The Earth Kingdom Third Legion had fully deployed by the time Zuko had been able to get to the front lines to look. Despite objections from General Sato, Zuko had insisted on seeing it himself. Crouching behind some rubble next to some soldiers from the 112th Regiment, he observed the throngs of Earth Kingdom soldiers entrenching themselves using rock ramparts crafted by their benders. Zuko frowned in concern. The Earth Kingdom could construct fortresses at will; a disadvantage that would put the Fire Nation at risk almost immediately.
He set the telescope down, and turned to General Sato.
"This is bad, isn't it?" Zuko asked.
Sato nodded grimly.
"We won't be able to counterattack, and we're vulnerable to tunneling and artillery attacks almost immediately. We can't sustain a pitched battle for an extended amount of time."
"What about that fort we overran?"
Sato nodded.
"That's what I was thinking, my lord. If we run into a tough spot, we can defend adequately from the Fortress and still have an escape route."
"Good. Begin making plans for a withdrawal but make no moves yet. The diplomatic situation won't allow us to make any concessions at this point."
"Sir! Movement!" shouted a masked Firebender, pointing at the Earth Kingdom lines. In the distance, barely discernible in the darkening night, a single figure on an ostrich-horse moved towards the lines, a white flag fluttering in the wind.
"An envoy," Zuko realized.
He looked at Sato for advice. The man shrugged, looking wary.
"Could be a trap, or a simple request, sir. I don't know if you should—"
Zuko gestured his Imperial Firebending guard forward and stepped out of cover. The Fire Nation soldiers held their breath, waiting for an attack, but after several minutes of silence and no activity, they relaxed slightly.
"What is this?" Zuko asked, whispering back to Sato.
"They're operating under rules of engagement, sir. They won't fire if not fired upon."
The Fire Lord nodded and walked further into the middle of the road, meeting the lone rider. The man was in the uniform of the Third Legion, and had rank markings and an embroidered uniform that suggested he was both a seasoned veteran and a highly ranked soldier. The man, bowed, setting his white flag in the ground, which Zuko returned in kind.
"My name is Commander Wei, commanding officer of the Earth Kingdom's Third Legion, Fire Lord Zuko. It is an honor, sir."
Zuko crossed his arms, smirking.
"Come now, commander, you don't have to pretend. The stories I've heard of you during the War tells me that you're not a pushover. My father once labeled you the most dangerous criminal in the entire world, other than the Avatar."
Wei straightened, smiling briefly in satisfaction.
"I am heartened to hear that I have such a reputation in the eyes of my enemy."
There was a silence as the subtle threat lingered in the air, and soldiers on both sides watched the scene intensely, waiting for an attack.
"Commander, what is it that you and your esteemed force want?"
"Fire Lord Zuko. It is the opinion of the Ba Sing Se government that you have violated the Earth Kingdom's sovereign right as a nation, and that you are trespassing on Earth Kingdom land. The Earth King requests that you withdraw your forces once and for all from the Earth Kingdom. He wishes to convey his utmost respect and admiration for you, and wants me to inform you that this matter will be forgotten in light of your efforts in restoring balance to the world."
Zuko nodded, remaining silent.
"You hate me, don't you, commander?" he said, sizing up the short but bulky commander.
The man hesitated slightly, but Zuko gestured for him to say something. Unflinchingly, the commander responded, his facial expression completely neutral.
"That is an affirmative, Lord Zuko. It is of my opinion that you are nothing more than a pathetic puppet of the Avatar and that your father's influence has turned you power-hungry like the rest of you ash makers, and I would like nothing more than to travel to the Fire Nation and destroy it with my own two hands for what you did to my country. Given the choice, I would kill your scum wife, your scum people, and all the scum of the Fire Nation from my Earth once and for all," he said, unblinkingly.
There was a profound silence as tension filled the air. Weapons were readied and soldiers looked on in shock and awe.
"How dare you, peasant," shouted one of Zuko's Imperial Firebenders.
Growling in anger, Zuko's guards settled into attack positions, and there was a scramble of movement as Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation soldiers alike scrambled into position, training their bending, arrows, artillery, and weapons at the enemy.
Zuko, however, showed no reaction to the Commander's comments, holding a hand to calm his guards, and even smirked slightly.
"I appreciate your honesty, Commander Wei. There is nothing I respect more than an honest man. I will indeed consider your request, and I humbly ask that you do the same—from one warrior to another."
The gathered soldiers, and Aang, who watched from a nearby building and shock, all marveled at both the Fire Lord's and the Commander's gall. Even Wei registered mild surprise at the Fire Lord's response. There was a tense silence as all sides waited for a reaction, a tirade, or an assault of some kind, but there was simply a deafening silence for several minutes. Then, the Commander spoke.
"It seems I underestimated you, Fire Lord Zuko," Wei said, clambering back on his horse and riding back to his lines.
There was a collective sigh of relief as the soldiers of both sides relaxed their weapons, the inevitable battle postponed, for now. Zuko smiled in the direction of the Commander, and calmly walked back to his lines and crouched back under cover.
Sato stared at his Fire Lord in amazement.
"My lord, how… how did you stay that calm?"
Zuko smiled pleasantly at his General.
"My Uncle taught me more than a few things about self-control. Believe me when I say that I wanted nothing better than to tear that man's head from his body myself the entire time, but my Uncle taught me to never fall to the vice of rage. It was difficult, however, and I'm thankful he backed down or else I would have shot a bolt of lightning into that scum's heart before you could say 'flameo'," he said, smiling sardonically.
Clapping Sato on the shoulder jovially, the Fire Lord grinned mischievously walked away casually, going down the line, trailed by his Firebending guards. Shaking his head, Sato glanced at his aide, Lieutenant Kuno, quizzically, to which the Lieutenant shrugged, at a loss.
As soon as Zuko had defused the situation, Aang had flown to a cliff overlooking the city where he could get a good view of the proceedings. He quickly bent himself a small hut of sorts, and sat, lighting a fire with some scraps of twigs and such. The night was chilly, and Aang found himself wishing he was down in the Fire Nation camp with Zuko, enjoying his company and eating some actual food. However, he could not risk appearing biased, so he elected to stay put.
Then, as his stomach rumbled, he regretted the decision. He quickly visited the forest nearby and picked some fruit from the bushes and trees, and returned to his camp, his arms full of fruits and vegetables. Then, he stopped short as he realized he was not alone.
"It's good to see you, Twinkletoes," said a familiar voice.
"Toph?" Aang asked carefully.
A metallic-armored figure stepped from the shadows, and the face of Toph Beifong came into the light. Lighting up, Aang dropped the food on the ground and wrapped the woman in a hug, which she returned, crushing him slightly.
"I came as soon as I heard. What's Sparky up to this time?" she asked skeptically.
Aang's face darkened.
"It's not good; as you can see, the situation has gotten out of hand."
There was silence as the two observed the distant city impassively.
"You people always forget that I'm blind, don't you?" Toph asked, smirking.
Hitting himself in the face, Aang groaned.
"Sorry Toph. I forgot."
"Again."
She sighed, plopping onto a stool that she hurriedly bent from rock.
"Why is that Zuko always seems to invade a place, and that you always take his side?"
"Zuko's right this time, Toph. What happened was just a massive misunderstanding, and I hope that we'll be able to fix it tomorrow. But we need someone to talk to Earth King Kuei," Aang said pointedly.
"I just got here, and now you want me out of the picture? Wow, Aang. Nice to know I'm wanted here."
"It's not like that, Toph. You're the only person in the Earth Kingdom I can trust right now. You should know that the Mayor of the City turned out to be a member of the Dai Lee. The King needs to know."
Toph's eyebrow arched in surprise as she registered the news.
"I thought they died out after the War, along with their leader."
"Apparently not. The Governor, as he was trying to kill me, said something about the Dai Lee. It's possible they've survived undercover all these years and are trying to take back control or something. You and I both know that the Dai Lee are good at that."
Toph sighed, scratching her hair idly. Then, with a larger sigh, she clambered to her feet, cracking her neck, stretching.
"All right, Twinkletoes. I'll do it for you. Tell Sparky I sent my regards. I'll be back as soon as I can."
With that, she extended her arms, and summoned a ridge of stone that traveled across the ground rapidly. Aang smiled at her receding form and sat, proceeding to eat his now-bruised food.
The two firebenders, were lounging around, their skull helmets laying on the ground when Zuko approached. Startled, the two snapped to attention rapidly, one of them spilling his rations on the ground.
"At ease, soldiers. Just checking in."
The first firebender, a tanned, built man, stammered comically as he struggled to get over his initial shock.
"The-the lines are quiet, Lord Zuko. No movement."
Zuko nodded, then sat on a pile of rubble, dusting off the fallen box of rations, and handing the box back to the second firebender, a pale, thinner man. The two soldiers remained standing, and Zuko gestured to them, setting his Firelord's hairpiece on the ground next to him.
"Please, sit. I just needed to get away from the maps."
The men reluctantly sat, the second one offering the Firelord some meat, which he politely refused.
"What are your names?"
"Corporal Jotaro and Private Take, Firelord."
"Where are you from?"
Jotaro, the muscular one, spoke up.
"The Capital, sir. My father is Councilman Koyama."
Koyama was an advisor to Minister Kuno of the Homeland Ministry, which was in charge of all domestic programs and projects. Koyama, if Zuko remembered, was next in line for the Minister's spot, and was a reliable man.
"Your father's a good man. We've spoken once or twice; he's an honorable man."
Jotaro straightened with pride as Zuko looked at Take, the thinner one. Noticing Zuko's gaze, Private Take straightened, setting down his rations box.
"I'm from Fennu Island, sir. Born and raised. I joined after the Yu Dao incident."
Zuko nodded, fidgeting with his marriage ring.
He was still agonizing over his choice to leave Mai. He regretted it every moment he spent here, but he still knew that he had made the right choice. That didn't stop him from feeling guilty.
The Corporal took notice.
"If you don't mind me asking, my lord, but are you having issues with the Fire Lady?"
Zuko looked at the man, frowning slightly.
"You married?"
"Yes, sir, for three years now."
"Then yeah, I am having problems. The Fire Lady was less than pleased that I decided to come personally, and I'm starting to think I made the wrong decision."
Both men shook their heads.
"Take it from us," said the corporal, "that you being here is holding this army together. This is the first military operation this Division has had since Yu Dao, and I was there, Fire Lord. Both times, your being there inspired our men. It's not every day that the Fire Lord risks his life alongside yours, and it helps the morale around here. People respect you, sir, for everything you and the Avatar have done. What you did out there today took a lot of courage, Fire Lord, and excuse me if I say that your inspiration is much better than the type of fear your father spread."
Zuko's face darkened.
"Were you there, when my father was leading our Nation?"
The older man nodded, and Zuko noticed the faint age lines in the muscular Corporal's face.
"Yes, sir. I was a recruit when Sozin's Comet arrived. I was in Ba Sing Se when your Uncle and the White Lotus retook the city. I remember after that King Bumi fellow flung my tank into the air, I clambered out and saw the power and devastation that we were bringing to the city. After that, I renounced my oaths and rejoined as a Corporal," the soldier said, leaning backwards against his barricade.
Zuko remained silent, thinking. The fire flickered hypnotically, and was larger than a normal fire would be, being in the presence of three firebenders.
"Do you think that my submission to the rest of the world was right? Do you miss the old Fire Nation, the way we used to be?" Zuko asked after a while, staring into the flames.
Private Take answered this time.
"No, sir, you were right to do what you did. My childhood consisted of me learning about how superior our Nation was, or how inferior the other three elements were. When I learned I was a Fire Bender, it was fully expected that I would join the Army someday. After Yu Dao, when I joined, however, I saw that the world is a place of beauty and individuality. I've seen the walls of Ba Sing Se, felt the cold air of the North, and glimpsed into the clouds to catch a glimpse of the Air Temples. And I loved every moment of it. My older brother was killed in the War, but I remember that he was always opposed to our nation's destructive traditions. So yes, Lord Zuko, you were right to do what you did."
There was a silence as Zuko registered this. He remained silent, simply listening to the faraway chatter of his soldiers gathered amongst campfires like this one. Then, he stood, bowing to the two firebenders.
"I thank you, Jotaro and Take. It has been my pleasure to talk with my men; It helps to know that I have such reliable men in my army."
The two stood, saluting stiffly, and Jotaro spoke up.
"Fire Lord Zuko, no matter what happens tomorrow, just know that I and every man and woman in this army would give their life for our Nation and for you, Fire Lord."
Private Take nodded in agreement, and Zuko smiled appreciatively, bowing again, walking back into the darkness towards his tent.
The Fire Nation
Fire Lady Mai groaned in boredom as she lounged on the throne lazily, bored out of her mind. Being Fire Lord, it turned out, was nothing more than a heap of administrative duties. As interim Fire Lord in Zuko's absence, she had been barraged by a wealth of paperwork, orders, and requests that she, with the help of Minister Seung, the Fire Lord's advisor. She had found his political advice invaluable, and he had ended up doing most of the paperwork in the end. It was still boring, though.
Being Fire Lord now, she had been stuck with a detachment of Imperial Fire Benders, whom she had conscripted into helping her practice in her off time. Loyal as they were, even the hardened soldiers were showing dismay after a long day of practice, sporting nicks and bruises from Mai's knife fighting. One of the men, Tae, was actually a talented knife thrower, too, and the two of them had spent time honing their knife throwing skills.
So she supposed it hadn't been completely boring, but still…
Sighing, she cleared her throat, prompting a servant to pop out from behind a pillar.
"Yes, Fire Lady Mai?" the man asked, bowing deeply.
"I will be going to my rooms now—you can inform the Imperial Firebenders."
The man bowed even deeper, scurrying away to do her bidding.
She could get used to this, she reflected. As it had been when she was dating Zuko, being royalty certainly had its privileges. Of course, she had been raised in wealth too, but she envied her husband's, and her old friend's freedom. For her, it had always been days of sitting in the sidelines, looking pretty, taking care not to interfere with her father's career.
"Don't speak if not spoken to, always sit still, and look pretty" had been the motto she lived by.
For Zuko and Azula, they had always been able to have, well, fun; they could practice, learn from the best teachers, go on adventures, and live a life of excitement. For her, she had always been given anything, as long as she had lived her childhood doing… nothing. She supposed that was why people told her she was bland, at best. She had spent her whole life hiding behind a façade, and only Zuko had helped her relax and come out of her shell a little. She enjoyed time with her husband, and with Ty Lee, from time to time, but other than that, she was usually bored.
The Guard arrived, bowing in synchronization. They quickly lead her to her bedroom, where they took positions outside of her room. Inside, she quickly slipped into a nightgown and lay in bed, staring at the tall ceiling, thinking of her husband.
The Fire Nation Capital
One Day before the Yu Dao Incident
Their breakup had been… painful, to say the least. She had stormed off, accusing him of loving his secrets, after finding out that he had been visiting his father in prison. That had really made her mad. What was he thinking? Why won't he ever tell the truth? She had stormed out, ignoring his shouts, and she had left the palace.
She had stayed in the city, and had gone into hiding soon after, working for an old friend of her parents'. Then, she had gone on a date with some moron, and had been unwittingly pulled into her father's plan to overthrow Zuko, which she had rejected, taking her brother with her. When she had returned, however, she had heard that her ex-boyfriend had departed to fight in the Earth Kingdom, and she had even heard rumors that he had been killed by the Avatar.
That night, she had sat outside the shop, crying softly to herself as the rain poured down. She hated Zuko, yet she loved him at the same time. She loved him not for his physique (although that didn't hurt), but for his awkward, vulnerable side that only shined through when she was with him. Most of the time, he was a stern, serious leader that juggled the worries of ruling in his hands. But other times, when she loved him the most, he was a passionate, loving man who she knew, deep in her heart; she could spend her life with.
She had remained in hiding even when Zuko had returned to the city. She had considered finding him and apologizing, but she was, despite her love for him, quite mad at his secret-keeping. She avoided his guards for several months, until she heard in a tavern that he had gone on an epic journey to find his mother, and had returned with her.
She knew how important his mother was to him, though. Zuko loved his mother, and his mother had been a pivotal character in the story that was Zuko's personality, so she had let him be.
Then, one day, as she was rearranging flowers for her parents' old friend, he had found her. He had walked in casually, and she had looked up at him, tensing up in surprise. They remained silent, simply looking at each other. Then, as if a dam had broken, streams of apologies had flown from both their mouths and they had embraced, kissing passionately.
It had been an entire year, and all had suddenly become right in the world.
She had met his mother briefly, and she had reflected that Zuko's mother was truly kind-hearted and beautiful; something she herself had never had. Her mother had told her to shut up and follow along, and Mai's childhood had been dull, depressing, and silent as a result. Zuko had a caring, compassionate mother that had cared for him deeply.
The day had started normally; Zuko and she had met up around lunchtime to go into the city and grab some food. The Imperial Firebenders, as they always did, hovered in crowd, in full disguises in order to protect the couple while avoiding unnecessary attention. They had walked the streets, Zuko hidden in a hood to obscure his now-famous scar, and they had, after chatting and walking for several hours, settled in a small restaurant in the outer boundaries of the Crater, as it was called. They had ordered their food, and Zuko had decided to take his hood down while the Imperial Firebenders took position all around them at separate tables. They had eaten quickly and had simply sat in silence, enjoying the silence.
Then, Zuko held Mai's hand.
"I know I've hurt you many times, Mai. I've been a bad boyfriend, and a bad person towards you more than once, and I want you to know that I'm truly sorry for that."
She smirked.
"I'm hoping this doesn't mean you want me to pay the bill," she said slyly.
Zuko's face, however, remained serious, and Mai realized something was up, and she fell silent.
"I love you Mai, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you," he said, pulling out a pristine, jet-black ring and setting it on the table.
Mai stared at the smooth ring in shock. She had not been expecting this whatsoever, and she literally couldn't think of a thing to say. Zuko held her hand tighter, and she looked into his eyes, slightly dazed.
"Mai, will you marry me?"
Then, throwing inhibition and caution to wind, Mai kissed Zuko deeply.
"Of course," she said, smirking slightly. "What, did you think I'd say no?"
Mai woke up, smiling with the memory. She held up her hand, looking at the jet-black ring, and thought of her husband, missing him dearly. She glanced out the window, looking at the dark night that matched her ring, and fell asleep, the dim lights of the Capital fading into blackness.
Hekeng Harbor District
"Sir! The Invincible reports movement in the harbor!" came a gruff voice.
Snapping awake, Zuko jumped out of his cot, throwing the covers off. His years on the run had instilled him with the ability to snap into instant readiness at a moment's notice, and that came in handy now. Striding out of his tent, he gestured the Imperial Firebenders to follow him and found General Sato in his tent.
"Put the men on high alert. This could be some sort of diversion."
"Should we order The Invincible to fire, my lord?"
Zuko shook his head.
"I'll go there myself."
Embarking on a small motorized boat, the Fire Lord quickly closed the gap between the docks and the faraway cruiser, The Invincible. The boat arrived in a matter of minutes, and Zuko quickly climbed the rope ladder the crew had thrown down. Arriving on deck, he rolled his eyes to see the entire crew bowing deeply.
"Get up. Where is the Captain?"
A nearby sailor clambered to his feet, pointing to the command tower.
"Captain Kyon is in the command tower, sir."
Turning his head, Zuko ordered his guard to remain on deck, and he quickly ran up the stairs, arriving into the all-too familiar bridge. Captain Kyon and the bridge crew bowed deeply, which Zuko ignored.
"Captain Kyon, what is our status?"
Handing him a telescope, they climbed out of the bridge into the crow's nest, and the Captain pointed straight out.
"One of my men reported a suspicious ship about three miles out. It should be coming back into view in a bit."
Zuko stared through the glass, searching the distant waters diligently. Then, after a few seconds, he saw the dim outline of a large ship begin formulating.
"There it is," he murmured.
"Should we fire, my lord?"
"Prepare the trebuchets, but await my command."
The Captain went back into the bridge, bellowing orders as Zuko kept his glass concentrated on the materializing ship. He looked for any identifying features, seeing none. He saw the dim outline of a flag, but it was too far away to identify, but Zuko could tell that it was a foreign ship; one of the new ones that the Fire Nation had been producing as of late.
Then, as it came closer, Zuko was surprised to see two familiar flags; the flag of the Southern Water Tribe and the Kyoshi Warriors. With a sinking feeling, Zuko lowered the spyglass, groaning.
"Katara."
Affirming to the Captain that the ship was friendly, Zuko traveled back down to the main deck, returning to the docks to await the arrival of his old friends and, most likely, admonishment and verbal abuse.
The Fire Nation ships parted to allow the large ship entry, and the ship slowed to a stop, a gangplank thudding onto the large wooden dock platform. Zuko waited patiently, the General and several other officers waiting at attention behind him. The familiar black-and green uniforms of the Kyoshi Warriors then appeared, and a squad's worth of Warriors took formation along either side of the gangplank, waiting in rigid attention.
Then, a trio of figures descended the gangplank, and Zuko managed to muster a smile. As he had predicted, Katara looked less than pleased with him, and Suki and Sokka followed behind her, noticeably neutral.
"Hello, Katara. It's been a while."
"Skip the formalities, Zuko. Exactly what do you think you're doing back in the Earth Kingdom?" she asked angrily.
"And where is my husband? He should be here," she added, crossing her arms.
Zuko sighed. Sokka grinned at him jovially from behind his sister, and Suki nodded at him stiffly, no doubt feeling conflicted between her duty to her country and her friendship with Zuko.
"Aang is observing the conflict from the mountains. I'll have him notified that you have arrived, and then we'll talk."
Katara glared at Zuko.
"Just make sure you don't screw things up any more."
Then, quickly, a shadow flitted over the group and Aang landed in front of his wife, and the two embraced. Zuko dismissed his generals while the others greeted each other, and then he cleared his throat loudly, bringing the focus back on the matter at hand.
"It's time we talked."
Suki frowned at Zuko.
"What is there to talk about, Zuko? You've got your people safely back, so now you leave the Earth Kingdom."
Katara nodded in agreement and Sokka was busy inspecting a nearby trebuchet in fascination. Aang next to his wife, looking conflicted.
"I'm afraid it is not that simple. Approximately three hundred and twenty-seven Fire Nation civilians are currently in Earth Kingdom prison, and I will not be leaving until they are returned," said Zuko.
Suki crossed her arms in contempt.
"If they're in prison, they must have committed a crime."
Zuko shook his head.
"They were unfairly imprisoned, and I have hundreds of eyewitness testimony attesting to that. No matter what it takes, we shall have our citizens back. Until then, we won't be leaving."
Katara still looked angry, but her complexion had softened somewhat. She knew what it was like to feel a sense of duty towards her people, as she had done with Haru and his father, as well as her basic leadership of the Southern Tribe during the War.
"Look, Zuko, what you're doing is noble, but in the long run it will only make things worse. This conflict will only escalate from here, and a few hundred prisoners will be nothing compared to the thousands that would die from an all-out war."
"No," Zuko said, clenching his fists behind his back.
"I will not abandon my people to life imprisonment. That is not the legacy that my new Nation will possess; in the past, we might have left civilians behind. Now, however, I will protect any member of the Fire Nation to the best of my ability."
Aang nodded in agreement.
"Zuko's right. I've sent Toph to speak to Earth King Kuei to try reaching an arrangement, but he's correct; these people have been imprisoned unfairly, and need to be freed. We need to restore balance here."
Katara rolled her eyes, crossing her arms skeptically.
"How are you going to deal with the standoff, then?"
Aang smiled sheepishly, rubbing his neck.
"I'm not sure yet, but I'll come up with a plan soon; don't worry. For now, however, I'm going back to the cliff to talk to my past lives. Maybe they'll have some ideas of what to do."
Zuko nodded, satisfied, and Katara was complacent, although Suki looked torn. During the time she had served as his bodyguard, he had gotten to know her quite well, and he considered the both of them to be good friends. He knew that Suki put great weight in her friendships, but an equal emphasis on duty. While not formally tied to the Earth Kingdom, Zuko knew that she felt a loyalty to the Earth Kingdom, having fought for it in the Hundred Years' War.
Zuko gestured towards the middle of the Fire Nation encampment, where he had tents prepared for the group.
"I've had tents made to accommodate you. I'll be back, but I have to check the lines, so excuse me. It's been good seeing you guys."
Aang smiled apologetically while both Katara and Suki simply nodded as the Fire Lord walked away. Katara yelled at her brother to follow, and Sokka had been reluctantly torn away from the Artillery operators, whom he had been having an in depth conversation with. As he was being dragged away by his sister he waved a quick greeting to Zuko and smiled.
Far away, a man named Kung and his group quickly put on their Earthbending uniforms and quietly joined the Third Legion. They had been traveling for several days, on the behest of Yang Feng and the Dai Lee. All five of the men had been specially chosen for their mission; all were former military, and all were skilled Earthbenders. Each had had their own reasons for joining the Dai Lee. For Kung, the unofficial leader, it had been because he hated the Fire Nation, and despised the Avatar's friendliness with the Fire Lord.
For others, it had been a desire to make the Earth Kingdom strong once again. The New World Order that had been imposed by the Avatar, they thought, made the Kingdom weak and vulnerable, and those of the Dai Lee aimed to ultimately regain control and make the Earth Kingdom the dominant power in the world.
The group neared an outpost, where they were challenged by a sentry.
"Who goes there?"
"Just us, returning from a patrol."
The Sentry eyed them suspiciously.
"I didn't know of any patrols around here," he said, looking at the group intensely.
Kung shrugged in mock confusion.
"Hey, don't ask me. Following orders."
The man stared at them a while longer, and Kung considered attacking the man; the mission could not, under any circumstance, be compromised, and he would not hesitate to do anything for the Dai Lee. However, after a minute, the sentry was satisfied, shrugging and gesturing the group towards the camp.
Once they left the man's earshot, Kung pulled his men aside.
"You know what to do. When I give the signal, attack. We'd best split up now; good luck. All hail the Dai Lee."
His men saluted, and crawled away to join the Earth Kingdom lines. Kung smiled to himself, heading towards the center of the line.
This time tomorrow, everything would change.
Zuko was interrupted by his observation of the enemy lines by a hand on his shoulder. Turning, he was surprised to Sokka grinning at him.
"What's up, Jerk Lord?" the man said, jokingly.
"Hey, Sokka," Zuko returned, passing over the joke.
He set the spyglass in General Sato's hand, who kept peeking over the edge of a barricade, observing the enemy lines.
"Look, I'm sorry about how my sister's been treating you, but she's worried. We all are."
"Worried that I'll turn into my father?"
"Worried that another war will start. People all over the world are scared, Zuko. It's been ten years since the War ended, and it's still fresh in people's minds."
Zuko sighed, leaning against the barrier tiredly.
"I know, Sokka. I'm worried about that too. I don't want this war, but… I just don't want to repeat the mistakes my father made. During the war, he wouldn't have hesitated to abandon an entire army or cities to the enemy without a second thought. But I… I feel a need to protect my citizens, and this is the only way I can think of that would accomplish that."
Sokka nodded understandingly.
"I know what you mean. I'm just letting you know. I mean, if you died, then I'd have no one to trade terrible jokes with!"
Zuko chuckled. He looked over towards the docks, where a contingent of Water Tribe healers and Kyoshi Warriors were unloading troops. Sato had suggested that Zuko maintain a watch on the Kyoshi Warriors, as they could defect to the Earth Kingdom at any time, but Zuko had refused, knowing such a move would only anger Suki more.
"Your wife hates me, I'm sure."
"Not exactly. She still respects you a lot, and considers you a friend, but she feels a duty towards the Earth Kingdom. She wouldn't betray the Earth King for anything, and she came along to provide security. She'll get over it, I'm sure."
Zuko remained silent, and the two men simply sat for a while.
Then, in the distance, the telltale sound of rock breaking apart sounded, and, as Zuko glanced over the rampart in concern, the Earth Kingdom lines rushed into activity as volleys of rock flew towards the Fire Nation.
The plot thickens... dun dun dun! In all seriousness, thanks for sticking with me, and keep faith; I'm hoping that the next chapter will be the last in this flashback cycle. Thanks to all reviewers, it still helps a lot, so keep reading and reviewing! After this cycle is over, I may take a quick break from this series to visit some of my other fanfics.
Thanks!
-IGdude117