Chapter 16: A Reunion Worth Having
"Are you sure this is the way to do it? They look like they're having so much fun," she whispered from her hiding spot. She was well disguised, crouched under foliage that covered her entire body and stock still.
Next to her he glared, "Yes. They can't just keep on sitting around doing nothing. They've got to get their heads in the game. We have only days left."
Another agreed. "This is war we're talking about. We need to be as prepared as possible and they're sitting there making sand sculptures- monsters in Sokka's case- and surfing. Aang is supposed to be the hero of the world but he's just acting like there's nothing else on his mind but being a kid."
Zuko moved first, leaping down from the low cliff landing hard with the violence he used to aim only towards Aang. Fire destroyed the Suki sculpture Sokka had tried so hard to make. The little airbender fled rather than fought as was his nature. Behind him Daiyu and Jet came down as well. The young woman challenged the girls, throwing them into a forced battle of two against one. Jet in the meantime targeted Sokka first, earning Toph's defense as she sent a wave of sand his way. The swordsman was swift to dodge around it light on his feet, though not enough to keep her from seeing him.
Katara was in her element, the ocean at her back. She sent a wave at Daiyu, defensive and not intending to drown like she would a normal enemy. "Daiyu calm down! What are you doing!?"
Suki in the had no battle fans but that did not mean she couldn't fight. Instead she dared to enter the fray unarmed and force the spirit hybrid into close quarters combat. She had never seen Daiyu fight but she had heard plenty of stories; she knew she was going to have a hard time keeping up if she didn't think fast on her feet and strike like she meant it. In retaliation to Katara's water a wall of black rose with a mere rising of one arm. It then turned into a wave of its own, curls of shadow rolling over one another barbed by spikes. Needing one hand to keep it moving forward she only had one hand and two feet to defend her from the warrior girl. Strikes to her face and stomach were blocked and returned with swipes of her claws and kicks of her feet. She was careful not to aim for anything vital though instinct told her to take Suki's head off.
Daiyu was forced to make another shield as Katara formed a trail of ice to slide her forward, attacking with spears of frozen water. Daiyu retreated only to stomp her feet into a stance and throw her hands down onto the ground. The earth rumbled in a way that would make one think she was actually an earthbender. However if they looked closely they would see a floor of shadows shifting and moving like an alive thing disrupting her enemies' footing. Suki suffered the most out of it but Katara managed to still make her way forward. Spikes of black rose taller than her, nearly catching her as she tried to skate around the madwoman.
As the moving stopped, Suki also charged. She found it strange though. If Zuko, Daiyu and Jet had gone mad, then why wasn't Daiyu using dark energy on them? It would end the fight in seconds as far as she knew. And yet she ducked around Suki's viscious kick and retaliated against Katara with one handed bending like she had never seen before. As water whips formed around Katara's arms, Daiyu retaliated as two tails sprouted at her rear defending her as though with a mind of their own.
Jet swung hard against the flying sand boulder Toph sent at him, breaking through it and continuing his violent onslaught against the defenseless Sokka. The young teen had only just started fighting with a sword himself, but still had yet to master the art of weaponless combat. He wasn't nearly as weak as he used to be, but he could still stand to get better. The sand walls that tried to close in on him made perfect launching pads for Jet, allowing him to come down on Sokka like a meteor. Although much to his and Toph's surprise Sokka retaliated with a kick stepping to the side first for a proper angle.
Jet had to change his trajectory at the last minute in order to keep Sokka from knocking the air from him. One hook sword connected to the other as he spun to gain distance and aimed for the other boy's chest. Toph however used the sand to literally shift Jet's position, sliding him against his will much further back than he had started. The nonbender charged again, once more launching himself off of her ground based attacks or rolling under her aerial ones. He changed targets aiming to get into her comfort zone knowing that she was more of a long to midrange fighter. Seeing his plan however Sokka stepped in the way.
"Have you guys lost your minds? What did Zuko and Daiyu do, make a deal you couldn't refuse?"
Jet rolled his eyes, "More fighting less talking strategy guy."
"How do you even know that name?" Sokka gaped flailing when he just barely missed getting sliced in half.
Toph grunted, "Who cares? Move!" A step forward and a push of her hands forced a wave of sand to surround Jet. Or that was what she thought. She watched with wide eyes as again he slipped away. "What are you, some sort of eel?"
"I gotta compensate for being nonbender among a bunch of you benders," Jet defended bending backwards at an angle that made Sokka cringe. "I'm not falling behind just because I can't move some elements around." Here, he charged forward to the girl, vaulting over Sokka as he tried to get in the way but ended up screaming as he hit the ground.
Toph, taken by surprise, made to stop the young man, creating a trio of walls though again he bounced off of them like they were nothing. Growling she reached for the cliff, calling from a distance for rock to do her bidding. However just as the boulder came crashing down into what would have been his back a tendril of shadows wrapped around his frame and literally threw him in the direction of the other fight. Thinking swiftly he readied himself coming down at Suki with blades looking for blood. Katara blasted him with water, taking him out of the air but not out of the fight. And instead of fighting a swordsman now, Toph found herself at the mercy of the hybrid.
Daiyu clawed at the blind girl's face, and would have continued if not for Zuko's scream and the breaking of a certain wooden wall. His crash resounded across the short distance, gaining the attention of all. She sighed, "Looks like it's time to stop."
"Stop? What are you talking about?" Toph snapped, "Why did you guys even start?"
Instead Daiyu ignored the short girl, opting for climbing the small cliff and finding her boyfriend getting up from the tropical plants that offered no cushioning to his fall. He'd be sorely bruised, but otherwise fine. Behind her she noted that Jet followed, the other four tailing along cluelessly. "You okay?" she pulled a few twigs from his hair and clothes, "Sounded like a heavy landing."
"I'll be fine," Zuko sighed hard eyes on the five that circled them. "What's wrong with you three?! You really could have hurt us!"
"What's wrong with us? What's wrong with you? Sozin's Comet is only three days away and yet you guys are living it large and having beach parties. When you should be focusing on your firebending." Zuko retaliated looking to Aang.
"Now that you mention it, your earthbending could use some work too."
But that wasn't the point. "Actually…..We were planning on me fighting Ozai after the comet passed by."
"What?" Daiyu gaped, "That's not a good idea at all. Are you kidding me?"
"We figure that after the comet has passed, it'll be easier. With Ba Sing Se conquered, the war is pretty much over. Things will get better." Aang insisted.
But Zuko shook his head, "You're wrong. It's not going to get better. Before the eclipse, my father held a war meeting. He invited me to sit by his side. They talked about how there were uprisings in Ba Sing Se still even though they had conquered it. He asked me what its people were like since I had been there for a little while. And instead of taking my answer for what it was, he escalated it into something else. He plans to use the comet's power to destroy not only Ba Sing Se but eradicate all the earthbenders in the world."
This stopped everyone in their tracks. "Why didn't you mention that sooner?!" Sokka exclaimed blue eyes wide.
"You'd think you really would say something about that," Katara agreed. "That's not something to ignore."
"I wasn't ignoring it. I thought we were still going to fight on the day of Sozin's Comet so I was going to mention it then!" Zuko held up his hands. "Either way, we can't continue to be lazy and do nothing. It's time to get back to work."
"Not just Aang either," Daiyu agreed, "We all need to make sure that we're in the best condition we can be. We should pair off the best we can. Zuko, you Katara and Toph can take turns making sure Aang can do what he needs to. When you're not training with him, two of you can train with me. Jet, you're our best swordsman and Sokka you mentioned only really starting to fight with one recently. Jet can teach you some last tricks before the comet arrives."
The Freedom Fighter paused, "Why are you constantly with two people? Shouldn't Aang also be with two people if he's going to be fighting an over powered Fire Lord?"
But she shook her head. "I'm going to need two people if I'm going to be able to up my speed and reaction time against Xing. I don't think he's stronger than Ozai but he's definitely faster and far more dangerous. I plan on fighting him alone."
"Like hell you are," Zuko and Jet spoke as one, sharing a swift glance. The swordsman continued, "Last time you fought him alone you nearly died. Are you trying to do that again?"
"No, but we can't all be in one place. It'd be better if-"
"Jet and Zuko are right," Katara insisted, "I know your pride is at stake but please take someone to help you fight."
She couldn't take Zuko because she knew he would be determined to face off with his sister. This had long since been established that the sibling rivalry would come to a head during this final battle. The only other person she new how to fight in tandem with though was. "Then Jet, you'll come with me right?"
"To hell and back," he vowed.
"Okay, moving on," Sokka said, "Let's go inside so we can properly plan. I have a few ideas but I don't want to stay out here in the open and talk about them." Just in case there was the small chance that there was someone listening in. His reasoning was more from paranoia than anything but no one disagreed.
They had spent most of the remainder of that day making plan after contingency plan. Talking of possibilities until late in the night, they tried to think of every possible thing that could take place during their battle. Including the very real potential of death. This scared all of them, including Daiyu. She had been the closest to it other than Aang after all. She did not remember what she saw when she was trying not to die, but only assumed that it was intensely lonely and boring. That was her joke. Part of her wondered if there was an afterlife waiting for her. If there was, would she get to see her family? Or would she be sent to a place where only murderers like her went? Would she become a spirit in place of Enlai? Like some sort of circle of life type thing? Or would she simply dream and never wake up?
When they finished talking, figuring they could continue to plan and pick a course of action that would work well enough for all of them, they went their separate ways. Not for sleep, but rather to think it would appear. Aang and Katara left for the beach, while Sokka and Suki decided that a walk through town to calm their nerves was best. And while Jet and Toph agreed to keep one another company, Daiyu and her Prince were left to sit upon the rooftop and think of the future. The moon was soon to be full, sometime after the comet. It's globe shape hovered in the inky sky, twinkling stars seeming to shimmer.
"...When the war is over, I'll be Fire Lord," Zuko couldn't imagine such a duty. He'd need massive amounts of guidance from his uncle- that was if he could find him and beg for his forgiveness.
"When the war is over….," she shrugged, "I guess I'll have to find something else to do with my life. It revolved around revenge for so long that I'm not sure what I"ll do other than stay with you. Should I become some sort of instructor for fighters? Should I join the army? Should I just try to learn etiquette so that if we go to fancy places I don't embarrass you? I've traveled so much and seen just about everything I would normally want to see."
He was silent, mind whirling over the words he tried to form. How was he supposed to ask her? Did it just get blurted out? Or did he do something special? Was right then the right timing? He didn't know. He was clueless as to how one would work a situation like the one that ran through his head. The potential of him dying while fighting against Azula was incredibly real. Just as for her, fighting against a man he had never seen before but knew was dangerous.
He had intended for the question to be romantic. For her to remember the day he asked until the day she died. He wanted to engrave it into her. Then, he stood. He realized that there was a way for him to ask so that she would remember for the rest of their days. Wanting to get to work immediately, he began his way down off the roof, flipping and hanging with precise movements fearless of falling.
"Where are you going?"
"Stay here and keep your eyes on the sky until I come back," he demanded.
"Okay? I won't look anywhere but at the sky until you say so."
"Until I come back," he corrected.
"Okay!"
"Promise."
"I promise," here, she laughed at the seriousness on his features. Not because it was funny but because it had no reason to be there. "I will only look at the stars until you come back."
"Good."
And she didn't. Even when she heard his distant grunting and strangled cursing she didn't even peek. She knew he was on the beach considering the distance, but other than this she had no clue what he was up to. He ran forth and back, as though searching for something. But she merely kept to her own thoughts. Mainly she was still figuring out what to do with her life once peace finally claimed the land. Zuko would become Fire Lord and Aang a fully realized Avatar. This made her wonder what everyone else would do. Sokka and Katara could very well return home and resume life as though nothing had ever changed, but something about that didn't sit right with her.
She doubted that, in reality, Sokka would go anywhere Suki wasn't. Hell, he could go back with her to Kiyoshi Island and live. Katara might return to the North Pole instead and help teach future waterbenders. Or she could travel with Aang as he'd be running around taking care of small issues. Toph…..Well she was told that Toph had used to be something of an underground earthbending fight champion before she joined the others. And that she had to hide her skill from her parents as they thought she was too harmless and weak to be able to do anything what with being blind and all. There was no way in hell she would go back to repressing her true self once the fight was over. As for Jet, maybe he would find Smellerbee and Longshot and continue to recreate the Freedom Fighters, helping those that needed it all over the world.
Back to herself, she knew she would do at least one thing, when she thought about it. Really, it shouldn't have been a side note and yet it was. She would go home. To the place where her family had been destroyed, and finally create proper graves. It would be sheer luck if she found any bone shards or even a skull to bury, but she thought that they deserved graves. Even if they were empty. She would go home and tell her parents about the adventures she's had and of the wonderful young man she'd met. Fallen in love with. She would tell her sister and brother not to worry, that she had grown up to be a fine young woman. Strong and stubborn like her beloved sister, but kind and giving like her brother.
And as she continued to think there was something else she wanted to try. That was either enter the spirit world and explore the wonders Enlai lived in for years, or perhaps find a way to enter her soul again and commune with him if she could. She would likely need the spirit oasis in the North Pole for this. Surely there had to be a way, considering he wasn't dead in the normal sense of the word. She wanted to be able to tell him about their victory, and of how she beat Xing's ass to the point of slaughter. She wanted to hear his voice again.
"Okay, Daiyu, close your eyes."
"I still can't look?"
"No," he sighed. Once he was certain her eyes were shut, he scooped her up gently. Just like the last time he carried her, this time had her gasping and clinging to his neck again. He much to his delight didn't have to tell her to keep her eyes shut however, as she buried her face in his neck as though to ward off the strange sensation of being carried. "Before you complain, just let me do this. It's easier."
She seemed to take his word for it as he made his way back off of the roof, careful to land well enough as to not hurt his knees or her. Once stable he began the easy and swift trek down the path back to the beach where he had been working hard for the last two hours. He made certain to watch his step as they went, wanting to make the 'ride' as smooth as possible for her. But as they reached their destination, he slowed, and gently placed her on her feet. He stepped away, swiftly entering a stance that allowed him to light his targets on fire, illuminating the sands around them.
"Okay, you can look," he whispered, standing just behind her shoulder so she could fully look upon his handiwork.
Her breath was taken away by the sight in front of her. Surrounding them was a halo of flowers, each carefully placed in a patterned array of colors ranging from blues to yellows and reds and oranges. They were almost like a sunset under the light of the burning bark that stood tall like poles. As she continued to look around, she noted that there was writing, the words carefully positioned with shells of all things in front of her. They were some kind of shell that twinkled like starlight in the light. However, there was even more. As she took in the shadows around them, she noted that the flowers seemed to give off shadows not unlike grass, making it appear as though they were in a field as well. There was a ring of blank sand between the shadows of the flowers and the shells and their shadows. Realizing the truth though, she felt her heart quiver.
Gasping again, startled to her core, she felt the warmth of tears slide down her face before she realized the joy that swam through her veins. The elation made her feel like she was floating. Her heart beat so fast she swore he could hear it from behind her. Zuko felt the same way about his own organ as he watched her reaction. But when she began to smile and cry at the same time, he didn't understand. Did he do something wrong.
"Daiyu? Are you okay?"
She stared through watery eyes at the shadows as they danced and flickered in time with the fire. "I'm….Okay."
'Will you marry me?'
He had placed the shells in such a way, she did not know how, that they read 'I love you' while the shadows read 'will you marry me'. How in the world he figured out how to do that, she didn't know. Nor did she care. When she turned to face him, she moved without thought and wrapped her arms around his neck pulling him down the short distance to her mouth. There, she wordlessly gave him the answer. Pushing her feelings into every movement of their connected lips she tried to convey just how much she felt at that moment. When they separated, the tears had stopped but the tingling sensation of joy didn't seem to fade.
Zuko breathed hard, breath taken away by the intensity of the embrace. Pressing their foreheads together, he carefully assessed how bright her green eyes shone, how the shadows seemed to naturally enhance the beauty that was her face. "Is that….A 'yes'?"
She nodded, "Yes. Yes, Zuko. A billion times, yes. I'll marry you."
It was his turn to take her breath away again.
()
Aang had disappeared. The next morning came far swifter than anyone had expected. And with an unpleasant surprise. Aang had disappeared. Whether it was earlier that morning or late in the middle of the night, no one knew. Katara had insisted that while he seemed a little out of it when they said goodnight nothing out of the ordinary stood out to her. Jet had been the first one wake, and he hadn't seen Aang but thought him to be asleep. Resting up for the big day. However when Toph finally crawled out of bed and asked where he was, the entire crew seemed to realize that there was something terribly wrong.
They searched the entire island. From the allies of the nearby town to the farthest corners of the beach. And yet they found nothing despite the searching they had done up until the middle of the day when they regrouped. He wasn't on Ember Island. But then where could he be? Why would he run away? Had the stress finally gotten to the twelve year old boy? He was after all just a kid; no matter how they looked at it the responsibility of having to kill someone else was massive. Not to mention the fact that he came from a race of people that didn't believe in killing others, that only further pushed against him as a person. Still, they each had thought that he was brave enough to stand his ground. Apparently that wasn't the case.
Determined to find him, Daiyu took to the sky with Sokka and Appa. While they searched in a smaller radius, she flew further away. She wanted to see if she could hone in on the familiar sensation of Raava within the boy. She pushed hard trying to see just how far her senses could reach and then going on further. However even she could only push her mind so far. She had to retreat back to land after three hours of further looking. She sighed, not even acknowledging just why Sokka was being spat ever so slowly out of Appa's mouth. But she did question how he could stand being covered in so much saliva.
"So," her wings furled to her back, "Now what?" She didn't know if she would have to use them again soon or not.
All eyes fell to Zuko. When they didn't look away the Prince became flustered. "What? What are you all looking at me for?"
Katara blandly replied, "Well…..You kinda are the master of hunting Aang."
"And we're running out of time," Sokka agreed as he shamelessly swiped spit from his face.
"Well if Daiyu can't find him, then I don't know how else we could track him down," he replied.
Tilting her head she realized something. "Yeah I still don't get that," Toph pointed out, "All this time you've had this internal 'Aang tracker' sense? Is that how you managed to find us when you were hurt?"
A simple shrug. "Yes actually. It has to do with spiritual stuff. It's boring and hard to explain and we have more important matters to attend to. If Aang doesn't fight Ozai, and Zuko and I have to fight Azula and her pet walking corpse, then who will?"
Here Jet stepped in. "It would have to be both of you. Let's face it, you two fight together as a team best, and you have the biggest advantage. Zuko will be insanely strong because of the comet too, and all the pandemonium will probably make your Chaos State stronger than ever. The rest of us will have to deal with Princess Bitch and her manslave." He shrugged his shoulders as he looked to the female benders, "No offense to you two."
"None taken," Toph waved off, "I don't wanna fight some old dude that intends to turn me to a crisp."
"And with all that heat my water would evaporate in seconds," Katara agreed.
Wait.
Wait a damned minute.
He's an idiot. "Hold on…...There is someone even more fitting to fight my father instead of us if not Aang. The problem is, we'd have to find him and I have no idea where to start."
It clicked.
Of course! Why hadn't she thought of him before?! He was stronger than all of them and more experienced. Hell, he was Ozai's older brother and probably knew him better than anyone else in the world. Question was…...Where would Iroh hide away at a time like this? It would have to be a point of resistance against the war. A place where one last stand was being taken. It was the only place that made sense. Not because she knew him as well as Zuko, but it was what any good leader would do. And anyone who knew about him knew that Iroh was nothing if not an exquisite leader.
"Ba Sing Se," she realized. "Earlier, Zuko, you said that there was still a troublesome amount of resistance within the city. I would bet all my money," even if she had none, "That Iroh is there planning to take it all back in one fell swoop." She could only imagine just how much damage the Dragon of the West would be doing with the power of Sozin's Comet at his command.
All eyes fell to her. "Is he really that strong?" Sokka had never seen him fight. And honestly he didn't know much about those with fancy titles like him.
"Are you kidding me?" Zuko insisted, "Uncle was said to have defeated the last living dragon," although now he knew that was a lie but it still spoke leaps and bounds. "He's amazing."
Suki was skeptical. "Are you sure he'd be there? What if he's going to be on the frontlines?"
"No," Zuko denied, "Uncle isn't the kind to fight on the frontlines anymore. Not since his son died when I was a kid. Ever since he's been sitting on the sidelines doing only what he's had to." It took until now to realize it was never laziness but picking one's own battles. "We need to go. Now. Everyone on Appa."
()
The flight to Ba Sing Se's outer wall left the poor flying beast tired, everyone could tell. Carrying six people was a large load for him at top speed, even when he pushed himself hard. He knew how important getting to where they were going was. He wanted to help. Sadly, he reached his limit before they could enter the once impenetrable city. Upon Zuko's suggestion, they made camp settling in by eating the small amount of food they had packed and crawling into the travel beds. There were no tents. No one seemed to notice nor care considering how tired they were. Appa hadn't even eaten dinner, far too exhausted to snack on the various shrubberies around the corner of rubble.
Daiyu however woke in the middle of the night, disturbed not by intruders but rather the fact that simply her body could not sleep. Her mind wandered and wondered about the upcoming fight she and Jet would have to endure. The hardest fight she had ever come upon was going to help determine the fate of the rest of the world. Because even if Aang defeated Ozai, if Azula and her pet won there would be no going back. The exhausted others would not stand a chance. They too would die. And all hope would be crushed under the foot under some crazy bitch with mommy issues.
She would very much rather that her side of the war, the one with the Prince with daddy issues, won.
That would be nice.
She wondered if Enlai were still alive, would she even need Jet to stand by her side against Xing. Was there some super secret trick to fighting him that she couldn't think of? Or did she just have to throw herself at him until he died? Hopefully there was a third option because last time she did the second one she ended up with tree in her stomach.
Before she could so much as try to fall back into the world of dreams, a ring of fire surrounded them. Her first instinct was to create a tall wall of shadows, lifting her hands high in the air as she jumped to her feet. This was not unlike one of the times she was attacked as a girl. Next to her Zuko awoke slowly, mumbling something about tree frogs and how Daiyu shouldn't eat poisonous things. She would have to ask him about that later.
All the while Toph felt the intruders before they showed their faces. Alarming the rest of the group, fully waking up the young firebender, everyone scrambled to their feet. The wall of darkness was tall enough to protect them, but the newcomers were elevated on rubble and other such rocks. Their shadowed faces were however not hard to recognize by those who know them.
"Well well, look who's here!" the first was an old man of white hair and blue clothing. An earthbender with some sort of eye issue by the way one was larger than the other.
Toph dared to speak first. "Who are these people? We're surrounded by a bunch of….Old guys." In fact, they were all wearing the same blue garb.
Katara smiled brightly. She recognized all of the faces before them. She had never been so happy to see them all. "It's okay everyone. Daiyu you can lower the wall. These guys are friends."
Each one by first glance didn't look all that impressive. The one that had spoken looked like he had a screw or two loose, while the others looked ready to be sitting in chairs drinking tea all day. He had long since learned not to take someone's appearance for granted. That didn't stop his mouth though. "You had time to make friends with some old dudes?" Jet rose a brow towards Sokka who smiled broadly.
He defended them gladly, "These guys all saved us at one point or another. Or helped us grow as warriors," he had one particular person in mind.
"They're not just any old people," Katara bowed to a white haired man of tanned skin and blue eyes. A waterbender if those were any sign, "These are very powerful and good friends of ours. It's good to see you again, Master Pakku."
The stern features remained as he bowed back. He praised the girl. "It's always respectful to bow to an old master…..But how about a hug for your new grandfather?"
Taken aback the siblings stared before the news seemed to click for them both. Brilliant award winning smiles spread across their faces surprise gleaming in their eyes. And while Sokka cried his glee, Katara actually spoke. "That's so great! You and Grangran must be so happy together!"
"I made her a new betrothal necklace and everything," the elder happily confirmed.
"Welcome to the family…..Grampgramp!" Sokka jumped at the chance to hug his new grandfather tightly. He had never known his biological one- killed by wolves when he was but a baby. He took no offense to the gentle shove that pushed him away from the Northerner, insisting that 'Pakku' was just fine. "What about….GranPakku?" This was shot down even faster.
Moving on, Katara was kind enough to point one firebender out to the other. Hair white and wild, poofy, Daiyu couldn't help but see it as similar to Jet's. The sudden conspiracy that the two could be related momentarily blew her mind. But then she shook her head. There was no way. "And this was Aaang's first firebending teacher."
Bowing to the Prince who gladly returned it he introduced himself. "Jeon Jeong."
Sokka bowed to the youngest appearing of the elders. He had Jet next to him, wanting to introduce the teen that was tutoring him in the art of the sword to the man who taught him the basics. "Master Piandao."
"Hello Sokka. Who is this you have with you?"
Not really one for manners but having some anyways, Jet's bow was swift, "The name's Jet. I've been working with Sokka on his swordsmanship for a little while." Less than a week but he supposed it still counted.
"A hook swordsman. They are rare in these times. A rather complex method of fighting but highly capable when mastered." The warrior praised lightly.
Okay, she was lost. Was she the only one lost? She hoped not. Looking to Daiyu and Toph, she realized she wasn't alone in her cluelessness. "Wait. How do you all know each other."
Speaking with laughter in his voice the earthbender, Bumi, smiled. "All old people know each other. Don't you know that?"
"We're all part of the same organization: A group that transcends the divisions of the four nations," Piandao explained.
"The Order of the White Lotus," Zuko realized with wide eyes. He would have never guessed that there was a bigger picture to the group.
"The Order of the White Lotus has always been about philosophy and beauty and truth. But about a month ago, a call went out that we were needed for something important," Jeong Jeong continued.
"It came from a White Lotus, your uncle Iroh of the Fire Nation," Pakku nodded to the astounded prince bringing a smile to his face. It was a look of pride and it warmed Daiyu's heart.
Toph beamed, "That's who we're looking for!"
"Then we'll take you to him," Piandao offered.
Before they could continue, the old wide eyed man halted the entire party. "Wait! Someone here is missing. Someone very important…..Where's Momo?" Daiyu had to stop herself from smacking her face in both surprise and disbelief. That was who he realized wasn't there? Or was he just being silly? She couldn't read the geezer all that well and that somewhat disturbed her. She could even read Iroh to an extent, which she thought was saying something but this man was under lock and key in terms of predictability.
Sokka sighed, "He's missing…..And so is Aang," he wasn't bothered by the seemingly randomness at all. He had grown used to him after the whole ordeal of being wrapped up in rock candy.
"Ah, well, so long as they have each other, I'm sure they'll be fine! Now, let's go!" with a commanding heave the earth at his feet heaved him into the air, sending him rocketing back behind the broken wall. This time, Sokka palmed his forehead. Okay so maybe he wasn't completely used to the old man and his oddities.
They were welcomed into an organized camp comprised of grouped tents each area seeming to hold not different a warrior from each nation kept separate but rather categorized fighting styles. In one bundle of tents there were those that seemed to prefer swords as opposed to another group which fought with spears and another with battle fans then yet another with warhammers. There seemed to be a cooking station and a bathing station as well. In her short time of being a mercenary Daiyu had seen a few other bases run by the Earth Kingdom; they weren't nearly as well kept as this one. As they walk, the old earthbender that opened the protective tall wall enclosing the camp explained to Katara and her brother that he had single handedly taken Omashi back from the Fire Nation. This honestly surprised and impressed Daiyu until she was told that the crazy bastard was in fact the keeper of the city. She marveled at the fact that he was also apparently as old as Aang technically was himself- one hundred and twelve years old. How he was still alive and so capable was beyond her. But then it was also beyond her how a body could freeze itself and survive that as well, yet Aang managed it.
"Where is he?" Zuko asks once the short tour was over.
Piandao gestured gently, "Your Uncle is in there, Prince Zuko," to which the young man nodded and branched away from the others with his lover in tow.
He stopped at the tent's door flaps, seeming to try and gather the courage to walk in and finally face the man that had always been more of a father to him than his actual kin. Daiyu gently placed a clawed hand on his shoulder, offering him strength. "It will be okay, Zuko. I know it sounds silly but you just need to go in there and apologize. Ask for forgiveness; I believe it'll be easier to get than you think."
"Will you come with me?"
She shook her head, "No, this is something you need to face on your own. I betrayed him as well, but you need to go first. He liked me but he was more hurt by you. I'll come in when you tell me it's okay; I'll wait out here."
Breathing deep the Prince realized that she was right. He needed to be strong and look forward on his own for once. No one holding his hand. It needed to be just him and Iroh. Nodding once he kissed her swiftly as though pulling bravery from her lips, and then silently entered the tent. He knew the old man would have noticed them before he entered. Iroh laid there motionless, breaths deep and slow as though asleep. Zuko knew otherwise. He was not worried about having to repeat himself as he sat down, heart hammering in his chest so fast and hard that he thought it might burst.
Daiyu heard him begin.
"Uncle….I know that you must have mixed feelings about seeing me here. But I want you to know…...I am so so sorry, Uncle," He did not bother to hide or wipe away the tears that sprung from his eyes and rolled down his face. His voice cracked, "I am so sorry and ashamed for what I did. I don't know how I can ever make it up to you but I-" he hadn't expected the old man to suddenly sit up, grip the collar of his tunic and pull him swiftly into a strong hug. He could feel the tender love that was there, the worry that Iroh seemed to have felt. He hugged the old man back as the tears increased and his nose dribbled. Sniffing he asked, "How can you forgive me so easily? I thought you would be furious with me?"
But the young man was wrong. "I was never angry with you. I was sad because I was afraid you had lost your way." The gentle former general did not bother to hold back the tears of relief that came to him. The young man he had willingly left his Nation for, whom he had raised and guided and nurtured for three years…..The nephew who had become a son….He was there in his arms safe and of right mind.
"I did lose my way," he pulled back to finally meet the gentle amber gaze of his favorite relative.
"But you found it again. And I am so proud that you found found it yourself."
"It wasn't that hard Uncle, you have a pretty strong scent," Zuko joked before hugging him again. After a long moment of silence and simply enjoying the warmth of the elder firebender, he pulled back again and informed, "Daiyu is here too. Would you like to see her?"
"Would I like to see her? Of course I would!" Instead of the young one standing to get her however he did it himself. He found the spirit hybrid patiently waiting a few feet from the door. When amber met emerald, his smile softened again. He could tell that she had been through some changes as well. There was a saged wisdom there, as well as some regret and determination. "It is good to see you, Daiyu."
She moved before she could speak, a small whimper coming from her lips. She hadn't thought that she was going to act in such a way but just seeing that smile made her heart flood with relief. She collided with him strongly, wrapping her arms around his shorter frame as though afraid of letting go. "I'm sorry Iroh," she whispered as salt rolled down her face. She didn't care that there were people staring as she did so. "I'm sorry I betrayed you and I'm sorry I didn't follow your advice about revenge. I'm sorry I couldn't guide Zuko as well as you. I'm sorry you were jailed and all alone and-"
"It's okay," he hushed gently, rubbing her back as she buried her face into his shoulder. "You have learned the lessons that are some of the hardest to learn. And have ended up a better person for it. I am truly happy to see you here. And Enlai would be proud." He ignored the fact that he would need a new shirt as she gripped it as though her life depended on it poking holes through it with sharp claws. "Why don't you come inside? We can share my tent for the evening. Plus I would love to hear how you managed to survive staying in the palace with Azula and Ozai." Here he grinned playfully earning a harmless glare.
"I'm going to be honest I have no idea how I managed to not kill them both in their sleep," she grinned and followed him, sitting down next to her boyfriend.
It felt so nice to have a family.
Morning found Iroh seated with the group of young teens, bowl in his hand. Zuko sat directly to his right, and after him was Daiyu followed by Katara, Suki, Sokka, Jet and Toph. They spoke quietly so as to not disturb any of the others getting ready for the morning. Zuko sighed as he finished his bowl of simple rabbit meat, potatoes and some wild herbs. Somehow it tasted far better than anything else he had eaten recently.
"We need you to come with us Uncle, and up us defeat the Father Lord."
Daiyu grinned snickering into her bowl before swallowing what was in her mouth. "You mean Fire Lord."
"That's what I said. You can defeat him Uncle, and we'll be there to help you."
However Iroh shook his head putting his spoon down gently. "I don't think that will work. Even if I can defeat Ozai, it will not be pretty. Also, it would still be seen as pointless fighting by everyone around the world. A brother killing a brother just for power."
Daiyu pursed her lips, "But….When we figure out a way to defeat him successfully, will you come back and take the throne?" Terrible place as it was, she recognized the fact that many were merely following orders. Thoughtlessly yes, but not all were with ill intent. They needed a proper leader to show them the way.
"No…..It must be someone new. An idealist with a pure heart and an unending well of honor. It must be you Prince Zuko," Iroh insisted direction his eyes to the young man.
"But- I've so many mistakes." In his mind a leader was not someone like him- inexperienced and without a real connection to his country. He hadn't been there in three years up until recently and even then he felt strange there. What if he wasn't the right choice and only made things worse?
Iroh nodded gently. He would not deny facts. "Yes, you have. You've struggled, you've suffered, but still you followed your own path. You restored your honor all on your own. And only you can restore the honor of the Fire Nation."
He was truly touched that a man so worthy of respect thought this of him. He was uncertain he could lead an entire country but…..He would have people to support him at the very least. He glanced to the young woman at his side, and she smiled encouragingly back to him. She thought he could do it too. Finally he lifted his head after much contemplation. "I'll try, Uncle."
Toph was touched by the moment but there was no avoiding the biggest issue. "What if Aang doesn't come back?"
"Sozin's Comet is coming, and our destinies are upon us. Aang will fight the Fire Lord….When I was a boy, I had a vision that I would take Ba Sing Se; but now I realize that it was truly to take it back."
Sokka's eyes widened in both amazement and disbelief. "So that's why you gathered the White Lotus."
Iroh nodded. "Zuko, you must return to the Fire Nation so that when the Fire Lord falls, you can assume your position at the throne. But Azula will be there, waiting."
"I can take her," he knew he could.
"Not alone," Iroh denied, "And given what you've told me about this lightbender of hers, you won't have Daiyu for support."
Here Zuko's heart thudded heavily in his chest. He had nearly forgotten about Xing. "You're right. Katara, would you be willing to help me fight Azula?"
The young waterbending master smiled, eyes hard and looking for a fight. "I thought you would never ask."
Daiyu grinned, "Kick her ass you two…..Jet, you've got my back, right?"
Here the tanned young man spoke firm and fierce, "You know I'd never leave you to fight someone like him alone. Let's put down a monster."
"What about us? What's our destinies?" Sokka asked, he had donned his Water Tribe armor in preparation for the fight to come.
"What do you think it is?"
"I think...I think that even though Aang might not show up, we need to do everything we can to stop the Fire Nation."
"And when Aang does show up to fight the Fire Lord, we'll be right there to back him up," Toph smiled out.
