XI: King

As they flew onward, there was some debate as to what to do: Go and infiltrate the King's palace, or go home. Why go home? Well, they were concerned about Zuko. There was always a spark in his eye that flickered with his emotions, but now it just seemed like it was gone, no raging inferno of anger, no gentle flame of calmness, or a stuttering flicker of sorrow, it was just gone.

Still, Sokka persuaded them to go straight to the Earth King they had Long Fen on the run, and they got Appa back, they might as well make it to the finish line. So they flew straight to the palace, laid waste to all the guards, broke down the king's fancy door, and ran inside bearing their weapons!

So, naturally, Earth King Kuei wasn't exactly quick to trust these kids when they told him that they were here to help and were trustworthy, especially since Long Feng was there to tell the King that they were there to overthrow him.

"You invade my palace, lay waste to all my guards, break down my fancy door, and you expect me to trust you?" He questioned.

"He does have a point." Toph stated.

"If you're on my side, then drop your weapons and stand down." The King told them. So they dropped their weapons, with Aang stating: "See, we're friends, your Earthiness!"

However, Long Feng ordered the Dai Li. to detain them, and so they tied their hands back.

"But we dropped our weapons! We're your allies!" Sokka exclaimed.

"Make sure that the Avatar and his friends never see daylight again." Long Feng ordered the Dai Li

"The Avatar? You're the Avatar?" Kuei questioned, looking at Sokka.

"Uh, no, he is." Sokka replied, nodding his head over to Aang.

"Over here!" Aang told him, showing his hands, and then bending his stone cuffs to keep himself bound.

"What does it matter, your Highness? They're enemies of the state, and my men have discovered that one of them is a dangerous Firebender." Long Feng spoke.

"Hmm, perhaps you're right." Kuei replied. However, his pet bear approached Aang and gave him a sniff and a couple licks. Kuei smiled and decided that since Bosco seemed to like him, then he would hear them out.

Aang told the King about the war that had been going on for 100 years with the Fire Nation, and Long Feng's conspiracy to control him and the city. Even going into detail that Long Feng had stolen his Bison. The King was hesitant, but they proved that Appa bit him, but that didn't prove the conspiracy.

So they eventually took the King to see the headquarters for the Dai Li, only to find the entryway had been destroyed, but luckily, they remembered the drill, and there was no time for them to cover that up, and so they showed it to the King, and Long Feng did himself in by saying that the drill was imported as a part of a project because domestic machinery couldn't be trusted.

Now realizing that Team Avatar was telling the truth, he ordered Long Feng to be arrested and he would stand trial for crimes against the Earth Kingdom.

"Looks like Long Feng is long gone!" Sokka called out. "Ha, I've been waiting to use that one."

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"I want to thank you, young heroes for opening my eyes. All this time, what I thought was a great metropolis, was merely a city of fools, and that makes me the king fool.We're at war, with the Fire Nation." King Kuei spoke, covering his face with his hand at that last statement.

Sokka stepped forward and told him: "That's why we came to Ba Sing Se, Your Highness. Because we think you can help us end the war."

"We don't have much time. There's a comet coming this summer. Its energy will give the fire benders unbelievable strength. They'll be unstoppable." Aang added.

"But there is hope. Before the comet comes, we have a window of opportunity. A solar eclipse is coming. The sun will be entirely blocked out by the moon, and the Firebenders will be helpless." Sokka continued.

"What are you suggesting, Sokka?" King Kuei asked.

"That's the day we need to invade the Fire Nation. The Day of Black Sun."

"I don't know. That would require moving troops out of Ba Sing Se. We'd be completely vulnerable." King Kuei told them.

"You're already vulnerable. The Fire Nation won't stop until Ba Sing Se falls. You can either sit back and wait for that to happen, or take the offensive, and give yourself a fighting chance." Sokka replied.

King Kuei mulled things over for a moment before finally agreeing to support them. They were delighted and had a mini celebration, while Zuko stepped off to the side.

A moment later, General How, King Kuei's highest-ranking general, arrived to announce their findings after a search of Long Feng's office. They brought Team Avatar into the office to show them secret files. It turned out that there was a letter to Toph from her mother, a note found attached to Appa's horn from a guru who said he could help Aang master the Avatar State, and an intelligence report from Chameleon Bay.

"Led by Hakoda, it is Dad!" Katara exclaimed.

"I'm sorry that there's nothing for you, young man." King Kuei spoke, as he looked to Zuko.

"It's alright, I wasn't expecting anything anyway." Zuko replied.

The Earth King and General looked at him, and finally Kuei spoke: "Long Feng mentioned that the Avatar had sided with a Firebender, is that true?"

Zuko produced a tiny puff of flame, and then told the King: "I am a Firebender of the Fire Nation, exiled as a disgrace to the nation, sent out to capture the Avatar in order to restore my honor, but instead I've chosen a different path and join him as a friend. If you wish, I'll leave this palace at your command, but know that I am on your side, I give you my word."

"I believe it would be best if you were to leave, and I promise that I won't mention that a Firebender was here to anyone outside this room." Kuei replied. Zuko gave a proper bow and departed to head for their house.

In fact Team Avatar decided to depart altogether, allowing the Earth King to mull things over and to discuss with his general. They also had things to talk over amongst themselves.

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Upon their return home, Iroh immediately met up with the gang, and asked them: "What happened while you were out? Zuko just came in and retreated to a bedroom and shut the door!"

"Iroh, there's something you really must know." Sokka spoke

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Iroh stepped inside Zuko's room with a hot pot of tea and sat down beside him.

"Your friends told me everything, down to the very last detail." He stated, and he passed a cup of tea, Zuko met his eyes, and Iroh saw that he held sorrow. When he looked down, Iroh placed a hand on his shoulder, and told him: "I want you to know how proud of you I am. I am sorry that you had to make such an extreme decision, but you chose to make it at precisely the right time, and to see you show remorse for what you did makes me even prouder, for it shows that your spirit is very human."

"I saw their faces, Uncle, they're scared of me."

"We talked at great length about what happened. Sokka and Toph have come to understand your actions, and believe that you made the right choice."

"What about Katara and the Avatar?"

"They are still coming to terms with what happened… Zuko, when a man turns against his own friends in his quest for vengeance, he has lost all honor; when a man downs his enemy in only in the name of self-defense and last resort, then he is an honorable fighter. I have forgiven your actions, Prince Zuko, now I think that it is time to forgive yourself." Iroh spoke. He got up and left Zuko to his thoughts again.

When he stepped out into the main room, Iroh told the others: "I believe he's doing better, but in order for him to heal completely, he would ask for the forgiveness of everyone."

"The monks have told me that all life is sacred, and that violence is never the answer, that's why I don't eat meat and search for peaceful resolutions… at least when I can help it… but to take a life so that you may save your own, it's a concept that I've hardly ever heard about."

"Well, Aang, lets look at a hypothetical situation: Jet and Zuko are hanging off of a cliff, you're only able to save one, which one do you pick?" Toph asked.

"I suppose that if I could only save one, I'd pick Zuko, he's become a good friend since he joined us." Aang replied.

"Good choice, now when Zuko acted against Jet, he only had two options: Kill Jet, or let Jet kill him, Jet already made up his mind to kill Zuko, so Zuko defended himself the only way he could." Toph explained.

"Aang, the world isn't all lemurs and flying bison. There are also platypus-bears and moose-lions. Sometimes violence is the answer, especially when there are no peaceful options left. We were in a fight between the Dai Li and Long Feng, and Jet turned against us and Zuko when he saw him Firebend because he had no other way to defend himself from the Dai Li agents." Sokka added.

"Katara, why aren't you saying anything?" Aang asked.

"I don't know what else to say. I hate Jet for turning against us, and I hate that Zuko had to resort to that extreme with his bending against a nonbender."

"Hey, Zuko had no other options, he was nailed to a cliff and without his swords. Jet could've listened to us and stopped his approach, but he didn't, and he paid the price." Sokka replied.

"Enough!" Aang exclaimed. He got to his feet and went into the bedroom. There he found Zuko looking up to him, he looked as if he was about to speak, but Aang held up a hand and told him: "Sokka and Toph believe that you made the right decision at Lake Laogai… Growing up the way I did, I cannot fathom using my bending in such a way, but they helped me to understand why you did it, and in all honesty, I like having you here. I'll tell you this though: the monks have taught me that forgiveness is the first step to begin healing. For you, I believe that I can forgive."

"Thanks Aang." Zuko replied.

"However, now I wonder if I would ever want to learn how to bend fire." Aang stated.

Iroh heard this from outside the room, and so stepped inside to tell them: "In the Fire Nation, the ways of bending fire have been corrupted, but if you look to the ruins of the sun warriors, you'll find the true meaning."

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Just so you know, at this point we're a few days earlier than the series. That's just the situation.

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