"Water," "Earth," "Fire," "Air" "Long ago, the four nations lived together in harmony." "Then, everything changed when the fire nation attacked." "Only the avatar, master of all four elements, could stop them." "But when the world needed him most, he vanished." "100 years passed, and my brother and I discovered the new avatar, an airbender named Aang" "And although his airbending skills are great" "He has a lot to learn before he's ready to save anyone." "But I believe Aang can save the world." "[ Previously on Avatar... ]" "You seem different somehow." "Things are looking up, uncle." "From the inside we're in the perfect position to organize a coup and overthrow the Earth King." "The key is the Dai Li." "I want to make a deal." "In order to master the Avatar State, you must open all of the chakras." "Katara is in danger!" "I have to go." "No Aang." "If you are killed in the Avatar state,  the Avatar will cease to exist." "Book Two:" "Earth Chapter Twenty:" "The Crossroads of Destiny" "So, what kind of trouble is Katara in?" "I don't know." "In my vision, I just knew she needed help." "It would be nice if your Avatar powers could be just a little more specific from time to time." "What is that?" "!" "Need a ride?" "Ahhh!" "Oooo!" "The Earth King and The Council of Five do not trust the Dai Li." "They imprisoned your leader, Long Feng." "Soon they will turn on all of you, and eliminate you." "Seizing power today is a matter of life and death." "The coup must be swift and decisive." "The Earth King, and each of the five generals, must be taken out simultaneously." "Long Feng has placed you in my command while we overthrow the government." "If I sense any disloyalty, any hesitation, any weakness at all, I will snuff it out." "That is all." "Nice speech Azula." "It was pretty and poetic, but also scary in a good way." "Yeah, I thought you were gonna make that one guy pee his pants." "There are still a few loose ends." "The Avatar, and my brother and uncle." "Many times, I imagined myself here, at the threshold of the palace." "But I always thought I would be here as a conqueror... instead, we are the Earth Kings personal guests, here to serve him tea." "Destiny is a funny thing." "It sure is uncle." "So how did it go with the Guru?" "Did you master the Avatar State?" "If you leave now, you won't be able to go into the avatar state at all!" "Aang, are you ok?" "I'm great." "It went great with the Guru." "I completely mastered the avatar state." "What's taking so long?" "Maybe the Earth King overslept." "Something's not right." "It's tea time." "Azula!" "Have you met the Dai Li?" "They're Earthbenders, but they have a killer instinct that is so Firebender," "I just love it!" "Did I ever tell you how I got the nickname the "Dragon of the West"?" "I'm not interested in a lengthy anecdote, uncle." "It's more of a demonstration really." "Come on." "You'll be fine." "No." "I'm tired of running." "It's time I faced Azula!" "You're so dramatic." "What, are you going to do, challenge me to an Agni Kai?" "Yes!" "I challenge you!" "No thanks." "Katara's fine." "You have nothing to worry about." "But, in my vision." "I felt so sure that she was in trouble." "Well, she met with the Council of Generals to plan the invasion." "And since then she's been off with your friends, the Kyoshi Warriors." "See Aang?" "She's with Suki." "They're probably back at our apartment right now, talking about make up or something." "Ok, maybe you're right." "Believe me, if there was any danger at all, Bosco's animal instinct would sense it." "You've got company." "Zuko!" "Momo!" "There's no one else here." "Katara is in trouble!" "I knew it!" "Oh no." "Wait, someone's at the door." "Actually, I know who it is." "It's an old friend of mine." "Glad to see you're okay." "I need your help." "Huh uh?" "!" "You guys know each other!" "I met him in the woods once and knocked him down." "Then he gave me tea and very good advice." "May I come in?" "Princess Azula is here in Ba Sing Se." "She must have Katara." "She has captured my nephew as well." "Then we'll work together to fight Azula, and save Katara and Zuko." "Woah there." "You lost me at, "Zuko"." "I know how you must feel about my nephew." "But believe me when I tell you there is good inside him." "Good inside of him isn't enough." "Why don't you come back when it's outside him too, okay?" "Katara is in trouble." "All of Ba Sing Se is in trouble." "Working together is our best chance." "I brought someone along who might be able to help us." "Azula and Long Feng are plotting a coup." "They're going to overthrow the Earth King." "My sister!" "Where are they keeping Katara" "In the crystal catacombs of old Ba Sing Se, deep beneath the palace." "The movements of all the generals and the Earth King have been plotted out step by step." "Good." "And the Fire Nation Princess is cooperating?" "Oh yes!" "More than cooperating, she's really taken charge." "She's terrifying and inspirational all at the same time." "It's hard to explain." "Why did they throw you in here?" "Oh wait." "Let me guess." "It's a trap." "So when Aang shows up to rescue me, you can finally have him in your little Fire Nation clutches." "You're a terrible person, you know that?" "Always following us, hunting the Avatar, trying to capture the world's last hope for peace!" "But what do you care?" "You're the Fire Lord's son." "Spreading war and violence and hatred is in your blood." "You don't know what you're talking about." "I don't?" "!" "How dare you!" "You have no idea what this war has put me through." "Me personally." "The Fire Nation took my mother away from me." "I'm sorry." "That's something we have in common." "Well whaddya know." "There is an ancient city down there, but it's deep." "We should split up." "Aang, you go with Iroh to look for Katara and the angry jerk... no offense." "None taken." "And I'll go with Toph to warn the Earth King about Azula's coup." "So, Toph thinks you give pretty good advice." "And great tea." "The key to both is proper aging." "What's on your mind?" "Well, I met with this Guru who was supposed to help me master the Avatar State, and control this great power." "But to do it, I had to let go of someone I love  and I just couldn't." "Perfection and power are overrated." "I think you were very wise to choose happiness and love." "What happens if we can't save everyone and beat Azula?" "Without the Avatar State, what if I am not powerful enough?" "I don't know the answer." "Sometimes life is like this dark tunnel." "You can't always see the light at the end of the tunnel, but if you just keep moving..." "You will come to a better place." "There's General How" "Arghh!" "What's going on here?" "!" "You're under house arrest." "The coup is happening right now!" "We've got to warn the Earth King!" "Thank goodness we're in time!" "In time for what?" "Yeah, what are you in time for... cutie?" "Uh, I'm kinda involved with Suki." "Who?" "They're not the real Kyoshi Warriors!" "Sorry to disappoint you." "Ooo, it's like we're dancing together." "This fight... is over." "Get them all out of my sight." "Now comes the part where I double-cross you." "Dai Li, arrest the Fire Nation Princess." "I said, arrest her." "What is wrong with you?" "It's because they haven't made up their minds." "They're waiting to see how this is going to end." "What are you talking about?" "I can see your whole history in your eyes." "You were born with nothing." "So you had to struggle and connive and claw your way to power." "But true power... the divine right to rule... is something you're born with." "The fact is, they don't know which one of us is going to be sitting on that thrown  and which one is going to be bowing down." "But I know." "And you know." "Well?" "You've beaten me at my own game." "Don't flatter yourself." "You were never even a player." "I'm sorry I yelled at you before." "It doesn't matter." "It's just that for so long now, whenever I would imagine the face of the enemy, it was your face." "My face." "I see" "No, no, that's not what I meant." "It's ok." "I used to think this scar marked me." "The mark of the banished prince, cursed to chase the Avatar forever." "But lately, I've realized I'm free to determine my own destiny, even if I'll never be free of my mark." "Maybe you could be free of it." "What?" "I have healing abilities." "It's a scar." "It can't be healed." "This is water from the Spirit Oasis at the North Pole." "It has special properties, so I have be saving it for something important." "I don't know if it would work, but..." "Aang!" "Aang, I knew you would come." "Uncle, I don't understand." "What are you doing with the Avatar?" "Saving you, that's what." "Zuko, it's time we talked." "Go help your other friends." "We'll catch up with you." "Why uncle?" "You are not the man you used to be, Zuko." "You are stronger and wiser and freer than you have ever been." "And now you have come to the crossroads of your destiny." "It's time for you to choose." "It's time for you to choose good!" "I expected this kind of treachery from uncle, but Zuko, Prince Zuko... you're a lot of things, but you're not a traitor, are you?" "Release him immediately!" "It's not too late for you Zuko." "You can still redeem yourself." "The kind of redemption she offers is not for you." "Why don't you let him decide, uncle?" "I need you Zuko." "I've plotted every move of this day." "This glorious day in Fire Nation history." "And the only way we win is together." "At the end of this day, you will have your honor back." "You will have your father's love." "You will have everything you want." "Zuko, I am begging you, look into your heart and see what it is that you truly want." "You are free to choose." "We've got to find Sokka and Toph." "See any Dai Li agents near by?" "Nope." "All clear." "Let's go!" "I'm not leaving without Bosco!" "I thought you had changed!" "I have changed." "Come on, it's easy." "You just walk on your front paws instead of your rear ones." "Like this." "That is a nice trick." "Just take the bear." "Bosco!" "There's too many." "The only way, is to let her go." "I'm sorry Katara." "You've got to get out of here!" "I'll hold them off as long as I can!" "We've done it Zuko." "It's taken a hundred years, but the Fire Nation has conquered Ba Sing Se." "I betrayed uncle." "No, he betrayed you." "Zuko, when you return home, father will welcome you as a war hero." "But I don't have the Avatar." "What if Father doesn't restore my honor?" "He doesn't need to Zuko." "Today, you restored your own honor." "The Earth Kingdom... has fallen." "Based on the subs by om4gus. blogspot. com Resync and corrections by Osimon [ at gmail dot com ]"