Ziggy's Corner: Chapter eleven… this one is going to be a little lighter. Then we return back to the darkness for the darkest… saddest… and probably very depressing chapter of all, in the whole story, the end.
The war was still hot and heavy, but not as bad as it had been in years. A heavy burden had been lifted from Sozen's chest, one of worry, hate, and sorrow. Years seemed to slip off of him and despite his gray hair many said he looked much like he had once he had taken over the throne. Some even said he looked like the young prince he had been right before his mother and sister's deaths.
The demon which for so long had devoured his conscience, pushed him away from humanity and peace, was now fast asleep, hopefully forever. Even Azulon had seemed changed by this difference in his father, no longer the hateful and annoyingly selfish boy he had been, he'd grown into a fine young man and the proud father of a twelve year old named after his mother, Sozen's daughter in law, Irah, and a six year old boy, whom was the only seemingly dark reminder of those hellish days.
Qi Xiang, she'd helped return humanity too him, and in these last fourteen years the war swung from epic to just skirmishes. The one thing Sozen felt remorse for was that he could no longer see any Air Nomad diplomats to try and make peace. It had been a good twenty years before anyone had seen the last remaining Air Bender, save for his two stooges, and Sozen had let Admiral Daeva go years ago. As to what happened to the other, well, he was not quite sure.
Sozen finished the paperwork and set up, looking as the sun set behind his window. It was summer time now, and he heard his grandson laughing. He smiled, looking at the boy dashing around the royal gardens. Iroh, he was such a good boy, so pure, so innocent, much like his own sister was. Sozen sighed, his sister.
"It is a new time of peace love, you need not constantly wonder if you need to save the world," Qi said, walking up from behind him. He smiled at her words.
"It is hard to make die many old habits," he chuckled, letting her embrace him.
"Now is the time to kill them, before they become thorns that can choke out peace permanently."
Sozen pulled away and smiled, "I had no idea you were such a philosopher my dear."
"I barely knew it," she giggled as she kissed his cheek.
The two of them talked for hours, clouds flying by their heads as they sat on a large oak bench, watching the children laugh and play. All with the exception of Ozai. Sozen frowned and watched that boy carefully. There was so much of him in the child, and then some. As if the demon that had harashed him for so many years was not actually dead, but more like had moved onto to a new host.
The child sat slumped against the base of a tree, his eyes closed, his arms folded in a fit of temper. Sozen called Iroh over to him and motioned to the boy, "What is wrong with your brother?"
"He is upset that his father would not take him to a battle field, some place called Gar Sai."
Sozen sighed. Peace might have been coming their war, but the war was far from ready to lay in the coffin and let the lid be covered over. Qi put her hand on his shoulder and he smiled. "Your brother is not yet ready for such a mission or unimportant matters. Go take him to your mother, and then get ready for supper."
The boy nodded his head, and urged his brother to reluctantly follow him to Ila, their mother. "It is just so hard, what if I were to die on the field of battle, or even in the diplomat's room? What if Azulon were to die? What would happen to those boys?"
"Thus is why the war must end my love, so that such fears are not realized," Qi said with another kiss. From the corner of her eyes she spied Ozai glare at her, and something a normal person would back away from, she just smiled gently and nodded at the boy, who scowled and ran away behind a wall. "But I have other duties to attend to as well, and must be going."
"I wish you did not," Sozen sighed.
"As I wish you did not have to leave so often as you do, but such is fate," she giggled, kissing his cheek again. She hugged him and disappeared herself, leaving Sozen to his thoughts.
You really don't believe that the war will end, that the Earth Kingdom will learn its place do you? That voice always seemed to hit him hard in the gut when Qi Xiang was no longer around.
"Time will tell," Sozen sighed.
You are sounding as weak as your father, ready to let anyone walk over your back just so you can have peace. You used to be strong, cold, fearless. Where is that Sozen?
"He is dead, and is not coming back," Sozen muttered under his breath, walking back to his quarters, to get ready for dinner himself.
Time might say differently….
Months passed, and while the war was still ebbing and swaying. Qi Xiang continued to work her magic, continued to calm his heart, and the voice disappeared more and more. As of late, it had been weeks since he had last heard it, and Sozen could feel the magical spring of his youth.
"We agree to retreat from the western areas of the Earth Kingdom, were as, the Earth Kingdom agrees to pull out their navy from the Northern Water Tribes, and give us the village of Dia Gyai Ru."
"But this is the home of the Buggy Swamp Water tribe," one of the diplomats cried out in alarm, making them all jump.
"But they no longer even use it, and my people need that water to use for the gears of our ships," Sozen said.
"But what guarantee do we have that you wont use those ships to attack our borders?" the fat man grumbled.
"And what guarantee do I have that you won't use it as a base against our southern holdings?" Sozen growled.
"I will not agree to such an improper proposal…,"
"Enough, Fire Lord Sozen does have a point, Hugh," a thin Earth Nation diplomat said.
"And the buggy water will not give them the strength they need to launch an attack against our borders either," a northern water tribesman said with a nod.
"All it should technically do is allow us to patrol what areas we already control as well as our own homes," a fire admiral said.
"This is ridiculous, my people will not agree to such an asinine proposal, I say no," Hugh growled.
The peace room seemed to dance with the music of voices, both hostile as well as calming. Bright oranges and reds radiated against the wall, fine silk flags dangled against them, bearing the image of the Fire Nation. There were now also a few Water Tribe and Earth Kingdom banners hanging, so as to give the image of unity and fairness.
Hugh would have none of what they discussed, and finally rose and stomped out of the room, leaving the rest of the men astonished and frustrated. "It will not matter, their's is a small group, it should be very easy to convince them that their way of thinking is a fools game," one of the Earth generals said with a nod of his head. He stood up and shook the Fire Lord's hand. "Sir, I look forward to seeing peace for our peoples yet again."
"As do I," Sozen said with a nod of his head. He bid the other men a good day, and then walked away to his quarters, slipping through the window and down to the carnival, where he met with Qi.
The two of them walked hand in hand watching his people. It was a nice night, gentle, sweet, calm. "What is the matter my love?" she whispered into his ears. He turned and looked at her gentle eyes.
"Not a thing I can think of," he said with a smile.
"Must everything politics?" she groaned. Again she kissed his cheek and giggled.
"You are making a habit of that," he laughed.
"Yes so I am," she said with a big smile. They cuddled and quickly pulled apart as fire works stroked the night skies in celebration of his reign as well as the promise of peace.
"I promise not to let it get me…," he frowned and watched as some of his guards rushed forward. "What is it now?"
"Lady Ila, sire, there is something wrong with her," one of them gasped.
Sozen blinked, frowning, was he hearing this right?
"We think she might have been poisoned sir," the other guard said.
"No," tears began to sting his eyes, "no, no no," he shouted batting his head back and forth.
"Oh Sozen," Qi Xiang said softly, putting her hand on his shoulder. He pushed her away… not realizing he had done it. The shadows had begun to grow around him again, and his knees buckled, forcing the nearly seventy year old man to his hands. "Sozen, love…," Qi Xiang said again, but her siren song was failing.
I told you time would tell, the voice mocked him. It was back, and stronger then ever.
"No, no this can not be happening again," he yelled and bolted toward the palace, screaming like a mad man. Qi Xiang tried to follower her lover, but though he was so old, he was still very fast. He soon left her in dust., drowning her cries out with insane howls of terror and rage. It was supposed to be peace again, why was it happening all over again, why now, that he had finally find his peace? This new love?
Sozen reached his daughter-in-law's door, and noticed his grandchildren. Iroh was wringing his hands, his eyes dark and sad, but when he noticed his grandfather he attempted his best smile to cheer the old man up.
"It was someone from the inside," Ozai snapped. "It was a spy, perhaps from the Earth Kingdom."
The monster took complete control, his eyes turned blood red, and Sozen felt himself snarl. "Bring me their blood in a cup, do what is necessary to make them suffer for this," he hissed.
Shudder, well it was nice up till the end. The darkest form is the next and final chapter.