"A failure. That's all you will ever be in your lifetime."
The final words my father said to me before my banishment, two and a half years ago. I set out to find the avatar, and restore my honor, but no leads, and no progress. The only thing that kept me going was the thought of coming back home, with my father, and everyone else to welcome me home. Yes, that is my purpose, my destiny in life. We were headed to a small colony in the Earth kingdom to rest before continuing our journey. I was reluctant, of course, wanting to continue my mission, but the troops and my lazy uncle decided against me. They said that a two and a half years of nonstop searching was too much. Nonsense.
We arrived at the sunset, and settled for a while. I looked at my uncle, who was happily enjoying some roast duck, then looked outside of our inn. What I didn't expect, however, was to see one of our troops burning the arm face of one of the children who had 'disobeyed' by talking back when the child was simply minding his own business, then the soldier provoked him. He had said nothing disrespectful, yet the soldier still punished him for it. I looked at my uncle in shock, pointing outside the inn window as to indicate to him what was happening. He looked outside, held a stern face, and then looked at me.
"So you finally see it, huh?"
"See what?" I asked.
"That this is no longer a war. This has devolved into a genocide where we, the fire nation, torment and devour the other nations like hungry beasts. We think ourselves the leaders of the world and call ourselves the 'greatest', when in reality even the most humble villages have become a greater people than ourselves. Throughout history we have lost our ability to empathize and love, and have learned only to fuel ourselves and our bending with rage and anger. When they fight back, we think ourselves the victims, when in fact, we are the monsters".
That night, I couldn't sleep. I could only think about my uncle's words, and how right they were. What was the point of this war? For silly power? We already have enough of it. And why did I even want my father's love so bad? Given everything he's done, does he really know how to love? How to empathize? I'm so confused.
The next morning I woke up to some racket outside the inn. I looked outside, wondering what's going on, only to see the same soldier tormenting the same child, who had bandages wrapped around his arm. This time, he went for the other arm. Before I could think about it, I jumped out and caught his arm before it could touch the boy. The soldier looked at me with a confused face, then that confusion turned to anger.
"I thought the Fire Nation prince to be weak, but I never thought he would be a traitor too!"
The child looked at me in fear, and then in happiness, thanking me then running away.
I looked at my right and found my uncle looking at me, slightly smiling.
I reentered the room of the inn, looking at my uncle. We sat in silence for a while, then suddenly, he said:
"You know it was a good thing you did out there. I am proud of you, Prince Zuko. Not many have the courage to stand up for the right, especially if it is against their own allies."
"It felt… good" I replied.
"Kindness is its own reward. For anyone who has enough courage and enough of a heart to fight for what's good, then they are bound to find the right path."
I stared back at him.
"Yes, I'm talking about you Prince Zuko. You know, your father's love is not everything. And what you will get if you do find the avatar is not what we call honor. Honor is achieving the destiny that you choose for yourself, not what others choose for you. Think about these words, Prince Zuko."
Usually I would not consider these words, as they completely contradicted my purpose in life, but now that I am a bit more inclined to the truth, I felt that his words were right. My purpose should not be for another person, only for myself. My father was a cruel man, I already knew that, and recently I've come to realize that he is not capable, or worthy of loving with everything he does to the other nations. I've witnessed it myself.
A few hours later, I suddenly began feeling dizzy. Before I knew it, I fainted and fell to the ground, unconscious.
"Zuko!' Iroh shouted.
I woke up the next day, with a towel on my forehead, still feeling sick.
"What happened to me?" I asked tiredly.
"You are undergoing a metamorphosis. What you did yesterday and your sudden change in opinion contradicted your image of yourself so much so that your mind and body are at war".
I devoured the bucket of water next to me, and fell back to sleep.
In my dream, or should I say nightmare, I sat upon the fire lord's throne, with two dragons next to me. One red, and one blue. The red dragon was telling me, in a voice similar to my uncle's:
"Prince Zuko, turn to the good. With goodness comes peace, and with peace comes completion."
The blue one, in a voice similar to my sister's, Azula, said in turn:
"Prince Zuko, you are a lot of things, but you're not a traitor. However, if you decide to betray our great nation, then be gone! Be gone just like mother! I looked at the blue dragon, and said:
"No. I will seek the truth, and find my peace by myself. My honor is not based on what you decide for me, but what I decide for myself. You be gone."
At my words, the blue dragon fell, and the red dragon stood by my side. I felt a strange sense of peace, before waking up.
When I woke up, I was feeling much better.
I heard my uncle's voice:
"You have completed your metamorphosis. You fought well, Prince Zuko."
I felt a sense of happiness, mixed with a tinge of excitement, and a foreign sense of tranquility.
"I feel amazing."
I also felt that my rage and desire to capture the avatar… was suddenly gone. It's like I felt free. Like I was free from all desire, and all anger. However, something was missing. The fire that courses through my body, the fire and rage that fuels my bending was gone. I tried to bend, but only a puff of smoke came out.
"Uncle, what is happening? Where is my bending?"
"The source of your bending, which was previously rage and anger, was gone. I shall take you to a very special place, so you can learn the true meaning behind fire bending, and find your own fuel for it. "
We arrived in a few weeks' time, with little to no difficulty in our journey. I gasped at the ancient ruins in surprise, then asked my uncle:
"This was where the ancient sun warriors used to live. Aren't they wiped out? What's the point in visiting?"
"Just be patient, Prince Zuko."
"Ah, Iroh! An old friend!" A man said from behind. I looked back, only to see a sun warrior, the very ones I thought to be extinct.
"Good to be back" Iroh bowed out of respect. He urged me to do so as well by pulling on the back of my pants.
Iroh looked at me and said:
"It's time you learned fire bending from the original masters. First, you must perform a special dance to awake them from their sleep, then they will test your might and determine if you are worthy to learn the true purpose of fire. If not, you will be 'extinguished'."
"You mean if they say I am not worthy, I'll die? And by the original benders, do you mean—"
"Dragons." The sun warrior intervened.
"But aren't they dead?"
"Your uncle claimed that they're dead, and that he killed the last one, in order to protect them. He performed this test before and passed it with flying colors. Quite literally really."
I looked at him in surprise, as if scolding him for never telling me. He just put his arms up and hummed then walked away.
The time for the test arrived. I ascended the mountain as the sun warriors beat on their drums. I was given a piece of the eternal flame, and was required to maintain it, not letting wildly spread but not letting blow off. I arrived to the top, waiting silently. Everyone looked up at me, as if waiting. Suddenly, I slapped my forehead realizing that of course, I had to do the dance! I performed it swiftly, just as I was taught, and here they were, the blue and red dragons, Ron and Sha. 'They are just like the ones in my dreams', I thought. My train of thought was stopped when the dragons suddenly came to a halt. They looked at me, assessing my every trait. All of a sudden, flashes of my memories dashed through my head: my mother, my father scarring me, my sister Azula. Then, an image of my uncle, beaming with light, passed through my imagination. Then an image of a path, like a road, surrounded by blindingly white light. This image was accompanied by an unexpected sense of tranquility. Then, it stopped. I came back to my senses, and looked around. A tornado of fire, flashing in all types of colors, surrounded me, overloading my senses. I was dazzled by the fire and its beauty. I understood now.
Two voices said: "You are worthy. We have taught you the true meaning of fire bending."
The fire dispersed and the dragons reentered their caves. I descended the staircase, still amazed by the display of color. I looked at my uncle and said:
"I understand now. Fire is alive. We must turn ourselves away from the pain it may physically cause us, and look towards its beauty and be grateful for it. Throughout history fire has helped humans live and survive, giving them the light in the dark, and the hope in the despair. It is not meant to be fueled by rage or desire, but rather by tranquility and purpose. With no purpose, there's no fire.
I struck my hand forward, releasing a powerful blast of fire, illuminating in multiple different colors. The sun warriors and my uncle looked at me in surprise, but their faces soon evolved into one of pride, as if I was their own. It felt… good.
"So, Prince Zuko…" I looked at uncle Iroh.
"What is your purpose?"
I stood there for a while, thinking. Then, I answered.
"I'm gonna rightfully take my throne and end this war. That is my destiny. I was blessed to change this much for the better in the course of a few weeks, and now with this new fire I want to help make a positive change in the world too."
"Very well." He looked and smiled at me. He continued.
"I'm coming with you. It will not be an easy journey."
I genuinely smiled for the first time in two and a half years.
After disbanding the crew, I and my uncle traveled around for a few months. Three to be exact. Nothing too eventful, but my fire bending was drastically improving as a result of my new fuel. Purpose really is the source of fire. Literally. The stronger my resolve, the more powerful my bending became. I cut off my ponytail and have been growing my hair. We stopped at another Earth Kingdom town, this one by the name of Gaipan. We rested in an inn, then I decided to head out for a walk. I realized that this town was occupied by the fire nation, who seemed to be oppressing the citizens and draining up their hefty coal mines to power machines. When asked, a villager told me that they made up around 30% of all fire nation coal. I initially decided not to do anything about it, but the scared looks of the citizens and my conscience could not allow me to do so. My uncle always told me compassion came before anything, no matter what.
I didn't know how I could go about this, but then I remembered. The blue spirit mask that my mother bought after a play. I still had it. No one would know who I am and I could rid this people of the poison that's the fire nation. I put on my mask, yielded my dual swords, then headed out.
I arrived at a big house that I assumed belonged to the fire nation governor. It was heavily guarded, but I found my way to the window without notice and with little difficulty. I entered his room, where he lay asleep. Slowly, I creeped up, but what I didn't notice, was that he was awake, and hadn't been asleep. Quickly he hurled out of his bed and blasted a ball of fire at me. I quickly dodged, and ran past his fire with swift speed. I stabbed him in the stomach but before I did so, he was able to get a hit on my face, which's force was absorbed by my mask. He looked at me in surprise before muttering:
"Prince Zuko?"
A group of guards barged into the room at all the racket, but what they were not expecting was to see me, the prince of the fire nation, killing the governor of the town. Their surprise turned into rage, and they quickly advanced. I threw one big ball of fire, flashing in different colors, but controlled it so it doesn't burn the house to the ground, and they all fall. All except one. That one troop escaped before I could catch him, and now I realized what I just got myself into.
'I'm in deep trouble' I thought while shuddering at the thought of my sister.
I was welcomed by an angry scolding by my uncle, but joyous citizens.
"Do you realize what will become of us, now that they know you are a traitor to the fire nation?!"
"But you told me to have compassion over all else!"
"Yes, but you do not just barge into a man's room, stab him, and expect to get away with it! You did the right thing, but you should've done it more subtly! You must be smart!"
"No matter". He continued.
"You and I can handle a few bounty hunters, and can probably fend off that crazy sister of yours" He stated.
The next day, me and my uncle entered a bar, and sat down for a nice cold drink. Without alcohol of course. I didn't want to be like those drunken bastards. I looked to my right, and what I saw was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. I began staring, and my uncle took notice. He looked at me seriously and said:
"Prince Zuko. You are still a teenager and I understand the attraction you feel to the opposite gender. However, you must remember to never fall for your lustful desires, and must never look at a woman that way. Woman are pure creatures and we men must respect them by being chaste and lowering our gazes. That way, we may be purer in the heart."
I took my uncle's wisdom into consideration, lowering my gaze and looking away. Suddenly, an old man sitting on a table with a Pai Sho board looked at Iroh, as if asking for a game. Iroh stated:
"I think we found our friend."
He sat at the table, and they began.
"The guest goes first" The other man stated.
Iroh began by placing the white lotus tile in the middle of the board.
"Not many still cling to the ancient ways". The old man said.
"Those who do will always find a friend". Iroh replied.
"What are you two old gasbags talking about?" I asked.
Iroh looked at me, as if scolding me, then continued the game. I watched intently as they moved the tiles, until it looked like one big flower.
"The white lotus opens wide to those who knows her secrets" The old man said.
"Good to see you Jeong Jeong." Iroh said.
"Wait by Jeong Jeong" I intervened.
"Yes, I am Jeong Jeong the Deserter." He looked at Iroh and continued:
"Your nephew has shown compassion, empathy, and kindness in his doings of the previous night. His fire, in addition, I've never seen anything like it. It has made me realize the true meaning of fire bending. I think that this young boy is worthy of joining the ancient Order of the White Lotus." Jeong Jeong looked at Iroh intently.
"No, he is yet too young to be joining!"
"I'm sorry but we have already discussed this with the other grand lotuses and they have all agreed to let him join."
Iroh sighed in defeat. "Very well".
"What's the white lotus?" I asked.
"The white lotus is an ancient civilization that transcends the nations of the world and has been serving the avatar and creating peace from the shadows". Jeong Jeong stated.
"So this civilization consists of all types of benders, and has existed since ancient times?"
"Yes. Your uncle here, is a grand lotus. The highest ranking type of member."
"You never told me of this". I looked at Iroh.
"It was supposed to be a secret". He looked at Jeong Jeong.
"Well then" Jeong Jeong stood up.
"Welcome to the Order of the White Lotus".
A man surrounded by fire sat on a high thrown, looking down on the teenaged looking girl kneeling to him.
"Your uncle, Iroh, and your brother, Zuko, are both traitors to our beloved nation. Get rid of them."
Azula looked up, smirking maliciously.
"Yes, father."
Over the next few weeks, I and my uncle stopped by a merchant town to get some supplies. Iroh looked at a big ship and said:
"Oh this place looks promising!"
We entered the ship, only to see some pirates who were selling things at ridiculous prices.
"What even is this place?" I told my uncle.
"Ohhhh! This would look spectacular on our ship!"
He said as he looked at a bear made of stone, wearing a necklace made of rubies and had eyes for rubies.
"This is ridiculous" I stared at him blankly.
"Wherever you go, Prince Zuko, even if you do not find what you're looking for, you will always find something better".
"Those are some wise words for a fat old man" One of the pirates intervened.
I put my fists up, ready for a fight. My uncle looked at me and lowered my arm.
"My nephew means no violence. He can just have a short temper at times."
The pirate glared at me then walked away. We exited the ship and then my uncle looked at me mischievously. He pulled something from his sleeve; a white lotus tile.
"You stole a white lotus tile from pirates?!That was a stupid move for a wise old man".
"Yes, but not just any tile. Not only was I missing one for the Pai Sho board on the ship, but this one is a special tile from the spirit world. The spirits are the original creators of Pai Sho! You can tell by the design!" He said while smiling at me.
I looked at him in disbelief of his stupidity, then looked back.
"Watch out!" I shouted as we ducked, dodging a barrage of spears.
"That tile goes for a hefty price! You better return it you old man!" The pirate said as him and his group advanced. Me and my uncle split up, eventually managing to escape into the forest. I looked at him as he smiled at the tile, then slapped my forehead. Then, suddenly my uncle started laughing:
"Look Prince Zuko! The missing tile was in my sleeve the whole time!"
I took the missing tile from his hand and threw it into the river.
Azula and her division entered the pirate ship, interrogating for possible sightings of Zuko and his uncle.
"Stupid fat old man! Who does he think he is, stealing from us! And that nephew of his with an ugly scar! We'll show them who we are!"
"Those two men you're talking about… where did they go?" Azula stated.
"What does it mean to you?!"
"You have something that I want, and I can get you something that you want. If you tell me where those two people went, I can get your stolen object back."
"Sounds like a deal…" The pirate said as he smiled maliciously.
Me and my uncle were asleep. That is, until we suddenly found ourselves awake in nets, inside the very ship we stole from. I looked at my uncle, as if saying 'this is your fault'. He looked back and shook me off. He whispered:
"Be patient, and eventually we will find our way out."
The second my uncle said that, Azula entered the room. Azula entered the room.
"What is there to be patient about now, uncle?!" I whispered loudly.
He looked at me dreadfully, then looked at Azula.
"A broken young boy, and a lazy fat old man. How far you've fallen." Azula said in an evil tone.
"Now for what we've been promised?" The pirates spoke.
"Silence!" Shouted Azula.
"You two, as fugitives and traitors of our nation, will no longer welcome you into the Fire Nation as citizens, but now as prisoners. Mother would be very surprised if she was to behold this sight, don't you think, brother?"
I growled at her.
Suddenly, my uncle spoke, indicating his words to the pirates.
"Don't you think that if you let her take us away, you would be losing a fortune because of our hefty bounty. I'm sure the fire lord would pay you heavily if you were to turn us in."
I looked at him as if saying 'are you crazy?!'. He looked back and smirked.
"A fortune from the fire lord doesn't sound too bad… The deal's off, princess." The pirates said as they took as away.
Azula, in her fit of rage, ordered the guards to attack the pirates and retrieve us.
"And be sure not to set the nets on fire!" She stated.
One of the pirates was slain and dropped his sword. I quickly picked it up and began cutting through the net through all the commotion. I escaped, and began cutting my uncle out.
"Not so fast there!" Azula said as she sent a barrage of fire our way. Luckily, the fire only hit Iroh's net. He controlled the fire and used it to burn his way out. Me and my uncle stood facing opposite directions, surrounded by both fire nation troops and pirates.
"You have nowhere to go" The pirate said.
"Do you know why they call me the Dragon of the West?" Iroh asked rhetorically.
"Well, it's more of a demonstration really" He stated as he blew out a ball of fire from his mouth, burning the ship. Me and my uncle jumped out of the window quickly. We were only met by Azula outside.
"If you think you can escape then you are a foolish boy, brother!"
Iroh held his hands up. I quickly put them down.
"This fight's for me". I stated as I walked towards Azula.
"An Agni Kai? I never knew my brother Zuko had such nerve!"
"The world is a better place without you, Azula."
I punched a ball of fire, flashing in all types of colors.
"How did my foolish brother attain such a high capability in the art of fire bending? Well no matter, because you'll fall anyway!"
I swiftly dodged her barrages of fire, dancing through them as the dragons had taught me. I was sure to control my own flames, and my sister's so that they didn't set the town on fire. Eventually, I got to my sister, and with a swift punch, made her fall.
'That was easy. A bit too easy' I thought. What I didn't notice was Azula creating very specific movements with her fingertips, creating lightning. She aimed it at me, and before I knew it, my uncle jumped between us, absorbing the impact, and then redirecting the lightning to the sky. My uncle stood back up and panted, as I looked at him in shock. 'How did he…' I looked back at Azula, shouting in rage:
"Azula you dirty little—"
"No, Prince Zuko!" Uncle Iroh said. You should never succumb to your rage. It will only blind you all over again!" He shouted.
I calmed myself down, then looked towards Azula.
"It is yet too early for me to get rid of you, Prince Zuko. And I know my capabilities; I can't win this fight alone". Azula surrounded herself in a ball of fire, then vanished.
"Uncle! Are you okay?!" I shouted.
"Don't worry Prince Zuko. It's just a little bit lightning. I'll be fine in a few days." He said as he fell to the ground. I retreated to the ship, and headed to the one place where Azula wouldn't find us: The Southern Water Tribe.
We arrived in about two months' time. Luckily, Azula was not able to track us, as the Southern Water Tribe was a most unexpected destination. Iroh recovered, and when he did, he taught me how to use and redirect lightning.
"In order to bend lightning, you must be able to bend the energy within yourself. If there is turmoil in you, then you cannot perform this move. You must guide the lightning through your fingers and out of your body, but not by ordering it to, rather by being its humble guide leading it outside your body".
I got it quite easily of course. With the teachings of the dragons, everything related to fire bending came easy.
We arrived to a small village in the water tribe which went by the name of 'Wolf Bat Cove'. There, although reluctant at first due to our fire nation ships, we were eventually welcomed by the people when we stated that we meant no harm. An old lady by the name of 'Kanna' allowed us to rest at her place. It wasn't much of a house really. Just one big igloo of ice. The whole land was like that; all snow. "When are those two rascals gonna come back?" She muttered to herself.
"Would you like a game of Pai Sho as you wait for your grandchildren to return?" Iroh asked.
"I would love to" Kanna replied. I exited the igloo out of boredom, when suddenly I saw an old man at the edge of my sight holding up a white lotus tile. I knew what he meant and entered his home.
"Welcome, Prince Zuko, our new beloved member of the Order of the White Lotus" He began.
"The White Lotus opens wide to those who know her secrets" I stated. I internally laughed at myself. I was just trying to imitate my uncle because I didn't know what to say.
"I can tell you're a bit… new at this" He said while looking at me.
"Anyway, the more important matter. Intelligence reports that two water tribe children have found the avatar: avatar Aang. Your mission is to gain their trust, remain by their side, and protect the avatar at all costs. Of course, your uncle, being a grand lotus, has already been informed of this. Remember, Prince Zuko, do not attack anyone if they do not attack first, and if one is to wage war against you and your kin, slay them wherever you find them. That is the policy of the Order of the White Lotus." He stated, dead serious.
I nodded in thought, then internally laughed at the irony: previously I was supposed to be capturing the avatar, and now I am the one protecting him. Before I left, the man handed me a white lotus tile, the very one my uncle stole, in fact.
"Goodbye, Prince Zuko".
As they played Pai Sho, Kanna and Iroh began a conversation.
"So, Kanna, do you happen to know anyone by the name of Pakku?"
"Ah yes, the love of my life… at least, in the past. How do you know of this man?"
"An old friend. He still talks about you to this day!"
She put her hand on her forehead and said
"Oh Pakku. Never changes"
Suddenly, they heard a lot of commotion outside the home. While exiting the home, they were welcomed by the sight of two children, each around the age of 13, and a young bald kid with arrows tattooed on his head. Iroh glanced at me expectedly, as if conveying the mission. I nodded in reply, and patiently waited for the right moment to approach. I spied cautiously, until I see the bald monk and the water tribe girl stumble upon a fire nation ship. They both entered.
'It's booby trapped' I thought. They're going to get stuck. Suddenly an idea struck my head. This can be my moment to gain their trust. I'm a genius!
I entered the ship subtly, and as expected, they fell right into the trap, asking for help. I freed them from the trap, and again, as expected, they asked who I am.
"You don't look like you're from around here" The water tribe girl stated.
"Yeah, who are you?" The avatar stated.
"My name's Zuko. Me and my uncle were traveling around and stumbled upon this village. Your grandma was so very kind to welcome us here".
"Well, my name's Katara, and this is Aang."
"So, Aang" I stated. He flinched slightly at my hard stare.
"Are you an airbender?"
"Sure am!" I replied. "And I'm going to visit the Air temples so I can reunite with the monks!"
"You mean… you don't know about the war?"
"What war?" Aang asked, confused.
I leaned back in surprise. Suddenly, from the view outside, I noticed black ashes falling from the sky.
"The Fire Nation's here" I said. Katara took notice of this too, and shuddered in fear.
"They use the black ashes as a technique to instill fear in the people they invade. They're probably heading to the village as we speak. We should hurry."
They looked at me and nodded, then followed me up the mountain, to the village. I looked around.
"Azula…" I muttered. I grit my teeth at the thought of what she last did to my uncle, but consoled myself.
"This one's dangerous. I can tell by her royal garments and the troops that she has. Those are high-ranking fire benders she has with her".
"You seem to know an awful lot about the fire nation, Zuko" Katara looked at me suspiciously.
"Why is that?" She asked, trying to drain some intel out of me.
"That's a matter for later." I said.
Aang, confused in all this commotion, began questioning:
"Why is the fire nation attacking the water tribe?"
Katara replied:
"This is the war we're talking about. The fire nation attacked the rest of the world 100 years ago, seeking to conquer the other nations for power."
"So that means…" Aang continued.
"You were gone for over 100 years" I completed the sentence. Aang looked around him, as if this new world was foreign, strange to him. Suddenly, he was overcome by sadness that all his friends were probably gone.
"There's no time for grief" I said.
"We have to protect the village" I continued.
"Aang, you deal with the soldiers. The girl's mine."
I witnessed the sight of the water tribe boy's pathetic attempt to slay Azula, which of course, didn't succeed. She looked at me maliciously, then looked next to me.
"The banished prince, and the avatar… It must be my lucky day" She said.
Katara stared at both of us in shock.
"Oh you didn't know?" Azula announced to the village.
"This scarred child here is the prince of the Fire Nation, Prince Zuko. And this fatso over here, is Iroh, brother of the fire lord, and the Dragon of the West!" Everyone stared at us in shock. Mothers hid their children behind their backs, and Katara prepared to attack. However, she was stopped when Azula continued:
"Now unless you want me to leave this village alone, you're going to turn them in!" The citizens looked at us in unwelcoming ways, telling us to leave. Realizing the danger that my uncle and I would put the people in if we resisted, we silently obeyed.
We entered the ship. I and Iroh were placed in prison sells as we departed to the Fire Nation.
"Princess Azula? What about the Avatar?" One of the soldiers asked.
"Don't worry. She stated. He'll come right to us.
Meanwhile Aang and Katara sat down near an iceberg. The water tribe boy, named Sokka came and said:
"You never said you were the AVATAR! It's probably because of you that they came and attacked!"
"Shut up Sokka it wasn't his fault. She wan't here for Aang anyway. She was here for those fire nation men…" she said with a bit venom in her voice.
"I'm going to save them" Aang suddenly stated. Both Katara and Sokka stared at him blankly.
"You mean you wanna save the fire nation baddies who just entered our village bringing that ship-full of soldiers with them?" Sokka inquired, ridiculed by Aang.
"I don't think this is a very good idea Aang." Katara added.
"I don't know… It's just a feeling. Either way, that guy with the scar did help us get out of the ship we were trapped in. The monks always said to pay people's kindness back"
"I am a bit reluctant about this but if you say so" Katara said.
"Ahhh so now I have to go too?" Sokka said while leaning down in defeat.
"Let's go guys." Aang said seriously.
Azula sat on the top of the ship, waiting patiently. Suddenly, she spotted a flying bison in the sky.
"There they are" She said.
The avatar and his friends descended onto the ship.
"Guards, you take care of the pathetic tribesmen. The avatar's mine."
Azula threw a jab of purple fire. Aang quickly dodged throwing a gust of wind. Azula stood her ground and directly responded with a barrage of fire which was empowered by the air Aang had sent.
"Don't you know air just makes fire stronger?" Azula said as she swiftly ducked under another throw of wind and swipe-kicked Aang while releasing fire from her legs. Aang jumped over it, giving Azula the perfect opportunity to get up and swiftly punch Aang with a fire-empowered fist, leaving Aang unconscious on the ground. Katara and Sokka had also been easily dealt with. What they didn't expect, however was Iroh and Zuko coming in from above, with Zuko shooting a blast of colorful fire and Iroh blasting a barrage of mini fire punches, finishing all the soldiers off.
"You underestimate the heat of my fire, Azula" Zuko stated.
"What are you gonna do now that it's two on one, Azula?"
"I surrender. A princess always surrenders with honor" She said.
I approached her with caution. I looked at my uncle. Suddenly my uncle shouted:
"Zuko! Be carefu-"
A surge of energy entered my body, causing excruciating pain everywhere. It felt weird, like my mind didn't want to get rid of this new power. My whole body went numb, and I knew I had to find a way to get the energy out. Just as my uncle had taught me, I guided the lightning through my shoulder, making sure it didn't touch the heart, into my stomach, up to my other shoulder. I pointed my fingertips at Azula, guiding the lightning out, but then I remembered: after everything she did, she was still family. I couldn't bring myself to release it on her, so I pointed to the sky, and released it all. Suddenly, all the pain vanished, and I kneeled on the ground panting.
"So after all this, you're still the weak, compassionate little Zuzu" Azula stated. As she was speaking those words, my uncle came from behind, and with a swift chop of the neck, knocked Azula out.
"What a troubled child" He said as he tied her arms and legs.
Katara and Sokka awoke, witnessing the sight of Azula being tied up. They stood up in fighting position, ready for whatever Iroh would throw at them.
"Don't worry" Iroh said smiling.
"I'm not going to attack. If I did, I would've kicked your butts immediately" Iroh said as he laughed. I stood up and slowly approached them.
"Wow not so fast there buddy" Sokka said as he held up his boomerang.
"Can't you see me and my uncle mean no bad intent?" I asked.
"Why did I save you and Aang in the trapped ship or help get rid of Azula if I meant anything bad towards you?"
"He is making sense… But as long as your fire nation, we can't trust you!" Katara said.
I dropped my weapons.
"Please, if you can just trust me, I can help you defeat the fire lord and end this war".
"Your nation took away my mother! How could I ever trust you?"
"Then that's something we have in common." I said as I looked at Katara and Sokka, smiling sadly.
"Trust me, I've witnessed the cruelty of the fire nation myself" I said as I pointed at my scar "and intend to end this war, one way or another." I stated.
They both looked at me, shocked.
"Well, if you really are against the fire nation then I guess we can trust you… and your fat uncle" Iroh laughed. I stared at my uncle, who had pulled out roast duck and a cup of tea from nowhere, then slapped my forehead.
Katara, crossing her arms in defeat, said "fine".
We loaded Aang and Azula onto Appa, then got on, during which I noticed that Appa grunted when Iroh entered the saddle. I laughed at him. He stared at me blankly.
A few weeks later, as per Aang's request which will all knew would end up with a futile result, we visited the southern Air Temple, only to find nobody there. Seeing Aang so devastated on the ground after seeing Gyatso's dead body, I remembered how it felt when I had lost my mother, or how my uncle felt when he lost Lu Ten, his son. Once, Aang entered the avatar state, I knew that big trouble was to come, since all the avatar statues in the temples around the world would begin to glow, informing them of Aang's return. Surely the fire nation would be returning for us soon. Every time Azula woke up we put her back to sleep, but made sure to feed her at the right intervals.
We left the temples and settled in a town nearby. Fortunately (for them), this town wasn't occupied by the fire nation, so we were free to roam. As I walked across the main street, a local tea-maker caught my attention. I could smell the aroma from across the street, so I decided to take a look. 'My uncle's infection is spreading to me. I wish it could just end already' I thought. What I didn't expect to see, however, was that the tea-maker wasn't just any man, but my uncle himself!
"Uncle! What are you doing here? You're not supposed to be making tea right now! You're supposed to be with Azula!"
"I know. But it seems I like tea too much to let go of it. Anyway, I let Sokka take care of it!"
I decided to rush back to check on her but before I left, my uncle handed me a paper, with the white lotus insignia on it.
I quickly entered the inn room, and was relieved by the sight of Sokka giving a speech with Momo on his shoulder, talking about his manhood or something. Azula looked at me, pleading to stop this torture. 'Wow. No one's ever been able to bring Azula to such limits' I thought. I asked Sokka to kindly leave the room. Once he had left, Azula took a look at the paper on my hand.
"Also a part of uncle's secret organization, Zuko?"
"How do you know about that?" I inquired suspiciously.
"It was quite obvious. Seeing his obsession with the white lotus tile in Pai Sho even if it was the most useless piece, I decided to investigate. I noticed that every day at 5 AM he would leave the house to deal with organization affairs."
There was silence for a while. I read the letter, which asked me to temporarily leave the mission on Aang and go to the Earth town of Gaipan to look for a person called the 'Blind Bandit'. She was supposed to be Aang's future airbending teacher. Seriously does this stuff only happen to me? Luckily I was an expert at searching so I was about to leave. As I was about to leave, I heard Azula speak.
"Mother's still alive you know." I stared at her in shock, wanting to believe her but remembering the phrase I always used to repeat.
"Azula always lies" I muttered to myself.
"I have no real reason to lie about this. That night she was actually banished, not killed. Said she was going to a fire nation town near the border, next to a mystical forest or something."
"LIAR! You just want to get rid of me for a while! I know your dirty tricks Azula!"
"If I had wanted to get rid of you, I would've done it a long time ago. I just don't want to though."
"Why?!" I asked.
"Because after everything, you're still my brother."
'Did I just hear that right' I thought. 'Did she really have some good in her?' I almost cried at the thought. I went in for a hug, for the first time in my life, with my evil sister. I knew I couldn't trust her, but I just couldn't let go of the thought. I decided to leave not just to find the Blind Bandit, but to find mother as well.
Azula POV:
I have calculated many outcomes in my life for many different possible situations. What I didn't calculate, however, was that Zuko, my own brother who I grew to hate, would hug me after my lie that I didn't get rid of him because of us being siblings. It's hard to describe, but it was like a string in my heart that had been torn long ago had just suddenly reattached. I wanted to get rid of it, as father always told me to never love, but it felt so good, almost like a primal bond. A bond of siblings. I couldn't get rid of it in the end.
Back to Zuko POV:
On the way to Gaipan, the village in which the Blind Bandit rested. I walked through the forest then stumbled upon a statue of a bear. Suddenly, before I knew it, I felt a sudden thomp and looked around to see what it was. It was my own body. My own damn body. I checked myself, and realized my skin was translucent. 'I'm in the spirit world' I realized. 'This shit only happens to me' I thought. I stumbled around, looking for a way to get out. I found an ancient tree brimming with spiritual energy, which I could now sense since I was in the spirit world, so I thought it could help me. I stumbled upon what was supposed to be a red-nosed monkey, but it had no face. That gave me the creeps. I entered the tree, which I soon regretted. A snake-like creature began surrounding me. I tried to bend, but I couldn't.
"You have a very strong connection with the dragons" He said.
"How do you know?"
"My name is Koh the Face Stealer. An ancient spirit that existed since the dawn of time. I see that you are a relative to one of my faces." He proceeded to show the face of my mother, Ursa. I stared in horror then pulled my hand back in anger, ready to release a ball of fire.
"It was a gift from my mother. Anyway that's not important. You want the face?"
Zuko nodded, still preparing an attack.
"Then feed me a piece of your fire. You seem interesting, and I'm quite intrigued."
"Oh yea, I have no bending" I said as I looked at my hand.
'Fire, water, earth, air… They all seem separate, but in reality, they are all one. They are all based on the energy within oneself. Feel the flow of your chi through your body, bend it to your arm the same way you fire benders do for lightning, and release it."
I followed his instructions, putting my hand in his mouth and releasing some chi into it.
"Hmm tasty." He said. I was a bit creeped.
I will restore your mother's face and memories, but be sure that your mother lies in a town far away from here. At the border of the Fire Nation, in a town called Hira'a.
"Thank you. Can you send me back?" I asked as I bowed down in respect.
"Yes, I will proceed to."
Suddenly I found myself back in my body. I realized that after all, we were all one people, the same. Bending is not just about bending the elements, but the energy within yourself. I could now sense the spiritual energy in the trees, the sky, and the very air I breathe. Nature was made to put us humans in a peaceful state of mind, after all. It was a sudden but pleasant change.
A few days later, I made it to the town of Gaipan. I looked all over the place, until I found a flyer of an earth bending academy. 'That's where the blind bandit must be!' I thought. I entered the academy, looking around. Suddenly, I heard the voice of what seemed to be a very Chinese man.
"What are you doing in my academy?" He said with anger.
"Get out!" I quickly dodged his earthbending attack, jumping on a roof. While on the roof, I heard two teenaged boys speaking:
"The Blind Bandit's going to kick the Boulder's butt today!" One of them exclaimed.
I jumped down and inquired:
"Hey, the blind bandit, where is she gonna be fighting today?"
"On the island of nunya. Nunya business!" They both laughed. I caught both of their wrists on my hand and began squishing them. In pain, one of them finally complied:
"In the underground arena! Near the mountain behind the Beifong estate!"
I prepared to head to the arena by night. When I entered, I decided to sit in the front row.
'Why did no one sit in the front row?' I asked myself. My answer was quickly answered by a boulder flying towards me. In my opinion, this was stupid. Just a bunch of muscular guys fighting for some cash. 'Is the blind bandit really blind anyway?' I asked myself. Again, my answer quickly came when the Blind Bandit herself came up into the stage from an underground tunnel. Judging by her behavior and eye color, she really was blind. 'Then how is she gonna fight the Boulder himself as a young blind girl?'. The fight ended in two seconds. Two seconds. And guess who won, the Blind Bandit herself.
"Who would like to challenge the Blind Bandit for a bag of gold?" He asked. Nobody except me raised their hand. I stepped onto the stage.
"What's wrong? Afraid to fight me?" She asked.
"I never attack first" I replied.
"Well, someone's a bit of a guru. Unfortunately for you, we don't do that here!" She stepped heavily on the ground and released a block of stone under me, trying to puncture me. I could somehow sense the flow of energy from her body to the stone beneath me, and could see where it was flowing within her body, allowing me to predict her next moves. I used the rock as a jumping platform, deducing that she probably somehow used earthbending to see rather than her vision, so she wouldn't be able to sense me in the air.
"Now where'd you go" she asked herself. Realizing what was coming, she turned to my direction but couldn't react fast enough. With a swift but heavy punch, I hit her liver, knocking her out. I took the money while everyone stood shocked, carried her body and exited the stage. 'She couldn't be any older than 12. I thought to herself. I myself am 14'.
She awoke around 20 minutes later on the bed of my inn room.
"Who are you? What did you do to me?" She shouted.
"Calm down I won't hurt you. I could've done that while you were unconscious if I wanted to."
"What do you want from me?" She shouted again.
"I just want to talk. Here, have some tea. I made it just like my uncle does it."
She drank a sip of the tea and instantly spit it out.
"This is just hot leaf juice!" She shouted
"That's what all tea is." I replied blankly.
"So, what is it you want to talk about?" She said.
"So… how can I say this… I'm friends with the avatar and I need to find him an earth bending teacher. I was wondering if you could come with me?"
She put her feet on the table "Bullshit." She said.
"What! It's true! Why would I even be doing this in the first place? Come on, just give me a chance?"
"I wouldn't mind traveling the world with the avatar. The problem's getting my parents to let me. They think I'm pathetic, but I'm actually not. I'm not allowed to do anything."
"So then, how did you learn earth bending?"
"From the badger moles. Long story"
I nodded in approval of her answer.
"So, do you wanna come or not?"
"Fuck it. Let's do this"
We exited the inn preparing to leave. As we were about to leave, we saw Xin Fu, the earth bending master of the academy, and the Beifong estate soldiers all waiting at the town's exit.
"Young Toph you must return to the estate immediately. Your parents are quite worried" A soldier said. I sensed two people, probably the parents, were approaching.
"My baby Toph! Soldiers, save her from this kidnapper!" Toph looked at me dead serious in the eye.
"They're mine."
Singlehandedly, Toph dealt with the earthbending soldiers of the estate as well of the sheriffs of the town with relative ease. Xin Fu and the earth bending teacher were the only ones standing. Toph waited patiently, then attacked. I analyzed her fighting technique. It seemed she was able to sense vibrations and respond to them. She acted like a true earth bender. Now I understood why she was supposed to be Aang's teacher. Xin Fu hastily attacked with three large boulders, hurling towards Toph. Toph dodged, and deflected one of them back to Xin Fu. The earth bending teacher tried to sneak up from behind and trap Toph in an earth tent. Toph, however, sensed this and by sliding her heel backwards, raised a pillar from the ground almost three stories high, with the master's shirt hanging on to it. Xin Fu, meanwhile, tried to attack Toph by jumping off the ground, and dipping his palm into the earth to create a shockwave of rockalanches. Before he could even pull it off, however, Toph sent a wave of rocks through the ground, trapping Xin Fu's arm inside it, completely immobilizing him. The parents just stared in shock at Toph's spectacular performance. Toph approached them.
"Mother, father, I know you think that I was just a weak blind girl but I showed you what I could do. The truth is, I've always been a strong earthbender and I love fighting. The avatar needs me to train him to face the firelord, and this man over here will take me to him. Please, just give me a chance. I've presented how I can protect myself."
After careful consideration and thought, although reluctant at first, the parents accepted. Toph went in for a deep hug, the first genuine one she ever gave them.
"We depart tomorrow morning" I told her.
"Let's go!" She replied.
Meanwhile Aang, Katara, and Sokka are worried about Zuko's sudden disappearance.
"What did you do to him?!" Sokka asked Azula.
"Nothing, I just told him that our mother's alive. He's probably at the other side of the world right now looking for her"
"Katara, Sokka, Iroh, we have to go look for him" Aang stated worriedly.
"No, you must not." Iroh replied.
"This is a journey he needs to take by himself. You mustn't get in the way. Proceed with your journey. I have a close eye on him." Iroh said.
"Well then, what are we going to do about Azula?"
"Leave her with me. I will deal with her."
"Ohh, how interesting. I get to spend some quality time with my uncle" Azula stated.
"Go." Iroh said to the rest of the group.