In Yu Dao...
Mao was watching Kori Morishita and the so-called Yu Dao Resistance practicing drills. The plan was simple in design, the Earthbenders would throw up a barricade of stone, and at the same time elevate the Firebenders and Earthbenders to throw rocks and fireballs over it. If they had a phalanx of foot soldiers armed with some rifles and cannons, they could give any attacker some pause.
"Good work today! We'll meet again tomorrow morning, same place!" said Kori to her little band, "Hey Mao, I didn't know that you were watching, why didn't you join we could really use someone like you!"
Mao was who staring into space for a time turned his head abruptly to meet her, but for whatever reason she recoiled when their eyes met.
"Could you not look at me like that?" she asked quietly.
"I beg your pardon?"
"Your eyes scare me," she whispered.
"Oh, my apologies."
"No, it's just that after what happened in SinKiang..."
Mao wordlessly walked up to Kori and grabbed her hand leading her deeper into the crowd.
"Where are we going? Where are you taking me?" asked Kori as they walked through the winding back streets and blind alleys. She turned to see if the others, Jet, Smellerbee, and Long Shot were still following as they were stone faced.
"Mao," Kori finally shook herself from his grasp prompting him to stop. And almost shirked away from his wild grey eyes made him into a complete stranger in a dark alley. "I demand to know where you are taking me," she said finding her voice.
"We need to leave the city as quickly as possible. Hopefully, the port has not been taken over by the Earth Kingdom."
"And leave those people to suffer? No, we are going back there and we're going to protect SinKiang!"
"Kori, we cannot afford to put you into danger like this. We are here to protect you."
"I will not leave those who need my help!"
Before Mao could reply a harsh voice called out to them, "Stop in the name of the law!" Lt. Bae from the town square and handful of men approached them like juggernauts.
"Not for you murderers!" Kori shouted and moved to Earthbend but roughly handled by Jet who stopped her.
"My apologies good sirs, but what seems to be matter?" Mao asked.
"I must ask that you come with us, there are a few questions that I may ask."
"If you have questions you may ask us now we have nothing to hide."
"I will explain later, for now just come with us."
The two of them were standing squarely from each other holding each other's gaze as though two fighters in a ring. But Mao did something unexpected.
"Alright, we'll cooperate," bowed Mao which surprised Kori if they find out who she is, there was no telling what may happen. Would she be held for ransom?
"Handover your-" began Bae but the man would never finish that sentence as Mao's cold black steel sliced his throat. Using his Airbending, he hewed into the cohort who were momentarily shocked. One soldier managed to gather his senses and began to draw his blade but was almost cut in two. Another who was unarmed, probably an Earthbender, tried to flee but he was fatally slashed on the back. A third chose to fight but as he came down on an overhead strike, his belly was slashed open as Mao made quick work of the cohort like a tiger set loose on a flock. The last in the narrow street was so terrified he fled screaming.
But the man did not get very far as an icicle pierced his throat silencing him.
The Earthbender who had been slashed across his back was crawling on his belly towards a back alley door, leaving a blood trail as he tried. Mao stepped over the man and pressed the tip of his bleed into the back of the man's heart killing instantly. Bae was on his back choking on his own blood as he grabbed his throat in a futile attempt to stop the bleeding. "Nom*d sc*" he managed before expiring.
"H-he killed them, he killed them all," said Kori whose was frightened eyes were crying. When she looked the fresh corpses that had once been alive, the smell of iron, and bile from the cut open stomach. What made it worse was the thought of the grieving families who would hear the news of the passing of their loved ones. It was too much as she fell on her knees, her stomach lurched and vomited.
Yumiko walked over the bloody scene and eyed Mao as he wiped his blade clean. Despite this rough hygiene there was still blood splatters all over him.
"Thanks Yumiko, had it not been for you he might have gotten away," said Mao.
"You're getting sloppy," admonished Yumiko.
"The Earth Kingdom is going to come after us for what you did," said Smellerbee.
"What does it matter? We're going to fight them anyway," said Jet.
The pounding of mounted soldiers filled the air.
"Let's go," said Mao and they ran for it.
The pounding hooves were getting closer as they darted from street to street. Each step knowing that the riders of the ostrich horses were coming ever closer to them. There were shouts as more soldiers gave chase.
Mao stopped abruptly to look back at the others each one searching his waiting for an answer for their predicament. "Jet, keep leading them to the harbor, I'll bring up the rear, go!"
He waited for the others to pass him by and duck into another alley. The mounted soldiers pounded came from another corner and galloped at him, threatening to run him down. The crowd on the street parting way to avoiding being trampled. One unfortunate grocer carrying a basket of cabbages over his head was knocked hard to the ground. The heads of cabbages smashed underfoot by hooves.
"My cabbages!"
Mao took out a metallic trinket, once again used his airbending, and with a well practiced swing of his arm, he threw it as hard as he could causing a high pitched screech to fly by the ostrich horses heads. The spooked mounts faltered and bucked threatening to throw off their riders who cursed and beat them. To add more confusion he cut loose barrels of rice wines that were precariously stacked to roll over the ground. But they were soon joined by Earth Kingdom foot soldiers who shouted at him.
Mao leapt to a rooftop and threw a shuriken it connected with one man hitting him on the leg. His pursuers now screamed bloody murder as they gave chase. Three Earthbenders leapt towards Mao's perch who knocked one away in midair, a second he kicked off, but the third landed next to him and the fight was hand-to-hand.
The Earthbender, who apparently did not have a weapon, tried to create distance so that he may use his bending more effectively. But Mao was having none of that as he closed that distance on his opponent, disrupting his timing, causing him to make mistakes, and create openings in his defense. But Mao was not done, he attacked low with a low kick to the thigh, and finished with a hard and fast straight punch into the man's throat.
Mao stepped back and drew his blade, the Earthbender weakly raised his hand but was given no reprieve. After the bloody deed was done he turned to flee again. Blessed with his Airbending, he leapt from rooftop to rooftop until he rejoined the others. At the port the dark twins, Kikujirou and Toshirou, were on board the ship already pushing off the dock to make its escape out to sea. They had to jump onto the ship followed by shouts from the dock.
"Stop that ship!" yelled an Earth Kingdom soldier and was replied with a fireball from the firebending twin Toshirou.
Mao drew back on a bow and loosed an arrow, the arrow shot straight and true. Piercing the thick oak shield and sinking deeply into its master. The master paused out of shock and shouted. "I've been shot! One of them is an Airbender!" The soldiers darted about the dock looking for somewhere to hide as Mao loosed more arrows.
Is this the power of the Airbenders? Kori asked herself transfixed at Mao's back. As though sensing someone staring at him intently he turned around, his stormy grey eyes staring back at her behind a mask of blood. Those eyes that once filled her with infatuation now scared her.
"So," began Mao as he walked Kori home, "How many people do you have in the Yu Dao Resistance?"
"Just my cousins, there were just five of us today, but we have fifteen more people signed up. They couldn't make it because they were busy today," she explained.
Too busy or do they have the good sense not to get in the way? He thought. He was trying to think of a polite to advise against her in organizing a militia. A haphazardly put together militia that has had only a few days of training would cause more harm than good. Better to leave it to the professionals to fight. And if men like Kori's cousins wished to volunteer they should take their time to be trained by professionals. His thoughts drifted to those heady days with the Earth Kingdom Army, where men and boys who were just farmers or craftsmen levied to become foot soldiers. If they were lucky they would spend a few weeks training. At worst they were simply given a spear and sword, and then herded off to fight. People who by rights should not have been there to begin with, and they died by the hundreds and by the thousands.
"Who old are you Mao?"
"I will be eighteen soon," he answered honestly.
"And how long did you train for before you went to war?"
He paused for a bit, "As soon as I could walk, my grandfather taught the "Way of the Warrior." The first lesson he taught me was when I was sick and he took me to the doctor. On the way back I asked me to carry me he said to me, 'Nonsense, a warrior is never carried, he walks!'" He smiled broadly.
She chuckled, "So you started when you were young."
"Yes. As soon as I could walk I was taught how to Airbend, by age five I learned how to ride a horse, at about eight I learned archery and how to handle a sword. By the way, have anyone of you or your cousins had any battle experience?"
Her face fell. "No. You probably think that what I'm doing is pretty stupid. That we're not soldiers. It's too dangerous. I have already heard it all from my parents."
"Your parents don't know what you and your cousins are doing?"
Her auburn eyes looked up at his, they were not angry, just frustrated. "All my life, people have been asking me to choose. I am an Earthbender and a Fire Nation citizen, and I live in Yu Dao. I will not leave my home simply because it upsets some people in Ba Sing Se. And I will not give up to a tyrant in the Fire Nation or in the Earth Kingdom. All I want is to stay here and simply live. This is my home. If I must fight for my right to live, then so be it. That is my choice."
"You know what Kori?"
Her face hardened with anticipation.
"I agree with you with every word that you've just said."
In the Fire Nation...
"I stayed up all night thinking about what you said," Zuko said as he watched his father Ozai do his morning exercise routine in the prison courtyard. Despite his inability to Firebend, Ozai still practiced his martial art, moving slowly in his movements, and focused on his breathing.
"Are you listening? Besides you are doing the Tao Lu wrong. Shouldn't you moving a lot faster and stronger?" Zuko said petulantly.
"Yes, I am listening to you," said Ozai patiently. "And in regards to my tao lu, I am doing it slow on purpose. Having been stripped of my bending, Fuyumi tells me my chi is completely off balance and I should go out and exercise."
Zuko tsked.
Ozai paused and relaxed to look at his son with an expression that is unreadable. "Unfortunately, Fuyumi and her father have not been able to restore my abilities. So I must find other ways," the middle aged Ozai said resuming his tao lu. He leapt high to do a spinning kick in mid air, landing firmly and silently.
Zuko's eyes widened slightly at his father's physical control and then continued where he had left off. "At the beach, I was overwhelmed by my circumstances because I couldn't decide whose side to take. I should have sided with the hawk. It was strong and noble, much like the Fire Nation. It had earned its meal. And even though I have taken my duties as Fire Lord more seriously, I still can't sleep!"
Ozai took a seat and drank tea with his son.
"You know son. In my first week as a guest here, I have never had a better night sleep than when I first became Fire Lord. You're only partially correct in your assessment. Your sleeplessness does indeed stem from your inability to choose sides-"
"But I have chosen a side!"
"-When you chose to side with the turtle crab you were right, and the hawk would have starved."
"So you're saying...I should have defended the turtle-crab? I should have sided with the weaker of the two?"
"The lesson that I tried to teach you, with the story about you and the turtle-crab, is that there are no clear right and wrong. And sometimes the right thing to do, is decided by your perspective of what is most beneficial."
"Like you decision to burn the whole world to the ground?" Zuko hissed.
"Ah yes. Into the Ferno," Ozai nodded and his face became stately. "What we...what I decided, was to adopt a policy of Total War. Before my decision everything and everyone in our great nation were mobilized to contribute to the war effort. Even when we defeated their armies, the Earth Kingdom would still not surrender. We could never break their will to make war, the only man could perform that feat was the Earth King. All we needed was a stroke of His Brush and the King's Seal. You told me yourself, 'the Earth People is a strong and proud nation. They would not surrender until all hope was lost.' Thus, total war everything in the Earth Kingdom that would contribute to their war effort had to be destroyed-"
"Two wrongs don't make it right," Zuko replied automatically.
"But just enough to make sure the people survived and hopefully that would have convinced the soldiers to lay down their arms."
"How-how can you justify destroying an entire nation? I heard you talk about your ultimate plan. I was there! You wanted to see the whole world burn and from the ashes a new world order. One made in your image as the Phoenix King!"
"At the time, I it was somehow necessary even worthwhile. Had it not been for the Avatar. By the way I've heard rumors about this little meeting between you and the Avatar."
"And the Earth King. Father, whatever decision I make in regards to the colonies must involve the Earth Kingdom. If we can just reason with him-"
"Do you think the Earth King, after being humiliated time and time again by our mighty nation and his own incompetence, will be reasonable? Do you think he will treat all of his subjects equally and fairly? Just look at how he has treated his own country's minorities, the Air Nomads. They have no rights, no fairness under the law. I know it all, even as we speak the Dai Li are spying on the Air Nomads to suppress them. When the Air Nomads peacefully petition their ministers they are silenced. And when they rise up the Earth King sends his army to massacre them."
"What the Earth King does to his subjects should be no concern of the Fire Lord! Besides why should we go to war with the Earth Kingdom, to save a bunch of blood sucking Nomads who care nothing but profit?!"
"Because our people would be treated no differently than those blood sucking nomads; even worse if you allow the colonies to be overrun. In an attempt to restore his own dignity and feed his vanity, the Earth King will send out his army to crush them. If you are truly the Fire Lord, you will defend all of your imperial subjects and citizens ferociously! Regardless of race! If you wish to restore the honor of the Fire Nation, then show the world that we are a country governed by moral principle. You must show the world your will to protect the Fatherland by acting decisively!"
"I am going to wait, and my patience will be rewarded with a peaceful resolution for everyone! Even as we speak, the Avatar is-"
"The Avatar is an irrelevant relic from a bygone age. He wants to keep the world frozen in time. And you know what called the great hundred year war? He called it the Century of Humiliation, it's all too clear which side he would choose," Ozai got up and walked a few paces away shaking his head.
"Avatar Aang is my friend! More often than not, he's been on the side that's right! I trust him."
"Do you trust him than you trust yourself?" Ozai turned to face his son.
Zuko's face was filled with uncertainty.
"You sicken me, Zuko. Leave my presence.".
"Who are you to talk to me this way? Have you forgotten your current place in-"
"LEAVE. MY. PRESENCE."
Sun Tzu watched over Zuko from the parapets of the prison, as the young sovereign made the long walk back to his palace. He turned to see Ozai walk towards him.
"Your Majesty," the wizened advisor bowed in deference to his deposed monarch.
"First Zuko and now you. At this rate I may end up running the country from here," said Ozai as he took out a pipe and struggled with a match. Sun Tzu reached over and lit the pipe with his Firebending and then joined him in their shared hobby.
"My son is an ignoramus," said Ozai leaning against the wall.
"He means well. There are times he reminds me of you at that age. And just as thick headed," defended Sun Tzu.
"He's nothing like me," Ozai cocked his eyebrow.
"Oh," Sun Tzu eyes were a lit, "how about when you and I were arguing over the coal strikes?"
Ozai scowled.
"You wanted labor reforms and I threatened to dissolve the cabinet but you were determined. And you weren't able to get them passed through parliament the first time. But you learned the game and you played it well."
"And what are you saying?"
"I am saying that your boy needs you. I am trying to get through his thick skull of his and give him my best advice, but I don't think I am getting through to him. At this rate, who knows what may happen," Sun Tzu leaned against the wall looking out to the setting sun.
"I can't exactly start a school for kings from a prison cell. Everything that I have built up over the years can only be understood by you. Why doesn't he listen to you?"
"Because he probably sees me as...'an irrelevant relic from a bygone age,' I haven't heard those words for a long time until today," chuckled Sun Tzu with Ozai. "The boy is floundering Ozai. He is ruling by his emotions, he just sent a decree out to the colonies to stop helping the Nomads fight the Earth Kingdom."
Ozai sucked on his pipe, exhaled and walked away without looking back saying, "thank you for the pipe. I want to be alone for now."
Sun Tzu bowed to his deposed sovereign.