This story is about to get a whole lot bloodier now. This is your warning. This chapter will contain references to war crimes. This is just a word of warning. This story is trying to convey the horrors of war and I wouldn't be able to do that if I didn't include the war crimes that were common in the actual war in our timeline. As I said, just a warning.
Aang opened his eyes and the smell of burning flesh and oil assaulted his nose. He attempted to resist puking and his eyes searched for the cause.
He was in a golden field. Grass gently blew in the breeze as they glistened in the sun. It all seemed so peaceful. In the distance Aang could see a village with children laughing and a bustling market.
Then Aang blinked and he saw the source of the smell. On both ends of the field tanks charged at each other. They fired at each other, tanks exploded as the two forces clashed.
The tanks never stopped rolling towards each other. They slammed into others starting a battle of the wills. The village in the distant was merely rubble with blood stained grass.
Aang turned around desperate to get away from the battle but found it was all around him. Tanks exploded, turrets flew through the air, men screamed in pain. Aang shut his eyes as tight as he could.
Suddenly it stopped and Aang opened his eyes. He was back in the square of Lyon. The silence was deafening but the smell remained. The smell of decaying burnt flesh. This time Aang couldn't hold his stomach.
He ran his hand across his mouth, wiping the barf from his mouth. The square was littered with French, Fire Nation, and British soldiers. And Aang's lip quivered as he looked at all the death. They were fathers, sons, brothers, husbands, uncles. A single tear dropped down Aang's face.
Then Aang blinked and he found himself in the Fire Nation throne room. Before him stood a messenger.
"My king, what are we to do."
"Burn everything." Ozai said with a cruel smile.
Aang blinked again and he was in France. Fire Nation soldiers were lighting everything ablaze. They were making sure France would never recover. Then they stopped for some reason.
They looked into the distance with fear, past Aang. One pointed and with a shaky voice said, "It's those devilish things!"
Out of the trees came an army of weird creatures rushing at the Fire Nation. It had the head of an ostrich-horse but the body of a mule. On the back of it we're soldiers with guns and spears.
"For Italia!" The lead one screamed, pointing a sword forward. Some soldiers stumbled and got a spear in the stomach. Those that fled were shot and Aang watched the scene with horror.
One of the things ran past Aang and when it passed, he found himself in another village.
"Burn the village. Give them the taste of their own medicine." A voice behind Aang said, he turned around and saw a burly man. His voice sounded like he was from the same place as Vasily. Where was he from again? Russia, the USSR, the motherland.
"Bring everyone out!" The commander Aang assumed, called. All the citizens of the village were brought out. One fell to their knees in front of the commander.
"We've done nothing to you. Why do you do this. We haven't ever contributed to the war." The civilian pleaded. "Please spare us."
"You are still Fire Nation, no?" The commander picked the civilian up and threw him towards the others. He raised his hand and did a hand motion. "You know what to do."
Aang's eyes widened as the soldiers raised their weapons and the civilians cowered. Aang stood in front of the civilians and raised his hands, prepared to raise a wall. But nothing happened. The soldiers stood unwavered and fired.
Aang sat up out of bed in cold sweat. And there right in front of him was Katara. "Aang, is everything alright? It looked like you were having a nightmare and you were screaming."
"I'm fine."
"No you're not. Your sweat is ice cold and you're breathing heavily. You can tell me Aang." Katara grasped his hand making Aang blush in the dark. "It's the battle in the square. All I see is the dead lying on the ground and other scenes of battle. I see horrible things, Katara. I feel like the spirits are trying to send me a message. But I don't know what."
"Aang, I know you'll figure it out. And whatever it is we'll figure it out together because that's what we've always done. We'll sort our way through this." Katara smiled.
"I know we will. But what if we're on the wrong side of the war? What if we're the bad guys?" Aang said with fear. "Nothing can be worse than the Fire Nation. Do you remember what they did on Sozin's Comet?"
"I still regret not listening to Zuko's advice that day and fighting the Fire Lord. But you don't know what I saw in my dreams." Aang said, shaking his head.
"What did you see?" Katara asked and Aang felt her grip his land a little tighter.
"It was horrible. Troops were committing genocide. It was terrible. They left nothing in their wake. They burned it all." Aang said as he slowly remembered his dream. "And the worst part is, they enjoyed it." Aang saw the red, the fire, the guns, the bullets, the civilians. It made Aang feel like his heart was being ripped out.
"Aang, I'm sure that's all they were, dreams. The Fire Nation wouldn't even stoop so low and they're the scum of the Earth. We're doing the right thing. The Fire Nation has to fall. Plus, no one can see the future. Not even the spirits. I'm sure it was just a worst case scenario or it was actually the Fire Nation."
"Yeah you're right Katara." Aang said, smiling half-heartedly. "Thank you, for everything." Katara's cheeks turned red as she smiled.
Aang watched as Katara got up and turned to walk away. Then he realized something. "Katara, why are you awake?"
"Same reason as you." Katara said quietly in the dark. "I'm happy that there's someone for me to talk to." Then she faded into the shadows leaving Aang to fall back into his deep slumber.
Hamburg
Kaiser Wilhelm III sat looking out the window of his bedroom. In his hand a cup of tea. Behind him the chest of wife raised up and down. In front of him was the beautiful city of Hamburg, the new capital of Germany, lit up brilliantly by lights.
He swirled his tea with a small spoon and took a sip. He couldn't sleep, not with everything on his mind.
Earlier today, he had signed an order recalling all German units back home, to be directed towards the front in the Rhine. He hoped with all his heart, all his faith the offensive would succeed.
The Fire Nation had caught them off guard. They should not be succeeding, they used bows for crying out loud. But no nation on this damn planet was prepared for war, he thought.
They were left in shambles, the world economy had fallen apart after the Fire Nation attacked. Political instability had followed, it was impossible to muster any army.
It reminded him of the German Civil War. He remembered the moment when he had finally earned his fathers respect. When he led a division to defeat the Nazi forces Italy Cologne.
The battle was against him, forces that outnumbered him 3 to 1. There was no way he should have succeeded. There was no way he should still be alive right now. And he still prayed to God for delivering him that victory.
His father thought otherwise. He said that God rarely showed favor, even if he existed. No, it was Will's ability to make decisions under pressure. To his father, Will had stopped being the immature running around, seducing any girl he wanted. To his father it was the sign of maturity.
It was the sign that helped his father to the decision of making Will his heir. That was if they won the war and luckily they had.
Will still wondered what would have happened if the Nazis had remained in power. They were warmongering idiots who believed in the superiority of their race and to kill all others. It was mortifying.
Will was happy they won, if they hadn't they he worried that there would be another Great War. That had seemed the path that Hitler wanted to take.
Luckily he was now exiled to Spain, never to return under any circumstance or risk charges of treason and execution. It gave Will a certain sense of relief knowing that the madman and others like him were gone or imprisoned.
When the war was over and the leaders were gone, political instability just like now. Somehow, in ways Will did not know, his father had channeled his inner politician and he found himself at the top. How he was able to bring the Communists under wraps, Will would never know but he suspected bribes and treachery. It would explain the surplus of Communist supporters in France in the father soon was once again crowned Kaiser of Germany and with Will as his chosen successor.
At this thought, Will smiled sadly. His father was magnificent. He was cunning, ruthless, and intelligent, regardless of his early mistakes his father was brilliant. The Great War had nearly been the death of his family but luckily it had never come to that, unlike his second uncle, Tsar Nicholas II.
His relationship with his father was extremely rocky at first. He would admit his father was not the best father out there. But he had tried his best raising his kids as a good father while ruling one of the greatest nations in the world. For that, he would forever have Will's respect.
Will when he was younger was not the most obedient. He was called untamable by many. He always lusted for women and he never gave a care for the world or the nation he would one day rule. But that all changed after they were exiled.
Will had lost all that freedom he had once held. He was confined, like his entire family. It was heart-wrenching. But when the time came for them to escape, and join the friends of his father who desired to see an end to the Nazi occupation as some called it of Germany. And soon after the war started.
The Kaiser took a sip of his tea, looking at the lights of Hamburg. How had he never realized how beautiful his nation was? How lovely the inhabitants of the land, no matter the race. Germany was the acceptor of all. Jews, Africans, Slavs, Arabs, and native Germans.
This land was beautiful, it's hills, the mountains, the rivers, the sea. It was all Will's responsibility. It was free for Will to mold into his own.
He wondered, would his father be proud of the path he was taking for his nation. Would he agree with this war and how Will was handling it. What would his father have done?
Will looked back at his sleeping queen and then back to the lights of Hamburg. In the distance he could see the sea. He smiled. His father loved him and would agree with whatever path Will would choose since his father had known Will would always do what's best for his nation.
Will put his tea down on the table beside him and stood up. He should probably try and attempt to rest. He was scheduled for many meetings tomorrow and it would be rude for him to be half asleep during them.
Japan
Lieutenant Zuyah stared aimlessly at the rising sun. Funny how these things happen, watching the rising sun on the nation that is called the land of the rising sun.
Today would be the day that they finally push through. The day they punch through stupid trenches that these people had constructed. It would be a grandiose day.
"Radio operator!" He barked when he entered a tent.
"Aye sir?" The operator saluted him. "Send out a message asking General Tazu when we charge." The operator slid on a pair of headphones and began to send out a message. "Did you use the new encryption technology?"
"Yes sir, but I think one of the only ones using it." The operator replied finishing the message and sending it out. "One of the languages of this world is just like ours. If we send our messages in it, it can be easily decoded. It's good practice for when the Fire Nation makes it official to use the encryption."
"But it's better than messenger hawks sir. They're slow and can be catches easily. All it takes is a little food."
"Private have you experience doing this?" The lieutenant said jokingly. "But of course, most children in my village lured messenger hawks with food. Usually it was ones for our family but we'd get the occasional love letter or orders. Then we'd send them back on their way." The radio operator laughed.
The operator still had a smile on his face when the machine began to print something out. It was encrypted and the operator got to work decrypting the paper. When it was finished he read the note over.
"Sir, the attack is taking place at 10 o'clock sharp. They'll send out a message when they want us to go." The operator read before looking at the lieutenant expectedly. "Send them a will do."
The operator began sending out a message as the lieutenant walked away. "Are the tanks in position?" He called when he got out. "Yes sir, they are all ready to go along with the infantry." A soldier ran up to him saying.
"Good, we go," he checked the sun dial issued to every lieutenant in his pocket. "In thirty minutes." The soldier nodded and ran back to tell everyone the time of the attack.
Lieutenant Zuyah walked back to the radio operator's tent. The operator looked at him expectedly, awaiting orders. "Private, I want you high up on that hill overlooking the meadow. I need you writing down and broadcasting all the events. Write it in a journal, on a piece of parchment, encode it and send it to the general. Just write it down. Take that ostrich horse up there."
The operator nodded and grabbed his radio equipment. He grabbed the reins of the ostrich horse and mounted it, putting his equipment in a little sack beside the animal. "I wish you luck sir." The private said looking at the lieutenant.
"And I hope you write about the best of our exploits. I shall see you after the battle Private Souza." The lieutenant bid before the private rode the ostrich horse away.
Lieutenant Zuyah watched for a few seconds as the ostrich horse became a meer speck going up the green hill before he turned and walked away.
Radio Operator Souza or Private Souza as many called him stared down the hill with a pair of new binoculars. He wish he knew the time of the attack. It would be extremely helpful for him to know.
Quickly he jotted down some important notes. He wrote his name, the lieutenants name, the different divisions and companies. He drew a map of the battlefield and a much larger map detailing the entire trench line across him from what he could see and all the different attack locations.
Private Souza had been a battlefield surveyor prior to the use of the radio and encryption tech. When radio operators and encrypters were asked for, he had volunteered, hoping to climb the ranks. He still retained some of his skills from his surveying work.
He was sure the lieutenant knew of his previous work and sent him up there for that reason. Also since Souza was an encrypter, he knew how to write things quickly.
In Souza's opinion, the motives for him being sent up here were far from selfless. The lieutenant most likely wanted glory and wanted his exploits being known. Souza however would not complain since him writing a glorified piece could get him a promotion or it might not.
He doubted the lieutenant realized how much danger he was in. If this attack failed, he'd be held accountable and could lose his position but if it succeeded, he would be promoted. The private would have no such problems.
Souza looked at the trenches with his binoculars. It wasn't as much a trench then a hole. It was very shallow by the looks of it and he saw tan bodies laying down in it. It was not as complex as the ones in the nations known as Germany and Belgium he wrote.
He put down the binoculars and closed his eyes. The breeze blew gently across my face to the east and the green grass swayed, tickling my calves. I felt the heat of the sun beam against my face, warming my cheeks.
He opened his eyes and stared across the valley. In the distance there were snow covered peaks towering above. For a second, I forgot he was in a war zone. It was peaceful here, the Land of the Rising Sun.
Then the breeze carried me a gift, the sound of a whistle blowing through the air. It was the sound of war. The shriek, a shrill cry, one that would echo throughout time. Souza wrote all this down.
Our tanks moved smoothly across the valley. Like rolling dragons of steel in a deadly race. A race to Tokyo, the capital of this land.
Behind them, a wave, one of men and armor. Charging as if there's no tomorrow. Charging for a new time, one where a glorious nation ruled. One that would bring an everlasting light to the darkness that was the Great Dark Age.
Souza lifted the pen and thought about the Great Dark Age. The more he saw, the less he believed that it was a true dark age. Sure, he had been taught that the Fire Nation was bringing an end to the Great Dark Age but when he had traveled to the Earth Kingdom and the Northern Water Tribe prior to their destruction, they were flourishing.
He had seen what Fire Lord Ozai had done in the Earth Kingdom on Sozin's comet. It was horrible, horrendous, and Souza stopped to wonder why he followed a leader like that.
Then he remembered, he did not fight for the royal family even though that was what he had been taught to do. No, he would not die for some filthy upper class rulers who believed they were so high and mighty and thought they were God's gift to the world.
Souza would fight for his nation, for what he believed in. He would fight for freedom and justice. The equality of all genders unlike the water tribes. A place rid of thieves and criminals like the Earth Kingdom. He would however not dare voice these thoughts, it could have him executed for treason.
Soldiers were fighting for the royals, not for their nation. It was not for what they believed in but on the whims of a few nobles. The whims of Fire Lord Azula and the Phoenix King.
As Lieutenant Zuyah and his men charged, he watched as trucks emerged from holes in the ground and began to barrel towards the tanks. He paid them no mind however, merely focusing on pushing forward.
That was until he heard a soldier scream, "BANZAI!"
For a single second he thought about the meaning of this word until what seemed to be millions of soldiers leapt from hidden holes in the ground and charged at him.
Souza once again picked up the pen and placed it on the page. I watched as trucks emerged from places I could not have seen. Large tan things that grumbled on the sound of oil. Oh what a glorious thing oil was. It could power anything without wasting coal and was so much more…efficient.
The first trucks raced across the field, seemingly with no sense of self-preservation. Behind them, tan bodies leapt up, long sticks with pointed ends called guns which can shoot a projectile a centimeter wide and two inches long at I'd say 1000 miles a minute. They're extremely deadly weapons and I would never want to see myself at the end of one.
These tan men carried a flag with a giant red circle in the middle surrounded by beams of the same shade. The background was white. It was a rather frightening sight watching two large forces clash together.
I don't envy the men on the ground as I prepare to watch the explosions. In a way, I'm slightly happy to have been sent up here by Lieutenant Zuyah.
Souza paused his writing again and watched the trucks come streaming through the valley. He pondered on what they were doing when suddenly the first truck slammed into a tank and exploded.
The lieutenant watched in horror as a tank exploded upon being impacted by a truck. Soon more tanks and trucks clashed in fiery sparks, killing every soldier in both vehicles. It was a devastating sight to the ambitious lieutenant.
The two vehicles clashed in flames, destroying one another. On these trucks must have been some sort of explosives. Where was the driver's self-preservation? Do they want to live? Only the most brave when their chances of death were at one hundred would ever do what these individuals did now.
It is almost unfathomable for me to watch and write this account. These men were dying for their nation, giving it up willingly. If I were to guess, the society of this place is like our own. One where honor is placed above all. But that is mere speculation.
But as I write this, I find that almost all vehicles had been demolished, leaving two infantry. The lieutenant in charge of this force had believed that the tanks would take the blunt of this attack but he was wrong.
Things are about to get bloody. The green grass will be stained red with the blood of Fire Nation and Japanese. The sky is already turning black with smoke.
In the distance I could hear the clash of metal as if it were sounds coming from the house over. Swords to swords, bayonets to swords, spears to swords, it was all there. There was so much metal that the shining sun almost blinded me.
It was hard to make out a single soldier in a sea of red and a beach of tan. We were the waves and the Japanese were the beach.
Our flag fell down into the clouds of smoke and dust while the flag of the Japanese remained high as if it were an eagle in the air. I didn't know if I should've taken that as a sign.
We seemed to be pushing them back however. Their lines were breaking ever so slowly. From up here, it seemed the right flank was near collapse.
Suddenly a deep whirring, a frightening sound. One that stirred a deep primal emotion within myself. Fear. I felt fear hearing the sound of planes approaching.
The planes bombarded the valley, decimating both sides in clouds of dust. But even with all these hardships we didn't give up. We continued to fight. But I feared it wouldn't take very much for our lines to collapse.
Suddenly there was an explosion from the side of the battlefield. Souza quickly put the binoculars to his eyes and when he found what caused it, he nearly dropped the binoculars.
He checked the other side of the valley and found the same scene. It was a pincer movement. An attempt to encircle the Fire Nation and from what it looked like, it would succeed.
The lieutenant was an idiot. He had wasted all their armor in a frontal assault which had all armor destroyed or limping away like a wounded animal. Now they had no protection against Japanese tanks.
In franticity, I grabbed a cloth from my bag and began waving it in the air. A few soldiers had already noticed the impending encirclement and had begun to flee. Looking through the binoculars, I saw the lieutenant not among them. The man was stubborn and I doubted he would retreat.
I took out my radio and began sending a message. 'In full retreat, almost encircled. Lieutenant likely dead.' I closed my radio equipment and I leapt on my ostrich horse and putting aside all notions of my own self-preservation, I rode towards the battle in an attempt to warn the troops.
Souza put down the pen and placed it in his sack. He snapped the reins and forced the ostrich horse to go as fast as it could.
As they rode, he stuck his hand down into the bag, searching for anything other than a flag. He found nothing in there which made him grimace.
Then a flash of the sun, a whistle, exactly what Souza would need. As fast as he could he grabbed the whistle and remounted the ostrich horse.
Passing some already fleeing soldiers, he placed the whistle to his mouth, he let out a shrill sound. Soldiers in the back looked at him expectantly and Souza pointed in both directions.
The soldiers looked about, towards where Souza pointed and their eyes widened in terror. Quickly dropping their weapons they ran. They climbed on tanks that were already fleeing. They did whatever they could while Souza continued to blow.
More and more soldiers were retreating. He knew deep in his heart the battle was lost. As the soldiers retreated, someone locked eyes with Souza.
It was the lieutenant standing there. He looked solemnly at Souza, his face grim and bloody. A nod, one of respect and thankfulness. Thankfulness for Souza saving some men.
Souza nodded in return and the lieutenant turned and went back to fighting. He would die honorably in combat. There would be no surrender for him.
Suddenly the ground exploded beside Souza. It was time to go. He had done what he must. Bullets whizzed by and Japanese soldiers began to cut down those slow to flee.
If Souza didn't leave now there would be no chance of his survival. Then he saw someone fleeing towards him, a look of terror on their young face. They couldn't have been more than a kid, maybe 14 or 15.
Souza, who was only 18, understood the feeling well. He had been drafted when he was fourteen and hadn't seen his family since. If Souza didn't help him, there would be no chance of survival for him. But as the seconds continued, there was less of a chance of him making it.
The kid was really close now, there was no going back now. He outstretched his arm to the kid and the kid grabbed it tightly. Hoisting him up behind Souza, the kid wrapped his small arms around Souza's waist.
Snapping the reins, the ostrich horse galloped across the valley as bullets flew past them. Grass flew up in his face as Souza tried his best to make the ostrich horse go faster.
Slowly the screams of dying men died to his ears as they moved up the hill. They were almost out of the blue. Glancing down, Souza saw the once beautiful scene now blood covered. Japanese soldiers were chasing down the Fire Nation soldiers and slaughtering those they caught up too. Souza doubted many would survive.
Snapping the reins once again, he and the young soldier rode away. Away from the people of the rising sun. Away from that valley. Away from the horrific defeat of the Fire Nation at what would soon be known as the Battle of Yakumo.
Fire Nation
A single earthbender stomped his foot into the ground raising a wall of stone. A few more stomps and there was a building. Non-benders with hammers placed a roof atop the new building.
Suddenly from a loudspeaker, a voice, "Fumu, could you please come to the command tent." The earthbender, named Fumu stopped what he was doing and walked up the hill towards the command tent.
"Prepare to get fired earthbender." A passing builder jeered. Fumu simply rolled his eyes.
He pushed open the flap and stood at attention towards the man in charge, War Minister Qin. The minister was staring attentively at a piece of paper on his desk.
"Minister, you called for me?" Fumu asked. The minister looked up, surprised. "Ah, Fumu, I thought it would take you longer. Uh, yes, there is something that I wanted to speak to you about. Come in, take a seat."
Fumu cautiously sat down. He had suffered from much racism here. Many were unhappy with him and hated him for simply being an earthbender. They called him Mr. Dirt and what not. But Fumu was still a countryman just like the rest of them.
He was a man from the colonies and had known the Fire Nation his entire life. He had seen the lawlessness in the Earth Kingdom and he truly believed that it was good supporting the Fire Nation.
The pay for doing this job was very good too. The Fire Nation would never let him fight but they would let him construct buildings and factories like he was doing now. He was of course wary that he was about to lose this job when the minister called him up.
The minister began to speak and Fumu snapped up. "Do you know what we're building?" The minister questioned folding his hands together.
"Yes sir, we're building a factory." The earthbender replied with a nod. He left out that he didn't know what the factory was for.
The minister slid the paper he had been looking at earlier across his desk. "These are the plans for the factory. As you can see, there are a few buildings, one of which you've constructed today. Do you know what we're building?"
Fumu stared at the plans for a few seconds, taking in the drawings and measurements. He didn't see anything that would be helpful to him knowing the answer to the question the minister posed.
"No sir, I don't." He said evenly but inside he was annoyed that he didn't know.
"Yes, I doubted you would. If you did then there would be some spies and punishment would have needed to be handed out. No, not a single man here knows what will be manufactured here except the highest officers here. We're making new weapons. Weapons that can shoot little things." The minister pulled something out of his pocket and held it out. Fumu looked at it and saw a small piece of metal with a pointed end.
"They're called guns and they're the weapons that are demolishing our forces in the other world. Of course the government won't tell you that, the royals sure love their propaganda. Now I'm sure you're wondering why I told you this." The minister said, placing his fingers together and beginning to move them off and on in a wave motion.
Fumu nodded slowly, not sure what the minister was getting at.
"The plans I gave you are for you. Don't worry, I have an infinite amount of copies. They're the building plans of this whole facility and I'm putting you in charge."
It was as if screws had come out and Fumu's jaw fell in shock. Why would the minister do this? What were the motives?
The minister chuckled to himself. "Yes, yes, I'm sure you're in shock. I would be too. Trust me when I say I don't hold the prejudices of other mainlanders. I have traveled the world and I know colonials can be just as patriotic as mainlanders."
"But how will everyone else react?" Fumu asked, still feeling flustered.
"If anybody gives you trouble, send them to me. They'll find themselves quickly without a job. I won't let their stupidity and beliefs stand in the way of progress. If they refuse to change they're done." War Minister Qin scoffed.
"Thank you sir!" Fumu said, finally cracking a smile for the first time. "I'm sure you'll do well my friend. I wish you luck in your new commanding duties."
The person who had entered the tent was now gone as Fumu stood up ecstatically. Gone was the wary, stone cold man who had come in and was now replaced by a man who acted as if he won the lottery which for all intents and purposes, he had.
The Fire Nation had never before awarded earthbenders with such high positions, especially on the mainland. Now, every colonial earthbender was being given high pay jobs to build facilities as fast as they could. It was the ministers hopes that the Fire Nation would fully industrialize within two months with the help of the earthbenders.
Japan
Souza clicked some rocks together to create a little fire. Scrape, scrape, scrape, scrape, spark. The spark lit the wood below him and created a small fire.
Together he and the young soldier sat in a cave high up in the mountains. They had luckily found shelter and could at least try to stay warm with a fire. At least they weren't dead or covered in snow.
The young soldier had yet to take off their helmet. Souza knew absolutely nothing about them and they hadn't shown any emotion at all. Souza assumed they were simply shell shocked.
He looked around for a bit and found what he was looking for, his pencil. He picked it up and silently began to write.
I had warned the troops fighting on the ground after mounting my ostrich horse. That did however little good. The Japanese merely rushed the troops and slaughtered them and few escaped.
I luckily was among those who escaped but during this I picked up a young soldier, who couldn't be more than fourteen years old. Why would they send someone like them to fight? I doubt I will ever know.
After picking them up and riding as fast as possible away from the enemy, we rode up towards a snow covered peak. I didn't think the Japanese would look for members of a nation of fire in an area covered in snow. I hope my hunch will be correct.
This mountain was a gentle giant. Ginormous and towering but never harming a single hair on my body. But like the seasons, the mountain will change.
With spring the snow will melt and this mountain will be prone to avalanches. Spring is a mere month away! I fear being buried in snow and not having a way to escape.
The young soldier has not spoken a word or taken off their helmet. I'm not even sure which decision they were from. If I were to guess, they're probably shell shocked from all the death.
Souza took a second to look at the soldier. "You can take your helmet off if you want, you know." The soldier looked at him and nodded slightly. If Souza hadn't been paying attention he wouldn't have noticed it.
Souza sighed, it didn't look like they were very prone to talking. He picked up a stick and began to stoke the fire, leaving his pencil and notebook discarded to the side.
"Are you hungry?" He asked, still staring intently at the flames. The soldier shook their head. "Well I'm going to go hunting tomorrow. I grew up in a remote village and we had to hunt for our food. I think I could make a bow and an arrow. I have a small survival knife and a short sword. I think we can make things work."
The soldier once again gave a short nod. Souza rolled his eyes, does this person ever talk? It was extremely annoying.
"I talk." The soldier said quietly. Souza looked up, startled. They had a more feminine voice, light and warm but it had a certain edge to it.
They must have seen his shocked expression because they then said, "You spoke your thoughts out loud." They said.
"You're a girl?" Souza sputtered. The soldier smirked and removed their helmet. Long black hair cascaded down their back. Her hair glistened in the dark, shining brightly.
"You're surprised I'm a girl?" She questioned, still smirking. "No, no, no, it's fine. I don't care. Really it's nothing." He said quickly.
The soldier chuckled. "You sure. You're one of the few who know I'm a girl and I don't want any sexism from you."
"No! I would never." Souza was about to freak out. Here was this angry women who might be hellbent on killing him because he assumed she was a girl. "I know girls can fight. I've seen them do it in Ba Sing Se. I've seen Princess Azula fight before and I know women can fight."
Souza took a deep breath and was about to continue before the soldier began to laugh. "I know, I know. The Fire Nation is the nation with the most gender equality. No matter where you're from, as long as you hail from a Fire Nation occupied area, you'll receive equal treatment no matter if you're male or female."
"Phew, I was scared you were going to kill me for thinking you were a boy." Souza chuckled nervously. "What division were you from?"
"96th Colonial Non-bender Division." She said.
"Ah, I see." Souza said before going back to stoking the fire. "What were you? I know you were away from the battle, saving me from probably being slaughtered like cattle. Why weren't you fighting?" The soldier asked.
"Lieutenant Zuyah sent me up the hill that overlooked the battle so I could write of his exploits so that he could get a promotion. Plus I'm a radio operator so I could send out messages on the battle. The entire assault was a disaster all around. A lot of our forces are in full retreat. Many others suffered the same fate as ours."
"Oh that's not good." The soldier during the talk had picked up a rock and began to spin it around her fingers. "Say, you never told me your name."
"Anza." Anza said, staring deeply into the fire. "Private Anza. What about you?"
"I'm Private Souza. We're just two privates stuck in the mountains trying to escape the apocalypse in paradise." Souza joked with a smile and Anza laughed.
"What happened to the shy girl from earlier?" Souza joked again. Anza rolled her eyes. "I'm like a cat, shy at first but when I feel comfortable, I begin talking. But like a cat, when I'm threatened I'll pounce." She enclosed her fist and held it out in front of her.
"I like the analogy." Souza pointed out. "Thank you." She politely replied. The two descended into silence and Souza picked up his notebook.
He was about to begin writing before Anza asked, "What's that?"
"This?" He said pointing to the notebook. She nodded. "It's where I've written everything that's happened today. At first it was supposed to be sent to a general for the lieutenant but now, it's turning into my personal memoir." Souza said, tapping the notebook.
"Oh, that's nice." Anza said, causing Souza to nod. The two stopped talking for a bit and they stared into the fire. When he saw Anza yawn he said, "I think you should go to bed. I'll keep the first watch. Is it alright if I wake you up in like three, four hours."
Anza nodded and laid on the cold stone floor. "Wish I had something for you. Tomorrow we'll find something to use for comfort. Do you want me to put out the fire?" Souza asked.
Anza shook her head, "No, it's fine." She said quietly before she fell silent. Souza stood up and made his way to the entrance to the tunnel. Staring out, he looked at the night sky filled with stars.
"Beautiful." He whispered. He took his binoculars out and let loose a sigh. It was going to be a boring night during this watch.
Special thanks to Whymadhats for giving me some pointers which I used in this chapter.