Chapters will be condensed as they're too short for my liking right now. Enjoy!
Six men walked down the desolate dirt road, hoods pulled low over their faces as the high sun bore down on them. They had been wandering since before the break of dawn, their goal just up ahead in a small village known as Renjishu Valley. It was a town nestled in the valley between two large mountains, the large foreboding formations offering nearly full protection from both elements and intruders. Merchants passed by slowly with full carts of exported goods, though most of it seemed to be junk. One of the men stopped and turned to the nearest cart, eyeing it with interest. A cloaked arm shot out and grabbed the other man shaking his head; they had a bigger target.
They arrived shortly in the village just before sundown, the summer heat giving way to refreshing cool temperatures in the desert of the Earth Kingdom. Renjishu Valley was abuzz with activity and lights, large crowds of villagers and visitors filling the tiny village. A large banner across the gate entrance said, 'Renjishu Annual Beautiful Women Festival!' in bright red ink. One man from the group stepped forward and eyed the banner carefully before searching the area. Guards were stationed at the entrance, earthbenders from what he could see. There were bound to be more throughout, as well. It wouldn't be easy getting in.
"How will we get in, boss? It's heavily guarded throughout the whole place. We only have 3 earthbenders with us and the rest are firebenders awaiting your order in the tree line. Jingo can see if there's a way to bend us behind a house within the village, but the guards would surely notice." One of the cloaked men whispered to the man searching the crowd. There were enough people entering the village that their group would barely be noticeable, but the risk was too great. The leader pulled his gaze away from the crowds to the merchants entering the city. Sure, there were checkpoints and carriage searches, but if they hid themselves well enough…
Without a word he turned and walked towards one of the slower merchant carts making its way into the city. It was an older man, possibly nearing the end of his life from the looks of him, that had a wagon full of large, decorative vases. He was a good distance from the checkpoint, so moving quickly, the men snuck to the back of the wagon. Climbing in quickly, they removed the lids from the vases and slid in, carefully replacing them once they were settled. It was almost certain they would search the vases closest to the back, so each member hid as close to the front as possible without alerting the driver. Although, he was probably old enough to be deaf as well.
"Papers, please," A guard stopped the carriage as another began walking around back to search. The old man held a hand to his ear, indicating he didn't hear the man. "Sir, papers, please," The guard spoke louder, enunciating each word.
After a minute of silence, the vendor finally figured out what was being asked of him and slowly reached into his pocket to retrieve his paperwork and shakily hand it to the guard. The earthbender checking the back of the carriage began lifting lids up randomly, checking for hidden contraband or stowaways. One of the men in the jars slightly shifted, nearly unnoticeable, and the guard searching immediately halted mid lid lifting. Was it just him being paranoid or did that sound like something, or someone, moving inside a vase? Carefully bending the lid to hover at shoulder level, the guard raised his other hand, eyeing the vases carefully.
"Everything alright back there, Shen?" The guard up front yelled around the carriage, wanting a status update. Shen suddenly thrust his fist forward, causing a vase to shatter violently as the lid slammed into it. Dirt and clay flew everywhere, and a shard of clay whizzed dangerously close to the old man. "Shen! What the hell are you doing?! Sir, I apologize, we will clean this up immediately!" The front guard shouted, bowing profusely to the old man who didn't even seem to realize what was going on around him.
Shen waited until the dust cleared before noticing the vase was filled with nothing but dirt. He swiftly earthbended the dirt up and out of the carriage before tossing it to the side of the road. His supervisor stormed around the back of the carriage, ready to berate his subordinate's ear off.
"Shen! You've been warned about destroying property! I'm going to have to put you on suspension. Send the old man through and get me someone competent to check merchandise!"
The carriage lurched forward as it proceeded through the checkpoint. The 6 men breathed sighs of relief. That was too close for comfort. After a few more minutes of bumpy riding, the carriage came to a halt. The seat creaked as the old man slowly made his way from his seat, grunting as he landed.
"Alright Pumpernickel, you rest easy for a while. I'm going to go enjoy the beautiful women! Heh heh," The old man patted his ostrich-horse on the head before hobbling off in search of the women. Once everything was quiet for a few minutes, the men slowly began to emerge from the vases, remaining stealthy as they surveyed the area. The cart seemed to be behind a large warehouse that held chicken-ducks. Bright lights shone towards the building, illuminating the alleyway and showing a handful of people lingering back a ways from the main crowd.
"Find where the women are getting ready and search for any exits from there to the edge of the city. Any guards by them, take them out quietly." The leader thrust his hand out, signaling the start of the operation.
In a flash all men were gone without a trace and the man let out a devious grin. This would be their biggest haul yet, possibly their most valuable out of all the women captured so far. There were many buyers in the Fire Nation, but of course, only the finest would do for the right price. It had taken weeks to acquire nearly all of the women, although they were still shy of the fifty they needed. With these women, they were at forty-eight. Due to how fast news spread of the kidnappings, it was becoming more difficult to get away with it.
Walking towards the stage, the unknown man kept his hood low and veered around the guards, cautiously taking each step. He had evaded capture so far, but he wasn't about to push his luck now. Vendors had set up stalls on either side of the stage, lining up down the main roads of the village, yelling for customers to come try their moon peaches and crab cakes. One guy was offering cabbages, but clearly no one wanted plain cabbages. A small flash of bright light caught his eye and he grinned before slithering his way through the throngs of people, heading towards a building just behind and over from the large stage. He was impressed it took his men merely minutes to acquire the targets. He would be sure to reward them handsomely later on.
After slipping through another alley, he arrived at the back of the building where the signal was sent from. One of his men dropped down from the roof, landing as silent as a cat on to the dirt.
"All eleven women are accounted for, boss Zanui. They're pretty easy on the eyes, too," Zanui tilted his head in acknowledgement. The man continued on. "Ginbo has a tunnel already built that leads to the carriage awaiting within the forest, that's how we snuck them out. The announcer should be starting the show any minute, I suggest we leave now."
"Very well, excellent work, Tai Zu. All guards in the area taken care of?" A silent nod confirmed his question. "Then let's get this party started."
A middle-aged man walked on to the stage and threw his arms out wide, a large grin on his face. "Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention!" The crows started dying down as they turned their attention to the announcer. "First and foremost, I want to thank those of you who helped put together this wonderful festival for yet another year! This has become a sacred tradition for Renjishu Village, one that we are immensely proud to hold! Not to mention all of these beautiful women, of which 6 reside from this very village, have come to show the world what they're made of!" Cheers picked up along with a handful of men hooting and hollering, some even whistling. After motioning with his hands for the crowd to calm down, the announcer continued. "Keeping with tradition, we will have last years winner come up to the stage and announce the newcomers for this year! Let's give Ming Le a warm round of applause!"
The crowd roared in anticipation, the sound deafening. The man on stage held his arms out to show the former beauty queen as she arrived on stage. A lantern was moved to spotlight where she would enter but it only showed a suddenly confused announcer. Clearing his throat nervously, he chuckled before loosening his collar.
"Ms. Ming Le, please come up on to the stage!" The crowd began to die down and people began to murmur amongst themselves. Feeling the heat of the crowd, the announcer darted off stage and towards the back of the house that was used as the dressing room. Bursting through the back door, he was met with an empty room. Flabbergasted, the man tore around the room, uplifting furniture and tearing open doors in search of the girls. A cold chill ran down his spine and he paled instantly. He wasn't alone in the room.
"I'm afraid we've had a bit of a change of plans, Mr. Sung." A deep voice called from the other side of the room, causing Mr. Sung to go rigid. "You see, while you were too busy getting prepared for the show, you failed to notice one thing." Mr. Sung slowly turned around to face the intimidating voice, his hands shaking uncontrollably. Licking his lips, he opened his mouth to speak but all that came out was a squeak. Clearing his throat hastily, Mr. Sung puffed his chest out and straightened himself up, trying to seem unafraid.
"A-and what sir, w-would that b-be?" His teeth chattered violently as he spoke, his intimidation tactic crumbling to pieces. The man on the chair let out a hearty laugh, Mr. Sung flinching back. With a grunt, Zanui was on his feet, walking heavily over to the man whom he easily towered over. Leaning down close to the man, his lips slipped into a demonic grin as he whispered,
"You've practically invited us in with your posters," Sung nearly fainted at the words. How could he have been so stupid? He had sent men from the village to advertise the pageant to the surrounding cities, some going even as far as the edge of Ba Sing Se to deliver the posters. He never thought about the notorious gang receiving word and slipping in. "Now, of course you can blame yourself, because it really is your fault for allowing those beautiful women to get captured. But then again, I should thank you for inviting us in. You can take pride they'll be sold off to some fine gentlemen in the Fire Nation, where they'll be miserable for the rest of their lives." Zanui straightened back up and turned on his heel, heading for the door. Mr. Sung collapsed to the floor, shock coursing through his body and causing it to shut down. The footsteps suddenly stopped, and he weakly looked up to see Zanui facing him with his hand on his chin in thought.
"You know, I think I have just the way to let the people know you've signed their death warrants."
By now the crowd had become anxious and irritable. The announcer, Mr. Sung, had gone to check on the contestants, but had been gone for nearly 20 minutes now. Some restless people even decide to start small fights, shoving people into one another to feel the rush of adrenaline. The guards attempted to squash the fights, but only prevailed for a short while.
"Ladies and gentlemen, sorry to keep you waiting so long!" A deep voice boomed over the crowds, everyone falling silent almost instantly though murmuring began once they saw the stage was still empty. The lantern shifted upwards to reveal a person standing on top of the stage scaffolding, something wriggling behind him. "Unfortunately, Mr. Sung has become tied up with something and therefore cannot orchestrate the programming for the evening. But, not to fear, I have shown up in the nick of time to give you all a once-in-a-lifetime show!" The people seemed confused, but began to slowly clap, unsure of what was about to unfold.
Zanui smirked as he stared down at the idiotic villagers, all thinking they would see the show and go on their merry ways. Reaching behind him, he grabbed a tied-up Mr. Sung by the rope around his wrists and dangled him over the edge of the stage. Clapping quickly became screams of horror and shouts of disbelief as people watched with fearful eyes.
"I want you lovely folks to know, that thanks to Mr. Sung here," He gave him a little wiggle to show the crowd he wasn't dead yet. "We, who shall remain unknown, have taken all of your beautiful women captive thanks to a lovely flier we found recently. Now, as a thank you gesture, I present to you," Zanui lit his palm on fire and faced it inches from Mr. Sung who was now unconscious. "A flaming farewell!" An enormous plume of flames consumed Mr. Sung and he was swiftly dropped down to the stage, his flaming body landing just feet from spectators. As predicted, earthbenders quickly surround him, rocks raised and ready to launch at him. But Zanui just laughed and increased the flames around his body, a massive heatwave pushing the earthbenders stumbling backwards.
"I would tell you all to have a goodnight, but I'm afraid you'll be having a more permanent slumber tonight."
Buildings all across the town began to explode, flames shooting high into the sky while massive rocks slammed over houses and barns. Try as they might, the earthbenders guarding the town were outnumbered and quickly found themselves in a losing battle as flaming rocks began to rain over the town. Some were crushed instantly under the flaming rocks while others burned to death within seconds. Zanui extinguished his flames before admiring his team's handiwork. There was no possible way for anyone to escape the town: he had firebenders and earthbenders perched upon the crests of the mountains on either side of the village, bombarding them left and right while any stragglers were quickly killed if they managed to leave the village.
He watched the village burn for another minute before turning and leaping from roof to roof, heading towards the main entrance where his team was waiting for him. The women had already been transported away before the excitement started so it was just a few of his men left to wait for him. As he landed on the dirt outside of the gate, he was greeted by the squadron leader who bowed respectfully before pulling his face mask down to speak.
"Boss Zanui, the women are secured and on their way to the base. Everything will be cleaned up here if you wish to leave."
"Excellent, General Kenih, I leave everything in your hands." Kenih bowed once more before striking a burnt person, who had crawled out of the village, in the head with a rock. Zanui strolled away with his hands in his pockets, whistling a cheery tune. Oh yes, today was indeed an exceptionally good day.
He was looking forward to receiving his most valuable prize yet; the Avatar's girlfriend.
Sokka groaned as his head hit the table, his brain officially turning to pentapox slime. They had been in the library two days now and had found nothing more than a slim history of the man name Zumba… or was it Zanfred? It hurt his head to even try to correctly remember the dudes name. Toph was asleep in the corner, snoring loudly as she laid rather ungracefully on a rock couch she bended. Aang had begun to get frustrated and had gone to the castle's garden to meditate and if it came down to it, enter the Spirit World to speak to his past lives. Katara had become ragged looking from having her nose to every book and scroll that mentioned his name. Her hair was frizzing up in every direction and the poor tie barely holding her hair back from exploding was straining to stay together. Dark circles dulled her piercing blue eyes as exhaustion settled in on her face, aging her appearance by a few years.
"Katara, my brain feels like Toph smashed it to a juicy pulp with a rock. Can we call it good for the day? We've found nothing new about this guy…" His sister sighed heavily, carefully shutting the book before leaning back in her chair. She stretched her arms high above the chair, grunting a little when her back popped into alignment.
"I hate to stop searching, but you two are lazing about and Aang and I are stretching ourselves too thin trying to find every little speck of information. We have a good sheet filled about what has been recorded and how he looks and acts. That should be enough for now."
"Ah, Katara, Sokka, how goes the searching?" King Kuei suddenly popped his head in, Bosco's head appearing right above his. It quickly dawned on the king that things weren't going so well, judging from the tired and frustrated faces. "I apologize if there isn't much information on Zanui, we just haven't gathered enough for there to be a plethora of information."
"No, what we have is quite enough to at least have a general idea of what to expect, King Kuei, but it's frustrating that we still don't have a way of tracking his movements or a pattern of his attacks." Katara wiped her face tiredly. The king nodded his head in agreement. He had sent Dai Li out to investigate any recent sightings or attacks, but little information was coming back to him at the moment.
"You guys seem exhausted, why don't you spend the rest of the day at my private resort? It's the least I can do for you having saved my life years ago. I'll go tell Avatar Aang as well! I'll send someone to guide you there, it should only be a few minutes." Toph suddenly shot up from her makeshift bed, startling the three.
"I could use a good back pounding, just as long as they don't touch my feet!"
King Kuei smiled grandly before slipping from sight, his trusty best friend right behind him.
~*B*~
"I don't think I've been that relaxed in a few years," Katara sighed happily as Team Avatar left the Palace spa. Saunas, personal massages, freshly painted nails and to top it off, a purifying mud bath that Toph seemed to enjoy especially. The poor attendant wasn't prepared for the old 'Slug-face' technique the earthbender had used years ago in the higher ring of the city, screaming before running away in fear.
"I think we all needed some relaxation after running around pretty much nonstop the past few years. I haven't been this relaxed since we went undercover in the Fire Nation and I taught those kids to dance and have fun." Aang smiled at the memory, mainly the one where he and Katara danced in front of everyone. Katara leaned up and kissed him on the cheek, fondly recalling the memory as well. Sokka gagged at the oogies before clasping his hands behind his head and over-exaggerating his walk with high steps.
"I hope dinner is ready, I'm starving,"
"Sokka, all you ever do is eat. You'll turn into a walrus-whale at this rate," Katara teased as Toph and Aang snickered. Sokka just turned his head and stuck his tongue out at his sister but let it go. The attendant leading them was a fairly young and quiet girl, no more than 15, and was walking a few feet in front of them as she led them to the throne room for the evening meal. For the duration of the walk, she had barely said a word, keeping a nervous smile on her face as she escorted them around the Palace. As they approached the doors, she stopped and bowed, averting her eyes from Aang.
"E-enjoy your evening meal, Avatar and friends." She squeaked out before hurrying away to complete another task. Toph snickered as she crossed her arms over her chest, a sly grin on her face.
"Someone has a little crush on the Avatar. You've got some serious competition, Sugar Queen." Sokka snorted as he watched Aang's expression slightly falter and Katara just plant her hands on her hips, brow raised.
"It's nothing to worry about, Toph, there's nothing wrong with a simple crush," Katara said nonchalantly. "Aang has multiple fan girl groups all over the nations. They're harmless,"
"Didn't your Acolytes start out like that? I'm fairly sure some of them had the hots for Twinkletoes here," Toph added in, already feeling Katara's irritation. Aang on the other hand had kept a steady heart-rate and it momentarily spoiled Toph's fun.
"I appreciate their feelings, but Katara is the only woman I care about. I'm not interested in anyone else," Sokka and Toph gagged at the sickeningly sweet words and shuddered in disgust as the two shared an intimate kiss.
"Why do you have to do that in front of me?!" Sokka groaned as his skin crawled. Katara, with her arms wrapped around Aang, turned a murderous glare at her brother, cheeks puffing in annoyance.
"What about you and Suki? This is no different! You're just acting childish, Sokka."
"I'm your older brother, it's different when you have a younger sibling to protect…"
Breaking away from Aang, Katara walked over to her brother and threw her arms around him, squishing him in a big hug. Aang wiped away a tear at the strong emotion shared between the siblings. He glanced over at Toph who hesitated briefly before punching him hard in the arm.
"Aww, Sokka, you're such a caring big brother. What would I ever do without you?"
"Probably have been eaten by something large and hideous lurking beneath the ice of the South Pole." The two siblings released and Katara whacked him upside the head playfully and grabbed his sleeve before pulling him towards the dining hall.
"I'm sure I could've handled any scary monsters lurking beneath the waters just fine, Sokka. Now come on, I'm famished."
The gang entered the massive hall and made their way towards an elegant dinner table covered with the finest jade tableware, matching table runners and decorative fabrics placed precisely over the intricately carved stone chairs. King Kuei was seated on his throne discussing matters with a Dai Li member, the two talking discreetly. Being the nosey person she was, Toph twisted her foot against the stone and listened in on their conversation through faint ground vibrations.
"Do you have any idea where they are headed next? If they make it into the city, they could kidnap dozens, if not more women from the city. I simply don't have enough men to cover every inch of this place," Kuei hissed to the Dai Li guard, his voice edged.
"Your Highness, I have men tracking the direction they went after Renjishu Valley and it seems they had a temporary camp set up. Tracks led around towards the forest and seem to be headed towards Ba Sing Se. I will have my best men follow them discreetly and stop them before they enter the city. The main gates have banned entry and exit until further notice. Residents have been informed to leave only for necessary items such as food. They will not make it past the lower ring."
"Toph? Is something wrong?" Aang asked her quietly, noticing her concentrating on the floor, unseeing eyes shut. With a motion, she instructed him to shift his foot and listen. Kicking off a shoe he did as told, immediately seeing everything in the large room, from Katara and Sokka walking towards the table to the chefs scurrying around the kitchen a few rooms over. It took a moment, as he wasn't as experienced to listen to such finite ground vibrations, but he soon tuned into the conversation between Kuei and the Dai Li member.
"What could they possibly want here?"
"With all of the information we've gathered, and this is an educated guess, your Highness, but we believe he is after someone of high ranking within the cities. We aren't entirely sure,"
Aang's grey eyes opened slightly as he continued to listen to their private conversation. It felt wrong to do so, but if it was important information about Zanui, he needed to know as much as he could get.
"Aang, I don't think they're after a high ranking official." Toph spoke lowly, her unseeing eyes opening to stare blankly ahead. "I think they're after someone of more value, a high-level bender… they might be after –"
"You think they're after Katara? Toph that seems… why would they suddenly go after a Master Waterbender? She could easily take them all down."
"Think about it, Aang, if they're taking the most beautiful women, then it's possible Katara is a higher priced target. Who else could they be after? That Dai Li member isn't lying, they really don't know who they're after so they're taking every precaution. Especially if they think it's someone of higher ranking."
"Toph, say you're right, say that they are after Katara, what would they do with her? We don't even know what their plan is."
"Aang, I hear a lot of things every single day and just from hearing about this guy, what little I know, he seems to be the power-hungry type that's after money. A lot of money. My guess, and I hope I'm wrong about this, is that he's possibly selling the women off to some secret buyers. I'm not a hundred percent on this, so don't lose your head and blow this whole plan. I suggest we bring this up with King Kuei and figure something out," Toph grabbed Aang's ear roughly and twisted it hard to get her point across. "Don't lose your cool or else I'll bend you into the next Nation, got it?" With a quickly agreeing airbender, Toph released her grip before walking towards the King with her arms planted on her hips.
"Oi, Kuei, I suggest you tell your Dai Li to collect better information rather than feeding you theories of their targets." Toph swung her arm out and pointed directly to guard, instantly halting the private conversation. The guard stood tall with his arms clasped behind his back, his expression blank though his eyes seemed to be darting between the king and Toph.
"Whatever do you mean, Toph? How could you possibly know if he was lying? My agents have sworn their allegiance to me and have taken oath to never lie."
"Your Majesty, they're not after a high-ranking official; we have reason to suspect they're after a powerful bender. Toph has an idea that they're kidnapping the women to sell them to private buyers outside of the Earth Kingdom, but we have no solid evidence of that. Your agent isn't lying, he is just providing what he thinks the next targets will be." Aang emphasized his words carefully, hoping to keep the conversation peaceful.
"Where did you…? Avatar, I was hoping you would be able to enjoy your dinner before it came to this conversation." Kuei sighed heavily as he heaved himself from his throne. "There was an incident last night with a village less than a day's travel from here called Renjishu Valley. Eleven women were captured, and the entire village was burned to the ground. There wasn't a single person left alive to say what happened, but it's pretty obvious who it was."
"So, what can we do? If this guy can take down an entire village, how are we supposed to go against him?" Sokka crossed his arms over his chest as he stared up at the king.
"We may not have another choice except to face him head on. If Toph and I are the ones he wants, then he'll learn really quick why it was a mistake. I won't allow another life to be taken because this sicko wants to add another woman to his collection." Katara spat out angrily, her fists clenching tightly at her side. Aang could feel the anger radiating off of her and mentally agreed. He wouldn't allow Zanui to take more lives in the pursuit of adding women to his collection. And if he wanted Katara, he'd have to go through him and all of his past lives in the Avatar state.
"I'm with Sugar Queen; we know he's coming to Ba Sing Se in pursuit of a powerful bender, and as far as I know and see, that would be either Katara or I. I ain't exactly 'lady-like' so it's gotta be her. Besides, I would just metalbend out of any shackles I was put into."
King Kuei glanced over to the Dai Li member and motioned slightly for him to speak. Moving forward, the man clasped his hands behind his back and stared with authority at Team Avatar.
"I have my men stationed all over the city, mainly concentrated on the lower rings. The main gates have been sealed off and no citizen is allowed to leave, and no refugee or vendor will be allowed to –"
"No, wait a minute!" Everyone turned to look at Sokka, brows raised. "Hear me out on this. It'll obviously be a trap if the city is suddenly on lockdown, right? So, keep everything running smoothly and lessen the amount of guards in the lower rings. If he's smart, he'll try to blend in with other people. I doubt he wants to make a huge scene in a large city that's crawling with Dai Li."
"That's…actually a good idea," King Kuei rolled the idea around inside his head, trying to find a fault. "Pactu, I want you to do as he says."
"Your Highness, is that really wise? Maybe we should consult General –"
"Sokka helped destroy Fire Nation blimps during the 100 Year War, he's more than capable of creating a tactical plan. Grab General Tien Min and convene in the war room within the hour. Grab every high-ranking official within the palace and send word to Lord Zuko immediately. I want the details finished by midnight tonight!" Kuei demanded with authority to Pactu, his orders final. Pactu nodded before vanishing into the shadows without a sound. Turning back to the teens, Kuei slightly softened his expression before snapping his fingers. Doors that lined the western side of the Throne Room suddenly burst open as servants filed out, carrying steaming trays of food.
"I know it may not be a good time to eat with the news you just heard, but if we are to face Zanui in the morning, we need to keep our strength up. Please, enjoy the food while I prepare everything for the meeting." Giving a slight bow, King Kuei stepped down from the throne and briskly walked away, leaving just the servants and Team Avatar.
"He's right; if we're facing him in the morning, we need to eat. Even if it doesn't sound appealing right now," Katara walked towards the table and took a seat randomly, a plate of steaming vegetables set in front of her moments after. The other three followed suit, all emotion drained from their faces.
It was a silent dinner apart from the occasional request of a certain dish or asking for another glass of water from one of the servants standing by. Sokka gladly tore into some meat, chunks of goose-duck spraying in every direction over the table. Aang carefully flicked a particularly medium sized chunk away from his steamed tofu and vegetables, grimacing at the flesh. Toph's manners were no better as she ripped her food apart as well. Though, most of her flying chunks landed on or near Sokka who barely seemed to notice. Katara merely pushed the remnants of her food around her plate, mind elsewhere at the moment.
'If he's here for me, I don't want to get the others involved. If I just give myself up, maybe they'll leave the rest of the town alone… I can handle them myself. But I know Aang will go into the Avatar state if he attacks us…argh I can't handle this right now!'
"I'm going to excuse myself for the rest of dinner. Please let me know when the meeting is about to begin." Katara announced quietly before swiftly leaving the table.
Aang went to follow but Sokka grabbed his arm and shook his head. She needed to be alone for a while. Settling back down into his seat, the airbender took a few more bites of his tofu before reaching for an egg custard tart. Of course, he wanted to go after her, to comfort her, but he also knew what she was thinking. Having grown so close to Katara, he could practically read her mind at times and vice versa. Most likely she was thinking of a way to surrender herself without anyone else getting harmed. But at this point, it was unavoidable. Zanui was a psychotic maniac who had no qualms about taking innocent lives or turning lives upside down. Roku's advice lingered in the back of his mind and all it did was give Aang a headache as his beliefs butted against his previous life's advice.
It seemed like an eternity before an advisor came to gather Team Avatar. Sokka had dozed off after gorging himself on the various plates of meat and Toph had already begun digging for boogers and flicking them towards the sleeping Sokka. Aang had been pacing back and forth anxiously, waiting for Katara to come back.
"Has anyone seen Katara? She hasn't come back in,"
"Relax, Twinkletoes, she's out in the garden. Her form is a bit fuzzy, but I'd know it anywhere. Go get her, I'll get Snoozles here to the meeting."
Aang took off without a second glance, hurrying towards the massive garden behind the Throne Room. There were a few servants bustling through the halls as he passed through the massive doors, some startling at the sudden swinging of the heavy threshold. He shouted a brief apology before picking up his pace. She had been gone over thirty minutes and his nerves were getting the better of him. If Katara was the target, it was better if someone was with her at all times.
Pushing through the last door, Aang searched the area. The skies were beginning to darken as day turned to night. Stars heavily littered the heavens, shining brightly in the darkness. A movement caught his eye and he turned towards it. Light reflecting off of water dancing gracefully through the air illuminated a figure standing by a pond. Stepping lightly against the pure white sands, Aang made his way over, his eyes never leaving the dancing water. It was beautiful the way it floated through the air, as weightless as air itself. The few clouds in the sky shifted away, slowly to reveal a nearly full moon bathing everything in the garden in a nearly bright light. Katara stood at the edge of an elaborate koi pond, her toes dug into the pure sands around her as she bended the water with ease. Long brown locks flowed freely down her back, the ends teasing at her hip line. In the moonlight she looked breathtakingly beautiful, the power flowing into her, breathing an essence of life. Aang could stare at her all night, watching her lovingly in her almost raw state of bending, but urgent matters lay ahead.
"Katara, they're about to start the meeting… are you okay?" He spoke softly, as to not startle her.
The water movements slowed down before gently being absorbed back into the pond, not even a ripple flowing across the surface. She took a deep breath before wiping at her face, slim fingers trailing beneath her eyes to remove the tears. Aang felt his heart ache and his body moved on its own, quickly closing the distance between them as his arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her back against his chest. Katara placed her hands on his arms and leaned back, her head coming to rest against his collarbone. For a few minutes, there was silence, allowing their emotions to transfer between each other wordlessly.
"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't scared," Katara spoke nearly inaudibly. "I…I've thought it over, Aang, and if it comes down to it…"
"I know, Katara, you don't want anyone else to be hurt again. I promise you, as long as I'm here, that won't happen. I won't let him take you away from me. He won't leave Ba Sing Se, I'll make sure of it."
"What happens if you have no other choice? Will you be able to take his life so easily?" Aang bit his lip, wanting so bad to disagree wholeheartedly and defend his monk ways. But what if he really didn't have a choice? Roku's previous words pushed to the forefront of his mind and instead of pushing it away, he allowed it to resonate through his head.
"Aang, at some point in your life, you will have to make the ultimate decision on whether that person will continue to be a threat to the people. Your ability to remove bending abilities is indeed a great power, but that does not remove the person from still being a threat if left unattended. They can still spread their corruptions across the nations without so much as lifting a finger to do so from behind a jail cell. This is your decision to make, Aang, but know that with your decisions, there will be dire consequences."
"I'll know when the time comes, whether or not he'll continue to be a threat if left alive. But I will try everything in my power to avoid taking his life, even if it may cause trouble in the future."
Katara shifted in his arms and he loosened his grip as she turned to face him. Piercing blue eyes were slightly red from crying, but behind that was the fierce determination that shone through when the waterbender had made up her mind.
"I know it's not something you ever wanted to do, Aang, but he could still be a threat to not only us, but to more women and their families. Ultimately, it's your decision, and I stand behind whatever choice you make one hundred perfect." The gap between them closed as their lips locked with such emotion that both of them shed tears. Aang took a shaky breath as they broke apart, wiping his face with the back of his hand. Katara swiped hers away as well, the tracks they left visible in the moonlight.
"The others are waiting for us in the War room to go over a plan for the morning, we should head back now." The two locked hands and weaved their way back through the garden sands, heading back inside for a long night of planning and preparing. Once back inside, a servant quickly showed them the way to the War Room, a loud argument could be heard through the massive doors. With a quick bow, the servant backed away before taking off, attending to other matters. Aang and Katara shared a quick look of concern before pushing the doors open, the yelling becoming deafening.
"And what would a kid know about war?! You've barely experienced being alive, yet alone war! So, I suggest you go sit back down in the corner and behave yourself."
"I helped end the 100 Year War with the Avatar and nearly lost my life to help save the world! So yeah, I do know quite a bit about wars! I've even helped train the men of my village to be battle ready!"
Sokka and General Fu Tauon were mere inches apart, glowering at each other as they continued arguing. General Tien Min was showing King Kuei a map of the kingdom, pointing out possible entry and escape routes throughout the lower rings of the city. Toph, who was sitting down in a corner just listening to everything, suddenly leaped up and slammed her foot into the ground and twisted. The floor beneath Sokka and Fu Tauon cracked before shooting the two in separate directions.
"I uh... guess that's one way to stop an argument?" Aang laughed nervously as he rubbed the back of his head. Katara smacked a hand to her forehead in frustration before stomping over to Sokka and dragging him upright by his ear.
"Seriously, Sokka, this is an important meeting and you're arguing like a child!" Katara chastised as Sokka pulled away and rubbed his ear angrily.
"It's not my fault that rockhead underestimates my planning skills! Seriously, Katara, you about ripped my ear off, woman." A twist of his ear caused Sokka to grumble angrily before falling silent, his eyes still sending daggers towards the General. Aang finished pulling the General up before turning his attention towards King Kuei and General Tien Min.
"Has anything been decided yet?"
"We're just now going over the possible entrances and exits of the city. Mainly, there's just one way in and out, but the Dai Li have hidden tunnel systems throughout the city. But they would have to know exactly where they are or be a powerful earthbender to find them. But our guess is they'll try to come in through the front door in disguise as vendors or refugees."
"I wonder if that's how they got into the last village, using disguises as vendors or possibly even visitors to slip past the guards." Katara pondered as she moved over to see the map more clearly. Sokka studied the parchment with a hand to his chin, stroking the one beard hair he had growing. His mind clicked with an idea as his eyes widened with excitement.
"Ooh, ooh!"
"Do grace us with your magnificent plan, Sokka," Toph leaned forward in her chair, an excited grin on her face as she cracked her knuckles in anticipation.
"Gather round, my friends, and prepare to be amazed!"
Zanui kept the filthy worn straw hat pulled tight over his face as he and some of his men were herded towards the main gates to Ba Sing Se. A sick man stumbled into him and he shot a nasty look to the man who shrank back, apologizing profusely before swaying dangerously on his feet. With a growl, the firebender turned his gaze forward. It was early in the morning, before dawn had even broke, yet there were so many refugees seeking to enter the city for better opportunities and shelter. Guards guided the people into lines, turning sick and dying people away immediately. A short distance away were carts upon carts of confiscated items, everything from food to personal items and weapons were thrown haphazardly into them. There was even a small cart of cabbages seized from a poor older man who promptly fell to his knees as a Platypus-bear devoured his precious cargo.
"Boss, they're checking identifications. We've got the fake ones, but a handful of men are ready to cause a distraction if they question us too much." General Kenih whispered into his ear before promptly moving away to a different part of the crowd to avoid suspicion.
Zanui couldn't help the small smirk that twitched at his lips. He was lucky to have Kenih as his right-hand man. The man had a knack for devising plans that were both sneaky and severe. All he had to do was nod slightly and the men would launch into a riot, distracting all of the guards and giving him and the small handful of men to slip into the city practically unnoticed. On the other hand, it would be less suspicious if they entered the formal way instead of causing the port of entry to go into lockdown. His actual crew was waiting just outside of the Earth Kingdom, near the Serpent's Path, to make their getaway. Ba Sing Se had very few naval ships, seeing as they're an Earthbending Nation, but what few ships they did have, were posted further South-East closer to the vast ocean. Zanui had noticed a few unmarked Naval ships floating around in the bay, but they seemed to be restocking supplies before sailing out once more. He hoped him and his team would be in and out of Ba Sing Se before King Kuei could gather his troops.
"All refugees seeking entry into the city must show valid ID! If you have no identification papers, you will be denied entry into Ba Sing Se!" A guard boomed over the talkative crowd, a hushed silence falling over the massive crowd. "Anyone who has identification step to the left lines and present it to the guards! If you are permitted entrance, you will be taken by train to the lower rings of the city. At that point, it is up to you to seek shelter and food, but you may apply for a request to get assistance from the city which will take up to a year to be processed due to the mass amount of applications."
Some in the crowd began to protest loudly, complaining at the lack of assistance for people in need. Some of Zanui's men joined in, playing the part of desperate refugees perfectly. Guards immediately swooped in and removed the rowdy people, restoring the peace within minutes. Zanui watched with hidden amusement as some of the lower scum of his group were hauled away, their struggling in the arms of the guards useless. Some even found his eyes and silently begged for help. With a tiny shrug, Zanui felt his lips twitch in glee as the men were removed from sight.
"Show me your identification papers!" Guards yelled as they forcefully yanked them from people's hands, scrutinizing every inch of the paper. If they were satisfied the papers weren't faked, they would toss them back towards the owner. If they weren't, they shredded them in front of the person before signaling for a guard to remove them from the line. A few people left screaming and flailing while others were silently walked away, their heads down in shame.
Zanui held his out even before the guard reached him, lifting his head slightly to watch the burly man snatch it from his grasp. The man was shorter than him, by a good few inches at least, and definitely was a higher-ranking officer judging by his extensive ranking medals adorning his chest. The guard's eyes flickered back and forth between the paper and Zanui's face, eyes narrowed suspiciously.
"And what business do you have here, Mr. … Cheng, is it?"
"Ying Sum Cheng, sir, and I'm here to see my ailing mother. Poor thing hasn't been in particularly good health recently, sir, and I wish to see her once more before she passes on." Zanui said softly, putting on the act of a grieving son. The guard read his face carefully, watching for any emotional changes but there were none, just sadness. Slapping the papers back into Zanui's hand, the guard softened his face as he turned away towards the next person in line.
"Sorry to hear that son, hopefully you can see her in time. Enjoy Ba Sing Se."
"Thank you very much, sir, you have yourself a good day now."
The guard grunted in response before moving to the next person in line, violently ripping the papers in half after finding a fault. The young scruffy looking man behind Zanui was suddenly dragged away by two guards, his cries of mercy ringing loud. Zanui felt excitement building up in his chest; he was one step closer to finding his prized possession. Nothing was going to get in his way, not even the Avatar.
"Sokka, are you sure this is even going to work? He could see right through this!" Aang said nervously as he took in his appearance in the large mirror brought in by some servants to the War Room.
His Air Nomad robes had been switched out for dirty and torn earthbender vendor clothing kindly found by Sokka; Aang didn't even want to know how or where he got them from. A makeshift white wig covered his arrow tattoo and a farmers hat was pulled low over his face, slightly concealing his gray eyes while a matching mustache donned his upper lip. Aang grunted as he scratched his 'hair' for the fifth time since putting it on. Appa's shedding was good for at least one thing every now and then.
"Is the great Avatar doubting my ideas? Relax, there's no way you'll be recognized. Even the smell is right!"
"I don't doubt your plans, Sokka, but this enemy is on a whole new level from what we've faced before. If something goes wrong…" Katara chewed on her lip as she glanced between her brother and Aang, arms wrapped tightly around her waist. "People could get hurt or killed if we can't capture him fast enough. Even with the Dai Lee, he could have numerous men hiding in the shadows watching."
"That's where I come in, Sugar Queen." Toph announced as she entered the room with a loud kick to the heavy metal doors. Her normal earthbending clothes were covered with spiked metal armor, a matching metal hat shielding most of her face from view. Nearly every inch of her body was protected with the thick metal, save for her feet of course, and she moved silently across the floors. "I'll be able to sense them long before they notice me. If they do," Toph cracked her knuckles menacingly. "They'll get a taste of the greatest earth and metal bender of all time!"
Katara opened her mouth to argue but it died on her tongue, a silent sigh escaping her lips instead. The possibilities of what could go wrong kept playing through her mind, tormenting her thoughts and sending worry pulsing through her veins. They were all strong, there was no doubt about that, but without knowing key facts about Zanui it was like wandering blindly through badger-mole tunnels. Aang took the few short steps to her and cupped her cheek lovingly, tilting her head up.
"Katara, I know it seems like we're going into this blindly, but we don't really have another choice. It's too risky to face him head-on without knowing his full abilities. Don't worry, I'll be close by to protect you. I promise nothing will happen to you." Katara clasped her hand over his and rested her forehead against his, locking eyes.
"I know you will, Aang, thank you. I really think Appa needs a bath after all of this, you really don't smell good." Katara scrunched her face as the full smell of Appa hit her, leaning back and pinching the bridge of her nose closed. Aang gave a cheeky grin before grabbing her waist and pulling her tight against him, rubbing his 'mustache' all over her face as she squealed loudly.
"If you're done making my sister smell like Appa, who really does need a bath, Aang, we need to get a move on; It's possible he's been already gotten through the main checkpoint and making his way into the city."
"As much as we all want to smell like flying bison, Sokka's right. It'll take us some time to get down to the lower ring and get set up, even with the Dai Lee tunnels. We better get going." Toph added, her tone serious.
The tension hung heavily in the air as the group made their way through the Palace towards one of the main Dai Lee tunnels nestled near the King's quarters. A Dai Lee member appeared from the shadows ahead of them and with a quick glance slammed his foot into the ground and pulled back with his hands. A large square of the flooring cracked down the center before silently sliding in half, revealing a hidden hatch. Sokka led the way and turned the large wheel on top, the lid opening with a slight groan. Once he was a good distance down the metal ladder, Toph followed suit next, ignoring the ladder rungs and instead sliding straight down the side rails. A thud was heard as Sokka became a landing cushion for Toph, the sound echoing back towards the surface. Aang clenched Katara's hand tighter before motioning for her to go next. He helped her onto the ladder before watching her descend into the darkness. One he was sure she was out of the way, he looked at the Dai Lee member and gave a tight nod before airbending his way into the darkness. The lid slowly closed and the gears within clicked as they locked once more, signaling no return for Team Avatar.
"Well," Aang said quietly as he bended flames from his right hand to illuminate the dark tunnel. His face was set in a stony grimace as he looked at his friends, searching their eyes for lost nerves. Only determination and fearlessness shone through their eyes as they stared back; they were ready, no matter the outcome.
"Let's go finish this once and for all."
I forgot how much I liked writing this story! Onto the next!