Chapter 4 of the story, it's rather a short chapter but has its fair amount of events
I hope you enjoy.
"That's some pretty good tea, Zuko. Your uncle taught you very well." Sokka said as he was sitting on the table beside the firelord.
"True that." Katara agreed with her brother.
Zuko smiled, the sentiment made him very happy, "Thank you, guys. I'm glad you like it." The firelord said, nothing made him happier than being compared with his uncle, it just proves to him that he's on the right path, even if the subject of comparison is something as trivial as making tea.
"So, you wanted us to talk about why we are here and I insisted that we save it for later. We can start talking now, if you want to." Katara said.
Zuko was astonished by Katara's words, he's starting to forget who's in charge here, "Katara, do you find so much joy in ordering me around?"
"I didn't order you, I said if you want to." Katara said, playing the innocent, obviously teasing the firelord.
Zuko sighed, "Calm down, Zuko. Calm down." The Firelord said as he closed his eyes, he tried not to show any anger, but his flared nostrils betrayed him and showed his true emotions.
"Don't get so mad, I'm just teasing." Katara said, obviously on the verge of laughter, which further angered Zuko.
"Get to the point before I lose my senses here, Katara."
All the while, Mai was holding a laugh on the other side of the table, Katara noticed this which made her almost release a laugh of her own.
"Okay, Okay, Jeez. You are no fun." The waterbender started, she then looked at Sokka who gave her a nod to start talking business.
"Well, our last meeting with the southern watertribe council has been very disturbing. As you may know, we've been rebuilding our tribe ever since the end of the hundred-year war, and we noticed lately that we're running out of resources, and so we decided to stop the project momentarily until we thought of an alternative, my father came up with the idea that we shouldn't just rely on our resources anymore but try to seek help, Meaning no offense, Zuko. But my father thinks it's about time The Firenation paid us back for the destruction it brought upon our tribe, that's why my father sent us here, to convince you to send us materials and supplies to continue rebuilding our beloved tribe, I'd like to have your thoughts on this, take your time to mull it over if you want to." Katara finished, looking at the firelord.
Zuko smiled at Mai, who smiled back at him, "It's like the southern watertribe has been eavesdropping on us." Zuko said with a chuckle.
Katara and Sokka were confused, "I don't get it, what're you talking about?" Sokka asked.
Zuko explained, "We've been discussing this for some time now, I would never take offense to what you said, Katara. It's indeed our duty that the firenation helps rebuild not just your tribe, but the entire world, of course we would be happy to send you all the resources you need to rebuild your tribe." The Firelord agreed happily.
The watertribe siblings smiled happily, "Excellent! Who would have thought it would be that easy? I thought we were going to have a lot of boring negotiations." Sokka said.
"Well, as you may know, Sokka. The Firelord isn't bold enough to say no to me, he knows I'm not to be argued with, don't you, Zuko?" Katara said, her eyes playfully threatening the firelord, an act that made Mai chuckle.
Zuko's anger returned, "Could you please stop treating me like a child?"
"No." Katara insisted, her smirk made Zuko even angrier.
"And you, could you please stop laughing?" Zuko said, regarding Mai.
"Don't talk to her like that." Katara ordered him again.
Zuko remembered what his old friend said about Katara, "You know, Aang wasn't lying when he called you the mother of the group." Zuko said, all of a sudden.
Silence.
The entire room fell into silence, even Mai noticed Zuko's mistake and stopped laughing, Zuko himself put a hand on his mouth and started to observe the reaction of the waterbender.
Awkward silence fell, Katara kept looking at her hands on the table, everyone else had their eyes on her.
Katara noticed that too, but she was too stunned to speak at the moment, eventually she got up and decided to leave.
"Katara, I didn't-" Zuko almost said, but was interrupted by the waterbender who stopped in her tracks.
"Don't. It's not your fault." Katara said, before proceeding to walk out.
The firelord then looked at Sokka, who just kept looking down.
Suddenly, Sokka stood up angrily looking at Zuko, "Don't mention that name in front of my sister again, Zuko. Promise me."
Zuko looked at him, at the moment he didn't order him to tease him, it was sincere, it was a brother trying to protect his little sister, and Zuko couldn't help but accept.
"I promise." The Firelord said.
Sokka then walked out of the room to go after his sister, leaving Zuko behind to feel the guilt.
*The Avatar's nightmare*
There he stood at the southern air temple, with his mentor monk Gyatso, the sight was amazing as they watched the sky bison roaming the skies together in sync, it was magnificent to say the least, he felt at home, full of happiness and joy.
"What're you gonna teach me today, Gyatso?" Aang asked the monk enthusiastically.
Gyatso didn't even look at him, he just kept staring ahead blankly, something that alerted Aang, that's not the Gyatso he knows.
"Gyatso, is there something wrong?" The Avatar asked.
Gyatso finally looked at him, only for Aang to wish he didn't, his eyes were empty, as if the pupils were removed from them and were replaced with a dark cloud, Gyatso kept staring at him with those dead eyes until he finally spoke,
"You're what's wrong, Aang."
Suddenly the scene changed, there he was on the top of Wulong Forest, and beneath him is a frightened Firelord, unable to move from Aang's earth shackles, The Avatar found himself speaking with hundreds of voices, he sounded very menacing as he said,
"Firelord Ozai, you and your forefathers have devastated the balance of this world, and now you shall pay the ultimate price!" and then it was followed by the murder of Firelord Ozai.
After that was done, The Avatar looked down at what he's done, he found a disfigured Firelord beneath him, apparently dead, Aang's eyes and tattoos returned to normal as he slipped out of the avatar state, the feeling of overbearing guilt overpowered him, it made him fall to his knees in agony.
"You're what's wrong, Aang."
The Avatar looked up to find Gyatso and the rest of the monks floating in the sky, looking down on him with their shadowy eyes, as if all their eye pupils were replaced with dark clouds as well.
"Gyatso! I'm sorry. I was weak. please, Forgive me." The Avatar shouted at the old master.
"You are a murder, you disrespected our culture, you couldn't hold on to the promise you made, you don't deserve to be forgiven." Gyatso's sharp words pierced through Aang's chest like spears.
He cried as he was still on his knees, "I lost my way, but I'm willing to atone for my sins. Don't give up on me, please. I have no one left but you."
"You know how to atone, you just don't have the courage to do it yet."
Aang understood exactly what Gyatso was hinting at, he just didn't expect him to say it.
The Avatar looked at the ground, "if that's the only way, then I will."
A life for a life. That's the true way. Aang thought as he was in the middle of all this, that's what Gyatso was hinting at.
The Avatar then stood up, he was on the top of a rock in the middle of Wulong Forest, the distance was very high, he stood at the ledge and spread his arms, he closed his eyes and just let himself go.
But instead of falling to the ground, he found himself falling into a pit, all he felt was immense heat, he opened his eyes to know exactly what the heat was coming from.
He was in the middle of a fire, and scary creatures made of fire surrounded him.
"Welcome to Hell!" One of the creatures said, before they started to devour him.
The Avatar couldn't help but scream, which resulted in him jolting awake, screaming.
The Avatar woke up from his dream screaming, and he fell from the chair he was sleeping on, he fell on his head and it hurt him so.
He stood up holding his head in agony, he tried to make sense of his surroundings.
He was in Ryu's house, sitting beside his bed, as Ryu was sleeping on the bed, with bruises all over his body.
After the incident with Xo's gang, Aang closed the smithy and took Xo home, he nursed the shop owner as blood covered his entire body.
He knew Ryu had no one in the world to take care of him, so he decided to take that task upon himself, especially for the fact that all this happened because of him in the first place.
If only he didn't make that promise, if only he didn't swear off violence, everything would have been different.
Monk Gyatso saying that the only way to atone for his sins was so shocking to him, but as it was a dream, Aang knew it wasn't Gyatso who was talking to him, but his inner demons.
Maybe, it is the only way to completely atone for the sin he made, the world seems fine without him, so it would be both beneficial for the world, to get an avatar that knows what it means to be one, and it would be beneficial for him because he would be able to get rid of the guilt, it's a win-win situation.
Maybe this is the only way, maybe not, why didn't he make that decision a long time ago?
Clearly, he doesn't know, for now, but he will, someday.
Outside the royal palace, there stood a dangerous criminal, preparing himself for battle.
He stood there with his swords on his back, he held his hand up in the air, as he kept looking at the palace, and with one hand gesture, an explosion happened.
BOOOOOM!
Everyone woke up at that, he heard the commotion inside the palace and knew that his plan was working as something caught his eyes, He smirked at that, and he jumped from his place, completely disappearing.
What he saw was Firelord Zuko coming out of the palace to check the explosion, The Berserker decided it was time for the second part of his plan to be set in motion.
Hope you enjoyed this, don't forget to review and have a good one :)