Book I, Act IX: Burning Bridges, Chapter VII

Edited by: Bieverdog AO3: GalavantingGoose

Book I, Imbalance

Act IX: Burning Bridges

Music: Blue Spirit - ATLA OSThttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmDy3I2AuHA&list=PLlejc_qetMpidVSG2s4oc-ZoUStWuIU5f&index=39

The Riverwalk - Jack Reacher

https://youtu.be/GROtlY0NXUw

Chapter VII

The orders had come through, but they weren't what she had expected. How were they supposed to take back their land? By rioting in their own colony? It was useless. She had seen the problem differently; she knew the root of the problem. If she could take out the Fire Lord, then someone more sensible would take his place, maybe even Ozai. At this point, she didn't care, she only wanted for them to be left alone. Undeterred, she left her home with only one goal in mind: to free her people. If she had to die, then so be it if it meant that they would gain their freedom.

Finding a ride to the Fire Nation wasn't difficult. She mentioned her idea to her friend, and a ship was provided. She took her trusty meteor hammer. There were rumors that someone had tried to assassinate the Fire Lord. They had all failed, but there was no way she could. Her contacts had told her where the Fire Lord was hiding, holed up in the most 'secure' tower of the palace. Of course, the coward was probably too afraid. They mentioned what times he went to sleep, even how she could dislodge the door and come in. It somehow felt too easy–so easy she was starting to have second thoughts about it–but her goal rooted her mind to her objective.

Once in the Capital, she scouted her objective. They had already provided her a layout of the area, but seeing it herself was necessary. The maps were so detailed, even the guard movements were drawn with uncanny accuracy. It felt suspicious; but at the same time, she couldn't deny it could be used fully to her advantage.

Gaining entry to the palace would be no easy task; and simply getting through the other wall and all the way to the palace walls unseen would be a challenge to anyone, even an earthbender. Worse still, the walls had been designed to hold off such an intruder, made of metal reaching deep below the ground. It was an impenetrable barrier… had she not had any help. With the help of another earthbender and a firebender, they dug beneath the palace, following the map to just beneath the room, then made short work of the metal wall by melting it down with what looked like lava.

She waited to enter the compound, hearing the footsteps of the guards up above, dreading that they would find her. But they passed countless times as clueless as before, calming her down. Once she was certain it was night, she opened the hole. She was in the guards' blind spot.

She darted forward and climbed up the walls, focused on nothing but her target. Foot by earthbending-assisted foot, she neared the top of the tower. The balcony curtains fluttered with the wind; the door was open; and that would be his last mistake. Bending her way towards the ledge, she crept inside with her weapon at hand. The tyrant's bed was in the middle of the room; but from that distance, Kori wasn't certain whether he was until she saw him. He jolted awake, and she froze, staying hidden in the shadows.

"Who's there?!"

Sweat poured down her forehead; she didn't know what to do.

The doors barged open, and the Fire Lord jumped out of his bed, running towards the silhouette of the guards. He was arguing with them. Taking advantage of the distraction, she snuck closer and closer, hugging the walls.

"...or the night before that…"

She saw the Fire Lord gripping the soldier up by his armor. "Do not mock me! There have already been five attempts on my life since I took the throne!" Since both of the guards were focused on him, she advanced.

"And that's why we moved you here! Please, you have to trust–" Now! She swung her chain hammer at the Fire Lord, but he ducked, and it struck one of the guards. She yanked it back, hitting the other, but still missing the Fire Lord. He was lucky, she would give him that.

"Show yourself!" The Fire Lord shot a fireball in her direction, barely missing her and setting the curtains ablaze. With her blood racing through her veins, she jumped towards him, swinging her weapon. "Down with the traitor! Down with the Fire Lord who betrays his own people!"

The Fire Lord jumped to the side, the chains whizzing past him. He tried to counter her, but she pulled the chains from under him, knocking him down. Just one more hit and he's done. She looked into his eyes, so close she could see them glimmer in the moonlight. They widened in fear, then narrowed. He swept the floor with fire, taking her by surprise and burning her knees.

She backed away, trying to swing her weapon; but the fire scorched her fingers and she let go. He dove at her, ripping the mask off her face, and held her tightly with one hand as he held fire in the other. "Convince me not to take your life!"

She wanted to cry or scream, but her anger was still hot as coals. "Go ahead! My family has been loyal to yours for generations! By getting rid of me, you would simply complete your betrayal!"

She felt him loosen his grip, his face riddled with confusion. "Your family?"

She backed away, discreetly looking for her weapon. "My father is the mayor of Yu Dao!"

"Yu Dao... the first of the Fire Nation Colonies."

"Yes, my home! And now you and the Avatar are going to destroy it with your precious Harmony Restoration Movement!" Having found her weapon, she jumped towards it, but reinforcements came pouring from the door. Her time was up.

She tried to run, but the Fire Lord yanked her arm, holding a fire dagger to her throat.

With no way out, she stood still as she was put in chains and held at spear point. Then she was dragged away.

"What should we do with her, Fire Lord?"

"Take her to the city prison. Interrogate her thoroughly."

"Yes, sir."

A tall man dressed in sleeping garments ran past the guards, and she could barely glance at him before being pushed away.

"Fire Lord! Are you alright?!"

"Yes, got nothing but a scra–"

She closed her eyes, and a tear fell from her cheek. Her actions were now sinking in. She had failed, having achieved nothing. It would be only a matter of time before she was dragged out and executed, never to see her home again, her friends, her family… She had accepted her own death, but not her failure.

Her weeping fell on deaf ears as the guards pushed her and wacked their spears against her calves when she slowed down. She was dumped into a dark cell, her hands still in chains with nothing to drink nor eat. The air was so heavy it had made her dizzy. The door opened; and through the dim torchlight, she saw a man with a black beard and sideburns and dressed in an officer's uniform. He stood looking down on her as a guard held the door open.

"Tell me… who are you, girl?"

"My name is Kori…"

He grunted. "Kori Morishita? We're past pretending, girl. You are not the mayor's daughter; you are one of those terrorists! Now, you're going to tell me everything, and I might let you go without a scratch, maybe even save your neck."

She clenched her fists. "A terrorist? Is that so? So, that's how you call patriots now? You and everyone who willingly works under the Fire Lord are sellouts; traitors! You turn a blind eye to what is happening in the colonies for what? A fancy uniform and a salary? You don't deserve t–"

The man gripped her jaw tightly. "Do not get confused, girl. I'm the one who asks the questions here; you answer them. Simple. I know you're type; seen plenty of them, acting all tough and brave. Don't know what those terrorists told you kid, but you won't get any special treatment. See what I'm getting at? I'll pull your guts out and stuff 'em back if you don't tell me what hole your people are hiding in." He let go, having pressed it so tight it was stinging her now.

"You don't get it, do you? I'm not telling you anything, I'm no traitor to my nation!"

"We'll see about that. You'll be lucky if you last an hour." The door opened again; the tall man she had seen before was in the doorway.

"General… A word, please." The general huffed and went outside. Five minutes later, the other man came in, bearing a polite smile.

"Miss Morishita, I presume?"

"If you think I'll talk to another traitor, you are wrong! I'd rather die!" She spat on his shoes.

The man didn't even flinch as he cleaned it with a silk handkerchief then faced her. "I see you came determined in your goal. You probably don't want to die. I assure you, it wouldn't be swift or painless. If you are who you really say you are, it would be in your best interest if you cooperated."

"And how is that?"

"Well, for starters… if you turn out to be a terrorist, most likely innocents will die trying to find where your people are in hiding–innocents with Earth Kingdom ancestry of course. If you are the daughter of the mayor, I'm sure you aren't naive enough to think the Fire Lord will stand idly by after this act of treachery. Your whole family will be executed with you on suspicion of sedition. As a matter of fact, I've got the order drafted right here. Mayors are easy to come by these days, with so many to spare."

"You're lying!"

"I wish I was, but the Fire Lord won't let this stand anymore. I'm afraid his mind is made up. Your testimony could change things–make sure only the guilty are punished. I'm sure you know our laws; if not, we'll make sure your loved ones do.

"Wait… I really am the mayor's daughter, but my father has nothing to do with this. I came here on my own volition. Alone."

"I find that hard to believe, child. You alone? Breaching the palace security? I'm being generous, and you take me for a fool?" He turned back, walking away.

"I– I had a map. It had everything I needed to know: the guard movements, the blind spots–"

He stopped. "You don't happen to have this map by any chance, do you?"

"I burnt it…"

"Hmm… A pity. Well, with no evidence, there's nothing I can do..." The guard opened the door.

"No, wait! Please, there must be something you can do… Do with me as you must, but my family is innocent! "

"Enjoy the next few days, they will most definitely be painful."

"Please, I can take you to them! I'll take you to them, I swear!"

The night passed, but no one came, the room still as suffocating as ever; but she didn't care. Didn't care about her hunger or thirst either. She constantly thought of her family; what they'd do to them, cursed herself for not having been able to kill him, and replayed that moment in her mind over and over again. She had made a mistake–that was the reason why she didn't succeed. She'd had him, and now…

The door opened again, and two guards came inside, pressing spears to her neck. Behind them… it was him… He stood further back, with his hands behind his back. "So… you really are who you say you are."

"...Have you come to mock me?... I don't care, just… spare them please, they have noth–"

"Why should I? I can't let this go. If I do, then I'd invite any mad colonist to do the same without fear of reprisal."

"Then why are you here?"

The Fire Lord stood quiet then sighed. "The Harmony Restoration Movement will happen; it is the only way we can keep the peace with the Earth Kingdom. Your death would only turn you into a martyr. Now, that's something I cannot allow."

He walked closer to her, and his guards pressed their spears to her neck preemptively. "I'll ensure the decolonization happens one way or the other. Once we get there, your father will hand over control of the colony over to the military in exchange for you, and you will all be kept under custody."

"What makes you think our people would follow any of your dogs?"

"They will do as their Fire Lord commands."

"They won't serve you."

"This isn't about the Fire Nation; this is much bigger than that. Can't you see that? We all have to make sacrifices for peace."

Kori scoffed. "That's easy for you to say…"

"Get her cleaned up and take her to my airship. You're going home."

As the Fire Lord left, she was taken to another room where she was sprayed with cold water. Soaking wet, she was pushed towards a cart. She could see the outside of the prison, almost sculpted in the caldera wall. The airship had landed right in front of it, and squads of soldiers stood at attention at the ramp. The man who had interrogated her was briefing them.

"You have your orders, soldiers: take the city walls and all critical infrastructure. Be ready for anything. If they resist, lethal force is permitted. Your commanding officers will instruct you on your particular tasks. Protect the Fire Lord at all costs."

Before she could hear anything else, she was pushed inside the ship. At first appearance, it was luxurious but simple. Had she been blindfolded, she would have thought she was inside a house. But that illusion was shortly broken as she was taken to the back of the ship, the delicate wall paintings replaced by bare metal and heavy doors. Soldiers crammed the hallways; no doubt it was at capacity. The Fire Lord wasn't kidding that they were really going to take over her home… She knew their ragtag militia forces wouldn't stand a chance against the soldiers.

Kori was taken further back to a room smaller than the cramped cell she had been thrown into, probably a repurposed cleaning closet. She sat hugging her legs, for there wasn't another way for her to sit. She cried softly, thinking of what could happen, but she had to remain strong. She clenched her fist and closed her eyes; it would be over soon. The door opened and she fell forward. They lifted her off the ground, pushing her outside.

They had landed the ship outside the city walls, the Fire Nation flags fluttering against the city walls. Everything felt so quiet. Lines of soldiers marched orderly through the open gates. It appeared there wasn't even a sign of a fight. As she marched through the gates, the soldiers lined the streets, and onlookers were being held to the other side. She could hear the whispering of the crowd as she walked. Looking down, rattling her chains. Many knew her. Had they intended to humiliate her too?

"Kori! Where have you been?! Your mother and I were worried sick!" She looked up to see her father; and with tears in her eyes, she ran towards him.

Her father's voice trembled. "Wait— Who are these men?! What are these chains?!" The soldiers had already surrounded them.

"I went to go see someone about our problem, father."

"Who?"

"Him." Kori looked towards the Fire Lord as the soldiers made way for him.

"F-Fire Lord Zuko!"

"You must be mayor Morishita. Your daughter snuck into my home and tried to kill me."

"Kori?!"

"Someone had to do something!"

Desperate, her father dropped to kowtow on the ground, pleading. "My sincerest apologies for my daughter's rash behavior, Fire Lord! Have mercy!"

"I should have this whole place burned down!"

"Why bother? The Harmony Restoration movement will accomplish the same thing without having to lift a finger!" She snarled looking at the Fire Lord.

"Why can't you colonials get it through your thick skulls?! The Harmony Restoration Movement is a means to peace!

The mayor got up. "P-peace?! Peace for whom?! With all due respect, Your Majesty, my family has lived on this land for generations! This city was built with our blood and sweat! We have as much a right to be here as anyone else!"

"You're Fire Nation citizens! You should live in the Fire Nation!"

"You're right, Fire Lord! We are Fire Nation citizens!" He jabbed a finger in the Fire Lord's chest. "And I'll tell you this: your father would never have let the Avatar and the Earth King bully him into something so obviously bad for his own nation's citizens!"

"…My father?" The traitor backed away, his eyes wide, as her father continued.

"Fire Lord Ozai had many faults, but he was never a coward. He was never a traitor."

The traitor grit his teeth. "You'll regret saying that, old man!"

"Guards, seize him!" The soldiers pounced on them, but a boulder sprouted from the ground, sending them jumping back.

The Fire Lord looked around with a mix of confusion and anger. "Who?!"

Her mother stood in a fighting stance, resolute and with her eyes fixed on the traitor. "Fire Lord, please! Forgive my husband's foolishness! I've told him time and time again to control his tongue, but he never does!"

"You're mayor Morishita's wife?! An earthbender?"

"Yes, I'm an earthbender, as is our daughter." Kori stomped the ground, and a jagged rock shot from under her, breaking her chains. Before the guards could react, she pulled her weapon from a guard's belt, brandishing it.

"I may be an earthbender; but through my father's bloodline, I am a Fire Nation citizen! My father taught me to always be loyal to the Fire Nation; to my people." The soldiers pointed their lances at them, but the Fire Lord waved them off.

He was tense but still as her mother inched towards him. "Would Your Majesty be willing to stay in Yu Dao for a few days? It would be an honor for us to show the Fire Lord our way of life."

He remained silent for a moment. "I'll allow you to show me, I'll also accept your surrender. I haven't come here with the intention for bloodshed. The treaty… has to be enforced."

"...As you wish, Your Majesty." Her mother walked towards the guards with her hands out as the soldiers cuffed them.

"Mother, no!" Her father held her back.

"Kori, you've done enough!" "Please follow me, Your Majesty." As a contingent of soldiers stayed watching over them her mother left with the Fire Lord in tow.

***

Undisturbed by her chains, the woman strolled through the city, greeting vendors and some of the pedestrians as if nothing had happened, who looked at her with some concern as she was escorted by the soldiers, but said nothing to her. She had already noticed the layout of the buildings, how they looked, a mixture of green and red on each building, they didn't seem to be painted in any particular order, but it seemed as if they were interspersed. The woman stopped in front of a tall building, which had both colors, it was a factory.

"I'm proud to say that I come from both nations. I'm descended from one of the families that lived here long before the Fire Nation arrived. Later on, as many others did too, most of us married into Fire Nation families. Our cultures and traditions became mostly intertwined. It's how Yu Dao was born–a union of both worlds."

He muttered. "It's different..."

"That may be so, but that's the very thing that makes us unique." She nodded towards the building. "I'm sure you must be aware that Yu Daon steel is prized in the Fire Nation. Its creation has been only possible with the help of both firebenders and earthbenders working together."

"You could say that we have become like that steel. Produced by a mixture of both nations, we became something better. We're all loyal to the Fire Nation here despite our appearances. But even though we call the Fire Nation our country, our home is here in Yu Dao and nowhere else."

"But the reason why this is your 'home' is because Fire Lord Sozin invaded the Earth Kingdom. It was an illegal occupation…"

"This is the oldest colony there is, Fire Lord; people have lived here for generations. We are all simple people. Since I could walk, I've known this place as my home. We aren't here as conquerors; we're trying to get by. We don't bother anyone. This place… we built it from the ground up."

She sighed. "I'm sure we're not the only colony who sees things the same way. Look at what happened to Langshizi. The place now 'belongs' to the Earth Kingdom, but it was left abandoned. Now it's filled with looters and bandits. Is that why they want this land so badly? To neglect and loot it? And what happens to us? We're supposed to lose everything because a Fire Lord, born way before I was, decided to start a war?"

The woman's voice became more desperate. "Fire Lord, you must understand–this has become our home now. You must do something about this. There has to be an exception; something you can arrange."

Zuko shook his head. "I don't think it's that easy; the Earth Kingdom will want answers. I want to help, I really do, but I must think about the safety of the nation as a whole."

"With all due respect, the colonies are home to millions of your people. You obviously weren't aware of the details; but now that you know of them, you can propose a renegotiation of the treaty. And one thing is certain: the people here won't move from their homes."

She tried to get closer to him but his guards stopped her. "We have been repeatedly harassed by the Earth Kingdom armies and their terrorists. The people feel like you have abandoned them… Show them that isn't the truth, that their Fire Lord still cares for them."

Zuko tapped his chin. "I need time. I'll make a case for the city. In the meantime, it will remain under my protection. It looks like the treaty must be revised…"

***

Aang steered Appa through the clouds, his gaze fixed straight ahead. He had barely slept last night, for after getting the final colonists of Jingyugang, they got word of Zuko's abandonment of the treaty with no explanation. He had just decided to drop it. By their own questioning, they had managed to at least find out where he was. Since they had been told he wasn't even in the Capital, the edicts pointed them towards Yu Dao. Apparently, he had spent the last few days there for some reason. And now he had arbitrarily decided to just revert it all back?

So, as soon as they could, they packed up and flew straight to the colony.

His feelings were of betrayal and disbelief. "It's just like one of my nightmares, one I am still waiting to wake from."

"It has to be a misunderstanding…" Her voice was soft, sad. He could tell Katara was in as much disbelief as he was.

Sokka almost shouted from the back, "No, Katara, a misunderstanding would've been, 'hey, guys, there's been a mix up. We need to take you somewhere else'. Not 'get back to your ships; the Fire Lord has ordered all colonists to return'. Besides, you heard that soldier. He said Zuko had withdrawn his support from the Harmony Restoration Movement."

"Maybe they are just working on a new treaty…" Sokka shook his head, and Katara relented. "I just can't believe it… Why would he do that? Would he betray us?"

Sokka shrugged. "Don't know. Maybe he finally snapped and went back to his old, evil self."

"It's just so weird… Why be in Yu Dao instead of the Capital?"

"I don't like this… Zuko wouldn't– He…"

Katara scooched closer to him, laying a hand on his shoulder. "Are you okay? We can sort this out… We just need to talk to him. He's our friend…Right, Sokka?"

Sokka crossed his arms. "I'd say we best be ready for anything."

"You're not helping!" She glared at Sokka.

He looked away. Had the impossible come to pass? "I– I'll speak with Roku. He must know what I can do… "

Katara held his cheeks, raising his gaze. "Is this about that promise?" Aang didn't want to answer.

"Listen, he's our friend; he isn't like his father… We haven't talked to him yet; we don't know everything. Let's not jump to conclusions."

"Well said, somebody has been learning after all."

"Shut up!" Katara flung her arms towards her brother, who took cover preventively.

He sighed, touching his medallion. "I'm ready..." He crossed his legs and eyes, taking a deep breath. Katara touched him, but he didn't react, already in trance. So, she took the reins.

"Uh… guys, are you seeing this?" Sokka pointed towards the massive crowd gathered outside the Yu Dao walls, a sea of green holding signs and even weapons. Katara gripped the side of the saddle, looking down, and couldn't believe her eyes.