Aftermath

"In truth, I fear for him, [...] If he can't bring the perpetrator to justice swiftly, the clans will no longer consider him fit to be Fire Lord."

— Chaejin informs Kyoshi while scheming to use Yun's attack as a means to take the throne from Zoryu.

"Aftermath"
Information
Novel	The Shadow of Kyoshi
Authors	F. C. Yee Michael Dante DiMartino
Chapter	10/27
Word count	2,725
From page	127
To page	136
Chapter guide
Previous	"The Crash"
Next	"The Ritual"

"Aftermath" is the tenth chapter of The Shadow of Kyoshi.

Overview

After Yun's attack on the palace, Kyoshi and Atuat heal the injured guards. Atuat uses a unique form of healing and Kyoshi asks her to eventually show her how to do it. The leader of the Fire Lord's personal security escorts Kyoshi to the throne room to speak with Zoryu and Chaejin. Zoryu shows how incompetent he is during stressful situations, so Kyoshi asks to speak with Chaejin privately. Kyoshi pretends to be on Chaejin's side in order to get information on his plan to take Zoryu's place as Fire Lord. Kyoshi eventually reveals her deception, so Chaejin warns her that Zoryu's removal is inevitable.

Synopsis

After Yun's attack, Kyoshi crawls toward the wounded people on the other side of the portrait room. Kyoshi reaches Chancellor Dairin's body and tries to stop the blood flow with her hands. Extra guards pour into the room and mourn the destruction of the Royal Gallery. Atuat arrives in the portrait room and begins to quickly examine each victim's injuries. Kyoshi asks why Atuat is not stopping to help them and she answers that since there are so many wounded, she has to triage who can still be saved. Kyoshi, who still holds Dairin's wounds with her hands, alerts Atuat that the chancellor is dying. Atuat takes a quick look at Dairin before saying that he is already too far gone. Kyoshi removes her hands from Dairin's still body and whispers an apology.

Atuat removes her water skin and throws it to Kyoshi, asking her to heal those who are still living. The Water Tribe woman holds her hands over the chest of an unconscious guard. Kyoshi notices how cold Atuat has made the air and asks what she is doing. Atuat explains that she is lowering his body temperature to postpone death, a method that must be stopped at the exact right time, or else she could turn his organs to ice. Atuat moves to the next patient and performs the process anew. Kyoshi says that she has never heard of such a waterbending technique. Atuat answers that it is a difficult healing technique and asks Kyoshi to shut up so that she can focus on it.

Kyoshi takes the water from the pouch and begins to heal superficial injuries. As she pops joints back into place and stops bleedings, she wonders why Yun would have destroyed the Fire Nation Avatars' side of the Royal Gallery and attempted to kill Hei-Ran. She decides that Father Glowworm must still have a hold on him somehow since the Yun she knew would never have acted so heartlessly.

After Atuat chills the last of the savable patients, she orders a nearby guard to carefully take them to the hospital ward in the Royal Palace. Kyoshi asks Atuat if she is can teach her the healing technique. Atuat mocks Kyoshi, saying that she is able to teach healing better than most other teachers, but whether the Avatar is capable of learning it is a separate issue. They both stand up and notice the leader of Fire Lord Zoryu's personal security waiting to speak to Kyoshi. Atuat tells Kyoshi that they will meet about the healing technique after the Avatar speaks to the angry armored man in front of them.

Kyoshi follows the captain through the palace and passes a crowd of infuriated nobles, many of whom are of the Keohso clan. As the guard captain stops behind a set of massive doors and suggests that he will not be going in with her, Kyoshi asks where Rangi and Hei-Ran are. The man gruffly informs her that they are busy coordinating the palace lockdown.

Kyoshi enters the throne room as a minister exits, leaving her alone with the Fire Lord and his brother. Kyoshi notices Fire Lord Zoryu's cowering posture juxtaposed to Chaejin's confident stance. Zoryu queries as to why no one told him Yun was still alive and why he attacked the palace. Kyoshi answers that Yun was repaying the people who had wronged him by telling him he was the Avatar, such as Hei-Ran and Lu Beifong. Zoryu asks for the number of casualties and Kyoshi informs him that she knows of four, though many are currently in critical condition. Zoryu childishly slumps in his throne as he becomes increasingly overwhelmed by his duties of leading the Fire Nation. He remarks that the victims of the attack did not deserve to die.

Chaejin comments that the loss of the chancellor and foreign nobleman is tragic, but mentions nothing about the two killed guards. Kyoshi snaps at Chaejin's statement and asks why he is even in the meeting with them. He informs her that he is there to represent the Fire Sages and also comment on behalf of the Saowon clan. He comes down from the steps leading to the throne and suggests that since the Earth Kingdom has just dishonored them, the Fire Lord must retaliate. Kyoshi argues that the Earth Kingdom did not send Yun to attack the palace. Chaejin agrees and tells her that he has just spent his last twenty minutes convincing the court that the Earth Kingdom is not to blame. Kyoshi asks the Fire Lord for permission to speak to Chaejin alone; after Chaejin tauntingly asks to be dismissed by Zoryu, the Fire Lord feebly waves them permission.

Chaejin and Kyoshi step into a long empty hallway. Chaejin apologizes for his brother's inability to lead during stressful situations. Kyoshi comments of how alike the two brothers look, despite having different mothers. Chaejin informs her that he has been told that he could serve as a political decoy for the Fire Lord. Kyoshi says that Zoryu has disappointed her so perhaps he should instead serve as Chaejin's decoy. Chaejin tells her he fears that if Zoryu is not able to bring Yun to justice, the clans will decide that he is not fit to be Fire Lord. Kyoshi asks what would happen in that circumstance and Chaejin answers that he would be replaced by someone and most likely killed. Kyoshi suggests that Zoryu being replaced by a more competent leader might be for the best, and then whispers in his ear that, as the Avatar, she is willing to work with someone other than the incompetent Zoryu. Chaejin smiles and says that it sounds like he could count on Kyoshi if such a thing was to happen.

Kyoshi asks Chaejin how he plans to solve the country's poverty once he becomes Fire Lord. He is taken aback by her question and makes her repeat it. Chaejin shrugs and says that once he takes the throne the people's problems will likely resolve themselves. Kyoshi asks if that means that once Chaejin becomes Fire Lord, the Fire Nation will finally prosper and order will be restored on its own. Chaejin is thrilled by her understanding and says that he is willing to shed blood to get what is rightfully owed to him.

He looks at the Avatar and asks if she is playing him. She says that she is not playing any games and is instead forming an opinion. She remembers what Lao Ge has told her to do to power-hungry, corrupt men like Chaejin. He senses a change in her demeanor and defends himself by claiming that nothing he said to her will hold up in court since she is an outsider. Kyoshi admits he is right and she will need to get more dirt on him eventually. Chaejin warns Kyoshi that Yun's attack will cause Zoryu's downfall if he fails to deliver justice and all the Avatar will be able to do is postpone the inevitable.

As Kyoshi begins to walk down the hall, he tells her a Fire Nation phrase that says that dishonor has to land somewhere. Kyoshi realizes that, in order to keep the peace in the Fire Nation as well as protect Hei-Ran, she needs to find Yun.

Production notes

Series continuity

• The description of the Royal Palace throne room, from the towering red pillars and red silk carpet to the blocky platform and giant sculpted dragon, matches its appearance in "The Avatar and the Fire Lord" before Roku destroys it.
• Under the guise of charming Chaijin into divulging his plans, Kyoshi claims the Fire Nation would be better off if governed by a single, popular leader who ruled unopposed, a prospect that comes to pass by the time Sozin ascends to the throne, as seen in the Core Book of Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game and throughout Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Character revelations

• Atuat can use waterbending to lower a person's body temperature.