The Four Nations
Chapter 2 - The Black Pyre
by D.G.S. - DeathGodSlayer
The sun broke on the darkened sky, instantly cutting through the dark fabric that was the night's curtain. Light slowly began to shine over the land, including the village of Sìguó, currently recovering from a banquet party going long into the night.
One lone guard stood atop the watch tower at the front gates of the village, staring out into the world beyond the small wall surrounding his village. He was dressed more elegantly than the other guards and soldiers. Wearing but plain black clothing with black shoes, his long sleeved shirt tied into tight black wristbands. But above that shirt was a shorter sleeved crimson red shirt, dazzlingly embroiled on the shirt was a dragon in golden cloth.
His face was young, yet held a serious manner to them. His golden eyes, narrowed as he stared out over the wall. His black hair was tied back into a ponytail at the top of the back of his head. His fringe was parted at the middle falling into two bangs framing his face.
His eyes narrowed even further as a heavy plume of smoke and debris appeared on the horizon, whatever it was it was closing in on the village quickly. As the thing moved closer to the village he could begin to make out what it was.
It was a large metal machine, ploughing along the open ground like a train, yet held the design of a tank. It's large wheels trucked through the earth, leaving deep trails behind it.
Yet the most important thing was the large Fire Nation Emblem on the front of the machine. His eyes went wide at seeing the distinctive red flame-shaped insignia. He turned around to carry the message of impending possible danger to the village leaders.
And that was when he realised he was not alone, his personal favourite leader out of the four had stood quietly behind him, not making his presence known. Only standing and watching the large machine truck towards the village. "It's alright, Tatsuo. I will deliver the message to Naruto, Suigetsu and Gaara." The fire guardian Sasuke spoke aloofly, almost unfazed by the possibility of danger. Perhaps that was why he was his favourite leader, his calmness no matter the situation, ever since he first met Sasuke in the Fire Nation he looked to him as a role model.
"What do you think it is, Sasuke, sir?" The young guard, Tatsuo asked his leader, turning to look at the machine closing the distance.
Sasuke responded with a long dreary sigh. "There's only one person in the Fire Nation I know who is crazy, confident and daring enough to bring the Fire Nation's machines of war to our village." Sasuke spoke, looking up to the morning sky, exhaling in annoyance at the situation. "Azula, I should have guessed this would happen."
"So what do we do?" Tatsuo spoke as a soldier asking his general, Sasuke lead the forces for the village, dealing with security and threats effectively using a combination of soldiers. They had acquired all sorts of soldiers for the village, Earthbenders, Waterbenders, Chi Blockers, Tatsuo himself stood as one of the few Firebenders in the village's forces as well.
"I'll deal with this." Sasuke responded bluntly, turning around and moving towards the ladder down the watch tower. "Tatsuo. Prepare your team for your other duties. I feel they may be needed by the end of the day."
Sasuke returned to the large accommodation, passing through the greeting room to the back. Upon his return he found that both groups were awake, sitting around a large table quietly chatting amongst each other and drinking tea. Suddenly Suigetsu turned towards Sasuke and grinned. "Always the early bird aren't you, Sasuke? You're more like a messenger Hawk than anyone I've seen before, you're always up early and your eyesight's immaculate."
"Yeah Sasuke, why don't you relax with us, have some tea. Toph told us how to make it, she said she was told it by an old man she met on the road, and it's delicious." Naruto grinned widely, before taking another sip of the tea.
"We have a problem..." Sasuke spoke seriously, looking around to all of them, especially towards Aang and his friends. "Either by coincidence or intentional it appears that you have been followed. Azula is coming."
Suigetsu immediately began to snicker quietly to himself, Sokka looking over to him in surprise and suspicion. However on the other side Naruto's smile faded into a very serious frown, he dropped his cup on the table and stood up, even Aang's group went on the alert at the mention of her name. "This isn't good, if she's as reckless as you say the village could be in serious danger." Naruto spoke quietly.
"She's been following us for a while now, and now we have put this village in terrible danger. We should leave immediately." Aang's face hardened, even if his friends' faces fell slightly at the prospect of them having to leave.
"It's too late for that now..." Sasuke responded almost immediately. "She's too close in her war machine now, she'll see Appa too easily in the air. Appa has to remain where we hid him for now, I'll deal with Azula. All of you remain in here and stay hidden. Let me deal with this."
"Absolutely not!" Naruto screamed defiantly to Sasuke's suggestion. "This village was about bringing people together, and that's how we will repel all threats! Together!"
"Shut up, Naruto." Sasuke replied back with a frown. "The Fire Nation doesn't know of your existence entirely, we need to keep it that way. Besides, I am one of the very few people who can deal with Azula personally. So as the representation of the Village's protection, I order all of you to remain hidden until Azula leaves." Sasuke ordered as a general would his soldiers, before turning around once again. Heading towards the door.
The remaining faces looked upon him in shock. It was the first time, Aang and his friends had heard the Firebender yell, he had kept a particularly calm persona, albeit not as aloof as Gaara's. His voice was powerful and frightening, something to expect from Firebenders nowadays.
Sasuke suddenly stopped in his movement, motionlessly at the door just before the exit back into the greeting room. "Naruto." He called out to the yellow haired boy, not turning around to meet his gaze. "In case something does happen to me now, I want you to remember this, it could be the most important thing in the world. I myself have never deciphered the meaning of it. But maybe you can..." Sasuke's head slowly turned, looking over his shoulder directly at Naruto. "'When the world's light fades, not even a Phoenix can be reborn from its ashes'... If something happens to me, I want you to find out what that saying means." Sasuke finished with a small smile, before turning around and continuing out of the room, leaving the group of teenagers behind.
"What did he mean he was the representation of the village's protection?" Toph asked curiously, noting the weirdness of his words.
"We split the chores of a village leader between the four of us to lessen the load on each of us." Suigetsu explained with a smile. "Sasuke is one with fire, although destructive, fire is also protective, shielding people from the dark and giving them the means to survive the darkest of times, so Sasuke commands the village's forces, basically he is like our General. I, myself am one with water, which represents life. I manage the village accommodation and activities. Naruto is one with Air, the representation of freedom, so Naruto monitors who arrives and exits the village at what times and when, denying access to those we deem suspicious, although Naruto is very lenient. And finally Gaara is one with the Earth, the representation of stability. So Gaara looks after the villages Agriculture and resources, ensuring everything is in order or during a crisis, properly rations things. Not the greatest of systems, but it works." Suigetsu admitted at the end with a small shrug of his shoulders.
"And I have a question for you as well, what was so funny when Sasuke said Azula's name?" Sokka looked towards Suigetsu incredulously, expecting an answer.
Suigetsu chuckled again at the name. "What's funny is that some people worry that a past relationship will come back to haunt them, well Sasuke's literally did..."
Katara's eyes went wide in truth. "You don't mean..."
"That Azula is Sasuke's ex-girlfriend? Yes, I do mean that." Suigetsu laughed once again.
"Who the hell does he think he is ordering us like that?" Everyone heard Naruto mumble to himself. "Well I've never been one to listen to Sasuke's orders before, and I don't intend to start. If he wants us to stay hidden, then fine! But I won't be cooped up in here, waiting to discover what happens to my friend. I'd rather be prepared to jump in to help him!" Naruto's fists clenched, he began walking in the opposite direction from where Sasuke had left, heading towards a back room of some sort. Gaara silently stood up and followed, before the rest of the group followed afterwards. "We'll take the back entrance out and hide amongst the crowd." Naruto spoke to the group as they neared a back door to the large house.
The group broke off into smaller parties as they scattered across the streets. Suigetsu and Naruto going one way, whilst Gaara calmly walked in another, perhaps uninterested in running around as the others are. Aang, Katara, Sokka and Toph remained together, moving within the crowds to see what all the hubbub was about. They found the crowds parting as three figures walked down the streets.
The three girls were met with whispered murmurs as they walked proudly through the streets of the surprisingly sizeable village. Eyes went eyed with horror at the emblem on the leader's armour, the flame crown set in her hair. The proud, powerful gaze and confident smirk present on her face. The streets practically cleared for Azula, Mai and Ty lee, it was as if they were still in the Fire Nation itself from the way all the peasant citizens acted.
Azula, Mai and Ty Lee walked down the main street, coincidentally leading to the largest housing within the village. "If anyone's going to know where he is, it will be the village leader?" Azula spoke with a sly smirk on her face.
And just as they approached the large housing, the very person they were looking for came out of the front door. Dressed in the elegant armour that had been made for his brother all those years ago.
As Sasuke left the front entrance to the house he was immediately glomped on by a girl in pink, with a long brown plaited hairstyle squealing loudly in delight. "Sasuke! It's been so long! How have you been?" The girl shouted loudly in delight, never ceasing her bone crushing hug.
"T-Ty Lee, you're here as well?" Sasuke groaned out in pain and surprise, trying to free himself from the girl's clutches.
"I'm sorry, Sasuke," Sasuke looked further behind Ty Lee, the other two stood there, although it was Mai who had spoken in her usual droll, bored tone. "I wish this obviously touching reunion was under different circumstances."
"Reunion or not." Sasuke groaned out, effectively also pushing the girl away from him with some force. "I don't want any of you in my village. Leave now." His voice was powerful, ordering them to leave quickly.
"And where's my hello, Sasuke?" Sasuke's eyes quickly focused on Azula, who was unfazed by his threatening tone. Her finger slowly pointed towards him at the chest. "That armour was built with a Prince in mind under my grandfather's orders. Do you really have the right to wear it? More so, you should show your Fire Princess some respect, after all you are still a Fire Nation citizen."
"I no longer belong to one single nationality. I belong to the world, and the restoration of peace to it." Sasuke replied quickly, as if he had said it one thousand and one times before. "I have washed my hands clean of the Fire Nation's wrongdoings."
"Yes, it's been a long time since you abandoned the Fire Nation and everyone one in it... even the people who cared about you." Azula's smirk faded if only for a second before she regained her cold, calm persona. "Almost three years it's been since you left. I could have sworn you left to join up with Zuko. You two were always close friends."
"I will find Zuko one day, and help him restore his crown and honour to it in his own way." Sasuke responded bluntly. Matching Azula word for word. "It was never your destiny to rule the Fire Nation, Azula. You were neither born first nor born a male heir, you are just a liability." Sasuke smirked victoriously at Azula's narrowed eyes of fury, knowing he had hit a very tender sore spot in Azula.
However she begun to laugh to his surprise, starting as a small chuckle before exploding. "Zuko has lost all right to claim the throne after turning fully traitor!" Azula laughed hysterically. "He teamed up with the Avatar to deliver an attack against both the fire princess and his sister not two days ago! It's impossible for Zuko to become Fire Lord now, he was always weaker than me!" Her voice turned to a snarl at the end, a snarl of anger and rage.
Sasuke's eyes went wide in surprise. 'She and Zuko met two days ago, that means he can't be too far from here!' He thought in surprise, before collecting himself into a cool stance. "Leave Azula, if you are looking for the Avatar or Zuko, you will find neither here, whatever it is you are looking is not here."
"You're wrong there, Sasuke..." Azula chuckled darkly again, her fist tightening, something Sasuke noted quickly. "What I am here for... is you!" Her left fist suddenly punched forwards, a large ball of bright blue fire fired from her fist, blasting quickly towards Sasuke.
Sasuke responded instantaneously. Punching the air with his right fist, a ball of fire of his own shot from his tightened fist. It was unlike anything seen before. The flames had surpassed the usual colour of flames, orange being weak and blue being the hottest. These flames were a shadowy black, as if the very silhouettes of fire itself. The blue and black flames collided, exploding outwards into the air and onto the streets.
Sasuke looked around in horror as screams echoed through his ears. The flames had burst out into the crowd on onto the homes, beginning an inferno within the village, torching houses, lucky no person was struck, yet the ground burned at their feet.
Sasuke looked away from the Fire Princess, focusing on the fire around him, his arms and hands went wide and opened, his teeth clenched together as he focused intently. The fire began to lift into the air, moving back over to him and hovering over his head, staying a light and transforming into one giant flame, a flame mixed of black and blue. Sasuke roared loudly as he punched his fist towards the sky, the large fireball followed his movements, blasting it high and well over the wall. It was the sky's problem now.
"What do you want?" Sasuke barked at Azula, staring at the cockily smirking girl with contempt.
"I want to see you imprisoned as the traitor you are." Azula smirked happily. "That is what I am here for, to make sure you are imprisoned."
"And if I go with you, will you leave this village alone?" Sasuke responded quickly, his eyes narrowing towards the girl.
"I give you my word, if you leave now with me. No harm will come to this village." Azula smiled now, it only made Sasuke's eyebrow rise suspiciously.
He sighed out loudly, before walking over to her, holding his hands behind his back. "Very well then. Imprison me." His head lowered slowly, hearing the gasps of shock at the watching villagers, the look of horror and sadness upon their faces.
Azula chuckled darkly, slapping handcuffs around his wrist before grabbing a chain that was linked to them, pulling on it like a dog's leash, the chain circled around his body to the left, allowing him to walk forwards. He heard Ty Lee mutter a small apology as he walked passed, but didn't not check to see if it was sincere or not.
Azula led him out the village towards some of her Imperial Firebenders. "Take this traitor to the special prison cell designated!" She ordered loudly to two of them, who took Sasuke by his upper arms, dragging and pushing him away. Azula chuckled darkly once again, turning to her remaining Firebenders. "Burn it to the ground..."
Fire spread quickly from the Firebenders, even the soldiers who had been peacefully living in the village turned at the sight of the Fire Princess, spreading destruction across the village. The Firebenders fled quickly, finishing their attack with a ring of fire encircling the village, ensuring that no one escaped.
"Quickly! Waterbenders and Earthbenders begin pitting out the fires. If there's any Firebenders at all remain, try to control the flames and stop them from spreading!" Suigetsu ordered quickly, shouting through the village.
Katara, Aang, Sokka and Toph moved towards Suigetsu, who had closed his eyes. Suddenly his body seemed to begin leaking vast fluids of water, until his entire arms were covered in a thick watery cloak. "How did you do that?" Katara looked at the white haired water bender in shock at his technique, watching as he effortlessly spread the water over houses, dousing flames before moving onto the next house.
"It's a unique ability I possess. I call it water body, by drinking vast amounts of water and constantly being hydrated I can pull water out of my skin in order to attack quickly, easily and painlessly! Now you're a Waterbender, mind lending a hand? You too Avatar!" Suigetsu yelled quickly, not stopping to put out the flames.
"That is both incredible, and disgusting..." Sokka muttered loudly, being unable to help with the putting out of fires save for finding jugs of water and tossing them on flames, stepping on smaller embers on the ground.
Waterbenders quickly put out the fires ablaze on the roofs, whilst Earthbenders stamped out the burning flames on the floor with slabs of Earth, within minutes the village was free from further destruction of the fire, but was left with the small amount of damage received.
"I'm going after Sasuke!" Naruto proclaimed loudly, he had been unable to help with putting out the flames. It was the wrong idea to attempt to add air and oxygen to fire.
"I'll come with you, you won't be able to get him out of there alone" Suigetsu commented with a flashy grin.
"I want to help too..." Everyone turned to the young Avatar, his eyes hardened like steel. "Sasuke could have sold me out to her to protect the village and himself, but he didn't. I want to help rescue him."
"Sorry Avatar, but you have your own path to take. We can't afford to take time out of your schedule, Sozin's Comet is arriving soon, and you need to be ready." Naruto respectfully shook his head, declining Aang's offer.
"Actually, we've pretty much hit a stump on what to do." Sokka pointed out, moving to the centre of the group. "We don't have any idea where to go from here."
"I suggest Ba Sing Se." Gaara spoke out in return, standing with his arms crossed over his chest. "As the Avatar, you have to consider the possibility of a frontal attack against the Fire Lord and the Fire Nation. You will need a large army for that, something that the Earth King can provide. The quickest route to it is towards the Si Wong Desert west of here then North. If you like, I will show you the way."
Aang, appeared contemplative, before suddenly pulling out a map, scanning his eyes across it. "Yes, and that location isn't too far from Si Wong desert anyway..." Aang murmured quietly to himself, before noticing everyone was staring at him. Grinning sheepishly, Aang blushed as he put the map away before bowing respectfully towards Gaara. "It would be an honour for you to travel with us."
"But then whose gonna watch your village?" Toph asked loudly, surely she couldn't be the only one to note that all of the village leaders would have left the village.
Naruto smirked confidently. "We have a plan for situations like this..."
"Leaders!" Everyone turned to the sound of a new voice. A boy in plain black clothing with black shoes stood at attention, his long sleeved shirt tied into tight black wristbands. But above that shirt was a shorter sleeved crimson red shirt, dazzlingly embroiled on the shirt was a dragon in golden cloth. His face was young, yet held a serious manner to them. His golden eyes appeared half-lidded, as if upset, but not allowing it to get to him. His black hair was tied back into a ponytail at the top of the back of his head. His fringe was parted at the middle falling into two bangs framing his face. "Leader Sasuke had ordered me to summon my team for our secondary duties this morning at the sight of Azula's war machine approaching the village."
Next to Tatsuo was a girl dressed similar to him, with longer black hair tied back with a braid through it, her red shirt was longer, falling around her knees, with a larger more elegant design of a dragon on it. Her face held an air of confidence. It was Hotaru, Tatsuo's older sister.
Standing next to her was a larger man, with stubble on his chin and a lean, yet muscular build. With a conical corn hat covering his tied back dirty brown hair and a green scarf wrapped loosely around his neck. He was dressed in a sleeveless green shirt open at the front with green pants. Plastered on his face was a side splitting, cheery grin. It was Enlai, an Earthbender from the refugee population in Ba Sing Se.
Finally there was a significantly smaller boy, more around the age of Naruto, Suigetsu and Gaara, if not a few years older. Wearing a classic Earthbender uniform consisting of an open green shirt, green wristbands tied down with yellow bandages and green pants. This boy held himself similarly to Gaara, looking passive at the situation, his eyes as if he was looking into the distance. It was Bao Long, and 18 year old Earthbender also from the Upper ring of Ba Sing Se, leaving the Earth Capital after seeing the corruption of the government and Dai Li agents.
"So Sasuke saw that this would happen, he knew how we'd react and planned ahead..." Naruto laughed quietly under his breath. Naruto turned to Aang's group. "These four act as the leaders of the village when all four of us are called away for tasks. They will ensure the protection of the village." Naruto smiled wildly.
"So how we gonna catch up to Azula, for all we know she could be at sea by now?" Suigetsu asked intriguingly. Noting the possible vast distance between them and Sasuke.
Naruto only grinned widely in response. "Go get ready Suigetsu, I'll go wake him up..." Naruto laughed while walking away, leaving Aang and the gang confused, apparently Suigetsu got the joke as well, quickly running in and collecting a belt filled with water bottles and his large sword, before moving to the back of the building again with Gaara. Aang, Katara, Sokka and Toph following closely behind.
"There's something under there." Toph pointed to the ground. "Something big at the end of a tunnel. There's also bars, and a door covered by dirt." She noted aloud to the others to their surprise.
"Correct, Gaara will you do the honours?" Suigetsu turned to the red head, who nodded once. With one swipe he moved all the dust from the floor, revealing a large wooden door with holes in it.
Suddenly the doors burst open with a large gust of wind. And out from it jumped a large beast of an animal, with red-orange fur and nine tails swinging behind it. Naruto sitting on its neck and shoulders. The beast was slightly larger than even Appa. It yawned loudly, it's eyes closing shut as it tried to adjust to the large amount of light.
Sokka screamed at the sight of the beast, moving several steps away from it and hiding behind Toph. Aang however stared in wonder at the creature. "A nine-tailed Fox, I thought they went extinct hundreds of years ago! I've always wanted to ride one!" He spoke with hope.
Naruto shrugged his shoulders at the comment. "I don't know if they are extinct. He belonged to my mom before she died. This guy helped me escape the Fire Nation, and he's lived with me ever since." Naruto offered a hand down to Suigetsu, the fox noting laid down, allowing Suigetsu to easily climb up and sit behind Naruto. Naruto looked to the others left on the floor "His name is Kyuubi, I believe it's the ancient language of the spirits for Nine-Tails, although I've never looked into it." He admitted sheepishly, before focusing directly on Gaara. "I'll see you in a bit." He nodded to the red head with a smile, before turning directly to Aang. "Stay safe. Stay alive." Naruto gently kicked the side of the fox's neck, with a loud roar it began to run at a remarkable speed out of the village, easily leaping over the wall before picking up even more speed out in the open land.
Gaara turned towards Aang and his group, giving one quick nod. "To Si Wong Desert."
Sasuke looked around his 'cell' in confusion. His hands were still chained behind him, yet he sat on a comfortable bed in an elegant room embroiled with the Fire Nation insignia. It was almost as if this room was for the captain of the ship. "This room... it's surprisingly luxurious for a prisoner. What's the catch, Azula? You've never been the giving type?" Sasuke looked towards one of the two girls leaning against the door to the room, Azula stood there smirking victoriously at him with his former friend Mai.
"Being a member of the Uchiha family, practically the right hand of the Fire Lord, despite the disgrace shown by you and your older brother still affords you some standing and privileges. One of them being a comfy bed." Mai droned out in boredom, playing uninterestedly with a knife in her hands.
Sasuke scowled hard at the apathetic girl. "My brother did nothing disgraceful Mai. Remember everything he did for all five of us. Azula, you, Ty Lee, Zuko and I.-"
"And he gave everything up as soon as he turned against the Fire Lord and Fire Nation, your brother, who my grandfather looked up as a grandson, as a successor to his thrown should his own children and grandchildren prove inadequate. He chose a life of rebellion and treachery, as did you..." Azula cut Sasuke off, exhaling in boredom at repeating perhaps the shortest version of that story.
"So what are you going to do? Execute me as your Grandfather did to Itachi? Throw me in the Boiling Rock?" Sasuke asked with a cocked eyebrow, yet anger was present in his face.
Azula stepped forwards, bending forwards and cupping Sasuke's chin, tightly closing his mouth by squeezing his cheeks together. "No, Sasuke, we're taking you home. Straight back to the Fire Nation." Azula's sick twisted smile returned as Sasuke's eyes widened. "My father would like to have a few words with you."
D.G.S.