32. Best Laid Plans of Spirits and Men
Nakki was just as tall and intimidating as Zuko had remembered. Moonlight reflected off of his semi-translucent skin, somehow creating the illusion of being under water. This time, Nakki's long, black dreadlocks were tied loosely behind his head, and the spirit was wearing dark blue trousers and a matching tunic, both of which looked far too thin to be worn in these temperatures. No shoes.
Nakki smiled curiously, but was obviously waiting for Zuko to say something first. The Prince decided to cut to the chase: "What do you want from me?"
"What makes you think I want anything from you?" Nakki asked, frowning in thought. He sounded serious, but was probably just stalling to annoy Zuko. If the spirit decided to argue over every phrasing, they would be here all night. Somehow, though, unlike with Tuli, Zuko had a distinct impression that Nakki was stalling on purpose; to test him, rather than because he didn't understand Zuko's strange, human ways.
Instead of getting annoyed, Zuko decided to respond with logic. Outarguing spirits tended to work better than shouting at them. "When we met for the first time, you said the Avatar was a bore, and that I am much more interesting. You also said we would meet again. So, it is logical to presume it's me you have followed all the way here, which means you definitely wantsomething from me."
On that moment, Zuko figured out something else that had been bothering him tonight. "Earlier today, when I recognized you... You let me catch you on purpose, didn't you? You arranged the whole scene to lure me into this meeting. You weren't really afraid of being found out, but only pretended to be, to make me think I knew something you valued, so that I would think I held power over you. You have gone through a lot of trouble to bring me here, and here I am. Now what?"
Nakki's eyes widened a fraction. When he spoke, Zuko thought he could hear a hint of appreciation in his tone: "You are more clever than I gave you credit for. And yet, here you are. I dare say, you and I will get along just fine."
Zuko wasn't sure if Nakki was being ironical or if he should be offended, but eventually he decided the spirit appeared to be serious. Zuko sighed. "I've had a lot of practice, growing up with a sister whose greatest delight was playing games at other people's expense. The sort of games she would always win. You sort of remind me of her. But now, get to the point. Why are we here, really?"
Unspoken between them, but understood by both, were the words: You tricked me here, without me knowing the first thing about why. Should I be worried?
Nakki smiled encouragingly. "Believe what you may, but I wasn't kidding when I asked you to come here to hear a tale I have to tell. Should you decide to believe my story, then we might be able to work together in the future to further our common interests."
"So you're here to tell me a story?" Zuko asked, finding the phrasing less than promising. "But not the truth?"
"Only people who believe blindly are arrogant enough to think they know the truth. I'm certainly not one of them, but, if the matter bothers you so, I can promise to tell you the story as truthfully as I am able. I should warn you, though, quite a bit of it is based on hearsay and speculation, so I cannot guarantee it is all true. Would that be acceptable to you?"
Zuko considered. He had come this far, so it would be ridiculous to turn back without hearing Nakki out, but, on the other hand, the Prince had a feeling Nakki's tale would serve some other purpose than just informing him of... things. Once already Zuko had agreed to an exchange of favors with a spirit without considering the consequences, and, although he did not regret the deal he had made with Tuli, he would also be a fool to fall into the same trap twice. "Couldn't you just tell me Zhao's secret, and be done with it?"
"I could, but it is often better to start from the beginning. The story will make more sense, and be more believable, if I first tell you how I came by this information."
Just because Zuko's hunch told him Nakki had a hidden agenda in telling him all this, didn't necessarily mean the information would be false. You could sort of rely on unreliable people to have a hidden motivation, and after you learned what it was, you could look at the information they had given to you from that angle, and then draw your own conclusions on how much of it might be true.
Zuko figured he would loose little by hearing out Nakki's tale, so he nodded.
"This is a story of spirits, secrets, and, most of all, callousness. The story began a long time ago. After the first humans had learned to waterbend, the Moon and the Ocean decided to leave the Spirit Realm, and come live in the physical world instead. Don't ask me why they did it, for I do not know. No one does. An interesting aspect of this relocation is that almost none, human and spirit alike, know where the Moon and the Ocean went, or what shape they took, and nothing has been heard of them since, so their current whereabouts are a mystery to date."
"When you say you start from the beginning, you really mean it, don't you?" Zuko crossed his arms and huffed.
"Every waterbender has heard this story, but since you are not from around, I did not want to presume you had. But, on with the story: there is one spirit old enough to remember what became of the Moon and the Ocean. His name is Koh the Face Stealer, and as one of the oldest and most knowledgeable spirits, Koh is more or less the go-to guy on long forgotten secrets. It is a commonly acknowledged presumption among spirits that he alone knows the true location of the Ocean and the Moon.
"During the millennia, many have ventured into Koh's cave in the roots of a dying tree, looking for answers to some profound questions in life, but although Koh is bound by oath to answer their questions, not many have walked away with precious knowledge. The Face Stealer, like his name suggests, will steal any face that shows any emotion in his presence, and thus many secrets are safe with him."
Zuko felt like pinching the bridge of his nose, but he didn't want to let Nakki out of his sight. The practiced way in which the spirit was telling his story made Zuko suspect there was a storytelling culture, a routine, behind the words. The telling was consistent, but also calculated. Although this kind of information on the spirit world (if it was true) could turn out to be useful to Zuko later, the Prince tried to look as unimpressed as possible to make Nakki hurry with the story, and possibly tell the tale differently, and reveal more than the spirit had originally intended. It was a long shot, sure, but it never hurt to try.
"Let me guess: you have such a phenomenal poker face that you decided to go and face the Face Stealer, and returned victorious. I still don't see what all this has to do with Zhao, though."
If Nakki was angered by Zuko's dubious attitude, it didn't show. Quite possibly, the spirit was used to people disbelieving his tales.
"Koh and I have met. Once. I think he thought us carved out of the same wood, since we both like riddles, change faces like others change shirts, and are somewhat... amoral. Though, from a human point of view, most spirits lack a sense of right and wrong. However, although Koh and I have both taken an unusually great interest in the affairs of the physical world, we soon realized we didn't really see eye to eye on anything else, and parted ways quickly."
"Us not getting along might have had something to do with him seeing me as a potential lackey, whereas I, well, let's just say I have problems with authorities. The most important reason for our distaste for one another was, undoubtedly, our fundamental differences in opinion, for the difference between him and me is as great as the difference between stealing faces and borrowing them."
For a moment, Nakki looked like he was lost in memory. Without his usual, carefully placed mask of indifference or cruel amusement, he looked surprisingly scared and vulnerable; almost human, despite his ethereal skin, sharp teeth, and angular facial features.
The relapse was only momentary, as the spirit resumed his usual nonchalant attitude, but, presuming Nakki wasn't just messing with him and was genuinely upset by memories related to the Face Stealer, it did make Zuko wonder, what had really taken place between Nakki and Koh. If the two were enemies, it might explain why the river spirit was so eager to share information with Zuko. Being used as a pawn in a game between two spirits really wasn't the worst possible reason why Nakki was being so nice to him all of a sudden, but Zuko decided to refrain from making presumptions. Too early for that.
Nakki noticed Zuko sizing him up, and continued speaking: "But, I digress, for how I feel about Koh isn't important to this story. What is important, on the other hand, is that some odd thousand years ago, Koh wrote a scroll. This is a noteworthy occasion, for the Face Stealer is not known for parting with information of his own free will too often. Not without a price, anyway.
"Not many know of Koh's secret scroll's existence, and of those few, only one has ever seen what the scroll holds. That one is the Knowledge Spirit, Wan Shi Tong, and this is the part where Zhao comes in. There are many speculations on what untold secrets Koh's scroll imparts with, the most common being that it describes some of the first waterbending katas; moves of incredible power, or so it is believed. Since it is a known fact that Wan Shi Tong is interested in all styles of waterbending, the theory certainly has some merit. However, my own theory is that the scroll reveals the whereabouts of the Ocean and the Moon.
"This is only a theory, since I have never seen the scroll in person. Wan Shi Tong keeps it in his library, here, in the physical world, where spirits do not often venture. I should, perhaps, explain that most spirits are nowhere near as curious beings as humans are. Uncovering secrets just because it would be an interesting pastime just does not happen. That is probably the reason why the Knowledge Spirit chose to locate his vast treasure trove of knowledge here in the first place, and open his doors to humans, hoping they would appreciate his contribution more than the spirits do.
"There is something you should know about Wan Shi Tong. He appreciates knowledge more than anything else, and sometimes even prides himself as being all-knowing. But he doesn't much care what people do with the knowledge he has put on display for anyone to see. His calling is to collect, preserve, and spread knowledge, heedless of consequences. Although, after a certain firebender destroyed and entire section of his library, in an attempt to eradicate information that could be used to hurt the Fire Nation, the Owl Spirit has been considerably more skirmish about letting humans into his precious library. These days, he focuses primarily on hoarding information rather than sharing it. I think, he is finally starting to see that the most common reason people have for seeking knowledge is the wish to wage war more effectively."
Zuko narrowed his eyes. "And that firebender was Zhao." It was more a statement than a question, really.
"So I have heard. Rumor also has it that, ever since his visit to Wan Shi Tong's library, all those years ago, Zhao has boasted he does not fear the spirits. I think this is not just because he was able to fool He-who-knows-ten-thousand-things. My theory is that Zhao has read Koh's scroll, and knows the long-forgotten location of the Ocean and the Moon, and that our dear Admiral intends to exploit this information to defeat the Northern Water Tribe."
Sounds like everyone has a secret plan but me. Great.
Nakki remained quiet after that, though he was smiling victoriously like a cat-hawk that had just brought a dead rodent to his owner, obviously expecting praise for a job well done.
Zuko frowned. Nakki had to be leaving something out. "That's all? You went through the trouble of finding me, and getting me to come to your secret meeting, to tell me a mixture of legend and rumor, with very few useful suggestions?"
Nakki's smile lessened considerably, and when he spoke, he sounded quite offended under his usual laughter. "I'm not sure you grasp the significance of this information. If something should happen to the spirits, the repercussions would be massive. They would affect the physical world and spirit world, alike. Whatever Zhao's plans regarding the spirits may be, if there is even the slightest change that the Moon, the Ocean, or quite possibly both, will be put in mortal danger, someone must stop Zhao."
Zuko frowned. "Surely, not even Zhao could be so dumb as to play around with that kind of stakes."
"Surely, you say, but how sure are you, really?"
Not as sure as I'd like to be. Certainly not sure enough to ignore this. Zuko could see Nakki's point now. "Very well. I thank you for bringing this matter to my attention. That said, what's your angle? Why are you handing out spirit secrets so freely?"
"Isn't it obvious? I'm not sure what would happen, if one of the more powerful spirits of the universe died, but I cannot imagine it would be anything pleasant. For any of us."
"Still. You could have just told me that important spirits are in danger. Instead, you parted with a long and detailed story. Every other spirit I have met has been skittish at best when it comes to answering direct questions. It makes one wonder, what is the price on your sudden helpfulness."
Nakki smiled to himself, like laughing at a joke only he could hear. "You are not entirely wrong in thinking that I had another reason in telling you all this. First, though, you should perhaps know that I am not particularly rule-abiding, or loyal to other spirits. I have no moral scruples over snitching on my colleagues.
"Also, if I dupe you into intervening, I should probably also give you the heads up by naming, which spirits' toes you'll be stepping on in the process. Most spirits have no opinion on you, one way or another, just like most spirits have no strong opinion on humankind, particularly, but there are some that fear you will meddle with their plans, and will be most unpleased if you do."
"And you are different from these other spirits who mean me harm, how, exactly?" Zuko challenged, lifting an eyebrow.
Nakki humphed. "It is not me you should be worried about. I am small game. You could think of me more as your informant on the matters of the spirit world, and one of the very few spirits you can trust."
"I don't trust you."
"And I was not confused into thinking you did. I was talking hypothetically. See, the reason you shouldn't trust most spirits is that most spirits don't want the same things you do. They don't care about your life, the lives of your people, or the human race. Most spirits only care about their own, niche areas of interest, usually a particular place or happening. The only opinion they have on humans is that they like humans who look after their special place or event, and hate humans who work against it, whether unwittingly or on purpose. That does create a considerable conflict of interest between you and most of spirit kind, wouldn't you say?"
"But not with you?" Zuko asked dubiously. "I get what you're saying: I should trust you, because you, unlike most spirits, aren't indifferent to humans. Which is true. The first time we met, you yourself said you didn't care for people. Am I now supposed to believe you've changed your mind?"
Nakki smiled. "I remember that conversation very well. Perhaps I should remind you that, my exact words were, more or less: 'I care equally little for people of fire and water alike.' So, I only said I felt equal amount of concern for people from both nations, which really is the same thing as saying I care equally lot for people from both nations. I certainly did not claim not to care about people at all. The reality of the matter is that I think people are curious and lively beings, and I adore them for it. However, I could not tell you so then and there. Wrong spirits might have been listening, and might have taken offense."
"Like who? Koh? Wan Shi Tong? The spirits who don't care about humanity."
"The spirits who are indifferent to humanity, are not the real problem. The ones who want to save the world, are the ones you should really be worried about."
"You just like sounding cryptic, don't you?"
Nakki smiled lopsidedly, though Zuko could tell he was tiring. "There are spirits who want to save the world, and there are spirits who want to save humankind, and I assure you, the difference is more than just rhetorics. Or need I remind you that the human race is mostly responsible for the turmoil and unbalance that has plagued the physical world, and, in extension, the Spirit World, for a hundred years now? If you were a spirit who cares about the realm of the living and wishes to restore balance, wouldn't your next logical step be to wipe out mankind?"
Zuko straightened himself. "Why all of mankind? Surely they cannot hold everyone responsible for hundred-year-old crimes?"
"The spirits, apart from the World Spirit, don't often make much distinction between different people's of the world. Prince Zuko, a word of advice: when you are dealing with spirits, be wary of any spirit that claims to want to save the world, for that is an unusually strong opinion for a spirit to have, and never presume they care about preserving humans unless they specifically tell you they do. Keep in mind that, although most spirits do not wish all of humanity wiped out, they also have not lifted a finger when humanity has been trying to wipe itself out."
"Let me guess: Wan Shi Tong and Koh fall to the category of spirits who want to save the world, and that is why you told me this story?"
Nakki nodded. "Sort of. Wan Shi Tong is antisocial at best, and considers humankind his enemy at worst, but it is Koh you should truly be worried about. Many spirits mistakenly think Koh to be vain, and only interested in widening his morbid collection, but never forget he is clever, interested in affairs of men, and always has a reason for the things he does. It is no wonder that, although Koh rarely leaves his hideout, he is still remembered and feared by humans. Spirits who meddle with humans, and even Avatars, are always feared, and even hated. I should know."
"Koh gave that scroll to Wan Shi Tong on purpose, knowing the cavalier Knowledge Spirit would never refuse a new addition to his collection, no matter how dangerous the information it held. Koh meant for the scroll to be found by a human, as a way to promote the end of humankind without playing too obvious a role in it. Because if there is one rule among spirits, it is that we should not meddle too much in the affairs of the physical world in matters that are none of our business, or in pursuit of personal agendas. If one spirit is too active, the others will get jealous and intervene. That is why those of us who love to meddle need to go about it in a roundabout way."
Zuko huffed. "I wouldn't call arranging a secret midnight meeting to share information with a human avery subtle way of influencing the physical world."
Nakki laughed. "True. That is why I needed to make sure it was a surprising move to you, and anyone else who might be watching. You see, if there is one thing I am especially good at, it is exploiting loopholes. I am not even sure if you knew this, but I am supposed to be a small-time river spirit. However, do you see any rivers around? And yet, here I am."
Zuko had wondered about Nakki's flexible relocations earlier, and had already figured what was the likely reason. "Water moves in a cycle."
"Exactly!" Nakki said, appearing truly delighted Zuko was following his train of thought. "Originally, when in the physical world, I was supposed to be limited only to rivers or close to them, and could only wander on dry land as far as the spring floods reached every year. However, why should the same water that runs through rivers suddenly become poison to me, when it reaches ocean? There are currents in the ocean as well, and under ground, and even inside glaciers. And rainwater, or melting snow from snowcapped peaks? Are these not the things rivers are made of?"
Zuko was surprised that Nakki would fall into the traditional trap of boasting about his powers, while, at the same time, revealing his limitations, but the Prince had nothing particularly against this turn of conversation. On the contrary. "Are you trying to say that you can draw power from any water? And the other spirits are okay with this, although you are stepping on their territory?"
"Well, no. I cannot draw strength from just any water. Though I am at my strongest while in my natural habitat. The loopholes have merely allowed me flexibility when it comes to traveling around the physical world. The other spirits don't have to like it, but they can not intervene, because I am a river spirit; water is always looking for the path of least resistance, and rivers affect their surrounding areas, and sometimes even relocate altogether, so, a certain amount of flexibility is in my nature.
"What truly limits spirits is their own, limited personality and lack of imagination. Humans are bound by morality and honor, whereas spirits are bound by rules. Unlike humans, who can forge their own destinies, spirits are expected to behave a certain way that represents their limited area of expertise. However, so long as I can defend my deeds by calling them a part of my essence, I am not, technically, breaking any rules.
"After I finally found a way to bend the rules, it has mostly been a matter of getting other spirits and humans accustomed to my behavior. When I first started meddling in human affairs, the other spirits were not happy about it. However, my actions were so random that there appeared to be no particular agenda I was after, other than keeping people on their toes, like a good river spirit ought to. To remind humans to be humble when faced with the unpredictable and deadly forces of nature. Since then, the others have grown quite accustomed to my erratic behavior, shrugging it off as 'such a Nakki thing to do'.
"This is also, in part, the reason why I don't correct people when they call me a water spirit, which is actually a general category for a whole bunch of spirits, or if they call me a trickster spirit; those definitions, even if vague or even incorrect, leave me with more room to maneuver in, while staying within people's presumptions of what a spirit like me should do. You might even say that the greatest trick I ever played on the world was making them think inconsequential tricks is all I am capable of. Or interested in."
Zuko nodded. "So long as the pattern behind your deeds is too complicated to be identified, you can do just about anything without angering the other spirits."
But why are you telling me all this?
"Exactly. So long as I do not do anything too big, But, how could I, anyway? I am not particularly powerful, as spirits go. Even when I have information that others do not, it does little good to me if I don't have the power to act upon it. Hence, I am looking for allies, which brings us to our meeting.
"Even if I help you, no spirit can accuse me of showing favoritism to you. Not after I have attacked you not once but twice. I have also helped Zhao in the past, so would it not be hilariously inconsistent of me to side with you against the Admiral next?"
Zuko narrowed his eyes. "Twice?"
Nakki shrugged. "You were bound to find out about my involvement in the destruction of your ship eventually, so it is perhaps better we get it out of the..."
In one quick motion, Zuko pushed Nakki against the ice wall of the alley, created a fire dagger, and placed it against Nakki's throat. "Give me one good reason", the Prince stated in a surprisingly even voice.
The spirit gulped for air, quickly saying: "If we can put the... unfortunate mistakes of the past behind us, I will help you stop the invasion."
Zuko was dead serious. "You nearly killed me."
"Exactly. Nearly. And with fire, of all things. Dragons are almost impervious to heat. You can fly and you can swim; I figured your odds were all right."
"You know that you haven't given me any reason to think you won't try to kill me again the moment I turn my back on you", Zuko pointed out, and placed the dagger a little closer to Nakki's throat. This spirit sure liked the sound of his own voice, but if he knew what was good for him, he would try make his point with fewer words.
Nakki looked slightly worried, but then again he had looked worried earlier that day, too, and that had been an act. Zuko did not presume to have the upper hand here. This guy could be slick.
I should just get rid of him right here and now.
But Zuko knew he wouldn't. Despite his anger, despite that he knew he was likely to pay dearly for his soft-heartedness, Zuko sighed and backed down, dissipating the fire.
There was little point in making threats that were not credible, not when both probably recognized them for the cheap talk they were. The only thing to be gained from further shows of aggression would be the fire from the dagger bringing unwanted attention raining down on them.
He would not kill Nakki tonight, and not just because he wasn't sure spirits could be killed.
Well, if the Moon and Ocean can be, maybe all spirits are vulnerable in this world. That is something to consider later.
Nakki rubbed his throat absently, looking quite thoughtful. Eventually he opened his mouth, closed it again, then finally looked Zuko in the eye and said: "I may have had that coming."
"You think?"
Nakki nodded once, the irony apparently lost on him.
Zuko sighed: "You... You blew up my ship. My ship. Even if you weren't trying to kill me (and that is a big if), it is still something I cannot just put behind me."
Nakki looked up again. "Oh."
Zuko was a little dubious at the emotionless surprise in Nakki's voice. There was no way this guy was this clueless. Still, Zuko would put it plainly: "I cannot trust you and I most certainly have no intentions of working with you. If you know what is good for you, you will leave right now, and you will leave me and the people I care about alone."
Nakki bit his lip. "But..."
"No buts." Zuko's temper was only just under control.
"But", Nakki went on anyway, "would it not be better if I told you why I am so interested in all this? What my angle is?"
"No", Zuko said, exasperated , "That would not be enough."
Nakki was quiet for a while. "But I told you so much. And all true (and that is unusual for me)."
Zuko just stared. Words weren't his strongest suit, but maybe his scary dragon stare worked on spirits as well as men.
Nakki turned around, but wasn't apparently done talking. "You will think about my offer." He sounded as if there was no question about it. "You need not agree to anything right now, for my offer stands for as long as there is anything either of us can do to stop the invasion."
"What could you do to stop the invasion?" Zuko asked. He just wanted to make sure the spirit wasn't bluffing.
Nakki looked at him again. "Nothing. Nothing at all. Not alone I can. That is why I am on the lookout for allies."
Zuko still couldn't make heads or tails about his assailant. Frustrated, he asked: "Why? Why would you want to help?"
For the first time during the whole conversation, Nakki looked taken aback by a question, and also appeared to truly be weighing his answer. Eventually the spirit said: "I am complicated. More complicated than you know. Suffices to say I have my reasons, and I feel strongly about this."
"Which side are you on? Really?"
Nakki smiled winsomely at that: "Why, on the side of humanity, of course."
Zuko opened his mouth to protest, but Nakki wasn't done talking: "You will think about my offer. If you think of some way to stop an armada on your own, you will do that, but if you can think of something... anything I could be of assistant with, don't hesitate to ask."
Nakki was already leaving, rather sliding than walking away, when Zuko begrudgingly added: "I don't know how to contact you."
Nakki smiled brightly, and Zuko held up a finger: "No. This does not mean that I am considering your offer. Just... You seem to always know where I am, but how do I find you?"
The spirit looked up: "Well, I will be here and there, but around, nonetheless, waiting for the invasion. I will be keeping an eye on you, so maybe I'll just stop by for a chat."
Zuko shook his head. "I cannot have you drawing suspicion to... to Kulo."
"Don't worry. I can be sneaky", the water spirit assured him, but Zuko wasn't convinced. He had a feeling Nakki overestimated his own subtleness constantly. Just because people didn't notice a spirit staring them in the face didn't mean Nakki was the sneakiest person of all time. Subtle only when compared to other spirits.
Zuko thought about repeating his demand that Nakki stay away, but was certain the spirit would take his order as advice at best, and would come anyway. And since Nakki was keeping an eye on him, Zuko would rather keep an eye on the spirit right back.
Zuko watched keenly at the tall being walking away. Against Zuko's expectations, Nakki did not disappear in a puff of smoke. Instead the retreating form of the water spirit gradually disappeared into the distance, and eventually behind a building.
Zuko sighed. He had a bad feeling about this. Granted, a sense of foreboding had become a constant companion for him ever since he'd learned of the plans to conquer the Northern Tribe, but this latest turn of events was doing nothing to alleviate his worry. There were far too many men and spirits alike taking an interest in him and in this invasion. With so many people meddling, there was no way this could all end well.
Zuko knew he should head back to his building, but should he do so as a dragon or a human? He had snuck this far on foot, and it was good to practice his ninja skills. Also, no one had seen Kulo leave his igloo to begin with, and they might not take well to having the friendly dragon sneaking around after dark.
On the other hand, he might get home safer and faster via air.
Home.
Zuko stopped in his tracks. He could hardly believe his own slip-up. Home is a faraway, unreachable place. This is just a location I am staying in, and it could hardly be a further thing from home.
Zuko decided to walk, mostly because the transformation itself was so damn flashy. He had gotten this far and had no intentions of blowing up his cover now. Unlike Nakki, Zuko couldn't just invent a new one at every turn. He was only Zuko and Kulo and the Blue Spirit... Okay, maybe he wasn't really proving his point here, but whatever.
Zuko couldn't solve all his problems by inventing a new secret identity.
He made his way slowly and carefully, sticking to the shadows and the roofs, although he probably could have just walked down the streets. There were even fewer people around now than what there had been on the way here. It was unnerving that despite being somewhat a metropolitan, the Capital of the Water Tribe had less guards patrolling its streets than most Earth Kingdom towns he'd been to. Living in such isolation, the locals couldn't even consider the possibility of intruders.
At least making his way back slowly gave Zuko a change to reflect on his situation. He had seriously hoped that whatever information the water spirit provided, it would help him put together a plan. An actual plan, not just a I'll-fly-there-and-see-how-it-goes plan.
Nakki's information had made it clear that the stakes were even higher than Zuko had realized, but other than that, the secret meeting had been pretty useless to him.
Looked like Zuko was on his own on this one.
Option one: Kill Zhao.
Despite Zuko's ninja training, he wasn't a big fan of assassination. Although it was sometimes necessary, it was certainly not the most fair or honorable way to go about defeating your enemy. Also, Zuko doubted he really had it in him to murder someone in cold blood. His and Zhao's Agni Kai at the Halti village was proof of that: Zuko had had his change to get rid of Zhao there and then, but hadn't taken it.
Also, even if Zuko had it in him to kill Zhao and managed to somehow sneak up on him, there was still no way the next guy in the chain of command would call the whole thing off.
All in all, option one had very little to recommend it.
Option two: Capture the Avatar.
Zuko shook his head, although the irony wasn't lost on him. The Fire Nation was coming here right now because they wanted to capture the Avatar, but for the Navy to have been able to put together a fleet this size this quickly, there must have been plans in the making even before Aang knew he was coming here. Also, the armada wasn't here for just one kid.
Even if I captured the Avatar, Zhao would not stop there. Option three...?
Zuko was out of ideas. The previous two were really bad, but they would at least have some effect on the battle. There were a very limited number of things one man could do that would have any effect on the general outcome of a seemingly inevitable battle between sworn enemies.
What did Zuko even want the outcome of the battle to be?
Zuko wasn't a traitor, but even he could see that the Fire Nation pulling back (aka loosing) was the only option that could end in anything but utter bloodshed.
Option three: Talk Zhao down from his mad idea, and convince him to call the whole thing off.
Would Zhao actually care about the spirits, the balance of the world and all that? Even if the Admiral could get past the fact that he hated Zuko and would take advice from him seriously, would Zuko even be telling Zhao anything the Admiral didn't already know? Or cared about?
In all honesty, even Zuko was more concerned about the human lives that would be lost in the upcoming battle than those of the spirits. Uncle may disagree, but to Zuko, human affairs were more immediate and manageable. Let the Avatar worry about the Spirits.
Option four: Go to the Avatar with everything I know.
Zuko thought about it for all of three seconds before dismissing the idea. There was no way the gang wouldn't attack him on sight, and they would never listen to him or believe him. Also, if the Avatar had some awesome plan, Zuko would know about it by now. The kid wasn't exactly sneaky.
The Avatar should perhaps be warned about the threat to the Spirit World just out principle, but other than that, Zuko doubted Aang knew how to handle the situation any better than he did.
No matter what Zuko thought off, it all boiled down to either Aang or Zhao. Mostly to Zhao. The Admiral seemed to be the only one in a position to save the situation, but unfortunately Zhao was set on his course of action, and was highly unlikely to have a change of heart...
Zuko stopped, and felt like slapping himself, either for not considering this plan before, or because he was considering it now.
It would be madness to get rid of one delusional warmonger just to replace him with the most untrustworthy spirit of all time. Not that it would probably even work. Zhao was an important man, he was surely guarded all times, so any attempt at a change would be noticed immediately. In fact, if any suspicion about Zhao's true identity was raised, his underlings would be more than a little dubious about their leader's sudden hundred and eighty.
Zuko couldn't trust Nakki, and even if he could have, he had no idea how to get Nakki in a position to... dispose of the real admiral quietly. Except... Uncle.
Iroh was right by Zhao's side, almost as if they had planned to do this all along. If anyone could help Nakki pull off a scheme like this, it would be Uncle. Nakki couldn't probably take Zhao on in a fight, but Iroh could. Then Uncle could imprison and hide the Admiral while Nakki took his place.
Uncle could also offer a second opinion to back up Zhao's 'new tactic'. The others might still not buy it, but it would certainly create disarray. Also, mutiny onboard a ship was one of the greatest crimes. Even if Zhao's underlings were absolutely convinced that the Admiral was either a traitor or had lost his mind, or worse, had unexpectedly chosen the wretched path of pacifism, they would think twice before openly opposing him. They still might, but Zuko would just have to cross that bridge if he ever got even close to it.
There was still the matter of trusting Nakki to play his part, but at least Uncle could keep an eye on the spirit. Also, even if Nakki would not play ball, how much damage could the river spirit really cause during his short reign as the Admiral of Fire Navy? Probably not more than Zhao could...
And what if Nakki decided he liked his new job and wouldn't let it up peacefully? Well, Uncle could always out him, and even if Nakki told people of Iroh's own involvement, it would be a classic 'he said, she said' -situation, where Iroh would have a better standing because he actually was who he claimed to be, was human and the first to speak up.
Nakki could not bend, nor did he have the memories of the people he impersonated. The impostor would be found out pretty quickly, no matter what else transpired. In the best case scenario that would be on the way home, at which point Nakki was unlikely to want to stick around to shoulder the blame anyway. On the other hand, if the spirit was found out earlier, there would not be a chance for him to stick around. Either way the risk of putting an evil spirit in Zhao's shoes indefinitely was next to non-existent.
If this worked, there would indeed be blame to go around with it. Zhao would be completely ruined. Even if the Admiral could prove that he had been deceived, and that he had not given the ridiculous orders, Zhao would still be at fault for letting himself be outwitted by an old man and a spirit, in the process causing the Fire Nation a great defeat. Indeed, Zhao may not thank them for sparing his life, even if they were able to do that, if the alternative was to live with the shame of letting an old man, a boy and a small-time spirit outplay him.
Uncle would be in a lot of trouble as well. Even if he claimed ignorance of the changeling, Zhao could set the record straight. Unless we kill the real admiral, of course.
Iroh would be accused of treason, which was the most unfair thing of all time. Uncle was not a traitor.
Though if Iroh was given a choice, he would help Zuko even when it meant going against his nation. Hell, he would do it in any case if it were the right thing to do, and right now it is. Politics and nationalities aside, Zhao may intend to threaten, maybe even kill, the Moon and the Ocean. Stopping him is the Right Thing to Do.
So maybe Uncle is a traitor. I am too, for even considering things. It just isn't that black and white anymore. Maybe it never was.
There was about a hundred things that could go wrong with this plan. Even if the plan was a complete success, all parties involved would probably end up paying a hefty price for their treason (except of course Nakki, who was unallied and thus inherently incapable of treason). And even so.
This is a very bad plan... but it is the best bad plan I have.
Besides, at such early stages, it didn't really matter whether the plan would or could even work or not. At this point Zuko just had to find a way to send word to Uncle about his idea, and ask for his advice, since Zuko would not go through with this thing if Iroh thought it doomed to fail. He would most likely not go through with this plan, that is.
In the meanwhile, Zuko could try to learn more about his mysterious 'benefactor'. If Nakki was to play an integral part in his plan, Zuko would need some kind of reassurances that he could be trusted. Or he would at least need any reason at all to think there was any chance in hell that Nakki might come through for them.
Still, looks like I am moving ahead with option five: Operation Changeling.
Zuko couldn't help but feel that his life had been more simple when all he had to worry about was getting home by capturing an incredibly powerful, possibly non-existent master of four bendings.
()()()
A/N
Thank you for all the encouraging reviews. I am well, thank you for asking, I have just been very busy with work and school. There is a lot of dialogue in this chapter, and we recap a bunch of stuff from the show, but also learn more of what my take on the spirit world is like. Not all of this stuff is canon.
I would like to leave a note here for Su No Yo, since you left an interesting and long review, but I can't PM you: Your speculations and suggestions were entertaining to read. I don't want to spoil the plot, but I can say that you are on the right track as far as your guesses for future plot developments go. Let's just say that I wholeheartedly agree with your sentiment that Zuko could have more friends on his life.