Chapter 2 – a solution with new problems

"What do you mean?"

Aang asked in shock in shock, and the Soldier showed him a scroll

"by this"

Aang read it over, and he asked

"where is Zuko?"

the soldier told him

"His majesty is in Yu Dao"

Aang ran to Appa with Katara not far behind, Sokka was about to follow but then another soldier approached him

"are you heading for Yu Dao?"

Sokka replied

"yes"

and the soldier handed him a small package

"Zuko wanted you to have these, they should help"

Sokka took the package and thought nothing of it but then Aang on Appa was above them "let's go"

and he air bent Sokka up to Appa's saddle and they headed to Yu Dao.

After a day and a half of flight, Aang, Katara, and Sokka found Yu Dao, but before they could land an unexpected hitch-hiker dropped in

"Hey Guys"

and both Katara and Sokka shouted

"Toph!"

and embraced her and Katara with joyful excitement

"it's been too long!"

Toph happily replied

"I missed you to"

then Sokka looked over to where Toph came from

"so that's your metal bending school?"

he pointed to a building against a mountain just outside of Yu Dao and Toph in a Proud yet humble ways said "yea, the Bey-Fong Metal Bending Academy. I heard Appa so I had to say hi" and Sokka looked down again

"wow, your own school how is it working out?"

and Toph just gave a

"Meh"

Katara placed a hand on Toph's shoulder

"Glad you're here, Aang needs all the help he can get, because of"

but she caught herself and Toph questioned

"because of what?"

then Katara sighed

"because of what he might have to do"

then Toph asked

"where is Twinkle Toes anyway"

Sokka pointed on Appa's head

"he is meditating"

then Katara decided to fill toph in on the recent news

"Zuko has changed his mind on the Harmony Restoration Movement"

Toph with a sense of confused disgusted

"your Joking, right?"

Sokka just replied

"no, he is in Yu Dao right now and we are going to see what is going on"

and Toph getting a sense of clarity

"that's what the lily livers… my students were talking , that is more of an Ozai thing to do than Zuko"

Sokka just replied

"we don't know that yet"

Katara looked down

"and Aang is meditating of what he has to do, because of the promise he made"

and she looked at the city below with concern.

Aang in his state of meditation, was shifting threw his medallions until he was holding the one with the fire emblem on it and a familiar voice spoke

"your duty is done, the war has ended. Yet there is still no peace"

then Roku in a more somber tone

"I am sorry Aang. You still suffer the consequences of my… Indecisiveness"

Aang sighed

"Avatar Roku, I should have never made that promise to Zuko… I didn't even kill Ozai, and he was going to incinerate the earth kingdom! How can I kill my own fire bending teacher, my friend"

looking to Roku

"what kind of person would that make me?"

Roku in his somber tone

"one who keeps his promise. Zuko was in the clearest of minds when he asked you for that promise. He knew what was at stake"

he paused

"all those lives lost in the past 100 years… I could have saved them if I acted"

Aang shocked

"are you saying? You regret not killing Sozin?"

Roku simply said

"Yes"

and Aang shouted

"but he was your friend!"

and Roku corrected him

"He was a brother to me. But because of him, the Air nomads were nearly wiped out and the world burned"

then he looked at Aang in the eyes

"in a position of power, you must put of the world above your needs or wants. Zuko, for a time understood this principle"

Aang reasoned

"I'll find Zuko, then we'll talk things over"

Roku seeing this conversation was almost over

"remember the wisdom I offered you Aang, be decisive and a promise is a promise"

Aang then finished

"that's what friends do, we talk"

Roku looked at Aang as if there is more to be discussed but Aang ended his meditation.

the gates are closed and just outside of them, a group of protesters some of which Aang recognized as the freedom fighters. After dismounting they talked with the protesters including Smeller Bee, Da Duke, Pipsqueak, Long Shot, and other freedom fighters and all of them were chanting the same thing

"Fire Nation out, Harmony now!"

everyone was cheering

"Aang, the freedom fighters are at your service! So, what's your plan of attack?"

Aang smiled

"I appreciate your confidence Smeller-bee, but I really just want to talk to Zuko"

Smeller-bee slightly angered shouted

"What! the time for talking is over, now that the fire lord has abandoned the Harmony Restoration movement!"

she turned and pointed

"and there are fire nation troops everywhere. You are not getting into the city without a fight"

a bigger guy walked up to them

"We'll break open a new gate for you!"

Aang in a calm manner

"That won't be necessary sneers. We'll find a way in"

he pulled out his glider

"ready Katara?"

Katara grabbing firm on his shoulders

"I sure am Aang"

with a light jump they flew over the wall, Sokka looked at them wondering if there was something he should have done before they left but thought nothing of it.

The two of them land on a courtyard just on the other side of the gate, where they were met by a dozen fire nation soldiers and their captain and Aang greeted him

"captain, Hotmen!"

but the captain wasn't amused

"this city is under the protection the Fire Lord himself, no one enters with out his express permission, not even the avatar! Leave now"

Aang still maintaining his composure

"Please, we just want to speak with Fire lord Zuko"

but the captain wasn't having any of it and started to attack. Aang easily dodged and blocked the captain's attacks, then he made the ground collapse around the captain up to his shoulders, being unable to move he ordered his solders to attack and the small battle… skirmish continued with Aang using a similar technique to restrain the other soldiers, Katara then shouted

"Aang, you're on fire!"

Ange chuckled

"thanks for the compliment Katara"

then he looked to his side and saw a small fire on his robes and winced a little but Katara quickly put it out, then used her water bending to either freeze, water whip, and even throw snow balls at the solders

"Stop, setting my friend on fire!"

then to their surprise some of the towns folk started to join in the scuffle and Aang and Katara thought they were going to help but before they could say anything they earth bent the soldiers and their captain free, this astonished Aang

"we are trying to help you?"

before they knew it they were surrounded by both Fire Nation soldiers and Earth bender citizens, then the earth bender's used their earth bending to trap Katara in the ground up to her shoulders, seeing this Aang was both scared and Mad and started to go avatar state and every one was astonished and scared and the solders readied them selves until they heard

"STOP! THIS NOW"

the soldiers, Katara, the towns folk, and Aang all looked and could see Zuko walking in the middle of the now stopped scuffle and he looked at Katara

"get her out of this now!"

one of the earth benders did so and Zuko helped her up, but Aang was till in his avatar state and Katara looked at him

"Aang, its over calm down"

Aang was still in the avatar state, though a relatively calm avatar state but Katara held his wrists

"please, let it go…"

Aang catching his breath as he went back to normal

"huff, huff, thanks Katara, I don't know what came over me, I might've done something terrible"

Katara helped him up again, he looked at Zuko who approached them

"Katara is right we need to calm down, and talk"

Aang got a perplexing face

"you kidding me?, THAT'S WHY WE ARE HERE IN THE FIRST PLACE!"

Katara and Zuko took a step back and Zuko continued

"didn't you receive the package I sent you in Caldera city?"

both Aang and Katara had a perplexed look on their face then Aang remembered

"give me a minute" and he got his glider out and flew up and back over the wall leaving Zuko, Katara, and the soldiers just standing there.

Aang found Sokka, Toph, Da duke, and a fire nation solder playing some sort of dice game, and upon seeing him Sokka was about to ask him something but Aang stopped him, and just picked up Sokka's bag found the package, opened it and found officer badges specially made for each of the gAang members, he gave Sokka his badge and a light bomp on the head with his glider and then flew off. Sokka looked at his badge and everyone just looked at him with a face (even the fire nation soldier even though his face was behind a face plate) that said "Wow, that was a failure", and Sokka just pulled out a couple of silver coins "hey, I believe we are in the middle of a game".

Once Aang brought the honorary officer badges to Zuko and Katara and explained what happened the three of them couldn't help but laugh and Zuko joked

"Sokka is the most brilliant and absent minded person I know, and this after my meetings with every politician in the fire nation, earth kingdom, and water tribes"

Katara then added

"and somehow that is not a paradox?"

and Aang laughed "no, he is the living paradox"

after half minute of laughing or so, Zuko with a smile said

"well, maybe it was a good thing, this gave us a good little laugh"

but then he was serious again and started lead them through town to explain what had happened.

"Believe it or not but a week ago I came here to enforce the Harmony Restoration Movement personally, but then…"

2 weeks earlier

Zuko was having an uneasy sleep the slightest creek would wake him, looking out the window he could see the moon and stars perfectly clear in the sky witch probably indicated it was midnight. Every creek, every little sound unnerved him, since taking the throne there have been several assignation attempts on his life, and despite be able to fight off all of them it was making him uneasy and agitated. Swearing he could hear footsteps, so he shot up from his bed shouting

"who's there?"

then bolted for the door and seeing the two guards he said in an agitated voice

"someone is trying to assassinate me…"

the guards looking around

"what, where?"

but Zuko continued

"I could hear their foot steps"

one of the guards looked up at the roof of Zuko's room but saw nothing in the bright moon light and turned to his Lord

"my Lord, there is no one…"

but then the both guards were each suddenly caught by a Bolas and fell to the ground and someone in a navy blue outfit jumped from that very roof throwing a third bolas at him but Zuko used a fire blast to incinerate the rope and easily dodged the stone balls of it

"down with the traitor king!"

and she with a spiked ball with a stone core attached to a chain swung at him

"down with the fire lord who betrayed his own people!"

then they were in hand to hand combat, the she jumped back and threw the chain again and did an earth bending stance and the ball quickly wrapped around Zuko's left shin, but before she could pull, he grabbed it and yanked it pulling her out of balance and used a Fire ball to knock her against a wall and she collapsed to the floor, he then used a fire dagger to cut the tangled chain and he picked her up by the scarf revealing her face and held her against that same wall that fire dagger up to her throat

"convince me why I shouldn't kill you right now!"

the girl in disgust replied

"go ahead!, my family has been loyal to yours for generations! You'll only further prove your betrayal"

and Zuko puzzled

"your Family?"

the girl shouted, "my father is the mayor of Yu Dao"

Zuko letting her go as two guards held her by the arms

"Yu Dao, that's one of the first fire nation colonies?"

and the girl even more furious

"My home! You and the Avatar are going to destroy it with that forsaken Harmony Restoration Movement!"

the guards asked

"what do you want done with her sire?"

Zuko stood back

"clamp her in irons and take her to my ship".

1 week later

Zuko, the girl, and several guards went into Yu Dao and eventually got to the mayor's house and a middle-aged man came out (roughly mid 40s) and the guards pushed the girl to him and the man ran up to her

"Kori! What happened? Your mother and I were worried sick"

and he embraced her but then noticed the irons and chains on her

"what… are these chains? And these men?"

Kori answered

"I went to find someone about our Problem, Father"

the man questioning

"who"

and she turned her head

"HIM"

and the father looked up and could see Zuko in full fire lord attire and Zuko didn't even wait for him to address him

"you must be mayor Morishita. Your daughter snuck into the palace and attempted to murder me!"

the man shocked and terrified but couldn't say anything and Kori then said

"I had to do something"

Morishita then dropped to the ground bowing

"I'm so sorry for my daughter's rash behaviour"

Zuko looking down at him

"I should burn this place to the ground!"

Morishita pleaded

"have mercy my fire lord"

then Kori shouted

"your Harmony Restoration Movement will do that and worse!"

Zuko then said

"you colonials need to learn that the Harmony Restoration Movement is a means to peace!"

then Morishita finding his courage

"peace?"

then he got up

"peace for who exactly? With all due respect, my family and the families of this city have lived here for 4 generations! This city was built on our blood, sweat, and tears! And we have as much right to live here as anyone else"

Zuko taken back but still insisted

"your Fire nation citizens, you belong to the fire nation!"

Morishita replied

"you're right! We are fire nation citizens! But I'll tell you this. Your father would never let the avatar and the earth king bully him into a movement that is so obviously against the well being of his own citizens!"

Zuko's eyes narrowed

"My father…!?"

Zuko started to flame and before Morishita could blink, Zoku had held him against a wall with a fire dagger in hand

"don't compare me to my FATHER!"

Morishita eyes were shocked but stayed firm

"I'm not, Fire lord Zuko. Ozai had many faults, but he was neither a coward nor a traitor"

Zuko angerly said

"you'll regret saying that old man!"

Zuko turned to his soldiers

"soldiers, seize him"

they advanced on Morishita but then a wall of earth erupted from the ground between him and the soldiers and Zuko turned and saw a middle-aged woman doing an earth bending stance and holding the hand of what looked like a two year old fire nation child and she pleaded

"Fire Lord, please forgive my husband's foolishness!"

Zuko astonished asked

"your Morishita's wife? An earth bender?"

she replied

"yes, as is our daughter"

Kori then said

"yes, I am an earth bender but I'm a fire nation citizen. My father taught me to be loyal to the fire nation, our people! Something your father obviously failed in teaching you"

then Mrs. Morishita asked

"if you would like, maybe you can stay a in Yu Dao for a few days. It would be an honor to show you our way of life".

Back to the present

Zuko was walking both Aang and Katara through town to show them what the mayor and his family showed him, and he explained

"I now see what the Harmony Restoration Movement would destroy, that is why I changed my mind. Ever since my coronation, I couldn't find peace. Now I finally figured out why that is. I have forgotten about the needs of my people"

and he turned to Aang

"I know you defeated the fire nation Aang, but my people still deserve respect!"

Aang puzzled

"I defeated the fire nation? You mean we defeated the Phoenix King!"

and Zuko shouted

"it will be disrespectful to take from them what they spent generations building! I won't let that happen!"

Aang now frustrated

"the world's harmony requires 4 nations to balance each other out, that is imposable if one nation occupies another!"

Katara looked back at Mayor Morishita, his wife, Kori, and their little son with great concern and she decided to voice her view on it

"maybe Yu Dao should be the exception"

Aang confused asked

"what?"

and Katara sighed

"it's just a thought"

and Zuko continued

"as should the rest of the remaining colonies. Most of them are over a century old, even older than you Aang"

Aang still frustrated

"you got to be joking. Peace will be impossible then"

then Katara in a diplomatic way

"regardless, the earth king should be a part of what happens next. If Aang can arrange a meeting, will you be there Zuko?"

both Aang and Zuko took a deep breath

"I will be there"

and Aang followed

"Talking's good… I guess".

The Protesters were waiting outside the wall wondering what's taking so link

"what taking them so long?"

and another suggested

"maybe the Fire lord captured the Avatar!"

and some of the freedom fighters started to get restless

"we should break that wall down and save him from those ASH-MAKERS!"

and started to advance on the gate with the Fire Nation soldiers taking a defensive stance, but then Sokka standing between them and the protesters

"calm down everyone, Avatar Aang can handle himself! The best option for us is to…"

but then someone shouted

"out of our way you water tribe savage!"

then threw a rock at him hitting him on the head causing him to fall on his back, then Toph did earth bending stance and there was a large boulder in the air

"that's enough! Any more things thrown at anyone gets a boulder to the face! GOT IT!"

and they reluctantly backed off, the fire nation soldiers helped Sokka up and tended to his head wound as best as they could

"you, ok?"

then Sokka in a semi-conscious state

"they are lucky, I was ready to bust out Mr. Boomerang!"

Then Aang and Katara came down from above, Katara seeing Sokka attended to his head wound and informed him on what happened while Aang approached the protesters and toph asked

"what happened, did you… do it?"

and Smeller-Bee asked

"you killed the Fire Lord?"

in a near hopeful tone and Aang had to clear things up

"no, no!"

then in disappointed disgust shew asked him

"so what are we supposed to do now!"

and Aang sighed

"I am going to arrange a meeting for both the Earth King and Fire lord. Can you tell these protesters to go home, your shouting isn't going to help anyone. We need time!"

Smeller-Bee thought for a moment then spoke

"the earth kingdom has waited a hundred years to be rid of those ASH-MAKERS. You have a month, Avatar Aang, after that the freedom fighters will find a solution of our own"

and they started to depart.

Aang sighed a breath of relief and Toph had to asked

"why do you need to talk with the Earth King? Zuko knows the fire nation colonies have got to go!"

but Katara then told her

"Its complicated Toph, if the Harmony Restoration Movement was enforced here right now, we would be dividing communities, businesses, Families"

Sokka after taking in everything from what Katara told him, it made him feel sick to the stomach

"I never attended… I just…"

but he just went quiet. Katara tried to comfort him

"no, you had the best of intentions… it just had some unforeseen consequences"

Sokka only pouted

"like all my plans"

Aang seen him down then spoke up

"ok what is our plan? Oh, yea earth king"

and he looked at Katara

"are you coming?"

and Katara looked at the town "honestly I think I'm more needed here" and Aang nodded in agreement "yea and please help Zuko… he desperately all the help he can get"

Katara smiled and nodded then they turned to Toph who then proudly stated

"I am going back to my school. Those lily livers need a lesson or ten"

and Sokka got up "I'm going with you Toph; I really want to see this school of yours among other things"

and they walked away.

Back in the prison just outside of Caldera City, Ming was always kind to the prisoners she attended, would even give extra portions to them, but in the case of Ozai she wouldn't say anything to him, she always knew he was a vile cruel man even when he was Fire Lord, but now a non-bender prisoner she wasn't afraid to show her feeling towards him even if she didn't say a word. She just placed the tray with Ozai's ration of food, a bowl of rice with vegies, a couple of lemon-orange slices, cup of water, and a pair of wooden chop sticks wrapped in cheep tissue paper, into the slot and huffed

"I'll be back in half an hour" and left.

Ozai took the tray and faced the corner away from the door, and after eating the rice and meat from the lemon-orange slices he took the now empty cup and unscrewed the bottom, and pulled out a small piece of paper and read silently "Yu Dao… Harmony Restoration movement… Freedom Fighters…" and he peeked over his shoulder then back to the paper "Avatar State… Katara… Earth King… one month" seeing that he got all the information on the parchment he soaked it in the remaining water and mashed it up and placed it in his chamber pot. Then he took the napkin and a chop stick and using the oil from the lemon-orange peals wrote an invisible message on it, then he placed everything back on the tray and slid it halfway out for Ming and as she said she will, Ming took the tray and left with-out a word and all Ozai did after she left was smile.