Book I, Act V: Elementary (3/3), Chapter II

Edited by: Bieverdog AO3: GalavantingGoose

Book I, Imbalance

Act V: Elementary, Part III

Chapter II:

How are you, Aang?

I know we haven't talked in a while. Listen, I don't know how to say this, but I'm sorry for what I said. This Fire Lord thing is a demanding job for the mind. It's like being under constant pressure. Well, I'm sure it's similar with you being the Avatar and all that saving the world stuff, you know? Maybe you're the only person who can understand that.

Anyway, I don't want to spoil your day. How are you doing at the Langshizi Festival? It's a pity you couldn't come; but at the next Fire Days, we will all spend it together, I promise. Here, the Earth Kingdom entourage is having a great time, or at least that's what the Earth King is telling me. He looks very excited to spend these holidays here. We had a rocky start, but I think now everyone is getting along as friends, or that's what I want to believe.

The work never ends; but at least today, we will tour the city with the Earth King, and then we will see the fireworks. Mai will be with me too, luckily. I'm a little tired of dealing with politicians and generals all day long. It's part of the job, and I must get used to it; but I just want to clear my mind, even if it's just for a few hours. Which reminds me... if you need anything for the resettlement, just send me a letter, Sokka told me everything was going well; but you never know. Well, enough of the work; I won't tell you any more of that.

I want to know how things are going. Did you do something fun there? Sokka told me that Toph went to Yu Dao. How are you coping without her–

Zuko heard the doors of his room open and left the brush on his desk to turn around. Mai stood already dressed for the day. For a moment, he was stunned, for she was almost unrecognizable. He had become accustomed to seeing her in much more practical clothes, but he never thought he would see her in a flowing, formal dress. She even ditched her muted colors for red with gold and warm black accents.

"Zuko? Thought I'd find you here, it surprises me to see you awake though."

"Uhh… Yes. Couldn't sleep…" His face slipped into a love-struck smile.

She huffed. "Stop looking at me like that; you'll make me blush."

"Never thought I'd see you in one of those."

"Enjoy it while it lasts; you won't see it again. I never thought I'd be caught dead with one of these on. The sacrifices we make for love…"

He smirked affectionately. "I think it suits you."

She stared back unimpressed, but there was a sparkle in her tawny eyes. "Interesting attempt to change my opinion; won't work though. Nice try."

He sighed sarcastically. "Was worth a shot."

They sat down on a side couch ( his thinking or I'm In Over My Head What Do I Do couch), and their hands slipped together.

She eyed him. "So, what are you waiting for? We'll be meeting Kuei soon, remember?"

"I know, I was writing a letter to Aang. Didn't think I'd get time for it later today."

"Well, I'm sure he can wait one more day for his letter; the Earth King cannot. Today is his last day in the Fire Nation, Zuko."

"Just ten more minutes, Mai; I'll be ready then."

There was a knock at the door, and a servant entered. "My lord, Colonel Mak, is here to see you."

"Come in, Colonel."

Mak entered and bowed. "Good morning, Fire Lord, Lady Mai. I'm just here to inform you of the safety proceedings you requested for today, if I may."

"Good morning. Please go ahead."

"In accordance with your instructions, the guard has patrolled the Capital and Harbor City extensively. We have established controls at the port entrances as well as land routes, and I am pleased to inform you that there were no unusual occurrences. Nevertheless, you and the Earth King will be accompanied by an elite group of one hundred and fifty soldiers that I have hand selected. You can be confident that you will have nothing to fear today, my lord. All the routes you will take today have been inspected. There has been no sight of the man you were looking for. I will also be part of your escort."

"Thank you, Colonel; I appreciate your work. Please, there is no need for you to accompany me today. Spend the day with your family; you have done enough. "

"I can't accept that. Please let me go with you."

"Everything will be fine, Colonel. I trust your soldiers will be able to keep us safe. Go home; that's an order. "

"If you insist, I will instruct my most trusted subordinate to lead your escort. Now, if you will permit me, I must get back to taking care of it."

"Please, happy Fire Days, Mak."

"Happy Fire Days, Your Majesty." The colonel made the flame one more time before heading out of the room.

Mai looked at him confused. "Why did you tell Mak to go to his family?"

"It's nothing..." Zuko rested his gaze on the half-written letter on his desk and sighed. "I guess it'll have to wait for later." He proceeded to change and, together with Mai, headed for the main hall where the Earth King was already seated wolfing down his breakfast. He was startled slightly and straightened his clothes when he saw them walking towards him.

"King Kuei, my apologies; I didn't expect to be delayed."

"It's alright, Fire Lord Zuko. This food is delicious. I must admit I didn't have a taste for spicy cuisine before, but it's an intriguing combination with something sour."

Mai entered behind him, bowing to the king. "Good morning, Your Highness."

The king flinched slightly. "Oh, good morning, Lady Mai, you look ravishing today."

She smiled courteously. "Thank you."

Zuko took a seat next to the king, and Mai sat next to Zuko as the servants promptly served them a plate. "I'm very glad it is to your taste. I thought you'd like to hear our itinerary for the day."

Kuei slid his finished plate to the side and adjusted his glasses. "Most definitely, I do hope we'll get to tour the city, as it is my last day in your wonderful nation."

"But, of course, that is exactly it. We will have to stick to safe routes–I hope you understand why–but we will be able to see the city after lunch, and in the evening, there will be a fireworks display. After dinner, your transport will be ready to return to Ba Sing Se."

He could not hide his smile. "Oh splendid! I would love it if Bosco were here. It's a pity he couldn't join me." He frowned comically longingly. "He loves fireworks."

"I'm sure there will be another time. For now, there is still plenty for you to see."

"Certainly; though before we move on, I may have to make another request, Fire Lord. Your officials have been so generous to us that we may need another transport to bring back our gifts."

At least he hadn't imagined they were getting along better. "I'd be happy to provide it."

"The kindness shown by the people of the Fire Nation is proof that our partnership has borne fruit. It fills me with hope to envision the future of our nations. I was thinking maybe we could hold the same celebrations every year in the Earth Kingdom to honor our friendship." Mai looked at Zuko with distress.

Zuko quirked a polite smile. "...It is a good idea, but maybe the people of the Earth Kingdom may not be ready yet for such a festival. I'd suggest you wait until the Harmony Restoration Movement has been completed. Pardon my incumbency in the matter, but what is this chatter about separatists and revolts in your kingdom? I know little of the Fire Nation's dealings, but I wasn't aware of their gravity."

"Ah well, General How told me these rebellious movements took their chance with the fall of Ba Sing Se. He assured me he was looking further into the matter. Maybe you could ask him about it? I wouldn't know." Kuei flicked his fingers like the matter was a mere triviality.

Zuko tried his best to mask his surprise. "Oh, I'm sorry, I thought you would know."

"Well, not really. I don't know much about those matters, but everything else which is also important is coming along wonderfully. My ministers tell me that the rebuilding of the city is progressing as planned. You will not even recognize Ba Sing Se when you are back." The king smiled proudly and went back to finish his breakfast.

They spent the morning casually chatting. Kuei told him that he had been able to meet his uncle, who was finally able to show the king his famous tea. When they were both able to finish their breakfast, they met with some of his generals and ministers. As expected, General Shih and Yu did not appear entertained by the festivities judging by their tired smiles. However, the others seemed more jovial, feigned or not. Performers had been brought from all corners of the Fire Nation to entertain the guests: magicians, jugglers, acrobats. They all eagerly took the opportunity to perform for the Fire Lord, little did they know that they put on the show for everyone but him.

Zuko's mind was constantly worrying about what could go wrong, for there was simply too much at stake. But again, the morning seemingly went off without a hitch just like the others. After a brief lunch, his escort marched alongside him and his counterpart as they were carried through the city. The crowds along the streets had been preemptively cleared before they passed; but still, all around them, people crowded to watch. However, they were separated by a string of soldiers. To his guards' dismay, every time the king saw a shop or attraction to his liking, he would stop and watch. It was annoying, for it meant they wouldn't even make it to Harbor City until dusk.

"Oh, look at this, Fire Lord! A mask of a bear! I'll definitely wear this one tonight. I'll have to take one to Bosco too; he'll love them for sure!"

Mai tossed a deadpan stare. "Yes. Definitely."

One of the guards nearby mentally massaged his temples. "King is having the time of his life huh?"

His squadmate grimaced. "Tell me about it…"

The head guard marched up to the Zuko's side to whisper-shout, "Your Majesty, pardon my interruption; but we cannot stay here for long. The protocol dictates we keep moving."

"I am aware, Captain. I'll inform the Earth King."

"So, King Kuei, have you found a mask that is to your taste?"

"Oh, I just can't decide; they are all beautifully crafted. I think I'll take all of them."

Zuko thought about reproaching him; but before he could open his mouth, he backed out before the king could give him any excuse. Better to let him have a good time.

As some of the king's servants loaded boxes full of masks onto a wheelbarrow, Zuko focused his gaze on the crowds in the distance as he could barely hear some shouting his name. Mai stepped down from her palanquin and discreetly stretched out her arms. She looked over to where the crowd was and shot a glance at Zuko. "You have a lot of fans."

He shrugged. "It comes with the job."

"Ah well. All the better, so I don't lose you while I'm out for a walk. I'm already bored of sitting around."

"Come on, Mai; it's only a few more hours, and the King–"

She waved it off dismissively. "Yes, yes, I understand. The king is your guest; and you are the Fire Lord; and he is leaving today." She half-smirked cheekily. "I'll be back before you know it. I really need to stretch my legs a bit."

"Okay… don't be long." Mai walked a little ahead of them to browse other stores. While they had been chatting, the King's servants had loaded the cart to the brim. King Kuei indicated that everything was ready; so, the procession followed slowly down the street while the escorts were moving the crowds backwards, always keeping a safe distance between them and the people.

Among the crowd, Zuko's attention was drawn to a cabbage cart surrounded by barrels. Two of his escorts were arguing with a short old man dressed in green wearing a turban. He was shaking a paper in his hands. As they approached, the Fire Lord could hear the argument.

"I have the permission of the guard to sell my cabbages here! This isn't fair!"

"I'm sorry, sir;, you'll have to move your cart somewhere else. I won't tell you again." The man folded his arms like a child over the cart, and the escorts began to move it backwards.

As more guards came to help move away the cart, the crowds slowed, some stopping to watch the disturbance. The Fire Lord's procession slowed its pace, though expecting the matter to be addressed in short order. A soldier was attempting to pull the complaining nuisance off the cart, but he began to struggle, his cries falling on many annoyed ears. In the front ranks, Zuko was so close that he could see a few faces in the crowd. He squinted in disbelief at a man in the middle of the crowd with a viper rat tattooed on his arm. It made his blood run cold. Could it be? The shouts of the old man made him divert his gaze. The merchant thrust the soldier into one of the barrels, knocking it over. The soldier cursed at him from the floor.

The barrel oozed a dark amber liquid onto the cobblestone. The soldier jumped up in panic. "Blasting jelly!" The escorts scrambled away from the barrel. Time seemed to stop, the seconds like hours. Zuko watched helplessly as the tattooed man's eyes flashed with opportunity as he reached for his pocket–

With a deafening blast and broiling heat, he fell as his palanquin toppled to the ground. His ears rang; but that did not deter him, as his eyes searched frantically through the panicked crowd for the man. Reflexively, he jumped out of his palanquin and ran–

Someone tugged on his arm. The captain frowned gravely. "We must evacuate you now, sir."

"He's getting away! The– the man with the tattoo did it, I'm sure of it! Get him now!" But the captain still gripped him like a mother would her toddler. He turned to see his escorts corner the man, who surrendered. Heartbeat by heartbeat, he began to process the scene. The merchant's cart had been blown to pieces; some unfortunate people who were close to it suffered the same fate; and he could distinguish at least two of his guards among the wreckage. …Mai! On instinct, he ran. No one could have stopped him at that moment. He knelt down in front of her motionless body. She was breathing, but he was still hyperventilating.

***

Zuko waited anxiously outside the royal physician's clinic for any news. He still could not believe what had happened. His hands were shaking. He could not believe that, once again, someone had tried to put an end to his life; but this time, his life was not the only one in danger. He did not dare to imagine what would have happened if things had gone differently. In his mind, he was constantly reliving that moment, Man- tattoo- everything connected- Was he hired? Kill Tegakari? Alone- accomplices? Undetected–how?

"She's awake now." The doctor snapped him from his thoughts and shifted his focus to her. She lay on a bed with her head half-bandaged. Her eyes were half-lidded, but she was definitely awake.

He breathed, "Hi, Mai. Are you feeling better?"

"Apart from the explosion, yes. Wonderful. Sucks that we won't be able to see the fireworks now, though."

"Thought you hated them…"

"Never change, Zuko. As you can see, I'm feeling fine. There's no need for you to be here. I'm sure the Earth King will want an explanation."

"They left early; besides, I think he understands."

"Hmm. I wonder if his generals are of the same mind… Zuko, what was this all about? Have you found out yet? Have you found whoever did this?"

"I don't know for certain; but I feel this man is from the same group as before. He has something to do with all of this. Right after the explosion… amongst the crowd, it was like… like he didn't even try that hard to run away."

"There's no point in trying to figure out the reasoning of these fanatics. You've seen it yourself before. It's no use."

"I just know something is missing…"

"Look, we can stay here all day long thinking about what could be or we could just go wherever he is being held to find out for ourselves." Mai pushed herself to her feet but crumpled into his arms. She clutched her head in pain as he gently placed her back onto the bed.

He put on the air of a pedantic servant. "I'm afraid you need to rest. You have suffered a severe blow to the head, Lady Mai."

"Ugh. Fine. It's up to you now. Don't worry about me; I'll be fine."

"I'll come back as soon as I can."

Zuko marched to the Capital City Prison enraged and worried but trying to calm his anger, so as not to make a mistake that he would later regret. The important thing now was to make sure that no one else was in danger from any of the fanatics. When he arrived at the prison, he was greeted by the warden.

"Fire Lord, I'm outraged at what happened. Are you all right?"

"Yes, Ming. I have come here to see the prisoner."

"I'm afraid you can't at the moment. He's being interrogated."

"What? Who?"

Zuko followed Ming with haste as they ventured deeper down into the prison. The halls became darker, colder. He could make out the taint of dried blood and scrapes across the stone floor and walls. Ozai had definitely put the cells to use. He didn't want to imagine how much. For a second, he thought the place was haunted, for he could hear the agonizing voices of ghosts and crazed laughter… It was the interrogation.

"What are you laughing at, you nutcase?"

The laughter continued, dying after a loud thud.

"Answer me!"

"With pawns like you, I don't need to kill the Fire Lord: you'll probably get him killed yourself."

"Shut up!"

As they entered the room, Mak was grabbing the man by his clothes, about to hit him again. He lifted the bound prisoner but let him drop when he saw them.

"Mak, what do you think you're doing?"

The prisoner's lip and eyes were cut, and his blood was splattered on his ragged clothes and long black hair; but still he smiled. With the unfeeling black eyes of a predator, he focused on Zuko. "Ah, behold the immortal pretender. You're pretty slippery, I'll give you that." The gall of the beaten prisoner stunned them all for a moment; and without wasting a second, he continued with his mockery. "What's up? Are you guys shy all of a sudden? Never mind; I just needed you. I was wondering when His Majesty would show up. I would bow to you, but as you can see, these bindings don't help much." The prisoner tried to lift his hands as if to make a point, laughing at his situation.

Zuko's anger took hold of him again, but he restrained his tone. "I know what you have done, and you will answer for your crimes."

"What a killjoy you are. And I thought you were smarter. Won't you try to negotiate?"

"I don't negotiate with fanatics."

The man smiled putting on a business persona, but his eyes betrayed his nature. "Ah well, it's a good thing I'm not one. You see, I'm a simple mercenary, and my patron was a bit behind on payments. I'm honest, you know? You pay me, and I do a job without a whimper; but guys like you… you think you're the center of the world and have servants who will throw themselves at your feet to deal with your dirty laundry. That kind of people, I don't like."

He stared back at him coldly. "What do you want?"

"Let me go, and I'll tell you who wants you dead."

Zuko scoffed. "How naive do you think I am?"

The man shrugged as if it were no big deal. "Believe it or not, I'm serious. I'll help you find all the evidence you're looking for, then we can pretend this never happened. What do you say?"

"You are insane." The prisoner smiled, not losing his confidence.

Mak stepped forward; the mercenary seemed amused by his act. "Let me deal with him, Fire Lord; I'll get the answers out of him."

"You've done enough, Mak; just lock him up." A contained laugh made them turn their eyes again to the man.

"Perhaps a gesture of goodwill? Aka Street, Block 33. It's all there." He couldn't figure out what the deal with this madman was, but he certainly knew more than he let on.

Zuko eyed Mak bluntly. "Lock this man up. Make sure he never sees the light of day again."

"With pleasure. What about the address?"

"Check it out just in case. But be careful; it could just be a trap."

The warden fidgeted with her fingers, slightly avoiding his gaze. "Sir, since you're here already, I must tell you something."

"Tell me."

She sighed. "It's your father. Every day, he asks to speak to you. At first, cordially; but now, he has become less patient."

Zuko massaged his temples. "Well, I don't have time to deal with another headache right now. If he wants to see me, he'll have to wait. Anything else?"

"No, that's all. Sorry for the inconvenience."

Zuko sighed, he was exhausted. He headed for his carriage to see Mai again, yet he felt the urge to investigate that address. In fact, if Sokka had been there with him, he would have surely forced him to check it out; but his thoughts focused on her. At least, she could rest in the knowledge that the killer had been caught, and the families of the soldiers who had lost their lives that day could be at peace that justice had been done. While on his way to the royal physician's clinic, he wondered yet more what the intentions of that 'mercenary' were. He was certainly insane; but behind the madman, he felt that there was reason–a master plan. Taiku was in prison; so, who could have hired him?

Walking into and through the hospital, Zuko thrust the thoughts aside to focus on the matter at hand: Mai. He walked to her door, took a breath, and sliding it open, entered with a worried smile. She sat on her bed, idly tossing a knife.

She shot her gaze to him, slightly surprised. "Zuko? Why are you here?"

"I just… wanted to see if you were doing fine."

She walked slowly towards him. "I am… You look like you've been beaten up."

"I'm just tired, that's all…"

"Zuko… I know that look. You don't have to be so hard on yourself."

"It's not that… Earlier, I was thinking: what if something had happened to you?" He looked down sadly. "Maybe if you stood closer to that cart, you wouldn't… be here now…"

She grabbed his shoulders and looked him in the eye. "But I am, and you caught the people responsible. this won't be the last time something like this happens. Not everyone is going to be happy with your decisions. You have to be strong. Like it or not, you are responsible for all the people in the Fire Nation. Some look up to you; some don't; but your job is to care for them all and to try to make the best decisions for them, even if they don't know you are doing it for their own good."

He sighed. "I don't know if I can be that kind of person."

She caressed his cheek. "You are; that's why your uncle trusted you with the throne. You've always had a good heart Zuko. I know you'll be the greatest ruler the Fire Nation's ever had."

He looked into her eyes and leaned down to–

"Fire Lord, news from the colonel. We've found something."