Chapter 12

"...And so the plans for trade route improvement with the central Earth Kingdom will be drawn up to your specifications my Lord. Next order of business," The aging man on the council looked down at his notes, "The possible rebels currently imprisoned at Boiling Rock. Our sources claim they were a part of a plot to assassinate you, but each man denies it."

"Then on what source did you arrest them?" Zuko questioned; the man looked back at his notes, shuffled them, and looked back to the Fire Lord,

"A single source from an outlying village sir, who believes she heard one of the men in custody conspiring with another man"

"Get me another source, and bring the men to the throne room during the public sessions next week. Next?"

Another man spoke;

"Princess Azula, and the next step to take in her treatment."

"Master Katara, I believe you had an idea"

"Yes Fire Lord," Her eyes twinkled at Zuko, "During a conversation with her physician, it was suggested that solitary confinement may do more harm than good for the Princesses health, so I propose she be sent to the mountain home of the Fire Lord, with Lady Mai, and Ty-Lee, where she can reconnect with her childhood friends, and begin her reintegration into society"

Most of the men around the table nodded in agreement, and mumbled their appreciation for Katara's presence at the meeting.

One man however sighed, as the din died down. Zuko lowered his fire slightly to see the man;

"...Councilman Zhao?" The elderly father of the late commander leaned forward into the Fire Lord's eyeline, "You have something to add?"

"My Lord, dignified council members," He looked around and spat, "Master Katara. I fear we are putting Lady Mai and Ty-Lee in too much danger; Princess Azula is unstable...unsafe...a danger to all she comes into contact with." He began to smile, "I fear...that solitary confinement may be the only option available to her. The people will never accept her again, and I'm afraid she will never accept this; when will the Princess realise she isn't worth saving? When, indeed. She is not an asset my Lord, she is a constant danger to all, and should she realise that she isn't getting better and the only option for her is to be locked away, she will no doubt act out, and over power her frail physicians, and once again, the world will be at her mercy." He looked smug; Zuko was gripping his knees to keep his hands from shaking, and blasting the face right off the man speaking.

"Councilman Zhao, you forget that she can no longer bend. She..." Katara was cut off by the older man,

"Master Katara, hold your tongue. You may be in with the Fire Lord, but in the Fire Nation, women are not afforded the same...freedoms...you seem to think they are. Your opinion is invalid."

The fire around Zuko surged to the ceiling;

"COUNCILMAN ZHAO, THAT IS ENOUGH"

Katara stood, motioned for Zuko to calm down, and stared down the offending man;

"Councilman Zhao, I was raised to believe that the Fire Nation was inherently evil. Throughout my travel experiences, which are more extensive than yours, I have encountered people from each nation with great good in them, as well as great evil. My opinion of the world has vastly changed. The Fire Nation had produced some of the greatest people I know and have heard of, Fire Lord Zuko, Avatar Roku, Master Jeong Jeong, Master Piandao, The Dragon of the West, Lady Ursa, countless men and women who took myself and my friends in when we needed help, who had strength beyond what you can understand,"

"All traitors!" Zuko went to speak again, as well as a number of men around the table; Katara raised a hand to silence them, then turned her stare back to the man down the table;

"I was not finished! The world for the first time in 100 years is back in balance. Those 'traitors' are your people, and in case it has escaped your notice, the world is now at peace because of them and countless others, because of the nations rising against a man who thought he had ultimate power. The one person that has that ultimate power didn't want it, doesn't use it for ruling over innocent and helpless people, and is a very close friend of mine. Ozai, Azulon and Sozin were intimidated by this power, and took away the entire family and race of that person. Thousands of lives taken in the pursuit for power in a single day, and millions more since then. People in this room have lost things because of that pursuit, even you Zhao. I watched your son perish at the North Pole, I watched it almost destroy the Avatar, because he values every life, whether the life he saves is trying to kill him or not. Princess Azula has also lost things, her mother, her power, her bending, her friends, her commanding position, her friends and her family. The Avatar reinforced something in me that I knew when I met him; every soul, no matter how damaged, no matter what they have done is worth saving, is worth the effort. Azula is to be given a chance. On that, there will be no discussion. Lady Mai and Ty-Lee will be well aware of the risk they will be taking; do not think them as weak as you clearly do sir. As to the Fire Nation not affording it's women the same rights and freedoms I am used to, I am not used to any different than what is done here, you are just being primitive. In case it has slipped your mind, I am one of the strongest benders in the world, and certainly one of the strongest water benders, and I have skills you could not imagine, and I have used them. The war cost me dearly, and I will not let men stuck in the old ways disgrace my friends, everything I have fought for with them, and destroy the lives of people again." Katara stood resilient for a moment, breathing heavily. Zhao did not sink back into his chair in shame; instead he stood and straightened to his full height, towering over Katara. Even at the distance she was at, it was daunting sight. As he stood though, what happened next, neither Zuko or Katara could have seen coming. The rest of the councilmen stood, those with bending drawing fire to their fingertips, (and the Earth Kingdom representative calling rocks from the garden outside the only window in the room), and each faced Zhao. He looked stricken.

"Councilman Zhao," Zuko began, obviously struggling to keep his voice calm, "I suggest you take your leave. Consider yourself fired and banished from the Fire Nation capital. You may leave with your freedom, and your life, but know that if you threaten me, Master Katara, my sister or anyone I know again, I will find you, and I will not hesitate to take your life. You will not be spared, and you will not get any leniency. Leave" The man hesitated for a second too long; Zuko shot a string of fire at the papers that had sat on the table before him, and set them alight. "Your last warning. Leave now, or lose your life" Zuko was losing his patience, and his ability for mercy. Katara wished to look at him, to see that his face had not turned to hate, but she could not tear her face away from the oppressing man down the table.

The heat from each fire bender grew more intense with each passing second, but still elder Zhao stood, staring at Zuko and Katara. Zuko's fire changed from orange to blue, and the light and heat filled the entire room.

Zhao fled the room.

The stone doors slammed shut,

"Guards! Arrest that man!"

Zuko's mercy had failed.

The temperature of the room slowly lowered, and each person retook their seat. Zuko put his fire out, and buried his head in his hands. A councilman spoke, causing Zuko to jump,

"Fire Lord Zuko, what shall be done about Zhao?"

Zuko considered this for a moment, "He shall be imprisoned next to my father in the high profile security vaults of the tower. Session is over. Thank you gentlemen"

The men all rose and left, bowing as they exited through the stone doors and the guards moved to the outside of the room, leaving Katara and Zuko alone.

Once the doors were shut, Zuko leaped from his high position, and ran to Katara, pulling her into a tight embrace, as she began to cry. He freed up an arm and scooped her up onto his knee, put his arm back around her, and rocked her back and forth until her cries which had become sobs began to subside, and they remained sat there, just in each other's presence.

A/N Hey guys, if it isn't obvious, I'm having a bit of an angsty time this week, and it just flowed out into this chapter. I love Katara, and she is awesome, and I can totally see her beating down stupid council members as part of the white lotus, but I also think she is an especially vulnerable character because of the war, so that last bit happened. I'm not even sorry. Zuko is not becoming Ozai, but he can't let everyone get away with being a dick.
Next chapter (hopefully, unless my hands type something else) the Gaang and everyone will be back, I'm writing the birthday chapter(s). How are we feeling about a time jump? a few months or so, so that Iroh is out the bet, and then just write up until the 2 year anniversary of the end of the war, then write the day after as the proposal and have Hakoda also out the bet?
Last question, Toph and Haru? How we feeling about this? It's a ship I've been mulling over, I like it, but I'm writing this for you guys too, so what do we think? xx