Disclaimer: Just gonna take a wild guess here, but something tells me that I don't own Avatar.
Chapter 26: News, Plans, and Tattoos
Toph's POV: For some reason, Mai insisted that she go to a nearby Fire Nation town for a visit, and to catch up on the news of the outside world. So naturally, Zuko insisted that I go with her.
I wanted to stay, and enjoy my new boyfriend, but everyone insisted it was a good idea that I back her up. We both argued that Mai didn't need a babysitter, but no one seemed to listen. In the end, I just gave up and dug out my old Fire Nation disguise. Besides, it'd give us a chance to catch up. We haven't really talked since before we went to save Iroh. We had already landed Zuko's balloon, and now we were walking a short distance to get to the town.
"So, why did you want to visit the Hotheaded Nation again? I wanna know why I was dragged away from Sok… everyone." I caught myself before I said Sokka, if Mai caught onto that, there'd be no end to the teasing and questioning.
"What did you say? Before you corrected yourself, what were you about to say?" Oh crap! Dodge, dodge!
"Just answer the question!"
"Were you about to say Sokka!? Are you two together finally? Why didn't you tell me sooner?" No sense in avoiding it now.
"It just happened last night. Now will you answer my ques…" I was cut off.
"Really! Oh spirits! Finally! Tell me everything!" I was getting fed up. I wanted her answer to the damned question!
"Not until you answer my frickin question damnit!"
"Ugh, fine. Pleasantries first. I just wanted to get a newspaper, look at the town news board, find out how the hell we are gonna break into the royal palace without an army behind us!"
"Makes sense." I shrugged. I liked her logic, seeing as we only have a week and three days. We all started counting.
"Now your turn to answer the question!"
"Ok, one question." I knew I was going to regret this. She just sounded so curious.
"Tell me everything!"
"That's hardly one question! Fine. Aang and Katara set up a trap by creating a small room lined with wood that I couldn't bend myself out of that we both got to through secret trap doors also lined with wood. We made small talk, we kissed, we fell asleep, then I woke up in my room." I said to her, in as monotone a voice as possible, partially trying to diminish my story, partially trying to tease her for how monotone she always used to act when she was chasing us.
"Your imitation of me is hilarious! But seriously! That's it!? That can't be all that happened!" What was she suggesting?
"Hey! In my defense, it was a helluva make out session! We went the full nine yards with the kissing! We didn't pull up to second, but hey! I just found out he loves me, it was a little early to be planning kids now! Doncha think?"
"He said he loves you! Awww! I told you so! Awww…!"
I cut her off as I felt us walk into the town. If we mentioned any names, we could throw the whole mission for news off course. We already planned Mai to be called Mala, and I was going to be named Tyla. I remember Ty Lee when she begged to pick out our names.
Flashback:
"Okay, Mai! You can be Mala! I always loved that name! It fits you, doncha think! Doncha agree Teo? It fits!" Oh Spirits does she ever stop talking? How does Teo stand this? Mai decided to save my brain and cut her off.
"Sounds great Ty Lee, but what about Toph, you still need to name her!" I groaned. I thought she was supposed to be helping me!
"You'll be… Tyla! It's such a pretty name!"
"Ugh" I made a face, at the uber bubbly name. Ty Lee got all huffy and defensive.
"Excuse me! Did you just ugh your name? I would think you'd be more grateful for me giving you an authentic Fire Nation name so we don't blow our cover, and…" I just rolled my eyes as she just kept babbling on and on. She never stops! Mai quickly silenced her with a good bye, and we got away as fast as we could after Mai kissed Zuko good bye.
End Flashback:
"So… um… Mala, where's the newspaper and the News Board?"
"Probably in the center of town. Right around… here."
We turned a corner and I felt a huge stack of papers on the ground, along with a stone board standing above the stack. I felt papers stuck to the stone by Birch tree sap, Buzzard Wasp honey, and papaya paste.
Mai trotted over and kneeled to pick up a paper. I heard some pages turning, an exited gasp, and then a stack of paper being shoved into my hands.
"Holy crap! Tyla you have to read this!"
"Sure Mala! Of course! Just let me just put on my de-blindification bracelet!" I tried to sound as sugary sweet as possible.
"Oh… sorry!"
One day I might just get a sign to remind everyone that I'm blind, cuz I'm running out of witty comebacks.
"Well, what does it say?" I prodded her to make her continue. She starts reading off the page.
"Listen to this: Brother of our Fire Lord, and traitor to our Nation, the retired General Iroh, an unidentified earthbender, and a small, but agile and well trained child of about eight caused a mass prison breakout, releasing most of the war prisoners from the attack at the Black Sun! It is unsure of where they are now, but it is believed that they are still somewhere in the Fire Nation. It is also widely believed that they are planning one more last ditch effort before the coming of the Comet in six days."
My eyes bulged in my head. Sokka's father escaped, he's with Iroh, they're planning for the invasion, and best of all, I knew exactly where they were.
"C'mon Mala! We need to tell everyone about this! Plus, we need to plan on who else to call for help!"
Aang's POV: Mai and Toph hadn't been gone thirty minutes before they came running back to the Fountain waving what looked like a newspaper.
I stopped sparring with Zuko and turned to the two girls charging at us.
Katara, who had been sparring with Sokka also turned to them. Katara had used waterbending to create an ice sword, and Sokka was practicing with her, but Katara had the upper hand seeing as she could adjust the length and thickness of her sword, as well as mend it if it broke.
Teo and Ty Lee were also practicing some high level airbending techniques along with flips and contortion. But Ty Lee put her feet below her head once she saw Mai coming back.
"Hey guys! Any good news?" Ty Lee chirped. Toph winced, something told me she hated Ty Lee's voice.
"You'd better believe it, you have to see this!" Toph handed the newspaper to Katara, while Sokka looked over her shoulder.
Both started gaping and looking at each other excitedly.
"What?" I ask. When they don't respond, I ask again. After a bit, I get fed up and just take it from their hands. I read it.
After a brief bit of skimming, my mouth drops to the floor. Zuko rips it out of my hands and Ty Lee and Teo peak over his shoulders.
"You can guess where they are, right?" Toph asked us expectantly. Katara, Sokka, Teo, and I nodded in response. Zuko, Mai, and Ty Lee shake their heads, confused.
"Right, you three weren't part of the gaang yet. Anyway, before the Invasion we met up on this island right outside of the Fire Lord's Palace City. I'd bet any of your guys' lives that their there!"
"But not yours?" I ask in full jokingness.
"Hey, as long as it's not mine, I'd bet it!"
Sokka went off with Zuko to plan on leaving the temple. I told Katara and most of the others to pack. The first thing she loaded was the rice, because it was right there. After about a month, we still had two whole pounds of rice left. What in the Spirit's names possessed Toph and Sokka to buy so much rice during our scamming phase? My guess was that Toph just bought it because she could; we had the money to overspend on immense bags of rice.
Teo turned to me, saying that he and Ty Lee were already packed, and that he was going to get some practice so that he could break in his new glider. I had finally finished it two days ago. Teo was so excited when I gave it to him.
"I have a better idea! Have I, or those scrolls taught you how to create a tornado yet?"
He shook his head excitedly, Ty Lee rolled her eyes to Mai, who I hadn't seen come back, this time with a bag on her back. Mai returned the look. Ty Lee sighed.
"Boys and their cataclysmic natural disasters!" She said very giggly to Mai.
"I know! No matter which nation, all boys like their catastrophes!"
I focused my attention back to Teo and started wind running in circles, soon creating a cyclone of air. When I stopped my huge tornado, I showed Teo how to tilt and angle his body, and how to use his staff to help him. He tried it out, and got it almost immediately.
I waited for him to come back to me, before I smiled triumphantly.
"Congratulations pupil Teo; you are now a Master Airbender!" His smile was larger than I had ever seen it; but I didn't see it for long, because Ty Lee ran up behind him and tackled her friend in a tight hug, making him execute a lovely face plant. Mai rolled her eyes behind them. I would give it a ten!
"Now, you are an airbender, but you're also from the Earth Kingdom. Would you like to shave your hair and get airbender tattoos like a monk, or would you like to stay the way you are?" Teo turned to me, looking slightly torn. Who would want to dissolve all their ties with the Kingdom that bore you? But I think he wanted to be as much of an Air Nomad as possible. Ty Lee whispered something in his ear, and he started to smile. Mai looked at Ty Lee curiously, then she started whispering in Mai's ear.
"Is it possible for me to get the tattoos, keep my hair, and then have a clothing style like a mix of the two? Ty Lee already offered to make me something, she said she could." I smiled.
"Of course! It'll be harder to tattoo you with hair, but it's certainly doable."
Then I wind ran to my room to get the tattooer, and came back.
Ty Lee's POV: It looked like the thing Aang was gonna use would inject the ink into his skin with a needle, several times. Teo saw this, and winced a little. This time, Mai had an idea to try and help my friend. Aang looked annoyed when he saw us whispering again.
"Hey, would you like me to dull the nervous system where you're getting tattooed? It'd make it easier!"
At the same time, both Aang and Teo shook their heads. I didn't get why Aang was answering, it wasn't his choice.
"You can't you anything to dull the pain. It only stings the tiniest bit, but it still is supposed to symbolize the burden that we carry to inflict harm on other people, and it tells us that with this power, we mustn't forget about our vows of 'harm none if possible'." I frowned, grumpily, then giggled a bit.
"So, where will these arrows be going?" Mai had her hand on her face, and was shaking her head.
"On his head, down his back, and to his arms and legs."
"So are you gonna…" I blush when I think about Teo in the buff, getting pinpricked by Aang. Aang catches on, and Teo starts to blush too. Mai just rolls her eyes and elbows me, giving me that 'way to go!' look.
"Oh, no no! I'm going to show him how to do those, down there, so he can do them in the privacy of his own room. I'm just gonna do his head, arms, back, the lower part of his legs." I got it. Teo took over at his thighs. The heat on my cheeks went down, and Teo lost his redness too.
I sat and watched as Aang started at his head, slowly and accurately poking him with the needle. Teo winced and quietly made little pain gasps at each prick.
"C'mon! You've faced several Fire Nation troops before, take your tattooing like a man!" Aang was joking. Teo was staring at the pendant on Aang's neck, showing his Grand Mastery.
"So, Aang, what did you have to do to be a Grand Master?" I was Aang freeze for a second before he carefully went back to his work, he had now moved down to the top of his head, Teo's most visible arrow was done now. He looked great.
"Well, there's a scroll that has three moves on it. If you master them, then you're a Grand Master… and then I have to take more time off of my firebending training to make you an awesome, original necklace like mine." Teo rolled his eyes at Aang's joke, but I saw them shine with something I had seen before; ambition.
"Where is this scroll? The library?"
"No, those scrolls you used were replicated for the library in each temple. There's only one of this kind. Right now, it's in my room. After you've finished the last of your tattoos, you'll need to rest for an hour at least. But I could teach you them after dinner.
Teo nodded carefully, as Aang had moved down to the back of his neck.
"Uh, Teo. I'm gonna need you to take your shirt off." Teo shrugged understandably, then, before I knew it, his tunic was gone, and I was looking at his thin, yet muscular chest.
I sucked in a quick breath and my stomach twisted in a funny way. To make it go away, I spun into a headstand, turning away from my friend. I don't know what standing on my head had to do with an annoying stomach, but the squeezing lessened.
I did some contorting for a while before I allowed myself a peek at how things were coming. It must have been longer than I thought, because Aang had already gone up one arm, and had started on his second arm. I smiled at Teo, who grinned back before making a jokey bored face. I giggled.
I turned back to my twists. Maybe I could pass the time for both of us by putting on a little show. The idea excited me, it was like being back at the circus.
I tried to twist farther than I ever had before. I must have looked goofy, or good, because the guys were cracking up. I looked, and saw my shirt ever so slightly inching upwards. Both were fairly nice guys, and weren't looking too much, but they are still teenagers. What can they do? I yanked it down, my face hot.
"Not a word from you!" I yelled, embarrassed to Teo.
"Hey Ty Lee, had a growth spurt recently?" Teo asked me teasingly.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah! You shut up!" I was blushing.
Why was I blushing? Maybe because two guys saw me while my shirt was riding up! But that's happened before, no extra red cheeks. Shut up. Why were you blushing Ty Lee? I said Shut up! You know why, don't you? I said SHUT THE HELL UP!
I snapped out of my mental argument as I completely beat up the little voice. It disappeared and I went back to my performance. It went on for a bit until my arms were too sore to continue. I popped up to take jokey a bow.
I nearly choked. Oh good Spirits! Now his pants were off too! He was just sitting there in his swimming trunks looking sheepish. Aang was done with one leg, and was just below his knee on the other. Teo looked great. Like a real airbender, only in green trunks.
Hastily I bowed, not knowing what to say. Finally I got out an "I'm going to find out what ridiculous plan some of the other guys are coming up with so I can tease them about it mercilessly." I noticed that Mai was still there, leaning against the wall, smirking at me. I grumbled. "C'mon Mai, you too."
After we were far enough away, Mai just cracked up. I couldn't understand much of what she said through the giggles, but I did hear her saying "you shoulda seen your face!" and "I'm never gonna let you forget that!"
I smiled evilly, and perked up!
"Ok Mai, that's fine with me, but first, can we talk about what I saw going on with you and Zuko last night?! Now that is discussion worthy!"
She gaped at me dumbly, then when her face changed, I figured that it was better for me to run.
Sokka's POV: I shook my head. That wouldn't work either! I voiced my concerns to Zuko, who was sitting across from me, equally annoyed.
"What if we meet up with everyone, then we attack the city, then Aang and you flew to the palace and you cut off his fire supply and Aang takes him down. The rest of us will handle the city and the army?"
"No, I would be better used in the bulk of the army. I've been practicing my… whatever it is recently. I'm can control it now, so I can do the whole glowy thing while fighting with my sword, but only when Toph is fairly close. Without her, I don't have that control, and I can't fuel as much power to everyone." I argue.
There must've been a hint of pride in my voice that I'm so powerful with her. Just after two days of training with her, my abilities as 'The Giver' had skyrocketed. Aang took me to this room he found, just after that. It was a lot like the secret room at the Southern Air Temple, only they were past Givers, and there was always someone else with them. They were always boy and girl. I grinned at each and every one of them, feeling a twinge of connection between some of the other girls and guys who played their part as 'the Key'. I had enjoyed that field trip.
I snap back to Zuko as he tries to come up with a way around the speed bump I gave him.
"Well maybe Toph could go with you and Aang to…" Zuko was cut off by a voice at the door.
"Not a chance Sparky! I'm not gonna just sit back and watch a battle that won't even be exciting because of me being there! Besides, the troops on the Field are gonna need me more." I wrapped my arm around Toph as she sat down next to me. With her there, I could think better.
"Then I'm gonna be in the Field too! How about this? Katara and Aang can go to the palace, there'll most likely be guards, so Katara will take care of them to help Aang save his energy for the Fire Lord. Zuko, you can take care of Azula, and Toph and I will be in the field helping the troops. Aang said that Teo is high up enough where he can teach him the Cosmic Switch so he can create a second eclipse while holding back the comet."
Zuko thought for a moment. Toph was smiling.
"Sounds good, only what about Mai and Ty Lee?"
"They'll be in the Field."
"No! That's too dangerous. I don't want Mai to get hurt!"
"Zuko, she'll be fine! She's a great fighter! Plus she'll have Ty Lee, and our entire army behind her!" Toph sounded pissed off.
"What if that army isn't enough?" Zuko seemed anxious. There as something he wasn't telling us.
"Zuko, you're not telling us everything, why don't you think it's enough?"
Zuko shoved Mai's newspaper towards me. He flipped to the third page and we saw the heading. I read it to myself. First, it was great news! On the Day of Black Sun, Ba Sing Se took back their city from the Fire Nation and kicked the Dai Li out.
I was wondering why that was a problem, then I got it. All of those troops, and the entire Dai Li was coming back to the Fire Nation. That would at least double the number of troops we'd have to take out. We were badly outnumbered already!
I thought it couldn't get any worse, but Zuko flipped the page again. This was an article on how the Fire Princess Azula had ordered the number of guards in the prisons to be cut in half, and had those that were taken out enlisted into the army. I remember that there were dozens of prisons all over. That also greatly added to their numbers.
"Oh yeah! We're screwed!" I clenched my fists into balls, and Toph comfortingly stroked my arm. Zuko was right.
"There has to be a way!"
Just then, two red things flew into the window. One landed on my shoulder, the other on Zuko's arm.
"Hawky!! Where were you!?" I smiled, then Hawky bounced off my shoulder, and sat down right in front of Toph. Shocked, she petted the bird lovingly before going to the pouch and pulling out a small scroll of paper with a very official stamp. It was a letter from her parents! She stood up nervously.
"I'm gonna take this to Katara to get it read to me." I looked at her, confused.
"I can read too, if you want, I can read it to you right here."
"Nah, I'd prefer to hear what my parents said to me without Sparky the Spectator here. See ya in a bit!"
Just like that, she disappeared into the ground. I guess it was a girl thing. Anyway, I turned to Zuko, who was reading the note from the other Messenger Hawk with a goofy grin on his face.
"Well! What does it say? Who's it from?" Zuko finally looked up, as if remembering that I existed.
"It's from Iroh! He said that before he left, he had talked with Aang about all the places he's been, and took visits to some of those places. He said that a certain 'King Bumi' and Earth Kingdom troops following him had joined them, as well as several troops from Ba Sing Se, various high ranking members of the Order of the White Lotus, and troops from the Northern and Southern Water tribes."
"Wow! That's a lot of troops! We may be able to pull this off!"
"There's more! Also, there are various Earthbender troops who said they knew the Avatar from The Great Coal Battle who had come, as well as two joined Earth Kingdom tribes called the Gan Jins and the Zhangs. There are also a group of warriors who call themselves the Deserters who're led by a Firebender who said he knew you. Then there are a group of Earth Kingdom citizens who lived at the Northern Air Temple. They call themselves 'the Flyers.' Apparently they have a good amount of aerial bombs."
I gaped. That must be everyone we had ever met with a strong military type thing we've ever met! I wouldn't be surprised if Zuko had said that Long Feng had come to help us riding the Serpent from the Serpent's Pass. Or maybe Oyaji could come riding the Unagi.
"Still think we're screwed?"
We both loosened up a bit and began talking lightly. We both had to pack, so we started to go to the door to get to our rooms. Neither of us had taken a step outside the door frame before we heard running, and jumped back into the room for our own safety.
We saw Mai chasing Ty Lee with a huge knife in her hands; Ty Lee was running away frantically.
"Ty Lee! When I catch you, I'm gonna kill you! Then for the battle, I'm gonna quickly resurrect you, just so, after the battle I can kill you again!" Mai shouted, which only made Ty Lee run quicker.
We nervously looked down the hall to see them both running away.
"What was that about!?"
Zuko shrugged. "I don't know?"
We just shook our heads and went to go pack. Pff, women, go figure!