Commander Zhao was admittedly a little nervous to be standing in front of a member of the Royal Family; though he had gone to make his request to Fire Lord Azulon considering the North Pole, that was a rather formal affair where he had been snubbed by the most powerful man in the world. Being face to face with Prince Ozai was a whole different affair, because it wasn't Zhao who had sought out the Prince, but the other way around. They were just outside of the War Council chamber, where the Commander was going to partake in a meeting for the first time. He was looking forward to doing so, given he wanted to prove his knowledge and give his insights into naval strategies, his area of expertise; what he hadn't been expecting was the one of the sons of the Fire Lord to speak with him directly.
"So, could you tell me, Commander, what exactly you think made you worthy of sitting in that chamber?" he asked him rather calmly; he wasn't speaking in a tone that suggested he thought he was unworthy, so he decided that he would tell the Prince exactly what he thought.
"I wiped out a flotilla of Earth Kingdom ships that had been raiding our convoy routes in the Southern Sea." he explained what feat he had achieved to be worthy of his present position, "That is why I was promoted to the rank of Commander, and invited here."
"That is what I heard." Ozai crossed his arms, before eyeing the chamber, "But what makes a man worthy of sitting in that chamber, Commander?"
"Valor and skill in battle?" he gave his own idea, and the Prince raised his chin up, seeming to disagree.
"Their tenacity to do what is necessary for their country." he gave his opinion, "Do you think you have the commitment to our mission that is required of you?" he asked him, and the Commander nodded; the mission Fire Lord Sozin had set out for their nation was a clear one, and every officer in the Fire Nation's military was well aware of it- it was part of their oath, after all.
"I do, your highness." he assured him, and the Prince let out a chuckle.
"Does everyone have that commitment?" he questioned him, and the Commander eyed the nearby door, and imagined who was sitting inside.
"In there, every man knows his place, and what we must achieve." he acknowledged, before furrowing a brow, "Did you mean to say some don't agree with our mission?" he asked, and the Prince narrowed his eyes.
"Well, what do you think, Commander?" he simply asked him, giving him the opportunity to mull over what he knew about the men who sat on the Fire Lord's War Council.
"There are differing views on how we ought to deal with our enemies. How swift and resolute we should be, if we should give mercy, how we should treat rebellion and discordance among the lesser nations." he listed off things he knew there was more than one opinion of, before narrowing his eyes, "Some of those opinions might stand in the way of our war effort."
"That is exactly what I believe." he admitted, the Commander tensing up; he didn't directly infer who held those opinions, but Ozai's questioning was leading in a certain direction, "I believe there is a need for a change in leadership on these matters."
He was trying to tell him that he believed that some of the people on the War Council stood in the way of their efforts to defeat the other nations and finally end the hundred years of war their nation had struggled through; Zhao was good enough at deducing that he couldn't be referring to any ordinary officers, given that he could simply tell his father, the Fire Lord, that he believed their plans to be inefficient or impeding their goals. There was only one person he could be referring to, and the Admiral couldn't imagine him standing down from the War Council- the Crown Prince himself. Of course, he might be referring to his own father, the Fire Lord as well, but that seemed unlikely, given speaking such words, even indirectly, was tantamount to treason.
"So, will you help me, Commander?" he asked him simply, "I know you have aspirations far greater than commanding a section of the Southern Fleet." he argued, and Zhao narrowed his eyes; it was rather clear that he was trying to bribe him, and Zhao couldn't help but feel a tinge of unease at the suggestion.
He wanted to achieve his great victory over the Northern Water Tribe, for which he'd be remembered for generations to come; history books would laud him Zhao the Conqueror, Zhao the Moonslayer. For nearly fifteen years, that was all he had wanted to achieve, and though it had been a challenge to receive the promotions he needed, he was well on his way to becoming an Admiral. Ozai was offering to help him on that path, and he was tempted to accept his offer.
"I have yet to achieve a great enough victory to earn my campaign in the north." he admitted the truth of the matter, "I may be able to help ensure our nation is lead by the right man." he admitted, giving the Prince the answer he wanted without explicitly saying anything treasonous.
Ozai narrowed his eyes at him, "Well, I am surprised by your humility, Commander. You have just been promoted. I would imagine your aspirations are at the centre of your mind."
"They are always." he assured him, before he narrowed his eyes, "I know that I must wait my turn, and I will do everything to prove I am worthy of it."
The Prince nodded, before eyeing the door of the war chamber, "I am glad to hear we agree on things." he admitted, before stepping closer to the Imperial Firebenders, waving his hand up to be allowed into the room; Zhao followed after him, and grimaced slightly, realising that he had fooled the Prince.
Ozai believed that the Commander thought he was the man right to rule their nation, however in actuality, the man who he though was truly worthy was the very one that the Prince was threatening. The glorious victory he had attained over the Earth Kingdom was incomparable in history. He was the great conqueror of the unconquerable city; to stand against him wouldn't just be treason, it would be a dishonour of that man's great victory, and his great loss. The Dragon of the West had gained their nation their great victory at the cost of his own son's life, and even though Zhao wasn't that sentimental a man, he could admire the tenacity and willpower it took to continue on after a tragedy like that.
The Prince wanted to be Fire Lord, there was no doubt about that, but the Commander was a man who ran on the principle that he had been reminded of throughout his career; the strong and capable would rule and they would be victorious. The Prince, despite his charisma and clear aspirations, similar to Zhao himself, he was no great leader, and had yet to prove himself in any notable way; the Dragon of the West was the one man who could finally lead their nation out of the Hundred Year's War, and he was more than worthy of the title he was to receive.
Once he had entered the War Chamber, he eyed up and down the table, looking at the men who was sitting ready, waiting for the meeting to begin; he wondered which of those men the Prince had also spoken to, and offered his 'assistance' to. It was an unnerving possibility, that the most powerful men in their nation could be turning against the one man they ought not to; Zhao valued loyalty, and he was loyal to his Fire Lord, and to his nation.
Not every man could say his loyalty was to his nation above all else; some might be more concerned about the security of their rank and their retirement package. The Commander, however, didn't think like that; he wanted to be remembered, and he wanted to have achieved something by the time he was as old as some of the grumpy old fools he was about to sit with. He did not need riches, or a long career- he needed glory, and that glory was only going to come about when their nation was strong, united, and able to act against the threats that faced it. A strong nation came from loyal, hard-working men, and he hoped that he could count himself amongst that rank.
He sat down by the end of the table, seeing that he was new and less-experienced than the rest of the men on the table when it came to strategising; though he didn't think he was bad at it, many of them had decades of experience on their side, and though some of them were similar in age to him, even they had come to the War Chamber numerous times before the present session. He watched as the Fire Lord toward one of the officers, and spoke with his cold, sharp commanding tone; despite his age, Fire Lord Azulon was one of the most intimidating individuals he'd laid his eyes upon, and it was not from any outward strength, it was merely from the way in which he carried himself. He knew he was better, wiser and more attuned than them, and he acted like it.
"General Tiechi, your report on the Earth Kingdom holdouts in the south." the Fire Lord acknowledged what was to be discussed at the meeting.
"Your majesty." said general addressed his monarch as he rose to his feet, "There are a number of towns and cities still under Earth Kingdom rule, or at least, they claim to be. These forces lack outside support, due to the naval blockade of any remaining ports outside our occupation." he explained, "The Southern Campaign has been a resounding success so far, with a thousands of Earth Kingdom soldiers captured by our forces... but it has gone on for almost a year now, and we have yet to defeat the defenders of the largest town in the region, Gaoling. According to scouts in the area, the enemy has over five thousand soldiers protecting the town and its environs, and all attempts to enter the area have failed due to obstacles created by their earthbenders. That is what the front-line commanders seek assistance in solving."
"Thank you, General." the Fire Lord accepted his report, gesturing for him to sit down, which he did at once; Azulon turned his gaze towards the men on the table, and eyed his elder son, "Prince Iroh, do you have any judgements on what ought to be done with Gaoling?"
The retired general raised a hand to his goatee and stroked it in thought, before nodding, "I do, Father." he confirmed, before he eyed down the table, looking at the officers who he would have to persuade to his own plan, "I propose we force the defenders to surrender by cutting off their supplies lines. Even if earthbending is formidable to any soldier, a starving man will be far less willing to fight our soldiers, and perhaps, they'll be willing to surrender." he argued, and the Fire Lord nodded, seeming to approve of his son's plan.
"Yes, I agree. Cutting off the enemy's supply is the only way that they will surrender." he admitted, before scratching at his chin, "But there must be a faster way to deal with them."
"Perhaps some overwhelming force will suffice, your majesty." General Bujing spoke up, giving his own opinion; Zhao recognised the old man, given his long career in the army and notable list of crushing victories against the Earth Kingdom, though he had retired more than a decade prior, so Zhao had had little chance to interact with him until the very meeting he sat in.
"Tell the table what you propose." Azulon accepted his indirect request to speak, and the General rose up to his feet.
"The Earth Kingdom's soldiers are foolhardy, and they will not surrender easily." he argued, "Waiting for them to starve will work... but this campaign has gone on for to long. Our men need a victory to boost their morale, and the enemy needs to be reminded of what we think of their resistance. I believe it would be best to send two divisions toward the centre of Gaoling, and to crush the enemy forces there."
"I agree with the General." Prince Ozai spoke up, "We need to act decisively against the Earth Kingdom forces in Gaoling. If their resistance continues, it could inspire rebellion in other parts of the country."
"Then, what ought to be done?" the Fire Lord asked the table, "There is a clear need to end these rebellious fiends."
"War Minister Qin has shown some of his latest weapons to me." the Prince clarified, pursing his lips confidently, "We now have vehicles capable of covering rough and challenging terrain, the kind that these earthbenders would be creating to endanger our soldiers. He calls it the Tundra Tank." he explained, earning some interested glances from the officers on the table.
"And when will these vehicles be ready, Prince Ozai?" Bujing inquired, the Prince stroking his goatee before eyeing up to his father.
"They are already being constructed in factories just outside the capital. We only need to have them sent over to the Earth Kingdom." he explained, and the Fire Lord raised his hands to his chin.
"Well, my son, I believe those new vehicles might assist our forces. Who shall be nominated to lead the assault on Gaoling?" he asked, and Bujing raised his hand.
"I call for General Heizi. He is an adept at fighting against the Earth Kingdom, and he partook in the Siege of Ba Sing Se with the Crown Prince." he explained, "I believe he is presently commanding the twenty-third division at this time."
"They are located right by the southern flank of the front line." another general observed, indicating to the massive map that lay before them on the table, "That makes them well suited to partake in General Bujing's proposed pincer attack."
"I accept your recommendations." the Fire Lord spoke up, "General Heizi will command this assault on Gaoling, which will commence as soon as these Tundra Tanks have been delivered to his division."
Zhao glanced toward Prince Ozai, and noticed the cocky smirk on his face; he obviously was glad his own ideas had been accepted, and that was over what General Iroh had proposed. The Commander did not know which plan would be more effective; it was clear that the Dragon of the West did not want to waste lives in a campaign that would inevitably lead to a Fire Nation victory, but that did not mean he was right, or that the table agreed with him. Zhao did not know exactly what Prince Ozai wanted to do, but he was sure of one thing: he wanted to be Fire Lord, and he wouldn't just be asking men like Zhao to help him; he would need every man would shirked at the thought of letting the enemy merely wither away. He wanted to take their desire to destroy the Earth Kingdom and make it his casus belli against his brother, whose apparent cautiousness made him seem less favourable for those in the military who wanted to crush their enemies totally. Zhao did not care for how the enemy was destroyed, in the end; he knew the Fire Nation was superior to the other nations, the most self-evident fact in the world, and that fact alone assured him that their path was one leading to victory, no matter how many savages their soldiers killed.
The first thing Ty Lee felt when she awoke was an aching pain on her head, and she immediately drew her hand up to touch where she felt the pain, only to realise it was bandaged; her eyes darted around the room she found herself in, noting it was dark and gloomy, reminding her of a prison cell. She tensed up for a moment, wondering if Ozai's goons had actually caught up to her, but then recalled her last memories, before she had fallen asleep.
Though she had stayed up practically all night helping the earthbenders escape from the prison and return to the mainland, it had all become a blur, ending with her fuzzy memories of being helped by Azula after some kind of explosion. Haru was there too, she recalled, but she didn't imagine he was anywhere nearby, given that she was probably on the Princess' ship. She smiled, realising that she finally found Azula, or perhaps more accurately, Azula had found her; the Princess must have been searching for her, given that she was right in Tetsuwan as the earthbenders had been liberating the town.
She rose up from the bed, another memory coming to her; Natsu had been taken prisoner, though she couldn't recall why, and she vaguely remembered her saying goodbye to her, and though she had been dazed at the time, she had hugged her. Ty Lee didn't forget her hugs, of all things. She glanced around the room, noticing that there was a tray sitting on the table beside her bed, with an empty tea cup and what looked like some fresh bandages; perhaps she was supposed to redress the bandage on her head, though she was unsure if that was the case.
She decided to get out of the bed, and noted as she pulled the blanket away that she was still in Earth Kingdom clothes, or more specifically, Natsu's clothes. She noted that the outer part of the robes had been taken off, though she was unsure if they were dispensed of because of burns, or simply because she had been taken to bed. She noted that there was another bandage, this one wrapped around her torso, and when she touched it, she realised that she had gotten burned there.
She cringed as she tried to get up, realising the burn she had received was worse than her prior ones back at the circus. There were a few burns from the prison break as well, but that seemed so distant in her mind; she wondered where the Avatar and his friends had gone, and if they were just as worried about Ozai as she was. Pulling herself off the bed, she glanced around, looking for the boots she had been wearing; they were sitting right by the door, so she had to stumble across the cold metal floor barefoot. She cringed from the coldness, and quickly made her way to the door, slipping her feet into the shoes.
Ty Lee grabbed the door handle, pulling it down before she pushed the door open; glancing down the hallway, she noted that it was empty and quite dark, with only some light emanating out of one of its ends. She decided to walk in that direction, making her way to the corner of the hallway, which turned to another hallway, at the end of which was an open door, leading out onto the deck of the ship. She strode toward the door, raising her hand up to block out the starkly bright sky, before stepping out of it.
The wind whipped into her face, and she shook her untied hair around to get it out of her eyes; she could smell the salt of the water spraying up onto the deck, and she heard the sound of the engine rumbling behind her. Ty Lee glanced around the deck, wondering where her friend would be, and decided to climb up the staircase that led up to what looked like a platform where Azula would sit, though the Princess clearly wasn't there at the time. Making her way up, she turned to her left, glancing toward the bow of the ship, where she took note of how magnificently adorned it was; behind her sat the pagoda superstructure, which reminded her much more of a temple that something that ought to be on a ship.
She noted that behind the platform was a door into the ship, which might allow her to reach the bridge, where she guessed the Princess might be, if she wasn't otherwise getting breakfast, given the time of the day. The sun was still low in the sky, though it took her a few moments of reorientation to realise that the sun was not in the east but the west; she had slept all day, it seemed, though that didn't tell her where Azula would be.
"Where are you?" she mumbled under her breath, before stepping over to the door, pulling it open; glancing inside, she took note of the winding staircase that would lead up to the bridge, and she decided to call up it, seeing that she hadn't run into any sailors or guards yet.
"Is anybody there?" she called out, and she heard a whistle from what seemed like below her; glancing down she noted that there were more stairs leading below the pagoda, presumably back from where she had just come.
She saw a guard pacing up the stairs, seeming a little confused why she was standing there, "Uh, Lady Ty Lee." he addressed her rather formally, "Why are you out of your bed?" he asked, and she glanced around.
"I want to find Azula." she simply gave her aims to him, "Could you help with that?"
"The Princess is in her room." he explained, before glancing down the stairs, "I'll take you to her. She'll want to speak with you." he conceded, and she nodded, before pacing on after the guard as he made his way down the stairs into the hull of the ship.
Making her way after him, she followed him down another hallway, leading her to a door that didn't look any different from any of the others she had seen, before he knocked on it. There was a few moments of silence, and Ty Lee narrowed her eyes, realising he might be able to answer a question she had.
"What happened after that explosion?" she asked, and the guard turned to face her, his posture tensing up at once.
"She killed one of the guards." he explained, making her blink a few times, utterly confused why Azula would have done that.
"Wh-why?" she gasped out, before the door was opened; her friend was standing right in front of her, dressed properly, unlike herself, and clearly not seeming in the best mood.
"Because he destroyed your documents." she answered her question, before turning her eyes to the guard, "Get the servants to bring us some tea and rice." she ordered the guard, who bowed slightly before turning around, accepting her command without another word.
She gestured into her room, in which Ty Lee noticed had a table in it for them to sit at, "Come in." she told her, and she didn't refuse, pacing over to said table as the Princess shut the door behind her, before joining her as she sat down.
"Did you get the food for me?" she asked, and Azula raised her chin up, before nodding; she smiled at her friend, glad she was thoughtful enough to get her something without having to even ask for it, "Thanks, Zula."
"It's my fault you're hurt." she acknowledged, her eyes turning to the small windows that looked outside, giving them a narrow view of the horizon, "If I had just properly vetted my guards, then I could have stopped something like that from happening."
"I don't..." she mumbled, unsure as to what had even transpired, "Can you explain it to me?"
The Princess let out a sigh, placing her hands down on the table in front of her, grabbing her right with her left, "I came to that port looking for you." she explained, before narrowing her eyes, "My stupid guards didn't decide to inform me that they ran into Sokka at the market until that night." she explained, shaking her head with a clearly frustrated look, "If they had just told me at the time, I could have intercepted the savage, and made sure he told me where you were. Save me the trouble of searching the woods for half the night."
"Oh..." she cringed, not realising that her friend had spent that long looking for her, "I guess you found Natsu then." she assumed and the Princess nodded.
"I did." she confirmed, before scrunching up her lips, "Are you close with that woman?"
"She helped me." she simply put it, "She and Haru both did."
"I apologise for taking her captive. It was only necessary because she refused to give your location." she admitted, and the acrobat cringed.
"I didn't really explain that you were my friend." she admitted, "Aang and the others knew that, but I couldn't tell them I was friends with a Princess. They'd never trust me."
"You did what you had to." she observed, "As did I." she emphasised, before her expression became colder, "I went to the village you had been staying in, Ganggu, and spoke with the Intelligence Service officers there. I figured out what had gone wrong, and explained the situation to them... they seemed regretful of their actions, and I decided to restrain myself from punishing them." she admitted, speaking as if she had wanted to beat them to a pulp for what they had done to Ty Lee; she was almost a little surprised by that, given that Azula hadn't ever tried to beat somebody up in her name, though she really hadn't had much of a reason to.
"Oh, so you didn't beat anybody up?"
"Well, none of them." she admitted, "The garrison commander, however, I did thrash, for your honour and dignity. I heard how he had treated you, and I couldn't just let him get away with it."
"Uh... thanks." she sheepishly smiled, feeling a bit awkward discussing her friend beating up some random soldier for her sake, "And then you went to find me?"
"Yes." she nodded, "And all I found was a middle-aged woman at a campsite, alone." she admitted, before narrowing her eyes, "She refused to cooperate, and I took her back to Tetsuwan with me, assuming that you had pranced off with the Avatar to go do something illegal, which I later found out was the case." she explained, before pointing toward her, "Why did you think it was a good idea to break into a prison rig?" she questioned her friend, who cringed, realising that she'd now have to answer for what she had done.
"I'm..." she began, before realising, she really didn't want to apologise, "I'm not sorry." she admitted, "I'm sorry for evading you, but not for freeing those earthbenders. It was unfair for them to be taken to that rig- their country has already lost the war. That can't be fair."
"It doesn't matter what's fair... not right now." she warned her, "What you did was highly illegal. If people catch on to your involvement, you'll be declared a fugitive by the army, and even if my uncle can intervene and pardon you, I don't think that'll stop some spiteful chauvinists from attacking you."
"And do you think it was wrong, Azula?" she decided to ask, "I know you don't really like the other nations, but you know the war's over. I don't think anybody wants to see people locked up in camps just because they might be a danger because of something they can't even control."
"Nobody chooses to be born a bender, that is true." she conceded, before narrowing her eyes, "I know that better than you might think." she warned her, before sighing, "The earthbenders aren't my enemies, anyway. I let them run off and do what they like, though I secured the evacuation of the garrison troops in Tetsuwan."
"But, do you think they should be in prison?" she reframed her initial question, not having gotten a sufficient answer; the Azula she knew held no great love for the Earth Kingdom, so she wanted to know if she had annoyed her friend by forcing her to tolerate their freedom.
"They should have never been there to begin with." she admitted plainly, with no spite or anger in her voice, "That was not the purpose of our 'great mission', after all." she explained, sounding surprisingly sarcastic in her emphasis on their nation's key foreign policy.
"Uh..." she mumbled, realising that Azula's point of views might have shifted a little since they last properly spoke, "You're saying you... you don't even agree with Fire Lord Sozin's mission anymore?"
"No, I don't." she confirmed, before running a hand through her hair, "But, we're not here to talk about ideals and the War, Ty Lee, we're here to talk about solving the problems facing us."
"Your father's plans." she spoke of what she was referring to; it was a problem that Ty Lee had perhaps underestimated a little until Mai's second letter and the attack on the circus.
"Yes." the Princess confirmed, before raising a hand to her cheek, "I hate this is what it has come to."
"That you have to fight against your dad?" she asked, her friends eyes falling down to the table, clearly seeming uncomfortable with the suggestion.
"I know I can't side with him." she gave her thoughts, "I was taught to never accept dishonour, and so, I won't." she emphasised, making the acrobat narrow her eyes, realising that she was referring to something Ozai himself had said.
"But didn't he say that?"
"He breaks his own principles." she stressed, "That's why I can't trust him."
"And... and he tried to kill Mai and Zuko." she told him the fact of the matter, and Azula nodded.
"I know." she confirmed, "I got the letter." she explained, before pulling a document out from underneath the table; she handed it to Ty Lee, who eyed what looked like an ordinary letter.
However, she quickly realised it wasn't, as she noticed that the sender was her; she hadn't written the letter, and she was confused by what it was talking about- somebody had imitated her, and it was a little creepy how well that they had done it. She realised, however, it had to have been Mai who had sent the letter, seeing that Azula had come to see her.
"What does this mean?" she asked, "Is there a code or something?"
"There is." her friend smirked, "The Avatar's Water Tribe friend, Sokka, helped me decode this letter."
"Oh... this is what they mentioned." she recalled, before eyeing it, "What does it actually say?"
"Approximately it says: your father tried to kill us, Mai and Zuko. The Avatar is the only hope, and you need to see Ty Lee." she explained, before raising her hands up, "And now, you're sitting in front of me."
"But if the letters are destroyed... how can I help you?" she asked her honestly, not really knowing what good she'd be for her friend without the information they could have used against Ozai.
"We don't need those letters to stop my father." she assured her, "We need to stop any of his supporters from capturing Aang, and eventually, he'll master the elements. Then, we'll turn him against my father, if he's still trying to overthrow my uncle, and we'll destroy him." she explained her intentions rather plainly, Ty Lee blinking a few times.
"So... why are you so willing to help them?"
"Because Uncle told me to." she bluntly admitted, which made it sound like she had little agency in the matter; Azula's eyes turned away, suggesting that wasn't the whole story, and Ty Lee reached forward to grasp at her hand.
"Zula, what is it?" she asked her.
"I'm Avatar Roku's great-granddaughter." she told her friend, whose eyes widened as she almost jumped back in shock.
"You're what?" she questioned, doubting such a thing could even be possible, "How? Wh-what- that's crazy."
"That's exactly how I reacted when Uncle told me." she nodded, "I'm glad you agree with my sentiment... but it's true." she admitted, not sounding pleased by the fact, "My mother being Roku's granddaughter is the reason she married my father." she explained, "It was all planned."
"Your- you and Zuko." she mumbled, realising that she was implying their entire existence came down to the fact somebody wanted Avatar blood in the royal family, "Who even decided that?"
"Grandfather." she clarified, before narrowing her eyes, "I would have asked him about it if he was still alive."
"When you say ask... you make it sound more like you'd interrogate him." she admitted, the Princess chuckling at her suggestion.
"Well, you're not wrong." she conceded, "Interrogating the Fire Lord doesn't sound like the smartest idea, however."
"I'm..." she began, unsure what to say to all that, "What are we doing now?" she asked, Azula placing her hands together.
"You're going to tell me everything you can about Mai and Zuko, and then, when the time comes, we can assist them." she explained, "The Avatar isn't my only concern. My brother seems to be the only one who has witnessed whatever conspiring my father has done first hand."
"I think that's true." she confirmed her suspicions, "Mai said that Zuko had been looking around, and learned about the plot, and then, he was attacked when he tried to follow his father's body-double." she explained, the Princess furrowing a brow.
"So that's how it happened?" she asked, her friend grimacing.
"Y-yeah, they both got attacked around the same time, but were able to escape to the catacombs under the city, before they started hiding out in the port town." she explained, the Princess furrowing a brow.
"So, did Mai say where they were going?"
"Shu Jing." she clarified, "That's where she said they intended to go, though I think she said something about getting to Iroh as well."
The Princess raised a hand to her cheek, before nodding, "Shu Jing, that's where my brother learnt how to use his dao. From... Master Piandao, I think."
"Piandao?" she blinked a few times, recalling that name from stories she had been told at school, "Isn't that the guy who fought off a hundred soldiers at once?"
"That is him." she confirmed, before narrowing her eyes, "That's a bit out of the way for us to reach." she conceded, "But we could go there on the way back from the North Pole."
"Sorry... the North Pole?" she asked, before realising that she was referring to following Aang and his friends all the way there; that was where he would have to learn waterbending, after all, "So you're following them all the way there? That's pretty far."
"Not in my ship." she assured her, "And the sky-bison is quite fast, so we'll have to stay at sea most of the time." she admitted, before shaking her head, "But things aren't going to be easy. Even if Uncle goes to the capital, Father's men will still try to get rid of the Avatar."
"And we can stop them." she assured her, "I mean, you're the greatest firebender ever." she grinned at her, and Azula smirked, giving off the same old golden aura of confidence she was used to.
"That I am."
Standing in a poorly-lit, small dungeon, Fire Lord Iroh eyed the one person he could presently question as to why he had almost died. He didn't really need to ask as for their exact aims, as they were clear enough, but their motivations were of some interest, as was any information he could glean off the sailor who was fearful enough to jump off the side of a ship, ironically only a minute before he was forced to do the same thing. The Dragon of the West was sitting on a wooden chair he'd dragged inside the dungeon, and sat facing directly toward the prisoner, who was sitting, dishevelled and unmotivated to say or do anything.
"I will give it to you." the Fire Lord raised a finger toward the prisoner, "Your superior almost got me." he conceded, "Commander Kinshu's trick wasn't what I was expecting."
"And yet here we are." the prisoner grumbled, "I'm in prison, and you're alive."
"Dozens of sailors and half my Imperial Firebenders are dead because of that trick." he retorted, clenching his fist at the thought of what they had done to his men; he didn't want to get angry, but he couldn't help himself, "That is something I ought to be punishing you for... but I am a merciful man... perhaps you think I'm too merciful." he conceded, and the prisoner snickered at his comment, suggesting Iroh was about right with his assumption, "So, am I right?"
"You're close enough." the prisoner conceded, turning his eyes up to meet those of the Fire Lord, "We won't stop." he warned him, "You believe that evading two explosions will be enough? You're a fool."
"I never said I thought this was over." he admitted, lighting some flames in his hand, which lit up the dungeon, "It won't be over until my brother is dead and the traitors have been outed, and the world saved from anymore needless conflict."
"So, you are willing to act." he observed, pursing his lips, "Perhaps they were wrong about you."
"I am the Dragon of the West." he reminded him, "I did not live my life a pampered Prince, politicking in the palace. I am a warrior who knows what fights to pick, and who should receive my mercy. My brother, he is not one of those people." he warned him, and the prisoner raised his chin.
"Hmph." he mumbled, "Perhaps you are right... but that doesn't matter now." he conceded, seeing his point about his brother's inadequacy as a potential Fire Lord, "The Fire Nation will be saved from your ignorant aspirations, your majesty." he spoke up, perhaps trying to prod him into attacking him; Iroh didn't want to, even if part of him was riling up in rage over what had happened.
"I am not here to hurt you, but I recommend you tell me everything you can about this conspiracy." he explained his intentions, "That will make things a whole lot easier for you."
"Are you going to torture me?" he asked, sounding clearly skeptical of that, and the Fire Lord shook his head; he couldn't stomach torturing a man, especially when he was trying to stop people from being hurt.
"No, but my remaining Imperial Firebenders have a bone to pick, and by that I mean they'll be breaking yours." he warned him, "I'd say they're rather justified, so I won't stop them from beating you to a pulp."
The prisoner's eyes widened, seeming a little intimidated by his exposition, "And... and what happens to me?"
"Some labour camp, somewhere in the colonies, I assume." he gave his best assumption on what would be done with him, once he was formally court martialled, "You're not Boiling Rock material, I'm afraid." he conceded, "No matter your crimes." he added, the prisoner letting out a laugh.
"Then what reason do I have to give up my knowledge?" he asked, and the Fire Lord stood up from his chair.
"Because I am going to win this fight no matter what, and you would be best to let it end quickly." he suggested, "For the greater good of the Fire Nation."
"I think we have different opinions on what that is, your majesty." he warned him, before crossing his arms, "Why should I give up my knowledge while the Prince has a chance of victory?"
"Because every moment we spend fighting each other makes things more unstable in the Earth Kingdom. If they break out into open revolt, countless lives could be at stake. The world could be thrown back into a bloody war, and we would have no basis to start peace negotiations." he explained what he thought would most likely occur, "Peace is my aim, not letting the Earth Kingdom win. You must understand that. There are no winners in this war, only losers."
"No, we have won." the prisoner retorted, "You're just too full of your ideals to see that our victory was the right thing. Fire Lord Sozin's great vision is finally about to come true, and you want to take that away from us all."
"You misunderstand my intentions." he argued, "I do not want to give up my grandfather's vision; to the contrary, I want to fulfil it, but just not in the same heinous and devastating way my brother wants to. An age of peace and prosperity shall come about, and our nation will only become stronger from it."
"I don't believe you." he narrowed his eyes at the Fire Lord, "I've heard about your plans. They don't sound like a victory worth fighting for."
"That's just your opinion." he retorted, before pointing toward the prisoner, "So tell me who else is helping my brother, or otherwise, I'll call on my guards." he demanded, offering him the chance to give up any information he had before he let the Imperial Firebenders lose, "I don't take this lightly, but I almost died, you understand that." he warned, and the prisoner grimaced, obviously realising that he wasn't just trying to intimidate him; despite how much he abhorred it, Iroh would tolerate torture only if it would save his men's lives.
"Sh-shit." he mumbled under his breath, glancing back up at him with a small smirk, which wasn't a good sign, "You really want to know?" he asked him, before chuckling, "Colonel Bao."
The Fire Lord tensed up, and turned to face the door, knowing that to be the name of the man running the very base he was standing it.
"That can't be true." he refused his claim, "He would have tried to harm me before this." he argued, and the prisoner shrugged his shoulders.
"Well, I don't know if he will try to hurt you." the prisoner conceded, "But stop you from achieving your goals... probably." he gave his thoughts, before chuckling, "So go on, your majesty. Go apprehend the traitor."
"I don't have much reason to believe Bao is really a traitor." he argued, "He hasn't done anything against me yet."
"If you don't believe me, have a little look around." he suggested, and Iroh clenched his fists, knowing that couldn't be all he knew.
"There's other traitors." he retorted, "Others conspiring with my brother. Tell me who." he demanded, and the prisoner shrugged his shoulders.
"I gave you a name. That should be enough."
"All the names you know." he emphasised his aim, and the prisoner aloofly smiled.
"How about no?" he prodded him, perhaps wanting the Fire Lord to attack him so that he could be knocked out, and no longer pose a threat in giving up his brother's secrets.
"Fine then." he raised his chin up, before turning to face the door of the dungeon; he made a whistle, and the door opened up, a few of his guards stepping inside, some of them bandaged from the explosion, while others were almost fine, if it weren't for the shock they had received from the explosion, "He's all yours." he gave them the word, and he strode past them, before placing his hand on one of their shoulders, "Where are the others now? Those that can walk, I mean."
"Just in the mess hall, your majesty." he clarified, "Did you get anything?"
"We'll see." he narrowed his eyes, glancing around to see the cell door be unlocked, the prisoner scampering back in fear.
"W-wait!" he exclaimed out in fear, "I told you a name! You said if I told you-" he began to frantically call out to the Fire Lord, perhaps hoping he'd tell his guards to hold back; he wouldn't, and he continued pacing toward the door with a slight limp, a result of the burns he had received.
"That's not enough." one of the guards snarled at him, before covering his hands in flames, "You don't get out of this so easy."
Iroh turned around, not wanting to watch what was to follow, and he closed the door of the dungeon behind him, muffling the sound of the prisoner's scream.
"I hate this." he grumbled under his breath, before making his way down the hallway, heading in the direction of the mess hall where his guards would be; he needed their help for what would come next.
He couldn't act against Bao without proof, as even if he was Fire Lord, acting without evidence against a potentially innocent man would make him just as bad as some of the most heinous men in the Fire Nation military who he despised. When Iroh reached the end of the hallway, he turned right, making his way down the main hall of the building, where a few men were standing, chatting amongst themselves, though they immediately quietened upon realising they were in the presence of the Fire Lord. He approached the door into the mess hall, which he pushed open, glancing in to see a number of soldiers eating their dinners, and in one corner, he could see his guards eating their meals, most of them with bandages covering some part of their body. The chatter in the room quietened, just as it had in the hallway, although once he approached his guards, the volume increased once more.
He sat himself down with his guards, who were surprised by his presence, and one of them turned to address him, "Your majesty, did anything come of the interrogation?"
"We'll see." he gave a purposefully vague answer, "I was told something I find hard to believe, so we will just have to do some investigating ourselves."
"Of course, sir." one of the guards acknowledged his words, "Should we go now?"
"No, I'll let you finish your meals before we go." he allowed, not wanting them to go hungry after all that had happened to them.
Crossing his arms, the Fire Lord glanced to his side, eyeing the soldiers who were eating at the mess hall; all of them seemed to be on edge, and not just because their monarch was sitting with them, but because of the explosion that had sunk a whole Fire Navy ship and killed its commanding officer, as well as a large swathe of its crew. He sympathised with their plight, realising that because they were in his presence, they were always in danger of being caught in the crossfire of another assassination attempt.
This was the first one Iroh had experienced at the hands of a member of the military, and he doubted it would be the last, though, he could tell that everyone was far more concerned, now that he had revealed what had happened. He had already had letters sent out to warn every leading officer in the military of his brother's actions, and though he lacked much evidence, given that Kinshu was dead, and his accomplice probably wouldn't give up any more information to indict Ozai. Colonel Bao had reacted frantically when the Fire Lord climbed up onto the pier, dishevelled, shocked, but still alive, and he wondered if the prisoner's claim was true; the Colonel could be a member of the conspiracy, but if he was, he'd need to find some actual evidence to confirm his guilt. He could not trust the words of a traitor, even if he seemed to be telling the truth.
"Your majesty." one of the guards spoke up, sounding nervous, "Will we return to the capital?"
"Soon." he assured him, "I cannot travel by ship now if there is a chance conspirators are going to sink our ship." he warned, and the guards nodded, understanding his reasoning.
"This is far worse than I thought it'd be." another admitted, "Back when we came ashore, I thought it was just a group of assassins, hired by some agitator who wanted to get rid of you. The assassin was powerful, but he wasn't unkillable. You can't fight- well, half the military."
"I don't know who is part of the plot." he conceded, "We cannot believe that everyone is part of it, but we cannot judge them innocent without any further investigation."
"Is that what we'll be doing, sir? Finding out if somebody's a traitor?" he asked, referring to what he had mentioned when he sat down at the table.
"Yes." he nodded, glancing toward the other soldiers at the mess hall, curious if they were eavesdropping; they didn't seem to be paying that much attention, so he turned back toward his men, "We will find if there are any more traitors at the base, and if there is, we will make sure they don't threaten anyone's lives."
The Fire Lord watched as the guards finished off their meals, and he rose up to his feet, and they did the same; he began pacing towards the door that he entered through, pushing it open and glancing behind himself, eyeing the onlookers who watched his guards follow. They made their way through the door, and he glanced toward some of the soldiers who he had noticed talking earlier, realising that he ought to ask where Bao's office was, as he had yet to visit it.
"Excuse me." he spoke up, catching their attention at once, "I need to speak with the Colonel about something. Could you give me directions to his office?" he asked, and one of them pointed down the hallway.
"It's on the first floor, up the stairs down there. You'll find it at the end of the main hallway, your majesty." he explained, sounding nervous in front of him, the Fire Lord smiling at him, before turning to walk that way.
"Thank you." he waved to the soldiers, his guards following after him as he made his way toward the stairwell; when he reached it, he noticed a soldier pacing down the stairs, who immediately halted upon realising the Fire Lord was looking him in the eyes.
He bowed toward him for a moment, "Your majesty." he addressed him, before striding past; one of the Imperial Firebenders grabbed him by the shoulder, stopping him from running, and Iroh turned around.
"Why are you in such a rush, son?" he asked him, genuinely wanting to know; if there was more news he needed to hear, then he'd like to get it as quickly as possible.
"The Major asked me to get something for him." he explained, "I need to be quick, because he told me it was important." the soldier stressed, obviously wanting to get out of the grasp of the intimidating Imperial Firebenders.
"What did you get?" one of the guards asked, already on point.
He reached into his belt and showed some keys, "Just these keys." he explained, and Iroh furrowed a brow, not finding that to be the most suspicious thing, though the soldiers demeanour was perhaps a little suspect.
"Well, carry on then." Iroh told him, his guards letting the soldier go on free, and he paced on down the hallway with haste; instead of continuing up the stairs, he watched the soldier until he approached the door out of the building, and he pointed in his direction.
"One of you, follow him and find out what he's actually doing. I have a feeling something's up." he ordered his guards, and one of them immediately ran down the hall without a moment's hesitation, tailing after the soldier; the Dragon of the West turned his eyes to the stairs, reminded of what he was actually there to do, before he paced on up, his Imperial Firebenders following after him as he made his way around the stairwell and to the first floor.
He strode down toward what he was told was the Major's office, and when he reached the door, he first checked if it was locked or not; he realised that the soldier they had just spoken to might have had the Major's keys, and taking them might have helped. He knew that would have been too suspicious, so Iroh decided that his choice was right; he reached to the lock on the door, before creating a torch on his index finger, using the flame to cut into the metal lock, not trying to melt it, but simply soften it enough that he could break the lock with brute force. Most steel used in Fire Nation constructions was too strong for firebenders to cut with ease, but bend and shatter was another thing entirely.
"Sir, is the door locked?" one of the guards asked, and he nodded as he took a deep breath, intensifying the heat of the torch.
He noticed that the metal lock began to glow a dim red around the edge, and he turned back before gesturing to the door, "Break it open." he ordered the guards, who nodded, before three of them moved into form as Iroh stepped out of the way; he watched with interest as they created a ball of fire between them, using their collective bending to hold it in place and aim it toward the door as it gathered heat, becoming brighter and brighter with every following breath.
Then, they let the fireball loose, and it crashed into the door, the heat of the flames deflected by their firebending as the door burst open, slamming hard as it spun around its hinges, smacking into the wall. The Dragon of the West stepped into the room, eyeing around the office, which was quite clean and orderly, barring the few papers thrown into the air by the explosive fireblast his guards had just created.
"Look around for any letters in here that are unmarked especially. If it's not an official communication, then it might be a letter from one of the other conspirators." he explained to his men, who nodded, before filing on into the office, following after Iroh.
He knelt down in front of one of the cabinets, which he pulled open and glanced into; there was a plethora of papers, and he flicked his hands through them, checking them for seals and markings that would look out of place. Bao commanded a navy port, so anything from anybody outside of the army and navy would seem suspect, and even then, there could be many in both branches of the military associated with the plot. He looked at each of the letters briefly, noting that most of them were reports concerning the movement of troops around the Earth Kingdom, especially to Omashu, which had been the primary focus of the army for the past few months.
Nothing seemed out of place, though one letter did catch his eye, and not because it was suspicious; it was a letter from his niece, presumably not long after he had been attacked by the assassins. Iroh glanced at it for a moment, and noted how it requested Bao's support to search for him once she arrived; the Fire Lord narrowed his eyes, and turned back to face the guards, knowing that some of them might be able to provide an answer to a question he now had.
"Did my niece receive any support from Colonel Bao's forces when she came here?" he asked the guards, all of which nodded to confirm that as fact.
He narrowed his eyes, knowing that if he had refused to support her, that would have come off as being far more suspicious. He put the letter back into the cabinet, before continuing to look through the rest; he didn't find anything of interest in the cabinet, and closed it shut, turning to face his guards, who were looking in every nook and cranny to try and find any letters. One of them was looking through the papers on the Colonel's desk, and raised one paper up.
"Your majesty, I believe this might be something important." the guard clarified, before handing him the document; Iroh scanned down it, and furrowed a brow, noting it was an ordinary letter from the Intelligence Service, the kind of report that he saw regularly during his time in the army.
The report's contents discussed the potential threats toward him, the Fire Lord, and suggested that the Colonel, and any members of the military who received the report, to be cautious concerning the Fire Lord's exact location and movement plans, given the threat that assassins or saboteurs could pose. Iroh understood why the letter had been sent, though the fact that Bao had not mentioned it when they first spoke was suspect, and that he had called on Commander Kinshu to ferry the Fire Lord back to the homeland. The Fire Lord had never specifically requested anyone come to help him, and only sent a letter to Bao, as he was the one who had been housing his Imperial Firebenders and his ship's crew; that meant that he must have been the one to call on the Commander, as he was the only one with the knowledge to do so.
"Keep searching." he reiterated his order, knowing that the document he had just seen did not do much but make the Colonel seem reckless.
He eyed around, before turning to one of the shelves in the office, where the Colonel had a few scrolls lying about, and he reached to pick one up; taking it into his hands, he unfurled the scroll, and looked at it, noting that it was a firebending scroll, showing the forms used to create what was commonly called a fire tornado, which was almost an airbending-like form, from what Iroh understood of that element. He put the scroll back, taking the next one down and opening it up, and saw that one was a scroll that detailed the report of a battle that he had never even heard of, occurring over two decades ago.
It was an unusual thing for the Colonel to have a scroll of, though it was less suspicious and more intriguing; he wondered what exactly was of interest about the battle, and scanning over the report, all he could see was that it had been a massive Fire Nation defeat, with their forces shattered by a pincer attack from ambushing Earth Kingdom forces. As he was about to put the scroll back, he heard a booming noise in the distance, almost like thunder, though when he paced to the window, he noted that the sky was clear, but a few moments later, another explosion occurred, though it was clearly a lot smaller than the kinds he had experienced the day prior.
"What the-" one of the Imperial Firebenders mumbled, and Iroh put the scroll back on the shelf, realising that what was going on could have had something to do with the soldier who had run past them earlier; he heard more explosions go off, and pointed to the door, knowing that they couldn't waste any more time.
"We need to get down to the dock." he declared, and the guards immediately stopped their searching, following after him as he stepped out the door, heading straight for the staircase; he raced down the stairs, and noticed a few more of his guards running down the hallway to his right, obviously coming from the prison.
"Your majesty!" one of them called to him, "Do you know what's going on?"
"There's explosions on the ships, and we're going to find out why." he explained, the guards looking at him with concerned expressions.
"S-sir." one of them mumbled, before gesturing back toward the prison, "The prisoner kept screaming about some trap. Could this be it?" he asked, and the Fire Lord narrowed his eyes.
"I don't know." he admitted, before he dashed down the hallway toward the front door of the building, which he thrust open before glancing around the courtyard; he could see smokestacks coming off of the ships, and continued to hear more explosions, occurring in a worryingly predictable pattern.
The Fire Lord began running as fast as he could, making his way towards the entrance of the base, where the gates were already open; he and his Imperial Firebenders ran out, and turned to run down toward the docks, where he saw a number of soldiers congregated, and he spotted a few men running up the length of the pier, presumably having something to do wit the explosions. He could see Colonel Bao with a few of his men, standing before one of Iroh's Imperial Firebenders, the one he had sent out to follow the soldier. The guard was on his knees, and turned around, his bruised and battered face forming a smile as he realised his comrades and superior were there to help him.
"Oh, you're fucked now." he warned the Colonel's men, one of whom tried to firebend at him; the Imperial Firebender rolled back to dodge the flames, and his comrades moved into form, ready to firebend at the soldiers.
The Dragon of the West narrowed his eyes as he continued his approach; Bao turned around, having been looking at the explosions as they went off, and he took form alongside his men, and the Fire Lord sighed, realising that they would be having a fight.
"This was inevitable." the Colonel spoke up, before smirking, "You can't escape now." he declared proudly, the Fire Lord approaching his injured guard, and offered him a hand.
"Son, are you alright?" he asked, and the guard grimaced before rising to his feet with Iroh's help.
"Not really." he conceded, before stumbling over toward his comrades, obviously not wanting to fall in the line of fire.
The Dragon of the West turned his gaze to the Colonel, unamused by what had occured, though he realised that he had put himself in a rather difficult situation, with a group of Imperial Firebenders and the Fire Lord himself standing in his own path of escape.
"Blowing up the engines of the whole flotilla?" he assumed what the Colonel was doing, cringing from the sound of another explosion, "You fool." he retorted, moving into a fighting stance as he glared his opponent down, "You're the one who can't escape."
The Colonel scoffed, before taking his own firebending form, "Long live the Fire Nation." he declared his intentions clearly, and the Dragon of the West decided he'd refrain from giving mercy, knowing what came next.
Iroh spun his hands around, beginning to generate a lightning bolt, and the Colonel must have realised this, as he dashed at the Fire Lord, aiming to tackle him before he could let the bolt loose. The Imperial Firebenders shot out fire streams toward him, and Bao's men did the same toward them, creating an accidental wall of flames between them, the Fire Lord aiming his lightning bolt where he imagined the Colonel's feet to be. He let the lightning bolt loose, tearing through the wall of fire, and blasting the Colonel right off his feet.
Iroh strode forward, bending the wall of flames apart, and when the Colonel's men tried to firebend at him, he simply shot out a volley of fire bolts, striking each of them in the chest and throwing them back. Approaching Bao, who was frantically trying to shoot a fire stream at him, he weaved about, dodging his attack before jabbing him in the gut with a bolt of flames. When the Colonel's men tried to attack him, he spun his hands around to disperse their flames, before his Imperial Firebenders did the rest of the work for him, beating them with a flurry of fire blasts, a few of them getting knocked out at once by bolts to the head.
"You'll never win!" the Colonel snarled at him, before throwing his hands up to bend walls of flames to either side of them, before spinning his hands around to draw the flames closer to the Fire Lord.
He raised his own hands up, holding the fire off, forcing it away from his body as he eyed the Colonel with a calm glare, "I already have." he simply refused his claims, before punching the Colonel in the gut with a fire bolt. He grunted as he stumbled back, throwing his hands forward to try and create another wall of flames; he was successful, surprising the Fire Lord with the potency of his bending, though it didn't help him much as Iroh simply drew the heat from the fire, ripping it apart as he stepped through it.
His frantic expression shifted to one of fury as he tried to send another fire stream into his opponent's head, and the Dragon of the West just grabbed him by the wrist, holding his flames only an inch away from his head, "So much anger for so little gain." he sighed, before punching the Colonel square in the nose, throwing him down to the ground; his flames dissipated after the hit, and Iroh turned his gaze back toward his men.
"We're taking a steamer, and we're leaving this port for good." he declared, and he heard a gasp come out from the Colonel, who mustn't have considered sabotaging those as well, "What, you forgot about those? My friend, you really didn't think this through." he chided him, before shooting a fire blast right into his head, throwing it back into the stone pier, which knocked him out cold.
He glanced back over his shoulder, seeing the guards victorious over the Colonel's men, some of which they'd just tossed off of the pier and into the water; he wanted to laugh at how easily they won, but he was far more concerned by the fact Bao was part of the conspiracy right under his nose, and he hadn't bothered to properly vet him or his men.
"How frustrating." he mumbled under his breath as he approached the nearest ship, upon which the sailors looked down at the Fire Lord with concern, "I'll be taking your steamer." he declared his intentions, and the sailors saluted him at once; his guards approached him, and glanced up and down the pier, clearly concerned they could be attacked again.
"What are we going to do, your majesty?"
"Get our things and the other guards. We'll take a steamer, and just hope another traitor doesn't catch us."
The morning sun made the sea around Azula glitter brightly, patches of darkness made by the overhanging clouds, giving her eyes a bit of reprieve from the brightness. The Princess didn't think it was that pretty, however, mostly standing outside so she could get a little bit of fresh air, standing on the balcony of her ship's bridge. Ty Lee was standing beside her, with new bandages and some nicer looking clothes than the drab Earth Kingdom attire she had been wearing before; her friend wasn't actually in that good of a mood, and she assumed that had to do with what happened in Tetsuwan. She hadn't been able to get the letters to Azula, and now, they only had their word to use against Ozai, if that was what it came to.
"Are we going to do some exercises or something?" her friend asked her, before furrowing a brow, "I thought you were really into that firebending regime you had back at home." she reminded her of what Lo and Li had made her do every day, and she couldn't help but sigh.
"Thankfully, I don't have to do that anymore." she admitted, before making a small smile, thinking that doing some exercises might get her mind off of the almost inevitable civil war that was bound to come about, no matter if she kept the Avatar from her father's hands or not.
"Oh, really?" her friend asked, stepping over to the railing she was leaning on, joining her in leaning forward over the sheer drop down onto the deck of her ship, "I'm sure Lo and Li aren't going to be happy about that."
"I don't have to worry about them anymore." she explained, Ty Lee's expression shifting to one of confusion.
"What?" she mumbled, "Are they not on the ship?"
"They're probably off holidaying in the Fire Nation colonies, given the salaries they received from my father." she half-joked, sure that they wouldn't dare return to the capital, knowing her father would be furious to find they had gotten themselves banished.
"Holidaying?" she furrowed a brow, sounding understandably confused by her way of phrasing it, so Azula decided to be more blunt about it.
"I banished them."
"Oh..." her expression shifted to one of unease, "You always used to joke about stuff like that. I didn't think you were serious."
"They deserved it." she stressed, gritting her teeth as she recalled what they did, "They destroyed my airbending scroll."
"Your- why'd you have an airbending scroll?"
"To prepare to face the Avatar." she explained her reasoning, "I wanted to understand the Air Nomads so I could... make him cooperate."
"But you're not trying to capture Aang anymore." she observed, and she rolled her eyes, thinking that was a little too obvious.
"Of course not." she confirmed, "But back when they did it, I had no idea how long it'd take me to find him... I guess I was just lucky he appeared when he did."
"Uh... yeah." she nodded, before turning to face the entrance back into the bridge, "So, do you want to go do some training, Zula?"
"I don't have any reason not to." she conceded, "We don't have anything to do on this ship."
"Other than go to the spa." Ty Lee joked, making her snicker; she did enjoy the spa, but she thought that if they were going to use it, they ought to have done some work so it felt like an actual reward.
"We can go there after we train." she gave her idea, before she turned her eyes behind them, "I can't be bothered standing here any longer."
"Me either." her friend agreed with her, and with that, both of them stepped back into the bridge proper, striding past the helmsman without a word, before they made their way to the staircase, and began walking on down towards the deck.
The two of them made their way down the stairs, and Azula led her friend along, intent on getting down to the main deck of the ship so they could do some training, and so she didn't feel like she was wasting her day away. All that was in her mind otherwise was how she had no control over her present situation, barring the command of the single ship she was sailing in. One of her own Imperial Firebenders had been loyal to her father, despite everything that had happened, and that fact infuriated her, knowing that at any moment she could be betrayed.
The staircase felt like it was far too long, and she spent a good minute listening to her and Ty Lee's footsteps as they made their way down to the main deck; when they reached the door out to the main deck, she didn't hesitate to push it open, and she eyed the deck, noting that nobody was out at the moment. That was good, as she preferred to spar with Ty Lee by herself, without any of her guards watching, nor any cleaners working around her.
She gestured ahead of them, indicating to the platform that sat right in front of the superstructure, "Let's go." she told her friend, who furrowed a brow before leaping forward, doing three cartwheels before she stopped upright, turning to face Azula with a giddy look.
"What are we going to do?" she asked her, and the Princess crossed her arms, unsure exactly what they ought to start with; usually she'd start with some breathing exercises, but they weren't as useful for her friend, who wasn't a firebender.
"I start with breathing exercises." she explained, before scrunching her lips up, "You could do some stretches. That's the kind of thing you do, right?" she asked, a little unsure what Ty Lee preferred; her unflinching smile suggested that she was about right as her friend crouched down and began to stretch out her right leg.
"Yep." she confirmed, and Azula moved to sit down across from her, crossing her legs and closing her eyes as she began to slow her breathing, making her breaths long and deep so that she would be best prepared to firebend.
"So..." her friend mumbled as she moved to stretch the opposite leg, "What do you think of them?"
"Them?" she mumbled, unsure exactly who she was referring to, "Lo and Li?" she asked, knowing that was the last people they were talking about.
"No, no, not them. Aang and his friends." she clarified, and Azula shrugged her shoulders as she let out a breath.
"I don't know them that well." she responded, not wanting to try and give her opinions of them when she really didn't know them; most of her views were formed off of the stereotypes and preformed ideas she had about Water Tribesmen and Air Nomads, the latter being a little better informed due to her research into their culture.
"I mean, you were with Aang and Sokka both for a while, right?" she asked, the Princess opening her eyes to stare her friend down.
"And I didn't try to socialise with them, Ty Lee. The first was my prisoner and the second was an unwanted guest who just happened to be useful against my uncle's would-be assassins." she explained her experiences with the both of them, "And I've only had a single conversation with Katara, and she didn't seem to trust me at all."
"You do like lying, Azula." Ty Lee reminded her as she raised her arms up, stretching them as far up as she could, "But they seemed to believe you." she admitted, "About the training the Avatar thing." she clarified, and the Princess sighed.
"Oh, that." she recalled, realising that her friend must have talked with the group about a number of things if they spent a few days together, "Well, I wasn't lying about that. Uncle told me to do it, so I will." she stressed, and her friend furrowed a brow.
"Is your uncle okay? It sounds like he had to deal with a lot of stuff."
"I don't know." she conceded, "He told me he was going to recover at the camp outside Omashu, but he must be travelling back toward home by now. He got hurt a few times, and I... I should have been more cautious. I let those assassins follow us to Omashu. I should have just travelled with him hidden to the city, then we would have been fine." she admitted her thoughts on the matter, knowing that some of her own mistakes had led to the situation where both their lives had been in danger, and they had had to rely on Sokka's help to stop Sanyan.
"I mean, it wasn't your fault." she assured her, and Azula took another deep breath, knowing that some of the blame for the turn of events fell at her feet.
She had been the one who had gone off to find the Avatar instead of remaining in the capital, where she could have helped Zuko and Mai, instead of being off in the Earth Kingdom looking for somebody that really wasn't even her uncle's enemy. She could have advised her uncle to remain in the capital, instead of going to Omashu, and helped him and Zuko root out the conspiracy before it got as far as it did. Ty Lee wouldn't have been in danger then either, because there would have been no letter sent her way.
"If I hadn't gone to find the Avatar, none of this would have happened. I could have helped Uncle... and Zuko, and we could have stopped Father from doing anything as insane as he did." she gave her thoughts, and her friend grimaced, shaking her head.
"No, this isn't your fault... really. I know your aura's all muggy today, and I get why... but this isn't your fault. You couldn't have seen this all coming."
"I could have been wiser." she admitted the truth, as she saw it; she was only fourteen, and it took things like what happened in Tetsuwan, or back in the war-camp, for her to realise how naive she could be.
She always charged in, feeling that if she acted decisively, and with unwavering determination, she would be victorious, and her enemies would falter before her. It turned out that her enemies just hid from her, and attacked her when she wasn't looking or expecting it, taking advantage of that unwavering motion.
"I never look behind me." she gave her thoughts, and Ty Lee scrunched her lips up as she flipped around to do a handstand.
"What?" she mumbled, "What do you mean?" she asked curiously as she looked at her upside down.
"I'm always thinking I know who my enemies are, and I attack them with precision. Words or firebending, it doesn't matter." she argued, before shaking her head, letting out another deep breath, "But I don't really know who they are; that's the problem. There's people who probably want to stop me from following the Avatar right now, and I have no idea who they are."
She charged forward, searching for her uncle, travelling to Omashu, finding Ty Lee, but never really stopped to consider what dangers lurked around her, other than the obvious ones that made themselves clear. Sanyan attacked them with explosions from his mind, but her father, he could have anybody on his side, hiding in the shadows, or in plain sight. It scared her, not because she felt like she could be defeated in battle, but because she didn't know who her enemies were, or where they might come from next.
"Uh, Azula." her friend spoke up, catching her attention as she got down from her handstand, and pointed up behind her; the Princess turned around to notice a messenger hawk approaching the ship in the distance.
"That's something." she mumbled, "I guess today mightn't be as boring as I thought."
"Nothing's wrong with boring if you can relax." Ty Lee suggested, before glancing toward the door they had come out of earlier, "Where do you need to go to get the message?"
"There's a messenger hawk coop around the back of the pagoda." she explained, before getting up from her seated position, and Ty Lee paced on over to the door, which she opened up, tilting her head inside, indicating for the Princess to follow.
She was a little amused that she was the one leading her around when she didn't know the ship as well as she did, but she held her tongue, just letting her take the lead through the pagoda. They made their way over to the door on the opposite side, leading them out onto a small balcony looking over the engine of the ship, and Azula turned to the left, noting the messenger hawk coop, which was a set of cages set out along the exterior of the pagoda, covered from the elements by the eaves above. She saw the messenger hawk sitting by the entrance of one of the cages, and it had a scroll tied to its back, with a red ribbon, telling her that it was a request for assistance. She approached the animal, and picked up some seeds from the small wooden box hanging below the cage, giving the bird some to appease it while she pulled the message out of the holder.
"What is it?" Ty Lee asked, and the Princess refrained from opening it, knowing that she ought to follow protocol first, placing some seeds down in one of the cages, which prodded the hawk into entering.
Once she had closed the cage, she turned back to face her friend, raising the scroll up and indicating to its ribbon, "Red means its a request for help." she explained, before taking the ribbon off and unfurling the piece of paper.
Glancing down at it, she released from the seal that it was from a navy ship, and she immediately recognised the name and rank; Commander Zhao had sent her the letter. She narrowed her eyes at the document, scanning down it to read its contents as quickly as she could.
"Commander Zhao is requesting my assistance." she explained to Ty Lee, "He's had a run in with a rogue spirit near a certain Senlin village, which took some of his men, and he says that he believes the spirit might have something to do with the Avatar, who he was tracking through the area." she gave detail to his request, which was interesting, given that she hadn't had to deal with any spiritual matters as of yet on her journey.
"So, we've got to deal with this spirit and make sure Zhao doesn't catch Aang?" she asked the Princess, who nodded.
"Precisely." she confirmed, "I assume there's some reason the spirit had been angered, and if we solve that, we might be able to free the Commander's men and make sure the Avatar's group aren't in danger. I doubt Aang angered the spirit, but it's possible he has something to do with this."
"So, we get to hang out with them again." her friend grinned, "Great. I already miss them."
"Urgh." she face-palmed, knowing that was not the reason they were going to help Zhao, "We're not going to socialise. We're going to solve the problem and make sure Zhao doesn't make any new ones."
"Well, that sounds better than sitting around here." she acknowledged, the Princess shaking her head.
"Trouble isn't good, especially when it involves spirits." she argued, "Do you know anything about spirits?"
"Uh, that the Fire Sages deal with them." she recalled, "Not really, actually. There's a lot of creepy and weird stories though."
"Weird is normal when it comes to things like the Avatar and spirits." she gave her observation, before pacing on toward the entrance of the superstructure once again, "We need to tell the helmsman to head to the closest port to this village."
"And what about our exercises?" she asked, the Princess turning around, realising that her friend might have actually gotten into their exercising, when Azula could only be consumed by worried thoughts.
"As long as we actually exercise, then we'll do them." she gave her decision, Ty Lee scrunching her lips up as she followed her through the door.
"Well, I was exercising. You were just sitting there." she argued, and the Princess rolled her eyes.
"Breath is the basis of all firebending." she told her something that had been drilled into her head too many times.
"And you breathe doing everything. Firebend and breathe, girl!" she pointed a finger toward her, obviously thinking she shouldn't just be sitting down while doing her breathing exercises.
"Maybe you're right." she mumbled under her breath as she turned to pace up the stairs, "I can exercise better."
"That's the spirit." Ty Lee beamed at her, "So, let's go tell this guy where we need to go, so we can actually exercise. I think I'm going to go crazy if we stand around any longer."
She grimaced, realising that she had a good point; if she wanted to try and get her mind off of her mistakes and the dangers they faced, then just doing something like firebending sets might help her relax. All it really told her was that she didn't have much to do on her ship, and more than anything, that she needed to find more things to do, whether alone or with Ty Lee.
"I need to get some more hobbies."