Miscalculation
Chapter 35: The Invasion, Part 2: Expectancy
It had been decided that Zuko and Mai, riding the eel hound, would serve as a distraction of sorts, the first people the Fire Nation line of defense would see. It was a dangerous position to be in, only two along with a large animal against no one knew how many. Both were skilled fighters, definitely more skilled than the average soldier, but still, it was asking a lot of them.
"You don't have to do this," Hakoda had told them. "It was only a suggestion. You're more than welcome to ride along with us."
Were they being thrown to the wolves or was their loyalty being tested? Or was the Chief simply giving them the task that would best serve the overall mission? The couple exchanged a lingering look and then Mai shrugged.
"It's fine with me; as long as I'm with Zuko." She glanced at Hakoda then and he nodded and smiled not unkindly.
"All right then, we'll do it," the prince added.
"We'll be close behind, so don't panic." Hakoda really had little idea how much or how little either Mai or Zuko had fought. Truth be told, neither had been engaged in any kind of huge battle before. They had tackled small groups of soldiers in Ba Sing Se and the Rough Rhinos when they were still traveling. And unforgettably, together with Iroh they had fought Azula and Ayaka, two of the most skilled and ruthless opponents anyone could ever meet.
"We won't panic," Mai reassured him. She instinctively felt for the knives and darts hidden by her wide sleeves and then patted her thighs and ankles, the reassuring outlines of hidden metal making her avowal much more realistic.
They could both see that Hakoda's respect for them was slowly growing.
"We appreciate your help, all of us. It takes a special kind of bravery to go against your own country and," he gazed pointedly at Zuko, "your own family. I wish you luck and I also hope that you find whatever it is you might be looking for in the palace."
'Thank you, sir, um, Chief Hakoda," Zuko said, a faint flush of pink on his cheeks.
"You're welcome." He touched each briefly on the arm before joining the main group.
Zuko and Mai embraced, allowed their lips to meet for a lingering kiss, sending love and hope and loyalty to each other through their touches. They broke apart and looked at the invasion force, the ships loaded with fighters, Appa dressed in impressive looking armor that Sokka had made, everyone determined and ready. They had all been waiting for this one day and now it was here.
"Time to go," Zuko stated and they climbed aboard the still nameless eel hound. "We should name him. He's served us well."
"If we make it through this, we'll come up with a great name," Mai agreed. "Let's get through it first."
With one last look at the group and the island, the pair headed off into the sea. The eel hound was happy to be back in the water and swam swiftly, making excellent time. Mai turned her head and watched as the Water Tribe ships left their docking stations, and the waterbenders created a huge cloud of fog to hide them. They were not so lucky. She and Zuko were completely exposed.
When he spotted the Great Gates of Azulon in the distance, Zuko tensed up. He hadn't seen those since the day he had left the Fire Nation in shame, a banished prince, told never to return unless he brought the Avatar with him. That had been such a painful time; devastating really. At thirteen, he had been homeless, horribly burned, a bleak future stretching out before him, almost everything familiar left behind, the one friend he had, the girl he loved, gone forever, or so he had assumed.
The capitol's harbor, the Plaza Tower and the palace all lay beyond those gates; home, or what used to be home once upon a very long time ago. Zuko wondered how it would feel stepping inside the palace, if he made it that far. Would victory be theirs? Would he be able to stay, go to his room, fill his wardrobe again and pretend the past three years had never happened?
No, no matter if they were victorious or not, those three years had shaped Zuko into the person he was now. Looking back, he realized that they had made him strong, had made him think and had made him grow. Plus, they had given him Mai in a way he never would have had her should he have remained in the Fire Nation. He was grateful really, despite the pain and the scar, the loneliness and the desolation. He was grateful for his banishment. Shaking his head at the absurdity of life, he laughed.
"What's funny?" Mai asked, looking about them and seeing nothing that could inspire laughter.
There was water and more water, blue sky above them and a smattering of white clouds.
"I was thinking," Zuko began, having to almost shout so that Mai could hear, "about my banishment and how it turned out to be a good thing."
Three years lonely and despairing immediately came to mind for Mai, but when she thought about Zuko's words for a moment, she could see the sense in them. Had he stayed in the Fire Nation, he wouldn't have realized the truth of the war that Ozai continued. He would have remained under his father's thumb, unable to change and grow. Zuko would have stagnated. And had she not gone to Omashu, setting off a chain of events in her life that ended with Zuko, she would have stagnated too. So, yes, Mai was grateful, horrible though that sounded, for Zuko's burning and banishment. Though, knowing the future three years earlier would have saved her a lot of heartache.
"Yeah, it did," Mai finally replied.
Zuko was a bit surprised by her answer, but pleased. "Are you ready for this, Mai? Are you scared?"
"I'm ready." She laid her cheek against his back, wanting him to feel her solidarity with him. "And I'm a bit scared too. But I'll be fine."
"You will, Mai, because you're strong, one of the strongest people I know." Zuko wished that he could kiss her then, but that would have to wait.
Ozai and Azula were somewhere in the capitol. He could almost feel them now.
Palace Underground Bunkers
The underground bunkers were really just openings that had been blown in the volcanic rock, with a framework of good Fire Nation metal, carved and decorated to make it look as though it belonged above, in the palace, inserted and a good Fire Nation floor put down. Inside Ozai's was a small dais where he sat cross-legged, tea service off to one side and a red and gold banner hanging from the wall behind him.
Azula's estimation of the number of guards inside had been low. Eight stood at attention, helmets on and spears at the ready, just in front of the dais. But that was the entirety of his protection. Ozai considered himself safe and he had hardly given this so called invasion attempt a thought. It was ridiculous, really, a group of children and whomever else they could scrape up, actually believing they could gain control of Capitol City, the palace and him. He chuckled at the thought and poured himself some tea. Even without foreknowledge, victory would come easy for the Fire Nation. Theirs was the superior army with the superior training and the superior technology.
They had war balloons for Agni's sake, genuine flying contraptions that could drop bombs and projectiles from above. That was an amazing advantage, one Ozai intended to take to the Earth Kingdom soon.
There were two things that niggled at Ozai's mind however. Azula was not completely certain that the Avatar was dead. And if that pesky airbending boy were alive, he might cause a bit more trouble than they had bargained for. Not that Ozai feared the Avatar. He feared nothing and nobody. Part of him was itching for a fight with the little brat. It was the uncertainty that he disliked. Alive or dead; which was it? Once he knew, the Fire Lord could deal with the hand he had been dealt.
His daughter's behavior also worried him. Something was off with her. His worry came not from a place of love, but a place of selfishness. Her behavior, much as Zuko's had, reflected back on him. And right now, it was not entirely her usual; cool, collected and alert. There was a certain nervousness to her now, like parts of her were frazzling. She was like a machine whose component parts did not work together toward its intended purpose.
That was how he thought of Azula; she was a tool for him and if she malfunctioned, well, all she had to do was look to Zuko for that answer. He hoped that she would pull herself together; he did need an appropriate heir. Though, it was far from too late to beget another child, a fresh start, someone he could mold from the crib. Ozai stroked his beard and took a sip of tea. Yes, that thought was actually quite appealing.
As soon as Mai and Zuko were within a few meters of the Great Gates of Azulon, and alarm bell sounded and a net spanned the distance between the two towering statues. Flames came next, licking at the material. It was supposed to be intimidating, of course, and for those that couldn't bend fire, it would be.
Despite one hundred years at war, the alarm and the net had rarely been used. Only the occasional stray Water Tribe ship had ever come close to the gates and those had scurried away quickly or been destroyed. Never had there been an invasion attempt; the soldiers who patrolled the waters in jet skis were on high alert now though and as soon as those alarms rang, motored out into the water beyond the gates. What they saw surprised them completely.
A huge animal, varying shades of green, and with prettily shining scales, something that looked like an overgrown lizard, was swimming at breakneck speed toward the gates. It carried two riders, both of them wearing Earth Kingdom clothes. But something about them screamed Fire Nation. Perhaps it was the paleness of their skin or, wait; it was the fireball in the man's palm, a fireball that he tossed with grace and ease at the first jet ski, while holding onto the reins with his other hand.
The soldier managed to maneuver the vehicle out of the way; they were flexible little things to ride on, perfect for dodging and evading. The man meanwhile handed the reins back to the young woman behind him. Her hair was remarkable; to stare at its utter darkness was like falling into the deepest part of nighttime. She took the leather in hand while readying something in one set of fingers.
The male rider made some elegant waving motions with his now free hands and the flames in the netting disappeared. But that was only momentary. The sentries stationed inside the statues relit the fire. That game, fire, no fire, could go on forever.
Something shiny and sharp flew through the air and hit one of the soldiers in the fleshiest part of his arm. He yelped with pain and the sheer surprise of the attack knocked him off his vehicle. The girl had a sour look on her face as if she hated wasting one of her blades and regretted losing it to the sea.
More jet skis joined the first few and soon the animal was surrounded. The young man turned to the young woman and they quickly exchanged some words, all while remaining alert. When they finished, the young man spoke.
"I'm Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation. I order you to stand down." He urged the creature forward. Its huge tail slithered along the surface of the water and it's almost too intelligent looking yellow eyes surveyed them all with what one soldier would swear was disdain.
No one moved. They looked at Zuko as though her were a madman. Then they noticed the huge, terrible looking scar, a scar that covered most of the left side of his handsome and admittedly regal looking face. Perhaps it was Prince Zuko after all. They had all heard the story of the young royal and his banishment.
"Maybe you are," one soldier finally spoke up. "But you're banished and are not permitted on Fire Nation soil. Why should we listen to you?"
"Do you really want to anger Fire Lord Ozai, my father? Are you certain that he has not made an exception today? Do you want to take that risk?" He was bluffing and doing not a bad job for someone so terrible at lying.
Mai could see the confusion on the mainly young faces. They all knew that Zuko had not returned to the Fire Nation in triumph. They all knew that he had been banished three years ago after that Agni Kai with his father. But there was always the possibility that the prince was telling the truth. Maybe his father wanted him back to fight against the invaders. Perhaps there was some sort of secret plan that the ordinary soldiers knew nothing about.
"What's it going to be?" Mai asked. She looked from one soldier to the other, still partly amazed that they hadn't continued their attack. "Are you going to listen to your prince or are you going to incur his wrath, and mine?"
The Fire Nation's first line of defense did not notice the incongruous cloud of fog heading their way.
Using his telescope, Hakoda peered through the bender made fog and ahead to where the prince and the girl named Mai first fought and now talked with the guards who manned the Great Gates of Azulon.
"What are they up to?" he wondered aloud.
Sokka who had come above deck to speak with his father one more time before the fighting began, stared curiously ahead. "What's going on, Dad?" The warrior adjusted his battle helmet; designed to look like a wolf's head, with ears and teeth and everything, it gave Sokka a fiercer aspect than usual.
"Your new friends, the prince and his girl, they're talking with the guards. Whatever they're talking about, it certainly has them distracted and that's what we want. They fought briefly first; Mai knocked one off that strange vehicle he was riding."
Sokka couldn't help but grin. He clenched his fist as if in triumph. "Then we can submerge before they notice us. And by the time they see the boats, we'll be under the gate and well on our way to the harbor."
"Exactly; Mai and Zuko will have to get by that barrier and follow us in." Hakoda frowned for a moment. He was actually worried about the pair, people he barely knew, people who were once the enemy. But they were youngsters like his children, thrust into terrible situations long before they ever should have been. It made him angry and it made him more determined than ever to gain control of the Fire Nation capitol. This damnable war and the Fire Lord, who ran it from inside the comfort of his palace, had to be stopped, today.
Sokka sensed his father's anxiety. "I think they're pretty tough, Zuko and Mai. I mean, I don't know them well, but Zuko, he's tenacious and Mai keeps her cool. They'll be fine."
"You comforting me, hmm; Sokka, you've really grown up these past few years. Thank you." The chief gazed proudly at his son and then put a hand on his shoulder, squeezing lightly. "I wish that your mother could see you now." His expression grew wistful and his blue eyes seemed to gaze into the past rather than at the present.
"So do I." The younger man paused, unsure what to say next. Sometimes conversations about his long dead mother made him uncomfortable. He'd learned to deal with her loss, moved on, and the terrible grief that her death still inspired in Katara and sometimes his father too, gave him an odd feeling, one he wasn't certain how to deal with.
"Hmm, yes; time to go below and get in the submarines." Hakoda gave the order, to his boat and the other ones, all sailing in a tight grouping.
He hated leaving his beloved boat behind, but some things were more important than nostalgia. Ending the war was one of them.
Underground Bunkers, Fire Nation Palace
Azula paused in the corridor that led to her father's bunker. Fussy, officious little men seemed to be everywhere today, moving about the underground tunnels, reading their scrolls, poking their heads into bunkers and generally being nosy and irritatingly underfoot. They were all her father's men, naturally, there to serve and protect the great Fire Lord.
She'd already thrown a ball of blue fire at one, sending him tearing off down the hallway as if his tunic was on fire. It almost had been. The princess had chuckled gleefully, happy to expel some of her nervous energy. Ayaka observed everything with her usual calm detachment. She didn't care about the men, but the Bringer did not particularly like being underground. There was something strange about walking around inside a volcano, rivers of lava running along the other sides of the walls. And it was warm, too warm, and she felt a bit as though she were being smothered. Her muddy brown eyes and plain face held something foreign; the smallest hint of fear. Thankfully, the princess was so caught up in her machinations she didn't notice anything out of the ordinary.
Wearing her armor, her hair pulled back into a tight ponytail, a knife tucked up inside her sleeve; there would be no bending for eight minutes after all, Azula began to pace, looked to Ayaka, signaled her and then began walking toward Ozai's bunker.
"You stay outside with the guards. Take care of them if it's necessary." Azula's tone held a hint of what could best be described as elation. She assumed that everything would go her way. It was her moment, her time to reach out and grab the power and glory, even if it was from her father's dead fingers.
"Yes, Princess," the Bringer answered dully.
As soon as the pair reached the bunker, Azula's eyes opened wide for a moment. There were no guards outside; of course there weren't. A group or armed men standing outside a doorway told everyone that something or someone valuable was inside. What had she been thinking? Where was her mind? She didn't make mistakes like that, ever. Cold fear wriggled its insidious way along her spine. Her mind needed to be at its sharpest when facing her father. That never used to be a problem. Everything, everything that seemed to be wrong with her mind now came down to Mai and Ty Lee and their traitorous behavior, their utter betrayal of both her and the Fire Nation. They were her subordinates, handpicked from the Royal Fire Academy for girls, girls she had molded and trained, girls who were supposed to be with her until the end, or die defending her. What had happened? What had gone so wrong? Azula reached up and stroked the still pink scar on her left cheek. Giving her head a vigorous shake and indicating to Ayaka that she should stand in the doorway, the princess pulled open the metal door and stepped across the threshold.
A row of guards stood in front of Ozai. Behind them, Ozai lifted his eyebrows and looked quizzically at his daughter. "What is it Azula? Shouldn't you be patrolling the hallways until this invasion is over?"
"May I speak with you, Father?" She bowed her head ever so slightly.
"What's this about?" Ozai snapped. He hadn't anticipated any 'visitors' during his time in the bunker. He had planned to enjoy his tea and relax while the battle went on above.
The princess stared at the helmeted and spear holding guards then caught her father's eye. "It's private."
"Fine," the Fire Lord sighed. With a wave, he dismissed the guards. They joined Ayaka out in the hallway.
Azula kept her eyes trained on the neat row of men and when the final one stepped outside the bunker, she walked forward until she was within a few feet of the makeshift dais. "It's private," she repeated. 'And deadly,' she thought to herself and almost giggled.
Ozai had the feeling that something was off once again; he wasn't sure what exactly, but something more than a question or a conversation was on his daughter's mind. Her body language and her demeanor gave off mixed signals. "Yes, you've made that clear. Speak then." He tilted his head upward, and gazed over Azula's head, meeting Ayaka's blank eyes. But they weren't quite as blank as they normally were. She blinked rapidly and kept glancing between the two royals. Ozai would swear that she was trying to tell him something. He stood up and stepped down from the dais, approaching the princess like a terrible beast would its prey. "Speak, Azula! Act like the princess you are, not some mumbling idiot. I got enough of that with your brother."
Her lip began to tremble and the comparison to Zuko shook her. She was not her brother. She was nothing like that traitor. Suddenly Ozai wasn't the man she wanted to murder, wasn't the man she wanted to replace as Fire Lord; he was Father now, the man who thought she was brilliant, who showed her off, who wanted her at his side as he took over the world. Maybe he didn't plan to cast her aside. Perhaps Mai's and Ty Lee's betrayals had left her paranoid, expecting betrayal from everyone around her. She simply wasn't sure anymore. Was it her time now or should she wait like a good princess would? It didn't matter anyway. He was too alert. And he was strong.
"I, I," her amber eyes locked with Ozai's gold ones. 'He suspects,' she said in her mind. 'How? Was it Ayaka?' Azula looked over her shoulder at the Bringer whose face was completely empty of expression now. The princess made her decision. "Father, I hope that I can serve you well today, bring pride to the Fire Nation and your throne. I am at your service. And if the Avatar is somehow still alive…." She paused for a moment. He was alive and probably heading the invasion attempt. But Ozai did not know that for sure. "If he is alive, I will do all within my power to snuff him out or bring him to you in chains."
"Zuko was supposed to do that; bring me the Avatar." Ozai sneered at the thought of his son.
"I won't fail like ZuZu," Azula assured her father. "I'm better than he is. And I won't betray you." The words tasted like ash in her mouth. She wanted to be Fire Lord. She deserved it, didn't she? Why was her world falling apart? Why couldn't she choose a path and stick with it? Why was her mind failing her so miserably?
"The price of betrayal is a high one, daughter." Creating a lovely orange flame in his palm and watching as the ever present slight breeze in the bunker made it twitch, Ozai spoke, his voice level and even but somehow still terrifying. "You weren't planning something other than a talk were you?"
Azula steeled herself. She breathed in deeply and lied. She lied well, perfectly. No one could ever tell. It was one of her many skills. "No, Father. I simply wanted to make certain that you were safe and assure you of my undying loyalty; everything for you and the glory of our nation."
The invasion force entered the bellies of the Water Tribe Ships where the submarines were stored. Tumbling inside, nervous to use something basically untested and with a limited air supply, the non-waterbenders waited while Katara and the others got the strange vehicles into the sea. Aang rode on Appa, making a huge bubble of air, big enough to fit over the bison's head and shoulders and the boy's entire body.
Hakoda took one last look at his boat, one he'd sailed for years, his second home, then laid eyes on his two determined children. The future was what counted now, not the past. The boat was simply wood and bone and furs. The memories attached to his years onboard would stay with him until the day he closed his eyes forever.
The submarines worked without a hitch, and except for Toph's bout of motion sickness, the trip underneath the Great Gates of Azulon and toward the city's harbor was uneventful. Sokka beamed proudly as he and the mechanist discussed the vehicles, improvements that might be made and the original design drawings that Sokka had slaved over.
"They're a bit rough," the older man said tactfully as he pulled put the childlike sketches the Water Tribe warrior had made weeks earlier. "But they gave me the general idea. And ideas, Sokka, are everything."
"Thanks," Sokka said humbly. He ducked his head and stared down at his feet.
After awhile, with the gates far behind, no one in pursuit and the city looming ever closer, the submarines came up for air. The breeze and the sunshine suddenly felt very good. Toph took huge gulps of air while The Duke, who had gallantly lent her his helmet to use as a bucket, casually rinsed it out in the sea.
"Thanks," Toph said to the younger boy, giving him a firm clap on the back. "Can't believe I actually barfed."
He shrugged and grinned at the earthbender. "Everybody has something that makes them sick. It's no big deal."
"Yeah, I suppose," she replied. She adjusted her own helmet and her wristbands. She was eager to start the fight. Waiting patiently was not her thing.
"Listen up everyone," Hakoda called out. "This stop is our last before we reach the capitol city. When we land on the beach, the fighting will begin. So prepare yourselves. It all, everything, comes down to this."
Katara glanced over at her father. She stood atop one of the submarines with Aang. Both of them shuffled their feet, and stared nervously at each other. Feelings had a way of becoming clearer when danger lurked around the corner.
"Aang, I, well, I just wanted to say that I'm proud of you." He looked so determined and calm standing there with his staff. And his grey eyes, such pretty eyes for a boy, were full of what Katara could only describe as love, an almost reverential love at that. They made her a bit nervous.
'Thanks, Katara." That voice, so cheerful and bright, so grateful for her praise; it warmed the girl's heart. "I wanted to say something too."
"Oh?" Katara replied. She tugged at her blue tunic and took a quick glance at Appa who floated in the water. He gave her a bit of a snort and watched the action between his companion and the young woman who was so very important to both of them.
"Yeah, I just wanted to say that I like you. I mean I like you." Quicker than one of her best water whips, Aang leaned in and placed a kiss on Katara's cheek.
They both blushed and Katara found it difficult to meet the Avatar's gaze. But after he flew off with his staff, toward the palace and his battle with Fire Lord Ozai, after she sat upon Appa's back, created an air bubble and joined the others beneath the waves, she touched where his lips had caressed her flesh and she smiled.
"Let them through," said the guard in charge. He had no idea if his decision was the right one, but he had made it now.
"But…" one guard blurted out.
"Are you sure?" a second one asked.
"No, damn it, I'm not sure. I'm damned if I do and damned if I don't. If the prince is tricking us, we'll just have to lie and say that they made their way to the capitol another way. And if he's not, we'll have done the right thing. I am not going to be the one who hurts or kills the Prince of the Fire Nation."
"As if," Mai muttered and rolled her eyes.
The stress on the man's face was evident. He longed to be anywhere but here. After years of quiet, why now did there have to be a problem and one this difficult?
"Go," he commanded.
The net was raised and Zuko gave the eel hound the command to move forward. Obediently, the animal swam, and within minutes had almost caught up to the submarines. It was another few minutes before the fog cleared and the Water Tribe boats came into view. Alarmed the guards took off on their jet skis once more and boarded the ships. It was immediately obvious that they were completely empty of people. But, thoroughness being part of the job, they went below deck and found only more quiet.
"Guess I made the wrong decision," the head guard said through tightly clenched teeth. "That traitor and his woman were nothing but a distraction. He's part of the damned invasion." He paused then for a few moments, took in the furs and the ornaments made of bone. "Savages, nothing but savages; burn their boats and leave no trace."
"I hope the rest of the day goes as easily as that did," Zuko yelled back at Mai.
"Don't count on it," Mai drawled in response.
"We're almost there," the prince continued. He felt his body grow rigid with anticipation.
Zuko thought about Ozai and Mai thought about both Azula and Ayaka. None of their thoughts were pleasant.