Disclaimer: I don't own AtLA (or LoK, for that matter, though I doubt there'll be much influence from it. I was never very fond of it, don't really know why except the splitting Korra from her past lives thing.). also, timewise, in canon it doesn't really make sense it being Sozin, Azulon, Iroh/Ozai, Lu Ten/Zuko/Azula (especially as they were kids/dead). There should have been another generation between Sozin and Azulon. Granted, in this verse Sozin was way back (I'm thinking he took Jianzhu's place and went insane early in Kyoshi's life/killed Gyatso and was killed by Kyoshi for it), but anyway I've made it so that in this, it's been about four generations of war now (meaning that nobody alive save Anji remembers there not being a war, obvs.)
My tentative plan is to have the 'episodes' written in 2 parts each, and post them together, so it'll be double updates!
Read, enjoy, and review!
Chapter Four
Return of the Avatar 2
Ember Island, Fire Nation:
Azula was right on her brother's heels when he reached the house.
"We have to help her," she voiced what she was sure they had both mentally decided as they entered.
"Obviously," Zuko retorted. It was the honourable thing to do, and their parents had raised them to be honourable, despite its importance fading since the war's beginning. Furthermore, there would never be a better chance for the war to end than with Anji's intervention and taking part in that was not an opportunity that either sibling was willing to forego.
"I'll get supplies, you pack our stuff for travelling," Azula instructed him. "Don't bother with any skirts for me, I won't be able to fight properly in them."
"Got it," the older sibling agreed as he tore into the bedroom to pack while Azula went to see what food they had to bring. Zuko packed his own clothes first, taking out the packs his parents had used when they fought together in the army, before injury and Ursa's first pregnancy had caused them to leave, to pack their things in, ignoring the sting of memory when a hint of his mother's faded scent reached his nose. He could practically hear his father's brisk instructions telling him the correct way to the equipment he used for maintaining his Dao swords. Then he went over to Azula's side of the room to gather her own things into a pack.
He met her at the door, where Li and Lo were standing just outside with a map.
"This map has the most recent knowledge we have on troop deployments and who holds what territory," Li declared, passing it over. "Red or green are Fire and Earth controlled, blue is Coalition. It need not be said that you should try to avoid their territory as much as possible."
"The Avatar's spirit guide waits on the beach," her sister added. "You can take it to go after her. According to the stories my grandmother told me, sky bisons were made to fly with a command word, but as the Avatar's companion and one of the original airbenders, it should have more intelligence than a normal bison would. Explain to it that you need it to help you save its mistress, and it should let you ride it. It should also know through their connection where to go to find the Avatar."
"Thank you," Zuko said, giving a quick bow of gratitude along with Azula.
"It has been many decades since our world has had hope," Li murmured. "The Avatar's return is the salvation we have prayed for. The spirits have at last granted us mercy."
"Take care," Lo advised them. Her usually neutral expression softened a fraction. "To be members of the Avatar's retinue was once the greatest honour a person could have. Great tournaments and contests were held worldwide when the Avatar announced they were ready to form their entourage, to ensure that only the best and brightest of their people were sent as representatives, and the Avatar would choose those they liked the best out of the candidates. But while it was a great honour, it was dangerous, as well. Many vassals sworn to the Avatar died honourably in their service. The risk is all the greater in these times."
"We'll be fine," Azula promised, eyes glittering with excitement. "We'll come back, I promise."
"We will," Zuko added. "Can you try and send a message to Uncle? Tell him we found the Avatar and we're with her."
"We will, and I'm sure you will soon see the Dragon of the West yourself," Lo stated. "Now go. You must hurry to reach the ship they have the Avatar on before they reach one of their ports. The nearest is only a day and a half's journey west with waterbending. They will likely go that way."
"May Agni and the Island Spirits protect you," Li added, giving a rare smile. Looking at them, Zuko thought he saw a light in them that he'd never seen. It matched the glow inside his chest.
He thought it might be hope.
The Kassuq, the Western Sea:
Anji kept an even expression on her face as she studied her captors. For the moment, at any rate. She had no intention of remaining in the so-called 'Coalition's' keeping any longer than necessary but, needs must. While she could have defeated the group back on the beach, with only an element and a half under her belt, she knew the villagers would have been caught in the crossfire. The purpose of the Avatar was to protect those who needed it, so willingly and knowingly endangering those innocents was not something she ever considered.
But she had only agreed to surrender to their custody, not to remain in it. She was the Dalai Lama, and would not break her word, but in this case she would keep only to the exact wording, not the spirit of the accord. The prince ought to have taken better care in their agreement.
"I'll be taking this," the young prince said smugly, taking her staff and hefting it. He examined it, a curious expression on his face. "A bit useless as a weapon, isn't it?" He mused. "No point to stab with or anything."
'Arrogant' Yangchen noted. 'But in such a way that it is clear he is using it as a veneer to hide his true emotions.' Several other past Avatars gave sounds of agreement. Anji was well-used to hiding any reactions to her past-selves' comments, and gave no acknowledgement, though she took it on board for later consideration.
"It is not for stabbing," Anji responded calmly. He looked a bit unnerved by her stare, which Kuzon had once told her was 'soul-piercing' and 'judgemental'. He broke their staring contest first, covering his discomfort at her scrutiny.
"Take her to the brig," he ordered two men.
The pair exchanged quick looks, before bowing obediently and coming over to grab her upper arms roughly, hard enough to bruise.
"Move it, girl!" One of them barked. Anji was slightly startled. She could not recall ever be spoken to in such a manner. She was used to being treated with respect and reverence by most. From her friends and family she was treated with warmth and even those who did not know what she was had always treated her with common courtesy. Even more shocking than being spoken to in such a tone, they had the audacity to lay hands on her, knowing she was the Avatar. If the island weren't still in sight, she'd have fought back, but she would not, could not, risk the islanders.
Instead of fighting, the Avatar remained silent and allowed them to drag her through the corridors to the cell. To her utter disbelief and amused pleasure, they did not secure her anymore than with a pair of ice cuffs binding her hands behind her back.
"I take it you've never fought an airbender before," Anji murmured with a slight smirk tugging on her lips, several decks down when she deemed it time to leave. "And seemingly did not learn from your battles with the firebenders either." Of course, she had not yet been named a firebending master, but it was close. Hei-Ran had expected a few more weeks before she was ready to defeat her sifu and then progress to earthbending under Jianzhu's tutelage. She shoved away the grief before it could rise. Grieving had to wait. There was a war to end and a world to balance. She had no time to mourn.
"Quiet, girl!" The older of the pair ordered her. She could see the fear in his eyes and her darker side revelled in it. Her last recollection was of the 'Coalition' attacking the Western Temple, probably the others too, and from what she had learned, they had been terrorizing the world for a century. He should fear her wrath. They all should.
She laughed at him mockingly. "Well, on your own head be on it," she smirked. "Truly, had you any mind at all, you'd know that air and fire both come from the breath." With that, she blew out a gust of wind, sending her two escorts flying forwards to slam, headfirst, into the wall at the end of the corridor, where they slumped on the floor, unconscious.
Even as she was blasting away the pair, Anji had been burning through her bonds, and her fire was hot enough that the chain in the middle snapped as the pair were knocked out. The cuffs themselves remained locked around her wrist, but that was a problem she could deal with later, once she was out of enemy hands. As soon as her hands were free, she darted back the way she came, airbending letting her race through the corridors as swiftly as the winds she manipulated. She was so fast, she flew past several warriors, who felt only the sudden burst of wind, but failed to spy their prisoner escaping.
Eventually she came to the living quarters of the ship, guided by old knowledge from lives she no longer consciously recalled. Although the Water Coalition had abandoned the old wooden ships of the Tribesmen in favour of metal ones, they maintained the same layout, albeit on a larger scale. There, she began searching for her staff. She would need it to escape. Even an Avatar, especially one with only an element and a half mastered, could not hope to fly too far without a glider or bison.
She slowed down on reaching the dormitories and prepared a fire-jab to toss at any enemy she came across with one fist, the other hand ready to use airbending to defend herself. The first corridor she checked was empty, but in the second she found two sailors, who were momentarily shocked by the sight of her, but had no chance to react. She sent a fireball at one, who hastily froze the moisture in the air into an ice shield to stop it, though her power outstripped his by far and instead it merely slowed it, giving him time to dodge. The other she aimed an air kick at, the force sending him crashing into the wall and knocking him unconscious. She dealt with the other by sending an air vortex at him, making him collapse as he was preparing a water whip.
But the sounds of the fight had drawn more soldiers, and she found herself facing off more. Anji, however, had instincts of more than two thousand lives full of battle, and they kicked in, even handicapped by only having two elements. Her opponents, although they soon understood that underestimating her due to her gender and youth was a fatal mistake and proceeded to fight with all their best efforts, quickly fell before her. She left them alive but either unconscious or too wounded to move. The Avatar killed only when necessary, and in this case she did not feel it was.
After checking several rooms, including one where an elderly man dozed too deeply even to notice the Tulku sticking her shaved head inside his chamber and glancing around before quickly leaving again with a murmured apology to the elder, she at last came on the room she sought. It was the biggest one she had checked, yet clearly belonged to a single person. There was a large bed made with silk sheets in blue and white in the centre, a desk covered with maps and parchment tucked in the corner with an elaborate chair of ice, blue cushions on the back and presumably the seat, at it. Hunting trophies from the Poles, Islands and Earth Kingdom alike lined the walls, as did several Water Coalition weapons and a hanging with her old foe Anningan's symbol was above the headboard, where a banner of Tui and La should have been instead.
It was in some ways so very familiar, yet in others so very alien.
The important thing, however, was her staff, which was lying on the desk. Anji zipped over to it and snatched it up, spinning it and using it to block the water whip Prince Kaito had attacked her with from behind, vainly thinking she had not sensed him there from the start.
The Avatar gave a hard smile that looked unnatural on such a young face. Her eyes showed the age of her soul and were hard as the rocks that would soon begin to bend to her will. She shifted into a stance peculiar to the Satguru, one that allowed better usage of several elements at once, and spun her staff, generating a gust of wind. The prince resisted, and Anji was quietly impressed when he only stumbled back a few steps, managing to stay on his feet.
"So much for the claims of the Avatar never breaking their word!" The waterbender spat, turning the floor to ice to make her trip. She simply jumped into the air, hovering above the ice as she fought as easily as she did on the ground, if not easier.
"I did keep my word," Anji shrugged. "I said that I would surrender in exchange for the islanders. I never promised to be your prisoner."
There was a desperation in his expression as he exclaimed, "You won't get away! I misjudged you once, but I won't make that mistake again!"
'There is something more to this than wanting to maintain his people's domination' Salai mused.'You can see it in his expression. Something personal to him relies on this.'
'End him quickly' Szeto urged. 'We must hurry.'
He formed a water whip and lashed it towards her, but she created a fire shield that turned it to vapour. She maintained the shield as she let out a high-pitched shriek while she made several rapid and spiral-shaped movements. The prince cried out in pain at the soundbending assault, and he fell to his knees, disorientated with blood leaking from his left ear and a dazed expression on his face from his burst eardrum.
Anji strode past him, glider in hand. The stubborn waterbender saw her leaving and reached out, trying to grab her and stop her escape, but she simply stepped to the side to avoid his grasp. The exiled prince was helpless to stop her departing. A part of her felt bad for him, but that small part was overwhelmed by the need to escape and get to work, so she did nothing but spare him (surely to the disapproval of Hei-Ran and Jianzhu's spirits, though Kelsang would likely have been pleased at her mercy).
She sped through the ship, retracing her steps until she came out onto the deck. She looked around quickly, taking in the group of men, all armed and all benders save a small handful who were obviously cabin boys scrubbing the deck or performing other chores. They all stared at her in shock before snapping into action.
She created a vortex of air to deflect the attacks being sent at her, and then summoned a fire stream. But instead of aiming it at her attackers, she sent it at the mast and sails, which remained the same type of material as in her time, and thus caught fire with ease, quickly spreading.
As a dozen of the warriors broke off their attacking to rush to save the mast, Anji began fighting the rest. She was starting to tire now. Avatar she may be, but inexhaustible she was not. Still, although she took several injuries, she retained the upper hand, most of her opponents falling quickly. She knew she had to get away soon, however, else she'd be overwhelmed by exhaustion.
Suddenly, a large shadow fell over the ship, darkening it. Anji looked up, a grin forming. As she'd hoped, Azula and/or Zuko had understood her hidden message, and come on Appa. She snapped her staff, changing it to its glider form, and began flying up to them.
"Anji, watch out!" Zuko, leaning over the side to see, cried, pointing. A split-second later, a hand was grabbing her ankle, trying to tug her down. She glanced down, unsurprised to see Prince Kaito, blood drying on the side of his determined face. He must have healed himself, which was interesting. Usually the only males who learned healing were Avatars, unless the long years of war had changed that somehow.
"I. Will. Not. Let. You. Escape!" He gritted out, struggling to pull her down.
'You must credit his persistence, I suppose' Kyoshi grudgingly acknowledged.
Anji gave no verbal response, instead making a gesture with her other foot, sending a blast of fire at his face. He cried out and instinctively let go to avoid it, freeing the Avatar to zip upwards. Azula and Zuko held out their hands to help tug her onto Appa's back, and she peered back down at the ship. The flames were dying out, and she could see them preparing some strange device of black metal. Whatever it was, it was clearly to shoot them down.
Anji reached out her hands, using airbending to summon a small typhoon that proceeded to rip the ship to pieces. The crew were mostly saved by their waterbending, but their ship was lost, along with their ability to pursue Anji and her companions.
"Wow," Zuko breathed in awe, eyes wide.
Azula also looked amazed, though she tried her best to feign nonchalance.
Anji gave them a tired smile and took Appa's reins from Zuko, guiding her bison upwards above the clouds. "We're safest flying above the cloud line," she told them. "So as to stay unseen and unfollowed."
"Are you sure we won't fall off?" Zuko said it like he intended it to come across as a joke, but both siblings had nervous eyes.
She gave a reassuring look. "I'm an airbending master and the Avatar," she replied. "I won't let you fall. I give my word."
They gave nods, seeming reassured. Anji continued.
"This war went on for too long after sunset of the first day," she informed them regally. "And now I have returned, it is my duty to end it, but doing so will be a dangerous quest. I would welcome you to my retinue if you wish to aid me, but should you prefer to return home, I can bring you back to your village instead."
They didn't hesitate, shaking their heads rapidly.
"This war has been going on since my great-grandparents' time," Azula said fervently, leaning in with wide, determined eyes that blazed with Agni's gift. "My whole life, I've never had a hope of the Coalition being defeated. Now I do. I'm staying. The chance to help stop them is a dream come true."
"Me too," Zuko agreed. "Besides, it's the honourable thing to do."
Anji gave a small smile and began guiding Appa north. "Then we head to the Western Air Temple first," she declared. She knew already what she would find, but she had to see it with her own eyes, and retrieve whatever she could that might be of aid.