Book I, Act VII: Back to Square One, Chapter IX

Edited by: Bieverdog AO3: GalavantingGoose

Book I, Imbalance

Act VII: Back to Square One

Music: Fire Nation Theme / FMAB Anticipation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qb9aousUn0Y

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-W7xveVzUw

Chapter IX

Zuko got up with a strained chest, coughing. At least, the guards did not take long to call the doctor, for he came running to help him. The truth is that he would have preferred not to call him. He was already expecting an 'I told you so' at any moment; fortunately, it would not come from Mai.

He only hoped that she would not resent him, and he felt sorry for the unfortunate guards who would have to deal with her. He knew she would try and find a way to get closer to him, but he'd do everything he could to avoid it. It was now clear in his mind. He wasn't safe; no one around him was safe; and he didn't want to live with the fact that someone he loved had died because of him. If someone else sought his death and succeeded, they'd take him alone to the grave.

He looked at the doctor, who diligently examined without saying a word. "Aren't you going to say anything?"

"Like what? I already gave my professional opinion on your health. If His Majesty wishes not to follow my advice, then I respect his decision."

Zuko was unconvinced. "Do you now?"

Senshi turned around as he mashed some herbs in a pot. "If His Majesty doesn't mind, I wouldn't like to voice my opinion on the matter."

Zuko sat on his bed. "You may be a good doctor, but your advice doesn't take into account the priorities of a ruler."

"Perhaps not. My priority as a physician is a patient's good health, whoever it may be. That starts with preventing you from straining yourself dangerously."

"Hmph, even if following your advice means endangering others? I think you should reconsider that point of view."

The man paused and turned. "How so?"

Zuko shook his head. "Nevermind, concerns of a ruler."

"I don't see how asking somebody to take their time would endanger others."

"Who knows? Lots of people are too eager to take my throne these days…"

"Then I suggest that you try not to make their job easier for them." Senshi handed him a cup with a strong-smelling green liquid.

He tried not to gag and took a sip. "As you can see, I'm doing my best."

The doctor poured some more of the liquid in a jar and sealed it, leaving it on the nightstand. "Just take this twice a day, morning and evening. If you feel your chest close suddenly, then take one immediately. I'll be at the ready in case you need me, Your Majesty. Try not to do anything too taxing."

He grimaced. "Thank you, doctor. You may leave."

"As you wish, Your Majesty." Senshi bowed and left a little more formal than usual; but it was to be expected.

Zuko hobbled towards his desk. It was covered with papers from his last meeting that he had stayed up late into the night examining closely. He tried not to think about what happened since he was still filled with anger; but at least, it was useful to give him a good reason to be up at night. That is, unless he trailed off into bitterness. Of course, there was also a chest filled with letters and gifts for his speedy recovery. Half of them were likely disingenuous; half of the rest were perfunctory; and a trifling few were worth responding to–

The ones responsible for his poisoning, a group that conveniently sprung out of nowhere somewhere in the Earth Kingdom, and spontaneously attacked his people; and nobody batted an eye. And certainly, no one took the blame or attempted to quell the violence even after multiple attacks. He could expect this sort of carelessness from Kuei–the man barely even knew he ruled a kingdom–but the others… They must have known, and they just let it pass. Even now, he doubted they'd do something about it.

He half-heartedly wanted to believe what he had been told, but he didn't know what to believe anymore or whose judgment to trust. He already doubted himself. if only I could speak to Uncle. Would he know though? Had he ever been in the same spot he was? He felt like he always had an answer, but–

He couldn't believe that for a second he even doubted his uncle. He grabbed his head and shut his eyes. There was a knock at his door. "Come in."

Captain Sung stood by the door. "Fire Lord, forgive me. We have reports that Avatar Aang has been spotted; it seems they are way off course."

His forehead creased. "What? How come?"

The captain looked at him firmly. "They seem to be heading here, sir."

Zuko looked away, confused. "I didn't recall him. He should be going to another colony."

Sung took a step closer. "We can intercept them, Your Majesty, just give the order."

He pursed his lips. "Do it tell them to turn back. There's no need for them to come."

"Yes sir." Sung made the Flame and walked out.

Zuko hoped he had made the right choice. He speculated why they were coming (Mai must have told them), but they would only bring more trouble. It would be best that they all kept their distance from him until things settled, for now wasn't the time. Not only would they waste their time when they could be dismantling another colony, but they'd be endangering themselves. For what?

He should have known, should have expected it; but Mai just kept it to herself. She never sat to think of the consequences– The door to his room opened after a light knock.

Renhao carried a scroll tucked under her arm. "Fire Lord, good morning. I thought you'd like to see the new reports from Secretary Fang."

He shifted his gaze back to his desk, grunting. "You shouldn't have troubled yourself coming here. Next time, you could try sending a servant over, Renhao."

She stammered. "I… just thought it might be safer to do it in person. Besides–"

The Fire Lord scoffed. "Let's cut to the chase, shall we? I have no need for your words, nor do I want to hear your rehearsed apologies; so, please leave the documents over there and take your leave."

Before she bowed and left, she set a tile on the desk. "As you wish, Your Majesty. I'll leave this here just in case you care for a game later."

A white lotus tile. He clenched it in his hand and chucked it at the wall. Yet another way she tried to give an excuse. They all wanted something from him, didn't they? All the time, like he'd blindly listen and do things just because. He wasn't that fool anymore, would never be again.

He took Fang's reports and sat on his desk, making space for the papers.

…The situation in Ba Sing Se remains complex and delicate; but with His Majesty's blessing and the new powers conferred on me, I have signed an accord with Minister Yin. The Earth Kingdom will double their efforts to bring the Yanshi to justice….

He scoffed. 'Double their efforts'? Zero doubled is still zero. I guess we'll see… At least, it should aid with the reconstruction.

…They have also committed to make exclusive use of the new funds provided by our treasury for the reconstruction of Ba Sing Se. I must note that in confidence the Minister told me that they are working on rebuilding their police force, as I voiced my concerns over the current deplorable state of security in the city.

He was, however, reluctant to provide any information regarding the situation in Si Wong. There are rumors that an army was dispatched to deal with the "revolt", but I have no certainty about the situation. On my own initiative, I have requested some of our attaches to make their way to the desert to report on the situation. I trust we shall receive word of them soon.

In the meantime, unless Your Majesty recalls me, I will remain for a few more days to check on the situation with our embassy, investigate in case there is something else we are not aware of, and oversee the trials of the captured Yanshi.

Your faithful servant,

Imperial Secretary Fang

Zuko leaned back in his chair and sighed. He still didn't know what to think of Fang; he just hoped he had made the right choice in naming him. He was competent, yes; but he had worked for Jing before. Who knew where his loyalties lay? So, for the moment, he would have to wait and see. He preferred that he stay in the Earth Kingdom since more information about what was going on wouldn't hurt–

Had they been using their aid to enlarge their army? They had already been given equipment to stabilize the situation; but it was not enough to arm an entire army. Even so, his "friends" in the Earth Kingdom had never done much to assuage his doubts, nor had they gone into lengthy explanations. And to make matters worse, they were refusing to deal with the embassy or evading them like the plague. With people like that, it would be impossible to keep the peace; for if every time he tried to do something, they screwed up or used his help to create more problems instead of solving them– He massaged his forehead.

It didn't help that his counterpart was not decisive with his orders. He still remembered that day of the conference–how Kuei looked at How before answering. Taiku wasn't wrong when he voiced his concerns about him.

It had been a while since he'd given the man a thought; he had simply moved on. It was difficult for him to believe it had been almost a year already. If only he'd been wiser… He took a deep breath and stood up, limping outside toward the gardens. He desperately needed to clear his mind. As he walked, he found that the palace was barren. After the attack he had set new security measures; so, almost no one was allowed through the extra set of guards that he had ordered posted all around. It was unfortunate but necessary.

He sat watching over the turtle ducks as they swam across the pond. Long gone were the days when his only worry was to play. Still, he could almost hear his mother's laugh.

"Fire Lord, your lunch."

He jumped in his seat. "Huh?"

The servant bowed. He could see she was trying not to smile. "Lunch, Your Majesty–it is ready. We could bring it to you here if you wish; it's a beautiful day."

"I'd prefer that, yes."

Another pair of servants brought and set a table before carrying out a steaming platter of noodles. The smell of freshly cooked Komodo chicken made his mouth wet: he sure missed normal food after eating the clinic's textureless, tasteless meat.

"Here, Your Majesty." After he finished, the servant placed a tea cup in front of him. He fixed his eyes on it as she filled it. He reflexively picked it up, and he felt like he was choking, haunted by the specter of assassination. He heard Mai's screams and dropped it to spill on the table.

She gasped. "I'll bring another on–"

He was heaving, sweat beading on his forehead. "Leave…"

The servant bowed her head and left along with the others. Zuko's eyes settled on the broken cup. What unsettled him the most were her desperate screams for help. It never should have happened, never.

Sung stood in front of him with his hands behind his back, his eyes on the ground. "Fire Lord…"

Zuko sighed one last time before regarding him. "What is it, Sung?"

"It's about the Avatar…"

"Is he on his way to the colonies now?"

The man appeared uncomfortable. "He… passed our blockade, sir; he refused to stop and… They are requesting permission to enter the palace, sir."

"Wait… are they here already?"

"It appears to be the case. What are your orders?"

He massaged his forehead. "I– Just– I'll deal with this myself."

He walked to the palace gate. There, he could hear Sokka arguing from the other side of the wall. "...Look, pal, I was trying to be friendly here; but if you don't let us in, I'll have my friend over here tear that door open!"

The guard on top of the wall cupped his hands around his mouth. "Shut it, savage; you're not setting step through without the Fire Lord's express orders."

"Alright, that's it!"

He pointed to the soldiers. "Open the gate!" They gasped and ran over to open it.

Sokka smirked and pointed at the guardsman. "Ha, scared of me already?" His friend's faces paled when they saw him.

"What are you doing here?"

"Zuko! Wha– We thought you were five minutes from going, you know…" He pretended to choke and fall limp to the ground. "That."

Katara looked at him with soft eyes. "We came to help you… You still don't look so good."

"Well, I'm alive and I never told you to come! You even went through the blockade without even stopping to ask."

Aang looked down, not knowing what to do with his hands. "We couldn't stop; we thought that we wouldn't make it in time. Besides, it was an emergency. What's the big deal?"

Their friend scoffed. "'What's the big deal'? Have you got any idea what's going on in the Earth Kingdom, Aang?"

He scratched his head, looking up in thought. "Uh… They made a coin with my face on it?"

"They did?" He shook his head. "That's not– Aang, terrible things are happening, and you don't have a clue?"

"Then tell me!"

"Better yet, I'll show you; come with me. Let's get this over with." He turned around, and the rest followed. They spent an hour reviewing the documents he had gathered, although his friends did not seem very convinced.

He held out his arms. "Now you see what I'm talking about? Their people don't trust us. They think we're still their enemy; that we're just playing dumb for the moment."

Sokka pursed his lips. "I mean, I wouldn't be surprised. Have you spoken to your soldiers? They're total jerks."

Zuko stared at him seriously. "There aren't any stationed in the colonies, nor in any territory belonging to the Earth Kingdom; yet they are suspicious about us. They think we're taking too long to relocate our people. As a result, you've got people like these popping up, garnering free support on rumors and lies. And you know what's the best part? The Earth Kingdom isn't doing anything to stop it."

Katara smiled hopefully. "King Kuei wouldn't turn a blind eye. I'm sure they're trying to help as best they can."

Her brother held out a doubtful hand. "Yeah. Honestly, Zuko, your whole theory is a bit far-fetched. There's people who still hate the Fire Nation, partially me included. No offense, but you still have a lot to make up for. Even if these rumors are false, there will still be a lot of people against you."

Zuko stared at him darkly. "My uncle was once one moment away from having his hands crushed by Earth Kingdom soldiers. That was proper procedure. No offense, but I think they have a lot to make up for as well."

Aang waved his hands. "Let's not get carried away here. We can't let the peace be disturbed."

"I agree; that's why it would be best if you continued with what you are doing, so we may leave as soon as possible before anyone else gets hurt. Maybe these Yanshi will be arrested soon. But there will be another one to fill their place once they are gone unless the Harmony Restoration Movement is completed." He stopped short of breath and held his chest.

Katara looked worried. "I could try healing you if you want; it could help."

"Don't waste your time on me; I'm fine, getting better."

She muttered, "You don't look fine."

He smiled. "I've survived all my family could throw at me. This is nothing."

Sokka elbowed him. "Zuko, my friend, you need a nice, Water Tribe spa experience. Katara, I'll strap 'im down for ya."

Zuko frowned. "I said you should leave now! There will be time to talk once this whole mess is dealt with."

Sokka held up his hands defensively. "Okay, okay. Take it easy. Just remember that we're your friends, not your butlers. No need to order us around."

In a way, his friends had understood the message, and they walked out with their heads down. He accompanied them to the door of the palace, and they reluctantly agreed to leave.

Aang put a hand on his shoulder. "For one, I'm glad you're okay… Take care, Zuko."

He looked down. "...You too, Aang. I'm sorry for all this."

Katara held his arm. "Don't be afraid to ask for help. We'll be there when you need us." Zuko nodded.

"Keep calm, Zuko; we'll get this done in no time." Sokka smiled confidently.

"I hope so…"

As they left, Zuko sat in his office, still fuming. He didn't want to go over the papers again, for he knew it was all a mess they had all gotten themselves into willingly. And with time, it would only get worse. It was not only difficult, but almost impossible, to relocate so many families in so little time. He wondered if it was even fair to begin with or if it was worth it to keep trying so hard to make it work. He shook his head, but that was the only chance they had for peace.