Fire and Aether

Chapter 28: The Awakening

    After Ba Sing Se was captured, the Fire Lord and his consort swept through the land like a plague, capturing more people, more land, more of everything they wished. For a long while, the Aether Realm was able to avoid being captured. But, as things worsened, they too, were taken by the Fire Lord.
   Queen Ophelia was able to escape while King Ryker stood strong and fought for the kingdom until his death at the hands of the Fire Lord. His son, Jasper, was taken prisoner and sent to the Boiling Rock as punishment. Will and Catie, who were staying at the Northern Water Tribe were safe, for now. But, with the fall of Ba Sing Se and the Aether Realm, it was only a matter of time before they, too, would fall. And soon... the Fire Lord would have everything he wanted....
                     * * * * *
    Rose woke with a start.
    The first thing she noticed was that she laid in a bed on an unfamiliar ship. Slowly, she got to her feet and stumbled to the other side of the room, towards a desk with a mirror atop it, and peeked inside.
    She looked like hell!
    Her hair was a knotted, tangled mess, her clothes ripped to reveal several large bandages covering her upper torso and back. She was badly bruised, had a split lip that was bleeding, and the look in her eyes was one of despair and regret.
    And then she remembered: Zuko did this to her. He betrayed her, betrayed their love, all for a family who didn't care about him. Even now, the pain of that betrayal and loss hurt her more than any of the injuries she suffered from her fight in the crystal catacombs beneath Ba Sing Se.
    Rose finally had the energy to survey her surroundings more closely and, as she saw Fire Nation banners, she panicked and ran out the door. She didn't know where she was or where she was going but she just knew she had to escape.
    A pair of Fire Nation soldiers spotted her and she managed to portal herself onto the deck of the ship, running from them as fast as possible. To her surprise, Aang ran up, a Fire Nation cloak covering his airbender clothing and tattoos.
   "Aang, you have hair!"
   "I know." Aang said as he gave Rose a hug. "It feels weird but, with what we have to do, it's best that the Fire Nation doesn't recognize us."
    Toph and Katara arrived shortly after him, also covered in Fire Nation cloaks over their regular clothes. "You're awake!" Katara said, excitedly.
    Rose shook her head. "Are you sure?" She asked as she looked around at the rest of Team Avatar and the two remaining members of the Freedom Fighters all dresses as Fire Nation. "I feel like I'm trapped in a weird dream."
    "You're not dreaming, sis." Aang said as the rest of Team Avatar each gave Rose a hug in turn.
    "Hey, Rose!" Sokka said, walking up, dressed as a Fire Nation soldier. "Good to see you're alive."
     Rose, unable to take anymore, swooned and fell into her honorary brother's arms, her last thought of Zuko.
                          * * * * *
    Zuko stood aboard a mighty Fire Nation vessel, thinking. Over and over again, he thought of Rose, those few weeks that they were together, and then of his betrayal, Azula killing her. The thought that the love of his life was gone cut like a wound that wouldn't heal and he touched his scar in contemplation, thinking of all the times Rose would stroke it whenever he doubted himself.
    Somehow, he felt like she was still alive and, over the past few weeks, as he and Team Anti Avatar headed home, he thought over what Rose had told him when they were soulbound.
   "A soul bond is the strongest bond of all, one stronger than any other bond in this world... or the next. It is a bond where we become one: whatever one feels, so does the other, we know where the other is, if they are alive, and if they are unfaithful. Once this soul bond happens... it can't be broken."
   He felt the truth of her words. He could feel she was still alive, that she was safe and sound with her friends, and that he had hurt her. He felt the pain of her heartbreak, along with his own guilt. And he wondered if she felt that he had (somewhat) moved on, dating Mai again.
   "Aren't you cold?"
   It hurt more than he could say that the voice he heard was Mai and not Rose. "I've got a lot on my mind."
    It wasn't a lie.
    "It's been so long. Over four years since I was home."
    That also wasn't a lie... but not the complete truth either.
   "I wonder what's changed. I wonder how I've changed."
   That was the truth. How much had being a fugitive changed him? How much had she changed him?
   Mai yawned. "I just asked if you were cold. I didn't ask for your whole life story." She said in a bored tone. Mai moved closer and hugged him from behind. "Stop worrying."
   The kiss they shared was, thankfully, short, yet, as Mai walked away, Zuko felt the heartbreak Rose must be feeling at that moment.
   If only he could take back what he'd done.
   Why did he ever trust Azula?
                      * * * * *
   "Why are we on a Fire Nation ship?" Rose asked once she finally came to. "Why is everyone dressed this way?" 
   "You need to take it easy." Katara said. "You were badly hurt." 
   "She needs to know what happened, Katara." Aang argued. 
   "What she needs is a healing session. We'll explain everything later."
   "No." Rose said, grabbing her friend's hand. "I need to know what happened." 
   They sat, along with the rest of their friends and Hakoda, Katara and Sokka's father, and they explained what happened: 
   After what happened in Ba Sing Se, Team Avatar got Rose to safety. Rose was basically dead but Katara had used the water from the oasis at the North Pole to save her. They figured the best thing to do was to run. They met up with Hakoda and his men at Chameleon Bay, where they said goodbye to the Earth King, who donned a disguise and was currently travelling the world with his pet bear. Soon after that, the bay was overrun by Fire Nation ships. Rather than fight them all, the group captured a solitary ship and made it their disguise, also donning Fire Nation attire for the time being. 
   "And, there's something else you should know." Aang said. "The Aether Realm has been captured."   
   "That's impossible! How?" 
   From what they'd heard, after the fall of Ba Sing Se, the Fire Nation turned their attention to the Aether Realm. At the time, the royal family held a celebration to honor their fallen daughter (Rose). The Fire Nation then chose to attack by leading a siege on the palace. They began to destroy everything in their path to lure the royal family out but nothing could sway them from protecting their home and their people. The siege continued for 14 days and 14 nights and still, the Aether Realm held firm. 
   Finally, after growing impatient, Fire Lord Ozai arrived along with someone else no one knew was helping him. Apparently, he had a powerful witch working alongside him. She used magic and trickery to gain entrance to the palace while Azula severed the aetherbenders connection to the Spirit World. The king told his queen to run. He sacrificed himself so that she would be ok. The Fire Lord killed him but took his youngest son as prisoner. The Fire Nation took the Aether Realm but the queen survived and escaped. No one knows where. 
   "But Will and Catie are alright." Katara said. "They'll be meeting with us soon." 
   "Indeed." Hakoda added. "They're helping us with our invasion plan... a modified version of it. We won't be able to mount a massive invasion without the Earth King's armies, but the solar eclipse will still leave the Fire Nation vulnerable." 
   "So we're planning a smaller invasion. Just a ragtag team of our friends and allies from around the Earth Kingdom. We already ran into Pipsqueak and the Duke... as well as your weird friend." 
   Rose raised an eyebrow. "What weird friend?" 
   Her answer became clear when Aurora ran forward and enveloped Rose into a hug. 
   "Aurora? How did--?" 
   "I had a vision of what happened beneath Ba Sing Se. I knew I had to come."
   "But you know what's the best part?" Sokka asked. "We have a secret weapon: you." 
  "Me?"
   "Yep. The whole world thinks you're dead. Isn't that great?"
   "What?" Rose asked.
   She began hyperventilating, on the verge of a panic attack, then ran to the side of the ship and expelled her disgust over the side of it. 
   "How is that good news?"
   "It means the Fire Nation won't be hunting us anymore. And, even better, they won't be expecting you on the Day of Black Sun."
    Rose needed a moment to herself to process what had just happened. Excusing herself, she went back below deck to lie on her bed and think.
                        * * * * *   
    Zuko and Team Anti Avatar arrived home, cheered on by the Fire Nation. "Your Princess Azula, clever and beautiful, disguised herself as the enemy and entered the Earth Kingdom's capital. In Ba Sing Se, she found her brother, Zuko, and together, they faced the Avatar. And the Avatar fell, and the Earth Kingdom fell. 
   "Azula's agents quickly overtook the entire city. They went to Ba Sing Se's great walls and brought them down. The armies of the Fire Nation surged through the wall and swarmed over Ba Sing Se, securing our victory. 
   "Then, at the command of our great Fire Lord Ozai, our allies took to the Aether Realm. Princess Azula lead the siege for 14 days and 14 long nights, with her brother and their greatest fighters beside. Then, Fire Lord Ozai killed the king himself and took the Aether Realm. 
   "Fire Lord Ozai even now sends our men out to claim what is rightfully ours. Now his children, the heroes, have returned home." 
   Azula strode out onto the balcony. "Your Princess, Azula." Cheers and applause from the crowd.   
   "And after four long years, your Prince has returned: Zuko." More cheers from the crowd rang out as Zuko, dressed in his princely clothes, hair tied back, stood beside his sister. 
    Even as the cheers rang in his ears, all Zuko could think was he didn't deserve them.
                            * * * * *
    Hours later, Rose was woken up from the ship rocking on the waves. Quickly, she ran up to the deck, in time to hear Toph shout, "They know!" With those words, she metalbended the ramp between the two ships, making the Fire Nation soldiers fall into the water. Together, Team Avatar began fighting the Fire Nation soldiers on the other ship, Pipsqueak offering rocks for Toph to use, Katara waterbending.
    As the fight continued, Team Avatar got separated, Rose and Aang ending up lost in the storm while the rest were stuck on the ship. 
    After flying for a long time, the pain of Rose's injuries and her exhaustion from being dead a few weeks ago made her land on the nearest spit of land she could find. With that, she passed out, Aang laying next to her, and Crystal growing to cover them both with her wings. Together, the group slept through the night.
                            * * * * * 
    Zuko sat at the pond where he had once spent evenings with his mother when she was still around. As he fed the turtle ducks, he thought of what his mother would've said could she see him now. How his uncle must feel right now. How he'd hurt the only person he'd ever truly loved.
    As he was busy wallowing in his own self-pity, Azula appeared, scaring off the turtle ducks. "Aw, what's the matter? Mai got you down already?" She stopped, as if contemplating something for a moment and added, "Although Mai has been in a strangely good mood lately."
    "I haven't seen dad yet." Zuko answered, deciding to offer part of what he was feeling. "I haven't seen him in four years, since I was banished." What was the point of betraying who he loved if there was nothing to show for it? If he didn't get his honor back?
    "So what?" Azula asked, not understanding the problem.
    "So, I didn't capture the Avatar."
    "Who cares? The Avatar's dead." Zuko reminded himself that that wasn't true because he could feel she was still alive. Azula must have noticed something in the look on Zuko's face because she added, "Unless you think she somehow survived?"
    "It is a bond where we become one: whatever one feels, so does the other, we know where the other is, if they are alive..."
    The words kept echoing inside his head. "No." he answered. "There's no way she could've survived." 
   "Well, then I'm sure you have nothing to worry about."
     With that, she left, making him wonder just how much his sister really knew about his relationship with the Avatar.
    Zuko stopped to compose himself before dressing and heading to the throne room to meet with his father. There his father sat in all his glory, being pampered by his consort. As Zuko entered and bowed, the king's consort stood and bowed, announcing, "I'll leave the two of you alone, milord."
   She left the room, bowing to Zuko as she did, scoffing in disgust when she left.
   "You have been away for a long time." Fire Lord Ozai finally spoke up. "I can see the weight of your travels has changed you. You have redeemed yourself, my son." He stood and, with a grim smile, added, "Welcome home."
    In his mind, Zuko thought, if he was home, why did he feel it so far away in the heart of a woman he had betrayed?
    "I am proud of you, Prince Zuko." Fire Lord Ozai said, pulling Zuko from his reverie. "I am proud because you and your sister conquered Ba Sing Se. I am proud because when your loyalty was tested by treacherous uncle, you did the right thing and captured the traitor. And I am the proudest of all of your most legendary accomplishment: you slayed the Avatar."
   Zuko's eyes widened in surprise at this. "What did you hear?"
   "Azula told me everything. She said she was amazed and impressed with your power and ferocity at the moment of truth."
   If only he knew the truth, Zuko thought, he wouldn't be so proud....
                         * * * * *
   Zuko burst into Azula's room to find his sister laying down for the night
   "Why did you do it?" he asked.
   "You'll have to be more specific." Azula teased.
   "Why did you tell father that I was the one who killed the Avatar?"
   "Can't this wait until morning?"
   "No." Zuko growled in annoyance.
   "Fine." Azula said, sitting up. "You seemed so worried about how father would treat you because you hadn't captured the Avatar. I figured, if I gave you the credit, you'd have nothing to worry about."
    "But why?"
    "Call it a generous gesture. I wanted to thank you for your help, for choosing the right side, even if it did take some persuasion." Azula smirked at that part. "I was happy to share the glory."
    Zuko narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "You're lying."
    "If you say so."
    "You have another motive. I know you do. Why else would you lie to father? Especially knowing I would've never joined you if you hadn't threatened her? I just haven't figured out what it is."
    Azula yawned and stretched. "Oh Zuko. What ulterior motive could I have?" She turned toward him and pretended to think. "What could I possibly gain by letting you get all the glory for defeating the Avatar? Unless, somehow, the Avatar was actually alive. All that glory would suddenly turn to shame and foolishness. But, as you said yourself, that was impossible." Azula laid back down. "Sleep well, Zuzu."
    Zuko stomped out of her room in anger and confusion.
                       * * * * * 
    Rose woke up on an island. For a moment, she was quiet, as she slowly stood and began to walk along the shore.
    "Rose?" 
    Rose turned to her honorary brother. "I don't know what to do."
    "About what? The war? Or Zuko?"
    "Both. I don't know."
    "I'm sorry. I'm not the best at giving advice when it comes to relationships. I mean, I can't even tell Katara how I feel. All I can say is give yourself time to think and decide whether or not you want to start over. As for the world, you can save it. I know you can."
    Rose smiled and pulled him into a hug. The rest of Team Avatar arrived and joined them for a group hug. 
    "So, what do we do now?"
    "First thing we need to do is get rid of this." Aang said, holding up his broken hang glider. He threw it into the volcano, letting it get burned up. "Now, let's go infiltrate the Fire Nation."
                          * * * * *
    Zuko sat at his desk, a candle sitting beside a roll of parchment. Taking a deep breath, he began to write:

                 My dearest Rose,

    I believe I have made a big mistake. I never should have listened to Azula. I should have known she would lie to me.
   I don't know what to do. 
   Please, send me a sign so that I know you are ok.

                Forever yours, 
                         Zuko

     Zuko glanced over the letter over and over again. Deciding it was good enough, he walked to the window, tied the letter to a messenger hawk, and sent it on its way. 
     Hopefully, the letter would reach her. Hopefully, he could fix his mistake....