Things between me and Shan We were… Awkward? Tense? Weird? All of the above?
For the first few days after Omashu, I wasn't allowed out of my room. A guard stood outside at all times, and one of the twins –Jin, Li, I could never tell- brought me my meals.
In hindsight, I suppose that I should have expected this kind of treatment. After all, I had broken his trust by breaking out and warning the city guards about him. He shouldn't have expected any different from me; I told him that I wouldn't just stand by while he captured the Avatar.
Then why did I feel guilty, of all things?
I shouldn't have. Shan We was a Firebender, and he couldn't be trusted. However, he had treated me with kindness and respect for those first few days. The stories I'd heard from passing travelers and merchants back home about the evil Fire Nation didn't hold true when it came to him. By all appearances, he was a man of honour, who truly believed that by capturing the Avatar, he would be helping to end the war.
Eventually, one of the twins had brought me a fresh change of clothes. At first I was insulted, thinking that Shan We wanted me to dress in rags like a proper prisoner, but then I looked down at my kimono.
The green fabric was encrusted with dirt in most places, and the edges were so torn and singed that I wondered if it could be saved at all.
Upon examining the other clothes, I found that they were fairly nice. They weren't prison rags, like I'd thought at first, which led me to the conclusion that he actually wanted to give me fresh clothes to change into.
I relented after a short time, removing my kimono and placing it on the bed. I then noticed that there were many, many bruises across my body, which I had been collecting ever since I'd left home.
I then put the pale red clothes on, welcoming the feel of fresh, clean material against my skin. The twin who'd brought the clothes had also provided a mirror, and as I looked into it, I saw that the only thing left for me to take off was my face paint.
It was an integral part of my identity as a Kyoshi Warrior, and since I was no longer on Kyoshi Island, it didn't make sense for me to keep wearing it.
After taking it off, I let my black hair fall loosely past my neck before I re-tied it into a simple ponytail. Looking into the mirror, I saw that I looked completely different. Without my kimono and face paint, I looked… normal.
It was very strange.
Suddenly, there was a knock at my door, and one of the twins entered. He regarded my new appearance for a moment before making a motion. I think he wanted me to follow him. Had Shan We finally lifted my house arrest? I stood up and walked behind the boy, who led me through the ship. Based on the path we were taking, I assumed that we were heading to the Firebender's quarters, and after a few minutes, I was proven right.
The other twin was standing guard at the door, and he led me inside. It was much the same as I remembered from our first 'conversations', except that the table in the centre of the floor had a Pai Sho board on it. The tiles were arranged in their starting positions, but I only paid passing attention to them.
My attention was on the Firebender kneeling at the opposite side of the board.
He was dressed as he always was: black uniform with red highlights, thick, finely-groomed sideburns, and hair tied into a top-knot with a metal band. His rich amber eyes stared up at me, and I found my heart fluttering in my chest.
Seeing him reminded me of how close we had gotten during the battle at the cave. Even now, I could still remember how our bodies had pressed against each other, how his breath had felt against my skin…
"Please, sit" he said, motioning to the table and breaking me out of my stupor.
"Hm? Oh, yes, of course" I awkwardly replied, kneeling in front of the table.
"How do you like the clothes I provided?"
Looking down at the simple, pale red clothes, I said "They're fine, thank you. I appreciate being able to wear fresh clothes after everything I've put my kimono through".
Shan We seemed to smile marginally. "That's good. I'm sorry that I couldn't give you anything… more. My ship is lacking in women's apparel". I couldn't help but smirk at that. Gesturing to the Pai Sho board, he asked "Do you play?"
"Not for many years" I replied, looking down at the circular tiles.
"My grandfather taught me how to play when I was a boy" Shan We said, picking up one of his tiles. "He said that 'the White Lotus tile was the most important piece that no one knows about'. It has become the centerpiece of my… unusual strategy".
He and I then started our match. I quickly discovered that I had no idea what I was doing, while the Firebending Captain was slowly dismantling me with his 'unique' strategy, letting me go on the offensive before quickly and mercilessly striking back.
Eventually, I said "There's something I've been wanting to ask you".
Shan We glanced at me before returning his attention to the board. "You want to know about the twins".
I looked behind me, to where the twin boys were standing on either side of the door. Turning back to Shan We, I said "Yes".
He stared down at the Pai Sho tiles before sighing. "A little over five years ago, I was serving under General Iroh during his six-hundred day siege of Ba Sing Se. It was a long and bitter conflict: the Earthbenders were unyielding in their defense, and we were unrelenting in our assault, leaving many dead and countless more injured.
Eventually, we managed the impossible and broke through the Outer Wall into the Agrarian Zone. We were the first invading army in history to do so, and that only spurred us on to fight harder. We burned a path through what resistance we encountered, and it seemed that the great city would yield to us in time".
I sat in silence, watching as his amber eyes regarded the Pai Sho tiles. The story of the Siege of Ba Sing Se was well-known; it was told even on Kyoshi Island, despite our separation from the mainland.
"I had the honour of serving with Lu Ten, son of General Iroh himself. He was the greatest leader I had ever seen, after his father; he could inspire us in our darkest moments, lead us to victory in seemingly unwinnable battles, and keep our morale from faltering. That was not to last".
He said the last bitterly, and I could see the effect the memory was having on his usually stoic expression.
"One day, I fought beside him in the streets; we were engaged in a difficult battle with Earthbenders, and I still have the scars to prove it. Before I could do anything to intervene, Lu Ten was struck down in the midst of the battle. We managed to push the Earthbenders back, but it was already too late. General Iroh's son was gone, and our spirits darkened. It was then that I noticed two small boys cowering in between two buildings, watching us.
They wore dirty, torn rags, and they were covered in dirt and grime. They must have been orphans, but they couldn't speak; I suspect they were born that way".
I looked back at the twins, who looked down at the floor somberly. Apparently, their memories of that time were just as grim.
"As I looked at these twin, helpless boys, I knew that I had to take care of them. Only", he said with a marginal smirk, "I soon discovered that they weren't helpless. While their Earthbending wasn't nearly as formidable as that of the soldiers we had just faced, it was still very impressive, and far more than I was expecting from two orphan boys.
Eventually, I convinced them that I wasn't going to hurt them, and they came back with me to our camp, where I brought Lu Ten's body before General Iroh. In that moment, I saw the truth in his eyes; he had lost the will to fight, and it was shortly after that that he called the retreat. After that, I started serving under my father".
I looked down at the Pai Sho tiles, experiencing a range of emotions. His story clearly brought forth powerful emotions, and it was bittersweet.
"Ever since that day, I have cared for them, clothed them, fed them. I named them 'Jin' and 'Li', after both of my grandfathers". Shan We glanced up at the twins, and I could see the love he had for them in his amber eyes. "I think of them as my own sons, and I would do anything for them".
Just then, there was a knock at the door.
"Come" I said evenly to whoever was on the other side of the door, straightening my back as I moved past the emotions brought forth by memories of what had happened in Ba Sing Se.
A Firebending soldier stepped through the door, bowing in respect. "Captain Shan We, we've spotted Prince Zuko's vessel. It's docked, and as far as we can tell, neither the Prince nor General Iroh are on board".
I nodded, scratching my chin. "Take us ashore out of sight of the Prince's ship" I commanded, standing up. "I will follow his trail, and discern if he has found the Avatar".
The soldier bowed before walking away. I then turned to Takara, who gazed at me with her brilliant green and blue eyes. "Does this mean that I'm going back to my room?"
I regarded her for a moment. "You are free to go there, if you wish. While I am away, you may have free reign of the ship". Her look of surprise prompted me to say "Your weapons have been placed in a more secure location this time, and you shall have an escort".
The Kyoshi Warrior nodded solemnly.
With that, I walked out of my quarters with the twins close behind. We made our way down to the deck as the Cruiser came ashore.
The sun shone down on us, and I turned to two nearby soldiers. "While I'm gone, you are to keep a constant watch on the Kyoshi Warrior". They both bowed, and with that, the twins and I walked down onto the shore. There was a forest that touched the edges of the beach, and the three of us walked for some time, keeping weather eyes for any possible dangers along the way.
After walking inland for a little over a mile, I started to hear voices. I held my hand up, indicating that the twins should stop walking, listening for the voices' origins. Turning to my left, I quietly walked forward, not wanting to let the element of surprise slip away.
The twins and I came to a cluster of bushes, and as we peered through them, I could see a dirt road.
Leisurely walking along it were two Firebending soldiers, and I smiled marginally upon finding my link to Prince Zuko.
I nodded over to the twins, who tapped their heels against the ground. The two soldiers' conversation was cut short as they were instantly trapped within conical rock prisons. As their surprise gave way to struggle, I stepped out from within the bushes with my hands clasped behind my back. The soldiers stopped their struggling upon noticing me, and though I couldn't see their expressions, I knew that they recognized me.
"Where is Prince Zuko?" I asked evenly, stopping a few feet in front of them.
The two men were silent, glancing at each other nervously.
"You know who I am?" I asked. They nodded, and I said "I have the authority to arrest you for acting against the Fire Nation's interests. Prince Zuko is banished. I act with the authority of Commander Zhao and the Fire Lord; he does not. Tell me where he is, and you will not be arrested".
The soldiers glanced at each other once more before one of them jerked his head backwards. "He's back that way. He went looking for General Iroh, and seems to think that he's been captured by Earthbenders".
"General Iroh?" I asked, letting some of my surprise slip through my stoic exterior. "Captured?"
The second soldier nodded. "He was relaxing in some hot springs. When he didn't return to the ship, we came with the Prince to find him. He was nowhere to be found, and the earth around the hot springs looked like the aftermath of some kind of landslide. Prince Zuko went on ahead, and commanded us to return to the ship".
I nodded. "Very well" I said, starting to walk past them.
"Wait!" one of the soldiers cried. "What about us?"
I turned to look at them, regarding them for a moment. I then removed their skull-like faceplates, dropping them on the ground. "Don't worry; I'm sure someone will come for you eventually".
The twins and I then walked in the direction the soldiers had been coming from. Eventually, we came to some hot springs. The one closest to the ground was filled with pointed rocks, and I knew that Earthbending had been used here. Looking down at the ground, I saw several tracks leading east.
The twins and I then started running in that direction, following the tracks. I hoped that we would arrive in time; General Iroh had been one of my heroes growing up, and he had been the finest commanding officer I had ever served under. I felt a small amount of guilt at that thought. I shouldn't think ill of my father, but his command style just wasn't the same as that of General Iroh.
After running for some time, we started to hear some kind of commotion coming from close by.
Breaking through some bushes, we found ourselves at the edge of a naturally-formed pit. At its bottom, Prince Zuko and General Iroh were fighting against a group of Earthbenders. The young Prince dispatched a few of them with ease, while a loincloth-clad General Iroh used the chains of his manacles to fight his opponents.
Suddenly, two of the Earthbenders ripped large chunks of rock from the pit wall before throwing them at the short, squat war hero.
I nodded at the twins, who struck their heels against the ground, ripping two of their own chunks of rock from the pit wall. They flew through the air before crashing into the pieces aimed at General Iroh, resulting in fantastic explosions that spread a cloud of dust all about the pit.
The Earthbenders were soon dispatched, and Prince Zuko jerked his head upwards at me. "You!" he cried, his anger quite evident. "Zhao sent you to follow me, didn't he?"
I didn't reply, leaping off of the edge of the pit and landing with tiger-like grace as the twins slid down on earthen platforms. "Did you honestly expect any different?" I asked, clasping my hands behind my back.
"Capturing the Avatar is my destiny!" the scarred Prince shouted, pointing a finger at me. "Not yours, and certainly not Zhao's!"
I ignored the petulant youth, turning to his uncle. "General Iroh" I said, bowing in respect. "Are you injured?"
The squat, older man bowed in return. "Fortunately, the worst injury I received was slightly sore muscles from rolling down a hill earlier, as well as the loss of a sandal".
"Uncle, stop talking to him!" Prince Zuko said, whirling on the older man. He turned back to me and said "You won't stand in my way. The Avatar is mine!"
"My father has tasked me with capturing the Avatar" I replied evenly, meeting the younger man's gaze. "And you won't be able to stand in my way".
Apparently, that was the Prince's trigger point. He shouted as he launched a crimson fireball towards me. I maintained my stoic demeanor as I reached out my hand and caught the flaming projectile, spun in a circle, and then threw it back at him. The scarred Prince's eyes widened, clearly not expecting the manoeuvre as it slammed into him and knocked him to the ground. He quickly stood up and proceeded to launch a stream of flames at me as General Iroh grabbed him by the shoulder and cried "Come, Prince Zuko!"
I stood perfectly still as the flames shot towards me. Just before they reached me, however, a rock wall emerged from the ground, shielding me from the attack. The wall then lowered, and I could see Prince Zuko and General Iroh running back in the direction of their ship.
Jin and Li started running after them, but I held up my hand. "Let them run" I said. "Now that Prince Zuko knows I am on his trail, he will be all the more eager to hunt down the Avatar, which means that he'll make a mistake we can use. Let's get back to the ship".
A short time later, we came to the Cruiser, and as we ran up the sharpened bow, a soldier said "Captain, Prince Zuko's ship is heading west, towards the Fire Nation!"
I stopped in my tracks. "The Fire Nation?" I asked. What was Prince Zuko thinking? Unless… "The only way he would risk returning to the Fire Nation is if he was following the Avatar. And the closest location of note is Crescent Island". As I stepped out onto the deck, the realization suddenly struck me like a wave. "The Fire Temple!" Turning to the soldier, I said "Have the helmsman follow Prince Zuko's ship, and hurry!"
The man hastily bowed before running over to the conning tower. We were soon underway, and the Cruiser's smokestacks belched black smoke as we sailed after Prince Zuko. As we left the Earth Kingdom behind us, I noticed Takara standing off to the side, her two escorts close behind her.
I walked over to the Kyoshi Warrior, who turned to me and asked "Where are we going?"
"To the Fire Nation" I replied, causing her green and blue eyes to widen in shock. "I have a pretty good guess as to where he's going, and with luck, I'll meet up with my father and we will capture him together".
Takara turned back towards the blue waters, leaning against the edge of the ship. "Where do you think he's going?"
I knew what she was really thinking: she didn't approve of my hunt for the Avatar, and she never would. The question was merely an attempt to deal with the fact that she couldn't do anything about it. "On the edge of the Fire Nation is Crescent Island. It is home to the Fire Temple, which is dedicated to Avatar Roku, the Avatar before this one".
"And why would he go there? Why would he risk going to the Fire Nation when you all want to kill him?"
My muscles tensed involuntarily. The way she said you all insulted me and my people, and it stoked my anger. Taking several controlled breaths, I decided to ignore her second question. "In truth, I don't know. But I suspect it has something to do with the Winter Solstice. The walls between this world and the Spirit World become thinned during this time of year, and perhaps the Avatar plans on using that somehow".
"Captain!" one of Takara's escorts cried, pointing ahead.
I turned to look west, the direction we were sailing, and saw Prince Zuko's ship. We were slowly gaining on it, and as we came closer and closer, I could see a white dot moving in the sky. "The Avatar" I said to myself. Then, I caught sight of at least several dozen dark shapes on the horizon, arranged in line that ran north to south.
Clearly, my father had taken my advice.
And yet, Prince Zuko's ship continued to sail after the Avatar's bison, even firing a fireball at it.
"Is he mad?" I asked incredulously as the smaller ship went full steam ahead. Evidently, the young Prince was, indeed, insane. That was the only reasonable explanation for why he was attempting to run a blockade and return to the Fire Nation against the Fire Lord's wishes. "Load the catapults!" I commanded.
Three square-shaped sections of the deck slid open, allowing three catapults to be raised into position. They were then loaded with large boulders coated with oil.
Suddenly, a veritable firestorm of flaming fireballs was launched from the ships in my father's blockade. Off in the distance, I could see the Avatar's bison dodging its way in between, while Prince Zuko's ship continued its course as the water around it was pummeled.
A fireball then struck the smaller ship, causing its rear section to explode. At the same moment, I spotted several fireballs that looked like they were going to hit my own ship.
Turning to Takara's escorts, I said "Get her inside!" As they went about their task, I turned to the oncoming projectiles. I took a deep breath as I made circular motions with my arms, separating the positive and negative energies around me. My fingers crackled with electricity, and a heartbeat later, I thrust my hands towards one of the fireballs.
A bolt of white lightning shot from my fingertips, striking the fireball and obliterating it in a fantastic explosion.
I then turned to the twins. They nodded, and I turned to the men operating the catapults. "Fire!" I commanded, and they proceeded to launch three fireballs into the air.
The twins then extended their arms forward, their faces straining slightly as they gripped the fireballs. I watched as they altered their course slightly and into the path of the fireballs that would have impacted my ship.
Three more explosions filled the air above us as we continued chasing down Prince Zuko. A large cloud of smoke was billowing from where it had been hit, and it obscured my vision.
Eventually, I could make out the ships of my father's blockade. Prince Zuko's ship was on a collision course with them, and after a moment, they miraculously stopped, allowing the smaller craft to pass.
I called for my Cruiser to stop as we came alongside my father's vessel. Leaping off of the edge of my ship, I propelled myself upwards with a brief jet of blue flames, which allowed me to make the gap between us and land on the deck of my father's ship with tiger-like grace.
"It appears your hunch was correct, my son" my father said with a smirk as he walked up to me.
"You let Prince Zuko through" I noted, turning to look in the direction he had sailed.
"Yes", my father said, glancing in that direction as well. "We'll use him to locate the Avatar".
"There's no need for that; I already know where the Avatar's going".
"Where?"
"The Fire Temple on Crescent Island" I replied evenly.
"And why would he go there?" my father asked, sounding unsure of my hunch.
"I suspect it has something to do with the Winter Solstice. There might even be something in the temple that Avatar Roku left behind that he might use against us".
My father regarded me for a moment, and I could tell that he was thinking it over. "Very well" he said at last. "We'll head for the temple. Let Prince Zuko sail where he may; in the end, I will have the glory he so desperately wants for myself". I saw the distinct gleam in my father's eyes as he commanded his ship and another to sail for Crescent Island. Turning back to my own ship, I motioned that it should sail with them.
The hours passed, and the sun made its passage across the sky. The island was vaguely visible off in the distance, and as we came closer to our destination, my father asked "Who might that be?"
I followed his gaze over to my ship, and saw what he was asking about. Takara was on the deck, with her two escorts in tow. "That's the prisoner I told you about in my letter" I replied. "She gave me valuable information that let me follow the Avatar's trail".
"And why is she still on your ship?" my father asked.
"I've… been following the Avatar" I replied. "Any deviations I might have taken would have meant losing his trail". My father didn't speak, but I felt his eyes boring into me.
Soon enough, we reached the island, and I followed my father, along with the twins, as he led a group of soldiers to the temple. We entered the five-storied structure as the sun started to dip past the horizon, and as we ascended the stairs, we started hearing voices coming from in front of the sanctuary on the top floor.
"Why did you help the Avatar?" I heard a familiar voice ask. My father and I exchanged a glance, and he gave me a satisfied smile.
As we stepped onto the top floor, another voice replied "Because it was once the sage's duty. It is still our duty".
We then rounded a pillar, and beheld Prince Zuko standing in front of the Fire Sages. One of them was on his knees with his hands tied behind his back, and I took him to be the one who had helped the Avatar. I also noticed a boy and a girl wearing Water Tribe clothing chained to a pillar; they were most likely the Avatar's companions that I had heard about.
My father started clapping as we approached, drawing their gazes. "What a moving and heartfelt performance" he said. "I'm certain the Fire Lord will understand when you explain why you betrayed him".
"Commander Zhao" one of the Fire Sages said as he bowed.
"And Prince Zuko", my father said, turning to the scarred young man. "It was a noble effort, but your little smokescreen didn't work". Prince Zuko then turned to me, glaring at me with as much hate as he could muster. My father then said "Two traitors in one day; the Fire Lord will be pleased". I motioned to one of the soldiers, who roughly grabbed Prince Zuko by the arms.
"You're too late, Zhao!" he cried. "The Avatar is inside and the doors are sealed".
"No matter" my father said dismissively. "Sooner or later, he has to come out".
I then motioned to the soldiers as Prince Zuko was chained to a pillar. They moved to stand in a line behind us, their expressions unreadable behind their skull-like faceplates. Flanked by the twins, I readied myself, preparing for the Avatar's arrival.
"When those doors open, unleash all your firepower!" my father said.
I turned to look at Jin and Li, checking to see if they were prepared for what was about to come. They both nodded, indicating that that they were ready, and I returned my gaze to the large double doors that led into the sanctuary.
"How's Aang going to make it out of this?" the Water Tribe girl asked her companion.
So, the Avatar's name was Aang, I thought to myself as the Water Tribe boy replied "How are we going to make it out of this?"
Just then, a bright light started shining from within the sanctuary, and as the double doors opened, the light became almost blinding.
"Ready..." my father said as two bright eyes were visible from within the darkened sanctuary.
"No!" the Water Tribe girl cried. "Aang!"
My muscles tensed, and my father shouted "FIRE!"
I thrust my fist forward, sending a stream of blue flame forward. My father and the soldiers attacked at the same time, and their crimson flames mixed with my own. Shockingly, the flames gathered into a large ball, and it soon dissipated, revealing the form of Avatar Roku!
I recognized him from paintings and images in books and scrolls I had read as a child, and I now beheld his awesome power. He thrust his hands forward, and the flames we had shot at him were fired back at us.
I held my arms protectively in front of myself as they slammed into me, knocking me onto the ground along with the others. I grunted as I landed in between the twins, belatedly noticing out of the corner of my eye as Prince Zuko and the Water Tribe youths were freed from their chains.
The Fire Sages and our soldiers started to flee in the face of such awesome power, and as I stood up, Avatar Roku sliced his hand downward, creating a flaming crack to appear in the middle of the floor.
My father stood directly in the middle of it, and as it threatened to swallow him up, I tackled him to the ground several feet away. "We have to get out of here!" I shouted as the entire temple shook. With the twins following close behind, my father and I joined our troops as we bid a hasty retreat down the stairs. As we ran, great plumes of lava shot upwards, slowly melting the temple from the inside.
We eventually made it back to the ships, and once we were on board, my father turned to the Fire Sages, pointing to them and shouting "Arrest them!"
"But father…" I started to say.
"Do as I say!" he growled. "Arrest them!"
With pursed lips, I turned to look at the group of cloaked men and reluctantly snapped my fingers. As the soldiers went about chaining the Sages, my father and I looked up to see the Avatar flying away on his bison.
He was furious as he turned to the residents of the formerly standing temple, which even now sank into the lava. "No Prince, no Avatar! Apparently, the only thing I do have is five traitors!"
"But Commander, only Shyu helped the Avatar" the oldest of the Sages protested.
"Save your stories for the Fire Lord!" my father countered. "As far as I'm concerned, you're all guilty! Take them to the prison hold!"
He then started walking away, and I tentatively walked after him. "Do you want me to go after him?"
He stopped at the entrance to the ship's conning tower, staring at the lava-covered island. For several moments, he didn't speak, and I cautiously waited for his possible outburst. Eventually, he said "No". Turning to look at me, he continued. "We already know where he's going: the Northern Water Tribe". For the first time since stepping foot on Crescent Island, his lips curled into a smile, the familiar gleam in his eyes. "We have work to do".
Daddy's back, and he's not pleased.
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