Standing impatiently in a hall of the Royal Pavilion, Zuko felt uneasy about his coronation- he was already shocked by the fact that he was being crowned Fire Lord, let alone back in his country after so many years banished. Beside him stood his uncle, who was holding a cup of tea in his hand, seemingly distracted in his own thought; Zuko turned to his Uncle and tried to think of something to say.
"We're here." he muttered, cringing at the realisation of such an obvious thing to say.
Iroh chuckled at his comment, "Well you are right nephew- we are here."
"I don't know how to act- should I be happy- I don't know if I want to be happy." he thought aloud, Iroh patting him on the shoulder.
"At the very least- just enjoy the moment- you know it will only happen once." he smiled at Zuko.
"Okay- I just want to say the right thing." he explained, Iroh nodding in understanding of his dilemma- he didn't know what he should tell his subjects- what kind of Fire Lord he was going to be- who he wanted to be.
"What do you want for the Fire Nation?" he asked, Zuko sighing in response.
"I want peace- I don't want the world to suffer any longer; this war has gone on far too long, and I- I want to make sure that the Fire Nation is better after it." he explained.
"Tell them that- or something like it." Iroh chuckled, pointing his tea cup toward the door, "They're waiting for you- for their Fire Lord." he simply stated, Zuko responding with a curt nod before striding out to a tall and imposing door, which his guards opened with haste, revealing the crowd before him- a mass of people all awaiting to see him- something he hadn't expected in so many years- being the banished Prince had made him think himself undesirable- a stain on his family- but now as he stood before his people, he felt a sense of pride.
Walking up to the Head Sage, who acknowledged him with a bow, "Prince Zuko." he simply stated, before turning to the crowd, Zuko following in suite to stand before the masses.
Zuko stepped forward to address the crowd, "I, Prince Zuko, rightful heir to the Fire Nation, challenged my father to an Agni Kai duel for the throne- I defeated him in single combat, but unfortunately for him, he was fatally wounded in the process." Zuko explained, audible sounds of shock coming from the crowd- it was no big secret that his father was an extremely powerful bender, and that Zuko himself had been refuted as the weakest bender in his family, "I do not intend to remain as narrow minded as my father, or his father before him- I want to bring a new age of peace and prosperity to our nation- I promised to my uncle that I would redeem our nation, and that is what I will do- peace is something that has been far from our people for so many years, but now I hope for a brighter future, for us to follow a better path than our forefathers." he finished, the crowd reacting with some enthusiasm, although Zuko was unsure if their reactions were forced in the moment.
Having finished his speech, Zuko knelt humbly before the Head Sage, who held up the fire crown above his head, before placing it in his top-knot, before taking a step away from the Prince, declaring to the crowd, "Hail Fire Lord Zuko!" the crowd cheered him on, Zuko rising up and gesturing to the crowd.
He turned back to his Uncle, who looked at him with a teary smile, proud of his nephew beyond words, making Zuko smile back at his Uncle, the most happy smile Zuko had ever seen from his nephew in a long time.
The Head Sage turned to the crowd spoke out once more, "I wish you all to enjoy the festivities- this is a great day for the Fire Nation." he exclaimed, the crowd cheering in recognition of the festival and feast that was to be held in the new Fire Lord's honour.
The nobles of the city filed up toward the platform upon which Zuko had been crowned, all one by one bowing and stating their allegiance to the Fire Lord, before heading into the pavilion hall to join his feast- his uncle had explained to him the know-how of a coronation festival- something which Zuko distinctively remembered his father lacked, Iroh recalled it as something his father and grandfather had done upon their successions to the throne, holding opulent festivities and a feast as an image of the prosperity of the nation. Although Iroh was a humble man himself, he told Zuko it was the best way to interact directly with his subjects and gather support amongst the higher nobility, many of which were officers in the military who would be necessary in his securing of the Fire Nation.
The two royals acknowledged that despite Zuko's coronation as Fire Lord being completely legitimate in the eyes of the people and the sages, rogue military elements were sure to oppose his succession to the throne over his sister, the legal heir of the throne at the time of Zuko's Agni Kai with Ozai- if his sister was to stake her claim, which Zuko expected she would, they would have to act quickly to ensure she would return to the fold- either through defeat in another Agni Kai, or humble submission- something they both knew she wouldn't do lightly.
"Uncle- I think that went well." he commented to Iroh, who stood beside him as the last of the nobles went into the pavilion hall.
"Well yes- I've never seen a coronation ceremony, but I think this has gone as well as it could have." he grinned at his nephew, who cringed at his uncle's dorky smile.
"Stop it Uncle- we're in the capital now- we've got to act the part as well." he reminded his uncle, who pouted with slight exaggeration.
"Aw what a disappointment- I was hoping to enjoy the freedom of being in my old home once more." he commented, before he and Zuko turned from the courtyard of the pavilion hall, still full of on-lookers, whom Zuko waved to in response, causing a positive uproar.
Walking into the pavilion hall side-by-side, the newly anointed Fire Lord and former general stood proudly in the image that would be expected of them- the new Fire Lord and his loyal uncle, the great Dragon of the West; although Zuko and Iroh's personal intentions for the Fire Nation were rather drastic and radical, they intended to remain steadfast in maintaining their image- Iroh had advised Zuko that he should always be a humble leader, but decisive in his actions- although he certainly didn't doubt Zuko's resolve after the events of the past few weeks.
They walked up to the Great Hall where the Fire Lord's personal feast was being served, the nobility of the Nation being seated in the hall along the opulent tables- with enough food to feed a city, in Zuko's eyes; his life on the sea had made him somewhat disconnected from the life of wealth he had formerly had as the Crown Prince, and looking upon the feast made him realise the disconnect within the nation itself- the nobility would eat feasts in the homeland while peasant soldiers would die in the droves against an enemy they had no real reason to fight- he knew the war had to stop, even if at this point it was just the Fire Nation beating down the defiant remnants of the Earth Kingdom. Zuko and Iroh sat both up at a personal table surrounded by flames similar to the throne that the Fire Lord would usually sit upon- his servants immediately attended to Zuko with drinks and serving his own food, as the guests sat upon their own tables. Zuko sighed upon realising he would have to persuade the people in the hall of his own plans for the Fire Nation- he needed respect and loyalty above all things, but getting it from the people he personally disdained wouldn't help him along.
Shifting to whisper to his Uncle, "So how much of boot-licker to I have to be today, exactly?" he asked, Iroh chuckling at his question.
"You see- the greatest skill a leader can have is to know when to be respectful and when to be honest to his people." he told his nephew, who sighed at the sounding of one of his Uncle's many proverbs.
"The proverbs are always right- aren't they?" Zuko mumbled, Iroh smiling back.
"Of course- I made that one up on the spot!" he proclaimed, making Zuko roll his eyes, before he stood up to address the guests.
"Men and women of the Fire Nation, it is my honour to have you at this great feast to celebrate my coronation- I hope that you find the food to your liking, it is prepared by the best cooks in the Fire Nation after all." he attempted to joke, the guests laughing at his remarks- making Zuko feel slightly more comfortable.
"Please enjoy the feast, I do hope to be a good a Fire Lord as any." he proclaimed, the guests raising their drinks to the Fire Lord in response.
"To Fire Lord Zuko!" their beverages clattering in a cheers.
Zuko sat down back beside his Uncle who nodded in acknowledgement of his speech, "Good job nephew- I think that went along nicely." he complimented, Zuko nodding back courteously.
"Thanks Uncle, I appre-" he begun, being interrupted by Iroh's chuckling.
"That is- compared to the kinds of things you said on our ship." he joked, Zuko grumbling at his Uncle upon the reminder of the many times he had awkwardly tried to talk to the crew in a rather non-commanding fashion.
"It's not my fault I'm only good at ordering- what do you expect of me- I'm not good at speaking publicly." he complained to his uncle, who smirked back at him.
"That, nephew, is something that you will have to get used to." he told him, Zuko face palming in realisation.
"If this is the kind of stuff I have to do all the time as Fire Lord, I wouldn't blame you for not taking the throne yourself." he remarked to his Uncle.
Looking down upon bed he had called his home for nearly two weeks- Sokka felt an unusual sentiment- the place he thought was practically akin to a prison somehow felt homely to him- he considered perhaps that he was more fearful of the world outside of this city- his preconceptions of the Fire Nation had been challenged by both Azula and the Captain, but now he felt that he was going to have his ideal confirmed, to his own disappointment. The Fire Nation ought to deserve defeat after their gross mistreatment of the world, but he thought a civil war over the entire world would be as bad, or worse than the Hundred Year War- two well-armed side pitting it out against each other as well as the Earth Kingdom rebels who decide to seize the moment- the massive devastation that would follow would be indescribable; Sokka could see the imagined images of his own tribes destruction at the hands of the Fire Nation, and placed those thoughts over the rest of the world, making his stomach knot in disgust. He considered he might be exaggerating, but Sokka was unsure to what end people would be wiling to fight for their ideology- from what it seemed, if the White Lotus and Zuko were aligned, then his ideological point of view would be a direct break from the past efforts of the Fire Nation which he assumed Azula would seize upon herself, much to Sokka's own disappointment.
"You ready to go kid?" the Captain asked him, standing at the door as he watched Sokka fumble in his thoughts.
Sokka broke from his chain of worried thought and turned to the Captain, stoically nodding back, "Yes- just give me a second." he affirmed, grabbing the papers that he had on the Dai Li, the Catacombs and the rest of the threats in the city, rolling them up and tieing them up with a string.
Turning back to the Captain, he walked out behind him, closing the doors of the room- making a small smile strong the bars of the door to acknowledge the place for a final time before turning to walk up to the main door of the barracks, a guard opening the door for them both.
"Sirs..." he bowed before both Sokka and the Captain, making Sokka feel somewhat uneasy again- with his new armour he did certainly look like a Fire Nation soldier, which was unsettling for Sokka- if he saw himself in a mirror he'd think he was someone he ought to knock out with his club- his weapons were probably the only major distinguishable feature that he wasn't actually Fire Nation, his club and boomerang both slung over his back, ready for use at any moment.
Sokka beside the Captain up to the rest of the guards and servants, who were waiting in the courtyard patiently for the Princesses arrival- dealing with final packing and talks with the new administrators of the city- a council of officers that she could trust to collectively rule the city- a group of them was much harder for the Dai Li to overthrow if they all hold combined authority.
He turned to the Captain, who looked somewhat relieved to finally be leaving Ba Sing Se, "So- uh- you're eager to leave?" he asked the Captain, who nodded at Sokka in approval.
"Of course- after the whole ordeal, I think I want to put as much space between me and the Dai Li as possible." he explained, glancing up at the sight of Azula, who was walking down the steps with two servants, holding all of her belongings- there wasn't much to take seeing that anything she actually would have brought along sunk in the shipwreck, but she had some clothes and cleaning products that she would need for the journey back home- the essentials such as food were already delivered to the ship at the time, the vessel still docked south of the city, awaiting it's Princesses return.
Azula walked up to Sokka and the Captain, greeting them both with a nod, "I see we are all prepared to leave, good- I want to be as swift as possible in returning to the ship." she explained, Sokka and the Captain nodding before Azula looked the to her behind, before looking back at them.
"Now- I have something delicate for you two to handle." she explained, Sokka and the Captain both looking at her with slight confusion.
"May I inquire what exactly that will be, your highness?" the Captain courteously asked, Azula nodding at his respect before pointing across the courtyard behind them to the Royal Prison.
"As we speak I have sent elite firebenders from the expeditionary forces to seize Long Feng, break his limbs and bring him to me in chains." she explained, Sokka's eyes opening in slight shock.
"Excuse me- break his limbs'?" he questioned her, Azula shrugging at him.
"How else do you expect me to transfer him out of a prison cell? An earthbender cannot be able to bend when they're imprisoned, especially when under my watch." she told him, Sokka cringing at the thought of the beat down, before nodding in acceptance- he didn't like the thought even if he personally found Long Feng to be a stain on his nation's honour, he didn't think the man ought to have his limbs broken just because it was more effective to do so.
"So- as I was saying, I want you to ensure that he reaches the brig of my vessel alive, he's far more useful that way; I don't want him in this city where the Dai Li can just as easily break him out again." she finished, the Captain nodding in understanding, Sokka still feeling conflicted about how she had addressed the issue.
"Well- you could've just used a metal cage." Sokka thought out loud, Azula's eyes glaring at him with frustration.
"Carrying him across a city in a metal cage? He's a master earthbender- we cannot give him even a chance to try and fight back." she berated Sokka, who shrunk back in defeat, eyeing off the side as he saw Long Feng being pulled along toward them by a squad of elite firebenders- to this day they still intimidated Sokka with their skull masks; he thought in hindsight it was something stupid to be afraid of, seeing the Captain right beside him consistently wore one himself, to which Sokka would barely bat an eye.
As he approached, Sokka could make out Long Feng's grumbled complaints, "Y-you ash-maker scum- spirits damn you all..." making Sokka chuckle lightly- although he disagreed with Azula's methods he certainly thought the Grand Secretariat deserved all the pain he got.
Azula patted Sokka on the shoulder, "I'm sure you can handle this well savage- don't disappoint me." she told Sokka, who simply chuckled at her warning.
"I'll be more disappointed if I get one-upped by a bender with broken limbs." he admitted, making Azula chuckle at him, before she turned to Long Feng himself, forcefully raising the injured man's chin to make her look at him.
"If you as much try to raise a pebble- I will have Sokka here finish what he started in the throne room- got it?" she asked Long Feng, who resigned his face in defeat and offence- he was the kind of man who was effaced by the actual possibility of being killed, let alone defeated by a non-bender.
Sokka smirked deviously at Long Feng upon realising his own power in the situation, "That's right- I'm more than willing to disembowel you." he joked, although he said it in such a tone that he wanted Long Feng to consider it a legitimate threat.
Azula's party walked along the courtyard to the main gate of the palace, where a number of guards stood duty, immediately bowing before the Princess- who recognised one of them as the guard who had been unable to find Sokka after his drunken encounter with the Dai Li- he was bowing intensely and trying not to look her in the eye, making her smirk in understanding of the respect she had gathered- even if was partly through the well founded fear of her own ability to destroy her enemies absolutely. The group then continued on with a small attache of soldiers, mostly back-up in case Long Feng's lackeys tried to break him free while he was outside of the palace, with Sokka and the Captain standing in the middle with Long Feng, who was being carried by four soldiers, as his broken limbs prevented him from walking.
"Is this a few too many guys to be protecting us- I'm pretty sure Azula can handle herself?" Sokka asked the Captain, who shrugged at his admittance.
"You doubt the Dai Li won't make a move- Long Feng has more information than what he's told us, he likely is a prime target for assassination by his own people if they believe him compromised." he explained, knowing too well that Long Feng would have heard him.
"A-ha-ha you foolish men..." he mumbled behind them, Sokka glaring at the Grand Secretariat, nodding at the men who held him, who responded by kneeing Long Feng in the abdomen- lightly enough to not cause any real damage, but enough to make him hurt and bring on nausea, and make sure he shut up.
Sokka knew that the fact he was conscious made him a threat- though he personally doubted the limb breaking would even stop him from bending- from what he had seen from other benders, his sister included, the limbs enhanced bending- they weren't the source of it. Sokka momentarily recalled the move he had originally incapacitated Long Feng with- temporarily disabling his bending with a method Azula called 'chi blocking'. He kept it and Long Feng's bending in mind as the group continued walking down through the Upper Ring toward the closest monorail stop- the city was so large that even walking as far as local monorail could take quite some time- he was hoping that once they reached the ship his days of seemingly endless walking would stop. Soon enough the group arrived at the market, as they walked through Sokka compulsively emptied his pockets of any coins he had, as he tried to find something to buy as they walked past the stalls and various wares that were being offered, earning him a frustrated glance from the Captain.
"Are you being serious- of all times you want to go around the market, it's when we're leaving the city with a high-value prisoner?" he berated Sokka, who shrugged and put his coins back into his pockets.
"I have- uh- a need for 'things'" Sokka tried to explain, making the Captain just shake his head in disapproval before turning back to focus on their surroundings- he had to stay on task of ensuring the Dai Li didn't try anything while they walked toward the monorail.
Leaving the market the group made their way down a major thoroughfare, the wide street giving the guards ample space to cover in ensuring no one approached Long Feng or the Princess. Sokka glanced around the area and reminded himself of the Dai Li safe-house- knowing there was others like it proved the threat that the Dai Li would pose if they were to attempt anything; he wasn't necessarily afraid of them, but more so of the uncertainty of if or when they could strike.
He turned to the Captain with his thoughts, "Uh- so how can we be certain the men who we are walking with- these guards- aren't compromised?" he asked the Captain, who sighed before moving himself closer to Sokka.
"There is a chance- you're not wrong; you should be prepared to do what you must." he whispered to him, his voice cold and unrelentingly serious, before returning to form as if he had said nothing, making Sokka gulp fearfully; he was now admitting that he was actually starting to feel afraid, even as they walked down the street in public- he briefly turned his head to acknowledge how many guards had joined them at the gates- from what he could see behind him, at least a dozen of them.
"I don't know if I'm just paranoid- but I think I know what I have to do." he told the Captain in a quiet voice, before stopping and turning to the guards holding Long Feng, raising a hand to order them to halt.
He inched closer to Long Feng and asked him, "Can you speak?" he simply put, raising Long Feng's drooped down head with his hand, making the man grumble in pain.
"Urgh- n-not to y-" he begun, before being immediately cut off by Sokka hammering him hard in the jaw, causing it to dislocate and sputter blood out of his mouth.
The holdup was immediately realised by Azula, who walked back from her own personal protection to look at Sokka in confusion, "Okay- explain yourself savage- don't tell me he did something that requires us to dispose of him." she requested of him, Sokka shrugging.
"If he can speak- he can activate whatever mind control he used in the palace, so I ensured he couldn't speak." he simply put, Azula considering his statement momentarily, the Captain and the others looking at Sokka's behaviour with shock.
"Well, I cannot disagree with that- good job savage, carry on." she acknowledged him with a smirk, before turning to the rest of the group, "Come on! Keep moving!" she ordered, and with that they continued to walk along the road toward the monorail station.
After walking down the road the group finally arrived at the monorail station, which was to their benefit, one of the best guarded buildings in the city- the Fire Nation decidedly continued the Earth Kingdom policy to have customs and tariffs at the entrances of the Upper Ring to ensure that undesirables couldn't access the city- this policy came to the groups benefit in ensuring that they would be safe when travelling by monorail despite the threat of the Dai Li- having Long Feng as hostage, in both Azula and Sokka's eyes, would ensure that they wouldn't try anything too stupid while he was in their custody- they could just as easily kill him if they brashly attacked the Princesses party. Azula, her guards and servants all entered first while Sokka and the Captain prepared Long Feng for travel; the Captain attached a metal chain to the Grand Secretariats feet, which prevented him from even trying to fumble away from their grasp- Long Feng by that point was in intense pain from his initial injuries as well as Sokka's beatings to prevent him using his words against them. The two of them nodded to the guards that had escorted them, acknowledging they would be able to hand the passage from there on out; dragging Long Feng into a carriage, they placed him on a seat before sitting themselves across from him, glancing at each other with a sense of relief.
"Do you think he's going to be stupid enough to try anything now?" Sokka asked him, the Captain staring Long Feng down.
"He's beaten, bruised and unable to walk- I think we've done enough to prevent stupidity taking it's course." he told Sokka, who nodded in relief of his assurances, before realising after a few moments silence that he ought to have some kind of conversation with the Captain if he was going to be stuck with him for the meantime.
"So- uh- how did you like Ba Sing Se?" he asked, the Captain glaring at Sokka with contempt.
"I will say that I don't want to ever come back here- it's a dark, weird and confusing place that I feel my people never should have taken a step into." he admitted, feeling uneasy at the thought of the potential political and military fallout that could come from a successful Dai Li coup.
"I mean I agree with you on that one- for differing reasons of course, but nonetheless, I agree." Sokka affirmed to him, making the Captain glance at him with curiosity.
"So- after all of that, do you regret coming with us?" he asked, Sokka chuckling at his question with a sense of humour.
"I mean- I did enjoy it in some parts- the whole experience gave me perspective, but it might also give me nightmares." he explained, making the Captain lightly laugh at his commentary, although he tried to cover it with his mask and 'serious' body language, "Hey and I got you not to utterly despise me, how about that?" he told the Captain, which made him scoff.
"Really? I don't think you've changed my mind on you and your dirty backwards people." he told Sokka, who laughed off his comments.
"You keep telling yourself that one." he mocked him, making the Captain grumble back in frustration.
"I'm being fully serious- your people are part of this whole mess- remember the whole 'White Lotus hired you to kidnap the Princess" thing?" he asked Sokka, who raised his hands defensively.
"Hey- I'm making up for that- and it wasn't my decision to make." he defused, making the Captain callously laugh at him.
"You're kidding yourself- you really say you didn't want to fuck us all over?" he asked Sokka, making him roll his eyes and look away from the Captain.
"I never said I didn't- I've decided that a more open mind is helpful in regards to you people." he admitted, making the Captain chuckle at him.
"That's implying that we're going to listen." he explained to Sokka, who shrugged his shoulders.
"She listens- maybe even cares." he simply said, the Captain looking at him more seriously.
"Cares about what exactly- you?" he scoffed, making the Water Tribesman shake his head.
"It's not about me- it's about the world." he dismissed, but the Captain continued to stare him down.
"I've heard that one before- don't kid yourself." he told Sokka, glancing back in offence, "I don't want you thinking that you're special here- because you're not- you have a purpose." he explained, Sokka looking at the Captain with suppressed anger.
"Ah- urgh- my exact purpose here, it's open ended." he told him, smirking at his argument's basis.
The Captain tilted his head and sighed, "You're not wrong- but don't you get the wrong idea."
"What kind of idea would that be?" Sokka sarcastically asked him, the Captain dismissing him with a wave of his hand.
"Kid- you know exactly what I'm talking about."
Sitting by his desk, the Governor of New Ozai intently read the letter he had just received from the homeland; his eyes opened wide upon realising the exact situation that had unfolded- the banished Prince of the Fire Nation- Zuko, had decided to return home and fight his own father in an Agni Kai, a completely legal way of challenging a seat of power, even that of Fire Lord. To Governor Ukano's shock, the Prince had actually attained victory, which meant that he was now the Fire Lord- the messaged directly commanded him to swear allegiance; he immediately felt the sense of shock and confusion of Fire Lord Ozai's defeat, and that the Fire Lord had personally favoured Ukano over the years- he didn't want to efface his respect for the man by swearing to his traitor son without a second thought. He had heard of the Crown Princesses survival from a ship-wreck incident in the Eastern Sea- he believed that the Princess would likely be aware of the current situation, and she would obviously seek the allegiance of men such as himself, with an entire city under his command and all it's troops directly loyal to him. His thoughts immediately turned however to his teenage daughter Mai, who he knew had been close with Zuko prior to his banishment- he had thought of proposing to the Fire Lord that they wed when they came of age, but any plans of that kind were lost with the Prince being sent off on his wild goose chase- he knew his daughter liked the boy, and if she was to reconnect with him, this offered Ukano a far more direct position of power in the Fire Nation- he aspired for greatness, not just for himself but for his family and bloodline- if a potential grandchild of his own could be Fire Lord, what other choice could he make but to swear himself to Zuko.
He immediately called in his secretary with a whistle, "Zheyan! I need to send a message immediately." he called out, his secretary quickly coming through the doors of his office and standing before him.
"Of course sir- what is the content of this message?" he asked his governor.
"I swear my undying allegiance to Fire Lord Zuko- write it down, and make sure it's written well." he simply stated, the secretary looking at him with slight shock.
"F-Fire Lord Zuko?" he asked, the Governor waving his hand.
"You'll get briefed soon enough- I want his message sent as soon as possible." he explained to Zheyan, who nodding in acceptance before turning back to the door, stopped by Ukano raising his hand.
"Just one other thing- I'd like you to get my daughter." he requested, the secretary nodding quickly before making his way out of the room.
He turned back to his desk, looking over the message once more- Ukano knew for certain that there would be many in the Fire Nation who would not respect the result of the Prince's Agni Kai- many people who would rather stake out their own claim for power; his own interests coincided with the Prince's, and with that understanding, he was willing to swear upon him- he didn't want to fight a war with his own people- especially when he was used to simply administering a single city- he wouldn't want to have to deal with an invasion, and he surely hoped it wouldn't come to that.
The door opened behind him, and Ukano shifted his head to acknowledge his daughter, who looked at him with interest, "Father- you called me."
He turned to her fully before beginning "I believe that you might be happy to know that your friend, Prince Zuko, has returned to the Fire Nation."
Mai's eyes opened wide in shock, "W-wait- Zuko's back? So he captured the Avatar?" she asked, Ukano shaking his head, almost in disappointment.
"No- he returned to face his father in another Agni Kai- this time he won." he told her, Mai's eyes opening wider, pacing up toward her father, noticing the message on the desk.
"What? He defeated the Fire Lord in an Agni Kai? This is Zuko we're talking about." she questioned, her usually calm demeanour shifted to one of confusion and shock.
"Yes- he has claimed the throne for himself and is to be crowned Fire Lord." he explained, Mai raising an eyebrow.
"I- uh- I'm a little lost for words." she murmured to her father, who nodded understandingly.
"I felt the same- it is a shocking turn of events." he admitted to Mai, who picked up the message her father had on his desk, reading it carefully before turning back to her father, staring him down.
"So- if opposing this proclamation is 'treason', then what exactly is going to happen to Azula?" she asked Ukano, who dropped his head in disappointment.
"She's in Ba Sing Se right now- according to recent reports- I assume that she'll take to raising arms against her brother." he explained Mai grabbing her nose bridge and shaking her head, almost in disappointment.
"Of course- I wouldn't expect any less from the Crown Princess herself." she commented.
Ukano coughed to empty his throat, signalling to Mai that he was going to ask her to do something, much to her disappointment, "Uh- daughter, I wanted to ask you something."
She looked back at her father, her eyes already in a glare, "What?"
"I- I wanted to see if you would be interested in continuing your courtship with Prince Zuko." he asked, Mai nearly blushing at her father's suggestion, turning away before answering.
"I like him- but I can't exactly 'court' him if I'm holed up here with you." she explained, Ukano standing up from his seat.
"I can have you sent to the capital- you can stay at our house there- it's no trouble really." he offered to Mai, who raised her hand to tell her father to be quiet.
"I can go see Zuko, but I'd prefer to send him a letter first- it would be rude for me to just show up there- wouldn't it father?" she questioned her father, somewhat cautious of his attitude toward the whole situation.
"I understand- I hope you both see each other soon enough." he smiled to his daughter, who nodded before turning and leaving the room.
Walking away from her father's office Mai felt a sense of frustration with her father- she personally didn't think that her father was wanting her to court Zuko for altruistic reasons, such as her own happiness- but simply to step up his own power in the Fire Nation, something she thought he would certainly like to do. Despite her conflict over her father's motivations, Mai did truly want to see Zuko again after such a long time- he had been wandering the world for five years, on a ship with his Uncle, looking for a man the world hadn't seen in a century- he hadn't heard or seen of him in so long that she doubted the man she would meet would be the same as the boy she knew back in her adolescence. She had recently heard about the Agni Kai duel he had with his 'rival' of sorts, Admiral Zhao, a kind of petty feud she wasn't surprised that Zuko had taken upon himself, but she didn't think that the duel would escalate to the current situation- the boy she knew was now sitting on the flame covered throne of the Fire Lord, nothing to say about his own father, who was believed to be one of the most powerful firebenders alive.
Her mind couldn't help but turn to Azula as well- she hadn't seen her for a while now- it had been years since they had been in the academy together with Ty Lee; Azula was the kind of person who would take Zuko's ascension to the throne as a grave offence, and she would try to take it from him at any cost. Mai disapproved of their sibling rivalry- she thought it made their family even worse than it had been without it- their mother disappeared years ago, and she knew that Fire Lord Ozai made her father seem like a humble monk in comparison; she could only hope they would come to some kind of resolution, at least for their own sake- she had seen their childhood tarnished by their own incessant feuding. Mai hoped for the best outcome of their ordeal, but she knew the world's cruelty- she was certain it would only serve out the worst one for the two siblings.
The battering of waves trashed upon the starkly dark steel vessel as it swiftly moved across the sea- the Princesses new vessel was at full speed heading westward into the East Lake; there was a direct order of no delays or stopping until they reached the Mo Ce Sea, which to many upon the ship, seemingly a world away from the great city of Ba Sing Se, whose walls had receded from view across the horizon. On the deck stood a Water Tribe warrior and Fire Nation princess- both standing in form, ready to pounce into a duel at any moment; Sokka and Azula glared each other down intently, reading themselves to begin fighting the other.
"Are you sure this is the best idea? I could just get another non-bender for you to beat up." Azula questioned her opponent, who chuckled back in response.
"What fun would that be? You're a challenge." he smirked, before drawing his weapons- his trusty boomerang and whale-bone club.
"Challenge implies you can defeat me- that is an fault of judgement." she told him, drawing balls of blue fire into her hands.
Sokka raced forth first, swinging his club at her legs as to break her stance, Azula responding with a blast of flames that forced him to fall back; he rolled back to his feet and drew his boomerang out in a strike, throwing it at her abdomen, making her side-step. He smirked at her before swinging his club around and flinging the end of it at Azula, who dodged with a somersault, punching out with a fist of fire as she returned to her feet; he dodged the fire-blast before pulling out his bone dagger, which he used to cut at her hands, forcing her to step back send a wave of flames at him. He fell back from the wave of flames, his arm-guards covering his face from the hot azure flames, before he grabbed his boomerang at his feet, holding it in preparation for Azula's next attack; she sent slicing bands of fire out of her hands, Sokka responding with evasively rolling from his position, before throwing his boomerang at her, the weapon clipping her shoulder as she jumped away from a direct hit. She cringed from the sharp pain of the boomerang striking her plate covered shoulder, raising a fist to direct flames at Sokka, only to find herself tackled by her opponent, thrown to the ground in a flurried attack.
"Aha- I've got you now!" he proclaimed, holding her arm down with one hand, and his elbow pushing the other one away as he held his dagger above her face, making Azula glare back at him with disapproval.
She pushed his elbow aside with her free arm, before throwing a fist of flames at him, who responded by rolling himself to dodge, incidentally pulling her over his own body; Azula almost squealed at being tossed through the air, rolling on the deck as she returned to the ground. Sokka grunted in frustration from his failed hold, pulling himself up back into stance, facing Azula whose movement mirrored his own; she drew fists of flames before racing toward him with her teeth grit, Sokka raising his own arms defensively. She pounced at him with one fist further forward than the other, Sokka using on his arms to deflect a blast of flames, but was unable to prevent Azula grabbing him with the other hand and throwing him onto the deck of the ship.
"Are you done yet?" Azula asked him with a smirk, a flame filled fist above his face and his arms locked down by her own feet.
"I-I'm heavier." he bluntly stated- Azula looking at him with confusion before he pulled his right arm up and flung Azula off her feet, grabbing her arms into a hold to prevent her getting back up, making Azula glare back at him with frustration, before he breathed deeply and sighed.
"But yeah- I think I'm done." he admitted, making Azula chuckle at him, despite being in a lock herself.
"So you're surrendering when you're in a position of power?" she questioned him, Sokka blushing at her statement before reorienting himself.
"What no- I've decided that trying to fight you is harder than it's worth." he admitted, before pulling himself up and holding out a hand to pull her off the ground, "I'd rather not get my face burnt again."
Azula smirked back at him before grabbing his hand, "Oh no- not your precious face." she mocked him, making him roll his eyes as he pulled her to her feet.
"Can you just let us have a draw- how about inconclusive?" he offered her, Azula smirking deviously at him, glancing right behind him toward the sea.
"Well- our last inconclusive fight didn't end with me throwing you over the side of a ship- how about we try that one again?" she asked him, Sokka paling considerably before taking a step back.
"U-uh I'd prefer to avoid that situation again." he admitted to her, his eyes wide with concern that she might actually attempt to throw him over just to prove her superiority.
"So if you don't want to duel me, I'll have to find you some other work to do." she thought aloud, Sokka raising an eyebrow with a sense of confusion.
"That was work? I thought we fought each other for fun." he asked, Azula sighing in response.
"When you spend every day of your life training and bettering yourself as a fighter, things like this become my work." she admitted, before curling her brow, "Seeing I am going to go to war with my brother, being the supreme commander of my forces is my work at the moment- speaking of which- I think I have idea for something you can help me with."
He inched closer with a face of intrigue, "What would that be?"
"You pride yourself on your tact and strategy, perhaps you can help me plan my consolidation of power?" she asked him, Sokka sighing upon understanding it was not a request.
"Uh- yeah, we can do that- I assume you've got some maps and stuff somewhere?" he asked her, Azula nodding back.
"Yes- I had to get my resources replaced after my original Royal Barge was sunk, however I picked up some from the Governor's stores- I'm sure he won't mind." she jested, making Sokka chuckle.
"Ahaha- I'm sure he won't." he laughed, acknowledging the humour in the fact the Governor of Ba Sing Se had been dethroned so all his things were at her disposal to begin with.
Walking along the deck, the Princess and her companion made their way into the brig of the ship, walking through the narrow corridors up to Azula's private quarters; opening the door into her room, Sokka gaped at the impressiveness of her accommodation- she had an ornate bed, desk, meditation candles, as well as a well-sized map of the world, which he assumed they would be using for their strategising. Sokka stood back while Azula quickly rummaged through her filed intelligence and smaller maps that she might require- all essentials given to any military commanding officer in the Fire Nation, a position which she most certainly found herself in now.
Laying out the papers on her desk, she begun to explain the most recent information her had, "Most recently I have heard that Admiral Chan of the Eastern Fleet has sworn his allegiance to me, and has followed the commands of my military council in Ba Sing Se- his forces will be moving westward behind us toward the Mo Ce Sea."
Sokka nodded at her explanation, going over to the map she had up on the wall, "So his forces are a few days behind us, around here?" he pointed to the river mouth in the Eastern Sea, Azula nodding in response.
"Well- unless your brother has some naval forces sent our way before we make landfall- uh- here?" he pointed to the coast of the Mo Ce Sea directly west of the West Lake.
"Around about- I hope to find the naval assistance of 'Supreme Admiral' Zhao against any forces my brother can muster." she explained, Sokka nodding.
"So this Zhao guy- we're meeting up with him somewhere along the way?" he asked.
Azula nodded in response, "Yes- hopefully he responds to my message in coming days, I don't want to be sailing into waters that would leave us at risk to attack without proper assurances."
"Okay- so worst comes to worst- what do you do?" he asked Azula, who chuckled.
"What would you do savage?" she deflected his question, making Sokka sigh.
"Well- knowing that you Fire Nation people love your army- it's everywhere across the Earth Kingdom- but you can't be certain that anyone's going to back you- if Zhao doesn't respond you can always find the closest respondent and go overland from where ever their forces are located, then go to the colonies from there; would that work?"
Azula scratched her chin, "You are right- but I need to be tact- what if my brother already is mustering forces to find me on the spot?" she asked, Sokka looking back to the map.
"Where is the closest colony from here in that direction?" he asked, Azula thinking momentarily before answering.
"The Hu Xin provinces- there are few Fire Nation colonies located here," Azula pointed on the map to the area just west of the West Lake "as well as a substantial military presence." she explained, Sokka nodding.
"Worst case scenario- you can ditch the ship and go there- find some malleable governors to do your bidding, and with that you'll have enough men to start building up support all across the Western Earth Kingdom- assuming that's your aim with all of this." he explained, Azula nodding in response.
"I would rather try and make a fighting chance than just give myself up to my brother- he might be arrogant enough in that case not to even allow an Agni Kai, and just throw me in jail." she explained, angered with the situation she had found herself in.
Sokka looked back at her seriously, "I won't let that happen." he assured her, Azula looking at him with a confused face.
"If worse comes to bare, I don't think you'll have a choice." she told him, Sokka rolling his eyes.
"Why do you have to be so down about this- we need to focus on getting you there," he pointed onto the map where Azula had directed, "and making sure this Zhao guy pulls his weight- what was he meant to be doing again, invading my cousins up north?" he asked, Azula nodding back.
"Yes- he has a large number of ships, and quite a few men, although I'm unsure if that power held on after he got himself beat by my brother." Azula told him, Sokka chuckling in response.
"So you think your brother is an incompetent fool- does that mean this Zhao guy's stupid or just a bad firebender?" he questioned, Azula laughing out loud at his comments.
"Probably a mix of the two- he's an arrogant man with big dreams." she told him, Sokka rolling his eyes.
"Let me guess, those dreams involve him invading and destroying the Northern Water Tribe?"
Azula nodded at his question, "Yes- he went on and on about it to my father and my grandfather- for I don't know how long- he finally got the support he needed after finally persuading my father that the resources were open with the Earth Kingdom defeated; I personally don't trust the man, but I believe he will be far more willing to follow me than the man who dishonoured him in a duel."
"You don't like the uncertainty?" he asked Azula, acknowledging her comments prior- in Sokka's eyes she seemed far less confident than usual.
"No- it makes any plan we make practically guesswork- we cannot be sure of anything until it is revealed directly- I prefer not to walk into a city and find myself arrested for conspiracy against 'Fire Lord Zuko'." she thought aloud, Sokka nodding along to her explanation.
"So from what we're just talked about- do you think you need to change course on our journey?" he asked her, Azula glaring back at him with a sense of confidence.
"No- I will not let the unknown defeat me- we will head westward until we reach the colonies, and they will bow to me- or else." she told Sokka, who smiled at her show of confidence, feeling assured that Azula wasn't becoming overly paranoid and uncertain, which would be the biggest personality back-flip he could imagine.
Sokka stood silently for a moment before raising a hand to question, "So just one thing- what do I call you now- are you the Crown Princess- or are you the Fire Lord?" he asked her, Azula rolling her eyes.
"Technically I am Zuko's heir no matter what he tries to do, so I am most certainly Crown Princess if I am not Fire Lord, but more than that, I can't technically claim the title without being crowned by the Fire Sages." she explained, Sokka thinking about it for a moment before raising a finger.
"Does it have to be a specific Fire Sage?" he questioned, Azula chuckling at his question.
"It doesn't have anything to do with Fire Sages as per say, they simply place the crown on my head- my brother has the crown, not me." she explained to Sokka, who face palmed.
"Okay- so Mrs. Not-technically-Fire-Lord, what's next?" he asked her, with a dopey smirk, making Azula laugh at him nearly mockingly, before covering her face in embarrassment.
"Can you please stop it with the horrible names? Even if they might be slightly- only slightly- accurate." Azula asked him, covering her face with one hand to avoid showing her bared smile from the laughter, before returning to a more composed form, "I will need you to look at some localised maps of the colonies- you should have a decent idea of the terrain and locations that we face ahead- you will need as much knowledge about the region as possible, we cannot run blindly into the hills and forests of the Western Territories and hope that we don't run into Earth Kingdom bandits or worse."
"Okay- so I need to know the whole place like the back of my hand- got it." Sokka nodded, before walking over to the Princesses files and papers that she had assorted over the desk.
"Pick through them all- take your time- we have it in abundance." Azula remarked before sitting herself down on her bed, breathing out deeply before sliding off her arm-guards and placing beside her.
Sokka rummaged through the papers he could immediately see, noting the wealth of information the Princess already had at hand- census data from the colonies, military command structures and bases, as well as more speculative information such as sightings of bandits and rebels across the Fire Nation occupied territories.
He turned back to Azula, who had just slipped off her armour, "There's a lot of stuff there- but I guess it'll take me a while to order everything up- I personally don't know too much about the geography of the Western Earth Kingdom, so there's that to learn in the first place." he admitted, Azula shrugging her shoulders.
"I won't be of much help honestly- I know where military establishments and colonies are- not much else was taught to me by either my school or tutors." she explained, Sokka sighing in slight frustration.
He offered a weak smile, "Uh- at the very least I might get to learn more about the world- that's one good thing to look forward to, right?"
"Okay- you can take that stuff to your room- I don't need you lurking around here when you can just as well be focused on your work." she commanded Sokka, who nodded and curtly picked up the papers and maps on the desk, before rolling them up and holding them at his waist.
He smiled at her momentarily, "Uh- have a good afternoon." he simply stated, Azula eyeing him before waving her hand.
"Go on now- I'm sure there's more than enough reading to be done." she explained, Sokka following her words and making his way out the door, opening and closing it in one swift motion.
Turning from the closed door, he noticed that the Captain was standing guard, who looked straight back at him, "You better not have been doing anything in there." he eyed him, Sokka raising his free hand defensively.
"I was just getting some papers to read over- doing my job, remember?" Sokka told the Captain, deflecting his intrusive assumption.
"You keep telling yourself that one kid- you could sit on the deck all day and the Princess wouldn't bat an eye- I'm keeping an eye on you." he told Sokka, inching closer to the Water Tribesman.
"Hey- I already got that man- it's not like I'm doing anything inappropriate- just normal tasks, reading and strategising." Sokka explained, the Captain chuckling at him.
"So what- you're solely appreciated for your mind?" he questioned, Sokka rolling his eyes before turning away from the Captain to walk down the hallway, feeling that he had said as much as he ought to.
"I surely hope not."