Fire Lord Zuko despised all the pomp and circumstance that graduation called for. Why did the fire lord have to give a speech to the young graduates of the Fire Nation Military Academy anyway? Zuko was perfectly confident in their professors skill as instructors; so he figured his speech was highly unnecessary.
After the ceremony had ended, and the young soldiers went off to celebrate their brief independence before joining the armed forces of the Fire Nation, Zuko allowed himself to exhale a sigh of relief. Escorted by four body guards (though highly unnecessary), he made his way over to his motorcade; two fire bender tanks and his Turtle (a dome-shaped steel machine powered by fire bending that not only protects its passengers, but also keeps them in the lap of luxurious sitting room until they reach their destination. Zuko took a seat on the rear couch and, directly across the table, sat his Secretary of State, General Cho-Lang.
"That was quite an inspirational speech, Lord Zuko."
"You can thank my speech-writer." Zuko shrugged off the compliment. "Is everything prepared for my diplomatic trip to Kiyoshi?"
"Yes my Lord. We've received word from Lord Sokka and Lady Katara, they're leaving for the Island tomorrow. General Iroh has also made arrangements to be there, as has Dai-Lee Captain Toph. Avatar Aang is flying to the Islad from the eastern air temple; he sent his message with this…" Pulling a flying lemur from behind his back. The little animal flew across the table and started purring madly even as it ate from the bowl of cherries on the table.
"Mo-Mo, its good to see you too." He said, patting the animals head. The lemur handed Zuko a sealed scroll before leaping onto his shoulder and wrapping himself around the Fire Lords neck like a scarf.
"He's a loyal little guy," Cho-Lang admired. "He wouldn't let anyone near that letter; some personal matter perhaps?"
"Yes," Zuko said with a smile before reading the scroll. When it was finished, he ignited the scroll with a flame from his fingertips. "Has that other matter been taken care of?" He asked pointedly.
"Yes my Lord." The man said, his eyes shifting back and forth searchingly as he reached across the table and handed Zuko a small package. Zuko smiled as he tucked the small box into his overly large sleeve, and thought fondly of his "diplomatic" trip to Kiyoshi.
...
Sokka felt naked without his sword on his hip. Even half a year later, he hadn't replaced his space sword. But he couldn't think selfish thoughts right then, he was too busy overseeing the reconstruction of the southern watertribe. With the worriers and the waterbenders return, the tribe felt that their city needed to be rebuilt to match the splendor of their northern sister-tribe.
"Hey Sokka, how's it going?" Katara asked, walking up from behind her brother.
"It's going," he replied curtly.
"Whats the matter?" She asked, placing her hand on his shoulder.
"Nothing," he sighed. "I've just been thinking about Suki a lot lately."
"You'll see her again soon, we're leaving for Kiyoshi tomorrow."
"I know, but what about the future? It's been torture being away from her these past few months. I want to ask her to marry me, but I cant leave my people, or ask her to leave hers. I don't know what to do."
"Neither do I," Katara said under her breath as she left to prepare the ship for the trip to Kiyoshi island. If only Sokka knew how similar she felt.
...
Toph hated her heavy Dai-Lee robes, but at least she didn't have to wear those ridiculous shoes. She made her was down a busy street in central Ba-Sing-Se, her steel coated hands clasped behind her back in true Dai-Lee style, and her sakkat bowed to keep the sun out of her eyes. Not that she could see the light, but the sun dried her eyes out and made them ache.
She finally reached the White Dragon Tea Shop, sensing its particular location by locating the single granite cobblestone out front that was different than its limestone counterparts, installed by an old friend of hers.
"Hey gramps, whats shakin'?" She asked loudly upon entering, taking a seat at a recently emptied table and kicking her earth encrusted feet up onto another chair.
"Oh, business as usual." Iroh said with a smile as he poured her some tea. "All is ready for our trip to Kiyoshi island tomorrow I trust?"
"Yeah, and you know the best part? Because it's a 'diplomatic mission'," she made the quote sign with her free hand as she sipped the steaming tea. "All expenses are paid. I guess being captain of the Dai-Lee has its perks after all."
...
Aang was happy with the progress his students were making at the eastern air temple. It had taken him a while to find enough air benders to make the place suitable to be called a temple again, and between training and reconstruction, he'd had his hands full. At first, he was a little worried about leaving them for the Kiyoshi trip, but the fast progress of his older students made him feel confident in leaving them in charge. Granted, none of them were masters by any mean, but they could hold down the fort while he went to the earth kingdom. Aang silently hoped that the spirits of his dead friends and masters were proud of his accomplishments. Not only had he found natural airbenders again, but he had also brought back the flying bison and lemurs that had been hiding in the mountains.
There was one problem that he had been contemplating though, and a most serious problem at that. He went to his room that night, and sat down on his meditation mat. Reaching into a bag of tools, he removed a piece of blue coral, a silk ribbon, and a knife.
...
The princess of the fire nation sat rocking in her cell, a manic grin spread across her face, her eyes wide open, yet distant and glossy. The warden dropped her plate through the flap at the bottom of the steel door; stale bread and a bowl of water. She fell upon the meager meal and devoured it without a single trace of humanity.
"That's right, THAT'S RIGHT! Bring me my feast you peasants. Lock me up like an animal will you? HA! I'll show you, YOU CAN'T KEEP ME IN HERE FOREVER! I'm Fire Lord Azula! All shall bow before ME! All shall worship ME! I am the most beautiful, most powerful, most... most…" But whatever she was most of we'll never know, for the sleeping drugs the warden slipped into her food every night started taking effect. Before long, the filthy, tangle haired, bedraggled princess was snoring loudly in the corner of her cell.
...
"Is there any more word on the bandit situation to the south?" Zuko asked his Secretary of defense upon arrival at the royal palace.
"They're camped about thirteen miles south of the Jai-Tou Straight my lord. They stand about two hundred strong, all ex-military."
Zuko sighed. He thought that the military would be happy the war was finally over. But evidently, the more war hardened soldiers wanted the war to continue until the Fire-Nation ruled the world. He never wanted to have to attack his own men, but sometimes you had no choice. "Have the negotiators returned?"
"That's the bad news my lord. They have taken our two negotiators hostage, and sent the third one back without ears, and a ransom note."
"What do they want?"
"The usual; control of the Fire-Nation, the war continued, your head on a platter, etc."
"Then we have no choice, send in an imperial legion to attack them asap. Oh, and make sure the new soldiers from the academy are included, this is a good chance for them to get their feet wet."
...
Unfortunately for the rebels, they didn't have that much time to live. Later that night, as they sat around their campfires and plotted their next raid on a firenation supply train, an unseen danger lurked in the surrounding forest. Six worriers, on six beasts, sat at the edge of the tree line.
"Are you sure about this Sagara?" The oldest male of the group asked. He was tall and whippish, wearing a firenation style gi, and carrying a large zanbato over his shoulder. His spiky brown hair tied back with a red bandanna. He sat astride a giant grey wolf. "The fire nation doesn't do well with vigilantes."
"I know that Zanza," the second oldest male said. He wore a red and black samurais kimono, his chin length black hair wafting in the gentle breeze. His fierce eyes watching the rebels with a death glare, as he placed his right hand on the hilt of his katana. He sat astride a giant white liger. "But we can't let those green recruits attack these guys. They're seasoned veterans of the great war, those kids don't stand a chance."
"Are you sure that's what they said Yomoko?" The oldest girl asked. Her water tribe style clothing was an uncharacteristic purple color, and the sais tucked into her belt showed that she meant business. She sat astride a giant black bear.
"Sure I'm sure Miya," Yomoko, the youngest boy replied. His short black hair matched the color of his eyes, and he wore a samurais kimono of the same style as Sagara, but in a royal blue shade rather than red. He sat astride a giant blue banded hawk. "As soon as my contacts in the palace told me what was going on I flew down here to tell you. We have to take them out now."
"I'll pick off the leader," Kira, the youngest girl said. She wore black shorts, and fishnet stockings as well as a fishnet long-sleeved shirt covered by a black tank top adorned with a red target. On her back was an enormous crossbow, and she sat astride a giant fox. "That'll demoralize and confuse them, giving us an opening to attack and Kaname time to rescue the hostages. Kaname nodded; the second oldest girl, wearing a cherry red kimono, slit up the sides to provide mobility, and carrying a war chain with a double scythe on one side and a macehead on the other. Her long blue-black hair was tied back in a ponytail, and she sat astride a giant cheetah.
"Should we bring the beasts?"
Sagara thought before answering. "They are hungry…"