𝑰𝒕'𝒔 𝑵𝒐𝒕 𝑨𝒍𝒍 𝑹𝒐𝒔𝒆𝒔

Chapter 16

During the day, the Emperor was a different man. He was driven, pursuing an enemy he needed to catch. Waking everybody up before dawn, they were riding at full speed towards Luxing Fort by the time the sun was up. Katara shivered, clenching her black cloak closer around her. He was insane. They were going to get to Luxing early, at the rate they were traveling.

It was very strange. At night, Emperor Zuko seemed almost calm; a different person. But under the sun, he changed, barely acknowledging her except to order her around as he did everybody else.

But when they stopped to eat at noon, Ensei said, "I'm thinking we better slow down soon, Zuko. The horses can't take much more."

"Speed is a necessity, Ensei—"

"I know," Lt. Ensei cut him off. Katara averted her eyes. She hoped it wouldn't get ugly. "But how fast will we be able to go if one of the horses breaks a leg?"

After a few more grumbles and exchanged comments, the Emperor finally relented and they rode at a walk.

"We'll still get there before nightfall," Lt. Ensei reassured everyone.

"Good," Emperor Zuko snapped out unintentionally. "I need to capture this traitor and get back to Kotzut as soon as possible."

"Why the rush?" asked Ensei. Everybody else was silent and just listening. "Doesn't the old Dragon of the West have everything under control?"

Emperor Zuko gave a short nod. "Yes, but there are things we need to deal with personally. You know I told you we found and killed the Avatar six months ago?"

Lt. Ensei nodded, and Katara tried to hide her interest. This must have been the Avatar who had come after the last one, the Air bender, and before Suyan. "The one who tried to start that rebellion with the Earth slaves?"

Zuko fingered his sword hilt. "He was an old man, hardly in any condition to fight. He was a descendent of the extinct Water Tribes, and had hidden for majority of his life before finally coming out and trying to start a war. He would have done a better job throwing his lot in with those Kyoshi rebels. His 'army' was little more than hot-headed teenagers who had no control and old men who wanted to live the glory days again."

Lt. Ensei let out a short laugh; so did Oran.

"So now," continued the Emperor, "we have to find the new Avatar. He or she must have been born soon after we killed the last one. According to the cycle, he or she should be an Earth bender first."

"Hell of a job," Ensei commented, "you're going to have to search through all of the Earth slave camps and refugees for that one kid?"

Emperor Zuko nodded again. "But Admiral Zhao had a different idea. Faster, quicker, and more efficient."

"What was it?"

"Kill all Earth bender children under the age of one."

Katara, in the very back of the procession, closed her eyes. Holy shit.

"Holy shit," said Lt. Ensei, echoing her sentiments out loud. "Only Admiral Zhao would think of something so... drastic."

Drastic? thought Katara. More like sickeningly disgusting.

"It makes sense," Emperor Zuko shrugged. "Kill them all, and we'll have to get the Avatar eventually. And when the Earth Avatar dies, he or she will be reborn into the Fire Nation."

"And would thus be under your influence and your control," said Lt. Ensei, nodding. "The Avatar will be raised as a loyal Fire Empire citizen. Those powers will come in handy when putting down the rebels."