Dao and the Freedom Fighters

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟖 - 𝐏𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐭 𝐋𝐚𝐬𝐭

Third Person POV:

Aang didn't wait for the Fire Nation man to stop talking before running out of the room and out of the hidden tunnels. Sure he was leaving Dao, but he was like 99% sure that the Fire Nation guy was legitimately Dao's father, so really what bad could happen if Dao stayed there. 

Aang was sure that Jet would understand. After all, Jet would probably be excited that Dao had found his family and that he wasn't actually alone.

Aang flew down to the center of the capital city where the invasion force had rounded up the Fire Nation soldiers. Aang landed hard in the middle of the whole situation, soldiers clashing all around him.

"Everyone, please stop fighting!"

Aang was pleasantly surprised that everyone actually listened to him, even the Fire Nation soldiers. That could have been also the way his voice seemed to boom across the square, amplified by the wind and maybe just a touch of Avatar Roku's spirit coming through as well.

"We don't need to fight! I found the Firelord and she's willing to negotiate peace!"

"How can we be so sure this isn't a trap!" A voice came from far off. "What if the Firelord just plans to lure us in then destroy us?" Others perked up in agreement.

"As if our Firelord would do such a thing!" One of the Fire Nation soldiers shouted. "She has more honor than any of you."

The soldier's remark sparked a shouting match between the Fire Nation soldiers and all the others that present. This wasn't what Aang had wanted. He'd hoped the message would encourage the people that the Fire Nation would want this peace just as much as everyone else had. Instead it had sparked infighting with everyone; the exact opposite of what Aang had wanted.

"Quiet! The Firelord wasn't lying. The leaders want peace just as much as the rest of you." That did nothing to quiet the murmuring from both sides of the battle.

Nobody wanted to listen to him. Aang needed to find someone who would actually believe him, but the only other person who'd believed him was still at the palace. But the Freedom Fighters would believe him.

Aang quickly glided to Jet. "You have to help me convince everyone that this can end peacefully."

"How can you be so sure Aang? This is the Fire Nation we're talking about, you can never be too careful with them. We've all seen firsthand just what they can do."

"Dao was there with me! He heard everything I did and he believes them." Jet's gaze softened at the mention of Dao. He really had a soft spot for all those kids he'd taken in. However, concern quickly took over as his eyes darted around, probably looking for the young boy.

"Aang, where is Dao?"

Aang tentatively answered. "Still at the palace?"

And before he could even finish his sentence Jet was off, sprinting towards the palace. 

Maybe it had been a bad idea to leave Dao there, Aang thought as he followed after Jet. He heard some of his other allies following behind him. When they reached the palace, Jet was a good ways ahead of him, taking off through the royal gardens towards the man from earlier who had called Dao, 'Zuko.' Beside the man was a woman with a fire emblem like crown in her hair, probably the Firelord, and with them two children. One was clearly Dao and the other a little girl who resembled him greatly.

Aang hadn't even noticed that Jet had drawn his swords as he charged at the man.

---------------

When Ozai had told Ursa that the Avatar would be coming back, she didn't think he'd meant the boy was coming back with a small army. Neither had she expected one of the teenagers to nearly killed her husband when he saw Zuko standing with them. Ursa's heart had about stopped when Zuko intervened, jumping in the way of the boy with hooked swords.

Zuko calmed the older boy down with great ease. Sure he still glared at Ursa and Ozai, but now he'd at least put the swords down and was willing to listen to what they all had to say. 

Everyone gathered in the throne room, leaders and warriors from all around the world finally, after all these years gathered under one roof. The adults planned all sorts of further meetings. The Fire Nation's true intentions were shared now without having to worry of it seeming like these were just tricks.

King Kuei was the first to hear out Ursa, Chief Hakoda tentatively listening as well, but understandably suspicious. After all, after the people of the Air Nation, the Southern Water Tribe had been the most affected by the war. For decades Azulon had made it his mission to wipe out all the waterbending people of the South.

Peace wasn't going to be made in a day, but having the Avatar present certainly helped, even if said Avatar was a child and the last living airbender, but at least it was a start. For now it was agreed that the remaining Fire Nation troops were going to be redistributed to support the rebuilding of territories that had faced the worst under Azulon's tyranny. Over the course of the week, more meetings would be held to figure out exactly what needed to be done. The kids had managed to gather everyone together, so now it would be up to the adults to sort out the details.

Eventually the children were dismissed so that they didn't need to continue to sit through what would undoubtedly be another few hours of meetings between the world leaders. As the children left, Ursa watched the group of Earth Kingdom kids that Zuko had returned with swarm around him as they left. The boy with the hooked blades, whose name she'd learned was 'Jet' made somewhat of a show of guiding Zuko out of the room, away from the people he thought to be threats towards the makeshift little family they'd created.

As usual, Ursa stayed present throughout the rest of the meeting, answering questions and offering solutions to ways that could be the next step towards peace across the nations. However, she couldn't help but catch herself thinking about her son home once more. Her baby boy who'd been hurt so much at such a young age, and yet seemed to have come out stronger than ever before. How he'd gone from doing everything possible to avoid the other children her and Ozai had invited to the palace for him to play with to suddenly being surrounded by a whole group of children who loved him. 

However long it might take, Ursa hoped that one day Jet would be comfortable enough that she could give him a hug for all he'd done for her son.