The throne room of Ba Sing Se felt impossibly small beneath the weight of what they had just witnessed. Faces that had been stern a moment before were now pale and hollow; everyone was scared of what was coming. At the side of the room, Aang sat closed eyes meditating, his chest still glowing faintly from the communion with Raava. Silence was heavy as everyone watched him, waiting for whatever knowledge had passed between the spirit and the Avatar.
When Aang finally opened his eyes and rose, worry was etched across his features. He drew a long, steadying breath. Sokka, unable to hold back, burst forward with impatience. "So what did you learn?"
Aang steadied himself and spoke quietly "A lot." He paused, then told them what Raava had shown and said. "Long ago, tens of thousands of years ago, two primordial spirits existed: Raava, the spirit of light and order, and Vaatu, the spirit of darkness and chaos. Ten thousand years ago, an event unfolded that required Raava to merge with a human; together they defeated and sealed Vaatu once and for all, becoming the first Avatar, the bridge between the human and spirit worlds."
He let his words settle in before he continued "Vaatu is unimaginably evil and powerful. According to Raava, if Vaatu is freed, chaos and destruction will follow. Worse still, if Vaatu were to merge with Tai Lung, an unstoppable, evil Avatar would be born. Raava said Tai Lung is by far the strongest human she has ever seen"
Sokka sagged his shoulders. "That's not encouraging one bit," he muttered. "What about turning the masters into green mindless slaves?" Aang shook his head. "She has never seen anything like that before," he answered, and Sokka's breath left him all at once.
Toph's voice joined in. "So this has escalated from stopping a war maniac who wants to rule the world to a crazy monster who wants to end it." She looked at the gathered people. "Any idea what we should do?"
General How's jaw tightened. "We are running out of time," he said. "When the comet arrives, Tai Lung will be truly unstoppable. Our only chance is for the Avatar to defeat him now."
Iroh, who had been listening with a sorrowful patience, shook his head. "No," he said softly but firmly. "That will not work. He is already powerful enough to contend with the Avatar, and with the White Lotus' masters on his side, obeying his every command, the Avatar wouldn't be able to defeat Tai Lung. Even if we assist the Avatar in his battle, we cannot be sure of victory."
Katara's hands curled into worried fists. "We can't just sit and wait for the end to come," she said.
The Earth King, his face drawn with the pressure of impossible choices, watched his generals and supposed saviors feeling helpless under the scope of the incoming threat.
At last the Earth King spoke, his voice small and uncertain. "If there is no hope of winning against him…then perhaps we should free his father and surrender." Everyone stared at him stunned by his words.
General How barked, "We can't allow them to win!"
The King's voice wavered. "At least that way my people will survive to see tomorrow. I do not want the world to end because we pushed a madman too far." He turned toward Iroh. "You were right all along, we should have freed his father. We provoked that monster into coming after us; now we must pay the price of our choice."
General How's posture tightened as he considered the cost of the King's logic. After a long, weary breath he said, "I will deliver myself to that monster along with his father." The chamber went so still. General How continued, voice heavy with responsibility: "I led the invasion and I kidnapped his father. He will not rest until he has my head. If that is the price for our people to survive when the time comes, then I will give it."
Aang, steady despite the turmoil around him, said. "Let us prepare our defenses, we will fight. If we are overwhelmed and there is truly no hope of victory, then we surrender. But until that point we must try everything."
Eyes met eyes around the throne room, fright mirrored, resolve kindling. They nodded slowly, reluctant but resolute, each person taking comfort in the others' willingness to stand together beneath the shadow of the coming disaster.
——————
The Fire Nation army made a camp two days' march from Ba Sing Se. With Tai Lung and Fire Lord Azula leading the army and Sozin's Comet climbing the sky, morale was at its peak. Soldiers spoke in loud, hopeful voices; they viewed the march as the beginning of the end, certain the war would finally close with their victory.
Near the command tent, Tai Lung, Ty Lee, and Mai clustered with a handful of high-ranking officers while Azula engaged the jade form of Ozai in sparring. Though Ozai had been turned into a mindless jade puppet, the jade old Fire Lord still retained his power and combat skill; the body moved with the memory of a master's technique. Even hollowed, he remained extremely powerful.
Azula, determined to prove herself as Fire Lord, matched Ozai blow for blow without breaking a sweat. She pressed him hard, and the duel climbed toward a climax: lightning tore from both their hands at once. The two bolts met and collided in mid-air, creating a thunderous explosion that threw smoke across the field.
When the smoke cleared, Azula pushed through the haze and used the moment to strike Ozai off-guard. A flurry of rapid blows toppled the jade figure; Tai Lung watched and, with a single wave from his hand, returned Ozai to his pendant form. "It is Azula's victory," he declared. The officers and soldiers around them broke into cheers and applause for their new Fire Lord.
Azula took a steadying breath, relaxed into the triumph, and turned to Tai Lung with a question on her mind. "How strong is he compared to my free-willed father?" she asked. Tai Lung answered plainly: "They are pretty much the same. The difference is the lack of self-awareness."
The remark made Azula smile. "So it is fine to say I have surpassed my father?" she asked, pride and a little mischief in her tone. Tai Lung nodded. "Yes, right now you are stronger than your father."
Ty Lee chimed in with heartfelt enthusiasm, "Congratulations, Azula."
Azula laughed softly. "Thanks. I can now die happy knowing I am the second strongest firebender in the world."
Mai added dryly "I don't think we still can call Tai Lung a firebender at all. He is nothing like a fire bender anymore"
Azula shot a glance at Tai Lung. "Mai brings a good point," she teased. "I am the strongest firebender in the world; you don't count."
Tai Lung answered with level calm, "Fundamentally I am still a firebender. It is the only element I can bend"
Azula's brow lifted and said in an amused tone "Then figure out how to bend some other elements, I don't want to remain the second for too long"
Ty Lee elbowed in with a grin. "He still needs to figure out how to make non-benders be able to bend first."
Tai Lung let the banter pass and then reminded them of the larger purpose. "Are you all forgetting we are here to invade the capital of the Earth Kingdom?"
Azula waved a hand in a dismissive motion while rolling her eyes. "I don't think we will fight. You're scary already, and when you add the comet, the jade masters, and that ancient evil spirit you threatened to free to the mix, who would dare to continue this war? Fighting you is a lunacy"
Azula paused, then added with a sharper edge, "Now that I think about it, you embody my father's ideology of ruling with fear far better than he ever did."
Tai Lung's expression did not change as he replied "You know why I am doing this,"
Ty Lee's voice grew small with worry: "What if they hurt your father?"
Tai Lung's answer was quiet and full of confidence: "They won't dare. My threat was not only to make them surrender, but to make them afraid to harm my father. They will not risk the chance of me truly going mad and destroying the world. By keeping my father safe, they will at least have the chance of surrendering, and a world to live the next day."
Azula chuckled "And you are cunning in your own way, they think this is about only freeing Admiral Lung and winning the war after their failed invasion. They won't expect what is your true goal beside saving your father"
Tai Lung and the other girls smiled.