her proper greeting. But no matter. In fact, less time with formal frivolities meant less time until she brought her brother down.
She was quickly directed to the captain's quarters. The captain - Captain Ling - was seated before his desk, head buried in sheaves of paper. His hands moved up and down a piece of paper, feather pen inking out what was likely a message for the Fire Lord due to the seal on his desk. He had shown much promise during his training, and had proved his valor countless times on Agni's lands. And yet, apparently the threat of these insurectors proved paramount in priority over trying to raze a path to Ba Sing Se. She sighed in pity and disgust. Such a waste of a man with such potential. Instead of leading the armies to the walls of Ba Sing Sei, the captain was relegated to being a mere head of this quaint outpost, far from the real action taking place. Although he was one of the best tacticians in the Fire Nation Army, and had won many a bleak battle, of all the decisions her father had made, this was the greatest disappointment and failure. And yet, it was necessary to keep an eye on the backlines of the Fire Nation Army, as the Freedom Fighters had proven time and time again that despite their small numbers, they proved a substantial threat to Fire Nation expansion. These rebels were taking away valuable personnel that had the potential to be catalysts for Fire Nation victory, and even then still proved to be a persistent thorn in the Fire Nation's side. Just another reason for her to order the destructive action she had been itching to elicit...
"How difficult would it be to burn a forest down?"
Ling looked up, startled, jerking his arm and sending his inkpot's contents splattering onto the earthen floor. "Who? What?" he yelped, and then his eyes widened, and he got up so quickly that he tipped his chair over. "Your Highness, my deepest apologies -"
Azula waved a dismissive hand. "I gave no warning. You are forgiven."
Color returned to Ling's cheeks. "I must still apologize for the unseemliness of this place. Without incentive, habits fade to nothingness, with nothing to call it back. As you can see -" he sheepishly gestured towards the mess he had left behind. "- I am not quite the immaculate commander I was in the days of yore." His eyes suddenly furrowed in confusion. "Now I believed you asked me a question. It would be a bit of a slow start, but I think that, even despite the vastness of this forest, I believe we would be able to burn all of it to the ground within two or three days. Why do you ask?"
Azula nodded slowly. "Do it."
Ling became white once more. "But Your Highness, with all due respect, think of the destruction that will cause and the unbalance it will bring! I know that we are supposed to conquer the world, but if we don't leave anything behind to rule over, then all of our sufferings have been for naught!"
"And if we don't do it, then valuable resources shall be wasted on maintaining worthless positions, and the war will be prolonged and maybe even lost," Azula calmly parried. "If we burn this forest to the ground, we will be able to redirect valuable personnel to more crucial operations where they're needed more."
Ling blushed. "You flatter me too much."
"Flattery that is not undeserved." Azula said, walking up to the Captain. "I have always been at a loss why you've been demoted to such a place like this." She wrinkled her nose at the undescript humble tent Ling lived in, a foldable desk for portability, a sleeping bag for rest. There wasn't even a placeholder for a proper light. "You were always one of the Fire Lord's most prized personnel, and despite all that has changed since you were assigned this demeaning position, you are more fit to lead our troops to imminent victory than to stake out in this village and wait out the war while others steal the glory that is rightfully yours."
Virtuous though Captain Ling was, Azula's incessant flatter had gotten to the officer's head. "Well, if you do insist..." he said.
"Well, it's either that or let me do the burning. And the Crown Princess is not supposed to do the dirty work. If I do, you might find the short remaining seconds of your life... rather unimaginable."
The Captain blanched at the unveiled threat. "Very well. I will summon my company's benders to carry out your bidding."
Suddenly, a loud boom was heard in the distance, and shouting was heard. The clash of steel rang out harshly, and screams of pain began to ululate in the air. Azula and Ling glanced at each other, stunned at what they had just heard.
A soldier suddenly came bursting through the door, covered head to toe in black soot. "Fighters... explosion... fighting... chasing them... revealed themselves..." and the soldier spewed blood as he crumpled to the ground, unconscious or worse.
After they recovered from their shock, Azula turned to face the captain. "Gather all your men. Send them all out after those gnats. Today is the day where the iron fist of the Fire Nation is felt on Earth Kingdom soil!"
"But Your Highness -"
"Trust me, I have my reasons for knowing there is no need to leave any soldier behind," Azula said, leaving the tent. She paused. "Except maybe that dead one on the floor." She started running, and the pain of exertion helped her regain her focus on the situation at hand.
Never before had she been so caught off guard like this. If this was what happened to her, no wonder the Freedom Fighters had been able to harass the Fire Nation with so much success. Inwardly, she cursed herself for her failure. How could she had let herself be so unruffled and unprepared. She grimaced. She wouldn't allow this to happen again, not ever.
Although considering what was about to happen, she wouldn't need to worry about it. Such an explosion was clearly a distraction, meant to send soldiers to the source. Circumstantial evidence pointed to the fact that the company should be split in two - one half to watch over the town for anything suspicious, the other to sniff out the source. But Azula had thoroughly studied maps of the Earth Kingdom back in the palace, and had memorized them down to every insignificant shack on the ground. There was a dam nearby, and it didn't take a prodigy like her to figure out that with the explosion heard earlier, the Freedom Fighters were likely planning on blowing the dam with firepower - firepower they clearly possessed in excess, as otherwise they wouldn't be using it so liberally. The only question was how they would redirect it - as Azula was certain even savages wouldn't sacrifice their own just for petty strikes back at the superior nation. But no matter. Couple this with the fact that Zuko had been spotted traveling in this direction, and it didn't take much to realize that this sudden action was provoked by the arrival of her traitorous old brother. She smiled evilly, compacting the pain from her running and her misery internally and imagined inflicting it on her brother.
Time to show once and for all who the worthier sibling was.
Zuko's heart was racing with the exhilaration and thrill of the imminent battle.
A few charges had been set off near some unlucky patrols on pickett duty - he could still hear their primal screams of pain and fear. Pipsqueak and Longshot had led the remaining soldiers on a wild goose chase, and Smellerbee and Sneers had returned to report that nothing had been held back in trying to track them down.
Although they were slightly confused as to why all their enemies' energies were devoted away from the village they were supposed to oversee, they decided not to wonder too much on it, and get prepared for battle. It was going to be an immense battle; there were dozens of men assigned to this outpost, and the Freedom Fighters knew that even with the surprise on their side, they were going to be in for a huge fight.
Everyone was still and silent as they waited for their targets to arrive. Blades at the ready, arrows nocked to the cheeks, everyone positioned in place, the stillness of the place grated on the party's nerves as they readied themselves mentally for the ambush to come. Zuko was standing on a tree branch, next to Jet. Both boys had their swords drawn, and they looked at each other briefly, nodded, and returned their attention to the floor below. They were to be the ones to initiate the attack, to disorient the enemy and turn the ambush into a rout. Zuko gripped his swords tightly, knowing that one wrong move could end up costing his life no matter the outcome of the battle.
Pipsqueak and Longshot burst through the bushes. Zuko nearly slipped from his tree branch. After everyone calmed down again, the two boys nodded their heads to signal that the soldiers were near, and took their positions - Longshot up in a branch with his bow and arrow, Pipsqueak behind some bushes with his trusty log - and they stiffened, knowing the battle for the village was about to come soon.
What happened next was something no one expected to happen.
The soldiers came walking into the clearing the Fighters had chosen for their attack. But they were in formation, shields out, spears leveled at the hiding places of the Freedom Fighters. Jet tensed, as did Zuko. They weren't supposed to be like that. They were supposed to be cocky, charging recklessly to their dooms. What had happened? Zuko felt his blood chill. But no matter. It was now or never. He leapt off the tree alongside Jet, and with wild cries, they landed on top of the warriors -
To be pushed back by a wall of blue flame that forced them up against the trees.
Blue flame...
Blue flame...
Only one person could bend blue fire. And Zuko started shaking in absolute fear, knowing that luck had once again blown up majestically in his face. The prodigy sister had come... and the burned prince was about to go.
Azula casually walked from behind the soldiers who had regrouped and reformed their lines. "Hello, dear brother. Fancy meeting you here like the traitor you are."
Azula relished the stunned silence that emanated from the savage fighters. A boy about her brother's age dropped his hooked swords in surprise and choked out, "Brother?" She could sense the eyes of every other person present trained on her and her brother. She grinned. It was always a pleasure to take her blundering brother down any time she could, but this victory was especially sweet, as she let herself feel a twinge of satisfaction at Zuko's look of utter defeat and the surprise and hurt plastered on the faces of the Earth Kingdom rebels.
Azula lazily studied her fingernails, knowing she was in control of every single piece on the board of the game they played. "Oh, so you haven't told them, Zuzu?" She saw the flicker of annoyance passing through Zuko's eyes at the mention of his pet name, but it quickly dissipated into nothingness as her brother was once again hit by the gravity of the situation he had gotten stuck in. How fitting, to be stuck in figurative quicksand after helping Earth Kingdom people.
"What are you doing here?" Zuko bit out, hatred directed in his glare at her. If looks could kill, Azula would be a smarting pile of ashes on the forest floor. But then again, looks couldn't kill, and neither could awkward Zuko. Besides, even if they could kill, Azula would have smited Zuko with her own baleful gaze years ago.
But back to the present. Zuko looked like a cornered animal, Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom alike glaring at the boy who had betrayed them both. Impressively, Zuko didn't start cowering and getting on his knees begging for mercy, instead fixing his eyes coldly on Azula. Azula smiled and said, "Don't worry, dear brother. It's nothing personal. It's just that you've been labeled a traitor by the Fire Nation, and that I've been named successor to the throne, and that dear Father has ordered your death."
Zuko barked out a laugh. "Is that really a surprise? He thinks of me as no more than dirt in the ground. Even less than that. No father in his right mind would burn his own son."
Azula tutted. "Brother, what has Uncle done to you? Father cared about you! Yes, he's done some questionable acts, but it's pained him to have to do such things to you, burning you and exiling you, but he did it for your own good! He wanted you to learn from your dumb mistakes, and come back with your honor restored!"
Zuko snorted. "I believe that as much as I believe you've came here to confess that you love tea. He had no qualms about killing me when I was eleven! He reveled in trying to duel a thirteen year old, and didn't hesitate to permanently scar me for life when I tried to apologize to him! And then he sends me on a wild goose chase to find the Avatar. Three long years of wallowing in my misery and internally debating on whether to take that shot of whiskey that the sailors always down and end up in jail for. Yes, Uncle's got to me in the three years I've been banished from home, and let me tell you something, 'Zula. I'm not a pawn in Ozai's games anymore. I'm in control of my own actions, my own life, my own destiny. Uncle's gotten to me about that, and you know what? I'm proud that I finally listened to him, and happy that he saw me change for the better before you all blew him to bits. I'll fight you here right now," Zuko said, brandishing his swords. "And I will take you down."
Azula merely yawned and walked right up to Zuko. "Is that so, Zuzu? I do believe you would have a terrifically difficult time doing that. Look around you, dum dum -" she spread her hands around to the wrathful looks Zuko had attracted from Fire Nation soldiers and Freedom Fighters alike. "Who's with you now? You're a traitor to your own nation. No one on my side will help you. And you're also from the Fire Nation, meaning that even these savages look down upon you as though you're no more than filth. And for that, no one here supports you. Just surrender quietly so I can kill you and be done with you." Azula grinned triumphantly, knowing that her brother would not be able to fight her in any way.
"Can I ask you one question?"
Azula smirked. "Sure, Zuzu. It's not like you'll be able to change anything."
"Who am I turning my back to?"
She blinked, utterly confused at what Zuko was trying to get at. "Pardon?"
"Which side am I facing away from?"
"The... the Earth Kingdom side?"
"Exactly, Azula." She saw his eyes, and her blood turned cold. Instead of the fear and uncertainty she had been accustomed to seeing in her failure of a brother's eyes, she saw something completely foreign and alien in them, and it shook her to the core. "I could have chosen any side to be on. I could have chosen to just hide until the war was over. I could have tried to rejoin the Fire Nation. I even could have tried to cause destruction in the name of the Fire Nation. But you know what I chose?" Zuko said, inching closer and closer to Azula. "I chose the Earth Kingdom's side. The side of the innocent people who are trying to live their lives. The side of the people who have been oppressed by the tyranny of our people for the last one hundred years. The side of the people who shun me and loathe me with all their might, because you know what, Azula?" he said, their noses almost touching. Azula felt fear for the first time in her life. "I choose the right side. It doesn't matter if no one accepts me for who I am, because I know who I am, and who I want to be. And no matter what happens to me - no matter what happens in the end - at least I didn't screw up one thing in my life, and I."
Azula frantically pointed at the Earth Kingdom people. This wasn't how this was supposed to go. She was supposed to whittle her brother down with her elegantly crafted semantics, and then physically strike him down when he was mentally at his weakest. "But the people you're trying to help don't even trust you. They don't believe in you. They'd strike you down without a second thought."
Zuko's eyes glinted. "Because they have good reason to - and yet they still haven't carried it out. You had absolutely no reason to do it - and yet you did. I might not know who these people are, but I do know you are all monsters who only care for your own selves. And I will do anything to take you down. I know which side I choose, and I know that I've finally found the good within me, and the destiny I must take to reform my nation." Zuko then said two words that gave a strange thrill but also a sense of dread in Azula's heart.
"Agni Kai. The final fight we've been waiting for."
Zuko couldn't believe he was doing this again. But he had no choice. It was a desperate gambit, a prayer to the heavens and the Spirit of Luck who completely ignored him at all times. But it was his best chance. It was his only chance for Agni's Sake. Luck had better not decide to blow up in his face again.
He didn't need to see the angered looks in the Freedom Fighters' eyes to know that he was irrevocably hated, and would never be trusted again. But then again, that was to be expected, ever since he heard their relentless tirades and curses against the Fire Nation. He was dead no matter the outcome of this Agni Kai. Either he died to Azula, he died to the Freedom Fighters, or he died to the Fire Nation soldiers. It was a lose-lose situation any way he looked at it.
But he was okay with that. He just needed to teach one last lesson to his sister; righteousness tended to give powers one otherwise could only dream about. He knew he had the power to take down his sister now; the only question was whether he'd be able to harness that power effectively enough.
This time, instead of a gon, the clashing sound of swords meeting each other in midair signaled the start of the firebending duel. Immediately Azula went on the offensive, shooting flames so hot and intense they burned the barren forest floor. Zuko calmly dispelled the flames, and as they dissipated into nothingness he could see Azula's stunned face. He grinned. One minor victory in a long string of disappointments. Clearly, his rediscovery of his identity and his firebending had achieved wonders he could only have dreamed of long before. The prodigy had finally burned out. And now it was Zuko's turn to shine. He created two fire whips, and, try though she might, she had immense difficulty in fending off the fiery onslaught of lashes.
Back and forth, they attacked and counterattacked, struck and parried, charged and evaded, creating an elaborate dance of both destructive and nurturing flame. For although Zuko was clearly the more powerful duelist, Azula was the more knowledgable, more precise, more graceful dueler, and as the battle raged on, brother and sister were locked in a stalemate, unable to cause anything more than minor scratches and burns to each other. The area around them sizzled with the intensity of their heat, and everyone present took a cautious step back when the flames became too intense to bear.
The battle raged for what seemed like an eternity, and yet there was still no clear winner. There was only one thing that was slowly turning out to be the deciding factor in their fight.
Zuko was tiring. And Azula was not.
Slowly, ever so slowly, Zuko's fire started to dim, the large exertions on his mind and body not fully worn off in the one day he had spent in food and shelter. His limbs were starting to shake and throw off his firebending, and all the meanwhile, Azula was keeping her poise and her speed and her strength. Finally, completely exhausted and spent, he lunged pitifully towards Azula, fist out to punch, when he lost his balance and fell to the ground, his hand instead bracing him for the impact.
He glared up at his sister, who walked lazily towards him. "And that, brother," she said. "Is why I am destined to be Fire Lord, and you -" Azula's hand flared up. "Are to be rooted out and mercilessly killed. You always were the inferior one of us; always behind, always slow, never beloved or worthy of affection nor pride. I'm ashamed to have ever been related to you, and saddened that you have turned traitor to you own kin, and decided to team up with these rabble-rousers in a futile attempt to take our nation down. You see these people?" Azula taunted. "None of them will support you. Even in your time of need, they wouldn't save you. Because they hate you. And even taking that out of consideration, you wouldn't be saved anyways, because these rubble brains are stupid cowards who don't deserve to live in this world, especially compared to the fiery Aryan blood that courses through our veins. And now, nothing is holding us back. Now -" the flames sped towards Zuko's head. "You die"
Through his utter exhaustion, Zuko noticed through his dimmed eyes that even though he had lost, he had finally managed to instill fear and respect into his sister, for the first time in his life. He frantically tried to roll himself around to escape his sister's attack, and heard a screech behind him as the flames missed him by a hair's breath. His last thoughts before everything faded to black was the registering of the clash of steel and the shouts of people fighting...
The sun was shining directly into his eyes. He groaned and sat up painfully. He looked down at his body to see bandages scattered all over, covering what appeared to be angry wounds. He blinked in confusion.
Wasn't he... dead?
As he began to become more aware of his surroundings, he realized he was back in the Freedom Fighter's treehouse, lying on the floor, several salves and healing ointments next to him.
Jet walked in. "You're awake." he stated coldly. "We finally started fighting once we saw you down. Took down the Fire Nation garrison, and carried you here."
Zuko nodded. "You... you saved me?"
Jet nodded. "But you're leaving. Now."
Zuko nodded once more, and began to desperately flail around for his items. Jet handed them to him without any hesitation. "Swords. Bag of things to keep you alive."
Zuko furrowed his eyebrow. "Why?"
Jet sighed. "You know, I made a vow to kill every Fire Nation person I met, because I was convinced there wasn't anything good left in you guys. But then, I saw you out there, denouncing the evil of your nation, not caring that we hated you with all the fiber of our being... it made us think. We definitely weren't wrong, but maybe... we weren't quite completely right. Maybe not all people from the Fire Nation are completely bad at heart." His eyes narrowed. "I still hate each and every one of you, though. But it looks like we'll be heading our separate paths now, anyways, so it doesn't really matter for the meantime..."
Zuko blinked. "Come again? You're leaving your home?"
"Our forest was burned down. While we were busy fighting to defend you and take out the other soldiers, your sister torched the forest, and by the time we could do something about it, it was too late. Right now, we're on the ground. We salvaged what we could from our places, destroyed the town, and now... we're all headed to Ba Sing Se."
Zuko stepped out from his shelter, and was confronted by a sea of people, villagers mixed in with the Freedom Fighters. He saw mothers carrying their babies, children carrying physical burdens and supplies they weren't supposed to experience, elderly people hunched over, supported by family and friends. Despite the many emotions shown on their faces - hate, fear, doubt - they all had looks of grim determination on them. Zuko admired them for that. Maybe in the future, knowing the resilience of the Earth Kingdom people would come in handy...
Jet came out behind him and raised his hand. "Today, we won a costly victory against the Fire Nation. The victory was large, but so were the costs." Jet lowered his face. "We lost everything, because the Fire Nation took it away from us. But we have something to reconsider." He glanced at Zuko, and then back at the crowd. "We always thought no one from the Fire Nation possessed any good in them. We thought they all had to be killed, removed, eliminated. But this kid right here -" Jet gestured towards the burned prince. "Risked his life and limb countless times for us, despite our animosity displayed towards his people, even though it wasn't necessarily directed at him. And for that..." Jet nodded to Zuko. "We thank you, Fire Prince Zuko, for helping out the ones who need it the most."
The villagers all bowed down grudgingly to Zuko, but the burned prince was still worried about something else.
"What happened with Azula?" he asked. He had a feeling he already knew the answer, but wanted to be sure.
Jet sighed. "We tried to chase her down, but she got a cheap shot on Sneers. He's just about recovered, but she used that as a distraction to get away. No one else escaped." Jet shook his head. "But don't let our praise and gratitude get to your head. I still haven't forgotten what your nation has done to mine." His face hardened. "I give you ten minutes to get everything ready and leave. Maybe in a different time and place we could be close friends. But now, you're my bitterest enemy. The only reason you're left alive is because we all owe you a debt, and I always repay favors. If you aren't out of this forest that burned down because of you, we will hunt you down and make your life miserable. Got it?"
Zuko wasted no time in sprinting away from the people he had both saved and doomed. He wondered how they would fare on their journey, and wondered what would happen next. He was glad that he was still in one piece - if not completely intact - and was relieved that this entire ordeal was over.
And yet, he missed their company already. He sighed. If only he wasn't who he was, things might have turned out differently. Maybe he would be able to join them, or maybe even lead them, in their crusade against their oppressors. If he didn't have a sister, if only, if only... tears stung his eyes as he realized that he would always be an outcast, rejected by everyone. He had never felt so alone in his life, and selfishly wished for the company of Aang and Sokka...
And then he realized something. It wasn't what had happened to him that mattered. It was how he responded that did. He was burned and shunned by everyone, and yet, when the world needed him the most, he finally came to the realization he needed to learn. He had done the right thing. And that was what mattered.
And with that encouraging thought, he carried on, walking to the unknown, knowing that, no matter what, nothing would keep him from his destiny.
Please Review. Sorry for the long break; I've been super tired lately. I won't be writing this for the next one or two weeks because Kataang Week is literally in one day, and I want to write the prompts day-by-day. I don't ever revise my writing unless it's called for, so everything you see is unaltered (kind of obvious what with my slip ups and plot rushing). I just wish I'd have been able to update daily; it's going to be impossible to write once the fall starts...
