Before anything else, I own nothing but the original characters, and content therein related to them. Avatar: The Last Airbender is owned by Nickelodeon, and any mentioned creator's work belongs to them, and them alone.
Author's note.
I feel like I need to give a pointer to one of the visions seen so far because of just how vague it is compared to the others, being Azula's first. She saw Connor die on Earth in the Second Seminole war, 1837. Do with that what you will.
Chapter 17 The Crossroads of Destiny.
Zuko rose with the Sun. As morning broke, a new day began in Ba Sing Se. Though the afternoon and evening prior was an eventful one, what with the violent rebellion having knocked down two of the city's walls, the still ongoing conflict between the rebels and remaining security forces in some places within the Inner Ring, the tragic death of the Earth King, and the military's higher leadership all being captured and forced into compliance with the rapidly reforming government, things were looking quite good for Zuko and his uncle Iroh.
The Jasmine Dragon hadn't been trashed during the attack on the inner ring, in fact, when Zuko went into work he saw familiar faces from the lower ring all too willing to sit down for a cup of tea. Something about "a fellow commoner making it big on his own talent." Which Zuko figured meant that outside of the government properties, everything else was being left alone by the mob.
Zuko turned away from the kitchen counter, having dropped off a tray of cups in need of cleaning, before turning to see a host of new customers trickling in. Most looked like they were from the lower ring, however there were a few middle and upper ring people. He took orders, and delivered tea, before halfway through a rotation around the shop, Zuko heard a sharp whistle, and turned to see who was trying to rudely get his attention.
Zuko's good eye went wide. Standing in the doorway of the shop, was Azula's giant white skinned freak, his wavy red hair hidden under a straw conical hat. "You." Zuko said. "What are you doing here?"
"Bounty hunting. You're still a wanted man Zuko." Connor said, as he stepped into the shop.
"My name is Lee." Zuko said, as he set his tea tray on the nearest table and held his hands out, fingers extended and joined.
"You lie worse than your sister." Connor said as he pulled a tube out from between his belt and his pants. Zuko recognized the profile of the Ba Sing Se made hand cannons. "Come on Zukie boy. Let's not make this hard. Azula wants to see you."
Zuko took one step towards Connor, and suddenly everyone in the tea shop pulled out their own hand cannons, and aimed them in Zuko's direction. Zuko froze, before he looked over his shoulder, seeing Iroh taking off out the back, two of the hand cannon wielding men getting up to chase him. "Thanks a lot uncle." Zuko muttered with an eye roll.
As Aang steered Appa, he and Sokka looked down on the inner ring of the city, as Toph clung to the Water Tribe boy's arm. "Whoa." Aang said, noticing the fallen sections of both the inner ring and palace wall.
"I have such a bad feeling about this." Sokka said, as he turned his attention to a region of the upper ring that was on fire.
"What's going on?" Toph asked.
"The inner wall… It's been broken through." Aang said in disbelief.
Sokka looked over at Aang, realizing too late what his friend had said about a civil war being bad for the kingdom. "I know this is going to sound crazy, but maybe we shouldn't go directly to the palace. I have a feeling we're going to get a worse reception than we had the first time we tried just walking in."
"I knew this was going to happen." Aang smacked himself in the forehead. "I never should have left to see that Guru. Now the city's at war with itself, and Katara's down there in the middle of it. She's probably being tortured by Azula! The peace conference was probably just a ruse to get them close to the Earth King!"
"Calm down twinkle toes." Toph said, elbowing him. "Katara can take care of herself when push comes to shove. Let's see if she's at our place first before we go crazy."
Landing outside, the three members of Team Avatar entered their upper ring housing, and without delay, Momo came soaring towards Aang.
"Momo!" Aang said, as the flying lemure landed on his shoulder. "Have you seen Katara, boy?"
"She's not here…" Toph said, stepping into the house as Sokka closed the door, before sensing someone approaching the building. "Buuuuuuut, there is someone outside who I know. He's an old friend of mine." Toph said, before there were three knocks on the wood. Sokka opened the door to find the former general Iroh and a man in green robes, with a scar on his cheek standing on the porch.
"We need your help." Iroh said, as Aang and Sokka recoiled in surprise.
"You know each other?!" Aang asked, pointing at the older man.
Toph approached the two men at the door. "Well I know him." She jerked her thumb at Iroh. "I met him in the woods once, and knocked him on his ass. He made me tea and gave me some really good advice afterwards…" She pointed at the man with a scar on his cheek. "Him I don't know."
"My name's Hei." He said with a curt nod. "I'm a Dai Li agent."
"WHOA WHOA WHOA! Hold on. We do not need a Dai Li agent poking around here right now." Sokka said. "And we definitely don't need this guy here." Sokka pointed at Iroh.
"Long Feng and half of the order are dead." Hei said flatly, shutting Sokka up. "I came here because, in case you haven't realized, the city's been taken over by a bunch of rebels."
"Rebels you created." Sokka commented.
"Rebels created by Fire Nationals that infiltrated the city. The Dai Li's broken apart, and what agents are still alive are on the run." Hei said.
"And what, you want to prop up another conspiracy?" Sokka asked.
"I want order in my city, is what I want." Hei said, narrowing his eyes at the boy. "I want the Earth Kingdom to be free from Fire Nation control. Whether or not the rebels are on the throne isn't anywhere near as important as if the throne bends to the will of invaders."
"May we come in?" Iroh asked, before Toph nodded. The two stepped into the house. "My nephew was captured by that strange boy working for Azula, and a band of these rebels with hand cannons. I am ashamed to admit that I left Zuko to fend for himself, but there was nothing I could do for him in that moment."
"Azula…" Aang said. "She must have Katara." The Avatar looked at Iroh. "If you help us get our friend back, we'll help you rescue Zuko."
"Wait a second." Sokka interjected. "You lost me at Zuko." Sokka then pointed at Hei. "And I have a feeling you want something out of this too."
"Taking Fire Nationals out of the rebel leadership is compensation enough." Hei said tearsly.
"Yeah, well, I'm still not sold." Sokka said. "If what you're saying about Azula is true, then she burned us, and no offense to your family old man, but Zuko's just as much a snake as his crazy sister."
"My nephew is far more honorable than Azula. Of that much I'm certain." Iroh said, putting a hand on Sokka's shoulder.
"Sokka, you said it yourself." Aang started. "The palace is probably going to be a deathtrap, and Katara is in trouble, the entire Earth Kingdom is in trouble. There's no way we can do this on our own. We only just made it past the palace guards and Dai Li last time, and now it sounds like whoever's occupying the place all have thundersticks… Besides, we worked with Zuko and Iroh to fight Azula before."
Sokka held his chin. "You do make a compelling argument… Alright. I'm in… But how the heck are we supposed to find Katara and Zuko in a palace packed full of guards armed with guns? Azula will just have them moved the second she knows we're coming."
"I believe that's where I come in… Both the Water Tribe girl, and Fire National, are being kept where I was held by the rebels. In the crystal catacombs below the palace grounds. There's a metal prison there, and more than enough caves to shove non earth benders in." Hei said.
"Wait, if you were in prison how'd you get out?" Sokka asked skeptically.
Hei held up a scroll. "Officially found not guilty. After the Rebels took over the palace they put agents on trials based on what our employment records showed. I haven't been in anywear near long enough to have ranked up, so my record was practically non existent."
Sokka sighed. "Great, our inside man is a rookie."
"A rookie that has a perfect memory. I can take you to the catacombs, and lead you right to your friend." Hai said.
"Alright then, lead the way Mr. Perfect memory." Toph said with a grin.
The three members of Team Avatar followed Hei and Iroh to a bridge over a creek in the Inner Ring's lowlands, and underneath the bridge was a drainage tunnel, large enough for them to walk through. Hei dropped into the creek, then bent the stone grate out of the way, the others followed him into the tunnel, Iroh lighting the path.
"Great sneaking in through the sewers again." Sokka complained.
After nearly an hour of walking through the knee deep water, the group stopped, seeing the tunnel split in two.
"The actual prison is to the right. The catacombs of old Ba Sing Se are to the left." Hei said, before he reached out to the wall, and pulled away a section of rock, creating earth gloves should he need them.
"Ok, from here, I think we should split up so we're not too clustered together. It'll be easier to sneak around this way. Toph, you come with Hei and I. Aang, stick with the old man." Sokka said, as Hei pulled a glow crystal from his robe. There were a few nods, before the group became two, and both parties set out in different directions.
"What do you mean my uncle escaped?" Azula asked Connor from her comfortable seat in the palace library.
Connor rolled his eyes. "He ran out the back, and the boys couldn't catch him. I don't know how he was faster than two of the skinniest guys I brought with me, but they lost him."
"It doesn't matter." Azula said, as she turned to look over more Dai Li records. "Knowing uncle he'll come back soon enough to try rescuing Zuko. We'll just keep playing the waiting game… The Avatar's bison was spotted over the inner ring not too long ago. I give it an hour until he shows up." She continued before smirking at what she read. "Oh, now this is interesting."
"What could be more interesting than having to face this world's ˈdɛvl again?" Connor asked.
Azula looked over her shoulder at Connor. "This is one of the last reports written by the Dai Li before the palace was taken. Apparently the Earth King was informed of the approaching solar eclipse… They intended to invade the Fire Nation should the peace talks have failed, because fire benders would be powerless."
Connor nodded. "Bold plan."
"Stupid is what it would have been." Azula started. "The guns of the Fire Nation would make up for any absence of bending, and astronomers at Caldera University have been keeping track of solar eclipses for decades… We know when they're approaching and plan accordingly. Even without guns, victory would be assured, if more costly."
"Well, good thing the new government is more open to the end of conflict eh?" Connor asked rhetorically, before turning to look away from Azula for a moment and sighing. "Demon or not… Is it entirely necessary that we capture The Avatar?"
"Where is this coming from?" Azula asked without bothering to look back at Connor.
"Don't know, something just doesn't sit right with me about it… He seems like a good kid, and what would be the point? The war's near over. Not much he could do about it."
Azula stood from her seat, and turned to face Connor. "We're going to capture The Avatar, because it's what the Fire Lord has ordered be done. Now that Ba Sing Se has been neutralized, The Avatar is the only thing that threatens the Fire Nation's rule."
"So what, your dad's scared he's going to get killed by a child who's over a thousand miles away, with ɡɒd ˈəʊnli nəʊz how many soldiers and ships between them, yet suddenly were the ones who are able to stop him?" Connor asked, crossing his arms as he looked at Azula.
"My father…" Azula narrowed her eyes. "... Is far more powerful than either of us, or the Avatar. I have been given the duty of capturing The Avatar because such a task is beneath The Fire Lord, and you should rightfully understand that The Avatar, while not a threat to Lord Ozai himself, can disrupt his rule, just as we have here in the Earth Kingdom."
Connor shrugged. "Whatever you say… You know the stories and legends of your world better than I do." A thought came to Connor. "Is there not some way we could… Stop The Avatar from returning to this world after he's died? Some ritual, or ceremony?"
"What are you suggesting?" Azula asked, intrigued by Connor's potential otherworldly insight.
Connor spun his right hand in a circle as he thought. "In my world, there are these stories, some may be true, of creatures, and men, who can survive the impossible, but there's always some way to either keep them dead, or make them mortal once again. If there is some way to undo The Avatar's reincarnation then it doesn't matter if we capture him or not, because he will be a mortal like the rest of us. As a mortal he becomes no more powerful than you or I would really be. Right?"
"That's not even remotely how it works." Azula said, pressing two fingers into her temple, and clenching her other hand into a fist. "The Avatar's great power, and ability to bend the four elements does not come from his reincarnation, they are three separate things entirely."
"Oh…" Connor said shortly.
"But…" Azula pondered Connor's idea for a moment. "There may be a way to stop him from reincarnating… The Avatar State. The sages say he would be at his most vulnerable, as the spirit of The Avatar is exposed in human form, but his power would be greatly increased as well. If we kill him whilst he is in The Avatar State it should kill the spirit, thus ending the cycle."
"So that's it. The only solution is to just take a boy prisoner, or kill him at the right time?" Connor asked, sounding irritated.
Azula rolled her eyes. "You keep saying boy, and child, and kid. The Avatar is a ten thousand year old spirit who's done nothing but cause trouble for the four nations, and anger other spirits since the dawn of time. And besides, this boy, the mortal form he's taken, is over a hundred years old at least." Azula said, seeing Connor's irritation subside. "Don't let your emotions get the better of you, Connor. Killing The Avatar would be doing the world a favor."
Connor sighed. "Suppose you're right." He shrugged. "Thou shalt have no other gods before me…" Connor muttered in English. "So… How do we kill The Avatar?"
"Patience Connor." Azula said, before the library door opened, a revolutionary peeking in.
"Miss… The Avatar's been spotted entering the catacombs with the Fire National you sent us after." The young man said.
Azula looked at Connor as she walked to the door. "Patience."
In the catacombs, Connor kicked a cave wall upon Azula's request, finding both Zuko and Iroh behind it. Then, before the dust settled, he created a hole in the floor to contain her uncle by flexing his hand open in the man's direction, then creating a fist to hold him in place.
"Hello Zuzu." Azula said nonchalantly, as she and Connor entered the room, the disgraced prince holding his hands out, ready for a fight.
"Azula." Zuko said, nearly gritting his teeth. "Release him, immediately."
"You're in no position to make demands, brother." Azula said, as she crossed her arms. "As you can see, Connor here's leaned a few new tricks." She said, holding a hand out to Iroh, who's head stuck out of the ground a few feet behind Zuko. "But he lacks control as always. I wouldn't want to make any sudden moves if I were you, for uncle's sake." Connor dropped his hold, relieving some of the pressure on Iroh's chest. "How fortunate for you that I'm feeling generous."
"Speak plainly." Zuko ordered.
"Ever since you were banished, father has made it clear that only one thing can redeem you, The Avatar. I'm presenting you with a chance to take back your honor… The Avatar was here with uncle a moment ago, was he not? Stealing away his friend you should be acquainted with?" Azula asked.
"Zuko." Iroh spoke. "The redemption she speaks of is not what you have been searching for."
Azula glanced at her uncle. "Why not let him decide for once, uncle…" She looked back up at Zuko. "It's not too late for you. I have a plan to rid the world of The Avatar, and you can be a part of it. You can return home to our father, proud, and accepted once more." Zuko's hands lowered. "I know that everything you've done has been to reclaim your name, Zuko. You're not a traitor like uncle. You're the crown prince, and you always will be. Truthfully…" Azula paused, struggling to find the right words. It wasn't often that she spoke from a place of emotion, but if there was ever a time… "I'm giving you this chance because I want to see you come home as well, regardless of if it means sacrificing my own claim to the throne." Zuko's good eye went wide.
Iroh looked up at his nephew. "Zuko, I am begging you, look into your heart, and see what it is that you truly want."
Zuko turned between his sister, whose head was held high, as she stood next to her bodyguard, and his uncle, whose head was low, body submerged in the ground beneath him.
"You are free to make your own choice, Zuko…" Azula said before she looked at Connor. "Please give my uncle some breathing room." She said, Connor nodded.
"Sorry about that." Connor apologized to the older man, as he stepped closer to Iroh, and gently kicked his heel into the rocky floor, causing Iroh to pop out of the ground up to his waist.
As Azula left the cave, followed by the redhead between them, Zuko closed his eyes.
Just outside the cave, entering the catacombs of the ancient underground city of old Ba Sing Se, Azula spotted The Avatar and his Water Tribe friend running along one of the old city's underground canals. Acting quickly she sent a long steam of fire at the two with a precise thrust with two fingers. The Avatar tried to block the attack with a wall of earth, sloped forward to deflect the blast, but had not made it thick enough. The force of the attack sent them both sliding back amid a dust cloud that had been kicked up.
Katara came out of the cloud, drawing water from the canal beside them, and sent a powerful stream at her opponents, only for Azula to evaporate the first attempt at knocking her down with a wide blast of fire, the second attempt saw Connor leap clean over Azula with the assistance of his bending, and slam his right fist into the floor, causing the ground around them to quake, and another cloud of stone dust to be kicked into the air.
Azula peeled to the left, and from the steam and stone dust in the air, jumped off of a giant crystal embedded in the earth. Sending two blasts at Katara and Aang. Connor meanwhile bolted forward, grabbing at the floor as he took off to pull two stones out, and halfway between his starting point and his foes, threw the rocks with palm strikes, the dust in the air swirling behind the flying earth.
Katara reacted to the blasts of fire, pulling water from the canal to create a thick shield, as Aang halted the rocks in mid air, sending them back at Connor with a simple push. As Connor rolled left to avoid his own projectiles being returned to him, Azula had landed on a small outcrop in a natural pillar that connected the floor of the catacombs to the ceiling above.
Aang turned towards Azula as Katara turned towards Aang. The master water bender pulled on her shield and streamlined it, creating a single long tentacle that she tried to sweep Connor with, as Aang sent a rumble through the ground that traveled up the pillar Azula stood on, causing the shelf to collapse beneath her. She landed with a roll, then stood, as Connor dropped low into a leaning rest to dodge Katara's attack, before pushing himself upright and pulling a sizable rock up with him.
The four stood in a square now, each poised to strike. Connor turned his aim from Katara to Aang, as Katara turned her coil of water towards Azula, and Aang shifted his stance to face Connor. "Who's going to blink first?" Connor asked, not sure how to proceed.
Suddenly an orange ball of fire was cast into the ground between Connor and Aang. The four pitched combatants turned to see Zuko approaching, neither party sure of whose side he was on. Zuko glanced between the freak, his sister, the tribal girl, and finally, his gaze rested on The Avatar. Aang could only create a pocket of condensed air as Zuko sent a flaming punch at him, and even still, he jumped away to avoid the attack's heat.
Smirking at her brother, Azula turned and sent a jet of fire at Katara, as Connor pivoted on his feet, and sent the large rock flying at The Avatar, as Zuko continued to blast away with rapid straight punches.
Sokka, Toph, and Hei skulked through the metal prison, Toph's recently invented "metal bending" coming in handy, allowing them to free Dai Li agents who were willing to follow their rookie. Shortly after, they all felt the walls around them shaking.
"I think Aang just found Katara." Toph said, as she put her hand against the nearest wall.
"Come on, if we hurry, maybe we can help them." Sokka said.
"You two go. I'm staying here. With any luck a few of my friends can convince the rebels to reject any sort of interference from the Fire Nation." Hei said.
Sokka shrugged. "Just don't start any more shadow governments, and you can do whatever you want." He said, before taking off after Toph.
Zuko continued to send punch after punch of flames at Aang, who ran in a flowing pattern around the attacks, generating a gust of wind that he then abruptly released in Zuko's direction. The Prince attempted to brace himself against the attack, but was knocked away and onto his back.
Seeing an opening, Connor drove his fist into the ground, shaking the entire catacombs once again. Aang managed to retain his balance, but had to lean backwards out of the way of a rock that Connor had ripped out of the ground and simply thrown at him. Looking at Connor, Aang spoke loudly. "Why are you doing this?! I thought you wanted peace?!"
Connor's response was short, as he drew his sword, skin flushing red. "There can be no peace with false idols among men."
By this point, Zuko had gotten up, and sent an enormous blast of fire at Aang, forcing the boy to jump up onto a cliff behind him. Continuing his assault, Zuko created two long fire whips to trail after The Avatar, as Connor kicked fist sized rocks up from the ground and swatted them with his sword like he was playing a game of bat and ball, sending the projectiles flying faster than he could naturally push them.
Having had enough of running from the attacks being sent at him from the ground, Aang jumped from one stalactite to another, before separating it from the ceiling with a kick. As the rock fell towards the ground, Aang dropped from the ceiling, and with a burst of air, forced the giant stone to accelerate.
Zuko ran away from the impending deadfall, as Connor drove his left fist into the ground, and dug his feet in. The boulder hit the ground, creating a shockwave through the earth that sent Zuko tumbling, as Connor simply wobbled in his low stance. The dust kicked up from the attack covered the entire area with a thick haze.
Looking left across the canal separating the men and the women fighting, Connor saw Katara gaining an advantage, as she pulled more and more water from the nearby underground river, entrapping Azula's arm. Snapping his head to Zuko as he stood, Connor shouted out an order as he pointed at Azula. "Help her!"
Zuko found himself surprised by the command, though saw that his sister was in fact being lifted off of the ground and could not reasonably defend herself. Sending a falling slash of fire across the canal, Zuko severed the hold Katara had on Azula, and the waterbender locked eyes with the prince.
Connor turned to look at the crater that had been made in the ground, the dust still stirring as Aang pulled himself free of the hole. Connor stepped forward, and swished his blade through the air, the loose dust and granules of stone following behind it like a silk sheet. Taking note that he was bending the cloud of falling earth, Connor swung his blade and sent a slash of earthen dust toward the Avatar to blind him, who shouted in surprise, before jumping over the attack, blasting air down to disrupt the dirt cloud.
Aang's attack sent a stone, no bigger than a pebble flying up towards Connor. The tiny rock struck Connor directly in the forehead, and Connor clutched at the injury in far more pain than he should have felt. Doubling over onto his knees, Connor's vision darkened.
When his vision cleared, Connor saw he was no longer beneath Ba Sing Se. He looked up to see he was sitting across from Azula at a dinner table. She looked only a few years older. The nearby double doors that led to a patio left open, sea air gently blowing into the room. She smiled at him, a genuine smile Connor could not recall Azula ever making, before she spoke. "You choose."
"Choose what?" Connor looked down to see the floor beneath him fade, as his surroundings changed from the seaside abode, to a cloudy sky that he seemed to float through. Looking up, Connor saw that Azula was gone, and in her place, was a tall man, in floor sweeping red robes, with a long flowing beard, and hair of an equal length, both white with age. An aura of power and an ancient wisdom sat behind the man's eyes, and Connor swallowed. "Go-... God?"
"You must choose your own destiny."
Connor's vision returned, and he found himself within the catacombs, hardly a second having passed. "God damn concussions." Connor muttered in English.
Aang landed a fair distance away, as Connor stood and rested the spine of his sword on his shoulder, finding Azula to be approaching from behind him. "You think he'll actually do it?" Connor asked.
"Don't sound so unsure… Remember, patience." Azula said, as she summoned her blue fire. "Just be ready." And with that, Connor stepped out of the way, and kicked up a small wall of earth to hide behind for a moment.
Azula projected plumes of fire behind her, using the force of her bending to thrust her forwards towards Aang. Accepting her advance as a challenge, Aang pulled crystals and stones from the ground around him, and created a suit of armor from the earth. Using it, he pushed himself forward by his feet.
Smirking, Azula threw her arms forward, directing all of her forward momentum and energy from her blasts of fire at The Avatar. Aang attempted to shield his face with his arms, only for his crystal suit to shatter like glass under the attack, which sent him flying backwards up unto an outcrop in the cavern wall.
In the palace, Mai and Ty Lee sat on cushions in a side tea room. Mai sipped on her brew, as Ty Lee occupied herself with a handstand. "What do you think Azula and Connor are up to?" Ty Lee asked her friend.
"Don't know, don't care." She said, setting her tea down on the low table in front of her.
Ty Lee tilted forward before she came to sit next to Mai. "They've been spending a lot of time together."
"Jealous?" Mai asked, dawning a not often seen small smirk.
Ty Lee sighed. "Yeah a little." She flopped back onto the floor. "I mean, it's like ever since he unlocked his water and fire chakras, Connor's been glued to Azula…"
"What are you talking about?" Mai asked, raising an eyebrow.
Ty Lee groaned, and sat up. "Ok, I think Connor's supper cute…"
"For what reason I can't fathom." Mai interjected, expecting Ty Lee to have explained the chakras she mentioned and not their group dynamic.
"But he doesn't seem to like me. Which is ridiculous! I'm adorable, just look at me." She sighed, an unusual thing for Ty Lee.
"It's because he likes Azula." Mai said simply.
"Well duh." Ty Lee said with an exaggerated eye roll. "And I mean I get that. Azula's like the most smartest, most amazing, most pretty girl I've met… Prettiest other than me… No offense Mai."
"None taken." Mai said flatly.
"But I just don't understand how he can like her, if he's constantly arguing with her?" Ty Lee asked.
Mai sighed. "It's the same reason why Azula likes Connor."
"What?!" Ty Lee said. "No way. She's always so mean to him."
"They challenge each other." Mai shrugged. "They're both driven and opinionated, and see each other's points of view as a challenge to their own. So they can't help but engage, and try to change each other's minds about stuff when it comes up… Sometimes they succeed." Mai shrugged again. "Other times they get into a duel… Point is, they see and support each other as intellectual equals, whether or not they realize it. Eventually they're either going to get together or become the worst of rivals."
Ty Lee pouted. "Yeah I guess… But if Connor and Azula get together, and you start seeing Zuko again, who'll I be left with? Our friendship waggon is gonna' have a fifth wheel, and that's not very fair to me."
Mai looked over at Ty Lee. "Well, like you said, you are the prettiest… It shouldn't be too hard for you to find someone eventually."
Suddenly Ty Lee perked up. "Gee, thank's Mai. And you know what? You're right, when we get back to the Fire Nation, there's bound to be a boy there who's just as cute as Connor. You're awesome." She gave her friend a hug, and Mai rolled her eyes playfully.
In the caverns below, Azula looked over at Connor. "Do you think you can handle him by yourself?" She asked, pointing up to the outcrop where Aang had landed.
"I'll give him a good fight." Connor said, as Azula smirked and turned to assist her brother in dealing with the tribal girl.
Connor started walking towards the cliff, sword still resting on his shoulder, before suddenly the cliffside erupted into a cloud of dust, as The Avatar jumped back into the battle. Landing, and indenting the floor beneath him, Aang pulled stones from the ground, and pushed forward on a wave of earth, speeding back towards the fight. Connor cracked his neck to the left, then picked up his foot, and drove it into the ground as hard as he could.
The entire cavern shook and as stones fell from the ceiling, and crystals broke around them, Aang's wave of earth was met by the shock of Connor's rumbelling. The Avatar stumbled, as the moving ground beneath him shifted. Before he could fall face first into Connor's now outstretched sword, Aang jumped off of his earth wave, clean over the redhead, his flight uncontrolled, as he tumbled, falling onto his side and rolling across the floor.
"Come on, get up!" Connor's voice could be heard over the sound of Katara facing off against Zuko and Azula. Aang pushed himself off the ground, and saw the pale giant approaching him again. "Stand up and fight like you mean it!" Connor said harshly, as Aang got to his feet. "Where's all that power you're supposed to have?" Connor asked, dropping his sword. "Where's the false god I was promised to fight?!" Connor yelled in English, as he raised his fists.
Aang looked past Connor to see Katara struggling with her two foes, as she was backed further and further away from him. "OY!" Aang's attention snapped back to the pale giant who towered two heads taller than him at the best of times. "Forget your girlfriend… This is between you, and me." Connor said.
Aang narrowed his eyes at Connor, before looking down at the ground in realization. This was it. This was the only moment he was going to be given. Facing off against a living earthquake, Aang was being blessed with a chance to simply let go of everything else. To detach himself, even from Katara. To exist only for the fight set before him.
Aang closed his eyes, put his fists together, and stood up straight. Entering a meditative state, he felt the energy of a thousand lifetimes flow through him. His tattoos began to glow, and when he opened his eyes, they too were alight with the Avatar State. The air around him stirred, as an unnatural force pushed outward, causing Connor to shield his eyes with his forearm. Azula, Zuko, and Katara had all stopped to bear witness to The Avatar's power.
"Yes…" Connor said, Azula's plan working as she'd predicted. "Come on…" He goaded, as Aang began to rise off the ground. Connor lowered his hands. "Show me your true power." As The Avatar floated higher above the ground, cosmic light surrounding him, Connor slipped the primitive Earth Kingdom hand cannon free from the back of his belt. "Don't make this any harder than it has to be…" Connor begged, a tear welling up, as he took a single spark rock out of his pocket. "And forgive me."
A single bang echoed out across the cavern. Rusted nails flew in a wide spread, the metal splinters penetrating The Avatar's body, shredding flesh, and ripping sinew, one fateful sliver of iron piercing his heart.
Aang's body took a moment to recognize its own undoing, and floated in the air for a second longer than it otherwise would have. Before her friend started to fall, Katara, tears streaming from her eyes, summoned the water from the canal beside her. With a shout of rage derived from sorrow, she created a tidal wave within the catacombs, riding the flow beneath her, and raising herself high enough to catch Aang before he reached the ground, washing her three enemies to the wayside.
As Azula, Zuko, and Connor picked themselves up, a blast of fire came from above. Iroh jumped down from the cave he had been trapped in, raining fury down, as Connor created a wall of earth for the royal siblings to hide behind. Sokka and Toph were right behind Iroh. The water tribe boy fired his musket at the wall of earth to aid in suppressing the three hunkered down behind it. As Toph grabbed Katara by her tattered dress sleeve. "Come on! Iroh's giving us a chance to…" Toph stopped as she put her hand on Aang's shoulder, and felt his heartbeat still.
"Toph, he's…" Katara started, through tears, as she buried her face into Aang's neck.
"GO!" Iroh shouted at them all. "I will hold them as long as I can!"
Sokka slung his musket, before taking Aang in his arms. Toph pulled Katara behind her, as she led the remains of her team out of the city underground.
Once the four had left the cavern Azula smirked, and came out from behind Connor's wall. Her uncle surrendered, and before long Connor managed to create a pair of stone cuffs to hold him.
Once aboard Appa, high in the air over the Lower Ring, Katara looked over to Toph, who's hands traced over Aang's body, having pulled three nails out of him already. "There's no more." Toph said. Katara, unsure of what else to do, took the pendant from around her neck, the spirit water she'd been saving now for months, and drew it from the glass it resided in.
The water swirled in her palm, before she placed what little there was directly over the small hole in Aang's chest, hoping by some miracle, that Tui and La would grant him a kindness. The water glowed, before seeping into Aang's mortal wound. There was a pause, as for just a moment nothing seemed to have happened. Fearing the worst, Katara hugged Aang's head to her chest, and cried as silently as she could. Her sobbing would be short lived, as after three seconds, Aang's tattoos dimly glowed, and he drew a harsh breath.
Connor sat on the steps of the palace, holding his head between his hands, looking out into the night sky, the moon above him casting it's glow onto the city. He was grieving. Grieving the death of a supposed god of this crazy world he had been unwillingly forced upon. Grieving the death of no more than a child in body and mind. "Cad atá déanta agam?" He asked himself in his mother's tongue. "What have I done?" He repeated in English. In the moment, Connor had followed his orders, enjoyed the fight while it lasted, and slayn a false god. But rethinking the fight over again, something nagged at the back of his mind. False god or not, The Avatar had trusted him to free Ba Sing Se, and Connor had double crossed him.
"What are you doing out here all alone?" Connor turned to find Azula approaching from within the palace, Zuko by her side, Mai and Ty Lee close behind them.
"I just needed to think." Connor said with a sigh.
"Well don't sit here too long. We've got a train to catch. Ba Sing Se will be sending ambassadors to the colonies for further negotiations of peace, and I've sent a letter for our return to the Fire Nation." Azula said.
Connor hesitated before asking Azula, and everyone else, a question. "Do your people believe in the idea of sɪn?" Connor started, getting only odd looks. "A sin… An act, so immoral, so reprehensible, that your divine beings would judge you for it?" Connor continued.
"Every culture has their own versions of such a thing." Azula said.
"And how would your spirits judge us for what we've done?" Connor asked. "I promised The Avatar we would bring peace… And I shot him dead, because he wasn't my god."
"You did what you believed was right." Azula said.
"Then maybe my beliefs are wrong." Connor said, looking at his own feet. "If all men have a right to believe in their own gods, then why should all gods not have a right to be believed in?"
"It sounds like your political and spiritual beliefs are at odds." Mai commented.
"But which one is to blame for my conscience weighing upon me?" Connor asked himself, holding his left hand over his eyes.
Azula frowned slightly at Connor's saddened state, and sat beside him. "For what it's worth, I believe you did what you needed to do, nothing more, nothing less." She said, placing a hand on his shoulder. Connor looked at her, and gave a weak smile. "Now come on, the politics can be left for someone else to deal with, we've a warm welcome waiting for us once we return home." Azula said, as she stood up, and started walking down the steps of the palace.
"Home…" Connor muttered in English.
Upon exiting the city's outermost wall, the five members of the Fire Nation were met by War Minister Qin. As they rode West by carriage, the Sun rising in the East, Connor tuned out the small talk the Minister was attempting to entertain the others with, looking out the window, before jolting in his seat. A loud boom swept across the morning air.
"What was that?" Zuko asked.
The War Minister smiled before he spoke. "That was a mine."
"A what?" Connor asked in anger.
Qin continued to smile, as another boom sounded out. "Your infiltration of the city, and it's uprising pulled resources away from its defense, enough so that the engineering corp was able to plant several mines below the outer wall of Ba Sing Se unnoticed."
"Stop the cart!" Connor said quickly. "I SAID, STOP THE CART!" He shouted, before the driver on the outside halted the carriage, and Connor clambered out the nearly too small door. The others exited the carriage behind him, seeing sections of Ba Sing Se's great wall crumbling in an ever widening V.
"A magnificent sight isn't it?" Qin asked him and the others.
Connor ran his hands through his hair, as he fell to his knees. "We promised them peace." He muttered in English. Looking around, Connor saw that everyone save for Mai and Qin looked concerned with the walls falling. Mai remained unreadable, and Qin was still smiling away. Connor got to his feet. "We promised them peace!" Connor shouted at Qin, who's smile faded.
"The city was on the path to reforming the kingdom." Azula said. "Diplomacy was well underway with their new government. Another invasion attempt was wholly unnecessary." She said, scowling at Qin, who chuckled.
Qin wiped away a false tear. "Please, princess. You've hid among the savage Earth People, you've seen first hand how poorly their ability to self govern is, and know the nobility is no better. These brutes need the Fire Nation's rule to bring them out of the filth and squalor they wallow in."
Connor's fists clenched, and shook, as his teeth grit while attempting to burn a hole through the War Minister's skull. The dirt beneath him began to sift slightly. Taking notice of it before the others, Azula placed her hand on Connor's shoulder, and he calmed down significantly. Connor "Pffft" loudly, as he suppressed the rage he felt towards the Fire Nation in that moment, knowing that it would occupy a kingdom which was willing to be its ally.
As Connor and the others got back in the carriage, Azula remained standing outside for a moment more, watching as another piece of the wall fell. "We chose this…" Azula said to herself quietly.
Author's note. And so ends the first book.
While we're at it, I also want to announce that I have a little side project I'm working on. "Avatar: Borrowing The Future." Basically, Korra gets sent back to the past.
I intend to drop it at some point this next month, but we'll see how that goes.