A red sky. Exhilaration. Sozin's Comet gave Lu Ten power he had not felt before, even when bending lightening. Not only was he in more control, but he produced fire that was greater and hotter than ever before. Fire was practically in his veins. Raw energy coursed through him.
The battle for Ba Sing Se was a blur of heat and red. Fire raged through the city and the citizens fled for their lives. Most hid in their homes, but some retreated to the upper rings for more protection. The Fire Nation soldiers were strong. They had tanks and advanced weapons, but they were still no match for the Order of the White Lotus. Iroh and Jeong Jeong were unstoppable forces. The other benders were nothing to scoff at either, even though the comet did not enhance their abilities. King Bumi stopped a whole row of tanks on his own. Pakku and Piandao worked fluidly together to take down soldiers. It seemed the Order would take back the city swiftly and smoothly.
Lu Ten ended up on the street where his home and the inn were. His heart guided his feet to where it wanted to go, and he fought his way there. What he found nearly broke him. Those beloved buildings – the inn and the home beside it – were piles of ash. About half of their house remained, but it was crumbling. There was no sign of Cho or Malina in the vicinity. Panic took hold of him and he looked frantically around. Had they been inside when the buildings ignited? What would he do if they were gone?
No, he thought. That just could not be possible. Ignoring the fighting around him, he tore down the street, scanning for any sign that they made it out safely. He knew that if Cho was around, he would be able to spot her right away. She was the first face he ever picked out in a crowd. The further he got away from the scene, the more that flicker of hope dimmed.
"Cho!" he called out, desperate now. "Cho! Malina!"
He came to a stop and glanced around. Still, he saw no one he recognized.
"CHO!"
No response.
"MALINA! CHO!"
He felt weak. This just couldn't be. He just couldn't lose his wife and daughter. His unborn child. His home. His life. It couldn't be gone. He took a deep breath and squeezed his eyes shut. Tears escaped them and rolled down his face. His whole world had gone up in flames.
"Lu Ten?"
His eyes snapped open and he whipped around. A sudden burst of joy overcame him as he took in Cho. His wife. His everything. She stood just feet away from him, looking shaken and a little singed, but very much alive. And new life was visibly within her, growing. He took two giant steps toward her.
"Cho," he sighed as he folded her into his arms.
She sobbed as she coiled her arms around his neck and held him as if it were the very first time. They clung to each other, Cho gripping handfuls of Lu Ten's shirt, and they wept. Everything had led to this. Being together again.
"Where's Malina?" he asked when he separated himself to look at her some more.
"This way," she replied, and he couldn't help but notice she still had a melancholic air about her. Then he remembered the inn and their house.
As they walked, it was eerily quiet. Then Lu Ten realized that the comet had passed. The sky returned to its usual hue. He followed Cho a little ways down the street where a Fire Nation soldier lay motionless. Malina sat beside him, crying. Lu Ten was confused.
"What's going on?" he asked.
"Well, the inn caught fire," she explained. "Kazuo got us out, but he took in a lot of smoke before a water bender put it out. We took him as far away as we could, but we couldn't find a healer…" she trailed off.
"Kazuo?" he wondered.
"Yes," she returned with a nod. "Your friend."
The realization struck him like a punch. He rushed to Kazuo's side and fell to his knees. Malina released an excited gasp.
"Daddy!" she cried.
He hugged her tightly. "My darling girl!"
Over his daughter's shoulder, he looked at his friend. He and Kazuo had been so close back in the Fire Nation. They had trained together and gotten into plenty of trouble as well. Lu Ten felt like his heart was splitting. He was thrilled to be reunited with his family, but grief was taking over too. He released Malina and moved closer to Kazuo, who coughed heavily. He barely opened his eyes.
"Lu Ten…" he wheezed, and a faint smile claimed his lips. "I knew I'd…see you…again."
"Hold on, Kazuo," he said, taking his friend's hand. "We just need to find you some help."
"It's too late," Kazuo returned, his breath strained.
Lu Ten shook his head. "It can't be. You saved my family."
"Your…family…" Kazuo's voice was barely audible. His grip on Lu Ten's hand slackened. His eyes darkened and then were empty. A last rattling breath left his lungs and he lay still.
Lu Ten had never felt such a range of emotions over so short a period of time. He thought his family was gone, but now had them within his reach. What should have been a glad reunion with an old friend was now a horrific witnessing of his death. Cho knelt beside her husband and rubbed his back soothingly. They both shed tears.
"I'm sorry," she said.
"I'm sorry, too," he replied, his throat tight.
Malina took her father's hand. "Daddy?"
Lu Ten pressed his lips to her head. Then he took both her and Cho in each of his arms. For the first time in many painful weeks, he held his girls. True, they were grieving the loss of a friend and the loss of their home, but they knew that what mattered was right there. They still had each other. As a family, they could overcome anything.
They made their way to the upper ring to find Iroh, who had burned away the Fire Nation flag and officially reclaimed Ba Sing Se in the name of the Earth King. Malina was ecstatic to see her grandfather again, and he scooped her up and spun her around. Cho and Lu Ten were still reeling. They held on to each other as if letting go meant they would be parted again. They explained everything to Iroh, who expressed his deepest sympathies. He also offered Lu Ten a job as a co-owner of the tea shop in the upper ring. Lu Ten said that he and Cho would make a decision later.
When they learned that the Avatar had defeated the Fire Lord, they boarded an air ship to take them to the Fire Nation for Zuko's coronation. Lu Ten would have to officially renounce his claim to the throne, which he was glad to do. Even with peace, he did not want to be the Fire Lord. He still only wanted his life with Cho.
Cho seemed nervous about going to the Fire Nation. Lu Ten assured her that it really was a beautiful place. He held her close as they made their way to the palace.
Lu Ten watched as Zuko emerged in his robes. He looked like a true Fire Lord, and Lu Ten was so proud. He made his way to his cousin's side and the Fire Sage handed him the crown. He gazed out at the crowd before him, and locked eyes with Cho. He smiled.
"Five years ago, I faked my death to escape the Fire Nation and my duty as the prince," he said. "I did it at great cost to my country and even greater cost to my family. But now, as I look at Zuko, I see that this was destiny. There is no one more fit to be Fire Lord. I hereby renounce my claim to the throne of the Fire Nation."
He passed the crown back to the Fire Sage. Zuko knelt down and was crowned Fire Lord. Lu Ten bowed with the rest of the people, and he felt so certain that it was right. Zuko spoke about the coming era of peace, and Lu Ten looked at his wife and daughter. Now, their life together could be open and honest. Real happiness could take shape. He grinned.