Chapter 7

Hail the Fire Lord

A/N: I just want to thank everyone who has followed/favourited/and reviewed to this story. Your added support has inspired me to write a bit quicker then expected and now this chapter has come in several hours early. However, in this chapter I want to address two things right away. One there are two lines which are written in caps. I did this to accentuate just how loud and fierce the characters are being at that moment. I know caps isn't something a lot of people like seeing and I agree it can get annoying when used all the time for shouting in a story. However when used at the right times for the right reasons I believe it can add to the story. I also want to point out that for the first time in this chapter I will be leaving Maddi's point of view for a couple of pages. This is important to the story as this second characters point of view needs to be seen to fully understand the full effect of Maddi's words here. I hope that clears everything that could cause potential issues here. To make it perfectly clear which part of this chapter belongs to who you will see a name in both italics and underlined. Like this: Maddison. Thank you and I hope that clears everything up.

Princess Kassie Out.


I leaned in close, startling Zuko. He brought his wrist up to his face, expecting another attack when I whispered, just loud enough for him to hear.
"Long live Fire Lord Zuko."

Zuko's reaction was priceless. He froze for a second, just staring at me in shock. I quickly spun and took off through the crowd of warriors, giving plenty of space between myself and the prince. I wasn't exactly sure what his reaction would be but I didn't want to risk being injured. Besides, I needed him to follow me.

I pushed my way through the Kyoshi warriors who mostly ignored me. Zuko on the other hand kept being stopped by attacking warriors, one of whom I was sure was Sokka. I slipped behind a house and waited. Four seconds later Zuko, without his rhino came charging after me. Both hands alight with fire. I instinctively ducked, slapping my hands to the ground as a bolt of the flames shot over my head.

"What did you do that for?" I shouted, I had figured that he might be angry but this was beyond what I had assumed.

"You dare mock me?" Zuko bellowed back, smoke pouring from his nose and mouth. I blinked then sat up, and looked at him. Zuko thought I had been mocking him. Well now I understood why he was so angry.

"I'm not making fun of you," I pointed out, standing, "You are the next fire lord."

"I'm banished," Zuko snarled, "I won't become Fire Lord unless I capture the avatar." I eyed his position. He was tense, body ridged. He was prepared to start fighting. Then again, so was I. Neither of us really trusted the other.

"That's one of your options," I admitted, "the other is showing your people that you fight for them, show them that you would a better leader then Ozai is then overthrow him."

"Blasphemy." Zuko snarled, his hands lighting up again. Fury built up inside me as a hundred faces assaulted my memory. Faces of those I knew and those who I had yet to met. Katara and Sokka who lost their mother, forcing Katara to replace her and become a mother to her elder brother. Aang who had lost everything because of the fire nation. The children of the water tribe, so young but having to learn how to defend themselves so they could simply survive. Sura, my water tribe companion who had panicked at the sight of a fire nation flare, Sura, whose full pain I would never know. Then came characters I had yet to meet. Teo who lost his mother and ability to walk then nearly his home because of the fire nation. Bato who had been burned so badly that his family had to leave him behind for at least a week. Haru who's father was locked away by the fire nation until he had no hope left. Iroh, crying over the makeshift memorial of Lu-Ten in Ba-Sing-Se. Zuko. What sort of father could do that to his own son?

"Blasphemy?" I snarled, pulling myself to my full height. I was shorter then Zuko by a inch or two but at that moment I didn't care. I looked at him straight on, gold eyes to brown.

"Blasphemy?" I repeated again. "Is it blasphemy to want a cruel dictator taken off the throne? Do you even know how much pain your so called father has inflicted? Because of him families have been torn apart, lives ripped to shreds. He has left children to become old men and women in young bodies. Some of those children will never see their parents again. And he hasn't just left the earth kingdom that way. Look at what he's done to his country. Heck, look at what he has done to his own family." That was a wrong step on my side. Zuko completely caught fire, it flickered and burned up his arms and almost to his shoulders.
"MY FATHER DID WHAT HE HAD TO BECAUSE I NEEDED A LESSON."

"YOUR FATHER BURNED YOU BECAUSE BECAUSE YOUR ARE TEN TIMES THE MAN HE EVER COULD DREAM OF BEING." I bellowed back, my voice unusually high. Zuko reeled like he had been shot, eyes wide.

"You are a kind, compassionate person Zuko." I said softly, "your father saw that and recognized it as a threat. You would have stopped the entire war once you understood what was going on. You have the heart to be a good leader, one your people would love. If your father had let you stay and remain the way you were then his own people would rise up against him and give you the crown. Besides Iroh, you are the only one in the royal family deserving of the peoples love." Zuko stared at me, mouth slack. He didn't seem to know what to say. We were silent for a long time. Finally Zuko croaked out, his voice suddenly hoarse.

"How… what… who are you?" I laughed gently and replied.

"I'm a girl who looks earth kingdom, adopted into the water tribe, with the soul of an air nomad. I suppose you can say I am a girl of all nations." I shrugged and allowed myself to relax . Zuko didn't, instead he suddenly stood erect and looked at me with huge eyes.

"What?" I asked, confused. Why was he looking at me like that? He looked like he had seen a ghost.

"Nothing," he replied, a little too quickly. He looked so lost all of a sudden, like his armour was to big for him. I paused then looked back to the village. I could smell smoke. Stiffening I looked at Zuko.

"Your men are burning down the village. I need to go, my friends are probably leaving soon anyways. If you want, call for the avatar. Aang will fight you and you can keep on this wild goose chase or… I'll leave that to you. Still if you change your mind, you know where I'll be." I turned to leave when Zuko asked for something I never expected from him.

"What's your name?"

"Madison, Maddi for short. My water tribe name is Palartok. Pala for short."


Zuko

"Long Live Fire Lord Zuko." I stared at the strange girl. She was the same one who had thrown snow at my face back at the South Pole. I would recognize the peasant anywhere and once again she was mocking me. I felt my internal fire ignite, adding to my anger. The peasant girl sprinted away, adding salt to the wound. She was a coward, unwilling to even face the one she insulted. I snarled and began pushing my way through the group of little girls. The rhino was taking to long, at this rate I'd lose her. I jumped off pushing through the crowd, occasionally shooting a blast of fire at the girls in green. I felt my frustration spike as another girl attacked me. With a cry of rage I pushed her backwards into a house. She slammed against the wall with a resounding crack, her green and gold headpiece falling off. There was a shout of anger and other girl in green, this one with a vaguely similar hairstyle charged up to me. I knocked her aside, ignoring her panicked cries.

I followed the peasant behind a row of wooden houses. There she turned and looked at me. I shot my fist out, sending an intense stream of fire at her head. She would pay for insulting me. She dropped to the ground, the blaze missing her. Then she looked up, her dark eyes blazing.

"What did you do that for?" She shouted.

"You dare mock me?" I shouted back. I didn't care about whether or not she got injured. Her words were not going to be tolerated. She was throwing my banishment back in my face, mocking me. "I'm not making fun of you," she replied pulling herself up from the ground. "You are the next fire lord." How could she say something like that? Was she stupid? How would I, a banished prince with no honour ever become fire lord. It wouldn't happen, not without the avatar in chains on my boat.

"I'm banished, I won't become Fire Lord unless I capture the avatar." I glared at her. She didn't react to my look. Instead she seemed to be assessing me, looking for my week points perhaps. Good luck. I snorted. She looked up to met my eyes. She seemed to have calmed down somewhat.

"That's one of your options," she replied. One of my options, it was my only option. Zhao's words echoed in my head, 'you're just a banished prince. Your own father doesn't even want you.'

"The other," she continued catching my attention, "is showing your people that you fight for them, show them that you would be a better leader then Ozai, then overthrow him." I froze. She was suggesting I overthrow my father, did she know what she was saying? No one in the fire nation would ever accept my rule if I overthrew my father. I would be assassinated before I could even accept the crown.

"Blasphemy." I snarled. How could I overthrow my father. He had done what he had to. Punish his only son so that he could learn from his mistake. My father was all powerful in the fire nation, no one would ever challenge his word there. It was exactly what I had said, blasphemy. My hands caught on fire. I needed to show this ignorant peasant that she knew nothing of Agni and her people.

Blasphemy?" she snarled, lips curling over her teeth like some feral animal pulling herself to her full height. If she was attempting to intimidate me she was failing. She looked at me straight on, dark brown eyes meting my gold ones.

"Blasphemy?" She repeated again before starting in on me, taking several steps forward unconsciously.

"Is it blasphemy to want a cruel dictator taken off the throne? Do you even know how much pain your so called father has inflicted? Because of him, families have been torn apart, lives ripped to shreds." She threw her arm out, as if gesturing to the entire island we were standing upon.

"He has left children to become old men and women in young bodies. Some of those children will never see their parents again. And he hasn't just left the earth kingdom that way. Look at what he's done to his country. Heck, look at what he has done to his own family." Look what he has done to his own family. This girl knew something, something about the royal family that no one else but nobles knew. But she was wrong. My father had done nothing to hurt his country, he loved the fire nation.

"MY FATHER DID WHAT HE HAD TO BECAUSE I NEEDED TO LEARN A LESSON."

"YOUR FATHER BURNED YOU BECAUSE BECAUSE YOUR ARE TEN TIMES THE MAN HE EVER COULD DREAM OF BEING." I reeled back, stunned. This strange girl, this nobody of a peasant not only knew it was my father who burned me, but also believed that I was better then him. Her voice rang in my ears. Ten times the man he ever could dream of being. Ten times the man he ever could dream of being.

I was snapped out of my train of thought by her once again. This time her voice soft and low.

"You are a kind, compassionate person Zuko. your father saw that and recognized it as a threat. You would have stopped the entire war once you understood what was going on." There was no way she honestly believed that. Why did she think so highly of me. What she see that I didn't?

"You have the heart to be a good leader," she continued, "one your people would love. If your father had let you stay and remain the way you were then his own people would rise up against him and give you the crown. Besides Iroh, you are the only one in the royal family deserving of the peoples love." I had the heart of a good leader? Who was this girl? How did she know me? What did she now about me? All those questions and more swirled around my head. I needed to know.

"How… what… who are you?" I stuttered all the questions trying to escape at once, leaving my voice hoarse and giving me a large stutter.

She smiled coyly as though she knew something I didn't, which she must otherwise she wouldn't have been able to hang it over my head. Otherwise she wouldn't know me so well.

"I'm a girl who looks earth kingdom, was adopted into the water tribe, with the soul of an air nomad. I suppose you can say I am a girl of all nations." She didn't seem to care about what she was saying, shrugging her shoulders like she said that everyday. A girl of all nations. Yet… it hit me like a blot of lighting. I'm a girl who looks earth kingdom. She wasn't earth kingdom, she was adopted into the water tribe and the air benders were extinct. That only left one nation as her homeland. Fire nation.

This girl was fire nation. It was the only answer that made sense, the fact she looked like she belonged to one of the higher classes of the earth kingdom wasn't that unusual, it was exceptionally common in the colonies or in the poorer parts of my homeland. Our homeland technically.

"What?" The girl asked, looking confused. Had she not meant to give the hint or was I dong something strange? I shook myself out of my stupor.

"Nothing," I blurted, suddenly not wanting to disappoint her. She was from my homeland and she believed I would be a better Fire Lord then my father.
Part of me, a part that spoke in Azula's voice whispered that she was delusional. I ignored it. I wanted to believe that she honestly believed in me. I wasn't sure why but it felt… nice. The girl looked up and closed her eyes. I wasn't sure what she was doing until she turned back to me.

"Your men are burning down the village. I need to go, my friends are probably leaving soon anyways. If you want, call for the avatar. Aang will fight you and you can keep on this wild goose chase or… I'll leave that to you. Still if you change your mind, you know where I'll be." She turned away when it occurred to me, I didn't know something that was very important.

"What's your name?"

"Madison, Maddi for short. My water tribe name is Palartok. Pala for short." She smiled then tore off. I stayed still for a moment before hurtling back into the battle. Running to my men I searched the skies. There, the bison with the brown arrow was taking off. On its back was the familiar forms of the avatar and his water tribe peasant friend. Maddison and the water tribe boy weren't there.


Maddi

I slipped out from behind the houses. Somehow the Kyoshi warriors were holding the fire soldiers off fairly well. Could it be possible that Zuko the best trained on his ship besides Iroh? That didn't make sense but it was beginning to look that way. Than again, the Kyoshi warriors were fighting with a ferocity I had never seen from them before. I didn't have a chance to wonder why because I heard Sokka call my name.

"Pala!" I turned, a smile on my face only for it to freeze there. Sokka was crouched next to a wooden building, one of the few that wasn't burning at all. Beside him was Suki, but she wasn't kissing him, she wasn't moving at all. Her head lolled to the side, unconscious and her left leg was bent at an angle that shouldn't exist on a human body. I felt sick. Suki, sweet, kind, Suki was badly injured. I tore over to Sokka, taking a spot beside him. First things first.
"Is she breathing?" Sokka nodded, I noticed his hands were shaking as he supported her head. I worried for a moment that her neck was broken but it didn't look that way, not that I knew everything. I had gone through a basic first aid course two years ago for a refresher on my babysitting licence but I hardly remembered any of it.

"Keep her safe, I'll get a healer here." I stated before tearing off across town. I tried to remember the name of the healer here but it escaped me. Instead I shouted, calling for a healer in a panicked voice. If Suki died the story would change forever, but more importantly, If Suki died I would have lost a friend and it would have all been my fault. The healer stepped out of one of the buildings that wasn't burning and far from the fire. She came running at my call, running right past me. I didn't argue, instead following her. In my head a mantra chanted out. Don't let her die, dear God protect her please.

Both the healer, whose name I still didn't remember, and I skidded to a stop next to Suki. I was dimly aware that I had been leading the woman here but I was to focused on my friend of particularly care. Sokka was looking near hysterics as I didn't exactly feel much better. The healer ignored is both, instead gently moving over to Suki with experienced eyes. She took the girl's wrist and felt for a pulse before relaxing visibly. She then dug into her bag, pulling out a pair of rods and white cloth strips.

"You," she snapped at Sokka, "grab her leg here, firmly." Sokka did as she asked, wrapping his hands above the break. The healer then grabbed on wait her side of the break and with a sickening sound set the leg back into a normal position. Quickly the healer took both rods and wrapped the linen cloths around the rods and Suki's leg. Once that was completely wrapped up she took a small container, uncorked it and waved it under Suki's nose. The leader of the Kyoshi warriors woke slowly. She seemed a little out of it, her head lolling to the side as she nearly fell asleep again. I heard the healer cuss beside me.
"By the mother of faces." She hissed causing me to look at her. I had seen the comic The Search but I hadn't realized that people would feel free to call the names of spirits whenever they wanted.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"She's hit her head and contracted the sleeping illness." She replied tersely, "if she falls asleep she may never wake up." I started, looking at Suki in shock. A concussion. I remembered that I had gotten one as well. Sometimes it was hard to remember that the medicines and medicinal practices they had here in this world were less effective then the ones at home. Then again they didn't need to worry about super-bugs that much because they didn't have issues with people taking heavy medication for every little thing. I noticed Sokka waving the smelling salts under Suki's nose to keep her awake. Suki responded slowly, whispering something that only Sokka could hear. Sokka replied, equally as quiet. I left the two to their private conversation and instead turned to focus on the village around us. Zuko's soldiers were gone, only the crackling fire and injured Kyoshi warriors that said they had been here.

"Is Suki going to be okay?" Kai asked, looking worriedly at her leader who was still softly conversing with Sokka who suddenly seemed very bashful. Had I missed something in the short time I was observing the village? The healer told the Kyoshi warriors the same thing she told me, that Suki should be alright as long as she didn't fall asleep until this time tomorrow.

It began to rain. I jumped as the heavy downpour struck all at once drenching everyone. The droplets stung where they fell, hard and fast, like icy needles pricking our skin. While the 'rain' was nasty and smelled a bit like dead fish I noticed that the fires were going out. I grimaced when I realized the rain was getting Unagi spit. Still it did the trick and by the time the water stopped all the fires had been put out.

"Maddi!" I turned to see Aang running up to me.

"Where's Sokka? We got to go."

"He's with Suki," I quickly explained, "she was hurt in the battle pretty badly." Aang's expression went from worried, to that of a kicked puppy. I didn't have time to wonder why.

"Will she be okay?" He asked. I nodded.

"She'll be fine, now we need to go right?" Aang nodded so I turned back and called to Sokka. The water tribe warrior looked up and hurried over. Aang gestured to us and we followed him quickly to where Appa stood near the wooden statue of Kyoshi. Sokka and I clambered up along with Aang.

"Yip yip!" Aang cried and we took off. As we flew I looked over Appa's back to stare into the water. I caught myself smiling at the sight of Zuko's ship. I was sure I had started to make a difference and from now on, nothing was going to hold me back.


A/N: so let me know what you think. How do you like this chapter? What did you think of the misunderstanding between Maddi and Zuko?

I also want to address a review I got here from Kilppari since I want to explain my reasoning for Maddi/Pala calling Zuko Fire Lord. As you saw, Maddi believes that Zuko would make a better fire lord than Ozai (which everyone in this world knows well) however, as for why she didn't bring up that Roku was his great-great grandfather. I needed a strong reaction from Zuko for this chapter to work well and I don't think that telling him that his ancestor is Roku would have gotten the reaction this chapter required for it to wok. Zuko would have been curious but it wouldn't have distracted him from the avatar. He might have asked Iroh about it after, then approached Maddi but I wanted this chapter for my readers to really see the changes that are beginning to occur.

Princess Kassie Out.