MG Reads Embers: Chapter Thirty-Eight

[masterghandalf]

Chapter Thirty-Eight

We open with a brief author note. A/N: Yes, very short. Let's just say, this has been a semester that Wolfram and Hart would smile at inflicting on someone. And I'd rather put out a short chapter on time than leave people totally hanging while I wrestle with insane class schedules. The chapter proper begins with Azula being frustrated over the aftermath of the train fight and thinking they need to move now. Ty Lee, packing, wants to know what’s wrong; Azula is frustrated that she doesn’t have a body, which means Zuko’s probably alive. Azula has failed to kill him twice now, and that nettles her. She can’t fail, and nearly falls into a pit of internal turmoil, but something blocks it. Even though she’s failed, she’s not losing control – she wonders just what Amaya did to her. Ty Lee says she healed her, because that’s what Zuko would’ve wanted – Azula remembers Amaya telling her that Zuko loves her, and thinks again that it’s a lie, but the darkness inside her still doesn’t take control. It’s as if Amaya built a barrier against it. Even after failing, Azula is still in control of herself. Now, though, she needs to get out of Ba Sing Se – she doesn’t want word to get back to her father that Ty Lee is an airbender, but Ty Lee thinks he knows. She’s remembering things after the train, but thinks she’ll be fine, especially with Azula to look out for her. Azula is amused at the irony of this, and wonders about whether Zuko really cares about her. Ty Lee assures her that of course Zuko cares about her, she’s the heir to the throne – but Azula can only remember Amaya telling her Zuko loves her. Azula still can’t believe it – everyone she’s known has always used love as a tool. She turns to pondering just what Zuko and Iroh are planning and what their real goals are. She thinks about how they got renegades and traitors out of the city, and how they all seemed to be close to Amaya… and something occurs to her. Are Iroh and Amaya together? The thought clearly grosses her out… but Iroh’s still young enough to sire a child, and that worries her. Out loud, she complains about Iroh’s sense of humor.

Azula is forced to consider the implication that Zuko and Iroh might be planning to throw the Fire Nation into civil war. She can’t see why Zuko would want to go along with that – but it then occurs to her that if the Avatar is alive, the invasion plans might still be on, and might succeed – which could lead to the end of the Fire Nation. It does occur to her, however, that a domain like Byakko might survive – and whatever colony Iroh is planning to make. Still, Azula thinks that Aang is naïve and wants to believe the best of people, and she might be able to use that against him. Thinking about the damage Aang did at the North Pole, Azula knows that the Fire Nation is weakened and possibly vulnerable – she decides this isn’t about honor or glory anymore, but survival. She also knows that Ty Lee is too valuable to lose – even if Ozai already knows about her, that doesn’t mean he’ll want to admit it. Azula sends for Agent Chan and tells him she wants him to arrange an escort for her when she leaves the city, though not enough to weaken their hold on it. Chan is surprised, but Azula tells him she only means to leave for a little while. She read the reports on the spirit in the throne room, and knows its presence means that it considers the throne vacant. Azula needs to be formally confirmed as crown princess by her father and the Fire Sages to pacify the spirits. Privately, she also wants to bring the Fire Sages back to Ba Sing Se to destroy that particular spirit. Chan thinks he’ll have a hard time rounding up agents who are a match for Shirong, but Azula isn’t interested in pursuing Shirong and Zuko right now. Chan wants to know if Azula really wants her brother dead; Azula just comments that he’s a traitor, and she’s the rightful heir. To herself, she thinks she doesn’t need to kill Zuko – Iroh, though… Ty Lee thinks family shouldn’t hurt each other and is happy Azula doesn’t seem to want to kill Zuko right now. Azula, meanwhile, wants to send a message to Ty Lee’s family. She has an eclipse to plan for – after that, she can deal with traitors, and their children.

We cut to Zuko as Jinhai calls him “Cousin Lee” – he thinks he doesn’t really like kids, though Kuzon did. Then again, Kuzon never knew Azula. He tells Jinhai Amaya said he needs to take it easy; Jinhai thinks that when Amaya fixes someone, they’re supposed to get better, and Huojin says that sometimes things take time. Zuko thinks he needs to talk to Shirong, and how apparently Mai is currently rooming with Fushi, the other female marine from Teruko’s squad, until they figure out exactly what her relationship with Min is – he wonders just what they’re talking about. He asks the Wens how they’re holding up, and Jia thinks they’re doing okay, but it's crowded, and she asks if Zuko really used to live on this ship. He explains the one he did live on was much smaller, though there weren’t as many people – but ships are always crowded. He wants Tingzhe to help keep an eye on their earthbenders, who are away from their element. Min brings up Azula, and Zuko explains that she’s a dark dragon, a firebender who just isn’t… right. It happens sometimes. But she didn’t target Min for anything he did – he was just useful to her at the time. Min is unsettled that Azula is his cousin, but Zuko assures him that the dark dragon comes from Makoto, who’s in part of the family tree the Wens don’t share. This makes Zuko think of Shidan; he wonders what Shidan thinks of him, knowing that he’s also descended from Makoto, and if that’s why Shidan never tried to see his grandchildren. Kuzon knew Shidan wasn’t like that – but Kuzon’s been dead for eighteen years. Does Shidan think Kuzon’s reincarnation is a monster? He thinks back to Kuzon’s death and his bargain with Agni, and Zuko’s own encounter with Yue. He thinks that Agni wants the Fire Lords’ hold broken and considers the prospect of Azula as heir – and that that’s probably exactly what Koh wants. Still, Zuko’s in command, and he has to act like it. He asks if there’s anything anyone needs, he knows conditions aren’t very private, but wants to know if there’s anything else he can do.

After getting a flood of requests, Zuko tells Jinhai and his parents to talk to Jee about continuing Jinhai’s training. He makes an offhand reference to Zhao blowing up his last ship, which stuns everyone – Meixiang has to explain that nobles’ residences in the Earth Kingdom don’t normally get blown up. Zuko is a bit taken aback; he wonders again if he can make this work, and decides he has to. Huojin finally takes him aside and asks what he knows that he’s not telling. Zuko insists that he’s not deliberately keeping his people in the dark, but Huojin knows something is wrong. Zuko thinks about how he disrespected an ancestor, all the spirits hate him, and Koh will come after them too if he figures out Zuko knows he’s involved. Zuko stays silent, and Huojin grumbles about Shirong not being there when you actually need a Dai Li. Zuko gestures to the deck. We cut to Shirong on the deck, training with Jee, who is explaining some of the philosophy of firebending to him. Jee is surprised at how well Shirong is taking to this, and Shirong admits he’s studied the Fire Nation for years. Jee still thinks that Shirong hasn’t had much time for training, and he and Iroh are only human – which makes Shirong remember how he finally got the truth about the Fire Nation’s dragon ancestry out of Teruko. He thinks that explains a lot about the Fire Nation – they think they’re different from everyone else, and they actually are. He can see how Sozin used that. They turn to talking about Zuko – Jee thinks Zuko is a good enough firebender for the marines, but Jee could still match him in sparring, which isn’t what he’d expect from the royal line. But he hasn’t had a chance to spar since meeting Zuko again – and he doesn’t know what to make of Zuko being a waterbender now too. Shirong tells him about Zuko being Amaya’s apprentice when they met, and how he’s determined, hard-working and creative. Jee thinks Zhao found that out the hard way, and Shirong thinks of the fight between Zuko and Azula on the train – if Zuko really wanted to kill Azula, she’d be dead. Zuko isn’t good at Sozin’s style of firebending, but that doesn’t mean he’s not powerful.

Huojin comes up on deck; he tells Shirong to go talk to Zuko right now. The ship isn’t in danger, but Shirong thinks Zuko is wound up tight, and maybe his sister trying to kill him again has something to do with it. Shirong says he’ll get Iroh, but Huojin thinks Shirong would be better right now. Iroh seems to have thought that the important part of Zhao blowing up Zuko’s ship was that he also stole his crew – Jee thinks that Iroh’s right, ships are replaceable, people aren’t. Shirong knows this was an assassination attempt and heads off to tell Zuko that he’s just as important as his crew. After finding Zuko, he starts talking with him about privacy in Ba Sing Se versus on ships – he’s realizing that Fire Nation privacy is less about space and more about customs. Zuko comments that Kuzon would have adopted Shirong. He had a knack for taking in people who didn’t fit anywhere else – and he and his wife loved children, but only had one. Shirong’s not sure he would have gone – Zuko’s not sure Kuzon would have asked, but Shirong thinks he would. Zuko thinks Kuzon always thought he was right, and that got him killed – he remembers most of his life now, though in a remote way. The only part he really feels is when Kuzon died. How can he ever tell Aang that Kuzon really did kill airbenders? Shirong asks Zuko to tell him. We cut to Shirong after the story is over – Zuko admits he can’t tell Iroh, because of family vendetta. Azulon had Kuzon killed. He had the right to charge him formally or challenge him to an Agni Kai, but he didn’t – he sent assassins after him. Technically, that’s murder. And then, years later, Azulon tried to have Zuko killed too, to punish Ozai. And Ursa killed him instead. Some part of Iroh may be wondering if Byakko married Ursa to Ozai specifically to get her close enough to kill the Fire Lord. Zuko can’t bring himself to talk about it – Shirong wants to know where Ursa is, and if she’s safe. Zuko thinks she’s alive but doesn’t know where. If you ask Ozai, he just smiles – the way Azula smiles. Further complicating matters is that Amaya is Zuko’s teacher and is sharing quarters with Iroh. Zuko needs to sort all this out before he snaps and hurts someone, but until he does he can’t talk with Iroh because of how tangled up all of this is with Kuzon and Azulon. Shirong also thinks, on some level, Zuko feels Iroh failed him – as Kuzon, and by not teaching him he could defeat Azula. Zuko insists Azula really is that good – Shirong reminds him she didn’t see his tricks on the train coming. Zuko thinks that didn’t come from Kuzon, and that he owes Toph a lot. They talk about how good Toph is, and Zuko thinks that if Bumi ever dies, he knows who’ll get his title as the world’s greatest earthbender. Shirong is amused and thinks there may be some humanity in Zuko after all – he wonders what information they have on the Beifong family, while Zuko starts thinking about what Aang and his friends will be up to next. Shirong thinks it’s good he has something to do now… and wonders why Zuko is suddenly muttering about genealogies.

MG’s Thoughts

Well, the really good news here is that, as I mentioned in an earlier commentary, the chapter lengths are going to decrease quite a bit from here on out – even the longest are only going to be about half the length of what they’ve been for the last couple of arcs. Which, as I’ve said before, if nothing else makes my job easier😉. I don’t have a whole lot to say about this chapter, but there are a couple of things that leap out and bug me. First off… Azula. As the fic goes on, Azula’s role is going to start to shift from being an active antagonist to the protagonist of her own subplot. Which, in principle, I’m fine with. Except that Azula’s character development really gets kickstarted by having Amaya “heal” her and, well, maybe I’m reading too much into it, but the notion that Azula can only start to change as a person after someone else came in and “fixed” her mind without her consent is fairly uncomfortable to me as a neurodivergent person. We also have what feels like a bit of an attempt at an author’s saving throw here, with Shirong thinking about how the Fire Nation really are different but not better than everyone else because of their dragon heritage, which I’d find a lot easier to swallow if they weren’t clearly the author’s favorite nation and beneficiary of authorial bias, and the narrative wasn’t constantly reminding us of how significant dragon-children are – especially as benders of other elements don’t have any supernatural heritage going on that might parallel it. I also can’t help but feel like Vathara is deliberately stacking the deck to stop Zuko from just talking things out with Iroh, but maybe that’s just me.

Comments

[prince_chrom]

especially as benders of other elements don’t have any supernatural heritage going on that might parallel it.
They do eventually try and pull something for the Water Tribe, but given that it's only them makes me think that Vathara didn't understand the problem, and as it involves Water Tribe Benders becoming the made up Dragon equivalent and not the other way around doesn't really solve the problem.

[masterghandalf]

Yeah, I remember we'll be getting some of the stuff with sea serpents before the end of the fic.