Corporal She was not the happiest soldier in the Fire Nation Army- he had been stuck in the spirit-forsaken town of Huangwen for over six months; the stationing he was told, was of high importance to ensure that the Fire Nation kept a strong grip on the only port in the region, key to ensuring that any remaining Earth Kingdom rebels wouldn't take power and pose a threat to Fire Nation rule over the Eastern Earth Kingdom. He would dispute his commanding-officers words about the value of their duty; the port-town of Huangwan could be described best as a pit-stop for those travelling northward to the great city of Ba Sing Se, otherwise small and unremarkable as it was. The Fire Nation had held a garrison there really to tax the trade exports that would pass through from nearby also unremarkable villages; She didn't find much use in his 'job' other than to walk around and make sure that no one was stupid enough to avoid their tariffs or tried to steal the hard-earned labours of the locals- theft was ever-present in small ports like this one.
Today however he was on guard duty for the port-town's only entrance, a narrow pass between two rocky escarpments, leading westward toward the inland villages- barely anyone passed through, other than the few peasant traders who came with goods from time to time; today was no different- the road was empty, except for a hunting party going out to the forest for their weekly adventure- they mostly looked for lion-moose, whose hides and horns were prized for their rarity amongst Ba Sing Se's elite, and the animal was relatively at home in the isolated forests and clearings of the region- barely any people went out except for the aforementioned hunters.
Looking out into the distance he saw two travellers approaching- they had a single ostrich-horse, which one of the figures rode, and the other held the lead of the animal- both of them dressed in peasant's wear, probably coming to the town to buy something, as some did from time to time- She prepared to ask them about their activities and protocol, and to check them for weapons and such, in case they were indeed supplying or fighting for any rebel cause.
"Halt!" She called out, the man leading the ostrich-horse acknowledging him, "What's your business in Huangwen."
"Good-day sir, we are simply trying to meet someone- that's all." the man told him, emptying his pockets to show he wasn't armed.
"Okay- who are you meeting, relatives or something?" She investigated, just trying to make sure they weren't bluffing.
"No one impor-" the man started, before the woman sitting on the ostrich-horse raised her hand and stopped him from speaking, before starting herself.
"The commander of the Fire Nation garrison- he has information for me." the woman spoke, startling She- most women wouldn't be so forward, and he was confused why Earth Kingdom peasants would be talking with the commander of a Fire Nation garrison- his boss- who wasn't expecting anyone at the moment, from what She had heard.
"Okay- I'm going to stop you there- why in the name of the spirits do you need to talk to the garrison commander? Did something happen out west- bandits or something- that's the kind of work I'd like to deal with at he moment." he blurted out, feeling slightly embarrassed in having spilt his personal thoughts into a conversation that should be intimidating towards the other party.
"Good news for you then-" the woman smirked at him, coming down from the ostrich horse and walking up to him,
"We had a run in with some Earth Kingdom deserters in a village to the south-west of here."
"Fuchang? Ah- I'll um- tell Commander Kuan then- was that it?" She asked, somewhat confused why she wanted to see the commander- she was just a peasant.
"No- I'm here, because I expect you all to give the proper care and respect." she mocked, She flinching back.
"Who are you exactly?" he asked her, realising he was certain he was dealing with someone who was not an Earth Kingdom peasant; he was answered by a blue flame rising from the woman's hand, his mind immediately crossing to what his commander had told him a few days ago- that the Princess- the heir of their nation- had gone missing in a shipwreck, and that the Eastern Fleet had been ordered to search for her at haste- when in reality, she was right in front of him.
She knelt before his Princess, his head dropped in shame, "I am sorry your highness, I didn't recognise you."
The Princess chuckled at his reaction, "You shouldn't be expected to, it meant my disguise worked." affirming that she had disguised herself for the purpose of reaching their garrison.
"Now- you can take me and my companion to the commander, who I need to inform of my survival and safety." she told She, who got up and saluted her, before shouting out to the other men.
"Get in formation! We are escorting our Princess to the outpost." making his comrades look back in shock at realising the woman before them was their Crown Princess in disguise.
She and his men gathered around the Princess, who returned to sit upon the ostrich-horse, leading her into the town of Huangwen, whose denizens looked on in confusion as a Fire Nation squadron guarded two peasants; thinking over the experience he just had, She was embarrassed and confused- but more importantly, shocked that the refuted Princess Azula, who was known for her extreme behaviours- had taken it upon herself to dress in the form of a peasant to avert suspicions while travelling- he would have thought such a woman would rather die than to wear the such drabs, let alone in the image of their enemy. Walking up to the Fire Nation outpost, the guards looked at She and his squadron in confusion- She solved that by having the Princess pull out of her royal ornamental headpiece, which should either be on her head or at the bottom of the sea. His commander quickly arrived on the scene, having just had his afternoon serving of tea- the man was avidly on tea-break as much as he could be- finding his actual duties quite boring and tedious; from his eyes opening widely at the sight of the Princess, She knew that today he would actually have to do his job well- lest he be fired for incompetence by his future ruler.
"My Princessǃ I had heard of your ships tragic fate in the Eastern Sea- the nation is blessed to have you returned to us." the man bowed deeply, trying to ensure that the Princess received the utmost respect- he knew well of the tales of those who had not followed her will accordingly.
"Stand Commander Kuan- I expect you and your men to provide for me and my companion- I also wish to inquire what happened to the rest of my crew... That is of some importance to my future plans." Azula asked of him, for the first time in a while being required to use the eloquence of speech that befit her title.
"Of course- your personal guard and much of the crew arrived on a lifeboat around two days ago- some of the injured have been sent to recover at the military hospital in Ba Sing Se, the rest however are right here."
"Brilliant- I will see them at once." she commanded, the commander pointing up the hill to the barracks.
"They are inside- most of them have been eagerly waiting to hear of your survival- your men did not give up hope that you would return." the commander commented, being hushed by Azula's hand to his face, who signalled Sokka to remain outside, not wanting to have him being conflictive with her men- which she would expect from his
'Water Tribe Warrior' ideal that he had ever so upheld in his mind. Kuan bowed to her before rushing away to another side of the outpost- she assumed he had to prepare her the proper accommodation expected of her title, that being second to the Fire Lord himself.
Azula walked up to the barracks, a relatively decrepit building that had obviously been here much longer than the outpost itself- she assumed the garrison had this building spare for her royal guards and crew- used to the elegance and regal status of her vessel, they might have found this outpost not befitting of their positions as her personal protectors. Walking up to the door, she opened it slightly before peeling it open fully to reveal the denizens of the building- the thirty or so survivors of the battle that had made their way onto the ship; most of them seemed to be relatively unscathed except for a few bruises- Sokka's comrades were probably to blame for those. The man at the front of the room, who Azula remembered as one of the ship's cooks, looked at her in slight confusion- her disguise was still on, and only at a closer examination of her facial features did the man realise her identity.
"The Princessǃ" he almost screamed, immediately kneeling before her, the rest of the soldiers and sailors in the room following in suit.
"I am glad that this many of you survived the shipwreck- it would have been a shame for you to all end up at the bottom of the sea because of a bunch of Water Tribesmen." she explained to them, the Captain of her guards immediately standing and bowing before her.
"I have failed in my duty Princess- I have sworn to protect you and lead your men to victory in battle, but I have failed. I think it is only right that I resign from my duties and that some one else take charge of the leadership." he told her, Azula chuckling at the man, signalling him to rise.
"The fact you didn't die at sea proves you have what it takes Captain- I still require your services to protect me from potential threats- which we will face in the 'impenetrable' city of Ba Sing Se." she told him, his eyes widening in shock.
"Excuse me- I thought we would immediately return to the Capital- if it is so unsafe here with your ship being sunk by the Water Tribe of all people, how could you possibly be safe in Ba Sing Se?" the Captain asked her.
"You see men- I will be unsafe, but that's exactly what I'm counting on- my father believes there is a conspiracy afoot, which I think has to do with my attempted capture; if we go to Ba Sing Se, they will try again, and then we will find who is truly responsible." she told him and the surrounding men.
"We will serve you always Princess- but how can we be certain that you can be protected, even if we can prepare for the worst." he asked her.
"I have done good enough a job this time disguising myself as an Earth Kingdom peasant- I think I can do it again- this time for a practical purpose." she told him, one of the sailors looking over and laughing.
"She has a point Captain- the Princess is very convincing with her disguise- only we could figure out her identity because we personally know her." the sailor commented, making Azula nod at him in affirmation.
"That's right- the more I can pretend to 'not be' Princess Azula- the safer I will be, no one will reasonably go after a peasant for anything other than petty robbery, which I can deal with easily enough." she explained.
"So who will protect you then- surely the guards can't accompany you if you are undercover as a peasant while investigating the plot."
"I have a new ally- I think he will be of great use for our investigation, someone the Earth Kingdom people are more likely to trust." she explained.
"Who exactly?" the Captain asked, confused how she had found someone to help them while she had been shipwrecked.
"The boy who tried to capture me initially ended up shipwrecked alongside me- we survived together and I think I have gained his trust and respect- even if he doesn't fight for the Fire Nation, I believe he will help me if I give him the adequate incentive."
"A Water Tribesman?! You cannot be serious- most of those bastards are mercenaries these days- no money to gain other than from their brute strength." the Captain scoffed, making Azula eye him with suspicion.
"Did one of them hurt you on the ship? Is that why you got all antsy about them?!" Azula mocked the Captain, making him reel back and clear his throat.
"Of course not Princess- I am an elite firebender trained to protect the Royal Family, I would never be beaten by such savages." he bluffed to the Princess, trying to protect his own pride.
"Well I guess you and the other guards should meet the boy- he's a bit patriotic, so don't take it seriously if he starts bad-mouthing the Fire Nation." she commented on Sokka, making the other guards tighten up- it wasn't usual that they would actually have to deal passively with members of the other nations, let alone the Water Tribe.
"So boy- who are you anyway? How did you end up with the Princess?" She asked Sokka, Sokka reeling back, unable to spill a word at the very moment- for all they could tell he was a Earth Kingdom peasant.
"Well- let's just say I helped sink that ship." he bluntly stated, the men reeling back in shock.
"You're Water Tribe?! We couldn't even tell- the Princess disguised you both really well!" She exclaimed, before returning to a more stoic mood, "So you're our enemy? Why hasn't the Princess ordered us to take you captive."
"I could have got away at anytime- but I'd rather be in the pocket of Azula than be out in the wilderness trying to get back to my people- on the other side of the world that is." Sokka explained.
"So you're like her servant?"
"No! I'm not a servant- I am a Water Tribe Warrior who is working with the Fire Nation Princess to hopefully earn myself a way home- she could get a ship and I'd be on my way like that- but she won't give it to me for free- I know that for sure." Sokka explained.
"I am certain you are now in the service of the Fire Nation- you'd be best to not abuse your goodwill- or you'll end up somewhere worse than the bottom of the Eastern Sea" She told him, drawing Sokka's eyes to shock, his mouth agape.
"I'll trust my instincts on this one buddy." he told She, casually patting him on the shoulder, although his eyes told a different story- She might have accidentally scared the boy too much, but then again he spoke the truth; the Fire Nation would not treat those who efface their power kindly, and though the boy had proved himself well to the Princess- She knew that he best keep quiet and do his work without any deviation- betrayal was something the Princess didn't take kindly too. Sokka and She turned to the sound of a march of footsteps behind them, gasping upon the Princess and her entire royal guard- she pointed Sokka out, easy to distinguish wearing the drabs of an Earth Kingdom peasant.
"This is my- uh- 'travelling companion' Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe." Azula pointed out, Sokka taking off his hat and nodding at the men, one of which's face twitched, before turning into a full scowl- the Captain.
"It's you!" he shouted at Sokka with a fury that could only be compared to the Fire Lord himself, his hands set alight immediately with burning orange flames that he volleyed toward Sokka- not even considering his surroundings for one moment, the Princess standing behind him with a face of disappointment and bewilderment.
"Ah shit!" Sokka nearly squealed rolling back from the flames and running to the ostrich-horse, for cover and for his weapons which he had concealed in it's saddle.
"Get back here!" the Captain shouted at Sokka, before being interrupted by the Princesses hand grabbing his shoulder.
"Captain calm yourself- I think you're overreacting- how exactly do you know of Sokka?"
The Captain grumbled, pointing to a bandage on his shoulder "The little shit nearly stabbed me in the heart- I was just trying to interrogate the enemy leader and he rushed in to stab me!"
Azula almost sighed at the Captain's exposition, "As should be expected- we are at war, do you forget that our enemies desire to see us dead?"
"Argh!" he shouted in frustration, turning back to walk into the barracks, leading the Princess to look at the rest of her guards.
"Well go talk to the savage- I'm sure you can fill him in with any info or protocol he needs to know- as he will be travelling with us." leaving the soldiers to slowly nod at their Princess before walking toward the somewhat shaken Water Tribesman who had for the first time in a few days had a fire ball thrown at his head again.
"Is it safe?" he asked out, She looking over and nodding confidently as to try and alleviate his fears, before the guards surrounded Sokka and the ostrich-horse.
"So boy- what exactly did you do to get in the Princesses favour?" one of the guards asked him.
"Uh- I gave her boiled water; it's a precious commodity when you're in the middle of nowhere."
"So water-boy! You can actually fight? the Captain looked like he had a fight to make with you."
"Yeah- I thought he was going to kill my dad, so I swooped in and kinda went- uh- savage on him?" Sokka explained, realising he wasn't making his case very well- affirming stereotypes of his people wasn't something he'd like to do.
"Fair 'nough kid- must have got him good for him to get that pissed off- he's a solid bastard most of the time." one of them joked, making the other guards chuckle.
"So how do you fight anyway? Club, axe or something?" one of the other men asked him.
"I use a club, spear and a boomerang." he told them, their eyes agape.
"Wait-a-minute!" one of the guards almost squealed, "It's you! The one who made fun of us on the deck- the boomerang kid."
"Heh- boomerang kid is better than water-boy." Sokka commented with a smirk, before being shaken on the shoulders by one of the men.
"How in the name of the bloody spirits do you do that?" he asked, making Sokka laugh- acknowledging battle tactics was one thing that stroked his ego- perhaps a bit too much.
"Ah yes- years of practice to become skilled at the weapon." he jested, his voice making him sound like he was a veteran warrior and not a novice 17 year-old.
"So you throw it at people at it comes back?" one of them asked.
"Yep- as I'm guessing most of you saw- I owe that weapon my life- it's pretty much my best friend." Sokka explained, although his wording might have made him sound more foolish than dedicated to the skill.
"So- I guess you're some kind of weapons expert then?" one of the guards asked Sokka, who nodded in affirmation.
"Yeah- I use a club, boomerang, dagger and spear- the boomerang's for ranged fighting and the other three are useful for beating up people up close!" Sokka piped up, his grin making the guards feel uneasy- they had been practically beaten by this kid- directly or indirectly in the field of battle.
Azula walked over to the crowd of guards, clearing her throat to get their attention "Ahem-" before they turned to stand in form to her, "Commander Kuan has assured me that I will recieve accomodation in the keep of the outpost- Sokka, you will be bunking with the soldiers for the night- tomorrow we leave for Ba Sing Se."
After hearing what others had told him about Azula's intent, he decided to avoid the question of his return home and rather tried to go the other way "Ba Sing Se- uh- so that's where you've been trying to go this entire time."
"I didn't need to mention that to you until it was necessary- I assume you will want to come with me rather than being stuck in this port town hoping that your people might show up?" Azula asked him, almost rhetorically- Sokka sighed and nodded with a slight discontent, making Azula chuckle at him.
"Trust me- I'd prefer not to be stuck together as well, but we can both help each other, I'm sure you understand that savage." she told him, trying to balance her need to keep her image and actually get Sokka to follow her.
"Fine- I guess I'll be going with you- uh- did he mention the food?" he asked, changing the topic at an instance to something he found more enticing- the possibility of eating some actually well made meat dish.
One of the guards turned to Sokka "The menu's mostly spices, jerky and some rice, plus some local stuff that the soldiers pick up."
"Ah thank the spirits!" Sokka grinned in relief, "I've been looking forward to eating some actually well made meat!" making Azula almost smack her forehead in embarrassment- she forgot how childish he could be at times.
"Calm down idiot- you'll get your food when it's served." Azula berated him.
"It's just barely eating anything except for poorly cooked forest creatures plus a little bit off rice back at the village- my diet requires more sustenance!" Sokka proclaimed, standing up with his hands on his sides as if to state the priority of his dietary needs, making the soldiers and guards laugh at him.
"Hey- I'm being serious!" Sokka tried to tell them, but they continued to laugh at him, making Azula smirk back at him- to which he returned a frown.
Sokka wasn't happy that no one would take him at least a little seriously, especially after the smack-down he had delivered to these guards on the ship; he thought if beating up a bunch of elite firebenders wouldn't earn their respect nothing probably would. Azula was just the same in a way, although she was less willing to laugh, and more willing to simply smirk and mock him with her words, something that required a bit more eloquence to achieve. The Water Tribesman didn't want to have to make friends with a bunch of firebenders, but he thought it was better than them either hating him or considering him a complete fool.
The rough sea beat along the hull of Prince Zuko's old but sturdy vessel- racing into Fire Nation territory, the crew was ready at any moment for an armada to call them up and demand Zuko be taken into custody for breaking the rules of his banishment- he had not returned with the Avatar, so he would return in chains- accordingly to the Fire Lord's will. Lieutenant Jee stood on the helm of the vessel, feeling as the ship rocked with each crested wave- slowly but surely making their way toward the Fire Nation Capital- they hadn't passed any ships yet, but from what he had heard from General Iroh, the Fire Lord would have already learnt of Zhao's encounter with the banished Prince and his clear intent to depose the him; it was only a matter of time before someone send a fleet to sink them to the bottom of the Mo Ce Sea.
On the deck below, the Prince was training for his upcoming battle- his uncle, however skilled at firebending, still had to take the time and effort to teach his nephew all the skills he would need to defeat the Fire Lord. Jee didn't think much of the Prince before this whole turn of events- he had seemed as self-absorbed as any other nobleman officer- only distinguished by his royal title as any different from the rabble, however after his encounter with Zhao, Jee found himself more and more liking the Prince for the values he strove to uphold- to bring justice to the Fire Nation, so that men wouldn't die needlessly in battle- he himself knew far too well the sufferings of war, having served under the great General Iroh himself long ago- back when he was still the undisputed Crown Prince- the heir of their nation. The Lieutenant turned to the helmsman, who stood behind him checking their maps and instruments.
"Helmsman- how long until we make it to the capital?" he asked.
"At least three days now- you'll know we're close when we reach the Great Gates of Azulon." the helmsman commented.
Jee thought back to the last time he had seen the Great Gates- nearly five years ago, just after the young Prince had set out on the ship- there had been short introductions, and a few waves goodbye and they were off. A few hours had passed and they made it to the gates, where the General made a number of comments describing the engineering feat that had comprised them, to the interest of the crew, but without realising that would the last time they would see the gates for five whole years. Despite the journey being practically 'vacation' duty for the General and the rest of the crew, the Prince had been restless for whole years, not giving up hope until the passing of the comet. It had been beautiful, and the image has been etched into his mind ever since- the blazing orange and red across the sky, turning the sky the colour of the comet itself- it was like the sun was setting across the entire sky; the Prince had broken down after it's passing, unwilling to leave his room, and for weeks they drifted from port to port throughout the Earth Kingdom- with no real goal in mind- some of the crew at that point were thinking of desertion, just getting off at a port and leaving the navy life behind, the Prince wouldn't try to stop them, how could he?
Since he was banished, the Prince had been angry- with the world as whole it had originally seemed. But now he obviously channelling his rage into something somewhat more productive- rage he had been taught, back as a boy- it powered firebending- it made them strong. Jee never had much to be angry about, it was more in the end spite- spite towards the elite officers and commanders, somewhat alike to the Prince himself. He knew far too well what they had done to the so many young men and women who had dared to join the military- 'You either die in war or you die broken from it', he had heard a veteran remark once and for the past few weeks he had realised how this related to the Prince. The 'war' itself, hadn't been experienced by the Prince, but he suffered at the hands of his own father, the supreme commander of the Fire Nation- who ought to have protected him as a father and as a leader- but did neither; Prince Zuko was angry at the Fire Lord and his cronies, and rightfully so.
Down on the deck, the Prince was calmer than most would have expected- his anger had been temporarily lifted after his fighting with Zhao- the duel had been a way to release his anger, and show his worth to the Fire Lord- finally, Zuko thought; it had been five years of him racing across the world- what did it prove to his father? Zuko considered that his father probably had just wanted to get rid of him- an unworthy heir for the 'almighty Fire Lord Ozai'.
Zuko stood with his Uncle, continuing breathing exercises that Zuko ever so disdained- he respected the requirement of breathing but saw little need in it being a skill, it was something all firebenders mastered to become truly capable of bending; his Uncle would constantly remind him of the value of remembering his firebending basics- it had been the primary component of their lessons aboard the ship, and he believed in their effective use when well practised. Zuko found this a bit hypocritical when he begun to mention the understanding of skills such as lightning-bending and focused use of firebending for things such as flight- both skills Iroh was refuted to have.
"Uncle- I think we need to discuss my upcoming duel." Zuko admitted- breaking the silence he had held while sitting on the deck.
Iroh looked at him with concerned eyes, "What of it nephew?"
"You know well enough that my father is one of the most powerful firebenders alive-" Zuko admitted, Iroh interrupting him with a hand.
"Zuko- your father has the power and skill of a master, but just like our friend Zhao, he lacks the tact and cunning to just simply defeat you in battle through pure power..." Iroh explained.
"Doesn't he posses the skill of lightningbending? How can I face up against something so indomitable?"
"There is a technique Prince Zuko- I invented it myself- that allows for a firebender to redirect the energy of a lightning strike back at your enemy." Iroh explained, his eyes growing colder and more serious.
"You have to teach me this Uncle- how else will I stand a chance." Zuko pleaded to Iroh, who turned away to look out at the horizon.
"I never wanted you to be in a situation where you would even encounter lightningbending- but you are right, I must teach you."
Iroh took a stance, that which any firebender would take when practicing their forms; he raised his right arm out, and in a fluid motion pulled it to his chest, holding both his hands together at his core before releasing the same motion outward, Zuko looking on in curiosity.
"You take the lightning strike head on, and direct it along your chi lines to your core, in the stomach, and then send it back out the arm to release it- you must be sure not to let it go past your heart, such a flaw could be fatal when struck." Iroh explained, Zuko nodding in understanding.
"I see- then prove it to me Uncle- strike me!" Zuko proclaimed, making Iroh nearly slap his forehead in frustration.
"No! You misunderstand nephew, I want you to understand this technique so you can use it 'if' the situation arises- I will not shoot lightning at you, my own nephew."
Zuko tilted his head to the floor, his eyes now expressing a mixture of sadness and fear "But he would- wouldn't he."
"Your father does not have enough love in his heart for you, let alone anyone else- he is lost to the world, and to himself." Iroh solemnly explained, making Zuko return to his side and pat his shoulder in affirmation.
"I'm just glad to have you Uncle- I don't know what I would do without you."
Zuko looked out onto the horizon, sea for as far as the eye could see; Zuko saw the water at peace, and just hoped he could find the same for himself. It had been a long journey to finally reach his destination- in a spiritual, fated way- not literally; Zuko had spent nearly four years at sea hoping to find the Avatar, and another year fumbling in his own filth- before he had the wits and will to decide to act on his own destiny- not to be the banished Prince of his nation, but the liberator of his people from the oppression and suffering of the war- he just hoped to hold true to himself along the way and not be absorbed by his desire for revenge.
Suddenly, Lieutenant Jee interrupted the two men in solace with worried words "My Princes! The helmsman has sighted a Fire Nation vessel."
Zuko turned to him and smirked, "Only one- you'd think the Fire Lord himself would have more to show for himself."
"It seems to only be a scouting ship, but this means what we have been preparing for is coming to fruition- the Fire Lord is looking for you- should we strike the vessel down."
Zuko sighed and looked out with his at hand periscope, "We shouldn't just fight our own people because we think they are going to report to my father- let them pass, but we should move as quickly as possible toward the mainland- I believe that it is the in crews best interest to vacate the vessel."
"Wait what- Captain- my Prince, you can't be serious, this ship cannot function without the crew." Jee exclaimed, unsure of the Prince's intention.
"I will not have you die for my sake- my Uncle and I will sail out on the smaller river-boat and eventually we will be either captured or reach the capital." Zuko exclaimed, making Iroh look at him in confusion.
"My nephew- why would we want to be captured? We do want to get to your father alive."
"I know that Uncle, but there is no chance we will make it past the Great Gates if father does know of our presence- it would be more practical to be captured, so we can go straight to my father and I will challenge him for the throne."
"Nephew- I know we seek to get you to the capital, but would it not be safer to get there more discretely, if we find your father off-guard- it will be safer to duel him." Iroh explained to Zuko, the young Prince nodding at his recommendations.
"I see- perhaps we should take disguise as commoners once we reach the port- and if we are lucky, we can make it to the capital in one piece."
Jee, still standing beside them quickly saluted the two royals before calling out the men to tell them of the captains orders; they were finally going to return home to the Fire Nation, and hopefully not as traitors- if the royals were able to discretely get into the mainland as the retired General Iroh desired- the man didn't want any more conflict than was necessary- getting captured by the Fire Navy was not something he wanted for either himself or his nephew.
The City of Ba Sing Se had stood for centuries- millennia even- but despite that, after a hundred years war against the Fire Nation, Sozin's Comet had come and their walls could not stand. As the former Grand Secretariat of Ba Sing Se, Long Feng saw himself as the true successor of the Earth King- a man who had stood in shock as the Fire Nation soldiers marched into his palace and declared the Earth Kingdom conquered. The sight had shocked Long Feng, who disappeared into the halls of the palace- unwilling to face the enemy, who he knew he couldn't fight at the time. The Dai Li- despite the fall of Ba Sing Se, continued on as the last arm of the Earth Kingdom's government; the cities new government- led by the Fire Nation military- was unable to take full control of the massive city, and ultimately the Dai Li still retained much of it's functions, without the suspicions of the governor and the military. The Dai Li's brainwashing techniques that they had used to guise the fact of the Hundred Year War's existence to the Earth Kingdom and the cities elite had given them free reign over the city, and once again it came to use; the Fire Nation officers who did most of the administration were to remain ignorant to the Dai Li's power and scheming, and when they opposed their own plans- they could be simply brainwashed- the entire population of the city however, was beyond his grasp. The political climate had opened new opportunities for the Dai Li- they had large sums of intelligence on anti-Fire Nation groups and ensured that the governors office would be tipped off if the Dai Li saw them as a threat to their own order- they could handle a change in power at the top, but if someone tried to flip the entire power structure on it's head- there would be madness- the city that Long Feng sought to protect would destroy itself- both figuratively and literallly.
While sitting in his dark, gloomy office- now located in the catacombs of Old Ba Sing Se, the only area of the city he could feel safe in with the firebenders sticking their noses around as they were, he heard a knock on the wall, indicating that an agent had intelligence for him- Long Feng pulled the wall down with a motion of his hand- a benefit of being a skilled Earthbender, like any other member of his organisation. The officers face was covered by a hat, although not the conventional one they would were over their queues before the fall- all Dai Li members were required to wear commoners clothing when on duty because they didn't want the Fire Nation to associate their clothing as a group, which wasn't an issue when they policed the city 'legally'.
"Grand Secretariat- I bring new information- this time from the 'Order' again, they seem to be picking up their pace of messaging." the agent told Long Feng, who turned to smirk.
"It seems our friends in 'the Order' have been busy with their plans, does it?" Long Feng rhetorically asked, taking the rolled message from the hands of the agent, who bowed before walking out the room, closing the wall himself.
Looking down Long Feng read the message- it spoke of the reappearance of the Fire Nation's Crown Princess from a reported shipwreck that had occurred a few days prior- perhaps the Order had planned such an action to remove her from the equation- he had read from previous messages that they were looking for support to gather behind her brother- the purportedly banished Prince Zuko. Long Feng realised that this was of great importance to his plans- the Princess posed a threat to him just as she did to the Order itself- he sought to establish a new 'Earth Kingdom' that could allow for the Dai Li to return to their position of power and for Long Feng to be restored to his rightful position as the de facto ruler of the city, and perhaps if he was tact enough- ruler of the Earth Kingdom itself; the Princess was exactly what threatened this plan, because she symbolised and played a part into the stability of the Fire Nation's war-machine as the heir of the Fire Lord himself- without her to lead her people, the Fire Nation would bicker amongst themselves, and perhaps the Order's plans would come to fruition; a restored Earth Kingdom seemed to be within their sights. Although the Order was a distinctive threat to the Dai Li if left to fester, for the meantime they would be invaluable allies in Long Feng's plot against the Fire Nation. The Princess would have to be dealt with sooner rather than later- she could reveal them to the wider world and destroy all of Long Feng's hard work in building up the Dai Li's power-base in the city; the Fire Nation wouldn't have another chance to intervene in the affairs of the city before he made it his own.