Chapter 14: Aces
He suddenly realized what was about to occur.
He anticipated the doors opening any moment now, with two guards ready to lead him to the courtyard for his execution.
Zuko felt like he had relieved that day's events countless times, remembering every minute detail, yet he couldn't comprehend how he possessed that knowledge. Was his mind deceiving him once more?
That was a plausible explanation, as the recent weeks had not been easy for him and it appeared that his mind had finally given way under the strain. He recalled visiting unfamiliar places and meeting unknown individuals.
Individuals like Kiyi and Noren. Those names were foreign to him, yet somehow he felt a deep familiarity with them. He recalled his mother leaving and his relentless search for her over the years, only to realize she had never truly departed. She remained by his side in the palace, eventually becoming the Fire Lady.
Zuko chuckled at himself. Despite engaging in activities that would have unsettled others, it was his own recollections that ultimately pushed him to the brink.
There was a saying that the easiest way to kill someone is to take away their memories. Although his memories didn't vanish; they just intertwined with someone else's. Someone who was very similar yet fundamentally different.
It seemed like fate itself relished torturing him.
Fate had confined him in a cell and had executed him, but it appeared that she wasn't content yet, so she chose to make him relive this day repeatedly. He realized that fate intended to punish him for something, yet he couldn't comprehend why others had to suffer alongside him. For him.
Wasn't his suffering sufficient?
They had stripped everything from him. Everything.
His pride, his passion, his resolve, and his family. His beloved Mai endured because evidently he had not endured enough.
Mai.
Her death, like his other memories, initially clear, had become muddled over time. She had died so many times in his memories that he couldn't distinguish her actual death. Was it an assassination? Suicide? An accident? What mattered was that she was now deceased, leaving Zuko with a shattered mind and distorted memories.
It appeared that fate had her favorites, and it seemed he wasn't one of them, leaving him puzzled.
Zuko sensed life slipping away from him. It was a dreadful sensation to know you were already dead before it actually happened, but he had grown accustomed to it.
The stench of burnt flesh lingered in his nostrils. He had grown accustomed to the sensation of it. The sensation of his body burning.
Today was his birthday.
He had perished on his birthday numerous times.
He was twenty-six when he perished in flames. The youngest Fire Lord to meet such a fate.
His father was right, this world was beyond saving. Why save it when it didn't want to be saved? He would rather watch it burn to the ground than once again witness his friends and family perish.
It's unfortunate that this realization only came to him now. They say death opens eyes and Zuko now understood where this saying had originated from. Yet a small portion of his mind begged him to not give up on this world. He had gotten his redemption; why should anyone else be robbed of theirs.
He heard the door being slowly opened and saw two guards enter his cell. It was that time yet again, though this time there was no feeling of sadness, there was only disappointment.
Disappointment in the world that he had tried to save for most of his life. Disappointment in failing to see that this world didn't deserve saving for even if the Avatar couldn't save it meant that no one else could.
As he was led out, he glimpsed the sky once more. Despite its familiarity, it always evoked a sense of finality, as his absence meant no one would step up to rescue the world.
No one would for there was no one concerned with its salvation.
Once again, he found himself in the courtyard. His execution took place in an insignificant location, a neglected prison.
"A fitting conclusion," he mused.
This is where they execute traitors and criminals, and in the eyes of his nation, he was both. A man who had failed to fulfill his promise and had sparked yet another war that he would not see to the end.
Standing in the courtyard, he once again gazed up at the sky, as he always did. The sky was the last sight he beheld before his execution.
Pragmatists are a necessity for dying young. However, unlike before, he was now ready to face death.
Zuko understood that he would be leaving behind everything he had ever held dear. While he viewed himself as a man who fought for his ideals until the end, others would always perceive him as a failure.
He had failed as a father, brother, son, and friend, and now he had to depart.
He failed to give this world an opportunity to change.
The world he would depart from would ultimately disintegrate into dust and scatter away because its inhabitants would rather engage in power struggles and violence than seek peace and reconstruct what was left.
As he exhaled his final breath, the flames engulfed him once more. Yet, this time, he did not shut his eyes. Looking up at the sky, as his body slowly turned to dust, he ensured that every spirit present knew that he was not afraid to die. Not anymore. Not again.
And as his eyelids slowly closed, and he fell to the ground, he ensured that the world knew Fire Lord Zuko died trying to save what was beyond saving.
He hoped no one would repeat the same mistake. But he understood this was not the end. Fate would not allow him to rest, not even in death. Later, he would find himself in his cell once more, asking the same questions he asked now.
He did not fail to save this world. He failed to ensure no one would attempt to save it afterward.
Ozai had done many things in his life.
But he never regretted them. He convinced himself that everything he did was for the advancement of the Fire Nation. He had achieved what all Fire Lords would dream of becoming. The ultimate leader.
He was aware that his fate was to emerge victorious in the war. He was certain that one day he would bring the world to its knees and would assume the role of the supreme ruler of whatever was left.
However, life had different plans for him.
While he had ascended to the position of Fire Lord, he had lost his entire family in the process. Initially, he didn't dwell on it. He still had Azula by his side, as loyal as ever, and Zuko, though frail, could be of use to him.
Yet, in his quest for power, he lost his wife. To be honest, he had never paid much attention to Ursa initially, but with time, he developed feelings for her. Sadly, she did not reciprocate his feelings, and looking back, he realized that he had essentially destroyed her life. He had taken her away from her home and had driven their children to despise each other with intense animosity. However, at that time, none of that mattered to him. All that mattered was that he had attained all the power he had ever desired.
While he lacked the tactical brilliance of his brother, he wielded the authority to make ultimate decisions. He had evolved into the individual capable of commanding an entire battalion to leap off a cliff, not due to their respect, but out of fear.
Fear served as the sole means to truly gauge one's allegiance. A person gripped by fear would never entertain thoughts of betrayal, knowing the dire repercussions. He had effectively established a Nation founded on fear of his rule.
He had deluded himself into believing he was a deity sent to the world to act without restraint. No one could thwart his will.
How mistaken he was.
In an instant, he lost everything he ever had because there were people who were willing to stand up and fight. People who weren't afraid of him.
He was stripped of everything and thrown in a cell far away from the world that was supposed to be his.
The only person who came to visit him was his son. The same son who he had deemed weak his whole life turned out to be stronger than he ever was. He was the first one to stand up and face his father with no fear in his eyes and live to tell the tale. In another world, he would be proud.
Zuko hoped that the time he'd spent in prison would make him understand what mistakes he had made and Ozai laughed in his face. Mistakes? He didn't make any mistakes. As the Fire Lord, all he did was right. Every choice he made was the right one.
Zukor would sigh and leave him. He'd return occasionally to check on Ozai, but he remained unchanged.
However, as time passed, his perspective began to shift.
The moments of solitude allowed him to reflect, leading him to acknowledge the errors of his ways. Perhaps he shouldn't have forced his children to battle each other, maybe he should have been a more compassionate husband and brother.
He started to comprehend his son's point of view, realizing that, apart from himself, no one saw Fire Lord Ozai as the world's savior. Instead, they perceived him as a malevolent figure who had amassed power to bring about destruction, prompting them to erase this dark chapter from history and move forward.
Yet, by the time he fully grasped the extent of his misdeeds, it was already too late.
Too late because Zuko had chosen to abandon him.
He recalled their final encounter, where he pleaded for forgiveness from his son, only to be met with a gaze filled with resentment.
His son had given up on him.
It was then that Ozai understood the truth - he had indeed become the feared monster. The man who always offered second chances, his son, had relinquished hope in him. He had reached the lowest point of despair.
No one came to visit him thereafter.
The two years of isolation were agonizing. Left alone with his remorse, he felt himself slipping away, knowing that eventually, even he would give up on himself.
And then an opportunity presented itself.
The chance to rectify all his errors, and without hesitation, he seized it.
The next moment, he realized he was once again Prince Ozai.
His mind was sent back sixteen years to correct all his mistakes, with one condition: the one he had hurt the most would accompany him.
He sensed Zuko's presence but knew that his son was unaware of the situation. Approaching Zuko directly to explain was not an option, as he had already given up on Ozai. He had to gently guide his son to understanding.
Mending his relationships with others was relatively simple. His bond with Ursa had deepened, surprising even himself as his wife gradually fell back in love with him.
For the first time, he and Iroh resembled brothers rather than bitter rivals, showing genuine care for each other.
Eventually, Zuko sought him out for answers, leading to a lengthy conversation.
Ozai made it clear that he regretted most of his actions but was not ready to end the war yet. He acknowledged Zuko's peace efforts but believed true peace was unattainable in a world driven by conquest and destruction.
He knew accepting this reality would be difficult for Zuko, who had fought hard for acceptance only to face betrayal at the first opportunity.
However, there were things that surprised Ozai.
Firstly, upon being sent back, he lost all connections to his future self. He understood that his future self would acknowledge and support his actions, but he had no way to confirm if his alterations had any impact. In contrast, Zuko had the ability to glimpse his future through nightmares, which gradually led him to madness.
This tool will prove invaluable for their work as Zuko will foresee the consequences of each decision they make. Ozai realized that their upcoming actions would permanently alter the world, leaving him to deal with the aftermath. Nevertheless, it presented an opportunity to rectify all past mistakes.
And if enduring this suffering again was necessary, then so be it.
When she lost consciousness, she believed it was the end for her.
However, upon awakening, she discovered herself not in the afterlife but on the Avatars island. She had no idea how she arrived there or how she managed to survive, but she considered herself lucky.
She was born lucky.
Izumi was also doing well. Azula observed her frolicking with the Avatar's son in the garden, bringing a smile to her face. The young girl deserved some joy after enduring such hardship.
The Avatar and his wife had located her drifting boat just in time to rescue her from freezing to death. She had always harbored a dislike for water. While essential for her existence, she never truly enjoyed it.
Having been unconscious for two days, she noticed significant changes during that period.
Following the rebel assault on the Earth Kingdom's royal palace, the nation swiftly began rearming, almost as if they had been anticipating such an opportunity. And it transpired that the rebels had completely seized control of the Fire Nation capital. She had anticipated it, but not with such rapidity. It only took them a week, indicating they had assistance from a highly influential figure. Perhaps even someone from another nation.
Azula could only guess. She was unaware of the leaders of the rebellion, and despite compiling a list of names, she remained clueless about their true identities.
She had spent an extra three days on the island and had sufficient time to ponder but still couldn't find an answer to any of her actions. However, it was on the third day that she finally found a response.
Though a very painful one.
It had been a regular afternoon when the Avatar's wife received a letter and by the expression on her face, it seemed to be something dreadful. When the Avatar read it, she noticed a faint tear roll down his cheek and by the gaze he gave her, she understood that something terrible had occurred.
And as she perused the letter, she felt all the color drain from her face.
Zuko was dead.
And she was accused of being responsible for it.
Zuko was lost.
He had believed his nightmares would cease after witnessing his eventual death.
Well, it was nearly true.
No longer plagued by nightmares, he would sometimes slip into his future self's consciousness. Each time, he would relive one of his most agonizing memories. He witnessed his own death repeatedly or the death of someone close to him, but it was never that straightforward.
He saw Mai perish in countless ways, each memory feeling so vivid that he couldn't distinguish the real one. His sister, uncle, and mother also met their demise in the most excruciating manners, replayed endlessly.
He was at a loss,
Seeking solace from his father, the only one who could comprehend his ordeal but even Ozai was clueless about the situation. Their only conclusion was that they had altered the past too drastically during the last few days and because of that the future was for now uncertain. The multitude of inconsistent changes had destabilized every possible timeline of future events. The only constant was his impending execution, yet he was determined to rectify that with sufficient effort.
While maintaining composure, he and Ozai would gradually devise their next steps.
They have opted to make minor adjustments for the time being. They began to gradually assimilate their colonies into the Fire Nation and, at Zuko's urging, decided to grant the people of the colonies complete equality. Now, the inhabitants of the Fire and Earth nations are on equal footing.
This change was essential to prevent the former Earth Kingdom citizens from rebelling, as they did in the final days of the war. It also ensures that in the future, they can effectively control the other nations they will eventually conquer by convincing them that the world under their rule will remain just.
After addressing the colonies, they proceeded to engage with the rest of the world.
Zuko attempted to persuade his father that it would be more beneficial for them to govern the other nations in a more peaceful manner to avoid sparking another civil conflict, and eventually, his father somewhat agreed.
Admittedly, it wouldn't be flawless as they would exploit significant resources and manpower from them, leading the other nations to rightfully express their discontent. Nevertheless, they would permit them to maintain some level of autonomy while still being subject to the Fire Nation's authority.
They had initiated plans to capture key Earth Kingdom cities and gradually compel the entire nation to surrender, all the while utilizing propaganda to strengthen their control.
Zuko was aware that the residents of Ba Sing Se were under the impression that there was no war, making it much simpler to convince them that their nation was actually responsible for the attack. However, persuading those in Omaha would prove to be more challenging since they had already participated in the conflict and were likely to harbor greater hostility towards the Fire Nation.
Nevertheless, he was confident that with time on their side, they would be able to make everyone understand that there was no other way to achieve peace.
Hello there, dear readers.
First off I want to express my gratitude once again for the overwhelming support this story has received.
As mentioned before, this is the continuation of the previous chapter that I couldn't complete on time due to its length being the largest I had written up to that point.
In this section, we get Ozai's perspective for the first time while also witnessing the aftermath of Zuko's execution in the future world.
The upcoming chapter will be out soon and will delve deeper into the unfolding events of the future compared to the last two chapters.
Thank you once again for your readership.
Until next time
.