"Our scouts have brought us equally disconcerting news" How said. "We have received word that Long Feng's forces are assembling near General Fong's base, armed with the weapons and armor they have stolen from our soldiers and bases. We believe, that with General Fong's base under his control, Long Feng's army will have adequate supplies and soldiers to…"
"Yes General?" the King said impatiently.
"…to attack Ba Sing Se, my liege" How completed.
The King stood absolutely still. "…You…you are certain?" he asked quietly.
"It all fits" How said. "He has been recruiting Earthbenders and fighters from our most heavily populated and decimated areas, he captured Tyro's mining village to use its metal and coal, he has been stealing our weapons, supplies and soldiers…"
"My own men turned against me?!" shouted the King angrily. Aang had never heard such rage in his voice.
"Some of them, those who didn't were either killed or fled. Most of the highest-ranking officials remained loyal to you sir, and were killed."
"Why would any of my soldiers turn against me?!"
"I suspect some of them agree with Long Feng. Though you have nothing to fear of us; the military of Ba Sing Se remains loyal to you, Your Highness, now and always."
The King did not seem even slightly comforted. "How do we know Long Feng can take control of Fong's base?"
"He has hundreds of soldiers at his command. In the last four months he has conquered nearly the entire west coast of the Earth Kingdom, save for Omashu" said How.
Aang's heart leapt at this. The King of Omashu, Bumi was one of Aang's oldest friends. "Why not Omashu? It has many weapons and resources" asked General Sung.
"It is of little strategic value to Long Feng, being so heavily fortified and so far away from Ba Sing Se. The effort and men it would require to overthrow King Bumi would cost Long Feng much more than he would gain by conquering it so he most likely plans to leave it alone…for now."
Aang felt great relief at this. His friend was safe.
"Can we send troops to aid General Fong?" suggested the King.
"We have already sent some reinforcements but it will take them weeks to get there, plus we can spare no more. We need to focus on preparing Ba Sing Se to defend itself against Long Feng's army if General Fong's men do not succeed in stopping him" How explained.
"Are you certain it will come to civil war General?" the King asked hopelessly.
"If General Fong does not stop them…then yes, I believe that will be what it will consume to" said the General.
"Civil war" the King said exhaustedly as he rubbed his forehead. "That hasn't happened to our country since the days of Chin the Conqueror!"
It didn't help that this situation was remarkably similar to the War of Chin the Conqueror, where a tyrannical radical used the unpopular rule of a reigning Earth King as his campaign to take control of the entire nation, and were it not for the interference of Avatar Kyoshi, he would have succeeded.
Aang rose. "Don't worry Your Majesty" he proclaimed. "I stopped civil war from consuming this country in a past life and I'll do it again in this one. The best way to stop an army is to get rid of its leader. I'm going to find Long Feng and I'll bring him back here to finally stand trial!"
"Pardon me Aang, but how exactly are you going to find Long Feng?" asked the Earth King.
"I've been following his trail for four months now" explained Avatar. "I've been following the movements of his army and his agents as closely as possible. I've heard rumors of his location and I think I'll be able to find him soon enough."
"Do you require assistance?"
"No. I can travel much faster and much more inconspicuously by myself. Having an army following me would just help alert Long Feng of when I was coming."
"I see. So, you will attempt to capture Long Feng. Meanwhile what remains of the military will prepare to engage the Laogai forces and to protect Ba Sing Se."
"Yes sir, Your Majesty" Aang said standing and bowing.
Iroh sat alone in his apartment in Ba Sing Se. He was thinking quietly to himself. It was that day; the birthday. It always seems like that for him birthdays were just occasions to remember how many people he had lost. Only this time it was not the birthday of Lu Ten, his late son who Zuko named his son after, it was the birthday of his younger brother Ozai, who had died four months ago.
He remembered clearly in his head the last time they had spoken.
It was a warm sunny day, though Iroh couldn't tell that from the inside of the prison. He had been welcomed in by the guards and politely escorted to his brother's cell. He saw it as ironic that the prison whose walls once had held him now incarcerated his brother.
The guards had left him alone to speak to Ozai privately. "Hello Ozai" he said as politely as possible.
"As if my day wasn't bright and shining enough, now I have received a visit from my backstabbing older brother" the former Fire Lord scoffed.
"I know that after the way things turned out you must have mixed feelings about seeing me…"
"My feelings are as clear as your belly is wide Iroh!" shouted Ozai. "Who would have ever guessed that at the conclusion of this war that I would be the one locked away to forever rot in a hellhole of a prison while you were peacefully manage a teashop in the heart of the nation that you once swore to destroy while my worthless son reigned as Fire Lord?!"
Iroh was not at all surprised by this outburst; in fact, he would have been if Ozai didn't have one. "Look…I'm not happy the way things ended between us…" Iroh began.
"Is there a reason you're here?" Ozai snapped before Iroh could complete his thought. "…I just want to talk."
"If you want to talk to someone, then go talk to my pathetic wretch of a son." "Why do you talk about your own son in such a way?"
"He overthrew me and locked me in this…"
"It started long before this. You know that, Ozai. Why have you always favored one child so strongly over the other? It's not fair to Zuko."
"Fair?!" Ozai flared up, as if that very word offended him. "I'll tell you what isn't fair; being the second born son your parents have by accident while their oldest son is already a famous war hero and being forced to eternally live in his shadow, knowing that you will never be crowned Fire
Lord, no matter how many times you prove yourself superior to him!"
"So…that is it" Iroh said, sounding intellectually satisfied. "You see Zuko as like me, the older brother born with his destiny of success planned out for him, and Azula as you, the younger child who would never be given a chance, even if she was vastly superior to her brother, and so you do what you always wish our father did with us."
"Perhaps, I've never given it that much thought to be honest" Ozai said casually, shrugging off the mistreatment of his son as a minor detail.
"And yet in spite of all that Zuko has still always loved you" Iroh said calmly. "He's worthless," said Ozai.
"He overthrew your crowned jewel Azula" Iroh pointed out.
Ozai took this blow easily. "Perhaps he had some unused value that I failed to see. This was my one mistake with him, other than not killing him when I had the chance" he said.
Iroh seethed with rage at this comment but kept a level head. "You once strived to be a good father, Ozai. I haven't forgotten those wonderful days on Ember Island and neither has Zuko" he said.
"You didn't want to shove your family aside in the greedy quest for the satisfaction of your lust of power, it was just an unavoidable side effect?" Iroh said, his contempt leaking through.
"That is one way of looking at it I suppose. They were distractions from the goal."
"…Yes. Well…Ozai, I know you will most likely carry your hatred of me the rest of your life…" "Damn right."
"…however, I came to say…family is once again all you have. You have been stripped of all your power, including your Firebending. Zuko, he still loves you. You have learned the hard way that your path failed, your daughter lost her mind, your wife left you, and your son overthrew you. You can never reclaim your old life, but perhaps you can find some small measure of happiness."
"How?" Ozai snapped. Though he was angry, he seemed curious.
"Zuko is the only path to redemption ahead of you, you know that as well as I. He still loves you, despite everything you have done, even despite his scar." Iroh suggested.
"Are you done?" asked Ozai.
"Yes, I am" Iroh said as he stood up and opened the door to leave. "Goodbye Ozai."
Iroh pondered these last two words carefully. 'Goodbye Ozai', it seemed fitting that those were the
last words he ever said to him.