Chapter 19 - The Guru
Katara stared hesitantly at the bowl of onion-banana juice that remained outstretched in the strange man's hand. The putrid aroma reached her nose and she shuddered at the smell as she gagged and spat out her tongue. Pinching the bridge of her nose in a futile effort to shut out the odor, the Water Tribe girl fruitlessly attempted to waft away the lingering scent with a vigorous wave from her other hand. Realizing that she was being rude, Katara awkwardly dropped her hands while trying to keep herself from breathing in too much. "Umm... no thanks," she rejected sheepishly.
The waterbender looked at Jin, who had taken a step backwards from the odor while shaking her head frantically side-to-side in denial of the unappealing drink. Clearly the Earth Kingdom girl was just as nauseated by the offered beverage... soup... brew... concoction as Katara was.
Zuko took a step forward as he swatted away the hand presenting the wooden bowl-shaped cup that holding the onion-banana juice. "That smells exceedingly terrible. How could you possibly think those two foods go together?" the firebender asserted in disgust as he fought back the instinctive gag reflex.
The man looked unperturbed at the gruffness of the Fire Prince as he casually sipped on the onion-banana juice instead. Evidently, the strange man was not troubled by his own concoction.
Finishing his juice, the odd man took a moment and scrutinized the three travelers standing before him. "Hmm... you mock my flavor combination; however, your combination appears just as unorthodox as mine." The man's eyes sharpened astutely. "A firebender, a waterbender, and, what's this now? How curious. This earthbender's energy charkas appear newly reworked. Fascinating. Very fascinating." He looked directly at Zuko. "If your combination works, then why is mine so strange?"
Zuko jumped back as he assumed a fighting stance. "Who are you?!" This day had just been one strange encounter after another in rapid fire succession, primed with riddles and puzzles and everyone seeming to know things while the Fire Prince scrambled to catch up. Fortunately, this person in front of him now appeared human and not some all-powerful creature or spirit. Zuko felt reasonably confident that he could at the very least take on the elderly, white bearded man before him, especially if that man was armed with only a cup of foul smelling food and vegetable juice.
What the Fire Prince did not expect was the abnormally fast speed at which the old man appeared next to him. Zuko swore that he had merely blinked and the strange man was at his side, examining him with a discerning eye. The hermit tapped on the base of the prince's spine, and then placing his hand to his chin in thought, the hermit furrowed his brow as he inspected Zuko's chest and throat carefully. When the firebender attempted to knock the interloper away, the old man simply sidestepped the attack as effortlessly as if he was taking a peaceful stroll. Then, raising his wrist, the hermit flicked the Fire Prince squarely on the middle of his forehead in retribution.
As Zuko stumbled back a step, the discomfort on his forehead more from surprise than any actual pain, the firebender halted his intent to charge forward in frustration when he heard the old man announce with an increasingly puzzled tone, "You, my boy, are a walking contradiction of charkas. Intriguing. Simply intriguing. Never before have I seen so many irregularities within a single person. Your life must be quite challenging indeed."
Getting annoyed at all the constant judgements and appraisals that he had received today, first from the dragon old master, then from the lion turtle, and now from some spiritual hermit, Zuko rubbed his forehead to brush away the lingering phantom pain of the man's finger flick. Growling, he warned, "Do that again and I'm going to stop holding back. I haven't gotten serious yet out of respect for your age."
"My age?" laughed the old man. "I am a hundred and fifty years old. So you must have a lot of respect for me then!" As Zuko frowned, the hermit continued with his introduction. "I was spiritual Brother to the Air Nomads and a close personal friend of Monk Gyatso, senior member of the Air Council." The hermit bowed slightly. "My name is Guru Pathik."
At this point, Zuko could care less who the old man was. He was more concerned about how easily this hermit had slipped within his guard.
Katara, on the other hand, spoke up instead, "It is a pleasure to meet you Guru Pathik. And I apologize. We have been rude. My name is Katara. This is Zuko, and our friend Jin." The Earth Kingdom girl gave a wave when introduced. The Fire Prince merely crossed his arms in a huff. Katara had decided to use Zuko's actual name this time since this Pathik had already deduced that Zuko was a firebender. She figured that there was no need to go with an alias.
"I don't usually get too many visitors all the way out here," contemplated Pathik aloud. "And the method in which you three appeared, it was almost like the Spirits themselves dropped you off on my doorstep."
"The Spirits did drop us off on your doorstep," confirmed Jin, more than a little stunned at how insightful this Pathik individual appeared to be. Her surprise caused her to add more information to her next sentence than she probably intended. "We were much closer to Ba Sing Se this morning, but we ended up in the Spirit World after going through this strange cave and meeting a lion turtle."
"Jin! He doesn't need to know all that! We don't know anything about this guy," hushed Zuko from her side.
"You three were blessed enough to meet the Ancient One?" marveled Pathik as he reassessed his evaluation of the teenagers in front of him. "And here I thought summoning and meeting with the Avatar yesterday was the most exciting news this temple would see in the last one hundred years."
"Aang was here?" gasped Katara. She couldn't help herself. A rapid barrage of questions burst from her mouth. "Just yesterday?! Where is he now? Was there a Water Tribe boy with him? Was Sokka here too? Was there an older gentleman with them? Were they okay? Are they still here? Did they leave already? Where did they go? What did you all talk about? Why did they come here?"
"So you know the Avatar as well? You all are full of mysteries," Pathik replied as he weathered the storm of questions that came his way. Then, the hermit's expression turned glum. "He was here, yes. Only the Avatar though. He came alone. And he only stayed for a few hours. Enough time for me to instruct him on how to gain full mastery of the Avatar State."
The Fire Prince's ears perked up. He had seen firsthand just how powerful and commanding the Avatar could be when Aang activated his Avatar State. "You're saying that Aang can control that power at will now? He'll be unbeatable then. Azula won't stand a chance next time she faces him in battle." A quick look at the waterbender confirmed to Zuko that the Water Tribe girl had previously witnessed the power of the Avatar state before too and also knew of its strength.
The old hermit shook his head. "Alas, the little Avatar did not completely open all of his charkas. I warned him that once the process was started, then it must be completed in its entirety. However, he refused to give up his earthly attachments and instead chose to remain bound to the anchors that continue to weigh him down and tie him to this earthly plane. By doing so, Avatar Aang has locked himself out of the Avatar State until he learns to let go of his earthly attachments."
"If he faces Azula or my Father without the use of the Avatar State, then Aang doesn't stand a chance," declared Zuko dejectedly. "My family only responds to absolute power. If the Avatar State is truly lost to Aang, then this war is as good as over too."
"Maybe there's something that we can do to help?" offered Jin hopefully. "Maybe we can help the Avatar understand what's at stake here? Counsel him to figure out what's holding him back?"
"This is something the Avatar must discover and learn for himself," returned Pathik solemnly. "He arrived here alone and returned to Ba Sing Se the same way. He was upset when he left. While the Avatar was attempting to unlock the seventh and final charka, I fear the cosmic energies revealed to him a vision of things yet to come. Premonitions are but one of the abilities that mastery of the seven charkas can provide. But these visions are difficult to understand for even the most experienced of sages. I doubt one so young and fueled by his emotions could see things clearly. The Avatar ran off claiming that he needed to save a precious friend of his."
Katara frowned. So they had just barely missed meeting Aang by a day and, apparently, Sokka hadn't been here in the first place. If Aang had visited here from Ba Sing Se, then that was likely were he had returned to in a hurry. If someone was in danger and it was a friend of Aang's... "We need to get back to Ba Sing Se!" the waterbender announced urgently as her brain finished processing the information. "Everyone might be in danger!"
Turning to the Guru, Katara bowed appreciatively as she added, "Thank you for telling us that Aang is in trouble. We're going to go and support him. Can you please return our ostrich horses to us?"
As Pathik handled the reins of Biscuit and Bree to Katara and Jin respectively, he addressed the three travelers once more. "Before you go, will you allow me to inspect each of your charkas in greater detail?"
Zuko shifted uncomfortably. "We need to leave."
"It will not take long. I merely wish to confirm something," pressed the old hermit.
"We need to get to Ba Sing Se and there is a long way to travel," denied Zuko a second time.
"Zuko, he helped Aang. I don't think he means us any harm," interceded Katara as she soothed Biscuit. Jin was similarly checking on Bree. Both ostrich horses appeared to be bewildered about how they had changed locations so quickly.
Relenting, the Fire Prince nodded. The hermit smiled at their acceptance of his aid. "Excellent. Then, please take a meditative seat right here. And concentrate," instructed Pathik.
Sending one last uncertain look at both Katara and Jin as the three of them followed the Guru's instructions, Zuko took a seat first, followed by his friends in the open area of the temple plaza. The Fire Prince didn't know what he was supposed to be concentrating on, but he found his thoughts drifting towards his promise to the lion turtle. He had sworn to do his part to help save the world, and now, it looked like that meant he was going to be on his way to see the Avatar once more. Things were progressing much faster than he had intended for them too and he found himself a bit apprehensive from the guilt and shame he felt for spending so long hunting the Avatar.
Burning his apprehension away, Zuko focused on his mediation as his concentration strengthened in intensity. He would do his best to convince Aang that the Fire Prince had reflected on his past actions and wished to repent. If the young Avatar had a difficult time understanding, then Zuko would make the Avatar understand that the Fire Prince had changed, that he was ready to do his part to restore balance. The world Zuko had been taught about as a child was far more vast than he could have possibly imagined, and the lessons it could teach were far more valuable. And the Fire Prince had a certain, special waterbender to thank for showing him that.
"You certainly are a bundle of contradictions," assessed Pathik as he broke Zuko out of his concentration. "Tell me, how do you manage it?"
"Manage what?" asked Zuko perplexed.
"Your charkas. You've opened many of them forcefully, almost as if by sheer willpower. The pain alone must have been nearly overwhelming. But the experiences you must have faced to manage that at such a young age... remarkable, utterly remarkable." Pathik walked around Zuko as he continued to scrutinize the firebender. "And there, your charkas occasionally flare stronger than I have observed even in others who have managed to unblock all their charkas," explained the Guru.
Pathik glanced over at the waterbender and the earthbender. "Your friends are absolutely impressive as well. Both of them have several charkas unlocked just like you. And recently too." The Spirit Guru paused to mull over his thoughts for a moment. "You say that you just arrived from the Spirit World? What exactly occurred there?"
Katara spoke up. "We met some very old and wise Spirits."
Jin nodded in agreement. "They tested us and guided us, I think," the Earth Kingdom girl added.
The old hermit listened to the waterbender and earthbender as he nodded along, seemingly expecting those kinds of responses. "It sounds like you were granted a boon from the Spirits. Perhaps the Spirit World has deemed it necessary to intercede upon the affairs of the Human World. As for what purpose, I cannot say. But if they have intervened, then mayhap this world is on a more dire path than we know."
"More so than the war that has engulfed the world for the last one hundred years?" scoffed Zuko. "Geez, thanks Spirits, took you long enough to consider helping."
Guru looked sternly at the Fire Prince. "War and strife have been part of the Human World since its inception. No, the Spirits wouldn't have acted unless that very conflict threatened the natural order to the point where it might not be recoverable."
"And the downfall of the Air Nomads wasn't enough of a threat to the natural order?" countered Zuko as he pressed the Spirit Guru for information.
Pathik's expression grew melancholy and distant. "I too, would have assumed the lost of the Air Nomads would have been cause enough for the Spirits to involve themselves in the world of Man. But they know far more than you or I ever could. Spirits perceive time and events differently than we do. The past, the present, the future; it's all the same to them. If they did not take action after the fall of the Air Nomads, then it must have been because that disaster was deemed part of the natural order."
Zuko was having a difficult time believing that was true. And it seemed that Katara was of the same thought. "The destruction of the Air Nomads was necessary? How could that possibly be right?" argued the waterbender.
The Spirit Guru sighed. "Right and wrong. Good and evil. These are human concepts. The Spirits believe only in order and chaos, balance and pandemonium." Pathik looked at each of the three travelers. "I lost many friends when the Air Nomads fell. Many friends. For the longest time, I was lost. My faith in the Spirit World shaken. My hatred and disgust at what the Fire Nation did, what they got away with, all those negative emotions weighed me down, nearly tore me apart. But through mediation and communication with the Spirits, I believe I have come to understand. Yes, the Air Nomads are gone, but it may not be permanent. As I said before, Spirits perceive time differently. The Air Nomads may yet return to this world, when the time is right. That is what I have come to believe."
Zuko found it hard to believe what this hermit was getting at. To the Fire Prince, it sounded more like the old man had convinced himself of a rationalization that he made up to cope with the lost of his Air Nomad friends. But with what the Fire Prince had just experienced during his encounter with the lion turtle, maybe this Spirit Guru was at least partially right. Zuko wasn't entirely sure anymore. Looking over at Katara and Jin, it seemed that both of them were thinking along the same lines as the Fire Prince.
Pathik clapped his hands together as he grabbed everyone's attention again. "But back to the charka lesson. I take it that none of you know much about charkas, do you?"
When the Spirit Guru received three head shakes, all in the negative, he walked behind the seated Fire Prince. Then, with a tap of his index and middle finger, the hermit flicked the bottom of the teenager's back. "The First Chakra is known as the Earth Chakra, and it is located at the base of the spine. This charka regulates a person's survival instincts and is blocked by fear. You have much fear in you, young man, but you forcefully burn a path through it and overcome your anxieties."
The old hermit smacked Zuko in the chest with the back of his hand. "Ouch!" cried out Zuko as he rubbed the top of his chest. "What was that for?!"
Ignoring the irate boy, the Spirit Guru continued, "The Second Charka, the Water Charka, located in the lungs. It allows one to experience pleasure and is blocked by guilt. You have denied yourself happiness for a long time and you feel much guilt for actions you have taken over the years, and yet this charka has begun to grow stronger."
Pathik struck Zuko on his belly this time with another backhand. "The Third Charka, the Fire Charka. Centered in the stomach, this charka is invigorated by willpower and is blocked by shame. Expectedly, this charka is your brightest charka. However, I do not think it necessarily has to do with you being a firebender. You have a tremendous amount of willpower. The shame you feel for your previous shortcomings and failures pales in comparison to your determination to overcome them. Perhaps this is the source of your ability to contradict the other charkas. Curious, very curious."
"I've had a lot of practice," muttered Zuko. All throughout these last three years, he continued moving forward through sheer willpower alone. Whenever his doubts about returning home grew, it was his own resolve that kept him going.
Pathrik tapped the firebender over the heart. "Heart Charka, Fourth Charka, in the heart, predictably allows a person to love and can be blocked by grief. You have always had the capacity for great love, but you blocked this charka off deliberately on your own several years ago. Even still, you held a great love for your country and the people within. However, this charka has been recently reopened in full." The guru noticed Zuko's eyes shift towards the young Water Tribe girl sitting a short ways to his right. "Ah."
The old hermit lifted Zuko's head and patted him under the chin as the teenager choked back a cough. "The Fifth Charka known as the Sound Charka. This one is positioned in the throat and separates truth from lies. Another charka of yours that you recently opened on your own. You have accepted your own nature and the truth about yourself, haven't you?
Zuko nodded in affirmation. "I have been lying to myself for the longest time. My Uncle knew the truth. He tried to tell me so many times for so very long. But I didn't listen. It took longer than it should have, but I had to find the answer for myself."
"This answer has led you to the Sixth Charka, the Light Charka, located in..." he flicked Zuko's forehead again as the Fire Prince leveled another glare at the hermit, "The center of the forehead. It deals with insight and is blocked by illusion. The greatest illusion of this world is the illusion of separation. Things you think are separate and different are actually one and the same. The divisions of the four nations are arbitrary partitions we ourselves created. But we are all connected."
The old Guru poked Zuko a couple of more times as he examined the Fire Prince further. Zuko was starting to grow annoyed as his temple trembled with an angry tick mark. Fortunately, Pathik took a step back as he finished his instruction on the seven charkas. "The Seventh Charka is the only charka that remains sealed to you. That alone is unsurprising. Only a select few can manage to unlock this charka on their own."
Pathik leaned in again as he continued to study Zuko with a curious eye. "However, what is surprising is that the activation of your other six charkas do not appear reliant on your connection with the seventh. Or rather, it appears that your Seventh Charka remaining sealed does not seem to negatively affect the flow of your energy as it has for so many others. That is what I am having a difficult time figuring out. Even the Avatar's other charkas locked themselves back up when he denied his Seventh Charka. It is as though your body has found a way to link your charkas forwards and backwards."
"What does the Seventh Charka do?" asked Katara as she had been engrossed in listening to Pathik's explanations about the other charkas.
Pathik walked around behind Zuko and bopped him on the top of the head. Reflexively, the firebender rubbed the top of his head with a sour expression on his face. "The Seventh Charka, the Thought Charka and located on the crown of the head. It deals with pure cosmic energy and is blocked by earthly attachment. In order for one to achieve complete enlightenment, they must let go of all that binds them to this world. Only then can they become one with the cosmic energy of the universe."
"What do you mean by 'all that binds them?' Are you talking about worldly possessions and wealth?" asked Jin as she was still working to understand all of Pathik's instruction and lessons.
"Yes," replied the old hermit. "That is part of it. But more importantly are the bonds you have developed in life, bonds with friends, family, loved ones; the bonds that keep you anchored to this Human World instead of allowing you to flow and connect with the cosmic energies all around us."
There was a pause amongst the three benders as Pathik's words sank in.
"There might have been a time when I would have agreed with you," concluded Zuko as he stood back up, signaling for the others to join him. "But you're telling me to give up and let go of the people I have come to care for? If you're saying that those connections make me weaker rather than stronger, then I call you a fool. I know how it feels to be alone, truly alone. It's not worth it."
The Fire Prince walked over to the ostrich horses and leaned against Biscuit as he helped Katara up onto the saddle. "We've wasted enough time here. Pathik, you sounded wise up until the last charka explanation, old man. I think you might need to spend another hundred and fifty years reflecting."
Understanding that his point was not being well received, Pathik attempted a different angle. "Tell me, who in your life is the most honorable person you know?"
Zuko looked back over towards the old hermit. It didn't take him long to answer. "My Uncle."
The Guru gave the slightest of enigmatic expressions, as if he knew who Zuko was talking about, before hiding that expression with another question. "Then, if the day should ever come when your paragon Uncle was forced to choose... between honor on the one hand... and those he loves on the other, what would he do?"
"He..." started Zuko defensively only to waver for the smallest of moments. Then, with conflicted eyes, he continued, "He would do whatever was right." A moment later, he added firmly, "No matter what."
A sorrowful smile crossed Pathik's face. "Then your paragon Uncle is one man in ten thousand." The Spirit Guru crossed his hands behind his back. "Most of us are not so strong to choose correctly."
"What are you getting at?" pressed Zuko, starting to get a bit crossed at the hermit's riddles.
Pathik narrowed his eyes. His free-spirited demeanor changed to a more serious one. "You wish to know why I preach the knowledge of the seven charkas, hmm? Then, allow me to ask you this. Have you ever wondered why the Avatars of the past have failed to uphold the peace time and time again? Why Avatar Roku failed in his duty to prevent Fire Lord Sozin from beginning this accursed war in the first place?"
Neither Zuko, Katara, nor Jin had an answer for Pathik as they each looked at each other and then back at the old hermit. Pathik's eyes grew sad and heavy as he revealed the lesson that he had learned over a lifetime of observation and reflection.
"It is because of love. For what is duty when measured against the sight of your sworn brother's smile, the sound of his laughter? What is honor compared to a woman's love? What is obligation when weighed against the feel of a newborn child in your arms?" Then, Pathik narrowed his eyes at the firebender as he spoke directly to the lad, revealing the moral of this story. "It is all very simple, Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation. For you see, love is the death of duty."
Zuko's eyes widened at the realization that Pathik knew exactly who he was. But the old hermit was not done talking. "We are all human. Oh, we all do our duty when there's no cost to it. Honor comes easy then. And yet... sooner or later... in every person's life... there comes a time, when it is not easy. A time when we must all choose. If even the Avatars of the past, the most balanced and honorable ones amongst us all, struggle with this choice, then what does that mean for the rest of us?"
Frowning, Zuko contemplated Pathik's words. It was a very convincing argument. But he still disagreed with it, if only on principle alone. "You claim that it is impossible to both love and uphold your duty equally. But I have learned my own truth. Everything is impossible." Zuko's expression sharpened. "Until somebody does it. All my life, I've always had to struggle and fight and that's made me strong. It's made me who I am. I will find a better answer, my answer, no matter what."
Pathik's eyes hardened further as he understood his words had not reached the Fire Prince. "The things we love, destroy us every time. Remember that."
"You're so set against love, but we'll prove that it is a strength, not a weakness," argued Katara.
"If we're afraid of losing because we're afraid to love, then we've already lost," added Jin.
Pathik shook his head as he turned slightly away from the three travelers that refused to heed his knowledge. "It appears that I have nothing to offer any of you. I too tried to enlighten Avatar Aang, and yet, he chose the fool's path just as you all have, following in the failed footsteps of his ancestors. For that reason, let us pray that you are right and I am wrong. But history is already in my favor."
Zuko hoisted himself up onto the saddle in front of Katara as he took the reins in his hand. "We have nothing to prove to you."
A dust cloud rose up behind Biscuit as the ostrich horse broke into a gallop after the group finished descending from the mountain peak housing the Eastern Air Temple. Both Zuko and Katara had a sense of urgency to them that had only grown during the time it took for all of them to reach the base of the mountains to the north.
Katara was worried that something bad was going to happen to Sokka, or perhaps something bad already had happened to him. If Pathik had been correct about Aang having a vision and leaving in a hurry because a friend of his was in trouble, then who else could that vision be about? She had heard that her Brother was still traveling with Aang. Maybe Sokka and Aang had gathered some more companions, that was feasible, of course. However, Katara's mind continued to dwell on the possibility of the worst possible scenarios happening to her Brother.
For Zuko, it was his Uncle. If he and Katara had correctly surmised about the Avatar taking his Uncle to Ba Sing Se, then any trouble concerning the Avatar may also involve his Uncle. Zuko had been replaying his past interactions and conversations about the Avatar he had with his Uncle during their travels together in his mind all during the descent from the mountain. Zuko was starting to realize all the little hints and nudges that his Uncle had given him that indicated that his Uncle would support the Avatar should push come to shove.
"Guys! We need to slow down!" shouted Jin as she urged Bree into a gallop as well in an attempt to close the distance between the two ostrich horses. "We have a long way to travel and we'll exhaust our horses too fast at this pace!"
Zuko slowed Biscuit from a gallop to a steady run as Jin came up along side them. Before Jin could speak, Zuko spoke up first. "Why do we need to slow down?! The Avatar already has us beat by a full day's travel. And he's flying on a sky bison! Aang would have already reached Ba Sing Se by now and added his own brand of chaos to whatever danger is waiting for him and my Uncle there."
"And Sokka! He's definitely going to get caught up in everything as well," added Katara.
"Trust me when it comes to long cross-country riding," assured Jin. "I practically grew up riding horses for a couple of months each year on my Grandparent's ranch. I know what I'm talking about. A steady pace now will allow us to travel longer and quicker overall."
The Fire Prince wasn't entirely convinced, but he eventually realized that Jin probably knew much more about horses than he ever could. His pride wanted him to flick the reins and resume the gallop. But Zuko found himself accepting what his friend told him as he steadied Biscuit into a similar pace to the one that Jin was shifting Bree into. 'We're coming Uncle. Hold on until we get there,' the Fire Prince proclaimed in his mind silently.
They continued at a strong pace for most of the day, taking small breaks when Jin directed them to rest the horses. They managed to cross the bridge to the North, the one that linked the island mountain range of the Eastern Air Temple with the mainland of the Earth Kingdom sometime in the late afternoon and still made a good distance more before having to turn in for the evening.
As they found a campsite for the night, Jin promised them that they were making excellent time and that they had covered more distance than she had expected the group to in one day. By her estimates, if they could keep this pace, then they might be able to cut about half a day from her initial predictions.
It wasn't much, but Zuko accepted the fact that he probably would have drained the horses of energy long ago if they had maintained his starting, galloping surge. Right now, he just wanted to get everyone, to include the horses, rested up as soon as possible so they could get an early start the next day. Zuko and Katara worked to make the campsite ready in short order while Jin cared for the horses.
It wasn't until they were halfway through eating a rushed supper of jerky and bread that Jin asked a question that had been hanging on her mind ever since the Eastern Air Temple. "You two are serious, aren't you? About fighting back against the Fire Nation."
"Someone needs to stop my Father's ambition," answered Zuko as he swallowed the dried meat he was chewing. "I won't take that destiny away from the Avatar. But I can support him."
"And how exactly are you going to do that?" implored Jin.
"Well, I don't expect that he has a lot of firebenders lining up to teach him firebending. I will start there," affirmed the Fire Prince as he came to his decision. "I do have a lot of firebending experience after all. And he knows that too. You know, back when I was throwing fireballs at him daily..." Zuko trailed off a bit as he finished.
"Maybe, leave that last part out," smiled Katara. She was thrilled that Zuko had committed himself to helping her save the world alongside Aang. A hope that she had not felt since discovering the Avatar back in the iceberg at the South Pole was rushing back to her.
"It's going to be dangerous. Either one of you or both of you could die fighting in the war," continued Jin, her voice full of uncertainty.
"I once promised Aang that I would help him to restore balance to world and end the fighting," stated Katara with purpose. "I was too reckless back then. I overestimated my abilities and I got a lot of people killed. I got Aang hurt. And I got myself captured. I lost my way after that. But like Zuko, I think I found it again. I am ready this time to make a difference."
"And my Sister is still out there. She will not stop hunting me. I can run to furthest reaches of the world and she will find a way to get to me and anybody that attempts to shelter me. I need to resolve this issue myself," stated Zuko with determination.
A silence settled over the trio as they began to resume eating their supper of jerky and bread. Biscuit finished with her feed bag and started to rub her head against a tree in a feeble attempt to remove it. Standing up, Jin walked over and helped the ostrich horse. As she checked on Bree as well, the Earth Kingdom girl kept her back to the others as she made a decision. Loudly, she requested, "So, do you think that you have room for one more to join this crazy team?"
"Jin! We couldn't ask you to risk your life like that," protested Katara. "Aren't your parents waiting for you back in Ba Sing Se?"
The Earth Kingdom girl set both feed bags next to the open saddlebags as she returned to the campfire and sat back down on an overturned log. "I have my own confession to make," she admitted softly. "You two weren't the only ones running from themselves. I was being a hypocrite. I shouldn't have gotten so mad at you two for keeping secrets from me, because I've been doing the same. All this time, all behind a fragile smile."
Neither Zuko nor Katara said anything, but instead leaned in closer to listen when Jin was ready to talk. "I had my own realization back during our trials in the Spirit World. You remember how I said my family fled our village before the Fire Nation attacked?"
When Zuko and Katara nodded, Jin took a moment before she continued. "Well, that much was true. But what I didn't tell you was that while my family fled, my friends and their families didn't. They all decided to stay and fight. I don't actually know what happened to any of them, but I saw my village burning in the distance after my family got away. I don't think that have to tell you what likely happened to all of them."
Zuko nodded solemnly. The frontline commanders of the Fire Nation usually made examples of people they deemed too rebellious to subjugate.
"I'm so sorry, Jin. You didn't deserve that," apologized Katara.
"I know that my parents made the decision to run because they wanted to ensure my safety, and I kept telling myself that I allowed them to persuade me to leave with them. But the truth is, I was scared. I was so scared of the Fire Nation attacking our village. I ran, and I left my friends to die."
Zuko's eyes were downcast. Another village, another victim. And the crimes of the people of his nation only grew heavier.
"At my Grandparent's ranch, I tried to put on a cheerful face and push past the knowledge that I abandoned my friends when they needed me. I tried to forget and move on, but the badgermole trial brought it all rushing back so vividly," recollected the Earth Kingdom girl.
"Jin, it's not your fault. It's okay to be scared. It's okay to want to live. If you had stayed, then you likely would be dead right now and we would have never had the chance to become friends," reassured Katara.
The Earth Kingdom girl smiled faintly at the Water Tribe girl. "Thank you Katara. I needed to hear that." Jin raised her hand up and a column of earth followed. "But I am not the same helpless girl anymore. I can fight too now. I want to fight. For the memory of my old friends and the safety of my new ones."
Katara rushed over from the other side of the campfire to wrap Jin up into a hug as the Earth Kingdom girl rose to met her in the happy embrace. Zuko stood as well. "Welcome to the team," he stated cheerfully. Then, the Fire Prince saw Katara beckoning to him with a wave of her arm as she signaled him over while still embracing Jin with her other arm. Zuko walked over slowly, only to be grabbed by Katara's arm once he was within reach and pulled into the group hug.
Morning came quickly. The sun had just barely rose beyond the foothills in the distance when the trio took off on the next leg of their long trek. The second day proved just as successful as the first and the group made excellent progress before finding a campsight for the evening. The third travel day followed much the same as they neared their destination around midday.
"After we get pass that next ridge, we should be able to see the outer wall of the Lower Ring," announced Jin as she bounced up and down in the saddle on the fast moving Bree.
"We're almost there. Hang on Aang and Sokka, we'll be there... soon," trailed off Katara as the team reached the peak of the ridge overlooking Ba Sing Se.
"We're too late," cursed Zuko as the three of them observed the gigantic Fire Nation banners hanging along the outer wall.
Iroh leaned lightly against the cold stone wall of his cell as he sat upon the ground. The firm vertical surface was actually doing wonders for his sore back. Especially the couple of rounded rocks embedded into the wall. They served as the most excellent of masseuses, massaging aways the kinks, cricks, and knots in his tense muscles.
The Dragon of the West flinched in pain as one particularly painful area on his back brushed against the rocks on the wall. 'I may be more out of shape than I realized,' critiqued the old firebender to himself as he continued to work through the stiffness of his muscles.
Fighting against so many foes in the catacombs underneath the Earth King's castle had been far more difficult than he remembered it being back in his prime. Iroh slapped his belly and watched as the chubbiness of his stomach reverberated rhythmically. The old firebender frowned slightly. 'Perhaps it's long past time that this weathered dragon sharpened his fangs once more.'
The former general heard the unmistakable sound of footsteps echoing down the corridor outside his cell. Too light to belong to the Dai Li agents stationed just opposite of the door. So it was unlikely a guard shift change.
Which meant only one real possibility actually. The click of a metal key turning and twisting in the door frame signaled that he was about to have company. A moment later the door opened as the guest walked into his cell with a domineering sense of authority.
"Well, this is awkward," announced Azula as she strolled into the jail cell while signaling for the Dai Li agent behind her to shut the door and remain outside the chamber. "The Dragon of the West, the lauded pride of the Fire Nation, now no better than a filthy rebel."
"Niece," greeted Iroh as he met Azula's eye contact with an unwavering stare of his own. "How wonderful it is to see you again. Really, your visits are too few."
Azula frowned slightly when her Uncle did not rise to her mockery of his former station. "Spare me your pleasantries, Uncle," dismissed Azula as she lorded over her Uncle. "You know why I am here."
Iroh took a moment to observe his Niece's face carefully. "The cut over your right eye is healing quite nicely Azula. It will most likely scar, but it appears the healers in the Earth Kingdom know their profession quite well. You will still be a rather beautiful woman. You'll need a stick to beat back all your potential suitors. Though, I doubt you'll have a problem with that."
"Hilarious, Uncle," eye rolled Azula. "It's a wonder why more people don't laugh at your jests."
"You should have attended the music nights I threw back on Zuko's ship," proclaimed Iroh with a slight chuckle. "Plenty of laugher and merriment to be had there."
"But not anymore. Last I heard, Zuko's ship went boom after a deal he made with pirates went sour," corrected Azula.
Iroh grew a little solemn at that. "But not anymore," he nodded in reluctant agreement.
The Fire Princess shrugged, unconcerned. "Typical Zuzu. He tries to play with fire only to get burned in the end."
"Your Brother is capable of far more than you give him credit for," replied Iroh as he shifted his weight to get a better sitting position.
"The only thing Zuko is good at is somehow managing to find miraculous ways not to die. He's like a antroach that way. Busy little worker drone that can survive even when by all likelihood he shouldn't have," proclaimed Azula. "The explosion of his ship, traversing the frigid Arctic on foot," Azula got a dangerous look in her eye, "Me."
Iroh raised an eyebrow. That was a welcome piece of information that he had been seeking with his goading. "So, you have met your Brother during your travels in the Earth Kingdom?"
"Oh I met him alright," grinned Azula. "Gave him the same parting gift that I gave you. Though, I doubt he had the same luck as you. No Avatar and his sky bison to whisk poor Zuzu away to a healer after all."
The Dragon of the West frowned at how easily Azula's banter shifted to being proud at serious injury she had inflicted upon her very own Brother. It struck a cord within him, the same cord that had been struck when he had realized how callous his own Brother could be all those years ago.
Iroh granted himself a moment to calm himself at the news. He couldn't allow himself to get riled up. There was nothing he could do for Zuko at this moment other than hope that the lad had managed to find help somewhere. Lightning wounds were no laughing matter. The external injuries were bad, but the potential internal damage could be much worse if not treated properly.
Unfortunately, the old firebender's pause allowed Azula to regain the initiative of the conversation as most of the momentum shifted back in her favor. "Speaking of the Avatar, my scouts last saw that pesky sky bison flying away from Ba Sing Sea, retreating to the South as the coward fled from our little confrontation. Any idea where he and his friends might have scurried off too?"
The old general sighed as he leaned back against the wall. "Now Azula, how could I possibly know where the Avatar withdrew to?"
"You interfered at the crucial moment of my impeding victory over the Avatar, Uncle," replied the Fire Princess. "I didn't think you capable of such jealousy. But color me surprised that you're just as petty as the rest of the old fools on the Fire Nation council."
Iroh looked confused for a moment as he wondered what Azula was trying to get at. He didn't have to wonder for long.
"Oh, don't give me that," stated Azula in annoyance. "Six hundred days, was it? Six hundred days and the best you could ever accomplish was banging on the walls of the Lower Ring of Ba Sing Se with your siege weapons like a child who wasn't allowed into fire flake store."
Azula began to pace back and forth across the jail cell. "One week. That's all it took me to bring the impregnable city of the Earth Kingdom to its knees. And I did so without the need of the Fire Nation armies, without wasting our men and resources." The Fire Princess turned and smirked confidently at her Uncle. "I wonder if I might be more deserving of your title than you?"
"I've never put much stock in titles," replied the old firebender. "The ones you give yourself usually aren't worth the ink you use to write them, and the ones others give you are always much heavier than anyone might expect."
Ignoring her Uncle, Azula returned to her point. "Because of your envious actions, the Avatar escaped and you get to pay the price. Fortunate for you that Father wants you back in one piece." Azula smirked. "Or perhaps not so fortunate."
"My Brother has been seeking my ruin for a long time now," noted Iroh sadly. "Alas, what a shame that family must be this ruthless to their own. And now the cycle appears to repeat itself once again."
"I'll deal with Zuko in good time," dismissed Azula with disinterest at her Uncle's attempts to find compassion within her. "Right now, I am much more concerned with the Water Tribe savage who thinks he can cut the face of a princess and get away with it." The look in Azula's eyes was somewhat murderous.
"You attempted to kill his friend," pointed out Iroh. "Shot the Avatar in the back with lightning. Not very honorable, my Niece, not very honorable at all. You should consider yourself lucky that the Water Warrior's boomerang only barely slashed across your face and along your right eye. A deeper cut, and we might not be having this conversation right now."
"Luck had nothing to do with it," growled Azula. "It was my quick reaction speed and fighting skill that allowed me to avoid the worst of it. But now, I am going to return the favor once I get my hands on that water savage."
"It is unbecoming of a princess to wallow in revenge. The fight was fair. The attack was clean," retorted Iroh judiciously. "Which is far more than I can say for how you struck the Avatar when his back was turned."
Azula slammed her fist heavily against the stone walls of the jail cell with a sideways punch as she glared at her Uncle. "Clean? That water savage marred the face of your Fire Princess! The face of your future Fire Lord! And as long as he remains out there, thinking he is free to attack Fire Nation royalty with impunity, then there can be no greater insult."
Azula took a couple of steps closer to her Uncle, who remained chained and shackled to the wall with his iron cuffs. "And the Avatar? What kind of moron turns his back on his opponent in the middle of a battle? Did you think I would just stand back and allow him the opportunity to invoke whatever strength he was attempting to draw from?"
The Fire Princess was still about an arms length away from her Uncle as she stood over him with authority. She answered her own rhetoric question. "No. Of course not. Because it would have been unintelligent not to attack my enemy when the fool so graciously leaves his back wide open like that. You would have done the same, Uncle. If you were still half the General you used to be."
Iroh's gaze was cast downward as he shook his head softly side-to-side. "I weep for you Azula. If that is what you truly think, then I fear my Brother has done you a disservice in teaching you the proper values of a ruler."
"Keep your tears, Uncle," jeered Azula. "I'm not nearly as fragile as Zuko that your sympathies will easily sway me."
"Empathy for others is not a weakness, Azula," chided Iroh softly. "It is that quality that separates Zuko from you. And it is that quality that will serve him well as the next Fire Lord."
"Zuzu will never be Fire Lord," declared Azula defiantly. "Even if he wasn't already disgraced, banished, and exiled, my Brother lacks the singular trait that matters above all else." The Fire Princess looked down upon her Uncle. "Strength."
"There are many forms of strength," commented the Dragon of the West sagely.
"But only one that matters," retorted Azula dismissively. "The power to crush all who stand in your way."
The old General shook his head once again. "A tyrant's way of thinking."
"A ruler's way of thinking," corrected the Fire Princess. "Father knows no rival. He saw to that during his time. Broke you down until you were too weak to stand against him. Now I shall do the same to Zuko."
Iroh looked up at his Niece. "You would tear down your own Brother, just to take an empty chair?"
"This is why Father had such a simple time of rising above you. And why you've made it so simple for me to rise above Zuko. Both of you are too weak to rule the Fire Nation," replied Azula.
Shifting his weight once more as he stood up the best he could under the restrictions of the shackles embracing him against the stony wall, Iroh looked Azula directly in the eye. "You have always triumphed in everything you have ever attempted. Usually, without much effort. Everything has come easy to you."
The Dragon of the West continued to talk despite the smirk on Azula's face. "But leadership is not easy. There are no shortcuts, no simple measures. It is a challenge. One that requires hard work and determination in the face of adversity. It is an unending burden." Iroh's expression was judgmental. "One that you are not ready for. And why you will have to settle for seeing Zuko ascend to the throne over you."
A loud degree of laughter erupted within the jail cell as Azula recomposed herself from the humorous outburst. "It is quite flattering, really it is, that you feel such dread at the very prospect of me getting what I want. I never knew that you cared so much."
"You are my family, Azula. Just as much as Ozai. Just as much as Zuko. I care for all of you. But you are not ready for the mantle of leadership. You would be tested in ways that you have not been prepared for. And I fear what that would do to you. As well as to those around you," summarized the Dragon of the West.
This was becoming less and less humorous to Azula. "So, you think Zuko is more ready for the throne than I am? Zuko, who even now dishonors our family name with his weakness. Zuko, who loses every fight he ever gets into. Zuko, who has no possible hope of holding a candle to my ability."
"For all his insecurities and faults, Zuko is the best hope for the Fire Nation, and for the world," proclaimed Iroh. "Your Brother may not have been as skilled as you were growing up, but that allowed him to grow in ways that you have yet to see."
A dark look loomed across Azula's features as she glared at her Uncle. She didn't say anything for a moment as Iroh allowed his words to sink in with the hope that he somehow got his Niece to at least consider what he was saying.
Soon, the Fire Princess posed her own question. "The Fire Nation? Do you know what the Fire Nation is, Uncle?"
When Iroh didn't respond, Azula answered her own question again. "It is the thousand suns of Sozin's Comet. The supremacy over the original firebenders, the mighty dragons themselves. The victor's rights of the early warring factions across our archipelago. Stories we agreed to tell each over and over, until we forget that they are lies."
Iroh stared at his Niece with worry apparent on his face. Measuring his words carefully, Iroh stated, "All propaganda, yes. But propaganda that our family, that Ozai, spread far and wide. Lies that have brought nothing but disaster to our nation and calamity upon all the other countries. Only through balance, cooperation, understanding; can we hope to restore the world from disorder and strife."
"That is where you are mistaken, Uncle," smirked Azula. "Balance is not the antithesis of disorder. Domination is."
The Fire Princess kicked her Uncle hard in the shins as the man dropped to his knees, still restrained by his wall-bound shackles. "The masses are submissive by nature. They wish to be compliant and acquiescent. Subservience grants them a life of ease and purpose. And why should they obey another? When they should be obeying me."
Azula continued to lord over her Uncle with self-stylized authority. "Many who try to assert their dominion over others, fail, never get to try again. They are swallowed up by the very disorder they seek to control. And some are given the chance to rule, but they refuse. They cling to the past or the Spirits or love. Illusions all. Only power is real. The strength to crush your adversaries and force others to submit to your rule is all there is."
Iroh remained quiet after that as he took a moment to stand back up slowly from his knees.
"Do you disagree?" sneered Azula as she watched her Uncle.
"It is precisely because you think that way that my belief in Zuko is all the stronger," proclaimed Iroh defiantly.
Azula turned to leave the jail cell. "I grow bored of this meaningless debate, Uncle." The Fire Princess paused as she reached the door. "Father wants you shipped out to the Magma Slags in the morning. You'll rot away there, forgotten. Or perhaps you'll die first. Hard to say. You know how perilous that particular prison is."
Iroh grimaced. He knew. The Magma Slags were built to keep even the most dangerous of firebending criminals contained. The underground system of tunnels were littered with various natural gasses that could ignite at the slightest spark, thus rendering firebending as a sure-fire way to blow one's own self up.
The door to the jail cell opened and closed as the Fire Princess departed and Iroh was once again left to his thoughts. He gathered that Zuko was alive and most likely still somewhat healthy. Azula wouldn't have been so concerned about her Brother if that hadn't been the case. Iroh could only hope that Zuko had found the proper path to walk.
Still, between the downfall of Ba Sing Se and the damage that the Northern Water Tribes recently suffered during their repulsion of the Fire Nation Navy, there were very few pockets of resistance left to challenge the Fire Lord. And going to the Magma Slags had not been in Iroh's earlier calculations. It seemed that his Brother was finally serious about removing him from the gameboard.
Not that Ozai could outright kill him. Despite his failure during the six hundred day siege of Ba Sing Se, Iroh was still highly respected and admired amongst the Fire Nation people. His outright death would certainly cause chaos and unrest throughout the Fire Nation that would be an unnecessary thorn in Ozai's side as his Brother finalized his plans to end this war.
Hence, the Magma Slags. A hidden away prison site where Ozai could drop Iroh into and forget about him. The mortality rate there was nearly ninety percent. Very few ever survived longer than a year there. Mostly because the entire place was one large natural death trap. Lack of oxygen due to all the other underground gasses, cave-ins due to the shifting magma, and explosions due to sparks claimed the lives of the majority of the prisoners.
Iroh frowned. Ozai was sending him there to die, out of sight and away from the eyes of the public. Where none of the blow-back could fall upon the royal family.
The sounds outside his jail cell had quieted. Azula and her Dai Li agents had left.
Sitting back down, Iroh turned and gripped one of the rounded rocks in the wall. Twisting it loose, he pulled it right out of the wall. He had been carving this particular rock out of the wall for the last couple of hours after all.
Taking another small rock, Iroh carefully etched the words 'Magma Slags' onto the stone before sliding it back into place. He would be taken in the morning, but with any luck, one of the White Lotus members would find his message later and a rescue could be attempted. Iroh held no such delusions that he would be able to free himself from the Magma Slags without some kind of assistance.
