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Blue Mask	By : PatPat Category: Avatar - The Last Airbender > AU/AR - Alternate Universe/Alternate Reality > Het- Male/Female Views: 11083 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

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Blue Mask, Two Swords, and Sozin’s Comet
Special Recipe
By Pat Squared
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“I am having temporary difficulties with my health old friend. May I have the honor of knowing your name?”

“Captain Sui,” the voice dropped to a whisper, “It has been a long time since we both had Sergeant Ku screaming in our ears, Zuko.”

Zuko’s head slumped down in defeat when Captain Sui mention Zuko’s real name. He waited for this moment since the healer told him he would die. He wanted his suffering to end. However, he had a mission and two souls to save. If he died now, Azula would own two souls that were already punished enough.

“Let us speak in private old friend,” Zuko whispered, “I won’t insult you with any offers of gold or promises of power. I have nothing left to give, but an obligation on my soul.”

Captain Sui inhaled and Zuko waited for his old comrade Sui to do his duty and arrest him.

“Finish your meal, it’s pretty good and it might just be your last.”

“Every meal might be my last, but with comrades every meal is a feast to be savored.”

Zuko could only imagine the smile on Sui’s face. During survival training, Sui had to repeatedly utter the line to convince himself to eat the insects Zuko and he caught.

“Why oh why do you have to remind me of that day? Now I can’t face down this porridge. Thank you for helping me relive those memories, but don’t worry, I will just have to tough it out. If I get too skinny, Jen will stuff me with my mother-in-law’s special recipe.”

Zuko remembered Sui’s girlfriend and her atrocious cooking.

“So you married her after all. How many rug-rats do you have now?”

“Three - Two girls and a boy with one more on the way. The twins are darlings which means that this war better be over soon so I can scare their future boyfriends to act properly until I get the girls safely married off.

Zuko smiled, his old comrade was doing relatively well.

Zuko asked, “I envy you your family. It is a blessing to have someone to return to. What about your boy?”

“As for my son, it took a year’s salary, but I secured a spot for him with Colonel Go academy when he turns ten. Now I am paying a quarter of my salary for a tutor so that Lei Long masters his hànzì (Fire Nation symbols – similar to Chinese pictograms or logograms), the Earth Kingdom hiragana, katakana, and kanji (Japanese phonetic symbols and pictograms), those strange marks the water benders use, classical literature including the temple texts, and his mathematics of course. Thankfully, my son is a quick study and makes me feel dumb every time he asks me a question about so high-culture fangled thing. ‘Ask me about farming and hunting and then I can answer’ – I always say to him. You know, you were one Sergeant Yu stuck with the unthankful task of tutoring me how to properly write an order. I still have the cheat-sheet you prepared for me. It’s hanging in my home and I keep a copy in my journal for reference. Thankfully now I have a senior lieutenant and clerk who handle the paperwork.”

Zuko remembered those hours long sessions he spent with Sui. Sui was a farmer’s third son who managed to pass the entrance examination despite being functionally illiterate because his answers were so short and concise. His written answers had to be concise since Sui did not master much more than the hànzì for yes or no and would simply rewrite the sentence. His instructors praised the young naval infantryman until it came out that Sui, one of the candidates for honor graduate managed to make it through three quarters of the course before his secret was exposed. Zuko saved him by volunteering to tutor Sui and the other slow learners during down time.

“My son will get a commission with a unit that is not on the front lines all the time. It might sound disloyal, but this war is chewing everybody up. Fire Nation and Earth Kingdoms are now recruiting the kids straight out of the cradle, even before they can even sign the enlistment contract. We are the old men now - Only a handful of us are still serving. The lucky got a few scars, an honorable retirement, and the six hundred forty acres of farmland the recruiters promised us. The rest are on guard duty in the afterlife. Every time, I return from another patrol, the replacements are getting younger and younger. Too many replacements and your unit risks the fate of the 41st division – wall fodder, green units are the first to get fed to the wall.”

Zuko took another bite and savored his final meal. Although the tone of the conversation was like having a nice talk with his uncle, Zuko knew that his former sparing partner was extremely loyal to the Fire Nation. Sui’s family already sacrificed Sui’s grandfather, father, two older brothers, and nephew to the war effort. Sui was not the type to ignore his oath and forsake his hard-won honor and position. Especially since his son would be the first one to suffer if Sui ever betrayed the Fire Lord.

“Trust me, Sui, the Earth Kingdom is doing the same thing and probably in higher numbers. Every time a son dies, they go to the house, tell the mother, and immediately drag off the next oldest son to fill his dead brother spot in the regiment. I’ve personally seen the notification gangs yank off boys as young as eleven. Mothers are marrying off their daughters and encouraging them to start having kids the second they can breed. Otherwise, the daughters are now getting called up if a family has no more sons to sacrifice. The only other way out is to have enough coins to bribe some corrupt official into declaring your child an apprentice in an essential war industry”

Zuko finished the last of his soup.

“Let’s go. I am stuff and I can now die happily on a full stomach. I trust that you will dispatch me cleanly. When I go, you will find a blue mask among my things in my pack. My sister will not like you very much if you say that you kill the banished prince, because you will expose her lies. However, if you say you killed the Blue Spirit as he was on his way to the Fire Nation possibly on a task to assassin the Fire Lord, making colonel will not be a problem. My swords shall your swords. Use them well. Use them with honor. Please, just burn my body.”

Zuko stood up and asked, “Tell me where you want to do it and I will wait for you there.”

Sui laughed, “I broke bread with a traitor. Since I already have earned a slow lingering death in the eyes of the law, I might as well go all the way. There are many of us sick and tired of your family. Our oath of loyalty was to the Fire Nation and its people, not Clan Sozin. Some considered making contact with you to help stabilize the nation after the necessary change in government. Your death took the wind out of our sails. However, your resurrection will give those of us who desire a better future hope.”

Zuko shook his head. Then he started coughing. After what seemed like an eternity, he regained the breath to speak one more.

“Sui, I am dying and don’t expect to see the seasons turn but once more. The lung sickness that plagued me as a child is now claiming me. I am ashamed cannot help restore our homeland. My sickness came back and now not even the best healers can keep me alive for much longer. I am returning home to save two souls from a demon’s grasp. Perhaps leave my family a reminder about the son and brother they wished was never born.”

Sui led the blindfolded prince to his quarters.

“Tell me more.”

“No, Sui. That way you can truthfully answer that you had no ideal what I was planning. However, I have something for you.”

Zoku reached into a pouch.

“This ring was given to me when my mother disappeared. It is the ring of the clan master of Clan Kozun. Powerful, but the clan had humble beginning. From a brothel house above an apothecary shop in Quindou to becoming one of the most wealthiest clans in our nation, Clan Kozun is know for its devotion to duty, the stubborn pursuit of excellence, and for doing the right thing even when doing the right thing results in punishment. Wealth and honor was only a by-product of these three pillars.

“Only five people have touched this ring. Kozun and his silent wife, Bai Hu, the white tigress, founders of Clan Kozun. Lu Ten, my grandfather. Ursa, my mother, and I. Now a sixth person shall hold this ring and have his name rightfully be inscribed on the rolls of the Kozun clan masters. Sui, sword brother of the former crown prince Zuko.”

“My sister is truly my father’s daughter as I am truly my mother’s son. My second to last act as clan master is to cast my sister, Azula, daughter of Ozai, out of my mother’s clan. My last act is to bestow my position to you. What was once my birthright is now your birthright. What was once mind to command is yours to command. The duties that weighed down upon my shoulders shall now crush your soul.”

Zuko removed his bandages to see a white-faced young man.

“Why,” asked Sui, “Did you have to curse me with this burden? I knew that I should have just lopped off your head and be done with you. Then I could sleep with a clear conscence. Are you trying to get me killed, because you could have just used those two sabers of yours? No matter how hard, I could never touch you during all those sparing practices.”

“Thank you, brother for the encouraging words. We have fought one another and fought together. I know well your spirit. I know that you will put the good of the clan and our homeland before your own welfare. Traditionally this moment will be held in public. However, war and fate requires that this be done in the shadows. Swear on your honor, your soul, and all that you value that your loyalty shall be to the good of the Fire Nation, your clan, your family, and the path that the gods set out for men to follow. Swear that you are willing to sacrifice your honor and your life if need be to do not unnecessary harm to others, increase the good, and protect the innocent. Never coward in front of your foes and always lead from the front even if you are besieging the gates of hell and feel death’s icy-breath on your neck. Even if your are unmanned, you vow to never give up or give in save to protect your charge. Never forget that to lead you must first serve.”

“Are your serious? If I did not know better, I would believe that I up and got drunk.”

“Deadly serious. Are you going to accept or decline.”

“I guess that I accept. If I am going to commit a little treason, I guess that I should rank up their with you.”

Zuko hit Sui.

“This is so you will never forget your oath. Zuko, son of Ursa has stepped down. Clan Master Sui, Clan Kozun awaits your bidding.”

Zuko slipped the ring on Sui’s pinky since it was too small to fit on Sui’s ring finger.

“Do not tell me names, little brother, but tell me about what is happening back in our homeland.”

“Little brother, I am only two days younger than you and I am twice your size!”

Sui was build like an alpha-bull war rhinoceros and unlike most Fire Nation citizens had about as much body hair as a platypus bear. Everything about Sui screamed sized, but Zuko knew that Sui was dangerously agile. Sui was even bigger than Ozai. Zuko was taller, but Sui was build like the walls of Ba-Sing-Se, just plain thick.

“Younger is still younger and no matter how fat you get, older brothers still get to call their younger brothers little brother for the rest of their lives. Now promise me that when I look in on you from the underworld that you will make me proud of my little brother. Now tell me what is happening to our nation.”

Zuko had to suppress his tears as he heard how far his nation sunk since his banishment. The generals that once offered excellent advice retired since the Fire Lord did not care for conserving troops, just the final victory at any cost. Even for the highly regarded any disagreement with the Fire Lord or the crown princess’ tactics was death or exile. Zuko’s banishment terrified everyone. If Ozai banished his own son for a minor indiscretion, then anyone else would have to be killed. The officer corps was being paralyzed. Any deviation from the Fire Lord’s great plan was death. Any failure to achieve an impossible goal was death. The best and brightest officers and troops were being slaughtered because they were given impossible missions with no ability to adapt the tactics to the situation.

My banishment was only a prelude of the insanity that is to come.

Everything was crashing down and if the Earth Kingdoms were ever organized under one strong leader, the Fire Nation would meet the same end as the Air Nomad did a century ago – the death of a proud people. Zuko had felt the hatred firsthand and knew that it would not take much prodding for the earth benders to purify mankind of the curse of the Fire Nation. He could easily imagine Lee hacking off the heads of innocent women and children. Even as Jian Li, some Earth Kingdom citizens would walk up and try to injure the half-blood war baby.

The former prince cursed the gods for destroying everything he ever cared about. When Zuko embarked on this journey, he merely had two souls to save from his sister’s clutches. Now the fate of an entire people, an entire culture, and perhaps the world now lied upon the shoulders of a dying young man and the event he set in motion today.

His hasty words in the war room almost four years ago had set the world on a course to hell. No wonder why the gods hate me so. My existence has only caused everything to become an insane asylum. Not even my fever dreams were as twisted as my life turned out to be.

Zuko had studied the avatar. The avatar was just a boy who was not ready to reach into a man’s chest, rip out his heart, and eat it raw in front of the man’s face. To fight Ozai and Azula, one had to be willing to sacrifice one’s honor and soul and crawl into the pits of hell to fight the demons.

It helps if you have the oni’s blood running in your veins.

The first avatar was a half-human/half-demon boy named Li Lao Zi. His son Agni became the first Fire Lord and every Fire Lord since had some measure of demon blood. Now it was Zuko’s time to tap into the dark side of his heritage to save the world, his nation, his honor, and a little boy who was not ready to be the avatar.

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“Aang, not now!” warned Katara.

“Why? Toph is my wife and someone has her locked away.

For the first time in his life, Aang wanted to deliberately, methodically hurt someone to within an inch of his or her life. Toph was everything to Aang. If something happened to Toph, Aang knew that he would soon be meeting all his old friends in the underworld and that in nine months a new avatar would be born.

“Aang, if they see you, the kidnappers might panic. Let me find out where she is first and then we can sneak in, get her, and be on our way before they realize that she is gone.”

Aang could not wait. He had to find Toph now. Toph was not okay. He knew it. He could feel that she was in pain and Aang would be damned if his last memory of Toph would be of her in pain.

“Katara, I can’t wait. Find her and find her quick. If you don’t find her before sunset, I am going to have a talk with my in-laws.”

Katara looked at him with injured eyes. She mouthed, “Zuko would never do that.”

Aang would have once immediately apologize to Katara for attacking something so close to her heart, now he did not care if he broke Katara heart and stomped it into the ground. Katara was a friend, but Toph was his other half. To save Toph, Aang knew that he had to show more determination than Zuko ever did during his chase.

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“I’m spending my mornings throwing up because I am pregnant mom.”

“What?”

“I got married and I got knocked up. I am not sure if it happened during the practice sessions before the wedding or afterwards.”

Toph felt the sting of her mother’s hand on her face. It was the first time Toph’s mother physically punished her little, poor, blind daughter.

“You will have to get rid of it! Why did you have to runaway and...?”

Toph felt a rush of bile building up in the back of her throat.

I thought she would support me like she always did. Dad was the one who confined me.

“You were going marry me off to some distant cousin in the provinces. At least I spread my legs for the man I love instead of letting a male gold-digger who loves father’s money have the honor of plucking my flower and leaving me to grow fat with his brats as he goes off to spread pollen with some tramp. Aang does not care if I am blind, rich, poor, skinny, fat, or whatever. Aang is my red string soul mate and I am his. I am going to have my child even if you thrown me out on the streets of Chongqing naked and without even a single brass half-penny.”

“You little hussy. I give you everything and this is how you repay your father’s and my efforts. You run away and sell yourself to the first boy who says some nice words to you. That is why we keep you away so the bad boys would not trick you. Now one has convinced you to let him have his way with you!”

Toph could hear her father restrain her mother as her mother when into the fits. Her mother always went into the fits when she was overwhelmed.

“Toph go to your room. I will see to your mother and then we will talk later.”

Toph having no choice turn around and feel her way back towards her old bedroom. Even though the layouts of the room and furniture did not change since she ran away from home, Toph was not use to having her earth vision removed. She found herself stumbling over once familiar thresholds and steps that she one negotiated with ease. She silently cursed her mother’s servants for ensuring that purple horsehair extract was served in every meal. Because of the baby, Toph had to eat even if she threw up her meal every morning. Toph prayed that the drug would not harm her child.

Toph lied down on her back, removed the sling so she would not choke herself, once again cursed the fact that Xin Fu broke her arm out of spite, and closed her unseeing eyes. Maybe if she feigned exhaustion, she would not have to hear her father’s lecture.

Aang, I need you. Please hurry up and come before its too late.

Toph wept as she thought of her mother wanting to destroy Aang’s child...her child. She had to escape before her mother would hold her down and have the midwife destroy everything. If her child died, Toph knew that she would soon end her own life. She could not face Aang after failing him.

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Katara slipped over the wall and landed with a thud.

That hurts.

Katara knew that Aang would end up hurting Toph’s parents if he marched in as planned. Then Toph would have to deal with curse of loving someone you hate. To do so was the most torturous thing that could be inflicted on a soul. Toph may have disliked her parent’s stubbornness about letting their daughter grow up, but she still loved them. If Aang hurt or even killed one of Toph’s parents in his rage, Toph would never recover.

Katara had a plan. She slipped into the kitchen. Tonight, she had a special recipe in store for the Fong household - One that would hopefully solve everyone’s issues and perhaps even generate a smile or two sometime in the distant future.
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Blue Mask