Chapter Text
For historical accuracy, the coup d'état was Suki and Hakoda's idea, not Zuko's.
It started like this:
In hindsight, going to Uncle Iroh's cell after Zuko announced to his father that he was not going to listen to him and that he was going to join the Avatar was a really bad idea.
No wonder that after Ozai shot him with lightning bolts, which Zuko redirected, Ozai rightly assumed that Zuko intended to go to prison later.
It probably shouldn't have surprised him that when he left prison (where Uncle was no longer present, having apparently freed himself without his help), soldiers were waiting for him, unhappy with the news that their Prince had decided to become a traitor. And Azula, let's not forget Azula.
The fight was shorter than Zuko would ever admit.
And so, after several days, which Ozai used to show Zuko how dissatisfied he was with him (days that Zuko would rather not think about, and which left further scars on his body that he will probably never get rid of. Fortunately, Ozai, in his mercy, never touched his face), Ozai realized that keeping his son in the same prison from which Iroh had recently escaped might not be a good idea.
(perhaps it was also a matter of the fact that not everyone in the Fire Nation was happy with the conditions in which Ozai kept his son and successor)
(perhaps it was also because people were beginning to whisper and ask questions, and Ozai never liked it when questions were asked)
Anyway, it took Ozai several days to decide that the Boiling Rock would be the best place to keep his traitorous son.
(this would be one of his biggest mistakes, but Ozai was not yet aware of that)
Later, everything unfolded as follows:
The traitorous Fire Prince had the misfortune of catching the attention of a certain Kyoshi Warrior. It wasn't difficult. She recognized him immediately. How could she not recognize the person who burned her village?
(although no one had died, Suki was not going to forgive him so easily)
It didn't take Suki long to make contact with him. And although part of her wanted to beat him to a pulp for what had happened, she couldn't ignore certain facts:
- The Fire Prince was a prisoner and was clearly treated as a traitor.
- Everyone was talking about how he had tried to kill the Fire Lord.
- Some of the prisoners whispered secretly about the 41st Division and how Ozai was just looking for an excuse to get rid of his son.
- Although his clothes had long sleeves, they sometimes rolled up a little, and Suki was able to see new wounds.
And although Suki had no intention of trusting him and planned to remain suspicious of him for as long as necessary, she decided to put her plan to beat the Fire Prince black and blue on hold until she found out who he really was and what his intentions were.
It only took her two conversations with the Fire Prince to realize that:
- The Fire Prince was not a supporter of Fire Lord Ozai.
- It was Fire Lord Ozai who gave him that horrible scar on his face.
- In general, the Fire Lord was responsible for most of the wounds on his body.
- The Fire Prince was indeed a traitor because he opposed his father, wanted to end the war, and considered siding with the Avatar.
With this knowledge, the plan to beat him black and blue was postponed indefinitely.
Everything came to a head when Suki, Zuko, and Hakoda met.
Hakoda was sent to the Boiling Rock against his will. He was took to the Boiling Rock as the leader of the defeated army, those who tried to attack the capital but ultimately failed. His only consolation was that at least his children were free and ready to continue fighting.
(Hakoda would gladly spend the rest of his life in prison if it meant his children could be free)
The Chief of the Southern Water Tribe quickly realized that the Boiling Rock was not a place for everyone. And that's why his attention was quite captivated by two teenagers who were talking to each other, leaning toward each other and completely immersed in conversation.
There shouldn't be teenagers in the Boiling Rock.
And yet, here they were.
No wonder Hakoda decided to react quickly to find out who these kids were, what they were doing here, and why they were here.
When he heard their story, it didn't take him long to decide that neither of them could stay here any longer.
“Okay,” he said. “So we have to escape.”
They both looked at him as if he were crazy.
“We have to escape,” he repeated. “As soon as possible.”
“You can't escape from the Boiling Rock,” Zuko protested.
“We can do it,” Hakoda replied. “We're not just anyone. I'm the Chief of the Southern Water Tribe, Suki is the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors, and Zuko is the rightful heir to the Fire Nation throne.”
Hakoda blinked, processing what he had just said.
Suki blinked too.
Their eyes met.
“Exactly,” Suki said slowly. “Zuko is the rightful heir to the Fire Nation throne.”
“Exactly,” Hakoda said just as slowly.
Incredibly similar smiles began to appear on their lips.
Zuko looked from one to the other.
“What are you two up to?” he asked.
“Zuko,” Suki said, still smiling. “What are you thinking about becoming a Fire Lord?”
“What?”
“Exactly,” Hakoda nodded. “Why limit ourselves to escaping the Boiling Rock when we can stage a coup in the Fire Nation at the same time?”
Aaand that's how we ended up here: in the center of the Boiling Rock, where three people who should be enemies are now looking at each other.
“No,” Zuko says quickly. “This is incredibly stupid, this is incredibly risky–”
“Yes,” Suki interrupts him. “It will work. You'll see, it will work.”
“It won't work!”
“How can it not?!”
“It won’t!”
“Kids,” Hakoda interjects. “Calm down. One thing at a time. First, let's work out our escape plans. Then we'll think about how we can take control of the Fire Nation.”
“Why? Why?!” Zuko asks in an almost historical tone. “Why are you so fixated on taking control of the Fire Nation?”
“Because there are few of us,” Hakoda replies simply. “There are several ways to end a war, but two are the simplest. One side takes control of the battlefield, forcing the other side to surrender. Theoretically, this is what happened when the Fire Nation took Ba Sing Se. But there is also a second option. Both sides stop fighting and sit down for peace talks.”
“My father will never agree to that.”
“Ozai won't. But his successor might.”
“Azula would burn you all before she would sit down for peace talks.”
Suki glances meaningfully at Zuko.
“What don't you understand about ‘rightful heir to the Fire Nation throne’?”
“I'm in prison,” Zuko points out.
“That can be changed,” Suki says simply.
Hakoda nods.
Zuko, on principle, shakes his head.
“It won't work. I'm a traitor. Even if I took the throne, no one would follow me. And even if we managed to overthrow my father, no one would trust me if I took power with the help of foreigners.”
“First of all, we're not going after Ozai, we're going after Azula,” Suki says. “We'll leave Ozai to Aang. We'll make sure that you are his only successor.”
“Second,” Hakoda adds. “Have you forgotten where we are? We're in the Boiling Rock. How many of these prisoners do you think are here for political reasons?”
Answer: too many.
Within a week, a quarter of the prison is informed of the planned mass escape.
Three-quarters of the aforementioned quarter bow down before the Fire Prince without hesitation, seeing in him hope for the future. It is probably no coincidence that among them are several members of his crew (who, after surviving the massacre in the North, were held accountable for Zhao's failure) and those who protested more or less loudly against the exile of their Prince or supported his opposition to the sacrifice of the 41st division.
A quarter of the prison population is not informed about the planned escape and is not included in it, as everyone agrees that these are people who should spend the rest of their lives behind bars.
Another quarter of the prison knows that something is going to happen, but they don't know exactly what yet. These are the people who are considered potential collaborators.
The last quarter of the prison... well, no one knows what to do with them. So for now, no one is thinking about it.
The escape takes place a day earlier than originally planned.
This is due to the fact that Mai and Ty Lee show up at the prison.
Mai, because she wants to see her stupid ex-boyfriend.
(and maybe she intends to free him, because while he's an idiot, he's her idiot)
Ty Lee, because Mai is her friend.
(and perhaps she intends to help Mai, because Ty Lee doesn't like it when Mai is sad)
When they accidentally overhear the escape plans, Mai makes a decision for them by going to her uncle, the prison Warden. It doesn't take her long to convince him to cooperate.
(perhaps it's because Mai points knives at him, and the Warden doesn't like knives. Especially those pointed at him)
Anyway, soon after, the prison is almost completely under Mai's control.
It doesn't take Mai long to work with Suki, Hakoda, and Zuko to replace the guards with more loyal ones. Or simply replace the guards with prisoners. And the prisoners with guards.
With all the prison contacts and authorizations that normally only the Warden would have, it's not too hard to ask for one or two airships.
In just one day, a quarter of the prison population leaves, driven by a shared desire for freedom and change in their country.
(it shouldn't be that easy)
(but it is)
Over the next few weeks, prisons in the Fire Nation record a significant number of deaths among political prisoners.
The aforementioned dead political prisoners wake up the next day, greeted by the Kyoshi Warriors (summoned to the Fire Nation by their leader), members of the Southern Water Tribe (Hakoda was not going to let his people rot in prison while he was free), members of the Resistance, or Prince Zuko himself.
Really, it doesn't take long for the number of Resistance members to increase significantly.
Ozai does them all a favor when he proclaims himself the Phoenix King and decides that his daughter will be the Fire Lord.
(if Ozai had a little more time and focused a little less on the Earth Kingdom and more on his own country, he would realize that a rebellion is brewing within the Fire Nation)
(fortunately, Ozai doesn't notice this)
“Well,” Suki says. “So our task is simpler.”
“Simpler?!” Zuko asks incredulously. “My father just declared himself king of the world!”
“Yes, and his daughter's coronation is planned for seven days from now. So this is the perfect time for you to go to Azula, challenge her to an Agni Kai, and take the throne!”
“I can't defeat her! I've never been able to do it!”
“Then you must become stronger.”
“In seven days?!”
“Actually,” says Chit Sang, who is now one of Zuko's most ardent allies, second only to Jee, “we can change that.”
“Change it? How?” Zuko turns to him.
“I don't know,” Chit Sang shrugs. “Find the source of firebending and meditate on it?”
“That's an incredibly stupid idea,” Zuko says.
And so they end up on Sun Warriors Island, practicing ancient firebending techniques (no, it's not dancing, Suki! Ty Lee, don't try to join us!).
Of all people, with Chit Sang.
And with Jee.
Zuko has no idea why the dragons aren't burning them, but ok.
Their plan is pathetic in its simplicity.
Wait until Ozai leaves the capital, ready to burn the Earth Kingdom.
(leaving the capital is necessary in order to attempt to burn the Earth Kingdom)
Pray that the Avatar realizes he must defeat him and actually does so.
Go to the Fire Nation capital with your Resistance.
Take control of the palace.
(pathetically easy, considering Azula has banished most of the palace staff)
Don't let Azula be declared Fire Lord.
Challenge Azula to an Agni Kai.
Do not allow any outside forces to interrupt the fight.
Win the Agni Kai.
(bonus point: give Azula therapy, and reassure her that your betrayal was about Ozai, not her)
(bonus point number two: let Ty Lee hug Azula)
Become Fire Lord and, as Fire Lord, declare an end to the war.
(it shouldn't be that easy)
(it is)