Chapter 14: The Dawn of Ozai
Ozai was woken by his servants. They had prepared and heated the bath chamber and when he emerged refreshed and tidied up they clad him in his ceremonial robes. He was weary of his situation. The temptation was strong to fall back into old patterns and Mya wasn’t there by his side. The thought of her deserting him pained him and his loneliness crippled him even more. He had had little sleep and even the strongest tea did not help. He saw the rings under his eyes. He was 46, divorced with two nervewrecking teenage kids and becoming the Phoenix king had been his midlife crisis. He was over it now, or was he?
His scribe brought him the protocol of the day:
AgniKai between two enemy senior officers
He sighed and stepped out to decide. His first decision was to move two Batallions towards Omashu. He would personally lead them, as Zuko was likely there and he was the heir to the fire throne. He needed to talk to his son - if he had survived the ordeal of being a statue.
The Agni Kai he witnessed was well fought and left the younger loser scarred on his back. Ozai prided himself that he who had fought hundreds of these fights and yet had no bad scars to show. He healed fast and he fought even faster.
He left the arena and boarded his war zeppeline and set course towards Omashu.
At dawn both battalions had reached Omashu and so had the Earth Kingdom army.
Ozai heard the voices of Aang and Klaus in his mind and Mya. He meditated to soften his heart. He sent a bird to Bumi with a note:
“Honorable King Bumi, I understand that you are holding my son and my generals. I kindly ask you to free them to avoid any conflict. Eternally grateful, yours Firelord Ozai”
A tad bit passive aggressive, but he was proud of himself.
Ozai was drinking Myas favourite tea, when a bird arrived.
“Esteemed Firelord Ozai! I, Bumi, King of Omashu, am tired of your aggressions - and of those of Earth King Kuei. Therefore I suggest we meet for tea in the neutral zone. I have decided to define Myas ship as said zone. Mya and her ship are in the skies over Omashu. Zuko and your generals are safe and well looked after. They will depart to the ship momentarily. In eternal admiration, King Bumi”
Ozai had mixed feelings. His people would go berserk if he agreed to peace under any terms. Yet Myas ship was present. Azula had planned to use them for the Fire Nation. Now the ship might be the leverage for peace. Under Firenation terms.
From the window of the Zeppeline he saw how a pod pod ascended to the sky. Shortly after he received a transmission from Mya: Zuko and the Generals were safe.
“Dearest King Bumi, thank you for freeing my son and my cabinet. As you may understand, any action from the Fire Nation needs to be carefully drafted. I will meet my advisors first on the Eternity. Please extend my greetings to Earth King Kuei and that I am always open for dialogue, but I must also represent the will of my people and the future of our nation and its industry. Yours faithfully, Firelord Ozai.”
B: He writes such sweet words, but does he mean them?
Eternity had sent down a pod to get Ozai and he felt at home when he stepped out into the vast entrance hall of the Eternity. Mya came and embraced him:
M: You haven’t slept, my love...
O: My biggest worry was not my kingdom, but you leaving me, my love.
M: I always set duty first. I am here. Let us talk. We need a plan, now.
Mya led Ozai to a meeting room on the pod bay.
M: So what’s your take on peace negotiations?
O: Hundred years of aggression from our side will not be forgotten easily by the Earth Kingdom. We must find a way in which each side can save face.
M: Hm... there are not two sides anymore but three. The fact that we’re together complicates everything. Also Amons involvement with Azula.
O: I am ready to step down. This will be a strong sign. And your power will keep Earth Nation in check not to retaliate on Fire Nation once we have left Omashu.
When Ozai got up to leave I caressed his face.
M: I missed you, my love.
M: When all this is over, we will be free.
We kissed. I longed for his touch, but there was no time.
We went to the big meeting room where all Generals kotaued before Ozai. Zuko looked at his father with disgust.
O: I haven’t come here to quarrel or to fight. Truth is, our treasury is depleted, we need to invest in research and the war costs us far more than it delivers. Zuko, I know you are angry that I have again taken the crown, but Aang reinstated me and gave me back my bending powers.
Everyone in the room gasped. Zuko went pale.
O: You want my crown Zuko. You’ll get it back soon enough and will have the rest of your life to sort things out and enjoy the pleasures and pains of being a Fire Lord. I was burnt, but I rose again. Now I can really call myself Phoenix King. Son, you have hurt me, but then I have also hurt you. Violence creates counter violence. Just as trauma creates war and war creates trauma. Let us break the cycle. For the sake of our children, grandchildren and generations to come. Fire nation has always been the first in using new technology. Joining up with Mya and Amon will enable us to look beyond Earth Nation. Let the earth benders play with mud while we take on the stars. My wife, Timelord Mya commands this ship and these ten thousand men. You might ask, why not use them to take over Earth Nation? What did we want from Earth Nation? Ore. Space has a million times more ore and this is what we will get.
Mya and I have set up trade deals between Fire Nation and the people of the planet Kepler 1765. They will give us ore in return for a team of firebenders to help them build railway tracks on a very volatile planet for four years. You Generals have sacrificed your livelong duty and even your sons and brothers for the siege and I will be eternally grateful to you. Fire Nation is big. Now it will be known on the planetary map. Mya will help us to transition into space age. Once the news is out that we exist the visitors will come. Most of them benevolent. But some of them hostile and technologically advanced. I will lead this transition of the Fire Nation to face these new threats. Until today fire meant destruction, but fire is also protection. Protection of this planet of ours. I order you to follow my command, but I kindly ask you to also unburden your hearts and follow my lead in this.”
The generals were doubtful, but then Amon entered the room. He was weak but he was shimmering again. He was followed by Eternity. Everyone gasped in awe as Eternity extended her arms and tiny rays of light reached out to touch the generals
A: Generals, I am Amon. And this is Eternity, my mother and one of the powerful beings of Kepler 1765. I speak to you as a General myself who has the authority to sign trade negotiations on our planets behalf. I have twenty megatons of best quality iron ore as a gift of welcome to you stored in this ship. And a fleet of engineers ready to build space ships with you. If you promise not to use the technology against the other people on this planet.
Amon accompanied the generals to the storage areas. They liked what they saw and promised Ozai their full support. Zuko was still angry, but he had to admit that his father surprised him. Ozai looked at him and smiled.
O: Zuko, remember for the future. No matter what you do think of your generals first. If they are happy, Fire Nation is happy.
We went for lunch. Word got around that Earth King Kuei had arrived. Both delegations ate separately.
After lunch we did tours of the ship. It was indispensible that both delegations were in awe of our technology.
Once we had finished the tour we went to the big meeting room.
Both delegations entered simultaneously. King Kuei had brought his bear. Ozai had to smile when he saw the bear and Kuei seemed irritated by it.
O: Earth King Kuei, I have heard so much about you and your bear, it is an honor to finally meet you. So you are no myth but a real man - and the bear is a real bear!
K: So are you. Not a demon or a monster, just a mere mortal man.
Once everyone was seated Bumi introduced both parties and participants. Earth Nation was represented by King Kuei, King Bumi and Toph Beifong and a delegation of Kueis Ministers of the Dai Li.
Aang, Amon and I were the third party impartials. I was supposed to lead the negociations.
M: Thank you all for being here under these circumstances. Please be seated. I have negociated a few peace treaties and we will start with some ground rules. Before we start let me stress that everything said in this meeting shall remain confidential. Any breach of secrecy will be seen as an act of aggression. No bending. Choose your words carefully, concisely and with the utmost sincerity. Everything said is binding, any breech is breech of trust.
At first I would like to kindly ask the Avatar to open this meeting by telling this round what he told me about Avatar Rokus advice.
Aa: I saw Avatar Roku in a vision when I was in the avatar state. He said that Ozai is the rightful Fire Lord.
M: Ozai has an announcement to make on this.
O: Yes. According to traditional thinking I would become Firelord again, or as I have risen from my own ashes as Phoenix king. Yet the times have changed. Mya here showed me that there are vast worlds outside our own and we as Fire Nation have decided to become an active part on this planetary map. We have decided to take up trade with a friendly system. Our interest in Earth Kingdom was an economic one which we wanted to exploit by war. This reason has now become futile.
So far our culture only allows succession in death which creates an atmosphere steering towards patricide which in turn creates totalitarism. It is time to change this. I am ready to step down as Fire Lord and invest my future in finding new trade partners and preparing FireNation to withstand any planetary threats. As my daughter will join me, I am ready to hand over my reign to my son Zuko.
Our proposal is a ceasefire. Fire Nation will retreat beyond Omashu river and Earth Nation will not retaliate. In case of retaliation Myas troops will intervene and enforce peace.
Zuko seemed distrustful. He didn’t believe in what he heard. Earth King Kuei weighed in.
EKK: My spies have told me that parts of your troops are preparing to retreat and that a new big building site is being excavated in the heartland of your country... how can I be sure that you are true to your word and are not building new weapons to annihilate us?
O: I see that you are a wise and cunning man. Your spies did good work. We are in deed building something gigantic: a space dock for Myas ship.
EKK: So you are building a space port...
O: If you say so. I expect more visitors to come soon and Fire Nation wants to be prepared. We don‘t know yet how friendly they will be. Our focus is now the sky and foreign aggressors. If we ever have such an incident, we will need every ally that we get. Be assured that Fire Nation will always put the interests of this world first.
EKK: Great words...but how true do they ring in my ears, Bosco?
The bear roared and lay down to sleep.
The talks went on for hours until Earth Kingdom finally gave in and agreed to work on a peace treaty. The following days and nights both delegations worked feverishly to get a draft of the peace treaty worked out. Ozai was leading the negociations on the Fire side. The Earth King had appointed his General of the Dai Li to deal with the details and had left to teach his bear new tricks.
I did not see much of Ozai in these days. His entourage kept him secluded and I was leading the negociations and had to be impartial. He didn’t even visit me at night and I missed him. A great emptiness filled my heart, a void expanding like a soap bubble. Had politics just laid all my love and hopes to rest? Finally on the fourth day the treaty was ready to sign, but the Earth King was nowhere to be found. It took another two days until he was brought forward by the Dai Li and able to sign the document.
Both parties, as well as the avatar and Mya received a copy. There were no peace celebrations, but just quiet goodbyes. Firelord Ozai, his son and his generals joined Mya in one of the larger transport pods to take them back to Fire Nation. There was no chance to be alone with Ozai. Not even at night. Mya sought Ozais presence but he was elusive or shielded off by his cabinet.
Mya was woken by Elua. “It’s morning, Firelady Mya!” Elua and a few maids dressed her in traditional Fire Nation clothing as it was the day of Zukos formal coronation and Ozais formal abdiction as Fire Lord.
Mya descended the steps to the main street and climbed into the palanquin. The four carriers held it up and started walking. Mya hated this way of transportation, she would have preferred walking or riding a bike even...
I arrived at the palace and was escorted to the terrace overlooking the square. On the other side Ozai approached guided and guarded by his cabinet and followed by Zuko. I hadn’t seen him for days now. He looked at me with an expressionless face. I was chilled to my bones.
The square was full of people, thousands chanting Ozais name. Gruesome but popular among his folk. I felt like running away but there was no way out. They pushed me forward, I was to walk by Ozais side, when he would announce our alliance and betrothal (betrayal?). We walked forward side by side and stopped at the edge of the terrace. He did not even look at me. When we stood up front he closed his eyes to concentrate and bid his gods for favours. I held his hand. He looked at me with a puzzled face.
O: So are you talking to me again?
M: I never stopped. I missed you so much, my love. Why did you push me away? I even wrote you notes, without getting any replies.
O: I didn’t get them. They told me that you had other business to attend to and that you were upset with me and would leave me. That you outright refused to talk to me.
I tried to look calm while I pressed out:
M: Who told you such nonsense. I have tried since days to get to you, I waited every day and night and they found a thousand ways to hide you.
O: We are here together. But we are in danger. They must know we are talking.
M: Shall I send in troops?
O: No, wait up. Why would they jeopardize our relationship?
M: They want you to remain Firelord.
M: If they kill me Eternity will blow Fire Nation to bits.
O: Then they’ll kill Zuko. I have a new wife, new progeny. How sick are these people.
O: But what if Zuko is trying to get rid of me after my speech?
M: We need a plan, fast. Let me use our SIMs to create a fall-back plan. They will not attack us while we are out in plain sight. We need to exchange with our SIMS in this hallway. Is there a way out from this hallway?
O: No idea. Let’s have a look.
The crowd outside was getting nervous and the generals in the palace were also getting anxious. I summoned Eternity to have a pod ready to pick us up immediately after the speech and another one as fallback. Ozai found a tiny door in the wall. It had an iron lock. Ozai wanted to use firebending, but I took out a tiny laser gun and cracked it out of its socket. The stairs went down to the courtyard.
O: This is near the entry of one if my secret passageways.
We went up again und we embraced and kissed.
Ozai stepped forward out of the passageway and he looked carefully at the crowd, the rooftops and the soldiers. He started his speech around the cornerstones of honor, great Fire Nation, greater legacy of the Phoenix king, space, ore, gold... Then about the Phoenix Kingdom of Fire and Sky (which was the Eternity). His people seemed all taken in by this speech. Then he mentioned handing over the Fire Throne to his son. The crowd went silent. He once again emphasized the greatness of Fire Nation and the beginning of a new era. A shadow was cast over the square and a fine vibration went through everyone. Eternity flew in and stood still in the sky above us. The crowd was in awe. I meditated and Eternity took hold of me. I felt her seeing through me. I approached Ozai and I spoke for her, assuring Fire Nation of our friendly intent. The people were fascinated and terrified at once.
Now Zuko approached and the Fire Sages crowned him officially as the Firelord. The crowd cheered.
Ozai smiled at his son and wished him all the best. I gave orders to the Eternity to start fireworks.
The terrace started to fill with Fire Nation noblemen. Everyone was staring up. It was clear that any assassination attempt would be imminent. The Fire sages and Zuko were surrounded by wellwishers. Ozai and I retreated to the hallway. Amon was targeting any suspicious movements in the crowd from the ship. Once we reached the hallway Eternity produced our SIMs which went out to socialize again.
Ozai and I took the tiny door in the passage and ended up in the stables of the Comodorhinos.
O: I have private secret tunnels we can use. Our SIMs will give us a headstart.
M: Not in our clothing. We reek of expensive oil and everything on you screams Firelord! Your hair, beard, smell, dress, even the way you talk.
O: So what do you suggest?
M: Take off your clothes.
O: This is not the right moment...
M: At least your undergarments look like normal clothing of the smallfolk.
O: These are hundreds of years old ceremonial robes.
M: Hide them if you must under these loose floorboards then.
Very soon we stood there in our cotton and linen undergarments. Our hair was unkempt and bound back and we looked like peasants. We rubbed ourselves with earth and hay and jumped around in the comodo rhino manure. Now we even smelled like peasants. There was a cart full of cabbages. We emptied the cart and took it with us as a prop. When we went out to the courtyard nobody noticed us. But there was a lot of commotion in the crowd. There had been an assasination attempt on Ozai and Mya and they had been evacuated by the pod. Archers had hit them with poisoned arrows.
Ozai was white with rage and I had to remind him to stay under cover. We left the palace courtyard and reached the outer wall where the entrance to Ozais secret tunnel was. The key was hidden behind a loose brick. Ozai opened the door and we entered a narrow stairwell down which led to a very narrow tunnel. We walked for about an hour when we came out on a hill outside the city. I summoned a pod which approached in stealth mode. A ladder appeared and we climbed aboard.
