Chapter 6: The Gathering Storm:
There had been a time in his life when General Iroh had been overjoyed to return home. He had been greeted with large processions and festivals, people sang and danced as his men walked down the main road of the capitol city. Now there was no singing or dancing not even an imperial escort to meet him and his nephew. Walking down the palace corridors he was nearly invisible except to the nobles old enough to remember. He only wished his nephew could be so lucky. Wherever he went people noticed him, they stared and whispered and shared stories about the "banished Prince" and the horrible things they had heard about him. "The Fire Lord's own son, a disgrace", "I heard that he burned down a whole village when a man refused to give him a place to stay", "Have you heard all the stories of how many people's daughters he's ruined?" on and on the falsehoods went. Yes, his nephew did publicly defy his father, but it was only out of love for his country and loyalty to his people. Sadly those same people whom he sought to protect turned their backs on him and riddled him with disgrace. He has born too much grief and sorrow for one so young. I fear what will become of him if he continues on in this manner.
"Hurry up Uncle! You said you had matters to attend to that couldn't wait, and yet you're dawdling!"
"You know you're getting old when walking is mistaken for dawdling! Haha come now Prince Zuko, the tournament for the Elites is fascinating and I'm certain you could learn some valuable techniques from the recruits. You should come and watch it with me."
"I haven't got time for stupid tournaments, I have an Avatar to capture. We're just here to gather supplies and get a new ship that's it!"
"Suit yourself, but you storming around the palace isn't going to help find the Avatar either."
She felt heavy, as though she were made of lead. Wherever she was, it was dark. Dark and cold. Stretching out her hand she tried to find where she was. Nothing, not even the surface of a floor met her hand. I'm floating. There is no floor...
"Baba? Baba! Answer me!"
"Shhhh little one, you will not be harmed"
"Who are you?"
"I am but a soul in the Plain of the Dead. My name on earth was Mafuyo, pretty was it not?"
"I'm in the Plain of the Dead?"
"Yes, sad for you are quite young. How did you die? Can you remember?"
"I'm not dead."
"Why else would you be here? It will take time for you to adjust."
"No, I'm very much alive. I am the Daughter of Agni, he's most likely sent for me. As to why he plopped me down here I can't say..."
"I was a daughter of the Air god, on earth we would be enemies young fire bender."
"My mother was an Air Nomadess, but I literally am the Daughter of Agni, not simply a fire bender. It was good of you to help me Mafuyo, thank you."
"A child of both fire and air? My how your soul must wander."
"Yes, it does wander...more than I wish it did."
"Not all who wander are lost...you need only to be secure in who you are."
"Then I am more lost than I thought, for I cannot even be sure of who I truly am."
"Good gracious Agni, what did you mean by dropping the girl in the Plain of the Dead? Are you trying to give her a heart attack?"
"No Fate, I just can't keep bringing her back to the same place! The god's will start catching on if I do!"
"Bring her to the Fire Realms! No one goes to that hell hole but you, she'd be perfectly fine there!"
"She is fine, she's smart enough to know when she's being summoned and when she's dead."
"And how do you expect her to know what it feels like to be dead? Lord, Agni you're gonna be the death of me and I'm immortal!"
"Just calm down, like you said before, she's no ordinary girl she is my daughter."
"Which is exactly why I'm so worried. If we aren't careful she'll turn out just like you! And that's one thing that will keep her out of the Spirit World forever!"
"Thaltali? Fate? Anyone? My goodness I had no idea how much empty space was in the Spirit World."
Soliel kept walking unsure of where she was. Vast empty hills rolled out along the horizon. The light was a pale blue and looked as though it was a cloak that had been spread out between the ground and the sky. If I was dead I wouldn't be able to feel the pain in my abdomen, so I must be alive...I have to be.
"Thaltali? Fate? This is not funny, seriously guys! Is there anyone out there?"
Alright then, so they've left me on my own. I can fend for myself just fine, thank you. The gods and goddesses just pop in and out of realms and since I'm half god I should at least be able to find my way through this place. With her face set in grim determination, Soliel allowed her eyes to turn from cerulean blue to the fiery gold of a dragon she stretched her consciousness as far as she could and tried to see with her mind rather than her eyes. She sat in that way for several moments before a voice startled her and broke her concentration.
"You really think you don't belong here do you?"
"What?"
"You honestly think that someone someone made a mistake in your being here? It's laughable really."
"How dare you talk to me in such manner! Do you know who I am?"
"No. And I don't care to know either. You're nothing more than a lost little girl who can't except the fact that she's dead."
Soliel had never been so insulted in all her life, to think that she, the Princess of the Fire Realms, would go unnoticed in the Spirit Realm was unthinkable. I wouldn't be having this problem if I was allowed to move about here freely! Uggghhh why am I mortal? Hands clenched in fists, Soliel stormed off not even giving the man a response. He watched her with shrouded eyes, and after she was a distance away muttered to no one in particular "You'll never be one of us, girl."
"Soliel! My goodness, what took you so long? We haven't got all eternity to wait for you, ya know!"
"It's lovely to see you too Fate, any other kind words for this lowly mortal?"
"There's no need to be rude dear, Fate is just trying to help you, as am I...now you've not been doing what we've asked you. It's not that hard Soliel, you just have to keep the Prince Zuko from finding your brother! Yet somehow you manage to allow him to be captured by Zuko numerous times! Do you really care so little for the fate of the World?"
"Agni please Soliel can't control the boy, we just need to help her out a little more and..."
"I don't need your help! I don't need anyone's help! I am the Princess of both the Sun Nation and the Fire Realms, I am half mortal half Divine, I am the best damn warrior that the Fire Nation has ever had the honor of employing and I am sick and tired of being told what to do and who to be, so you can just forget all the mumbo jumbo you summoned me here for cause I don't want to hear it!"
Soliel was panting and cursing the acute pain shooting from her midsection into her chest cavity. Her eyes were brimming with fire as she stared angrily at Fate and her father. For being treated in such a manner by his daughter, Agni was handling his anger quite well. Yes, the gentle lava flows were now tsunami sized waves melting the lake's shore, and any flames–including the ones from his hands–were reaching alarming heights and temperatures, but all points considered he had not swept the Four Nations with fire storms or baked the Hall of Deities.
"You insolent child! After all we've done, after all I've done to ensure your safety and protection, you ignore the only thing I've ever asked of you? You wouldn't be half of what you are if not for me! Your power, your prestige, your very being is because of me and you dare insult me with your impudence? I was told to destroy you at your birth but rather I decided that eternal punishment for myself was better than seeing you suffer, and this, this is how you repay that?"
"Oh yes because leaving the child of the woman you said you loved, alone on a mountain top, hoping it would be taken in by a rag tag band of warriors was such a loving and benevolent act! I grew up ostracized because the circumstances of birth could not be explained, I was labeled unwanted, useless and a burden! The only one to thank for where I am today is me, I tortured myself daily trying to become good enough for you. I waited for years, training beyond what I could physically handle just in case you decided that I was worth one second of your time. But you know what? The only ones who had time for me were two, hundred year old reptiles locked in a mountain side! And here after a hundred years you come waltzing back into my life. And I overjoyed that my own father finally had the time of day for me was more than happy to go along with your stupid schemes to stop what your own negligence brought on in the first place! Ran and Shaou are the only ones who have been there for me all these years cause the gods know you weren't there for me back then, and I've been a fool to think you'd be there for me now. I'm nothing more than your stupid pawn! But you don't have to worry about me any more because I'm done with you, with all of you! I'm going to fry that palace brat the first chance I get and I'll make sure that its you who has to pay hell for it!"