Chapter Text
This took too long!
He runs through the endless maze of underground tunnels in search of any way to get back to the surface.
The energy of the lightning bolt he redirected still runs through his limbs, tickling and warm.
It might also just be adrenaline, but the effect is the same.
Since Iroh flees by himself, all he has to do is find some way to leave the capital quick.
If he takes a left at the next crossing, there should be an airfie-
He rounds the next corner and comes to a startling stop.
There, through the same crossing, run Aang, Sokka and Toph.
In a flash, he ducks into the nearest tunnel to hide while they pass him by.
Looks like he was right, Aang is still alive.
And, even though he plans on joining them, he lets them leave on their own. He knows their invasion was a failure, he knew it would be from the start.
If he follows them now, he’ll face the invasion force they’ll have to leave behind as the prince of the nation they just lost against.
He’s smart enough to know that won’t end well, so he waits until he’s certain they’re gone and then rushes to the airfield.
Time to steal a war balloon.
...Wait, Toph would have felt him standing in the other tunnel, right?
-
The war balloons used at the airfields can be used by any firebender, so it’s not hard to follow Appa.
Looking back, he sees the invasion force grow smaller and smaller in the distance, along with his old home.
-
The Western Air Temple. Zuko was here before. His first stop during his banishment. He was still bandaged back then, hadn’t seen his own face in weeks.
He couldn’t even control a little candle at that time.
He rappels down into the massive ravine the temple is constructed in. Back when he was here the first time, he wasn’t interested in anything but hints about the Avatar, but now he can truly take in the construction fully.
The temple is a ruin, but a lot of the installations of the airbenders have survived their destruction. Massive statues of nuns and monks line the walls and…
Is that the spirit’s symbol?
As Zuko walks through the dilapidated temple, he sees the eight- handled wheel he now carries on his blades everywhere he looks. Be it the windows of the rooms, wind chimes…
It’s everywhere.
Does it have another meaning than just being the symbol of the spirit?
He wanders through the temple some more, partly to think about the symbol but also because he doesn’t know what to say to his friends once they meet again.
Also, he didn’t see where Appa landed, so he has no idea where they are.
-
“Aang, I think we should be making some plans about our future!”
That’s them! He finally found them. If you ask Zuko, this temple is far too big for his liking.
“Okay, we can do that while I show you the giant Pai Sho table! Oh, you’re going to love the all- day echo chamber!”, he hears Aang say.
This is his chance. He moves into the middle of the courtyard and adjusts the new hairpiece so it sits correctly. He stands a few metres away from the others in a way so that everyone can see him (except Toph (of course)).
“Hello.”, he greets. He does a little wave in case that wasn’t greeting enough.
The others freeze at his words, and slowly face him.
He must be quite the sight, he realizes. All in red, with the hairpiece. Do they even recognize them?
He just wants to make sure they know who he is when Aang speaks up.
“…Blue.”, he says hesitantly, and then his face scrunches up once he takes a good look at him, “How’d you get here?”
Oh, yeah, how does he explain that?
“Uhh, I took a balloon?”, he states, voice unsure.
He looks at the group. From their faces he can tell they aren’t very happy with his answer.
Okay, okay… what now? His thoughts race.
Katara steps forward, accusingly pointing a finger at him: “Alright, let’s set this straight. You tell us everything what we want, no secrets, no lies.”
Her voice is hard and unwavering, but her eyes shimmer with betrayal.
Zuko nods fervently: “Yeah, I’ll tell you what you want. No problem.”
He sees Katara swallow: “Did you ever work with the Fire Nation while you were with us?”
“No, no, not after I met you.”, he denies the accusation with fervour, “I was with the Fire Nation when I was young, even before I was indebted to the spirits.”
Katara steps back a bit, back in line with the others, but before she can ask another question Sokka speaks up, a singular eyebrow raised high up into his hairline: “How do you know Azula? Katara said you knew her even though you never met her while you were with us.”
Okay, here it goes, moment of truth.
Zuko takes a deep breath, centring himself: “I am her brother. I grew up with her in the Fire Nation.”
He sees the group collectively flinch. Sokka closes his eyes and nods.
“So your real name is Zuko?”, he asks.
“Yes. I am Zuko.”, he tries to say as confidently as he can.
Aang looks him in the eyes, hurt apparent in his irises: “Why didn’t you tell us? We’re your friends. The entire time we were fighting your own sister and you didn’t say anything.”
Hearing the pained tone in his usually jovial voice makes Zuko heart ache. He cringes.
It takes him some time to find the right words: “I was so long in the Earth Kingdom, ran away from my past and the war for so long I felt like I wasn’t the same person who grew up in the palace anymore.”
He points at the hairpiece.
“I thought it would be safer if I wasn’t Zuko anymore.”
“But after Ba Sing Se I learned I couldn’t run away from who I am. I made myself into the person I am today through the things I’ve done.”
“I walked my path, and now I know where I should be.”, he finishes, and he sees Aang smile wetly.
“Then I’m happy you’re here.”
He steps forward, hands in the position for a bow in the style of the Fire Nation.
“Prince Zuko, Blue.”, he starts, “I ask you humbly to become my firebending teacher.”
What? It's so easy..?
Startled by Aang's sudden acceptance, Zuko clumsily stumbles into a bow as well. Still in disbelief, it takes him a good second to think of what's the best way to respond.
“Avatar Aang, I will be honoured to accept your proposal.”
The group leaves the courtyard one by one after that, each in different states of acceptance. Katara especially seems to be very hurt by him keeping secrets.
Ultimately, only Toph and him are left.
He looks at her expectantly (knowing it doesn't work).
“Looks like Zuko could change, huh?”, she states sarcastically, punching him in the side.
“Yeah, you were right. I just need some time to see it too.”, he responds while ruffling her hair.
"I’m more surprised you didn’t tell them. You must have figured it out ages ago.”
She punches him in the side again, harder this time: “Of course I didn’t tell them, we had a promise!”
For the first time in ages, he laughs.
-
He knew he forgot something.
He sits in the courtyard they made camp in, enjoying the sun and meditating… until an explosion rocks the entire temple.
Ohh! The assassin! How could he forget that?
Immediately, everyone in fighting condition jumps into battle.
Zuko knows there’s some non-combatants here who came with the others from the invasion, a kid and another guy he never met before. He really hopes they’ve found some cover, this will probably get messy.
He doesn’t know what kind of warrior father sent after Aang, but given the loud explosion coming out of nowhere, he has an idea.
Rushing through the halls to find the source of the noise, he finds Sokka hiding behind cover deeper into the temple. Seeing his hand rest on his sheathed boomerang, an idea starts to form in his mind.
Still on the lookout for their attacker, he sprints towards Sokka, dodging from cover to cover, sliding behind the same crumpled column Sokka hides behind.
“A friend of yours?”, he whispers, tone surprisingly lighthearted despite the circumstances.
This certainly isn't the time for jokes, but Zuko can't keep the smirk off his face nonetheless.
“You got the boomerang?”, he whispers back, "It's the combustionbender... I think. He has a chakra on his forehead."
Sokka's eyes light up immediately and he nods fervently.
“You want me to hit the third eye?”, he asks Zuko in confirmation, sliding the boomerang out of it's sheath.
“I’ll get his attention, and you line up the shot.”, Zuko says, fully knowing this is probably already going up high on his worst-ideas list.
However, Sokka doesn't disagree with his plan, simply nodding and holding his hand out for a Water Tribe handshake.
At first, he's confused what he outstretched hand could mean, but he catches on soon enough. They clasp hands before attacking.
With no time to lose, Zuko jumps out of cover, arms extended wide and waving.
He hears Aang hiss at him to get back to safety from another stone in the courtyard, but that doesn't deter him from going through with this harebrained plan.
“Hey! We’re done! War’s over now! Go home!”, he shouts, waving his arms around in the air, hoping it's enough to attract the assassin's attention.
His yells are answered with an explosive dart, aimed squarely at him.
He dives for the nearest cover that is out of radius as fast as he can, but the explosion still sends him flying.
He rolls, trying to slow himself down before standing up again.
“Still standing! Try again, big guy!”
He really hopes Sokka can get this done fast.
Another blast flies towards him, but this time he tries to dissolve the explosion with his own firebending instead of moving out of the way.
The dart sends him sliding back, but leaves him still alive and stan--
His backfoot fails to find solid ground, and he falls right off the edge of the temple, only hanging on by a vine he managed to hold onto at the last second.
As soon as he's sure the vine isn't breaking off under his weight he begins to climb back up, straining under the effort but not liking the alternative of falling to his death either.
Inch by inch, he fights himself back up to the courtyard’s ledge.
As his arms finally stem him up onto solid ground again, all he sees is the explosion where the assassin stood.
Sokka did it.
-
Living with the group now, without secrets, feels like a weight has been taken of his shoulders.
Even though they were unhappy with how he kept his identity hidden from them for so long, there hardly seems to be any bad blood between them about it. Zuko's lucky to have such good friends.
Really, he’s in his best mood in years.
If only his firebending would reflect that…
-
Aang and him visit the Sun Warrior ruins, and find out their civilization is surprisingly alive.
Their traps are armed, their treasures are guarded, and they are now apprehended.
Certainly the norm for an adventure with Aang.
-
The warriors allow them to visit their old masters. They prepare the ceremony and lead them up the mountain right to the altar.
And once the masters emerge, Zuko understands why the Sun Warriors kept themselves hidden.
Dragons. Their masters are Dragons.
Aang and him perform the dance, and the Dragons grace them with their rainbow fire.
The flames light up the sky in all colours: orange, reds and blues, but also yellows and greens.
Zuko would have never thought his element, that has brought so much destruction onto this world, could have ever looked this beautiful.,,
Once they’ve stopped spiting fire, the dragons return to look at him and Aang, wise eyes boring into them with the knowledge of centuries.
And, to Zuko’s great surprise, they begin to talk.
"The Bridge between Worlds.”, the red dragon starts.
“And the envoy.”, the blue dragon adds.
“We’ve foreseen this day.”, the red one says.
And the blue dragon finishes: “And planned for it.”
They curl once more around them, switching positions.
“You have done well, Avatar, you are progressing greatly.”, the blue one states.
And the red dragon declares: “You walked the path, envoy, you honoured our contract.”
The dragons fly into the sky, higher and higher, until they crash back down and return into their caves.
He looks at Aang. Aang looks at Zuko.
What just happened?
-
Aang and Zuko sit on Appa, returning to the Temple in the light of the setting sun.
They’ve spent the flight in comfortable silence, stunned by the revelation of dragons being alive and the nature of fire.
And in Zuko’s case, the identity of his spirit masters. He can’t believe he was working for dragons all this time…
He thinks back to the shrine he originally prayed to, the sphere and the dragons around it, and realizes the sign were always there.
Aang tears him out of his train of thought, asking him while flying Appa: “Hey Zuko, can I ask you something? What did ´you walked the path´ mean?”
No idea, buddy...
“I don’t really know.”, he admits, “When I completed the contract, the messenger carved the wheels into my blades and said ´we’ve set you on the path. Now it’s up to you to walk it´.”, he recounts.
He adds on, pretty sure that's what the `the path´ means: “I believe they wanted to tell me to follow you, to walk the path with you and our friends.”
Aang nods where he sits on Appa’s head, but then suddenly turns around, eyes wide: “Wait! You just called them wheels.", he says aghast, "Don’t you know what they mean?”
Zuko shakes his head: “I just thought it was the spirit’s symbol. It was at the shrine I prayed at also.”, he states, not sure he even wants to know what it means.
What if he's better off not knowing what knowledge his people have destroyed?
Of course not knowing of the conflict brewing within Zuko, Aang explains: “Those ´wheels´ symbolize the noble eightfold path, the way to enlightenment. It’s called the Dharmachakra.”
“They’ve never taught us that in the Fire Nation, must be something that doesn’t exist with the fire spirits. Or something they don’t want us to know.”, Zuko comments thoughtfully.
What could this mean?
He leans back in Appa's saddle, feeling the wind play with his loose hairs while looking at the sky.
“...Does that mean this whole time the spirits sent me on those missions so I could be set on this ´path´? They did this so I would be with you now, all from the start?”, he wonders, thinking aloud.
Aang's quiet, and Zuko doesn't even really expects an answer anymore when he finally simply shrugs and responds: “Hard to tell. Could be or could not.”
A moment passes, a pleasant breeze rushing past Zuko: “If you ask me, the important thing is that you’re here now, not how you came here.”
Zuko lets the words linger, trying his best to make sure he remembers them.
The ride stays silent from then on until they arrive at the temple, no more words needed between them.
-
Next, he goes with Sokka to break his father out of the Boiling Rock Prison.
Certainly not their best idea, but also not the most dangerous place they’ve been.
Really, Zuko's greatest worry right now is the missing weight at the back of his head. He had to leave the hairpiece behind.
He’s really starting to like that thing.
-
Chief Hakoda is not here, but at least Suki is.
From what he knows, Suki had the most pleasant experience of meeting his sister, which explains why she is here.
She also takes the revelation that he is Azula’s long lost brother and Prince of the Fire Nation in strides.
He’s really lucky to have such good friends.
-
There’ll be more prisoners arriving the next day.
They stand in front of their escape route.
They don’t take it.
-
And what a great decision that was, since Sokka’s father arrives the next day at the Boiling Rock.
Now they’ll just have to get out, again.
-
Mai is here, and understandably angry.
“You didn’t mean to?”, she shouts, before starting to read his letter, “Dear Mai, I’m sorry that you have to find out this way, but I’m leaving.”
“Stop! This isn’t about you. This is about the Fire Nation!”, he retorts. Why can’t she see it?
She throws the letter at him: “Thanks Zuko, that makes me feel all better!”
He takes the letter and holds it tightly.
“You know why I had to leave. You know what the Fire Nation will do. And you know it’s wrong.”
He looks over at Mai. She sulks in the corner of the room, arms crossed and eyes closed.
It might look like she is not listening, but Zuko knows her better than that.
They don't speak another word until one of the guards warns them about a riot spreading through the prison.
Time to go.
-
Suki captures the warden with some absolutely amazing moves.
He’s going to have to ask her to spar once they are at the temple. He's never got the chance to train with Suki despite knowing her all this time...
They make it to the gondola easy enough. Most guards don’t want to risk hurting their warden, and those that do are dealt with quick enough.
Thinking fast on his feet, he smashes the gondola's brake lever before leaping into the cable car at the last second to join his friends.
He really should think more about his own wellbeing, now that the spirits aren’t looking out for him anymore...
...Maybe later.
-
Azula’s here, and she fights with all the fervour she promised him in the bunker.
He didn’t expect anything else, but he kind of hoped things would have worked out better just this once.
-
They’ve lost.
The gondola is stopped and the cable is about to be cut.
Their last hope is that the gondola floats on the boiling water, or else they’ll be burned up from the feet up.
Really not how Zuko dreamed of going out.
Suddenly, the gondola lurches back into motion as if Azula never had them right inside her palm in the first place.
Zuko scrambles to see what happens on the platform.
...The guards cutting the battle have been knocked out, by...
“It’s Mai!”, he blurts out as he leans outside of the gondola.
He watches her fight off the guards until they reach the other end of the cable.
With a heavy heart they leave the prison behind and flee in Azula’s airship, leaving Mai behind.
Zuko definitely owes her.
...He’ll make sure she won’t suffer Azula’s wrath for long.
-
He took one of these airships back from Ba Sing Se to the Capital City, not that long ago...
The metal hallways always feel cold, not helped by the fact that due to the outside temperature they literally are.
Zuko keeps fuelling the ship’s engine with fire. At least here it’s warm and he doesn’t have to think about what happened the last time he was on this airship.
He can’t wait until they are back at the temple.
-
Katara and Sokka's family reunion is touching, seeing the whole family embrace it other has Zuko feel things he hasn't in years.
Often, Zuko looks at them and thinks about how it would feel like if his relationship with his family was like this.
His mind stays blank.
He leaves the courtyard and returns to his room, beelining to put on his hairpiece.
The comfortable tension in his hair sets him at ease.
Then and there, he promises himself to not let his sister go down with his father.
If he could be changed at her age, then she can be too.
He won’t rest until his mind can start viewing his family like Sokka and Katara’s.
-
Azula finds them. She follows the airship with a whole fleet.
She’s more aggressive, abrasive, attacking without thinking. It's unsettling.
But most importantly right now, she’s starting to make mistakes.
She falls for his distraction; While he keeps her attention by fighting her, the others split up and flee separately. One group with the airship, the other on Appa.
Again, not one of his best ideas, but it will have to make do.
He’s able to keep up with her for longer, and the fight actually ends in a draw for the first time in what must be years.
They both are flung of the airship, falling into the ravine the temple is built in.
Zuko feels the wind rushing through his hair, falling faster and faster watching the ground grow closer.
...Until he's caught by Appa at the last second, swooping under him so Katara can pull him into the saddle.
Not giving himself a second of rest though, he immediately scrambles towards the edge of the saddle, watching his sister fall.
She falls further and further, and his knuckles turn white.
With how hard he's holding on he’s sure he’s going to leave a dent in the leather.
This is taking too long!
He turns to Aang and yells: “Aang! Turn around! We have to-!“
His words die on his lips as he sees his sister ram her hairpiece into the cliffside, slowing her fall to a standstill.
“...Nevermind.”, he says and sits down with a huff.
-
They sit at the fire in their temporary camp, and the mood is understandably sour.
Of course, that doesn't fly with Aang.
“Camping, huh? Really feels like old times.”, he jokes and earns himself some chuckles.
Katara adds on: “Only that we’re not being chased by Zhao, but Azula... looks like we got really lucky there.”
He snorts and smirks: “Tell me about it.”
He, too, earns himself some chuckles. Except for Katara, who looks at him pensively, studying him a indecipherable expression.
Frowning hard, she asks him once the laughter died down: “Why did you want us to turn around at the temple? I still don’t really get what you were going on about.”
He cocks his head to the side, eyeing her quizzically: “I thought Azula wouldn’t make it. I wanted us to try and catch her before she hits the ground.”
The campfire is silent, and Katara’s face hasn’t changed. It almost looks like she doesn't get it, but that makes no sense. ...Right?
“…But why? Why did you want to save her?”, she asks, tone betraying she really doesn’t understand.
“Would you let Sokka fall to his death? That’s my sister we’re talking about. I won’t let her just die!”, he immediately retorts, anger bleeding into his words. What's there to not understand?
Katara’s eyes go hard: “Your sister has caused so much pain, we’d all be better off if she wasn’t here!”
Zuko hears the collective gasp, and sees Aang is about to intervene, but he won’t let this conversation end without making things clear.
He clenches his fist and feels his palms warm as he tries to calm himself down.
“You don’t know my sister like I do.”, he states through half-clenched teeth, “She only does these things because she thinks it’s the only way for her to stay in power. If it were up to her, things would be different.”
Despite his attempt at trying to reason with her, Katara jumps up, leaving her half eaten bowl of food on the ground: “I don’t care! She still does it! She’s just like those people who took our mother away from us! Always hungry for more power!”
She flees the campfire, leaving all of them behind by the warmth of the campfire.
Zuko sends fire from his nostrils not that it's over, and immediately feels calmer.
Returning his attention to the others, he finds everyone looking at him.
“I’m with you Zuko, no one deserves to die for their mistakes.”, Aang offers, compassionate as he is.
“Once all this is over, I’ll be willing to give Azula a second chance.”
Zuko’s stunned at his words. He expected Aang to respect his commitment to keep Azula alive, since he’s a monk and all, but for him want to get to know the girl who killed him… that takes a different kind of forgiveness.
He manages to mumble a thank you.
“She’ll come around, Katara’s just worked up from leaving dad behind. It’s not about you.”, Sokka adds on, attempting to sound comforting.
Zuko simply nods: “I get why she doesn’t like Azula. And she doesn’t have to, at all.”
Everyone goes back to normal topics after that, but Zuko can’t stop thinking about Katara.
Will she ever be able to think about the Fire Nation differently?
...What if they give her some closure?
-
Together with Sokka he identifies the Southern Raiders, the group who attacked their village all those years ago.
Katara and Zuko set out to search for their commander, and find out the man who killed Kya is now in retirement.
They track Yon Rha down, and he’s more pathetic than any man Zuko has ever met.
Katara was right: That man values nothing but power.
She leaves him alive, to wither away as a footnote in history, powerless and forgotten.
They leave.
-
They fly back to their campsite, ready to pick up the others to relocate.
Zuko removes his hood and sets the hairpiece back iny immediately feeling more like himself.
Katara looks back at him from her place at the reins: “Why do you always wear that thing?”
Zuko watches the sunset, answering absentmindedly: “It just feels right. I used to struggle with reconciling being both the prince in the Fire Nation and the no one in the Earth Kingdom.”
“With it on, I’m reminded that I am the result of everything I did and everyone I was. That I am Zuko.”
Katara keeps her eyes in front flying Appa, staying quiet.
Zuko doesn’t expect any response from her, simply continuing to watch the sun set in the distance.
The ocean turns into a vibrant shade of orange with it’s dying light, and Zuko can feel his inner fire wane with the incoming darkness.
Eventually, once the night has almost set in, he breaks the silence, wanting to air things out between them once and for all: “Look, I don’t expect you to like my sister, I don’t really either. It’s complicated.”
“But, please believe me, I love her still.”, the words just stumble out of him, even surprising himself with his honesty.
Pushing past the shock, he keeps going, trying to give any semblance of reasoning he has: “She’s the same age I was when I made the deal with the spirits, and for a long time I couldn’t even recognize that person anymore.”
“What I want to say is, I believe Azula can change.”
Was that even intelligible? There’s no way that made any sense, right?
Zuko has half a mind to start over, butKatara responds, voice tired: “I get it Zuko. Even if Sokka did… that, I would still love him.”
“It’s just hard to view her as more than… a polar leopard, someone who hunts.”, she admits, “And when you said you still loved her, it felt like you were excusing people like Yon Rha.”
He hums in understanding, finally fully comprehending her perspective. He adds on, wanting to point out the difference between the two: “Yon Rha lived his life, he could have decided against doing what he did many times before. Azula’s our age.”
He breathes in deep before continuing: “And then there’s father. He wouldn’t allow her to disobey, trust me, I know.”
“I understand.”, Katara simply says, and they leave it at that for the rest of their journey.
-
Aang is unsurprisingly very happy that they didn’t kill Yon Rha, and the entire group is even more ecstatic that they are leaving the rocky island and tents behind soon.
...Except for Zuko, because he took the reins for once.
At least they’ll have a real roof this time.
-
The vacation home on Ember Island is just as vacant and deserted as is was the last time.
Which evidently makes it the nicest place they’ve been in probably a year.
(Except for maybe the palace in Zuko’s case.)
Every surface in the building is coated in a thick layer of dust, only more apparent by the thick outlines left behind by the paintings he burned.
There'll definitely be no one coming to check for them here.
-
Everyone immediately explores the dilapidated house, going room to room and digging through the royal family's long forgotten possessions.
It’s the most action this house has seen in years, or maybe even possibly since it was built.
Zuko’s happy he won’t always connect this place with only his family anymore now.
-
“You’re sure no one’s going to come here?”, Sokka asks him while they sit in the courtyard.
They’ve been busy making space in the house for all of them to life together comfortably, moving out all the stuff that would just get in their way.
He shakes his head: “No one came here in years. And no one has a reason to.”, he continues, “I’ve been here with Azula once not that long ago, but she won’t visit this place willingly ever again, probably.”
“That’s why the paintings are gone?”, Sokka infers casually, raising his eyebrow the way he always does when asking questions.
Zuko nods, answering just as casually: “Yeah, we’ve burned them. There’s some left, I think, but not too many.”
Sokka looks horrified: “Woah, burned’em? Isn’t that a bit extreme?”
Zuko just shrugs. Maybe it was.
“It felt right at the time.”, he simply responds.
Their conversation shifts onto other topics, until Suki and Katara come into the courtyard, carrying a big canvas together, either one holding one side of it. They set it down right in front of him and Sokka so it faces them directly. A thick cloud of dust rises into the air as the painting hits the ground.
“Hey Z-Zuk-o.”, Suki calls out, coughing awkwardly from inhaling too much dust, “Who’s this?”, she asks, smiling broadly, eyes shining with curiosity.
The painting the two carried out is a family portrait. Ozai stands to the right, hands folded in front of him. He’s all clean shaven, and still wears the attire of a prince. His mother sits in a chair to the left of Ozai, looking pensively at the painter.
In the foreground sit Azula and Zuko, probably around five and seven respectively. Their eyes are painted wide open, looking up at the painter curiously.
“That’s the royal family. Me, Azula, my mother and my father.”, Zuko explains, pointing at each figure as he calls them out.
Suki’s head swivels to look at the canvas herself: “You two were such cute children!”, she comments.
“Uhh, …thanks?”, he responds awkwardly. How are you supposed to react to that kind of compliment..?
Katara also studies the painting from her side, leaning forward so she can see the full picture: “I never knew there’s a Fire Lady. I never thought about the Fire Lord having a wife…”, she muses.
“There’s no Fire Lady.", he clarifies casually, "My mother was banished and has never been seen again. The position is vacant right now.”
Telling the story still stings, but knowing that whatever she did, she did for him helps him feel better about it.
Sokka flinches, wide eyes snapping onto him: “Whoa! So they just banished the Fire Lady one day? Who can even do that?”
Zuko just looks at him questioningly, feeling like the answer is pretty obvious: “Uhh, the Fire Lord? My father did it.”
All the others just look at each other, a silent conversation he’s not part of.
When he’s just about to ask what’s wrong, Suki speaks up, smile even more broad than before: “We’ll throw this out!”
Her and Katara grab the painting, vanishing concerningly quickly out of the courtyard leaving only a cloud of dust behind.
Zuko shrugs. He kinda liked that painting.
-
That play should have never been written. He warned them the Ember Island Players would butcher whatever they get their hands on.
-
He trains with Aang everyday for hours. He knows Toph and Katara demand the same thing of him.
He’d almost feel sorry for him if he didn’t know how important it is for him to master the elements before the comet.
I’d would sure be nice if Aang saw it that way too.
He constantly tries to escape training or doesn’t take it seriously. If Zuko didn’t know any better he’d say Aang doesn’t know Sozin’s Comet is right around the corner.
“What’s wrong with you?”, he asks the kid on a particularly bad day. He doesn’t manage to do the moves he had mastered weeks ago.
Zuko can’t help himself but to let some of his temper show, but he’s had it with Aang’s excuses.
“What’s wrong with me? What’s wrong with you! We went over these exercises weeks ago until I mastered them! Why do them again now?”, Aang yells back.
It certainly sounds like he too is getting fed up with this.
Zuko breathes in deep: “You mastered the movements, but not the reflexes. If you want to fight my father in three days you’ll need your instincts, not just your knowledge.”
Aang looks at him with wide eyes, anger suddenly gone: “Three days? What do you mean?”
Oh, spirits, he really didn’t know? What is this? A comedy?
“Sozin’s comet? The astrological object that empowers firebenders? Ever heard of it?”
Aang’s eyes light up with recognition (oh thank the spirits he did know!): “Oh, the comet! Yeah, I know.”
Aang goes red and scratches the back of his head.
“About that. We wanted to wait until after the comet to fight the Fire Lord, didn’t you know?”
No, no, no-
“WHAT?!”, Zuko’s shouts, strong enough to have the birds flee out of all the nearby trees in fear.
Before he can even fully regain control of himself, the rest of the group came rushing into the courtyard.
Katara looks from him to Aang and back. His hands shake from tightly they are clenched.
“What’s going on? What are you screaming about?”, She asks them worriedly.
He turns to the others, face distraught and far too pale: “Did you know? Did you know we planned to wait?”
He knows he’s spitting fire with every word, but he can't bring himself to care right now.
“Wait for what?”, Toph questions casually.
Zuko grits his teeth. Of course they don't know, he didn't tell them.
Clenching his fists, he clarifies loudly: “The comet! Did you know we planned to fight the Fire Lord after the comet?”
“That!", Toph responds nonchalantly, "Yeah we knew.”
Ohhhh, Spirits no…
Zuko grabs his head, a low whistle escaping his mouth as his thoughts spiral.
“That won’t work. We’ll have to fight him before, or else there won’t be anyone left to fight for anymore.”, he explains, words labored. Struggling with having the disgusting truth make it past his lips.
Suki steps forward, worry more than obvious on her face: “What do you mean?”, she asks, one hand holding onto his shoulder.
He can hear Azula’s words echo in his head.
“Father will use the comet to burn down the entire Earth Kingdom. He’ll take the airships and his best firebenders to turn the continent into ash.”, he recounts painfully.
The group is stunned into silence. He can see tears form in some of their eyes.
“That’s horrible…”, he hears Aang mumble.
He grabs the kid by the shoulders: “And that’s why we have to train. Father will show you no mercy, it doesn't matter that you’re still twelve.”
“I wish this were different, that you weren’t the one to have to do it, but it’s necessary.”
He grabs him tighter.
“Aang, Aang look at me.”, he says, “In the eyes.”, he adds.
The Avatar stares at him, eyes big, sad and so vulnerable.
He speaks slowly and deliberately: “Father will burn you alive if he gets the chance. I know he will. He tried it with me multiple times.”
“We have to put an end to this.”
Aang looks miserable.
Zuko hugs him tight.
They all talk with Aang, offering him motivation and so, so many hugs.
But it doesn't change manage to change his mood.
He’ll have to break the last vow of his entire people to prevent the death of millions.
The airbenders will die all over again, and Zuko curses the spirits for having Aang be the one to do it.
-
The kid is gone.
Aang vanished of the face of the earth.
His glider is still here, Appa’s still here, but he’s not on Ember Island.
-
“I know how we can find Aang! Do you remember the Lady who broke into the abbey with Zhao way back when?”
“No?”
“Not you Toph… but no.”
“She had an animal that could track the scent of a person around the world! We could use her to find Aang.”
“We’ll just have to find her, Sokka. But how do we do that?”
“I know the Earth Kingdom in and out. I know where to find a bounty hunter."
“Wait Zuko, we got to pack first!"
-
“Your friend’s completely gone. He doesn’t exist.”, June tells them.
All this way for nothing…, Zuko thinks to himself.
“What do you mean Aang doesn't exist? Do you mean he's... you know, dead?”, Sokka asks hesitantly.
June pets Nyla absentmindly: “Nope. We could find him if he were dead. Wow, it's a real head-scratcher. See you.”, she says as she mounts her shirshu.
“Helpful. Real helpful.”, Toph comments.
What do they do now? Aang’s gone and Sozin’s Comet is on it’s way. For all it’s worth, they’ve already lost.
Who would be willing to fight the Fire Lord with those chances?
Uncle.
Zuko removes his hairpiece and presents it to June: “Wait! Can you track down its previous owner?”
June looks at him sceptically: “Depends on how long you wore it.”
His face falls.
“Just kidding, ‘course Nyla can.”, the shirshu takes a few sniffs of the hairpiece and it already knows where to go.
“Let’s go.”, June says, and runs into the direction of his uncle.
They all scramble onto Appa to follow, hope all they have.
-
The shirshu leads them to Ba Sing Se, and they find the camp of the old masters, the White Lotus.
It looks like Iroh wasn’t kidding when he said he had to go a different path. He must have planned this for years in secret.
There are masters from every nation in this camp. Piandao, Pakku, King Bumi… It’s ridiculous how powerful this group of old people is.
Yet they still won’t face the Fire Lord.
Zuko understands that it is Aang’s destiny, but that doesn’t make him feel any better.
Not to mention that no one knows where Aang IS.
Iroh doesn’t seem perturbed though, he is certain Aang will be there when the time comes.
Zuko doesn’t know if he can fight a war just based on hope, but for everyone’s sake he will try.
-
Iroh wants him to be Firelord.
“Why me?”, he asks, disbelief evident in his voice.
Iroh looks at him, eyes filled with pride: “You’ve found yourself on a path towards peace when everyone around you called for war. The people will see you as the beginning of a new era. A new time of peace.”
Sokka holds up a finger: “Also, the alternative is Azula…”, he points out, and a shiver goes through the entire group.
They don’t see the obvious?
“You could do it, uncle. You are far more knowledgeable about leading a country than me.”, he reasons.
Iroh was the crown prince once, he has the experience and has been working towards peace for far longer than Zuko did.
Uncle closes his eyes and shakes his head: “I’m still the Dragon of the West, nephew. I’ve killed hundreds. If I replace my own brother, everyone will believe me to have become hungry for more power.”
“You are friends with the Avatar, taught him firebending. You know the cruelty of your father and the war. And you have not become jaded because of it.”
“The people will recognize the person you are, and they will believe you when you tell them the war is over.”
Iroh finishes, and Zuko can’t disagree anymore. He sees the faces of the others, and they all seem to believe the same.
This must be where the path ends. It was always going to end this way, he realizes now.
-
They plan for the comet.
Iroh and the White Lotus will free Ba Sing Se, Sokka, Suki and Toph will destroy the airships, and Katara and Zuko will face Azula.
And Aang will fight Ozai, if fate wills it.
Zuko climbs onto Appa’s back. Ready to face Azula.
He recites a quick prayer to the Spirits, to those he met and those he served, hoping for one more day under their grace.
They’ll end this war today.
-
He can feel the comet’s energy surge through him. He feels warm and light, as if he was floating.
His skin tickles the same way it did after he redirected father’s lightning, itching for him to release all the pent up energy.
It’s intoxicating. The feeling of power is unparalleled.
-
They descend into the Capital, right in front of Azula’s coronation.
There’s no one here but her and the sages, and Azula herself looks terrible.
Her hair is dishevelled and cut uneven, and her eyes are wild, gleaming with vicious intent.
She knows why he is here, and he won't delude himself about his purpose any longer either.
She steps forth, rejecting the crown.
“You’re here to take my throne?”, she questions, voice low, threat all but implied.
Zuko shakes his head, feeling calm despite the raging fire begging to be released inside him: “No, I’m here to end this war.”
Azula huffs unimpressed, raising her hand and pointing to the sky, daring the spirits to be her witness.
“We knew it would come to this. Let’s end this! AGNI KAI!”, she shouts, taunting him with the challenge.
“I accept.”, he states, shifting into a fighting stance.
“Zuko, you-“, Katara starts to argue, but he immediately interjects.
“This is about us, Katara. Let me do this.”, he pleads, and even though he can see that she doesn’t agree, she steps back.
Azula moves into place, and Zuko prepares to fight the very last battle of this war.
-
He manages to catch the lightning bolt, but the energy can’t leave his body. He hits the ground and his world goes black.
-
He immediately rolls to stop his fall and stands back up, but once he looks around he notices he isn’t in the courtyard of the palace. He's not even in the Fire Nation anymore.
He’s in his room in Ba Sing Se, the little apartment at the edge of the Lower Ring he lived in for just a few weeks.
Struggling with the meaning behind all this, Zuko looks down at himself. He’s wearing the red clothing he wore on the day of the comet.
What the…?
He rips open his tunic, and there’s a massive scar where Azula’s lightning hit him. Far too big to be anything but fatal.
How?
“Hello, prince.”, he hears coming from a familiar voice, and he turns toward the noise, not believing his ears.
There, on the windowsill, starless night behind them, sits the messenger.
The spirit blinks owlishly at him, each of it’s eyes working separately.
“Am I dead?”, Zuko asks, fearing the worst.
Why else would he be here again?
The messenger’s tails sway just like they always did
“Technically, yes.”, it says, and Zuko feels his legs give out as he slinks to his knees, defeated.
He knew this day would come, but he hoped he'd at least get to spend one day living in peace with his friends.
Despite his obvious despair, the spirit goes on, undisturbed: “We congratulate you, prince. You walked the path. You did what we have been preparing you for.”
“And I end up dead for it.”, he can’t help himself but comment sardonically, “You should have told me that when I made the contract.”
The messenger continues calmly, ignoring him: “But we are not here to simply congratulate you.”
Zuko looks up, tired eyes slowly focusing on the spirit again. it sits there just like it always did, tails swaying and eyes blinking, form not betraying any kind of emotion.
“Your master decided to offer you severance.”, they state, “Use it wisely.”
Zuko’s face scrunches up in confusion: “Severance? What does that mean?”
The messenger ignores his question, sitting uncharacteristically still while all it's eyes stare at him unblinkingly.
“Rise, Prince Zuko.”, they say, voice deep and jovial as it vanishes from the windowsill.
The apartment collapses in on itself, and Zuko wakes up.
-
Zuko rips open his eyes and comes face to face with a crying Katara.
“Zuko!”, she yells through choking back tears, “You came back!”
She focuses her waterbending on his massive lightning wound, pushing him down gently so he stays lying down.
However, he's not done yet. There's still one more thing he has to do.
He grips her shoulder hard enough to bruise, trying to pull himself up on her.
“W-Where’s Azula? What happened?”, he manages to ask.
Katara looks at him, mouth a thin line while her gaze slowly shifts to a spot in the distance.
He turns his head to follow her line of sight, and sees Azula, chained to a grate in the ground, roaring blue fire like a wounded dragon.
“Get me u-up.”, he begs Katara, who begrudgingly complies.
Together, they stumble towards Azula, Katara helping him carry most of his weight.
"This is a bad idea. You should be lying down.", she says one more time, but not stopping him from going any further.
Zuko looks at the mess that is his sister. She screams and cries and spits fire at them, daring them to continue the fight.
He's never felt more sad for his sister.
He lets go of Katara and steps carefully towards Azula.
“Zuko! Stop!”, he hears Katara yell, but he knows Azula won’t burn him anymore.
He kneels down slowly in front of his sister, and hugs her tight.
He holds her like this for what could be ages, trying to calm her down just like he did when they were younger.
Eventually, he whispers into her ear, straining to get the words past his lips: “Looks like you’re going to have to teach me lightningbending.”
Azula’s raging cries are replaced by roaring laughter until her voice goes hoarse.
-