Aftermath
Chapter 10
They were all devastated at the events that took place only hours before. Their loss was almost unbearable. Most of the men they had rescued lay dead as well as Kin-lo, who gave his life protecting his man. Most of them sustained a series of burns ranging from bad to worse, but their over all condition was good, or at least better than the Fire Benders who all lay dead at the foot of the destroyed hospital.
Zuko had struggled to figure out why the Earth benders survived when the Fire benders did not. Not many of the men were talking much, considering they all lost a friend and if not they at least lost one of their brothers of the army. Despite their grief, Lang explained what happened.
"After you ran into that building," He began, "Myself and the others were fighting for our lives outside. Men were dropping left and right. Then as the Fire Benders closed in around us and we thought all hope for our survival was lost, we heard an explosion start. Thinking fast Loam and the other benders raised a shield of rock which covered us from the flames. But those stupid Fire dragons were too slow to protect themselves which ended with them being burnt to a crisp."
Zuko was stunned at the amount of deaths he felt he had caused of his own people. But yet the news of people in the Fire Nation wanting him to become Fire Lord left a strange sensation of being wanted he only felt with his mother or uncle. These people needed him. But the thought of him bringing peace to the world sounded a little too much like the Avatar's job for him to get excited about.
In many ways he still blamed the Avatar for his unhappiness, which he found to be fading with each passing day. Maybe one day he could forgive the boy but not yet. No he still had hope that one day his father would welcome him home with honor. With or without the Avatar.
Hours passed since they left their dead buried out side the Fire nation town. A large thick tree was the only grave marker. After a short service which ended with Loam repeating the traditional Earth Kingdom saying, "Out of the Earth a man is born and into the Earth when he dies."
They were all distraught by the loss, but the look on Jin-lo's face was hardened by the loss of his brother. His earlier good humored self seemed lost forever.
Zuko wasn't sure if he was talking to him or just himself. But as Jin-lo loomed over his brother's grave, what he said next was imprinted on the Prince's mind forever.
"I always dreamed of us becoming great war heroes together." he started. The emotion his voice sent was strong as he began talking to his brother's grave. "But now I realize that is never going to happen. They took you away from me and now they are all going to pay." hatred filled his words. "I swear to you, every Fire Breathing savage that I come across will die."
ATLAB
It was almost too easy. Azula stopped thinking over her plans for the conquest of Ba Sing Se as Mai stepped into the room.
"Excuse me, Princess," She said after a short bow, "but there is some one here to see you."
"Send them in." Azula said, curious to see who would be so bold to interrupt her.
"Yes, Princess." Mai replied and turned to leave.
Not long after Mai left, a young Fire Nation soldier stepped into the tent. He was about in his mid-twenties and looked as if he had just got beaten and robbed. His face was caked with mud, his clothes were torn and he was missing parts of his armor.
"What is your business here?" Azula asked calmly, "we do not offer help to homeless men." she said referring to his dress. The man picked up on it immediately and replied.
"I'm sorry Princess about my appearance but I came to inform you on the news of General Klow."
"Ah, Yes and…" She let it trail off. This man clearly looked nervous.
"General Klow is dead," He blurted out, "Fallen by the hand of Prince Zuko himself."
Azula raised a brow. Little Zuzu defeating an experienced Fire bending master? Was it possible?
"Explain"
"When we engaged the enemy," he started "General Klow spotted Zuko right off. After Zuko realized Klow was after him, the prince rushed into a nearby buildimg, the one we had stacked with blasting jelly…"
Just like Zuko to run and hide Azula thought with just a small smile too herself. But the rest of the story surprised her.
"As we fought outside, I guess Zuko and Klow were fighting in the building then the next thing I knew, the building exploded, killing the rest of Klow's soldiers and I'm guessing Klow himself."
"Then, how is it that my brother survived when others did not?"
"I don't know Princess but, the next thing I knew I was staring into the face of Prince Zuko himself. The strange part was he did not kill me." The soldier paused as if afraid to continue.
"and why is that?"
"He gave me…a message."
"Well let me hear it." Azula said, she could not help but wonder what kind of message Zuko would send her and why this man was stupid enough to actually deliver it. What ever news it was it was almost certain to border on treason.
"I don't know…" he said, clearly afraid to continue.
"I'm losing my patience, soldier I have no time for this! Either give me the message or get out." Azula said this with just the right amount of anger in her voice to get her point across but not enough to scare him away. It was important to know how to handle people.
"He told me that nothing will stop him from taking his throne as Fire Lord." The man paused and looked away. "Not even you."
"Now that you told me that my brother survived, I would like to know why you were not with the others when the building exploded." She said, momentarily forgetting the fact that her brother was threatening her throne.
"Well, Princess…" He stuttered, but Azula interrupted before he could finish.
"You come here and deliver a treasonous message from a traitor you let live!?" She let the ferocity in her voice die down. "It would have been better for you to have died or run away then to have come back."
Azula paused and called in her guards, who then grabbed the man by his wrists and twisted them behind his back. As they were leading him out he suddenly turned around, her soldiers struggled to keep hold as he faced the Princess.
"The only reason I came back was to tell you that Prince Zuko will be on the throne and nothing will stop him. I know you have a record of never failing but Zuko never gives up. He will win." He said with a sudden burst of bravery or insanity, "Zuko will become Fire Lord!" he shouted as he was forcibly escorted out.
Well ,Zuko was certainly getting bold, she didn't even know little Zuzu had it in him to kill anybody. Maybe he'll end up being a challenge after all. She was almost impressed but reminded herself that her brother, Prince Zuko was an obstacle and all obstacles needed to be removed. Even family. Especially family.
ATLAB
Colonel Mongke and the Rough Rhinos were nearing the next town on their journey and as they came closer, they came to realize a great battle must have taken place earlier. Mongke and his team were not on a rampaging mission in claiming towns in the name of the Fire Lord, because this next town was an Fire nation town already. His men were tired of their constant journeying and deserved a few days rest.
When they entered the town, it was crowded with people scrambling to see what had happened. The throng parted as he and his four companions on their Rhino's started through the crowd.
"You", Mongke pointed to the man in the clothes of a Fire Nation town leader, "What happened here?"
"It was the former Prince Zuko and his Earth soldiers who destroyed our hospital." He answered immediately because he knew as well as everyone else did of the fierce Rough Rhinos.
Prince Zuko? Mongke thought, the boy was here? News had spread of the doubling of the bounty on the Prince's head by his own sister.
"Grab somthin' to eat boys!" he shouted to his men, "We got some hunting to do."
Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I know it's short, but I decided to post it so you didn't think I abandoned it. I had a hard time thinking of what I wanted to happen next, but I have it figured out now and you can expect another chapter in a few weeks.