Special thanks to Celticgoddess for helping me write this chapter, she's a true goddess who co-wrote this chapter. Happy Birthday to Yesenia, may you be blessed with many more! Mr. Burns belongs to Matt Groening, and I couldn't resist it. Okay, we have some heavy Aiiro/Zuko bonding time, so have your tissues ready. The scrolls come into play and an ancient evil is unleashed. I actually had to cut a lot to make this a manageable length. Some things got moved, sorry Kinterly!
Pimpage-Anything by Whomever, a lovely lass who deserves more reviews.
The Last Concordance: Kongiri by OnePenToRuleThemAll, a male writer who deserves so much praise, his work is brilliant!
Shattered by magnusrae, great Zuko fic, kick-butt fight scenes and no romance! Joy!
Now, off to read and review my work!
Angels Will Fall
The rope that's wrapped around me
Is cutting through my skin
And the doubts that have surrounded me
Are finding their way in
I keep it close to me
Like a holy man prays
In my desperate hour
It's better that way
-Melissa Ethridge
"We all agree that this war has been going on for long enough. It all comes down to concessions. We want all this land that we've already conquered, plus these areas indicated in red in exchange for a ceasefire," Zuko indicated on a colored map, trying to hide a yawn. Aiiro had kept him up all night with nightmares again!
Zuko had held his little ward all night, as the younger boy sobbed for his parents. He would wake up screaming that Zhao was after him, that the pirates were capturing and the mob was going to catch him. Each frightened scream tore into Zuko's heart. The young monarch, master of all he surveyed was helpless to do anything to comfort his poor fosterling. Zuko had rubbed Aiiro's back, told him stories to amuse him and pointed out how many guards were posted to reassure him that he was safe. Nothing seemed to calm the little boy down. Zuko had finally resorted to sedating him again, just to get a little rest. After a week of the hardships of being Lord and Aiiro, Zuko felt exhausted.
Speaking of the little child, Aiiro was currently sitting at Zuko's side, reading a picture book. Despite how having a child seated so intimately on the royal person took away from the intimidating image Zuko was trying hard to build, Aiiro was becoming very clinging. He had absolutely refused to leave Zuko's side and had followed him around everywhere, his eyes sad and haunted. Zuko took it as his personal penance for subjecting Aiiro to such a horrible journey. He supposed he did enjoy thumbing his nose at tradition by having his ward at his side.
"That land includes nearly all the mines of the Earth Kingdom and the richest and most fertile fields, plus most of the major points. Surely, your majesty can offer more generous terms," Prince Kalyan said, his eyes narrowing. The man was a shrewd negotiator, older than the Fire Lord by at least a half dozen years.
"We are leaving you the port of Spleef and Yoriki. I think that is more than generous, considering that you will have a good deal of control over the river Nahar. That should provide sufficient trade routes to all these areas," Zuko indicated with his scepter. "Consider the added territory the bridal gift for my sister," he continued. Zuko had gotten an earful from Hotaru the previous night that she would not be married off to anyone. Zuko had assured her that he would figure some way of substituting another girl for her, but till he found a suitable royal cousin, she would have to serve as bait. Zuko prayed he would think of another plan soon before Hotaru strangled him.
Zuko was glad his Lady Mother was away at the North. He had a feeling she would not approve of his plans to use Hotaru as marriage bait. Women were such strange creatures. Why couldn't they be obedient and quiet, like Hyun was? Zuko could command Aiiro's sweet tempered governess to stand on her head all day and she would do it. Well, his sister was not as easy to deal with. Another stress in his life for him to work through. All enjoyment of being Fire Lord had faded into an endless series of decision making.
"Your sister is worth a thousand kingdoms, your majesty. Unfortunately, such a beautiful princess cannot be worth the happiness of my kingdom. The areas you conquered are more than we can offer. Anything else would be a complete robbery," Prince Kalyan said, holding his head high. "We also want damages for what the war caused."
Zuko shook his head. "That would bankrupt the kingdom. There are many widows and orphans on our side as well. You would have to return the favor and pay compensation to them as well," he retorted, as he looked through his papers. He was tired, he was hungry and he felt like he was about to explode. There was so much to being the Fire Lord, budgets that seemed to always exceed their limits, an army that constantly needed money, laws that needed reviewing. Zuko found himself sometimes wishing he was back on his boat, all alone!
"It was your great-grandfather who started the war, your majesty. Any deaths on your side rest on his dearly departed shoulders and are not the fault of my kingdom," Kalyan returned, his brown eyes glinting angrily.
"Your Majesty, some messenger hawks have arrived," whispered Chamberlain Simarik as he bowed close to Zuko's ear. Zuko was so grateful for Simarik, the man and Uncle were the only things standing between the young monarch and complete madness. Zuko opened the scrolls and stared at the middle paragraph. Uncle had taught him that the first few sentences were always honorifics that were irrelevant.
Omashu has fallen. The city is ours. A thousand praises to Agni…came the first message from Commander Sarya, describing how the city had surrendered before his forces, with the king giving himself up. Zuko was pleased with the latest developments, but wary. This sounded like a trap. What if the Earthbenders had let the Firebenders inside, with plans to attack them while their guard was down? Zuko had heard stories of King Bumi and his insane genius at fighting.
He opened the second one, recognizing the distinctive scrawl of the characters.
My lord Son,
Developments on the Northern Front are not going as expected. The bombardment is going as planned, but we can't get near the city without having enormous cascades of ice thrown at us. We are hoping to starve them out, but that is taking time. The loss of men has moderate but we do not know how long we can last merely bombarding them. We need something to break their walls and counter their natural advantage,
Write back with new orders,
Sa..Mother
Zuko felt himself begin to sweat as he incinerated both notes. More stress upon his head. He was pleased with the developments in the Earth Kingdom, but the Northern Tribe needed to fall for there to be peace.
"I hope it was good news?" Prince Kalyan enquired from across the table, his sharp eyes studying the monarch in a way that made Zuko uncomfortable. This man was desperate, the most deadly kind of foe. The flames needed to be tested.
"Omashu has fallen. The city is mine now. I thought you should know," Zuko said, looking piercingly to see his opponent's reaction. He was pleased to see it was outright fury. This was unexpected for the prince and reassured Zuko a great deal. He did not feel the need to mention the other piece of news.
"Might I congratulate your Majesty on your victory? With all due respect, I do hope the stench of innocent flesh being burned doesn't affect your most royal sensibilities," Prince Kalyan said, his face growing angry.
"We all have our burdens to bear, your highness. Now, I must deal with some matters of state. We can resume negotiation at a later date. Please enjoy my hospitality till then," he said, motioning for Aiiro to follow him, as he went to find Uncle. He did not bother to see the hateful sneer on his opponent's face as he left or the eager smile when Prince Kalyan had noticed Aiiro.
It was a mistake the monarch would later regret.
"So, what am I to do?" Zuko said, his head in his hands. His headache was getting excruciating. All he wanted to do was lie down and sleep for a thousand years. Yet, he had a budget meeting, a hundred new laws to review, court cases to judge and that was before lunch in an hour. His every waking moment was filled with three days' worth of activities to accomplish.
"First, you need to calm down. The exhausted dragon catches no prey," Uncle soothed, patting Zuko's shoulder. Zuko would have found the gesture reassuring but now he just felt too exhausted to feel anything. "You should take a nap."
Zuko shook his head. "I have too much to do. I can't spare the time. I haven't been sleeping too well at night," he said, suppressing another yawn.
Aiiro looked up sadly. "Master, I'm sorry for being such a bother," he pleaded, looking nervous.
"It's not your fault, Aiiro. You need me. The kingdom needs me. Everyone needs me. It's my duty to tend. Now, you go back to reading, everything is going to be fine," Zuko said weakly, feeling far older than his sixteen years. He had read that other teenagers had things called free time and fun. He had never known those happy times and at the rate he was going, he never would. "How did Fath…Ozai manage this all?" he muttered, half to himself.
"Ozai never bothered to take such a personal interest in reforming the laws. He never spent hours making sure officials didn't unfairly tax the civilians and checking to insure that courts were free of bribery. That takes effort," Uncle explained.
"It's my duty," Zuko repeated, rising to his feet to stare out the window. "I just need to prioritize," he told himself. His nation needed him.
"And one of those priorities is your health. There will be plenty of time to do all matters if you choose to attend to them wisely. Now, what have I always told you?" Uncle prodded, putting his arm around Zuko.
"A man needs his rest," Zuko repeated dutifully. "All right, we'll discuss a few matters and then I'll rest. First, what should we do about Mother and the siege? The North must fall for my plan for peace."
"Sieges take time, Lord Zuko. You can send in fresh recruits but that is all that can be done," Uncle replied, sipping a cup of tea meditatively. He too appeared tired. The return to royal life had not been easy.
"Well, I will have the Mechanist get to work on better tanks and war balloons for the Fire Nation. They may have territorial advantage but we have technology on our side. Your Master is going to win this war," Zuko mused to himself, as he patted Aiiro's head. "Now back to Omashu. I still think it's a trap. We need to proceed cautiously."
"Send in an occupation force and assure the populace that as long as they behave themselves, no one need get hurt. Might I suggest Yong of the clan Rin as governor? His clan was promised a governorship from Ozai. A reward like this could secure his loyalty and make his clan a valuable ally," Iroh mused.
"If you consider him worthy, that's enough for me," Zuko shrugged, too tired to argue. He still did not know all the members of the aristocracy as well as Uncle did and besides, he trusted the old general completely.
"I would not say he is worthy. To his great credit, Ozai did not like him much. He's a soft hand. Not very smart either, his daughter Mai seems to have cornered the clan's ability for ruthlessness and talent, but she's an unpleasant child who will be of no use to us. To insure control, I'd recommend also keeping Colonel Nitta there till things are settled. "
Zuko nodded. "Of course. I'll have the guards summon him and his family this afternoon," he said softly. "Think I should change the name? How does New Iroh sound to you?" Zuko wanted to show Uncle how much he cared about him.
"Sounds like a cry for attention. Only a fool requires such forced praise. I taught you better," Uncle said, rolling his eyes. "Now, on to another, harder lesson. You mentioned King Bumi has been captured. I know how you feel about shedding blood, my lord but it would be best if the king mysteriously was removed from the situation," Uncle advised, lowering his voice. Aiiro's ears perked up, but a look from Zuko had him return to his picture book.
Zuko's shoulders slumped as he stared at his hands. "I already killed one person already, my hands will never be clean again," he muttered mournfully. "Every day, more people die because of me."
Uncle pulled Zuko towards him and hugged him as if he was a small child. Zuko was too tired to be scandalized about being treated like a child. "My good and noble son," he whispered in a voice barely higher than a breath. "You are trying to save a life, that's all that can be asked."
Zuko blushed and allowed himself to wallow in his true father's love. The subject had not been brought up again, for fear of causing a scandal but it had never left Zuko's mind. "I'll sign the order immediately, but it must be kept discreet. I just…don't know."
"Under the circumstances, you are like a fire in brushwood, proceeding nicely. Now the other matters can be taken care of by Simarik, Setau and myself for the day. You are taking on too much. We spent days hand-selecting officials to manage the state. You can't expect to micromanage everything and live. Now, off to rest with you before I have a nursemaid assigned to you," Uncle pressed, looking very worried.
"All right, all right, I'll take some alone time for a short time. Have Hotaru come see me sometime, I haven't seen her about in days, what has she been up to? I do hope she's enjoying palace life and making new friends," Zuko said, yawning and stretching.
Uncle colored slightly. "Oh, she is. She's definitely enjoying herself with her new friend," he said, returning to his glass of tea.
Zuko nodded. "Excellent. Come on, Aiiro. You can have a lesson in my study while I relax a bit," he said, yawning a bit. All his stress was worth it if he was making a better life for people.
Zuko had to admit, Uncle was right. Lying back on a divan, looking over the Scrolls of Shaanar while Aiiro studied a few feet away was paradise on Earth. He leaned back, allowing the sunlight to warm his face.
"Shaanar was captured by the members of the Southern Water tribe. They tortured him and destroyed his hard work. When the troops finally found him, he had already been taken into the embrace of Agni. Found with the Water tribe members were some papers with a few strange marks on the corners," Zuko remembered hearing, looking over the scrolls with resignation. He had no idea why this had been so important to the Water tribe yokel but he was convinced that it had some important secret. "Lady Hyun, have they been examined by candlelight? Lemon juice?" he interrupted the lesson, thinking of the code-breaking lessons he had received from his uncle. He motioned for Aiiro to fetch the scrolls and give them to Hyun.
"Yes, your majesty. They reveal nothing," Hyun answered sadly. "My ancestor worked his entire life and it all means nothing now. All his work was lost." Her face looked so depressed at that thought. Zuko wondered if he should say something comforting.
Aiiro's eyes widened when he was handed the parchment. "Merciful Sedna," he whispered, recognition clear in his little face.
"Aiiro, what is it?" Zuko asked, reading the thoughts in his fosterling's face. "Have you ever seen this before?"
Aiiro looked away. "Master…I….please don't be angry," he pleaded, his voice shaking.
"Aiiro, I said I would never hurt you. Just tell me what is on your mind and I'll be quite happy. Nothing is wrong, calm down," Zuko said wearily. He hated knowing that Aiiro was terrified of him. No matter how many times Zuko reassured Aiiro that he was safe, the little refugee continued to behave as if he was a step away from the gibbet. Zuko regretted that Aiiro had seen so many terrible things in his short life, but Zuko had nearly always been nothing but kind to him. Aiiro slept in Zuko's bedroom, ate with the monarch and shadowed him nearly every moment. He did not know what else he could do to comfort him. "Everything is fine."
"Prince Aiiro, are you all right?" Hyun asked softly, her pretty voice trying to soothe her charge. Zuko hoped her influence would help; women had persuasive powers that were very useful. "Sometimes, if I know something that bothers me, it helps to talk about it with someone I trust."
Aiiro shook his head. "I can't. It's forbidden," he whispered, averting his blue eyes. He squirmed, his lower lip trembling as he looked about to avoid the situation at hand.
"Aiiro, do you know something about these papers?" Zuko asked in what he hoped was a gentle voice. He had a feeling his little ward knew something and Zuko was going to find out.
Aiiro trembled and stared at the papers again. "I can't tell you. Please don't ask me anymore," he begged, looking very pale. A second later, the little boy had ducked beneath Zuko's divan.
Zuko rolled his eyes. "Aiiro, just because I can't see you does not mean I have forgotten what is going on. Now, get out from under there and answer my questions," he demanded, confused at Aiiro's fearful reaction. Zuko knew that certain parental figures merited such terror, but surely he was not one of them.
"I can't," Aiiro whimpered. "I'm sorry, but I just can't. I wish I could," the boy sniffled.
Zuko gritted his teeth, trying not to think what Ozai what have done to the child for showing such disobedience. "Yes, you can and yes, you will obey me. I told you to get out here and I mean it!" he ordered, stamping his foot for emphasis.
"Master, please don't be angry at me," Aiiro pleaded, not moving from his place under the divan.
"You are being naughty, how else should I react? You come out here right now or I swear, all of your toys will be confiscated," Zuko threatened. He knew that such insubordination should not be tolerated, yet he was rapidly running out of options. He would not punish the boy physically and there were only so many things Aiiro treasured.
"Prince Aiiro, this obviously is bothering you. If you come out, His Majesty and I can help you solve this problem," Hyun soothed. "You have nothing to worry about; the Fire Lord himself said he would help you. Just come out and everything will be fine," she pleaded.
Zuko was rapidly losing his patience. "Aiiro, I advise you to come out of your own free will. Just stop this silly behavior and there will be no punishment. If I have to go in and drag you out, I will be very unhappy with you," he threatened. "And I will pull you out if I have to."
Zuko waited a few seconds for an answer. Hyun sighed. "Prince Aiiro, you are only making things worse for yourself. Your guardian doesn't want to punish you, why are you doing this?" she asked, her voice growing softer and more soothing.
"If I come out, can we not talk about the scrolls?" Aiiro asked from under the divan. He had clearly rolled into a ball, since he could not be seen from above. Pulling him out would be a problem. Zuko could lift the furniture though, that would work.
"I am not bargaining with you, Aiiro. If you don't come out immediately, I'll confine you to your room. That means no trips to the garden. If you come out now, all is forgiven," he said, stepping closer to the divan. There was still no answer besides some faints sobs.
Zuko felt a soft hand upon his arm and looked down to see Hyun with her head bowed. "Yes?" he demanded, completely shocked she would touch him. He glared at her, debating if he should let his wrath on her.
"Please your majesty, I know Prince Aiiro is misbehaving but the garden is the only time he's allowed to run free. I am sure he wants to be good and tell us. Prince Aiiro is such a good boy. He loves his Master enough to come out without the need for threats," she said, with a clever smile. Zuko returned the smile, realizing the girl's plan. It was clever to try and guilt him out. Zuko was impressed.
Louder sobs greeted his ears. Zuko wished he did not have to be stern with Aiiro. He just could not help how irritated he was by the boy's behavior. "Aiiro, Hyun is right. I know you love going out to the garden. I don't want to have to take that away from you permanently, so I am giving you one last chance to come out. I am warning you, do not make me angry." Zuko had nothing more to follow up that threat with besides actually climbing in after him.
"No master! Please don't be angry with me!" Aiiro's foot slowly poked its way out. "Master, please don't be angry. I'm coming out, see. I promise to not do it again. Just don't be angry." Aiiro inched his way out of the diva.
Zuko snapped his fingers and pointed for Aiiro to stand before him. He planned to give the smaller boy a piece of his mind. Aiiro crept towards him, staring at his shoes as if fascinated by the embroidery upon them. Zuko put a hand on his ward's shoulder, to anchor him in place. "You are restricted to your room for one week. Now will you tell me about those scrolls or must I make it two weeks?" he demanded.
While Zuko had been speaking, one of his ministers had entered the room with a low bow. A look of astonishment crossing his face as Aiiro replied, "I cannot Master. If I tell you, they'll never forgive me."
"They won't forgive you? Who won't forgive you? Is someone threatening you?" Zuko demanded, squeezing Aiiro's shoulder. Aiiro shook his head and stared fixedly at the floor.
"His majesty, the Fire Lord just asked you a direct question, young prince. What kind of ungrateful and wicked child are you?" Minister Shun muttered, giving Aiiro a glare.
"I advise you to mind your own affairs," Zuko muttered through gritted teeth. No one spoke to Aiiro like that!
"Your majesty, you said you gave us permission to speak freely," Shun said, bowing deeply. "I have six children; I must humbly advise you that your kindness is misplaced. Children respect firm authority."
Zuko glared at his advisor. "Choose your words carefully," he finally said, holding Aiiro's shoulder protectively. He had tasted 'firm authority' in parenting and he had not enjoyed it very much.
"His Majesty has been more than generous to adopt your highness and raise him as his own. He has set aside funds for you to inherit; he has spared no expense seeing to your comfort and education. You reward him by throwing temper tantrums and disturbing him at his work. You crave attention and never think of anyone else's welfare. The fire Lord is our leader; it is not his duty to pander to you. Yet, he has generously been exhausting himself, indulging your every selfish whim. Everyone in the palace knows how the Fire Lord cares for you himself, instead of handing you off to nurses. He has so many responsibilities and he takes the time to deal with you. Now, he has a simple request and you behave this way? Most fathers would give their children a good thrashing for such behavior. You should be ashamed of yourself, your highness. What kind of family would ever want a child like you?" Shun snapped in a fiery tirade, towering over the trembling little boy. "You…"
Zuko raised his hand midway through the rant. "That's quite enough, Minister. Why have you come?" he asked, feeling all the relaxation he had gleaned fade away as he returned to the yoke.
"Some prisoners from the W…" Shun began, before catching the glare in Zuko's eyes. "From your lady mother's campaign in the North have arrived and are being interrogated by the Najwe. Your lord Uncle felt you should be briefed on what they have supplied to intelligence. Then you have a meeting with the Mechanist," he continued, bowing deeply.
Zuko nodded and turned on his heel. "Of course," he said, steeling himself for a bloody interrogation. He really hated shedding blood like this. As he walked away, he heard the pitter-patter of footsteps. With a wince, he remembered that he had been allowing Aiiro to follow him around for the last week. Yet, he could not allow the child to see this; it would traumatize him even more. Well, at least he had a cover to explain why Aiiro could not tag along with him. "Aiiro, you'll be returning to your rooms with Hyun. You'll be spending the next two weeks there, remember?" he said, forcing himself to sound stern.
"But Master!" Aiiro whimpered, his voice cracking with sadness. "You said you would let me stay with you," he whispered.
"You should have thought of that before you misbehaved. I thought we were family who trusted each other. Your behavior tells me you feel differently," Zuko said in a withering tone. He was so frustrated with everyone, why couldn't he just be left alone! "Hyun, please conduct him to his rooms," he commanded, unable to turn around. He knew his young friend well enough to know how devastating his words were. Before he broke down completely, he walked away, slamming the door.
Aiiro sat in the corner of his room, facing the wall. It was a room a peasant could only dream of and yet, Aiiro felt very sad. He was supposed to be studying, but he was just staring off watching the sun move across the sky from the corner of his eye as Miss Hyun read to him. He had no interest in the lesson. He felt lower than the dirt. His Master hated him. Nothing else in the world mattered. He was so confused to the right thing to do. "Your highness, are you paying attention?" Miss Hyun finally demanded.
"No," Aiiro admitted, turning around and folding his arms. He was confined to his rooms, Miss Hyun forced to sit in the corner and Master was angry with him. He had nothing to lose by being honest.
"You might as well stop moping about being punished. You brought this on yourself," Miss Hyun reminded, giving Aiiro a sympathetic smile. "You really should stop making things worse for yourself. Being bad during your lessons won't bring you back into your Master's good graces," she continued. "Though telling him the truth would help."
"Miss Hyun, you have a father, right?" Aiiro asked, wanting to change the topic away from the subject at hand.
"Of course, I have a father, little one. Everyone has a father," Miss Hyun said lightly, putting down her scroll. "And you are still to be facing the corner."
"Would your father be angry if you refused to tell him something? What if it was a very important secret? Would he still be mad?" Aiiro asked, as he turned back around, hoping that Hyun would assure him he had not done anything so wrong.
"If I ever behaved as you did, I'd be lacking the ability to sit down for a very long time. My father is a very good man, he always made time for my brothers and me, but woe betide anyone who disobeyed him. It just isn't done. A father is supposed to command the respect and obedience of his child. Hiding under furniture and refusing to come out is neither."
Aiiro sighed. "Oh." This was not good. He liked being able to sit down! This situation was only getting worse.
"Of course, some fathers take it too far. You are lucky the Fire Lord isn't anything like his father," Miss Hyun confided, standing behind him with a hand on his shoulder. "You know his majesty got that scar for speaking out in the mere presence of his father. Then he got exiled. No one was ever supposed to see him again. It was very hard to lose our prince."
Aiiro nodded, feeling even more terrified. He could not believe that his kindly Master would actually throw him away. Master had allowed himself to be beaten to save him. Yet being cruel to others seemed to be a common practice in the Fire Nation. Considering how bloodthirsty the mob had been, it was worth considering. If his poor master had been treated so terribly for just speaking out in the presence of the Fire Lord, imagine what would be done to him for actually refusing to answer his master. He could not face the thought that he would be left homeless and alone! He felt the breath in his body freeze up at that thought. He was going to have another tantrum and he would rather not be punished for it. "Get out," he whispered.
"What did you say?" Miss Hyun said, in a shocked tone. Aiiro did not mean to be rude but he just wanted to be alone now, and get his thoughts together. He desperately loved Miss Hyun but he could not face her now.
"I am still the Fire Lord's ward and I want to be alone! I'll stay in the corner like you said. Now, please go away! I…I order you to leave my presence," Aiiro stuttered, imitating his master's way of commanding people. Tears sparkled in his eyes.
Hyun opened her mouth a few times before bowing slightly. "Yes, your highness. Please send for me if you wish my help," she said, kissing Aiiro's forehead before exiting the room, her sweet perfume leaving with her.
Aiiro got up from his chair and stared into the mirror by his bedside. He did not know who he was. His eyes were still blue and his skin was still a darker shade than most people around here.
Yet, he wore red robes now and he lived in the Fire Nation. His master was the Fire Lord. He had promised to be a good slave to him. Aiiro knew a good slave would obey whatever his master said. From what he had heard, some masters were very mean.
That nasty minister had been right. Master was very kind. He had given him a place to sleep, food to eat and clothing. Aiiro had even slept in Master's bed. Aiiro was protected and given everything. Also, Master was so wonderful to be with. He was so very wise and strong, Aiiro loved him so much. He acted like they were family. Aiiro did trust him, but he just knew it was wrong to break a promise.
Sokka had been very clear that one could never reveal the secret or they would be cursed forever. He said that such a traitor would be sent out alone on the ice. Aiiro did not want that. Aiiro also loved Sokka, he had been his captain. He had trained Aiiro in hunting and fishing, he had taught Aiiro how to use a spear! How could Aiiro just forget him? "I swear by Sedna and my ancestors to never reveal the secrets of my tribe to anyone. If I break this vow, may I be tossed in tempest seas forever," he remembered vowing after learning that particular lesson.
He wondered if Master would lock him up here forever. That would not be so bad. He deserved to be locked up for disobeying his master. Aiiro was more afraid that he would be thrown out into the street. He would have no food and no home. He would have to steal and beg for everything, just like the boys in the story. He had a feeling that no kindly bender would take pity on him, not in this evil town. The mean people would kill him. If they did not find him, the pirates would find him. They would chain him up again and take him back on to the dark ship.
Aiiro wondered where his people were right now. He had not seen his friends in so long. He missed his aunties and the frozen land he once called home. He wanted to see them again. Yet, Aiiro also wanted to be safe. He was not safe with the rest of the tribe, he knew that. The pirates or the fire nation could easily attack them and Aiiro would die. He knew Master would never hurt him intentionally, but the other people would!
The only place that was safe was here. The Fire army would not hurt him as long as they considered him one of them. Whenever Aiiro passed guards, they saluted him. When he and Miss Hyun walked in the gardens, Aiiro's personal soldiers would be there to protect him. Even now, guards were posted at Aiiro's door to protect him.
This all came down to one question. Aiiro had made a promise to his tribe to keep a secret and he had made a promise to Master. Well, Sokka had also told him that he should do anything he could to survive and Aiiro would never survive being tossed out. Suddenly, an idea occurred to him. It would be breaking the rules, but not as much! Perhaps if he explained to Master why he couldn't tell, everything would be okay and he would still be wanted.
Aiiro finally saw some relief in sight. He opened the door to the room only to realize he had a new problem. "And just what do you think you are doing?" Shigeru said in a mock-stern voice, his youthful features forming a smile. Standing by the door were his personal guards who were much taller and stronger then Aiiro.
"Just for a little walk inside the palace," Aiiro informed the guards meekly, hoping they would allow him a little leeway. Shigeru was very nice and funny, maybe he would look the other way.
"Sorry, my young prince but you got yourself into a good deal of trouble today. You'll have to stay in your room," Golden eyed Takeo said sympathetically, as he put a hand on Aiiro's shoulder. "Now back inside like a good boy."
"It will only be for a moment," Aiiro said, throwing off Takeo's hand with a flick of his shoulder.
"Not so fast, you aren't going anywhere," Shigeru said, standing in front of Aiiro so he could not move forward. "Come on, little pet bird. Back to your royal cage!"
"I'll be back in a moment. Please just let me go," Aiiro pleaded, pouting his lip to try and garner pity. Shigeru might break rules once in a while; Jahan said he had a mischievous streak.
"Sorry, but orders are orders. Lady Hyun said you are under house arrest," Lieutenant Jahan said, the eldest of the three soldiers. "Now surrender yourself peacefully or we will carry you back in."
"But I don't want to go in," Aiiro protested, as Takeo took his shoulders again and marched him back inside, his grip gentle but very firm as Aiiro was steered inside.
"Unfortunately, what you want isn't what you will get. According to the lovely Lady Hyun, the Fire Lord was pretty clear about your punishment," Takeo said, blushing when he mentioned Miss Hyun.
"You really must have done something pretty naughty, Prince Aiiro. I do hope you learned your lesson," Lt. Jahan scolded, wagging a finger at him as he motioned for Takeo to seat him in a chair.
"Or at least learned how not to get caught next time," Shigeru muttered, earning a stern look from his brother Jahan. The light-hearted soldier flushed a bit. "I mean, never repeat the action again."
"Please let me go. My future safety depends on it," Aiiro pleaded, trying to get up again. Tears of frustration filled his eyes as Takeo held him down, hands on both shoulders.
"Don't be so overdramatic, two weeks confinement is bad but nothing to cry about, little prince. Believe me, when I was your age, I did some horrible things. Once when Jahan and I were…" Shigeru began with a comforting smile, but a glare from Jahan stopped him.
"Shigeru, can you ever keep your mouth shut?" Jahan asked, rolling his eyes. "Now, Prince Aiiro, you must stay here or we will have to tie you to the chair," he warned, removing a curtain sash and holding it up.
"Tie me up?" Aiiro whispered, completely terrified. They were already treating him badly!
"Sir, we could just lock the door," Takeo suggested, bowing his head deferentially, as he patted Aiiro's shoulder comfortingly.
Jahan nodded. He seemed more nervous then usual, Taeko said he was worried about being worthy of his new rank. "And so we shall," he said, looking sternly down at the little boy who was tearing up even more.
"Please, you have to let me see the Fire Lord. I made him really mad and he'll send me away if I don't explain myself," Aiiro wept, feeling as if the world was closing in on him.
"Gosh, what did you do to get yourself in that much trouble?" Shigeru asked, earning a swat from Jahan and a loud "Hush!"
"Young Master, you are being silly. The Fire Lord would no more banish you then he'd banish his own sister. You are a royal ward," Takeo said quietly, his voice soothing and calm.
Aiiro sniffled even more. "You don't understand, I did something really horrible and I need to see him," he wept, choking on his sobs. Master could be finding a new ward to love and care for! Aiiro had to remind him that he loved his master!
The three guards exchanged nervous looks. "Well, the Fire Lord's orders were really clear. You are stay here, young Prince," Jahan said worriedly, as he drummed his fingers on the table. "You can't leave this room."
"Then I suppose he should be arrested for trying to break the Fire Lord's command and leave," Shigeru said, with a roguish grin. Aiiro was now very scared. They were going to arrest him? Now Master would never forgive him!
Jahan blinked before smiling slowly. "Of course, such a grievous crime deserves it and we aren't allowed to punish him," he said, nodding approvingly at his younger brother. "I'll go on ahead and find the Fire Lord."
Aiiro's teeth chattered with terror. If his guards were ready to turn on him, then there was no hope. "Have pity on me! I'll do whatever you say, just don't hurt me! You can tie me to the chair or lock me up. I won't move a muscle," he whispered, choking on his own fear. He held onto the chair, his hands shaking. "I'll be good now!"
"Come along," Shigeru said, patting Aiiro's head. "You'll have to answer to your master," he said, putting emphasis on the last word and winking.
"I think he'll have mercy on a cute little prince like you. Heaven knows, if Shigeru managed to survive, so can you. Lady Hyun will plead for you, her beauty could melt any heart," Takeo soothed, with a comforting smile. Aiiro coughed weakly, as he was brought to his feet by firm hands on the shoulder. So they were taking him to Master? Aiiro was confused, but too exhausted to do much but be hauled along by Takeo and Shigeru. At least they had not tied his hands.
The three guards walked to the chambers of the Fire Lord, with the shaking prisoner in tow. The guards outside the royal antechamber had not looked pleased to see Aiiro, but they had said nothing to impede his entry. Master had told Aiiro his door was always open to him and Aiiro knew his rights.
The four of them marched back to the Master's ornate study, the scene of the crime. Master was sitting, looking over some papers and miniature sculptures of machines with a strange looking man. He looked up as the four entered the room. "What are you doing here?" he demanded. Aiiro lowered his eyes and his knees shook. What if Master was still angry?
"Your Majesty, the prince tried to run away and see you. By orders, when he misbehaves, we should contact you," Jahan said, placing his head on the floor like the others.
Master nodded. "Dismissed. I'll deal with him myself. Wait outside to transport him back to his rooms. This won't take long," he said, gesturing for Aiiro to approach. "So, what do you have to say for yourself?" he asked coldly as he gestured for the strange looking man to go into the next room. "I'll use the bell pull when you may return, Mechanist," he commanded.
"As your majesty commands," the man said wearily, scratching his head with a wooden hand. Aiiro did not even want to know the story of that one.
As soon as the room was empty, Aiiro fell to his knees before his. "Please, please don't send me away," he whispered, his voice trembling as much as he was.
"Send you away?" Master asked, his voice surprised. "What are you talking about?" he asked, as he walked over to Aiiro.
"Well, you are so angry with me and Miss Hyun told me about how badly you got treated and I was afraid…" Aiiro whimpered, wondering what he should do. He just wanted to cuddle in his master's arms.
"Listen to me, Aiiro. I am not Ozai. I never will be. I would never treat a komodo rhino that way. Do you think I would ever be capable of doing that to you?" Master demanded angrily, his face coloring with fury.
"No, you are a good Master. But I did something terrible, and everyone seems to think I deserve to be treated badly," Aiiro whispered, staring at the floor.
Master raised the boy's face and looked him in the eye. "No matter what you did, I would never hurt you like that," he said gruffly. "You are…very important to me. How could you ever think I would hurt you like that?" At that moment, Master seemed young and tired. His eyes weren't some proud king, but the golden eyes of the same tired and weary person who had lay bleeding in a prison cell, having just suffered a brutal beating for him. He was the person who loved Aiiro and whose love Aiiro returned. He should have never feared his Master.
"Aren't you angry that I didn't obey you?" Aiiro breathed, feeling all his fear melt away.
"I don't get pleasure out of ordering you around. I do it because I'm right and I want you to be safe. By obeying me, you show you trust me," he said, patting Aiiro's shoulder. "Now, up off your knees. You never need to kneel to me." Aiiro leapt into his master's arms and hugged him tightly. Master stiffly returned the hug as Aiiro buried his face in the older boy's robe.
"Master, I decided to adopt you as a member of the tribe. That way I can tell you about the scrolls without being punished," Aiiro said quietly, taking his master's hand and walking over to the desk. "Do you have some ink?" Master looked very confused but handed Aiiro a bottle. Aiiro climbed onto the chair, and then put some ink on his finger.
"The spirits of water bear witness to these marks, for Zuko, the mark of the trusted," he recited, painting a half circle on Master's forehead. "From now on, we are brothers in the Water Tribe," he said happily. "Now I can tell you everything!"
"All right…I'm honored. Can I wipe it off now?" Master said, pulling Aiiro off the chair and carrying him over to a divan. He swiped at his forehead, cleaning it as he fetched the scrolls from off his desk. With great flourish, he laid them on the table. "Now tell me about the scrolls. It's a matter of great importance to me. It will be our little secret how I got it," he said softly.
"All right. You put this under ice and the ink becomes readable. It has to be really cold through," Aiiro said. "Usually, you would have to use ice, but you taught me how to cool my hands." He put his hands on the parchment and concentrated on the cold flowing from his hands. "Think of ice and cold," he whispered as the parchment stiffened and blue ink appeared on the paper. "There."
Master smiled and picked up the parchment. "See, that was not so hard. Next time, spare yourself the trouble and just do what I say," he said as he read the parchment. He seemed much happier as he hugged Aiiro with his free hand. His eyes widened as he continued reading.
"What does it say, Master?" Aiiro asked curiously, watching his master's hand begin to shake.
"It says that Agni might have answered my prayers and rewarded me," the monarch said, his voice beginning to shake as well. "If it's possible, of course. Aiiro, you are a miracle!" He sounded very pleased with him! Aiiro was so grateful to hear it! "The mechanist must see this!" he finally said, giving the bell pull a yank. Aiiro was quite confused at what the scroll said, but said nothing. He knew Master should not be showing this to anyone, but Aiiro was too nervous to disturb his master's good mood.
The strange man returned a second later, looking very sad. Aiiro hoped the scroll would cheer him up too. "Mechanist, read that, but don't touch it," Master commanded, pointing to the scroll. "Tell me if it's possible." There was a strange grin on his face, a smile that Aiiro had not noticed before.
Mechanist nodded and stared at the paper. His jaw dropped as his eyes scanned the page. Aiiro took a moment to notice the man had no eyebrows. Well, Master only had one eyebrow so he supposed it was nothing to be ashamed of. "Yes, it's logical and true but that would mean…," he breathed, fear in his eyes.
Master stroked Aiiro's head. "Yes. It would," he said thoughtfully, his golden eyes sparkling strangely. "Just in time."
"Merciful gods, the destructive power." Mechanist did not look very happy as he stared at the parchment.
"It's done in the interest of peace. This will save lives. I'm not going to use it unless it's needed. Now, you may return to your family. I will have some scribes recopy it to insure no copy accidentally gets lost. Then I will have the materials brought to your laboratory. Spare no expense. I want this perfected and tested," Master ordered, waving his hand.
Mechanist bowed deeply, looking very sad. "As your majesty commands," he said, leaving the room backwards.
Master smiled and tented his fingertips. "Excellent," he said softly, as he leaned back against the seat, a satisfied and relaxed smile on his face. "Aiiro, the information in this scroll is very important. I won't tell anyone how I got it but I need to use it."
"Of course, Master. What was in the scroll, Master?" Aiiro asked, his voice soft. He did not like the words "destructive power," very much.
"I told you, a miracle from Agni. I have to thank you for telling me that. You saved the loves of many people, you are a hero. This is why you should tell me things," Master said, smiling as he stared at the scroll again. "Speaking of which, someone is supposed to be confined to their rooms," Master said, giving Aiiro a long look.
Aiiro cuddled into Master's side and looked up at him. "Maybe we could forget that," he asked, pouting his lip. He knew he had the advantage now; Master was in a good mood.
Master chuckled and nodded. "All right, this time I'll pardon you. Next time you find yourself in such trouble, don't expect such leniency. You were very good just now and do deserve it. In fact, I think you have just brought peace to the world. Now, after I finish up a few matters, shall we take a walk through the garden?" he asked. Aiiro nodded, feeling so happy. He had done everything right for once. Surely, things would be wonderful now. He knew he had made the right choice.
Angels never came down
There's no one here they want to hang around
But if they knew
If they knew you at all
Then one by one the angels
Angels would fall
AN-What is in the scrolls? I want you to find out next chapter like the rest of the Fire Nation. I promise, you are going to love it. And it's a real historical object too! Next chapter, Zuko makes a big choice, Kalyan and Devdan have a long conversation with a certain Earth bending ambassador, Zhao and his family makes an appearance as does our favorite Water tribe family. That chapter should take shorter amount of time, as it's halfway written.