Disclaimer: All rights belong to Nickelodeon, Bryan Konietzko, Michael Dante DiMartino, and all the men and women that created the A:TLA show, books, and comics. I take no credit, and I do not mean to break any copyright rules. This is simply a work of fiction made for enjoyment. No money is being made. The lyrics are from the song "The Phoenix" by Fall Out Boy
Rating: General Audiences. Warning: some scenes contain dark themes and minor violence
Author's Note: Little earlier update than usual because I'm on vacation. Kinda sad though because I'm somewhere that's known for being sunny and warm and it's rained every day so far :( But hey, it's better than working all the time!
Chapter 13 - The Rebellion
You are a brick tied to me that's dragging me down
Strike a match and I'll burn you to the ground
We are the jack-o-lanterns in July
Setting fire to the sky
Here it comes, this rising tide
"I can't believe I'm back here," Mai says, staring out at the massive expansive of Omashu in front of them.
"Don't you miss your parents?" Ty Lee asks.
Mai glances back at the girl. "Do you?"
The acrobat looks sad. "A little." She perks up. "But I still write to them sometimes to let them know I'm okay."
Mai turns back and sneers a bit at the city. "I hate the Earth Kingdom. Let's just get this over with so we can go back."
Azula pushes past them and stares at the walls. "They took down the Fire Nation banners," she remarks. "The rebellion seems to be going well for them."
"That's because they haven't met us," Zuko says. He knows how tough the Earthbenders are. He also knows how tough their small but powerful group is.
The ground suddenly shakes beneath them. In the distance, behind the walls, a plume of dust erupts in the air. Azula turns back to face the group.
"No offense, Mai, but your parents are making a complete mess of things here."
"No offense taken," the girl responds. "Let's just clean this up quickly."
"How are we going to get past the walls?" Ty Lee asks. "We can't just walk in."
"We can't?" Azula walks across the narrow bridge. Zuko follows right behind her. The other girls follow him. He has no idea what his sister has planned but he trusts her. She's the best strategist he's ever met.
She walks right up to the front gates. Earthbenders from the parapets at the top of the wall peer over.
"Who are you?" they demand. "What do you want?"
"I'm the princess," she answers. "Let me in."
The two men exchange looks and laugh. "Yeah, right," one of them says.
"You're not our princess," the other one answers.
Azula glances over at Zuko. "Let's go," she says. She thrusts her hands out behind her and jumps into the air. Fire sprays out of her fists, propelling her vertically. Zuko follows close behind.
When she reaches the top of the parapet she realizes her fire and lands in a crouched position. Zuko lands on the other side of the Earthbenders, who stand back to back and stare in shock.
Zuko sends a burst of fire towards the one facing him. The Earthbender summons a large sheet of rock to shield himself from the flames. Then he kicks it forward towards Zuko. Zuko breaks it with a kick and sends another series of fireballs his way.
A few seconds later, Zuko hears a scream as the man Azula is fighting topples over the side of the wall. A moment later, the Earthbender Zuko is fighting follows. He doesn't look down; he doesn't want to know what happened to the man.
Azula points to the wall mechanism. "Open the doors for our friends. Then meet us."
She jumps off the walls and rockets herself down. Zuko turns the large wheel until the walls are open wide enough for Mai and Ty Lee to enter. Then he follows his sister down and meets the girls at the entrance of Omashu.
"What now?" Mai asks.
"We quench the rebellion," Azula answers.
"And how do we do that?" Ty Lee asks. "There are dozens of Earthbenders and only four of us."
"We don't have to fight them all. We find the leaders. Capture them. Or kill them. I'm not particular."
"We should rescue the Fire Nation soldiers that they captured first," Zuko says. "Then they can distract the Earthbenders while we take out their leaders."
Azula turns and regards him with a cold smile. "Aw, Zuzu, you're finally growing up. Maybe you'll make a half decent Fire Lord one day after all."
He knows she's just teasing him but it hurts. She always seems to know exactly where to hit to inflict the most pain.
"So where are they being held?" Ty Lee asks. They all look at Mai.
"Ugh," she complains. "I only lived here for like a week. And it was the worst week of my life."
"Your parents might be in the prison, too," Ty Lee says gently.
"Oh, I know." Mai crosses her arms. "There was a big dungeon in the bottom of the palace. It looked like it could hold a few dozen people. It would be enough room for my parents and their guards."
"Let's go there, then," Azula instructs. "We free whoever is there. Then they can find the other Fire Nation soldiers and free them to take back the city."
Zuko looks at all the chutes and houses. The palace is at the very top of the plateau. Omashu is a messy city in his opinion. Dust and products are everywhere. Animals roam the streets. Some of the houses have boarded up windows. Rotten food and other garbage is thrown into the streets. The people of the Earth Kingdom have no regard for sanitation apparently.
He can see the Azula judging the city in the same way. She turns and exchanges a disgusted look with him.
"We are so much better than these Earth Kingdom slops," she says. "They should be thanking us for taking over. Instead they're making an even bigger mess by futilely revolting. Peasants."
Somehow, despite agreeing that the city is a mess, he doesn't feel right about the rest of her opinion.
They head towards the main palace. Zuko thinks they should sneak up to it but Azula brazenly walks up the main streets, blasting anyone who dares oppose her with fire.
"I'm the Fire Lord's daughter," she says. "I shouldn't have to slink around in dirty alleys. It's undignified. Besides, I want them to see my face and know that they're doomed."
They find about a dozen Earthbenders waiting for them at the doors of the palace. It isn't even a challenge. Azula keeps the last guard conscious long enough to tell her where the rebels are stationed and who their leaders are. Then she tosses him out of the way like the rest and blasts into the palace.
"Hope your parents weren't fond of those doors," she remarks to Mai.
"I'm sure they're less fond of their prison cell," Mai replies. "It's this way."
She takes point. They run into a few Earthbenders but she easily takes them out with her sharp throwing knives. Zuko can't help but admire her deadly aim and cold precision.
The air grows stuffier as they descend a staircase to the room underneath the palace. It begins to smell like mildew. Zuko wonders if it smells this bad wherever Katara is. Then he feels that horrible guilty feeling rise up again. He shoves it away and focuses on his task.
A group of four Earthbenders are standing guard. Mai pins them all to the wall with one flick of her wrist. As they struggle against the hold of the knives Azula and Zuko step up and melt the locks on the prison cells. Two dozen Fire Nation guards and Mai's family gratefully step out. The guards immediately tie up the Earthbenders. Mai's parents run over and hug her, gushing over how worried and scared they were. Mai shrugs them off.
"Let's go back upstairs," Azula announces. "This air is making me sick."
Ty Lee nods seriously. "It's dirtying our auras," she agrees.
Azula leads them back up to the throne room. There she briefs the Fire Nation guards on the situation and gives them instructions. After they run off, she turns to Mai's parents and gives them a stern lecture. She throws up her arms and talks to them the same way she often talks to Zuko when she's being condescending.
"Don't you think Azula is being a bit harsh on them?" Zuko asks Mai quietly.
Mai shrugs. "Their job was to take care of the city. It's a mess. They failed."
"They didn't have adequate manpower to save the city from a rebellion. Omashu is the second greatest Earth Kingdom city."
"They should have forseen the possibility of a rebellion and requested more Firebenders, then."
He remembers what she said on Ember Island about how she got whatever she wanted as long as she was the perfect silent, invisible child. Her parents had expectations for her and she had no room to learn who she truly was within those expectations so she never fully developed a vibrant personality. He understands that but he still can't see how she can act so apathetic. Her mother is literally in tears, holding tightly onto her baby. Even he feels bad and he doesn't even like her parents - not after how they treated her as a child.
Azula has that sadistic smile on her face. She's enjoying humiliated them. Just like she enjoys humiliating everyone. Zuko doesn't feel any anger towards his sister right now; he just feels sad. Her strength is all she has so he has to constantly lord it over others.
It's wrong. It's all so wrong. He feels so dirty. Earth Kingdom cities may be dirty but at least the hearts of their people are clean. The Fire Nation is the exact opposite.
When Azula returns, she acts as if nothing had happened.
"Alright, gang. We're taking control of this city ourselves, starting with the leaders of the rebellion. Mai, I want you to take out the leader of the southern sector. The guards said he had a base set up in the church with the tall steeple. That shouldn't be too hard to find. Zuko, you're going to take out the leader of the northern sector. Their base is in the main square of the lower town. Ty Lee, I want you to take out the Earthbenders who are guarding the other Firebender prisoners. Then meet up with me."
"Where are you going?" Ty Lee asks.
Azula grins. "I'm going to capture King Bumi."
"By yourself?" Zuko asks.
"What, you don't think I'm powerful enough?" She walks by him and pinches his cheek. "That's cute, coming from you. Don't worry about me, big brother."
She walks towards the palace entrance, stepping over the remains of the doors. She turns around. "Well, are you coming? We have a rebellion to put down."
She heads off in her own direction. Ty Lee leaps up onto the rooftops of an adjacent building and runs across the tiled roofs. Only Mai and Zuko are left.
"Good luck," he says.
"Thanks. But I don't need it."
He's not sure what to say to that. "See you later, then."
"Yeah."
They head off in opposite directions. Zuko goes north, jumping on the slides to take him quickly to the lower town. As he gets closer, the buildings look even more run down and dirty. This must be where the rebellion originated because he sees a lot of fighting and absolutely no Firebenders. It's not even rebellion-related activity; criminals are taking advantage of the chaos to commit their dirty crimes.
He soon realizes how much he sticks out in his Fire Nation clothing so he hops off the slide in an abandoned market place and enters an already-robbed store, snatching up an oversized Earth Kingdom robe and throwing it over his outfit. Then he grasps his swords in his hands and makes his way to the lower town center, sneaking behind buildings. Unlike his sister, he has no aversion to espionage.
When he arrives at the main square, he sees a group of overturned cabbage carts being used as tables. An Earthbender stands at the front of the table, pointing out locations on a large map. Soldiers huddle around him, nodding. Zuko hides in an alley, watching, until the soldiers run off, leaving the leader with only a couple companions.
Zuko runs out and quickly disarms the men with his swords before kicking and elbowing them into unconsciousness. Then he turns to the leader and crosses his swords at the man's neck.
"It's over," he growls. The man stares at him in fear. Zuko stabs one of his swords into the ground and throws a fireball at the map and the carts, the rebellion plans burning away. He turns back to the leader, only to see him fall to his knees and cover his head.
"Please don't kill me," he begs. "I surrender."
What? Of course Zuko's not going to kill him. He feels uneasy about the victory, but he pushes the uncomfortable feelings aside. He has a job here and he's going to complete it.
He finds some rope and binds the man's hands and feet before tying him to a porch. Fire Nation soldiers will find and arrest him later.
Zuko turns and starts heading towards where he saw the Earth Kingdom soldiers going. He has extra time so he might as well track them down.
Their tracks aren't hard to follow. Earth Kingdom men are brave and hardy but they aren't very smart. And they definitely don't think to cover their tracks when they're on the warpath. Zuko follows the footprints in the dust.
He gets distracted by a cry coming from his left. He runs through a narrow alley and emerges in a smaller square. On one side is a woman clutching her young son. On the other side are a group of drunk Earth Kingdom soldiers. A couple of them are laughing as they Earthbend rocks towards the pair, the chunks of earth missing the woman and her child by a hair.
When the woman sees Zuko she immediately calls out to him. "Help us!" she cries.
He doesn't hesitate. He steps in between the two groups, his back to the woman, and brandishes his swords in front of them.
"Leave them alone!" he demands.
"Or what?" a soldier taunts. "You'll fight us?"
His friends laughs.
"Run home, boy," another soldier calls out. "We're just having some fun."
Zuko narrows his eyes. "It's not fun for them. This is your last warning."
One of the men sends a chunk of rock flying towards him. Zuko crosses his blades and swipes in an x-shape, cutting through the rock. Another man sends a shelf of rock flying towards him. Zuko twirls to build up momentum and then kicks straight through it.
He dodges and kicks and cuts through a half dozen more attacks, but his blades are not strong enough to fend off a half dozen Earthbenders at once. After a minute a rock chunk knocks him off his feet. When he stands, another boulder hits him square in the chest and sends him flying backwards. He lands on his back next to the woman her child.
The woman kneels next to him. "Please," she begs, her eyes full of tears. "We need your help. Please get up. You're our only hope."
She reaches out her hand and pulls him to his feet. Zuko takes a deep breath. He feels heat flowing through his veins. He feels strength soak into his bones.
He is meant for so much more than stopping rebellions. He is meant to help people.
The Earth Kingdom soldiers laugh at him. "What, didn't take enough of a beating the first round? Coming back for more?"
"Yeah, who do you think you are, anyway?"
Zuko looks at the woman and her boy. They're looking up at him with wide, trustful eyes.
"Stand back," he warns them. "It's about to get hot."
They do as he says. He takes a few steps forward before stabbing his swords in the ground and facing the soldiers.
"Who do I think I am?" he asks boldly. He throws the Earth Kingdom cloak off his shoulders, revealing his armor. "I am Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation, heir to the throne. I have travelled the world, fought in Agni Kais, and captured the Avatar. I have quenched this rebellion and set the governor and his family free. And I am going to defeat you."
He throws himself into action, sending fireballs hurtling towards the men. They jump out of the way, some hitting the ground hard. When they attempt to retaliate with desperate attacks of earth, Zuko easily dissolves them with bursts of flames and sends them running with fire whips smacking the ground at their feet.
He feels so proud of himself. He is strong. He is mighty. He is powerful. No one stands a chance against him.
He turns back to the woman and the child and is startled to see the woman holding her child tightly against her chest again, staring up at him in fear.
He takes a step towards them and the woman moves her child so that he's behind her. The boy buries his face in her back and clutches his fists in her dress.
"Stay back," she calls out, eyes filled with tears, voice shaking. "Don't come any closer."
Zuko's eyebrows furrow. "I just saved you."
"The Fire Nation doesn't save anyone! Get back!"
He stands frozen in place, unable to move or react. The woman stares at him with pure hatred and fear for a moment longer before grabbing her child's hand and taking off running. Zuko doesn't try to follow them. He's too shocked by her reaction.
Do people really hate the Fire Nation so much that they'll overlook being rescued by one of them? Zuko had represented hope for the woman and her child, but the moment he revealed that he was Fire Nation he became a symbol of fear.
He thinks of his sister Azula and how she had treated Mai's parents. If she was able to be so cruel to her best friends' parents, how cruel is she being to the Earthbenders and the Earth King right now? He remembers how they had entered Omashu, with her burning everything and everyone in her path. Is that how all Earth citizens see the Fire Nation?
Zuko doesn't like it. He feels so dirty inside. He's had a bad feeling since coming here, but now it's worse than ever. He doesn't want to be a part of this anymore. He wants to get as far away as he can. Return to the Fire Nation and never leave.
The whole situation makes him think of Katara and how he coldly betrayed her. Maybe the woman was justified in her way of thinking. Zuko is a monster, and Azula is a monster, and the Fire Nation is evil.
"Zuko?"
He turns around slowly to see Mai standing behind him.
"What's going on?"
He doesn't move. He can't move. He lowers his head so he doesn't have to look at her.
"What are we doing?" he asks quietly.
She takes a few steps closer. "We're stopping a rebellion."
"No, I mean what are we doing? The Fire Nation as a whole. Why are we taking over the Earth Kingdom? Why did we destroy the Water Tribes? Drive away the Air Nomads? What's the point of it all?"
Mai shrugs. "Because it's what the Fire Lords have decided we should do."
"And you don't think it's wrong? None of the other domains have tried to attack us. They're just trying to defend their cities. Isn't it wrong for us to fight them?"
"Honestly, Zuko, I don't really care. I just do what Azula tells me to do. If it bothers you so much why don't you change it when you're Fire Lord?"
"I will," he says, passion filling him. He looks up suddenly. "I'm going to change everything."
He makes a fist. The first thing he's going to do as Fire Lord is withdraw the Fire Nation soldiers back home and leave the other nations alone. The second thing he's going to do is release Katara. And there's a good chance she'll kill him when she's free, but he won't even be mad. It's what he deserves.
Another voice breaks through his thoughts.
"So while you two have been standing around chatting, I captured the Earth King and imprisoned him." Azula approaches, Ty Lee right behind her. "You'll be glad to hear that Fire Nation soldiers are rounding up and imprisoning the last of the rebels. Omashu - or New Ozai, as it's now called - is under Fire Nation control again. Our work here is done."
She stares at Zuko for a long moment. "You don't seem happy, brother." Her tone has a threatening edge to it. "Did you not hear me? We captured the city."
He squeezes his fist at his side tightly. "I heard you."
Azula crosses her arms. "Is something the matter with you?" she demands. "You should be celebrating this victory in the name of our father."
"Hurray," he says in a dead-tone.
Azula's eyes narrow. "If I didn't know better, Zuzu, I would think you aren't actually happy that we took back this city for the Fire Nation."
He looks up sharply. "Because maybe I'm not," he hisses.
His sister takes a forceful step forward. "And why not? Do you disagree with our father's orders?"
Zuko mimics her stance. He's not afraid of her. Not anymore. "Perhaps I do."
For a second shock flashes across her face. Then she regains her aggressive expression. "Then you're wrong, brother."
"I'm wrong for disagreeing? You sound like grandfather."
"I was named after him. And I thought you would have learned your lesson over respect by now. Apparently three years adrift weren't enough."
"I'm not disrespecting father. I simply disagree."
"What is it that you disagree with, Zuko? The war?" She laughs bitterly. "Because if father gets even the slightest hint that you don't want to continue expanding the empire our great grandfather began building then you aren't going to be crown prince for much longer."
"You don't know that," Zuko shoots back, but he's bluffing to save face.
"Yes, I do. He didn't hesitate in making the decision to kill you before. What makes you think he will this time? And now Mom's not around to protect you."
"Shut up!" Zuko sends a wave of fire her way. She easily dissolves it.
"Why don't you want this war? Aren't you proud to be from the Fire Nation?"
"Of course I am!"
"Then what is it?"
He throws his arms up in the air. "They hate us! Everyone hates us! And why shouldn't they? We destroy their cities and take their money and scare their children. And that's wrong."
His sister rolls her eyes. "So now you suddenly care about right and wrong? It's not about morals, brother. It's about power. But I should have expected this from you. You're weak." She spits. "Like Mom."
The pent-up anger inside Zuko explodes. "Mom wasn't weak!"
He throws a series of fireballs her way. She dodges them and sends of whip of fire lashing towards him. He pushes against it with a wave of fire.
"Mom was weak, and you're even weaker! At least when Mom left she left for good. You just had to come back, grovelling like a starving dog."
Zuko steps out of the way of a spray of blue fire and punches out his own her way. He feels good in this moment, spewing fire and his pent up anger out all at the same time. Catharsis.
"Mom was right," he shouts back. "You are a monster!"
Azula screams and attacks him without mercy. He is barely able to fend off her attacks. He's an amazing Firebender - but she's a prodigy. He can't hold her off for long.
Finally she gets a shot past his defenses. He loses his footing. Another strategic shot and he's on the ground. She starts moving her fingers in a circle around her body. The skies overheard darken. Thunder rumbles. The tell-tale sparks of lightning start building around her arm.
Zuko closes his eyes, waiting for the end. He has no doubts that his sister will do it. She's crazy. Not heartless, but crazy. Especially when she's in the moment. He managed to push the right (or, rather, wrong) buttons and she's unstoppable.
Then a shadow covers the light. He looks up and sees Mai standing over him, facing Azula.
"Cut it out, Azula," she says in her monotone voice. "You're angry right now. You'll regret it later."
From behind Azula comes another, more shaky voice. "Please stop, Azula. Your aura is pitch black right now."
Azula stares Zuko down, her eyes flickering with madness. Then with a frustrated shout she throws the lightning at a random house behind him. The house explodes. Azula stands, breathing heavily, fists clenched at her sides, for another moment.
"You're weak, Zuko. Always hiding behind the women that care for you. And yet you're never there for them when they need you. You don't deserve the throne. You don't deserve anything."
She stalks off. Zuko climbs to his feet and picks up his swords.
"You shouldn't have intervened," he grumbles to Mai, not looking at her. "I had it under control."
"No, you didn't," she argues, her voice edging on anger. "She would have killed you."
"You should have let her, then." He sheathes his swords and stalks off in the opposite direction. As he passes Ty Lee, she reaches over and touches his arm lightly.
"You don't really mean that," she says softly. He shakes her off and continues walking.
Zuko just wants to be alone these days.