The encampment's fires were still burning, and its boundaries had been set up all across the plateau, giving the impression of large numbers. But Genpei wasn't fooled. His seismic sense only caught vibrations from fifteen individuals; the rest must have already been on the mountain. "Their other sentries are stone figurines, raised by their Earthbenders to deceive us." He reassured the troops behind him. "Our squad outnumbers them over four to one, even if they're Masters."
Cao Ming jabbed his gauntlet at various Dai Li agents. "You three, tunnel under and come at them from the center. The rest of you, encircle them and move as soon as their flanks are exposed."
Hou-Ting gave them a bewildered expression. "The Order of the White Lotus have come to-"
"They aren't here to rescue you, your Highness. Merely the Fire Lord and his Ashmaker compatriots, as always." Cao Ming cut her off quickly, shooting a glance in Genpei's direction. He clasped the Princess's hand, patting it with his. "While I deal with them, Lieutenant Zicheng and Captain Genpei will serve you as an escort to General Fong..."
Genpei blinked. White Lotus? Where did he remember that term from... He shook his head. Protecting the Earth King's heir from these collaborators, was his mission now. He turned his gaze to the snowy, wooded mountains around them, scanning for ambushes.
"...Who, in turn, will take you to your father with all due deference." The Sergeant continued. "His advance guard has already reached the mountain stronghold; once Fong himself arrives, the Ashmakers will be swiftly dealt with."
"What of the Ashmaker princess?" The young woman interrupted, her tone distasteful. "The child, not the lunatic."
As Cao Ming started to reply, Genpei's eyes caught an orangeish glint, in the trees on the next slope. As he turned to warn his comrades, his ears caught two sharp cracks, one after the other-
There was a blast that shook the hilltop, and a tree three yards to their left erupted into flaming chunks of timber, its' trunk crashing across their path. The Earthbenders threw up barriers to absorb the debris, but two were still knocked off their feet.
"Chin's bones!" Cao Ming cursed bitterly, ignoring the distasteful look on Hou-Ting's face. His gaze moving from the direction of their unseen attacker, to the encampment ahead. "So much for our ambush!"
"They could have been aware of us before, sir." Zicheng kept his barrier raised. "Unless that the rogue Combust-"
"Shut up." The Dai Li sergeant hissed, his eyes darting to Genpei again. "You'll give us away. Change of plan. You four, scout the camp more closely and try to draw the remaining warriors further west, away from the mountain. You two, come with me and Genpei; we're going to take care of their hidden sharpshooter, before they can do any more damage. The rest of you, with Zicheng: get the Princess safely to Fong, at all costs-"
Another tree exploded, to their right. The crack-crack-BOOM that came with it, was closer this time. "GO!" Cao Ming roared, and everyone except Genpei and two other agents scattered. "Right, Captain Genpei. Can you give us the target's location?"
"Already on it." Genpei's stone sole slid back, his bare foot tapping a frozen rock protrusion. The vibrations rushed outward, and returned... He frowned. This had never happened before. "...No."
Cao Ming's gauntlet caught him in the back of the head before he could react, knocking him to his knees. "What do you mean, no?!"
"I mean... I can't sense them." Genpei closed his eyes, the dull pain of the blow already receding. He tapped the rock again, trying to filter out any vibrations that were decidedly non-human. "They..." His eyes opened and rose to the huge conifers, all around them, and a pit of dread dropped into his stomach. "They aren't on the ground."
His mentor followed his gaze, his eyes narrowing. "Then we'll have to flush them out, between us." He gestured to one of the two young officers with them. "We'll distract them by creating some more open ground. You two lie in wait, undercover... and as soon as you figure out where they're shooting from, force them toward us."
Genpei and his partner quickly moved back into a hollow in the snow, around the base of a pine. Flattening against its' great roots, they crossed their fists across their chests. Pebbles and earth streamed upwards from the ground, adhering to their bodies and camouflaging them. His eyes scanned the treetops frantically, squinting against the glare lancing through the fog banks. In the valley below, he could already feel the ground shaking, but not with explosions. Merely the shifting of earth and rocks, and the crash of timber, as his fellow Dai Li laid the trap for their attacker...
A pinecone clattered to the ground in front of him, breaking his concentration. He craned his neck back, staring straught upwards. A long, lanky figure in Fire Nation armor was crouched high in the tree above them, their helmeted head turned in the direction of Cao Ming's ambush...
Before Genpei could react, his fellow agent had shed his camouflage and launched himself upwards with an earthen pillar, hurling one of his gauntlets at the enemy with a battle cry. A sphere of light leaped through a hole in the enemy's visor, exploding as it made contact with the projectile and hurling the youth back. Genpei felt a curse forming on his lips as he shot across the ground, his own gauntlet snagging the youth's robe before he could slam against the next tree. His gaze snapped back to the Combustionbender, who had already moved to a different branch, their face turned toward him. They had gone still, though he couldn't make out their face behind the visor.
"Genpei?" A young woman's voice, muffled by the helmet. "What... what did they do to you?" After a pause, her voice seemed stuck in her throat. "Oh, Spirits. Why did I even need to ask..."
"How do you know my name?" Genpei frowned. Beyond that, there was something strangely familiar about her attack...
The younger Earthbender glanced hastily between them, pulling his robe from the huge man's grip. "You've never met her before... have you, Captain?" His voice carried a hint of a threat, but it was shaking at the same time.
The image of his childhood village, burning on the horizon, suddenly filled Genpei's mind. He spread his feet into a stronger stance, one hand in a fist at his belt, the other drawn back with splayed fingers, feeling for the stone beneath the snow. "My method, and that of the Dai Li, is to kill Ashmakers on sight... not exchange names with them. If I forgot to deal with one, I'll remedy that in short order."
His leg was already lifting as he spoke, stomping a jagged wedge from the ground and punching it toward his opponent. She fired again, blowing it to bits, but as the explosion raised a cloud of smoke, both Earthbenders shot forward under its' cover, launching themselves toward the tree. Flanking the cloud, Genpei caught sight of his opponent leaping to another branch. He made a roundhouse kick, and his stone shoe detatched and flew forward in the shape of a blade, snipping the limb from the tree and dropping the Firebender to the ground with a clang of armor. She scrambled to her feet as he dropped back to the snow, pressurized fire-daggers igniting over her hands. Her heart was going so fast, he could feel her pulse from here...
"Oh, you did far more than exchange names, with me."Her tone, though muffled, was bitter and sad now, and that seemed even more familiar. "You left your mentor Xi to die in the Fire Nation, deceived Long Feng, killed one of your own Dai Li agents so that I had a chance to confront those who wronged me. Because you understood that I'm more than just an 'Ashmaker'... as you are more than a 'Mudslinger'."
Genpei froze. He'd been privy to so many interrogations, over the years... there was no mistaking the vibrations he felt, now. "That's imposs..." He stamped the ground again, trying to clear his head, trying to process what he'd just heard... "How can you be telling the truth, right now?!"
The young agent shot him a frantic look. "It's... true?" His voice filled with disgust and fear. "You murdered a fellow officer... for that?!"
"And if you don't want to be the next one, you'll run." The Firebender bent into a crouch, daggers close to her chest, ready to spring.
Genpei shook his head knowingly. It was a good bluff, but given how strongly she'd favored her Combustionbending before... "Flank her. As soon as we close the distance, she won't be able to match us at close quarters-"
"I don't think so. Flank her, so you can hit me from behind?" His partner took a step back, his gauntlets' fingers molding into stone talons. His other hand went to a bone whistle at his neck. "Once Cao Ming reaches us-"
There was another crack-crack-BOOM, and a cloud of smoke obscured Genpei's vision again. He launched his attack anyway, and was rewarded with a clang of stone on armor, and a grunt of pain. When the smoke receded, both the Dai Li agent and the Combustionbender were gone. But a dented bronze-and-black helmet lay in the snow, and he could feel the rumble of Earthbending from both slopes.
He moved downhill toward the valley, eyes flicking among the treetops, ears tuned for the scrape of boots on bark. "You can make it easier on yourself... if you surrender now. We don't have to execute you, if your talents are pledged to the right cause... either way, it'd be more of a mercy than being left in the wilderness. And your comrades in the camp aren't coming to save you, my fellow agents will make sure of that."
"Oh, the Dai Li told you I was with those White Lotus fools?" Her voice, clearer and more familiar without the visor, from somewhere nearby. "There's no one in this mountain, Earth or Fire, that I have allegiance to. The only one I ever did is long dead, and you're the one who talked me out of avenging him, only this morning-"
Genpei turned and launched a barrage of jabs, hurling stone after stone through the treeline. The armored woman swung through the branches just ahead of them, alternately kicking bursts of fire from her heels. He hadn't felt her pulse this time, she had to be lying...
She suddenly dropped in front of him, cushioning her landing with flames. For all her mocking tone, her expression was sorrowful, her bronze eyes hard but bright. Her hands raised defensively, but no flames ignited over them. "You and I both saved each other's lives, more than once. And after what you did for me, if you think I'm going to leave your soul lost in the darkness, you've got another thing coming-"
Her disheveled, dark hair blew back from her brow as she spoke, and Genpei saw an orange glow on her brow. Instinctively, he stomped, whirled and kicked a collumn of earth and rock across the ground, striking the woman in the solar plexus. She toppled across the ground and lay at the base of a tree, stunned. He stomped again, and earthen projections encased her limbs. Keeping his gauntlet extended defensively, he took several cautious steps forward. Now that the glow had faded from her brow, he noticed it had formed around a strange, reddish tattoo, in the shape of a third eye...
As he reached her, her real eyes opened. She shot him a weak smile. "You and I told each other, so many times. Be wary, of your leader."
Be wary of your leader.
Suddenly, Genpei was in another part of the Dragon's Back mountains. His back against a weary ostrich-horse, snow falling all around them. His hands extended toward a fire, Rila leaning against him...
Rila.
The Earthbender screwed his eyes shut, the stones falling from his fingers as he ground them against his temples. It was too confusing to comprehend, but there must be some reason... "Rila...You can't be here-"
A vicious blow caught him at the base of the skull, bringing him to his knees, eyes watering in pain. Two more sets of vibrations hit the ground on either side of him. He fought to keep his voice steady as he started to pull himself upright. "I think... there's been some misunderstanding-"
A stone gauntlet clamped down on the back of his neck, forcing his face into the snow. "I'm afraid there is." Cao Ming's voice had the faintest touch of pity, behind its' ruthless edge. "I'm afraid Xi misunderstood, the limits of how far your loyalty could stretch, when we recruited you. Not that he would have ever understood weaknesses of the flesh...It is a shame, though. Your talents were so extraordinary, they undermined even my methods. And as such, they have no place in the Earth Kingdom's service." There was a sigh, then the rumble of stones rearranging. "Goodbye, Captain Genp-"
CRACK. CRACK. BOOM.
The stones around Genpei's neck split apart, as the earth erupted under him. A burst of heat caught him in the side, its' intensity reaching his nerves just as he crashed back into the snow. As his body rolled sideways and stopped, he cuaght sight of Rila lunging at Cao Ming's subordinate, fire coating both her hands and a vicious look in her eyes. But he couldn't hear a thing...
Another image filled his vision. The smoking remains of the Caldera Cavern, fallen warriors all around them. Rila standing over General Iroh, her expression full of regret. Izumi slung over his shoulder, as Mai tried to bargain with him for Xi's life. His hand gripping Rila's, as they rushed down the lava tunnel together...
He blinked, and Rila was looming over him, his head in her lap. He winced as he tried to move; he was hurt, he didn't know how badly, but at least he could still feel all his limbs. Rila's lips were moving urgently, her hand on his cheek, but he couldn't hear what she was saying. He struggled to form words himself, not sure if either of them would hear what he was saying, but knowing he had to try.
"Cao...Ming?" Rila glanced briefly over her shoulder, her expression cold. He followed her gaze, to a trail of scorched and broken stone and splinters through the snow. Ending, at a precipice overlooking a sheer side of the valley. He closed his eyes briefly. "And the... other?" Rila's lips formed a word he couldn't hear, but its' shape was as easy to read as her contemptuous expression. Fled.
"Now we've both saved the other... twice, over." He felt the corners of his eyes getting hot, as he inhaled. He wasn't sure if it was from pain, or his emotions; probably both. "I remember you... saying something to me... about going to Republic City when this was over... Would you still take me up on th-"
Rila's lips closed over his own, and he was cut off. His eyes welled over as he closed them. After all the nightmares of the last twenty-four hours... A tiny voice of regret came to mind, as he remembered that his final task was still unfulfilled. But then again, Rila had been warning him away from it from the start, and he hadn't listened...
She broke away, and Genpei blinked. He felt his cheeks burned as another memory of her, came to his mind. "Though... there's a few detours we might take, along the way." His hearing was finally starting to return, faintly. "This... isn't the first time, you've deafened me... is it?"
"You're an idiot." Rila laughed shakily, her own eyes wet. "And I was hardly the only one, making noise." She bent to kiss his brow again, then scooped up a handful of snow and pressed it to his burned side. "How bad does it hurt?"
He winced again. "I think... a couple of my right ribs. Burns aren't bad, though." He took a deep breath, trying to force his pain back. "Rila... I-"
"No more apologizing." Rila put a finger to his lips. "You weren't yourself, I could see that from the start." She began tearing strips from her cloak. "We'll have to bind your injuries, until I can get you to a Waterbender. I know you're hurt, but we need to get moving before nightfall. Whether Dai Li, White Lotus or Azula's followers, I don't need anyone catching up to us."
Genpei started to sit up, then winced as his head throbbed. Rila wrapped several strips around his brow, packed with snow. "My mother used to do this... whenever I'd finished training with my father. I'd had plenty of bruises, from all the times I fell out of trees.. or, if he'd been drinking after a mission. Of course, we never had snow where we lived." She conjured a fireball over her palm as he started to shiver. "Easy, I've got you. Don't die on me-"
Genpei touched her wrist lightly, stopping her. "I... have no intention of dying. I just promised... I'd go to live in Republic City with you... didn't I?" He reached out, wrapping his arms around her, feeling her pulse against his neck. "We've got each other."
Rila didn't hesitate, her warm arms carefully enfolding his barrel-like torso. "Each other, and no one else."
Despite the contractions of age, General Fong cut a formidable figure. Even at sixty-two he was considerably broader and slightly taller than Zuko, who was hardly short himself; the spiked headpiece around the Earthbender's topknot, added a few more inches. A fur-trimmed forest-green cloak and jade pauldrons- each embossed with a bronze demon's face- gave the illusion of even greater bulk to his already-muscular shouders. His tan Army jerkin and armored cuirasse were mostly hidden by a bushy, iron-grey beard that surpassed even Iroh's. No weapons glinted at his belt- its clasp in the shape of a square-pierced circle, the insignia of the Earth Kingdom- but his thick knuckles bunched beneath his studded gauntlets, and his hazel eyes flashed with hostility as they fell on Zuko's party. The ranks of armored troops behind him projected the same attitude, guandao polearms raised and stone discs hovering before them.
Zuko turned to his family and friends, gathering behind him. Azula's expression was alert, her fingers extended; she had moved protectively in front of Ty Lee, despite her wounds. Izumi also looked wary, though her hands were loose at her sides. Though Mai's gaze didn't leave Fong, her expression was carefully neutral. Now that Izumi was safe, she likely felt it was time for diplomacy to prevail, especially after their encounter in Hu Xin. Zuko reached under her flowing sleeve and touched her hand; she squeezed his in return.
He glanced hastily in the Avatar's direction- and immediately realized that, difficult though it might be, he would have to take the role of peacemaker this time. Both their expressions had darkened; Katara's Bending water was whirring in a pressurized disc above her hand, and Aang was once again gripping his staff so tightly, his knuckles had turned white. His eyes and tattoos were no longer glowing, but already a strong breeze was gathering in the chamber.
The Fire Lord turned his gaze back to Fong, whose jaw tightened at the sight of Aang. Words would not be enough here, even if they had to prevail. He raised his Dao to shoulder level, then released it, letting it clang to the ground in front of them. Pressing his fist to his palm, he bowed at the waist, then straightened slowly, mindful of his ribs.
"General Fong." Zuko was relieved that his voice stayed calm and clear, even though each word sent a throb of pain through his chest. "I presume... you're here on behalf of Earth King Kuei. Either in search of his heir... or else to protect the citizens of the Dragon's Back from a certain... mutinous faction, of my Army?"
He ignored the incredulous expression, that he knew Azula was shooting at his back. The Earthbending troops looked surprised, though they didn't lower their Guandaos.
Turning, the Fire Lord gestured to Takeo's corpse in the tier below, then to the figures around them. "Thanks to some timely assistance from the Avatar, Master Katara, and the White Lotus, we have accounted for the mutineers' leader... and most of their accomplices, after their second attempt on my life. As well as the kidnapping, and threatened murder... of my daughter." The General's stern gaze shifted briefly to Izumi. "I'm afraid Takeo's son Shingen, has escaped, along with some of his father's followers. We also confirmed, that these same conspirators were connected to the kidnapping of Princess Hou-Ting. Whatever my differences with His Majesty King Kuei, I can assure you that I would never have wished him the terror of having his firstborn taken from him... even before, Fire Lady Mai and I experienced it ourselves. And, as we were both being manipulated by the same factions, I would like to offer him any assistance and apologies I can... in dealing with my citizens' newest crimes, against his."
The Earthbending warlord's suspicious gaze shifted across the group, changing briefly to surprise as they fell on the White Lotus members, but avoiding Aang and Katara. He finally spoke, his voice surprisingly soft for such a massive frame; it put Zuko in mind of a boulder, rolling underwater. "Fire Lord Zuko. Avatar Aang. You are both... a long way from home." His gaze moved from Zuko's dropped weapon and visible injuries, to the cluster of manacled prisoners in the arena, then to Azula, and finally back to Aang. "It seems I have been... misinformed, indeed. Though, not on everything. Why are there Earthbenders, among your captives?"
"I think you know very well." Aang spoke for the first time, his voice sharp. "How long have you been in contact with the Dai Li, General?"
"Longer than you have been with the White Lotus, Avatar." The General's lip curled. "Though they never mentioned that you would be here-"
"The Dai Li were acting in alliance, with Takeo's hardline supporters among the Fire Nation's Warrior Clans." Zuko plowed onward, as if Aang's interruption hadn't happened. He didn't know what was between his friends and Fong, but it was diverting from the point. "I assume the Earth King revealed why he mobilized his army, and called his vassals to arms? I don't know if Kuei was backmailed into keeping the kidnapping a secret, but if he was also left in the dark-"
"I am asking the questions, Fire Lord." Fong cut him off. "Why are you in Earth Kingdom territory, when King Kuei has forbidden Fire Nationals in his lands?"
Zuko felt a flare of irritation, but forced his tone to stay calm. "To recover my daughter, after the Dai Li abducted her from my Capitol and brought her here. Takeo intended to force me into compliance, and raise tensions between our nations-"
"And you chose to act with deception, to endanger the tenuous peace and violate our sovereignty, rather than inform King Kuei and allow him to assist you? Unlike the Fire Nationals, the Earth King does not need an Agni Kai to prove his honorable nature-"
"Zuko was not questioning Kuei's honor." Mai interrupted, her voice curt. "Takeo threatened to kill Izumi if we didn't follow his instructions to the letter; even bringing Master Katara and Avatar Aang was a risk. Had we informed Kuei- which, for the reasons you already mentioned, was impossible- Takeo would have been forwarned by Long Feng's agents-"
"Long Feng?" Fong scoffed. "Takeo was his mortal enemy all through his career, even if they never met. The Dai Li's agents were crucial to stopping the 'Black Kirin', every time he tried to storm the Outer Wall-"
"They certainly proved crucial this time... to endangering both my family, and King Kuei's. As for whether they met in person, I was brought before Takeo less than two hours ago; Long Feng was standing right next to him." Zuko's patience with the General's obtuseness- and, he half-suspected, evasion- was quickly fraying. "Whatever the Dai Li were before Sozin's Comet or Azula's coup, these agents were working hand in glove with Takeo's faction, from the start of this conspiracy. All the while, sowing mistrust and divisions among our vassals and allies, gambling for support in a war to destroy each other."
"You may repeat these accusations about Long Feng, at the Earth King's court." Fong cracked his knuckles dismissively. "You have entered a country that does not recognize your regime; any diplomatic priveleges afforded you as Fire Lord are null and void. I would have preferred not to take you into custody in the presence of your wife and daughter, but the circumstances make it unavoidable..."
Zuko exhaled sharply through his nose, fighting the urge to snatch up the Dao sword again. Before he could reply, however, Katara stepped forward. "You will hear him out." Her tone was like ice. "Like you should have heard us, the last time we met."
Fong's fingers twitched, and a jagged stone leaped from the wall to hover over his hand. Almost immediately, a gust of wind knocked it away, billowing his cloak like a banner. Aang's staff was outstretched in his hand, the ominous glow returned to his forearms. His gaze was fixed on Fong, as if daring him to respond; his troops hefted their weapons and Bending again, but the General himself looked alarmed. What had happened, in their previous encounter?
"No one is doing anything, until everyone has said their piece." Aang slowly lowered his staff. "Until we all understand, who was deceiving whom."
Zuko nodded gratefully in the Avatar's direction, then turned back to Fong. "You have... quite publicly made the claim, that Fire Nationals have always use underhanded tactics, deception, conspiracy to gain victory. In many circumstances, incuding Takeo's current plot, you aren't wrong; indeed, I've been guilty of it myself. As have many members, of my family." He avoided glancing toward Azula. "But looking at many points of history, the same can be said of the Earth Kingdom's leadership... especially anything, involving the Dai Li." He let a hint of scorn enter his tone. "As the White Lotus have learned, the Dai Li have been using this mountain as their headquarters for quite some time, yet this settlement's origins are Air Nomad." He glanced at a triple spiral insignia above the cavern entrance, then turned to the Avatar. "I assumed you knew of every Air Nomad settlement prior to the Hundred Year War by heart, Aang?"
"I thought I did... but I'd never heard of this one." Aang glanced from the symbol back to the captured Dai Li, his brow furrowed. "The monks never told me of any Air Nomad settlements on the main continent, besides the Northern Air Temple itself. Yet, there's no mistaking these carvings- and this mountain runs right along the border, of the Temple's enclave."
Master Xai Bau stepped forward suddenly, his suspicious gaze on Fong. "Your forces must have been traveling at a breakneck pace, to pass through the Dragon's Back so quickly... and to arrive here, the Dai Li's secret headquarters, just as the factions' clash was concluding. Zamyn Togsgol, the nearest settlement, has been deserted for many years... since the end of the war, in fact, according to travelers from the Northern Water Tribe. It insn't even shown, on most maps. Yet still, you came directly here, rather than the villages that were actually inhabited, that were actually attacked." He glanced beyond Fong, at his soldiers. "And, your troops don't look particularly fatigued. Most interesting, given that all other mobilized Earth Kingdom forces, have been marching west as fast as possible."
Zuko nodded to the White Lotus, then turned back to Fong. "I have made it clear that my intrusion into Earth Kingdom territory, was to prevent wider conflict, not to stoke it. Can you say the same, General?"
The warlord's eyes narrowed. "I owe no explanation, to the monarch of my country's enemies-"
"You will answer him." Aang stepped forward, his grey eyes briefly flashing blue. "And me."
The first rank of Earthbenders behind Fong shifted outwards on both flanks, weapons and Bending materials leveled, but Fong didn't speak or make a gesture to attack. His gaze shifted from one member of the group facing him to the next, his face a mixture of righteous anger, disgust, apprehension... and, as his eyes fell on Aang and Katara, shame. Finally, he spoke again, enounciating his words carefully and precisely. "I was sent... anonymous instructions, from a representative of the Dai Li, just after Princess Hou-Ting's disappearance. The messages, and the subsequent attacks in the villages of the Dragon's back... they warned me of another covert attempt by the Fire Nation, to unseat my King, and that there might be Earth Kingdom traitors involved. Given my own personal experience, I thought the threat might be legitimate, so I accepted an agent of the Dai Li into my court: a young woman from Ba Sing Se, who now serves as a handmaiden to my wife."
"Let me guess." Katara raised her eyebrow. "She went by the name 'Joo Dee.'"
Fong nodded "She provided us with updates on the Princess' location, and instructions on what to do, if and when her rescue became an option-"
"Joo Dee was brainwashed." The Waterbender's voice was grim. "She's likely been feeding the Dai Li information about you, rather than the other way around, ever since she arrived-"
"What do you expect, for an organization whose purposes are infomation and order?!" Fong snapped. "The exchange of information always flows both ways, in espionage! How else could I have held my fortress against endless Ashmaker sieges, when every other stronghold on the west coast had fallen?! If being used was in the service of the Earth Kingdom, that was a sacrifice I was willing to make! Before the occupation of Ba Sing Se-" He shot a dark look at Azula, who was gazing back with equal contempt. "Every report I received, led to victory... or at least, staved off defeat. The Dai Li did protect the Earth Kingdom's soveriegnty, once."
Katara looked repulsed, but unsurprised. "And you never bothered to report them to the Earth King, when they returned decades later?! The last time anyone heard anything of them, they were opening the Outer Wall to the Fire Army-"
"The last time you heard of them." Fong interrupted, his tone smooth. He tossed another scornful look at Azula. "One of their officers- a Captain Xi, I believe- sent me a message shortly before Ba Sing Se's liberation. He explained their covert decision to defect from the new Fire Lady, after she banished them in one of her fits of madness. They hoped to build a new Dai Li free of the old one's corruption-"
"A load of ostrich-horse shit, if I've ever heard one." Azula rolled her eyes, her fingertips still extended. "And the fact that they spirited their turncoat leader out of prison, just after Ba Sing Se's liberation, didn't cause you any doubt for their sincerity?"
Zuko felt his irritation flare in a different direction. Despite his own suspicions, his sister's talent for getting under people's skin was not helping; right now they needed answers, not a new enemy.
"I had heard nothing of Long Feng's escape, or his supposed resumption of command." Fong's tone turned defensive and angry, his eyes deliberately avoiding Azula. "But given the Dai Li's service to the Earth Kingdom before Long Feng became Grand Secretariat- and to me and the Capital, in particular- I was willing to offer them the opportunity, to ammend their past dishonor. As, I am told, your friends did for you and your uncle, Fire Lord." Despite Zuko's suspicions, this remark caught him off-guard. He and Iroh had been unconditionally forgiven for past choices, that had brought terrible consequences. "I thought, that if given the chance to answer a higher calling of service, break away from the persistent corruption of their old command-"
"A lie so full of holes, you couldn't even use it as a net." The Fire Princess sneered. "He's simply trying to hide-"
"A lapse in judgement." Ty Lee pushed forward suddenly, her elbow jabbing Azula in the side. "One the Fire Lord made himself, by forgiving Takeo too easily. I've heard both arguments, in my years in the Fire Nation Capital and on Kiyoshi Island. That was part of my pennance... for my role, in the fall of Ba Sing Se." She kept speaking, even as Fong's eyes moved from the marks on her face, to her distinctive clothing, her tone carefully neutral. "Whether you 'reeducate' me or question each and every one of my sisters on Kiyoshi Island, you'll learn I'm telling the truth, soon enough."
Fong stared at her for a long moment, his expression perplexed. "I...know the Kiyoshi Warriors have always sought talent among Nonbenders wherever they can find it. As to whether such meritocracy, is always trustworthy..." He shot a dark look at Mai. "Your response, when my troops encountered you in the Hu Xin province, seemed to confirm my fears-"
"As I already said, we had little choice in the matter." Mai replied, her voice as cool and controlled as his. "I regret that my actions fanned the underlying hostility between our countries- which was why I aimed to wound, rather than kill. But I cannot deny, I would do it again, if put in such a position... just as you seemed willing to fight us at the first opportunity, in spite of every gesture of reconciliation Zuko's made in the last two decades." Fong raised a skeptical eyebrow. "We seem to be straying from the more important topic at hand- how to deal with the remaining conspirators, Fire National and Earth Citizen alike."
"Long Feng, at least, remains in custody, along with many of his officers." Grand Lotus Sungwoo stepped forward, gesturing over his shoulder. The disgraced Dai Li chief stood between two other Order members, his expression exhausted, black robes covered in earth and dust. "Most of the rest managed to flee, but a Dragon cannot bite without its' head."
"Unless it sprouts a new one." One of Fong's officers growled. Zuko recognized the captain who had tried to detain them in the Hu Xin province. "Why is he unrestrained?"
Long Feng raised his hand in a dramatic gesture, but as he opened his mouth, Xai Bau's hand closed around his wrist, thumb pressed against a protruding vein. The Nonbender gave him a malevolent look, the chain of his flail extending from his opposite sleeve. "The truth... or I take your fingers. I'll know the difference." His gaze darted challengingly to the Avatar, who had half-turned from Fong. Even with the Avatar State, Zuko wondered whether the White Lotus might be able to break his victim's neck, before Aang could reach them...
Long Feng finally spoke. His voice, like his appearance, seemed much more frail than when he'd spoken to Zuko moments before, almost choking on his words. "The Avatar... has removed my Bending."
Zuko felt himself flinch, his gaze going to Aang; he noticed the same reaction from Fong, out of the corner of his eye. Audible exclamations and whispers of shock, came from Earthbenders and Firebenders alike.
The Airbender shrugged, his expression calm. "Both Zuko and I, wanted to resolve this situation with as little violence as possible. Just as we did when he ascended the throne, in the first place."
As he processed this information, Zuko glanced to his family. Izumi's wary gaze was now on Aang, but Azula seemed unperturbed; no doubt she had planned this with Aang, behind his back. Ty Lee looked surprised, but not alarmed, and Mai wore her usual opaque expression. As Nonbenders whose culture glorified the Agni Kai, they well understood the stigma of never having Bending abilities in the first place; to lose it altogether, represented the utter abandonment, of the Mandate of Heaven.
A grim smile touched Xai Bau's mouth, as he released his prisoner's hand. "And why, did he remove your Bending?"
To Zuko's surprise, a malevolent glint entered Long Feng's eye. "Because I threatened-"
"The safety of myself, as well as the Royal Family and its' personal allies, including the Order of the White Lotus." Azula cut him off suddenly, her tone dismissive. "That is, if Fire Lord Zuko didn't comply with his extortionist demands of both the Fire Nation, and the Earth King's other vassals, to a Dai Li conspiracy in Ba Sing Se."
Zuko glanced at his sister. Her blank, predatory gaze was fixed on Long Feng, her hands no longer extended, but loose at her sides. Then his eyes fell on Ty Lee. The Kiyoshi Warrior's jaw had tightened, but as the Firebender stepped away from her, her expression remained still, indifferent. Xai Bau, on the other hand, looked outraged, his eyes darting between Long Feng and the Princess.
"It is of no consequence." Azula continued. "This feeble grasper's only weapons have always been his tongue, and his Bending. The first failed him, during my coup; now he has lost the second forever, after turning on his master once again. He is not worthy to be an Earth Citizen, not worthy to speak in their courts-"
"It's not up to you, the Ashmaker imperialist, to decide what makes an Earth Citizen." Fong's voice hardened with anger. "Especially not one who's had everything handed to them, since birth."
"Accurate, but beside the point." Xai Bau growled. "Clearly, there is more to reveal here. The last twenty years of the Dai Li's exile, for one. As well as how many agents they have lying in wait, across the entire Earth Kingdom. And how many victims, they have left in their wake."
"He can reveal it... but in front of a court, not in a torture chamber." Zuko glanced at his family again. "Justice must still be carried out. Takeo is dead, but Shingen and Long Feng survive."
"As does Azula." Fong gestured at her, accusingly. "I refuse to believe she wasn't involved in some way or another, if not the leader of this entire fiasco-"
"She was certainly involved. And has proven vital in dismantling this conspiracy, from the inside." Zuko replied firmly. "If it hadn't been for her intervention, neither I nor my daughter would likely be alive-"
"A great comfort to the world at large, no doubt." Fong cut him off, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "But hardly the first concern of the Earth Kingdom, especially given Azula's past association with the traitor Long Feng, the danger she put his Majesty's family under, and the civilians her forces butchered in the mountain passes." He raised an eyebrow. "I had also heard rumors through the Dai Li, that she was behind the Kemurikage uprising, near the start of your reign-"
"Once again, you're correct about her involvement. She confessed it to me herself, near the end of the crisis. But her intentions were not what they seemed. Rather than overthrow me, she intended to provoke me into ruling so ruthlessly, my 'Mandate of Heaven' would never be challenged from within in the first place. She deliberately pushed my treacherous father-in-law to the breaking point, provoked him into dismantling his own conspiracy."Zuko felt his breathing steady, at last. It was a relief to finally talk to an outsider about this, after all this time...He felt Mai squeeze his hand reassuringly, felt Izumi's eyes on him. "She claimed that, having understood that the people of the Fire Nation would never fully accept her as their ruler, her purpose was to shape me into what she had aspired to be- one who ruled as ruthlessly, as the previous three Fire Lords." He shot a glance at Azula. "I wasn't sure to believe her, even after every event corresponded to her claims. I'd grown up alongside her, knew her talent for making lies and half-truths convincing." He touched the nick on his jaw, where her knife had cut him. "It wasn't until the aftermath of our Agni Kai earlier today, that I had any reason to think she might have been acting for my benefit, all along... She certainly does not speak or act for me, nor are her actions what I would choose. But as one of her only remaining relatives, I feel our family's honor would be better served, if we were to determine her fate."
His eyes moved to Aang, and his mind wandered back to when he'd first donned the Blue Spirit mask; the Avatar met his gaze and shrugged, a small smile on his lips. However, Fong's jaw tightened. "'As ruthlessly as the previous three Fire Lords?' Once again, that is hardly a comfort to the Earth King or his subjects. If you intend to simply let her walk free, after everything she carried out during the war-"
"By all means, hurl me in the Boiling Rock for undermining Takeo and Long Feng at the crucial moment." Azula cut him off. Her tone was still faintly scornful, but the accusing, contemptuous edge was gone. "Had I not accepted Takeo's offer and acted- or not acted- as I planned, Takeo and his followers might have struck at a different time, and succeeded in wiping out both Royal families." Zuko noticed Xai Bau shooting her a contemptuous expression. "Thanks to my deception, Takeo is dead, and all the most important conspirators have been accounted for. If any of you still doubt my word, ask the Avatar. He played a role himself, at a critical moment."
She paused as all eyes in the cavern turned to Aang, then spread her arms to her sides and lowered herself onto one knee. Her golden eyes bored into Zuko's face for a moment... and then, she bowed her head. "I will submit myself to whatever judgement the Fire Lord holds for me. But don't think I don't see through every false impression this oaf of a general tries to spin. As my brother said, I've had a better talent for that game since before I could Firebend. And, as for the mountain villages that Takeo's rebels massacred- yes, I was aware of them from the start. And if I wanted to continue my deception until the right moment, it was in no one's interest for me to stop it." Zuko winced at her words, and Fong's expression darkened. "But who do you think really gave that order? Oh, Takeo was happy to carry it out, to be sure. But who actually had the strongest motive for provoking the Earth King, to make him lash out blindly and undermine his authority over his own subjects?" She glanced up at Xai Bau. "I know you can determine, whether that's the truth or not."
The White Lotus master nodded, his grizzled jaw taut. Fong followed her gaze to Long Feng, but before he could respond, a reedy voice came from behind them. "The Ashura spawn isn't lying this time."
Captain Maru was sitting as upright as he could despite his bonds, a resentful but resigned look in his eyes. "Takeo relayed to Colonel Shingen, that our orders to raze the mountain village, were a false flag operation planned by Long Feng. I was a witness to this order myself... Just as I witnessed him give us the choice, to seek a Warrior's death with him, when Azula betrayed us and pledged her allegiance to Zuko, earlier."
"He's telling the truth." Izumi piped up, suddenly. "When Azula was training me in Firebending, during my captivity... she implied that she intended to double-cross Takeo from the start, even if she... still intended to rule. She implied... that she was preparing for me to be her heir, rather than any children she might have with Shingen. And, when I arrived at the battlefield later... she was in the process, of renouncing her claim to the Fire Lord's throne, in favor of Zuko. Nearly all of Takeo's rebels, as well as the New Ozai Society, were there as witnesses."
Katara and Aang both stared at Izumi- Katara surprised, Aang impressed- and Mai squeezed her shoulder. Zuko smiled proudly, but Fong's expression was unchanged. Before he could respond, a slightly shrill voice came from behind him. "You can trust the Fire Princess on that, at least, General."
As the Earthbender and his troops spun around, Zuko glanced beyond them. At the entrance to a side-passage, stood a woman wearing a simple yellow robe and an Earth Kingdom scarf, her hands folded inside her sleeves. Beside her was a teenager in golden silks, her dark hair gathered under an ornate jade-and-bronze headpiece. Her square jaw was thrust forward in a way that gave her a permanently scornful expression, and her hand was extended dramatically, various rings glittering on her long-nailed fingers. "As unceremonous as her subjects have been, througout my captivity... Princess Izumi did act to help me escape, however unsuccessful it may have been."
Fong immediately dropped on one knee, head lowered, his troops following his example. "Princess Hou-Ting! No words can express how grateful I am, to find you unharmed." He glanced beyond her, frowning. "How... did you make your way here, unescorted-"
"Enough of these half- flatteries, General." The heir to the Earth Kingdom cut him off, her tone haughty. "The so-called 'Grand Secretariat' has detained me in this drab, frigid hovel for long enough. Look at the state of my clothes!" She lifted the hem of her robe, which was frayed, damp and stained with earth. "If you have any regard for your oath to my Royal Father, you will escort me home at once!"
The General's jaw tightened again as he rose, though his voice remained contrite and fawning. "At once, Your Highness. My officers will make contact with Ba Sing Se and transport you back to the Capital." He glanced briefly in Zuko's direction. "I regret that I cannot accompany you in person, as I must determine exactly what happened here-"
"I have just told you what happened here!" Hou-Ting cut him off, color rising to her face. "Are you as deaf as those old eunuchs, at my father's court?! Long Feng conspired with the Earth Kingdom's enemies, therefore he must return to Ba Sing Se under my custody at once, to face justice! You and your troops are required, both as my protective escort, and as witnesses!" Out of the corner of his eye, Zuko saw a strange look cross Long Feng's face. "As for the Fire Princess and her family... I believe in the benefits for magnanimity, in this situation." Zuko felt a surprised smile touch the corners of his mouth, but Hou-Ting's next words wiped it away. "To owe a debt to an Ashmaker brat, is not something I or the Kingdom needs hanging over us."
Izumi hastily glanced away, her face reddening. Mai shot the Earth Princess a look as sharp as her blades, but didn't move. After a long pause, Fong turned back toward the various prisoners. His expression and tone seemed resigned, almost weary. "...So be it. The Fire Nationals and Azula, will be turned over to the custody of the Fire Lord, the Avatar and the White Lotus. As for the Earth Citizen captives, they will be taken to Ba Sing Se under the guard of Princess Hou-Ting's escort. To face King Kuei's judgement when he returns-"
"You can't be serious." Xai Bau interrupted, his expression darkening instantly. His arm extended, lifting the end of his flail off the ground. "After everything that he has yet to reveal, you're spiriting him back to the Earth King's palace?! The very place he's spent most of his life running the country from?!"
"You are not formally a subject of the Earth Kingdom, Master of the White Lotus." Fong bristled angrily, the tension immediately returning to his huge frame. "Therefore, unless you are requested by the court as a witness, your opinion has no bearing on this matter. I would advise you, to hold your tongue... and hand the prisoner over, before I do it for you."
"For once, I agree with the White Lotus." A flame sparked over Azula's fingers. "They can do what they will with the rest of the Dai Li, but as I said earlier: Long Feng is not worthy of the Earth King's courts."
"Which is why I shall preside over the trial." Hou-Ting piped up, smoothing the front of her robes. "My father occasionally delegates such tasks to me, now that I am of age-"
"Forgive me if I'm not exactly reassured." The Fire Princess scoffed. "An overgrown, spoiled child, a Nonbender who's never lifted a finger for herself or anyone else, whose father was a puppet of the Dai Li all his life, decides the future of the Earth Kingdom?"
Some of the Earth Kingdom soldiers let out angry exclamations, and Hou-Ting's face went even redder than Izumi's. Fong stepped forward decisively, his boots shaking the ground. "SILENCE!" His powerful voice echoed through the ampitheater. "One more word from you, and I'll do what Zuko and the Avatar were too afraid to, at the end of the war-"
Before Azula could make a move, a coil of water snaked around her feet, freezing its' edges to the ground; several liquid tentacles sprouted from it, curving menacingly toward the Earthbending warlord. Zuko's disbelieving gaze moved quickly to Katara, whose eyes were fixed unblinklingly on Fong. "I wouldn't, if I were you."
There was a series of rumblings as the Earthbenders readied themselves, but once again Fong did not order them to attack. His gaze shifted back to Aang, whose expression was equally cold; he gave a shrug of indifference. "I wouldn't, either. We've both gained a lot of ground on you, since last time."
A flicker of shame, and fear, passed through Fong's eyes briefly, before they hardened again. "You were children, then... I admit, I regret what I did." His eyes flicked briefly to Mai. "But you aren't the only ones, who will do whatever it takes to protect what you love." He spread his hands to his sides, his stance widening. "And you aren't children anymore. As such, you can face the consequences of your choices."
Zuko felt his body tense, the pain of his injuries coming back; even if they won another battle, it would be costly. For a moment, the faint whistle of wind in the chamber rose to a shriek. But Aang glanced behind him at their other allies, the injured and the prisoners, and the glow faded from his eyes and tattoos. He glanced from Zuko to Fong, to Long Feng. "...You promise he'll go to trial, as soon as he reaches Ba Sing Se?"
"Not that that's any of your business... but yes."
"Very well. Xai Bau, give him to the Earthbenders."
For a moment, Zuko thought the White Lotus might try to fight back, or take the Dai Li chieftain with him. But his grip on the old man's arm finally went slack, and he stepped away, hands folded inside his sleeves, a dark look on his face. Zuko glanced around, as Long Feng and the Dai Li were taken into custody. Nearly everyone else, had a similarly dissatisfied expression. He had to make some gesture that might appeal to the General's good faith, or he might never have a chance for real diplomacy with the Earth Kingdom again...
"Before we go our separate ways, General Fong..." The Earthbender glanced back at him, skeptically. "The judiciary of the Fire Nation will determine the fates of these captured Warriors, as well as the New Ozai Society; several others already await trial in the Capital. My family and I shall serve as witnesses for the prosecution- and the testimony of anyone else present, is also welcomed. Including that of any Dai Li agents, or any of your troops who were abducted by them." He glanced at Katara, who nodded. "As for the rebels who escaped with Shingen, however... They were already given a fair offer, before my assault on their firsthideout, and refused a second offer of surrender here. They've already decided their fate... whether by the wilderness, or the Earth King's troops."
Fong's eyebrow arched, surprised. "Then... you have no objection to my pursuing them, once I have the Princess safely on her way home?"
"None whatsoever." Zuko glanced at his wife and daughter, his heart hardening again. "They've done nothing but threaten my family and undermine my life's work in the Fire Nation... to say nothing of the new crimes they've committed, against the Earth Kingdom. I won't punish my people for their thoughts, but as for what they've tried to do, to both your country and mine... the Boiling Rock would be too good for them."
Fong stared at him for a long moment, then nodded slowly. "I will... convey your words to the Earth King, when the Princess and I reach him. Both your sentiments, and our agreement."
The Fire Lord pressed his fist to his palm and bowed. "You have my deepest gratitude, for doing so." Another thought struck him. "If King Ariq is with him, please inform him I will lift the air patrols over Omashu as soon as I regain contact with my military. We determined early on that it was the Dai Li, rather than his troops, that attacked my subjects in Hira'a; I would have apologized to him and Kuei earlier, if it hadn't been for the abduction."
A look of faint scorn crossed Fong's expression. "Given how often that upstart Ariq disobeys his real King, it wouldn't surprise me if he was responsible for that incident. But we shall find out the truth, when we put the prisoners to trial." He started to turn away, then, as if a reluctant afterthought, offered his gauntleted hand. Zuko grasped and shook it briefly. The General lumbered over to stand alongside Hou-Ting, offering her his arm, and two of his troops Earthbent a palanquin beneath her knees. The rest snapped to attention around them, and began moving down the passage they had entered from. As they rounded the corner, the Earth Princess' shrill voice rose indignantly again. Thankfully, it was already muffled by the tramp of armored, marching feet...
Zuko turned back to his family and allies. Mai had the faintest hint of skepticism in her gaze- so subtle only he would have noticed it- but Izumi's expression was neutral. Her gaze moved briefly to her aunt, then back to her father, and for the first time, a faint smile curled the corner of her mouth. Aang and Katara were both staring in the direction the Earth Kingdom troops had taken, their brows knotted with tension. However, the Airbender's expression softened as he turned back to the Fire Lord's family. He nodded briefly to Zuko, then leaned close to Katara's ear and murmured something. She nodded, then gestured at Azula; the tentacles around her collapsed back to the ground with a splash. The Firebender gave her a curt nod, then moved quickly across to Ty Lee, her hand folding around the acrobat's...
Katara approached Zuko, Izumi and Mai, her expression still furrowed with concern, eyes still on the passage Fong had taken. "You... did well with that, Zuko." The corner of her mouth cracked a faint, forced smile. "Definitely not what we might have chosen to do, but... much better than I expected. You have changed." Zuko nodded wearily as she clapped him on the shoulder, then bowed her head slightly to Mai; the Fire Lady returned the gesture. "I... need to attend to the injured."
Zuko closed his eyes, letting the breath whistle out his nose slowly as she walked away. Whether Aang and Katara approved of his actions or not, he couldn't constantly rely on the Avatar's fist as his means of settling disputes; if he did so, the other nations would immediately assume Aang had unfair bias toward his old friend. He and Mai had to put their house in order themselve... and, as uncertain as it seemed, they had to extend that same opportunity to the Earth King. Iroh would have approved of that... as long as they were ready for such uncertainties.
He felt a stab of fear for his uncle... mingled with a flare of resentment for Azula. No matter how he tried to reason it, she'd had no qualms about endangering them all, to reach her endgame. He forced that thought to the back of his mind for the moment, turning to the Grand Lotus. "Master Sungwoo, if you'll organize the prisoners' removal to your encampment, we'll make our preparations to depart. I'm afraid I must return to the Fire Nation as soon as possible." And determine, exactly how much damage Takeo and Long Feng have done.
Sungwoo bowed his head, then turned to his fellow Order members. "The Kaihua has accomplished its' mission. We must return to our posts..." His gaze passed forlornly over several bodies in White Lotus robes, laid next to each other. "...And put our fallen, to rest."
Zuko's eyes fell on the body of Pian Dao, and another pang of loss went through his heart. He and Sokka had learned so much, from the amiable old swordmaster... and now, Izumi would never get to. He met his wife's gaze. All the tension, fear and anger was gone, replaced by weariness... probably a mirror, of what was in his own eyes. He pulled her and Izumi close, enfolding them both in a hug; this time, Izumi only hesitated a moment before she returned it.
"We have... so much to do, when we return." He released them reluctantly, massaging the scar tissue around his left eye. "So much, to discuss, to deal with-"
"So why not determine your next move now?" His sister's mocking tone came from just behind, causing him to whirl around hastily. Azula stood with her arms folded, Ty Lee a few feet to her left, her eyes downcast.
His jaw tightened. It was still to soon, for him to deal with this. "I still haven't decided what your fate will be, Azula. If you want to help your cause-"
"Oh, is this really how it's going to go, Zuzu? And, if I don't? You plan to parade me in shackles, when we return to the Fire Nation?"
"I haven't ruled it out." Zuko's tone sharpened. "Just because I can believe your motive, doesn't give me reason to trust you. Especially, the way you allowed Uncle's life to be threatened-"
"Are you sure that's out of concern for our dynasty, or your personal affection for him?" Azula hissed impatiently. She rolled her eyes at the expression on his face. "I know, I know, both. Not that you'll believe it, but neither Takeo nor I intended for Iroh to be put at risk. Takeo had real respect for Iroh, given his... personal losses, the way he led his soldiers at the Siege of Ba Sing. He knew Uncle was well past his prime, didn't consider him a threat; he intended to at least make him an offer, to continue his retirement in full comfort. The Combustionbender going along, was a backup escape plan for the kidnappers if things didn't go according to plan... which, due to Uncle intervening, they unfortunately did." Her expression darkened. "I was the one who found her father's prosthetic, after I chased you to the Western Air Temple. As soon as I saw her tattoo, I knew what her motive had to be. So I tried to remove her beforehand, for your safety. But unfortunately, one of the Dai Li intervened."
Zuko's mind went to the towering Firebender who had confronted him outside on the slopes. Before he could respond, however, Mai stepped toward Azula. "A wonderfully convenient explanation." Her face was perfectly still, her voice an icy monotone. "Doesn't exactly explain your motives, for finally helping your brother, in one of the most elaborate and dangerous ways posible, after two decades. Before which, you spent your entire adolescence tormenting him-"
"Summon your blind Earthbender to interrogate me when we return home, if you still doubt me. But I meant every word, when I relinquished my claim." Azula rolled her eyes. "You want the full pageant, me kneeling before Zuzu in front of the masses, when we return to the Fire Nation? Go ahead." Her gaze narrowed. "Of course, revealing everything without any change, would make my strategy much harder to implement."
Zuko rolled his eyes. "I should've known, you'd have an ulterior motive that revolves around fear and deception-"
"One that will make both you and Izumi much harder to target? Absolutely." Her lip curled. "If the hotheads among the Warrior Clans and nobility know I'll never truly seek the Mandate of Heaven again, they may be foolish enough to try something on their own, against any of you. On the other hand, if they think I'm playing a longer game-"
"Which you were." Mai scoffed.
"And still am. Just not the long game they think." Azula shrugged. "They don't know my true motive for giving up the Mandate; some of them who have sons may think it's their turn, or to avenge Takeo. As if I would ever bear their children, or anyone else's."
Zuko stared at her. "If you never intended to have an heir... then, what was your plan, after Ozai declared you Fire Lord at Sozin's Comet? Did you simply intend to be the last-"
"Don't be ridiculous, Zuko. You were to be my heir, when I was Father's." Azula opened her palm, a blue tongue flickering over it. "My role for our dynasty, was always to sweep aside any obstacle- to be the mailed fist, that kept our family secure for the next hundred years, after the war. Do you imagine me doing that, saddled with a screaming brat that could be used as a hostage or figureheading a coup against me at any moment?" Mai shot her a strange expression. "You were already secure in your mutual affection for Mai, both of you with unquestionable bloodlines. When I was Crown Princess, I believed the easiest way to accomplish my role, secure my bloodline, was from the throne, with you waiting in the wings. Father had already taught me how to deal with obstacless... but I knew I could do it better, once I took his position. But obviously...that didn't work out."
"Then why did you keep manipulating Mai and I, after we returned to the Capital? You could have kept your position as Crown Princess, you were the one who conquered Ba Sing Se."
Azula snorted. "As soon as you let slip that the Avatar was still alive, I had the means to convince Father to... re-arrange, the succession. But you threw a wrench into my plans, when you confronted him and escaped, during the Eclipse. That left him, with only me to put on the throne... and we saw how I managed with that." Her eyes flicked briefly to the left, narrowed menacingly, then, to his surprise, calmed. "After Ozai abandoned me... after what happened at the Boiling Rock...my only thought, was to better learn how to survive. For the first seven years of my exile, I thought that meant making myself strong enough, to overcome anything alone. It wasn't until later... that I saw a legitimate argument, for survival among numbers." Zuko glanced in the direction of her bird's corpse, but Azula spoke again before his eyes could turn to Ty Lee. "I knew, if I became Fire Lord again... I would always, be alone." Her voice had dropped, almost to a whisper. "I'd gotten an inkling of that, during the coup in the Crystal Catacombs. You remember that, don't you Zuzu? The one time during the war I actually wanted us, to be on the same side. When I said the only way we could win, was together... I wasn't lying."
"Oh, yes, how could I forget that moment?" Zuko's voice tightened with anger. "When you manipulated me, into betraying the one person who never gave up on me? And how long did 'together' last, before you were trying to kill me again? At least three times... If I'm counting Sozin's Comet." But he wouldn't. Even all the anger he'd ever felt toward her, didn't overcome the pity of watching her screaming and thrashing in terror. "Even when you tell the truth now, you have an ulterior motive."
"Guilty as charged. And as I said before, I will accept your judgement... even if it is foolish. To do otherwise would undermine our family's Mandate, and thus its' continuation. I simply ask you to judge me on my actions, over my words."
"Actions can still hold deception... as you just proved, with Aang and Long Feng." Azula opened her mouth to speak again, but he raised his hand. "Even if I can trust you, Azula... for us to 'win' together, requires more than just your vision of victory. I won't have you, me or anyone else, teaching Izumi that the slightest opposition, justifies wiping it out-"
"But is the alternative really your vision, that you're asking me to help make reality, Zuko?" His sister raised an eyebrow and nodded in the direction of Katara, who was healing a White Lotus warrior. "Or is it your precious 'Team Avatar's?"
"I renounced the Warrior Clan's mindset, before I was accepted by 'Team Avatar'... let alone, became a part of it." Zuko replied firmly. "Even before I confronted our father... I'd crossed most of the world, during my years of exile. Even you tempting me back to the Fire Nation, came too late; my time spent with Uncle, living among other cultures, changed me forever. I just hadn't realized it, at the time." He noticed a flicker in her eyes, and glanced again at the bundle across the chamber. "I would imagine... the last twenty years of wandering, have changed you, as well."
Azula followed his gaze, and her jaw tightened. "Change doesn't mean, you become complacent." Her voice became rough in her throat. "Ignoring or underestimating the crueler parts of the world, was exactly what led you to this situation. How can you be surprised by that? If I hadn't become involved, Nishi might have assassinated you on his own initiative; Takeo would have sensed vulnerability, and pounced." Her eyes fell on the girl, standing next to them. "Would you have preferred her coerced into a marriage with Shingen, instead? You'd rather she be forced to bear that brute's heirs, the way our mother was?"
Izumi flinched. Zuko felt a flare of hot anger in his chest again, felt his hand close into a fist. Ty Lee stepped forward, her expression hard. "Azula."
"Let...her...finish." Mai's voice was an icy whisper. She had stepped forward, her hand protectively on her daughter's shoulder, but her expression was still carefully controlled.
Azula glared unblinkingly back at her brother. "You both know I'm not wrong. We both grew up with Ozai- "Zuko winced, remembering what he'd seen on her shoulder earlier- "And Mai's even more ruthless than you. You know what the Noble and Warrior classes are like."
"Which is why, we held the tribunals, to purge the war criminals. We wanted peace once justice was dispensed, not to provoke another civil war-"
"Clearly, that solution wasn't enough. You let your obsession with that peace, and your attachment to your daughter, cloud your judgement."
"Oh, the way you've let your attachment to Ty Lee, cloud yours?"
It was Azula's turn to flinch, her eyes fixed on Izumi. The Kiyoshi Warrior hastily turned away, but Zuko noticed color rising to her cheeks. In spite of everything, he felt a smile reach his face. So, Izumi had noticed too?
His sister's voice dropped to a whisper... "I'm not the Fire Lord, or the heir. I..."
"You don't dishonor our dynasty by showing love, Azula." Zuko resisted the impulse to touch her shoulder; he wasn't sure how she'd react. "That's something Uncle was trying to teach me, from the beginning-"
"Oh, yes. Uncle always had time to teach, for you." Her tone turned bitter. "Just like Mother."
The Fire Lord sighed again. He wasn't going to argue with her over Ursa now, but Iroh... "Uncle wasn't perfect, Azula. He understood many people, but he never understood you." He took a deep breath. "And, to be perfectly honest... I don't think he ever tried to, very hard. And he felt shame over that. Which is why, he's worked so hard since then to mentor Kiyi and Izumi. Because he wanted to make up, for not being there for you... and Ozai, when both of you were younger." He closed his eyes, pushing back his hatred of his father, and pictured Ozai in his younger years: a disfavored second son, scorned repeatedly by his father Azulon. Trapped at home in a loveless, arranged marriage, while his brother and nephew won all the military glory... He opened his eyes and glanced at Ty Lee again, then waited until Azula met his gaze. "Neither Mai nor I, will ever put Izumi in that position... nor will we ever judge, who you choose to love. As long as they aren't trying to kill us."
Mai cracked a faint smile, but Azula didn't. "I've... seen, how you rule, Zuko. I've seen that most of the commonfolk do respect and reciprocate your loyalty, in a way that they never would me, or any of our predecessors. Even in the moments, that I was genuinely tempted by Takeo's coup... I knew, it would only tear the Fire Nation apart. But Takeo would have acted even if I hadn't manipulated him and Long Feng, even if his support base had been weaker. Would you have been willing to risk your rule, you daughter, on that chance?" She continued before he could respond. "Other Clans will continue to hold resentment, which will fuel their ambition, and your brother-in-law's security network clearly wasn't able to respond in time. Unless you're willing to change the social order directly enough, deprive the nobles of their power, you need someone who's able to strike before the vipers-"
"What, you're suggesting we replace Tomoru with you as Minister of Intelligence?" Mai's tone hardened again.
"Long Feng wasn't wrong, in that knowledge is vital to power." Azula shrugged. "But, no. Even if I am not to receive punishment, a government position would be unwise. It would keep me... immobile, unable to respond and protect my family, when I truly need to." Her eyes flicked in Ty Lee's direction again, then back to Izumi. "As long as the Warrior Class remains, I will need to operate... independently, to make sure Izumi's path to the throne is safe. And to make certain she's ready, when we're gone-"
"I don't believe that's your choice to make." Mai cut her off. "Even if Zuko weren't still Fire Lord... It's Izumi, who will decide."
Zuko glanced down at his daughter. She was staring at her aunt, her golden eyes unreadable. He squeezed her shoulder gently. "Do you... have anything to say of that, Izumi?"
The Crown Princess closed her eyes, and inhaled slowly. An amber flame ignited over her hand, which was trembling slightly, but her voice was firm. "Until we know, whether Grand-Uncle will recover... I need a Firebending teacher."
Zuko nodded slowly. "...So be it. We'll discuss this further together, when we return to the Fire Nation." His brow furrowed as a thought occurred to him. "You...would rather have had Izumi on the throne, than me, wouldn't you? If by chance your coup had succeeded?"
Mai stiffened, but Azula shrugged, unconvincingly. "Perhaps. But..." Her eyes moved to the body of her raven eagle again, then fixed on Ty Lee. "I didn't... want her to lose, what was most important to her, that early. Especially after I realized what she was capable of."
Zuko felt a surprising warmth- almost affection, but not quite- fill his chest as he stared at his sister. She had changed, both more and less than he'd expected. That didn't mean he wouldn't be watching her carefully... just as Aang would be watching him. "True. She may be more talented than either of us, but she's still a child."
"Hey!" Izumi's hand swatted him near his broken ribs, and he let out a painful chuckle.
Azula's tone became pensive. "So were we, Zuko. So was the Avatar. And together, we altered history."
Several Weeks Later:
Firelight danced in the trench, casting long shadows across the polished black oak of the Throne room. Representatives of every Noble and Warrior Clan were gathered around the long, low table below the dais, murmuring and bickering among themselves. A few shot dark looks at the two green- garbed, armored figures standing guard, on either side of the empty throne. Others strayed away from the table, trying to question members of the Twin Ministries, seated cross-legged on the floor, on either side of them. It did no good; the Fire Lord's councilors and Generals were in the dark, as much as they were.
Suddenly, the flames in the trench turned amber and flared twice as high; the outliers at the table hastily returned to their seats. Zuko strode through the doorway, Mai at his left, Izumi at his right. His stance was tall, his voice firm; any evidence of his ordeal, was long gone. "My lords, thank you for accepting my invitation."
"Was it really an invitation?" One of the Warriors called out resentfully. "The messenger seemed to imply that-"
"Silence!" Barked General Tianze, his silver moustache bristling. "You may speak when the Fire Lord and Lady give you leave to, and not before!"
Zuko raised a hand. "That's quite all right, General. Their uncertainty is understandable." His scarred eye swept over every face in the room as he sat down, his family on either side of him. "So much has happened, this winter... much of it unfortunate. It could have been far worse, to be sure. And those who are guilty, are now facing justice, in various forms. Their lands will be confiscated from their families, and turned over to their rightful ancestral owners, the Sun Warriors and the Dragons. But..." He closed his eyes briefly, and the flames flared higher. "So many lives lost, Earth and Fire alike. And so many more that could have been, because of resentment and unchecked ambition. And... because I failed, in how I responded to those emotions, in what I chose to hide." The pain and regret in his voice was palpable. "I failed the Fire Nation, I failed you, and I beg your forgiveness, my Lords. Just as I will beg the forgiveness of all my citizens, when I speak before them tomorrow."
"If I may ask, Fire Lord... why, then did you choose to speak to us, first?" The Home Guard commander lifted her hand, tentatively. "I've always gained the impression, that you wanted to make the Royal Family less... exclusive, to the Lower Class."
"You're correct, General On Ji. But because of the changes we are about to make- that will be set in stone, in history, tomorrow- the Warrior Clans, the Nobles, the Government and the Royal Family, will be the ones affected the most by it. I gathered you today, to assure you this is not a punishment... merely something that has to be done, to keep the peace with the rest of the world and to restore honor and balance in our own Nation. I wanted you to understand, that the changes that will come, are not a reflection of your past services, but an opportunity for you to rise even higher to the occasion, in the service of our people." His voice darkened slightly. "But for those of you who still harbor support for Takeo, for the days of intrigue and conquest... they are over. All our families have suffered too much, for it. And this, is your final warning."
He gestured, and the doors opened again. There were gasps and muffled exclamations as two elderly men were led into the room, both with long beards and golden eyes. The shorter, more heavyset one walked gingerly, leaning on a cane and supported by Zuko's half-sister, Kiyi. The taller, thinner one- though still stooped- had manacles on his wrists, and was pushed forward by a pair of Kiyoshi Warriors. His gaze swept the throne room with a look of conempt.
Zuko gestured down to them. "Both these men shaped me, during my youth: one though cruelty, the other through compassion. Finding the balance between those two, has always been harder than I thought... especially when I think of the next generation." His hand touched his daughter's shoulder. "But I believe I may have found a solution, at last. Azula?"
There was a thunder of rustling and scraping as everyone below craned around... but no gasps followed it this time, only silence as the Princess entered the chamber, her black and gold armor resplendent, her hair perfectly arranged in its' topknot and double tresses. She strode down the length of the hall, stopped just beneath the flame trench and dropped to her knees, bowing her head to the floor. Then, she rose and turned, her penetrating gaze sweeping the assembly.
"Let this be understood. I have forever renounced the Mandate of Heaven... so long as my brother, niece, and anyone they name as their heir, is alive. Should that change... an Agni Kai against me, will not be enough. When I'm finished with the usurper, I will hunt their allies and offspring to the ends of the earth, just as I did the Avatar." Her voice rang through the chamber. "So think carefully, before you react to what comes next."
There was a faint, nervous murmuring around the great table now, everyone's eyes darting between the three standing below the throne, the only alternatives to Zuko's rule. Two old men, both staring at Azula- one with regret, one with terror, especially as her gaze fell on him.
Izumi stood, cleared her throat, and smiled. "My Lords. Shall we begin?"
THE END
(Multi-part epilogue coming soon though*...)
