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Chapter Nine: Approaching the Crossroads

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Iroh sat down and poured tea for Aang after Toph had already gone to sleep. Sokka had agreed to watch over Jin as she remained poisoned.

"Don't you have a tea shop to look after?" asked the Avatar as Iroh passed him a cup of his pristine tea.

"I do, but I have other matters to attend to first." Iroh said. "Like offering my expertise in firebending to use as a teacher."

Aang looked at him. "What? Firebending? I-I promised I'd never firebend again."

Iroh sipped his tea and put it down on the table. "Even still, I can offer you something almost as important. My advice."

"Your advice on what?"

"Before you are able to use the Avatar state to the best of your ability. You must seek out the guidance of Guru Pathik. He is an incredible man, with extraordinary amounts of knowledge on spirituality and emotions. Pathik will give you the tools necessary to achieve your destiny and defeat my brother."

"But only you are powerful enough to beat the Fire Lord." said Aang.

Iroh smiled at the Monk's compliment. "Even if I possessed the power necessary to defeat him, it is not my place. If Zuko or I killed him, the world would remember it as just another usurpation of the Imperial throne. Only you can defeat the Fire Lord and restore balance."

"Zuko?" Aang asked. "Why would he face off against his own father?"

"Misplaced anger I believe." said Iroh. "Zuko has learned to improve his firebending and physical ability greatly from an old friend of mine, Jeong Jeong."

"Jeong Jeong? The river hermit?"

Iroh nodded. "Zuko already has a natural aptitude for firebending that no one other than our family possesses. Combined with Jeong Jeong's mythic status as a teacher and Zuko's ability to learn after two months, I believe Zuko has processed his defeat at the hands of his father years ago as unfinished business."

Aang sighed. "I need to find Pathik then."

"Indeed." Iroh finished his tea. "Fortunately, you might be familiar with where he lives. The Eastern Air Temple."

"I can't go there." Aang frowned as sadness filled his heart. "I don't know where Appa is, we've been looking for weeks."

Sokka slid the door behind him close. "She's doing better, but the poison's still starting to take its toll on her."

"Do you want some tea with us?" offered Iroh with a hand to the table. "Or a game of Pai Sho?"

"Never actually learned how to play." said Sokka. "But first I need some dinner." his always hungry stomach growled.

"Me too." said Aang as he prepared to stand from his pillow comfort.

"Don't worry, I make the finest sticky dumplings in the city." Iroh stood up before he did, a gentle hand pushing off Aang shoulder to stand up.

"You cook?" Sokka looked surprised.

Iroh nodded. "My tea always goes best with food at this time of night. I can't say they are as good as my tea, but they will make do I'm sure."

"Katara and Zuko are still out there trying to find out about the Dai Li. And I haven't even been able to let the Earth King know about the eclipse yet." Sokka's voice reached Iroh's older ears.

"The solar eclipse?" wondered Iroh as he began to use the kitchen.

"Yeah, we've been trying to let the Earth King know about the eclipse since we got here but the Dai Li won't let us go near him or any other military officials." said Sokka.

"Hm." Iroh began to pour flour into a bowl to prepare the dumplings. "And what exactly do you have planned on the day of the eclipse?"

"A full scale invasion right at the capital of the Fire Nation." Aang said. "But for some reason no in Ba Sing Se knows about the war."

"That would be very unwise." Iroh began to heat a pot on the stove to cook the dumplings in.

"And why is that? What do you know about war, or the Fire Nation, actually-" Sokka saw how Iroh simply looked at him and blinked. "Right."

"The Fire Nation knows very well of this coming eclipse. Or at least, my brother is powerful enough to have enough spies to know of this invasion. Even without our firebending or knowledge of the attack, we are a ferocious and aggressive people, well prepared in ways of war for over a century. If you think my nephew is tenacious in battle, you will have a lot of trouble invading an entire country full of people like him."

Sokka thought about what he said for a moment before looking back from Aang toward Iroh. "You're not all that war-like. You're all peaceful and wise."

"Thank you." After the stew to boil the dumplings was at the correct temperature, Iroh began mixing the dough for the dumplings. "However, I am among the few who don't follow my brother as king."

"Huh, forgot about that." Sokka rubbed his chin as Aang asked him another question. "When should Katara and Zuko get back? I'm getting worried."

"Who cares about Zuko? What about my sister?" chimed in Sokka.

"They should be back before daybreak. If not, I'm afraid we will have to find them ourselves." Iroh said.

Aang and Sokka looked at each other, understanding what this meant gravely.

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"Out of the way skinny!" Zuko shoved a Dai Li officer out of the way as he began running down the street with Katara by his side.

The Dai Li officer fell down from being pushed before standing up and pursuing them. When he ran down an alleyway, Katara struck him from her hiding place with a gush of water.

The man fell down again with a groan as Zuko pointed one of the Blue Mask's swords at the officer's throat. "Tell me, where is the Avatar's bison? Where is your main hideout?"

The Dai Li officer gulped seeing the tip of Zuko's sword before bending a roll of rising earth with his foot towards Zuko so suddenly it caught him off guard. The two teens were unaffected by the attack, but it was enough to let the officer run off.

"He's getting away!" Katara followed him with Zuko at her side as they both sprinted onto a rooftop to run faster.

As the Dai Li officer jumped up onto a forward rolling mound of earth, he raised a whistle to his lips and summoned others.

"Great." Katara looked off to the building mounds of dust in the distance indicating other Dai Li officers were alerted to them. "We need to get out of here."

"No, I can take them. I've been waiting months for this." Zuko stopped her before running off the rooftop in a different direction.

"Yeah well your idea didn't work. Maybe we should hide again and wait to follow them to where they've snuck away!"

"We don't have time for this! Fight with me or don't I don't care!" Zuko's older snapping rose up and he brushed off Katara who reluctantly followed him as he finished arguing with her from behind his mask.

The other Dai Li officers showed up and Zuko and Katara covered each other's backs as the Dai Li surrounded them. Zuko looked around, according to the Gamer, every earthbender was around level 29, while him and Katara were only in their mid-thirties.

Still determined to fight, Zuko prepared to hurl flames from his sword clasped fist before three shadows rose from the alleys around him, but this time they weren't earthbenders. When they appeared, Zuko and Katara recognized them as the warriors of Kiyoshi.

"S-Suki?" Katara's water was lowered back into her pouch. "What're you doing he-"

"Katara, they're not who you think they are!" Zuko saw the floating boxes only the Gamer allowed him to see above their heads.

Before Katara could react, Mai had struck her hard in the face with her metal fan. As Zuko tried processing what was happening, Ty Lee had already struck a pressure point in his neck and knocked him out cold.

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When Zuko came to, he was chained up in a cell. Katara was chained up and already awake.

Zuko tried bending fire but for some reason he felt stunned. "Ugh. Ty Lee." he sighed.

"An old friend of yours actually. Why is your sister and her lackeys working with the Dai Li?" Katara asked angrily.

Zuko's expression hardened. "I wouldn't know. I haven't spoken to her in awhile."

"Oh really? And how do I know this isn't some trap to get Aang captured again?"

"I set him free once, and I'd never use Jin as bait." Zuko's slightly angered voice filled the cell.

Katara's anger slid from her face. "Wh-what?"

"When he was captured by Zhao, I infiltrated his fort and set Aang free."

After this, Katara wasn't surprised. "Probably so you could keep him for yourself. Why let your pal Zhao keep all the glory?"

Zuko was taken aback. "You still don't trust me? Even after tonight?"

"Of course after tonight. Your uncle already told you she'd be using the Dai Li."

Zuko sighed, it did seem strange, but for Katara to question him and his loyalty and to suggest he was behind it was strange. "What's really bothering you?"

"What's bothering me? You're still from the Fire Nation, no matter how hard you try, you're still the Fire Lord's son! And now the life of that girl I healed, and the lives of everyone in this entire city are in danger because of you! We're trapped in this cell because of you! I lost my mother because of you!" Katara's voice became raised, before she realized her words had slipped out without her thinking them through at all. "Sorry, but...This war took more from my brother and I than you can possibly imagine. Even if you apologize and I understand why." Katara became teary eyed. "I'll never be able to fully trust you, your people have caused more pain to me than anyone ever should deserve."

"You're right. But I do understand your pain. The night my father ascended the throne, my mother disappeared forever. I never found out what happened to her."

"Zuko, I-"

"There's a story she'd read to me every night. A story I investigated upon and found more about. It was about the Blue Mask, a warrior who won a war all on his own, wearing nothing but a mask and using two swords. It's why I wear that mask, it's a symbol of hope to me, it's a legend, a myth. It means everything to me."

Katara wiped away her tears with chained hands. "I'm sorry for calling it ridiculous."

"You didn't know." Zuko sighed. "I didn't know about your mother either. The Blue Mask means more to me than being just a costume, and I always wear it when I'm out protecting Ba Sing Se. The last thing my mother told me was that she was always protecting me."

Katara smiled at him. "My mother said something similar."

Zuko saw the metal door creak open as Azula walked in dressed as a Kiyoshi warrior, the door slamming shut behind her.

"Hello brother." the girl said slyly. "Who would've guessed the elusive Blue Spirit was you the whole time?"

"Azula!?" gasped Zuko as his chains clinked when he rose up from his metal cot. "What're you doing here?"

Azula stepped toward her brother. "The better question is, why're you out at night with the likes of her fighting my soldiers?"

"Your soldiers." Zuko deadpanned.

"Yes, my soldiers. I've made a deal with Long Feng since he had a falling out with the Earth King, in a little scheme I had nothing to do with. In the past few days, I've gained the trust of the Dai Li, all with my own leadership. Pity you and uncle didn't learn anything from warfare."

"Jin was innocent! You didn't have to poison her!" objected Zuko.

"Oh I didn't do anything. Mai was out for her since she knew you two were together. I'm not jealous like her, just amused, you do have a thing for toying with the enemy." Azula's smile wavered toward a chained Katara.

"We're not together!" Katara grew mad at Azula's joke.

"Please, he's standing right there dearest." Azula chuckled quietly.

"Do you want something Azula? Or are you just bored?" Zuko asked, knowing his sister well.

"Both really." said Azula. "I need you to help me with something soon. Something big, but I can't give you the full details until I know you'll help me."

"And what do I get?"

"You know, the usual. A full pardon from father, probably an engagement, and a place by my side. To return to the family of course!" Azula turned toward him as she smiled looking at Katara's tears. "Unless of course, you don't want that."

Seeing Zuko's silence Azula continued. "There's also something else I think you'd want." Azula showed Zuko a tiny flask with a small liquid inside of it.

"A-an antidote?"

"Yes. I can't imagine you'd want your poor girlfriend in a poppy induced coma for much longer."

"How did you know about that?" Katara asked.

"Please do use your head dear, you'll find it suits intense thinking."

Katara's eyes widened in fear when she realized Dai Li agents were watching her home in the Upper ring.

"That's all I have to say for now. Ty Lee made sure the both of you were unable to bend, and she'll be popping in every few hours to make sure you stay nice and comfy. Sleep well Zuzu." Azula smirked before she left the cell which slammed shut behind her.

Zuko looked at Katara's dried tears beneath her eyes. He was alarmed to know that Azula was smart enough to know that tears and sweat were still usable by Katara and she could use them to escape, making sure Ty Lee removed Katara's bending as well as her water pouch.

"Don't tell me you're thinking of taking her up on her offer. You know what she wants to do right?" asked Katara.

"She's going to overthrow the Earth King and win the war. I don't want to help her, but it's the only way I can see us getting out of here."

Katara shook her head. "What're you talking about? Aang and your uncle are going to find us for sure."

"Who knows where we are? Earthbending prisons can be miles underground." Zuko looked downward. "If it means Jin's safe, then I'll be willing to do anything."

"Including betraying me?"

"I won't be-" Zuko sighed. "Azula always lies, I'll still be on the same side. Rotting away in this cell without being able to bend fire or lightning makes me pretty useless."

"Since when can you bend lightning?" Katara was surprised.

Zuko relented from telling her about the Gamer power. "I've been able to learn how to improve at firebending faster than usual, don't ask how but I've had a lot of help. I'm no master, but yeah, I can lightning bend a bit."

"Okay, so what other options do we have?"

"I've known Ty Lee and Mai since we were little, but I don't see them outright betraying Azula to help me. And there's nothing I can really offer them to change their minds." Zuko said. "For now." he looked around his dark cell. "This is where we stay."

Zuko also began to wonder how exactly the Gamer ability would help him. He already began to learn lightning bending and improved greatly at Firebending in very little time. He wonder how else it could help him, especially to escape with Katara?

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