An Avatar the Last AirBender Fanfiction: Alive

Redemption

The doors slammed open.

The startled crowd waited apprehensively. Men hushed their wives, mothers hushed their children. It was seven days since the defeat of Ozai. Five days since the death, suicide, of Princess Azula. Two days since the search and rescue of the body. One day since the public protest against giving the princess a proper cremation. Today the Avatar was going to have his opinion heard.

Aang came out, followed by Fire Lord Zuko. The two looked somber, and Aang had just the faintest bit of annoyance in his storm gray eyes. They were dressed in the red and yellow colors of Fire Nation mourning. The seconds ticked by, the crowd growing uneasy as the Avatar just stood there. Judging them. Finally he tapped his staff, as a way to signal his beginning. Aang sighed.

"Well, I am disappointed". He rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I thought that, well, after Ozai was defeated, I thought that maybe the world would be a better place. I thought that after I showed him mercy, the world would think to show mercy to the rest of the Fire Nation. Humph." He looked away from the crowd. " The war is officially over. But it can never be truly over until the world is healed. You're hurting it more." He turned to face them again. " Yesterday, everyone who participated showed me that you didn't have enough mercy to extend to the dead. Yesterday there was a riot. There was fighting, burning of Princess Azula's pictures, burning of the Fire, Earth, and Water nation flags, alcohol, shouting, kids getting hurt! WAR. It was…disgusting".

People on the ground looked rebelliously up at the Avatar, others had the decency to look away in shame.

"Look around. I see the Fire Nation. The starters of the War. The nation who upset the World's balance. The Birthplace of Sozin, Azulan, Ozai."

He said the names with a delicate bit of resentment. The loyalists in the Fire Nation crowd narrowed their eyes, Aang narrowed his as well. He was weaving in and out of the avatar state, sometimes glowing, sometimes not.

" I also see the remains of the Earth and Water nation forces. War-torn. Angry." He glowed blue. "A pitiful reminder that the world banded together too late to even try to go against the almighty Fire Nation."

This time it was the men in the Water nation and Earth nation crowd to narrow their eyes. One idiot yelled, "Well, here we have the Avatar, the dude who ran away for a hundred years. He coulda stopped this whole mess from 'appening." Murmurs of agreement. Aang smiled sadly, "What? You want me to be there to solve all your problems? No. That is not the Avatar's job. We will not permit you to come to us with every little thing. We will only help when you mess up so badly that the World is on the brink of death."

He sighed again, "But as I was saying, here we have the Fire Nation surrounded by the armies of the rest of the world. Don't you think they would like revenge. Revenge against everything you have unleashed on them for a hundred years. Revenge for the deaths of their benders? For their hungry wives and children back home? Revenge against your princess, against your former Fire Lord? Revenge against all you who went beyond the call of duty and burned villages, ransacked houses?

The Fire nation looked around warily. Families grouping closer together. Getting frightened. The men of the other nations tightened their hold on their concealed weapons. Fire Lord Zuko looked on, a bit worried.

The Avatar scoffed, " And you men. Who are getting ready. Are you really gonna seek revenge on these helpless people? Are you gonna murder these children, these women? Because if you think you will, then you are no better than the man inside the Royal prison, monsters."

The people widened their eyes.

"You know why you should mourn for Azula? To prove to yourselves that you are not like her. Not like her Father. Your Fire Lord Zuko already proved himself when he sacrificed himself for a water bender. If you people can't even show mercy for someone who took her own life, Then how do you expect to get mercy? You people need to show this Fire nation how to be kind, merciful, humble, and forgiving. In return they will always keep the balance. But I suppose you can't show them things that you don't have."

Everyone in that crowded palace ground looked up. They stared into the blinding light of the Avatar. They felt a peace well up inside of them. And everyone, From the oldest Fire nation man to the youngest Water nation warrior, cried. Aang smiled benevolently, and tiredly as well. He felt a hand squeeze his shoulder and looked behind him. Zuko was smiling.

Aang sighed, "Well, everyone come together and have a group hug!"

That's just what they did.