Note: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or any associated works or titles. All rights go to Nickelodeon, Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko.
Light poked through in rare breaks of the dense canopy above, in yellow-white wispy strands in which pollen, dust and insects danced. The water below was mainly still and fish swam underneath the mud-crusted surface. Slowly creeping along the waterway was a small wooden canoe, in which sat two people. One was a male, the other a female, and both were dressed in strange garments made of wood, tree bark and leaves.
The male was leaning back at the rear of the boat, watching the canopy above them as they drifted sleepily along, and the girl was standing in the canoe, eyes watching the water beneath them, darting about occassionally as she watched the swimming fish. After several minutes, she squatted low and began to rise, arms scooping upward. Water shot up like spires, launching several fish through the air, landing, flopping, into their boat. She repeated the process a few more times before turning to her companion.
"You know, why is it that I'm the only one who does all the work?" she asked, squatting and rising.
The boy lazily lowered his head to look at her, then at the fish.
"Never asked for any help." he replied simply, gaze drifting back upwards.
The girl scowled and in the middle of rising, she twisted, sending muddy swamp water into the boy's face. He let out a startled yelp upon being doused and coughed, sneering at her, giving her his undivided attention. He flicked both wrists forward, two strands of water shooting out from besides the boat at the girl. She grinned and twisted again before straightening in a rigid, statue-like stance and lowered her hands, dumping the water onto his head. This time, instead of offering any resistance, the boy just let out a groan.
"Now, mind helping, Hau?"
"Yeah, yeah."
Hau got to his feet in the canoe and together they started the routine. Within minutes, they had gathered quite a number of fish. They stopped their Bending routine to put the fish into a few sacks laying about in the canoe.
"This is what they make you do every day?" Hau asked the girl. "Sure is boring."
"Not really...you get used to it." she replied. "Not like what they make you do, something easy."
"I gather wood for building, our clothes and the fires. That's easy?"
"Look," she guestured around them, to the trees growing at the banks of the muddy river and beyond. "Wood...all over the place."
"So are fish," Hau retorted. "You just go to any stream and there's a bunch of 'em swimming around."
"Good point, but you need to have a technique to it. You go flailing around, you're gonna scare 'em away. "
Hau merely grunted in reply, slipping the last of the fish into a sack. It was another lazy day with Hau, who never wanted to do more work than he had to. He was always like that, she thought, ever since they were kids. They bickered and fought and got into more than a few "fights", but they were close friends, friends that let nothing stand between them.
Hau's a year older than she was. He is thin and wiry, but fit, with messy short hair and lazy almond colored eyes. His face is always wrapped into a content grin, and she recalled that she had never seen Hau never once get sad, angry or surprised, aside from a few periods of "joke emotions". He never seemed to move or act with expending so much energy, perfectly content to drift lazily by and take his own time. Most of all, his eyes are the perfect example of this; content, dreamy and sleepy looking.
She, too, was wiry and thin. Her eyes are the color of river stones, and her hair, thick and coarse, a richy earthy brown. The more active of the pair, the girl is quite the contrast to her friend; always full of energy. While Hau was content doing nothing, she felt the need to do something, anything, any duty or job, no matter how seemingly trivial, for her tribe. It was sense of honor, conduct and dignity that drove her, and she felt somewhat sorry (secretly, of course) for Hau, who lacked any such drive or "inner flame", as her uncle called it.
The canoe was turning now, thanks to Hau, and was heading up-stream back to the village. Even his style of Waterbending reflected his relaxed, laxy persona; he didn't need to be as animated as others. All he need were fingers or the flicks of a wrist or two to propel the canoe in the water.
"Hang Mai," he was saying. "What do you think is out there, past those trees, huh? Open sky, or you think there are mountains or more trees?"
"I dunno. Maybe all of that."
"All of that? When you look through the holes in the canopy the glimpses of the sky look so...small. How could you fit all of that into a small space?"
"I dunno. Some way or another. And those are tiny glimpses, Hau. I bet, if you went up past the trees, there's gonna be open sky, mountains and more trees. Maybe some more things, too." she shrugged. "The whole world isn't covered in a swamp, right?"
Hau shrugged. "Probably right. It'd be kinda nice to see."
"It wouldn't be that easy...there's stuff to take care of here, and going out there..."
"Never said it'd be." Hau gazed at her. "But it'll still be nice to see..."
The conversation dropped when the village was in sight further down the river. They pulled the canoe into the riverbed and dropped off the sacks of fish. The fish were cut and prepared by other tribesmen and women, and fires were being started. At dinner, Hau and Hang Mai watched the fire as a much older tribesman told tales of the "outside world", where men and women lived all over the world, in deserts, in cities and towns, even in the freezing cold of the north and south poles, much to the amazement of the other tribespeople. He spoke of men, many years ago, who used fire to wage war against the other nations, who wiped out the peaceful Air Nomads, and were ultimately stopped by the very last Airbender, a young Avatar by the name of Aang.
"As the rumors say," the old man was saying, standing near the fire, the flames illuminating his body and drawing dramatic shadows about his features. "Avatar Aang stopped those Firebenders during a fight with their leader-the Fire Lord Ozai...or was it Uzai? Anyways, he used some kinda bending to take away the Fire Lord's bending! And with that, the Fire Lord was defeated and his men were stopped."
"That's it?" Hau asked. "So easily? C'mon..."
"Nothing is never so easy, boy." the old man grumbled. "But that's how it went! Avatar Aang saved the world from the Firebender threat."
The tale was finished and the old man retreated back to his meal.
"Hey," Hau whispered to Hang Mai during another man's tale. "You know what we were talkin' about earlier? About the world outside this swamp? We'll, tonight, we're gonna see it."
"What?"
"Yeah. When everyone's asleep, we'll take our canoe and choose a river and keep goin'. We'll pack some food and stuff, I mean, how long could it take until we get outta the swamp?"
"You heard the elder say before that the swamp goes for miles and miles...we're not gonna be back before morning if we go."
"Sure we are. C'mon. It'll be fun." he winked.
"I dunno...what if we're caught?"
Hau laughed.
"By who?" he asked. "Fish, swamp critters and bugs? I don't think they'll care much."
"Maybe..." she said, trailing off when she looked at the excitement in his eyes. "Okay, but only if we're back by morning."
"Promise." he said. "We'll be back before anyone knows were even gone!"
The Fire Nation, Fire Nation Capital City: The Fire Lord's Palace
Fire Lord Zuko sat upon the throne, behind a wall of shimmering fire. Before him, a servant was reading reports of attacks on other nations from Firebenders. These attacks were few, rare and apparantly following no pattern, but were nevertheless being reported from across the Water Tribes and the Earth Kingdom.
Zuko watched the man with full interest, his aged features furrowing deeper and deeper as some reports delivered specific details on the supposed attacks, the victims and the aftermaths. He was much older looking than his eighty years of being on the throne permitted; he looked like a man well into his hundreds. His features were gray, sagged and wrinkled with age. His hair, snow-white, drastically contrasted the vivid scar on his face, drawing much attention to it due to it's outstanding color on the old man.
Beside the reading servant, was a man clothed in military garb, with the trappings of a high-ranking elite. Zuko regarded the man as the servant read, bringing up a hand to halt the reading.
"Commander Ren Lan, are these reporst accurate?"
"Yes, Fire Lord Zuko. We've dispatched men to invesitgate the damage, and they sent reports nearly indentical to the ones you are hearing now." the Commander replied.
"Any findings to who is responsible?"
"None whatsoever." Ren Lan said. "It could be Firebenders, or it could be the case of an arsonist. There are no reported Firebenders in the area, a total lack of living eyewitnesses. We aren't...sure who is responsible."
Zuko shifted in his seat.
"Unacceptable...nothing at all, Commander? I want you to deploy more men, then, whatever it takes to get some answers." Zuko growled. "This cannot keep happening, being arson or not. The Fire Nation name is being slandered, and we must find out a way to stop this. If you have nothing more to report, Commander Ren Lan, I'd suggest you go about arranging accomadations to find answers."
Ren Lan bowed and turned on his heels to leave the chamber. Outside the chamber, awaited his right-hand man and closest friend Gao. Gao smirked as he caught a glimpse of Ren Lan's face, which betrayed annoyance, anger and irritation.
"Not well, huh?" he asked.
"No. The old fool has no idea-he must think this sort of work is...a game!" Ren Lan said in a hard edged voice. "And what am I treated like? A mere toy or peasant. He has yet to spare me the respect I deserve."
"Well, he is the Fire Lord, my friend..."
"Of course. But I command his army. I make sure this nation, and Zuko himself, remains safe at all times. I rose through the ranks and brought order, respectability and-"
Gao rested a hand on Ren Lan's shoulder, silencing him.
"Let us forget about that a moment," he said, leading him down the hall at a slow pace. "I have something else to speak about."
"Well, what is it?" his friend snapped.
"Do you remember that person you've asked me to contact, just 'in case'?"
"Yes," Ren Lan said cautiously.
"I have. And I got a reply. Let's say...they've accepted our...trade and have accepted us. Plans are already in motion."
"I see..." the Commander stroked his beard. "Good..."
They stopped at a door, at which Gao took his arm off of Ren Lan's shoulder and pushed open. It was a storage room of kind, empty and musty, not used in years, Ren Lan guessed, from the layer of dust upon the walls ceilings and floors. It was not utterly empty, however, as a figure was standing at the other side of the small chamber. The figure glanced up as the two men entered and approached.
"Lieutenant Gao," the figure said. "Commander Ren Lan."
"It is good we could meet again, I am glad." Gao smiled. "Ren Lan, this is Desheng. He's with the men you asked me to contact."
"A pleasure." said Ren Lan.
"Likewise," said Desheng.
"You've accepted our...agreement?"
"Yes," Desheng nodded, his black robe shifting. "You are welcomed among us...but your...initiation, if we shall call it that, will be...delayed to another time. There are more pressing matters at hand...Commander, your Lieutenant tells me you have a plan."
"Yes. As a sign of...goodwill between you, your...group and I, I'll aid you. I've heard murmurs that you are looking to remove Fire Lord Zuko from the throne...perhaps I can be of some help."
"Speak."
"His gracious Lord will be taking a rather...lavish bath this night, as he does every night of the week...I can provide you the location and the time for...let's say, an opening. A much rather unfortunate accident can happen to our Lord while he's perfectly helpess in the bath, yes?"
"Yes."
"Good. Could it be done?"
"Without as much as a peep." Desheng nodded. "He won't suspect a thing. Not a thing will be out a of place. I will put plans in motion. If it is as you say, Zuko will die tonight in his bath."
"And we take control of the throne immediately?"
"Yes. We've already made plans to...secure our...successor. I will contact those involved. Once Zuko dies, our successor will be secured, and immediately afterwards, we have control of the throne, and the Fire Nation. Tell me where Zuko will bathe and at what time tonight...and then I must go."
Ren Lan provided the details. Zuko did not use the Fire Lord's personal bathing quarters, as that was too easy a target. He had a private bathing room on the servant's floor of the Palace, away from prying eyes and known only by his most trusted. He bathed each night, at exactly the same time, which Ren Lan also provided to the listening Desheng.
"Hm..." the robed Desheng nodded at Ren Lan's words. "I have passed that room on many occassions. I had thought it to be servant quarters or supply rooms...interesting... now, if you would excuse me?"
"Wait-" Ren Lan blurted as Desheng brushed past them and nearly left the room.
The black robed man stopped at the door and turned to look over his shoulder.
"Who is your successor for the throne?" Ren Lan questioned. "I wish to know."
Desheng paused, peering at the two. He did not move, nor seemingly breathe, but stayed silent like a black statue. After several long seconds, he nodded, more to himself than to anyone else, and turned to face the pair.
"Who do you think, Commander? The Crown Prince, the very son of Zuko himself? No...our successor holds true to the ideals of our beliefs, the beliefs of the great Ozai." Desheng answered. "Our successor is the Princess Azula. She has the strength and belief to do what Zuko failed to do-uphold Ozai's brilliant legacy!"
Ren Lan blinked in shock. Princess Azula had, reportedly, fallen into despair and insanity after Ozai's defeat and has since been locked into a facility on a remote island where she was kept, under key and guard, to monitor her health. There was little news of her, or any recovery or progress, and Zuko would dismiss such news quickly. Ren Lan had wondered what really happened, or was happening to the Princess. No doubt, Desheng and his men had agents on the inside of the facility, ready to perform something to free Azula at a given whim, transport her back to the Capital and to claim the throne. If it was to be pulled off within minutes before or after Zuko's death, Ren Lan would be admittedly impressed.
"I must go," Desheng said, turning back to the door. "But be assured: the colors of the Immortal Phoenix shall fly tonight."
And before either could ask any further questions, Desheng was gone.
