Chapter 38
Rallying

Aang's head snapped up from its downward dejected position. Something was happening in the city. Leaping off of Appa he ran into the city to see it suddenly very alive. What had happened? He had only been gone a few hours.

"Excuse me, excuse me please. Could someone tell me what's happened?" Aang called to the bustling crowd.

"Murder. There's been a murder." Someone said.

"King Kuei is dead." Another voice called.

"The fire nation is truly our enemy."

"That's what I've been saying all along."

Aang didn't wait to hear any more of the shouting he snapped out his glider and took off as fast as he could for the palace. King Kuei couldn't be dead. They had talked just yesterday. The cool wind cut at his cheeks but he barely noticed as he raced towards the palace. It was a live with activity when he landed and he began to truly fear the worst.

His head was pounding with a splitting headache and he knew for sure that Azula was here. Her stress level was unbelievable at the moment. He squeezed his eyes shut trying to clear the fog from between them. 'Come on. Come on.'

"LET GO OF ME! Let go of me you foolish humans. You are being deceived. It's that damned general. He's doing this." Azula's shouts came to him.

'She sounds so close.' Aang was thinking. He concentrated on the sound when he heard a scuffle behind him that causing him to turn. His eyes widened, seeing none other than Azula being dragged into the palace by at least four guards. Her hands were bound behind her back and she was kicking out in rage. A cloth was currently being tied around her mouth and she snapped her teeth at the soldier attempting to gag her.

"HEY!" Aang shouted. "Stop it! What are you doing? Let her go."

"Avatar!" The men gasped, struggling between giving a respectful bow and maintaining their hold on Azula.

'AANG!' Her voice rang out bright and clear in his head.

"What are you doing to her? The Fire Lord has been looking all over for his sister. I'm here to take her home." Aang said.

"I'm sorry but we can't do that." One of the guards spoke.

"And why can't you?" Aang demanded.

"Ah, I see you've caught the murderer." Kawamura smiled as he stepped out of the large double doors leading into palace. "Lock her up."

"What?" Aang gasped.

"Oh, Avatar, you're still here?" Kawamura smiled pleasantly.

"Let her go. What's going on? Where's King Kuei?" Aang growled, growing frustrated with the lack of answers he was receiving to his questions.

"She's not going anywhere. The Fire Lord sent her here to kill King Kuei and she succeeded. For her crimes she will hang by the neck until death takes her." Kawamura smiled, as Azula was dragged into the palace behind him.

'Aang, I swear I didn't do it.' Azula's voice cut into his shocked mind.

"What? No! No, Azula wouldn't do that. She's trying to be better. There must be a mistake and Zuko especially hasn't sent her. He wants peace, not war." Aang stuttered.

"There's no mistake Avatar. Kuei is dead and we discovered her attempting to flee the scene just moments afterward. She is guilty and she will die and the fire nation will fall." Kawamura said cooly. "Choose your side Avatar because you are either with us or against us."

Aang wasn't allowed time to answer that because Kawamura had already stormed inside for his war meeting.

- -

"I'm not asking!" Katara shouted. "I'm demanding an audience with the Fire Lord and it will be today."

"I'm sorry, my lady. The Fire Lord is very busy today. He has a lot of important bus…" An adviser was trying to explain.

"I'M IMPORTANT TOO!" Katara finally snapped. "I'm not completely dense. I know there's a rebellion brewing in the city. I know the Fire Lord is busy and I've thoroughly considered that in coming here today. I've let all my other requests slide, I've tried not to be angry when he cancels on me but I am going to see him today and you are not going to stand in my way so move."

"Please try to calm down Lady…" He was cringing. She assumed she probably looked a cross between extremely angry and insane at this point. She'd been arguing with the palace staff for hours. Everyone seemed to be doing their best to keep her in her room playing pai sho all day.

"I WILL NOT BE CALM!" Katara shouted, launching into a rant about how calm she'd been for the last few weeks. Her calm was exhausted.

- -

'Aang! Aang, can you hear me? Please, you've got to be able to hear me. I didn't kill Kuei. It's all a set up. Kawamura just wants to destroy my nation. You've got to get me out of here.' Azula thought desperately as she struggled against her bonds.

'I don't know how to get in to you. You're heavily guarded and I don't think Kawamura's trusts me enough to visit you without trying to set you free.' Aang replied. The conversation was still muffled and distorted but with serious concentration Aang was able to figure out what she was saying.

'Well then figure something out and fast. I have to get to my brother. I have to explain things before Kawamura does.' Azula's voice was desperate.

Aang's back stiffened. He hadn't thought of that. 'Oh no, Zuko's going to be furious. He thinks you abandoned him.'

'He's going to fall right into it. He'll let them kill me.' Aang could hear the sadness in her voice.

'No, we're getting out of here. I'll think of something and I'll talk to Zuko. He'll listen to me.' Aang tried to sound confident but he had no idea what to do.

"Done meditating Avatar?" Hiromu's voice caused him to whip around. "You're awfully jumpy aren't you?"

"I…er…" Aang stammered.

'Don't trust him. He's with Kawamura.' Azula's voice came to him.

"Have you made your decision yet Avatar?" Hiromu asked.

"Decision?" Aang smiled innocently.

"For us or against us?" Hiromu's said in a deadpanned voice.

'For!' Azula shouted.

'For? Are you crazy?' Aang frowned.

'How else are you going to know what they are planning? Go.' Azula snapped.

"Ah…uh, for! Obviously. You're right, Azula's a known killer. She, uh, she shot me full of lightening once. I'd love to get vengeance for that." Aang said.

"Wise choice Avatar." Kawamura entered with a devious smile.

- -

"MY LORD! MY LORD NEWS FROM THE EARTH KINGDOM!" A messenger burst into the meeting hall where Zuko and Iroh sat with their many councilors.

"What's happened now?" Zuko sighed, exhausted.

"Ba Sing Se has called together a war council. They have declared war on the Fire Nation." The man gasped, dropping to his knees in exhaustion, having run the message directly to the Fire Lord after having received it.

"What? Why?" Zuko snapped.

"What is our offense?" Iroh asked in a more soothing tone, patting his nephew's hand.

The man looked as though he wanted to cry rather than answer.

"SPIT IT OUT!" Zuko thundered.

"You're sister my lord. The princess, she has…she has killed King Kuei of Ba Sing Se and they believe she did it under your order to gain control of their lands."

Zuko's face first turned red with rage and then went absolutely livid.

"What?" His voice was short and clipped.

"She was discovered fleeing the palace just minutes after the body was discovered." The man whispered.

Zuko stood then sank back down. He clasped his hands behind his back to stop them from shaking and he tried to take calm controlled breaths. Iroh's hand was on his shoulder.

"Zuko, surely you don't believe this." Iroh's voice held more of a question though he said it with a determined conviction that told Zuko he shouldn't believe it.

"What else am I supposed to believe? She just took off for no reason and now this. She's betrayed me." Zuko thundered.

"I don't believe so." Iroh said quietly.

"Then you don't know Azula. I should have known. Of course she doesn't really want to get better, she was just using me to get out. I should have just remembered Azula always lies." Zuko clenched his fist and willed away the angry tears that were collecting.

- -

"What can you expect from a nation of heartless killers? Here's what you get when nations are diverse. We fell into their trap, you trusted them but they've just proven themselves. They're vermin as I said and best when dead. We must rid the world of the plague that is the fire nation. They're nothing but savages! Who is with me?" Kawarmura cried.

He smiled a cruel smile at the chorus of hoorahs that followed his speech.

"Those of you in doubt, don't feel bad. These people are barely even human, real people with feelings and emotions would never have committed the crimes the fire nation has." Kawamura continued. "Things will only get worse if we don't act now. Their Fire Lord is weak and can barely control his people, they run wild in the streets murdering the refugees who were fool enough to take solace there. We will liberate those who live and we must drive them from the face of the earth. We gave them a chance but they're not like you and me, they simply can't be trusted."

Aang shuddered hearing this from his position in the corner. He had to get back and tell Zuko what was going on.

"First we kill the girl as an example and to rally our troops. She is known all over for her treachery everyone will sleep better knowing she is dead. If the Fire Lord can't even control his own sister how can he maintain a nation? He may have a superior number of troop but they aren't working together at the moment because it's every man for himself at this point in the fire nation. We have the advantage of the mess that is their communication system. Let's use it to our advantage." Hiromu added.

Aang flinched as yet another chorus of hoorahs went up around him. He had to get Azula out of here.

(A/N: Can you guess which Disney movie I watched this weekend? XD)