Book I, Act IV: Change of Fortune, Chapter II

Edited by: Bieverdog AO3: GalavantingGoose

Book I Imbalance

Act IV: Change of Fortune

Chapter II:

Azula awoke in her cell again. Her mother had tricked her again. She was getting used to the pain and the numbness already. The room was as dark as usual, but a flickering light in the hallway bothered her tired eyes. She heard laughter coming from behind her, and she turned, craning her neck; but there was no one there. A thud at the door, then more laughter.

"Lala, I'm bored. Let's play Hide and Explode." She widened her eyes. Zuko?

She shivered as her eyes frantically searched the room to find no one. Another thud made her eyes shift to the metal door. A child's hand knocked on the small window on the door. She could barely see it through a thin layer of ice.

"Catch me if you can!" She could hear the laughter getting fainter as small steps echoed through the hallway. The door creaked open; and the lights went out. She could no longer feel the restraints on her body and walked cautiously towards the open door and out into the dark hallway. She suddenly heard heavy steps coming from one end of the hallway and the laughter from the other. With her heart racing, she almost tumbled as she ran towards the laughter.

"Come on, slowpoke; hurry up!" She ran, increasingly afraid of the heavy steps nearing behind her. A hand grabbed her shoulder.

"Azula! You have training now. What do you think you're doing?"

"I'm sorry, Father; I was only playing for a while." She stood with her head low.

"Haven't you been listening to anything I said? You cannot slack off; your responsibility is far greater than anyone else's. You are my daughter, a princess of the Fire Nation. Go now. I don't want to see you missing training anymore, understand?"

"Yes, Father."

Zuko came running back. "It was me, Father. I told Azula t–"

"Silence! Are you that jealous of your sister that you want her to miss her training?"

"No, I– I only wanted to–"

"Don't you see she doesn't have time to play? You could stand to learn a thing or two from her. She's mastering techniques faster than you. I would be very disappointed if you interfered with her training."

"I'm sorry."

"Azula, let's go." Ozai gestured for Azula to follow.

"I'm also very disappointed in you. Do you think Sozin wasted his time playing around? Or your grandfather? By the time he was twelve, he had mastered all forms of firebending, becoming the greatest master of his time. Do you think that comes freely? That you'll effortlessly get there? Do you want to be great, or do you want to be forgotten? A side note in history? I thought there was greatness in you; perhaps I was mistaken."

"I want to be the best, father, I truly do."

"Is that so? You don't seem to act like it. Start proving it then, and I'll believe you."

"I will, I won't neglect my training."

She ran off to her lesson, determined to show she would not stop until she reached her goal. She would outshine those before her and make her father proud. The lessons weren't even hard for her, as she learnt move after move, astonishing her master. And even when they were finished, she repeated the stances, practicing them again and again until they were executed to perfection.

Because she had spent the whole afternoon training, it was already getting dark in the gardens when she saw Zuko running to her. "Hey, Lala, now that your lesson is finished, can we keep playing?" He looked at her, excited.

"Not now, Zuzu; I'm practicing." She turned her head, returning to her stance. She punched low then kicked, twice sending charged orange flames into the air. What do I have to do to turn them blue again?! She was frustrated.

"I think you're already good at it." Zuko smiled.

Azula tried again, ignoring the presence of her brother; and again she failed. "Argh,! I almost had it!"

"You did great!"

She looked at him annoyed. "And how would you know? You haven't even mastered the basics yet. "Have you come here to distract me? Can't you see I'm busy?"

Zuko lowered his head and put his hands behind his back. "Sorry, I didn't mean to."

"Come back once you master these forms. Try not to fall behind."

"Ugh! You can keep doing your stupid training then; I'd rather play alone."

"Have fun playing with your dolls, Zuzu." She smirked at him as he left stomping. She noticed her mother watching them nearby. Zuko ran up to her. She had an empty feeling in her stomach as she saw her mother looking back. She sighed, looking down. Maybe I could play a little. She tried to move towards them, but she couldn't move. Her legs felt heavy, as if they were stuck in place.

"Zuko, stop!" She tried to call her brother, but the words wouldn't come out of her mouth. It was as if she had swallowed them. Everything was fading into darkness as she felt her legs sinking into the shifting ground.

They stood there, immobile like a painting, while everything around deteriorated. The ground reached her neck as she desperately tried to reach out, screaming for help to no avail. She slowly sank completely. All she could see was the two of them surrounded by darkness as she began to suffocate.

She jolted awake, out of breath. There was a flickering light in the hallway that bothered her tired eyes. She heard laughter coming from behind her. She froze. There was a knock on the door and more of that echoing laughter.

"Lala, I'm bored. Let's play Hide and Explode."

"Sure, Zuzu… Zuzu? Zuko!?"

There was only the sound of hyperventilation, sobbing, and tears.

***

Zuko paced around his room. His desk was full of documents; and atop one of the many piles of paper was the weapon used against him. He heard a knock on his door. "Come in."

Colonel Mak entered the room clutching a scroll. Zuko was anxious to get some more news on the case.

"Colonel, anything new on the investigation?"

He unfurled the scroll. "Not much, sir. We managed to track down the family of the assassin; they were also at Harbor City, in Taramaguro District. What's strange is that recently, the locals said they sold some family heirlooms of great value. We're still trying to find the merchant who purchased them."

Zuko stood closer. "Has the family said anything?"

Mak looked disappointed. "No, they said they had gone their separate ways once they got to the Capital." He offered the scroll.

"Alright, keep me updated if there are any developments."

"Yes, sir." He made The Flame and left.

Zuko's mind remained fixated on what happened. He knew for sure the colonists hadn't worked alone. He examined the perpetrator's weapon, a small pipe-like weapon with a small hole on the side. He took the small metal ball that the physician had extracted from his chest. It was dented and smelled slightly sulfuric.

He couldn't tell where it was made. It could have come from any factory from the Fire Nation. But it wasn't the weapon or the projectile that stood out; it was that smell: the sulfuric smell reminded him of fireworks, but it felt different. The colonists were farmers. They did not have access to any factories. It was very likely that someone had provided them with the weapon in the city. But Harbor City was crowded with factories… He would have to narrow it down.

If no one saw anything suspicious, then they didn't go far for their weapon. Someone usually at the same place where they worked must have dropped it off. The place where they lived… where they worked. A small local general store? The day of Zuko's speech, the store had been closed the entire day. They arrived in Harbor City six days before his speech, meaning, during any of those days, someone could have delivered the weapon.

He had an idea. He would need a map of the industries near the colonists. He would mark the general store on the map then track the confirmed movements of each colonist from there on a timeline. That way, he could fill in the gaps and see whether it was possible for them to have picked up the weapon themselves. If that didn't work, then he would interview the regular customers to see if they noted anything suspicious.

He called the guards. "Soldier, tell Minister Renhao to come here right away."

He continued to pace, impatiently going through his plan again. Mai walked in. "Zuko, what is this mess?"

"I'm, uh…" He glanced around. "Investigating."

"You are the Fire Lord, not a guard." She started to pile up the papers.

Zuko grabbed her hand to stop her. "I can't rest easy with this, Mai. There is someone out there who is willing to kill to get my father back on the throne."

She shook it off, continuing to pile up the papers. "Just let the Guard deal with it; you cannot ignore your own work for this."

Zuko stood in her way. "I have to, Mai; I have to find out. They could attack again any day now, and they won't fail twice."

She went around him, continuing her task. "I'm not saying they should be left unpunished; but you have missed two council meetings already. You are letting this get to your head so much that you haven't been able to even do your job, Zuko."

He stopped her again. "Fine, I will attend council; but I'm looking into this later."

Mai smiled. "Ok, but I am still going to order this mess. Never seen a messier detective in my entire life."

"Minister Renhao is here to see you, Fire Lord." He waved her in.

The minister bowed slightly. "Your Majesty, I'm glad to see you are getting better."

"Thank you, minister. I called on you because I was wondering if you could provide me with a few things."

She arched her brow. "What do you need?"

"I need a map of Harbor City with any iron works factory marked. I also need a detailed map of Taramaguro District. And a list of the factory workers there."

She nodded. "I'll see what I can do, Fire Lord." Renhao turned, hesitated, and looked back." Forgive me for asking, but will you attend council today?"

"Yes, I will."

Zuko changed and was ready to attend court. He didn't miss court at all, for the past sessions had been draining on him. It was clear that many of his ministers didn't hold him in high regard. They held their tongues, but not all. A hushed whispering caught his attention, and he ghosted nearer; but he could barely make out what they were saying.

"I hear… -is… -today."

"I'll handle… -don't…"

"You hold… -end… -deal."

"-always…"

They went out of earshot as they crossed into another room. Could they have been talking about me? He was too distracted to notice footsteps approaching.

"Fire Lord, I thought you'd be resting."

He turned to see Taiku. "I was uh… Just– I was going to council."

"Ah splendid! Would you mind if I joined you?"

"Not at all, Overseer. …So, I hear Mayor Hokomi didn't give you much trouble."

"It all went better than I anticipated. Well, besides the incident… I still think you should speak with your subjects, Fire Lord. A few rotten dragon fruits don't spoil the bunch."

"I've already shared my thoughts with you, but I admire your persistence."

"I see you're as stubborn as your father. Well, here we are. After you, Your Majesty."

"His Majesty, Fire Lord Zuko, attends court."

They looked surprised, but they bowed.

"Thank the spirits for your fast recovery."

"The country has been on edge, my lord. We don't know what we would do without your guidance."

"I thank you all for your concern, I feel better now. Please update me on any of the new developments."

"I'm glad you asked. Fire Lord. Let me see... We have accommodated the Yu Jin colonists in the Harbor City districts. The machinery brought from the colonies has been put to good use already."

"Good, how is the new ministry coming along?"

"Most of the staff has been hired; the military is not being overly problematic; our diplomats are already operating in the Earth Kingdom; and we have successfully relayed them the information about Yu Jin's eviction."

"How about the candidates for the new position?"

"Well, we have made a list of recommendations. I believe I already sent it to you, Your Majesty. I will make sure to send you another copy, just in case; servants tend to misplace things a lot."

"Anything else?"

"Not much that may be of your interest, you know: mostly trivial paperwork on the daily accounting and simpler dealings of government."

"I'd like to see that, too."

"Oh, Your Majesty, you shouldn't bother yourself with such trivial matters. Those are best reserved for minor servants such as ourselves; we wouldn't want to trouble you with them."

"I appreciate your concern, but I'd like to see it, regardless."

Jing bowed enthusiastically, showing him stacks and stacks of paper. The meeting dragged for hours as he was shown ledgers, accounts, and movements of hundreds of citizens and troops. The drudgery of it all brought his mind back to his investigation. Not long after, he dismissed all of the ministers to continue.

***

A week later, the eviction had been completed. Aang couldn't believe they had succeeded. Thirty thousand people. He sighed. A couple million more to go. However, his mind had been focused on Zuko. He was sad that they couldn't see him. They had only received another letter congratulating them for their work. Already, news from the Capital had spread through the colonies. It was terrible that Yu Jin colonists had made an attempt on Zuko's life. In a way, they had caused it.

"Hey, Aang, wanna ride the koi elephants?" Sokka pointed at the shoal of fish that surfaced nearby. "Aang?"

"Not now, thanks."

"Your loss!" Sokka sprinted into the water.

Katara came by, timidly holding her wrist. "Hey, do you want to walk a little?"

"I think I could use it, yeah." He stood and they walked along the shore.

"It's Zuko, isn't it?"

"Yeah, did you know about the colonists?"

"I know what you're thinking, but this isn't our fault, Aang. Not everyone is going to agree with the Harmony Restoration Movement. We'll just have to be more careful in the future."

"After this, I want to go see him. We'll continue with the remaining colonies later."

She nodded. "I agree. I don't think Sokka will be happy to leave Kyoshi island earlier, but he'll understand."

Sokka screamed wildly as he rode one of the elephant koi, gripping its fin while waving. "Look, one-handed!" The fish zigzagged in the water, and Aang grimaced. It was about to take a leap.

Aang cupped his mouth. "Be careful, Sokka; they ca–"

His warning came too late, as the orange elephant koi leapt from the water, whipping its tail. Sokka screamed in horror, flying straight to the beach and landing head first on a sculpture Toph was making.

She threw out her arms and kicked the sand. "Really? You had to land there?!" They ran to help him.

"Sokka, are you hurt?" Katara tried to drag him out of the sand.

"Yes, my pride." Aang and Katara lifted him up.

Katara dusted him off as he held his head in pain. "Come on, Sokka; you can try again later." She helped to guide him.

He wobbled along, clutching his head. "Stop the world; I wanna get off."

Aang noticed Toph facing in the direction of the destruction. "What are you doing, Toph?"

"I was trying to make Yu Dao, but Snoozles thought it would be a nice place for a crash landing."

"You liked it there?"

She touched her bracelet, bending it into a ball she spun around her hand. "It wasn't half bad."

"Oh?"

"Yeah… I can't explain it. My space bracelet gave me a good feeling."

"A feeling?"

She shrugged. "Yeah. It's like it tingled when we were there. It was nice to be back on solid ground. I'm sick of flying, Twinkletoes."

"I get it. Just think it through, alright?"

"I will." She lowered her head.

"Let's go with the others; Suki's probably finished training by now."

She waved him off. "I'll catch up later. I could use the quiet."

"Ok, don't take too long, or you'll be picking at scraps after Sokka gets better!"

Just as he feared, Toph was still considering going back to Yu Dao. It saddened him to think that his friend would set out on her own so soon. It would be like having to leave Zuko all over again. How would they even manage without her? Maybe she would come around. He put his thoughts aside for a moment to appreciate the beauty of the island. It was unlike anything they had seen before. The leaves from the trees had turned a mix of red and orange that gave them a mystical appearance, with stronger shades of green peppering the forests.

Even though Kyoshi island had remained neutral, they celebrated raucously the homecoming of the Kyoshi warriors. The forests had been adorned with lanterns painted with the warriors' names and well wishes. Ahead, the warriors circled around the statue of their namesake while one was climbing it. Aang was drawn to the growing, cheering crowd. When he drew closer, he noticed who it was: Ty Lee. The acrobat swiftly gripped and climbed gracefully. She reached the statue's head, tied a golden silk ribbon to Kyoshi's headband, and gracefully jumped down to slide off the pillar. The girl grinned widely as she bowed to Suki, who presented a pair of war fans. She took them excitedly.

Ty Lee hugged her fellow initiates. "I really couldn't have done it without your help! Oh hey, Aang!" She waved at him with a smile.

"Hi Ty Lee. You did great."

"Thanks! I'm really glad to see you guys here. It's always good to see old friends."

"Yeah, what were you doing over there?"

"Oh, you didn't know? That's how you officially become a Kyoshi warrior. You know, after training with fans, swords, and fighting, this is like graduation! It's so exciting! And now we're having a big party; you're all invited!"

Aang scratched his head. "Uh… sure, why not. I'll go tell the others."

She smiled with her fists under her chin. "Great! I'll go with you to tell them myself."

"So, how have you been here?"

"Oh, it's nice, you know. I've made so many new friends here, and the island has such a deep red aura. I thought the circus was my calling, but I've never felt better… I'm just wondering; you wouldn't happen to know how Mai is doing, right? I mean, is she planning on visiting or…"

"I don't, sorry. I just know she is probably very busy helping Zuko…"

She looked at him worriedly. "Your aura is looking kinda gray. Is something happening between you and Zuko?"

"No, no, nothing to worry about… Guess I just miss him."

She seemed sad for a moment. "I know the feeling. I kinda miss Mai too. Maybe one day I'll pay her a visit. It feels weird to not hear her complaints; I'd gotten used to it." Not long after, she returned to her happy self.

They had arrived at the main lodge. Sokka was chugging his lunch; and Katara sat beside him writing a letter. Ty Lee cheerfully dashed inside. "Hey, guys!"

Sokka yelped and fell on his back.

She gasped. "Sorry."

"Man, I still got to get used to that." He rose, holding his back.

"I'm officially a warrior now! We're celebrating tonight!"

Katara smiled. "Congratulations! I don't know; we'll have to leave soon and–"

Sokka beamed. "I think I could use some partying after all the hard work in Yu Jin. It'll just be tonight, Katara."

Katara nodded in submission. "Ok."

Ty Lee jumped in excitement. "Yes! We're going to have so much fun, you guys! I'll go get everything ready. The dojo at dusk, see you there!"

She ran outside as Toph arrived. "Bendy has way too much energy, huh? You better have saved me some food." She pointed in Sokka's general direction.

"Come on. Don't need to get grouchy about it; there's still like a ton left." Toph walked closer, and Sokka held out his hands. "Okay okay, just hear me o–" Katara sighed. Aang went upstairs, and she followed behind him.

He looked at her. "Are we just gonna leave those two to sort it out?"

"Wouldn't want to get on Toph's bad side."

As the sun was setting, the ceremonial lamps lit the forests like twinkling stars. Like fireflies in the dark. It was a spectacle of light bathing the paths in a warm yellow.

Aang smiled "Wow! They really outdid themselves!"

Ty Lee looked at the lights. "Oh, that? Suki told me it's traditional. They light the way for the warriors with good wishes, so they may find their way back home."

Katara smiled softly. "Well, that's sweet. '...Come on; we wouldn't want to be late. We need to leave early tomorrow."

Sokka grunted. "Always the killjoy."

The townspeople were out in the streets, the kids running around with sparklers. A small wooden stage was built along the main road. Some people had stopped by to witness a play. The actors wore Kyoshi warrior makeup and were retelling the story of the Island's creation.

An actor dressed in a green soldier's uniform with a tall hat and a drawn mustache stood smugly. "Avatar, none dare stand in my way. I will conquer and slay until there is none to claim."

An actress dressed like Kyoshi pointed at him with her war fan. "Oh tyrant, heed my words! Go and disperse or stay to meet thy curse."

The actor stomped the ground childishly. "Impudence! insolence! methinks it's time for violence."

"Your choice has been made. This land you may never invade, for I have it forbade." The actress swung her fans, and he collapsed onto his back.

Aang looked around. "Didn't know they had a whole festival going on."

Sokka shrugged. "Well apparently, the warriors don't leave often. People here thought they should be honored for their deeds."

Young people carrying lanterns entered the forest, following the lit paths to the dojo. As they walked deeper into the forest, they could hear lively music growing louder.

Katara hummed. "The Kyoshi warriors know how to dance too?"

Sokka shrugged. "Apparently, they do."

Warriors wearing long, flowing robes danced to the slow tune of the pipas and liuqin, fluttering their fans, spinning, and covering their faces with their long robes. Some cheered and some others danced along. A few young girls stood in awe of the warriors.

Katara looked on. "Didn't know their training could also be a dance."

The music stopped as drums began to play, quickening the pace of the music and the dancers alike. The gentle spinning turned into a flurry of robes flying around the stage as some jumped, tossing their fans and catching them midair. Ty Lee was in the middle of the fray, displaying her acrobatic prowess. As the drums beat louder and louder, the warriors drew together and thrust forward their fans. The crowd applauded ecstatically as the performers bowed.

Sokka ran up to Suki for a hug. "That was amazing!"

"Nice dancing there, girls."

Aang clapped. "Never seen anything like it!"

Toph grinned. "You should be the 'dancing warriors.' You've got competition, Fancy Dancer."