April 10th, 1940
Michael Wittmann crossed his arms as the lights in the room turned off. He had been recalled from Lyon in the days after the battle. He was about to figure out why.
In front of him stood a German officer holding a pointer stick. He resembled his father. With a dramatic hunch and the same stiff hands. He hoped that he wouldn't mimic his physique if he one day took his spot. Behind the officer was a large screen with a map of the Rhineland.
"Guten tag." The officer nodded at them. "You are the tank commanders, yes?"
After receiving a few nods, the officer continued. "I'm sure most of you have realized the sudden influx of supplies coming to the Rhineland. Anybody want to take a stab at what they think it is?"
The room fell silent, and Michael felt compelled to speak. "You, in the back." The officer pointed at the young tank commander. "Are we spearheading an assault through the Fire Nation front lines?"
"Along the lines of that." The officer said as the screen behind him whirred to life. The officer placed his hand on the edge of the pointer stick and extended it.
"This is the Fire Nation front line. It's a single trench line, nothing as complex as the Great War. Ours on the other hand is extremely complex just like the Great War." The officer said with a bit of humor.
"Judging by our air reconnaissance, the weakest point in their line is here near the village of Koblenz." He clicked a button and the screen changed showing an aerial view.
"Their trench line is extremely weak and we should have almost no trouble pushing past. It's what comes after that is the problem." Michael fidgeted with his collar as the miniscule tanks grew bigger, drawing closer to him.
"There are tanks fortified in and around the town. To combat this, we have to move fast to leave them unprepared. It's something we call blitzkrieg. We'll do an extensive bombing and artillery campaign on the trench line. Then we'll attack ferociously and quickly. Any questions?"
No one raised their hand. To Michael, the image had painted itself in his head. Speed and power will allow them to win. A very simple but extremely effective tactic, one that has been used since the beginning of time.
"Good, now Koblenz is about 10 kilometers from the front so you'll have to push for a bit. Hopefully the town will fall within a few hours. Behind you guys will be the infantry to clear out any resistance in both the trenches and the town. After conquering the town, we'll spread out and connect fronts with the Dutch and the French. The enemy force in Germany will be encircled and annihilated. If we succeed, the Fire Nation will lose 100,000 soldiers."
"Now for those of you who will connect with the Dutch, you'll go from Koblenz to on the roads between Bonn and Euskirchen. You should meet the Dutch line near the village of Roermond."
"Then for those meeting the French line, you are to head towards the small village of Kastellaun. From Kastellaun, you go to Idar-Oberstein and then to Saarbrücken. Finally from there, you should meet up with the French near Nancy." The officer moved the pointer stick to each of the towns and villages.
"As some of you who were once farmers or who helped out one would know, we're getting a very heavy rain season. Therefore the ground is going to be muddy which could clog up the tracks of your tanks. We already sent a reconnaissance team behind enemy lines to mark out a few paths for you to follow. Try to stay on this path, I don't want to see any tanks knocked out for a reason as stupid as mud. Are we clear on that?"
The officer received many nods and he seemed satisfied, his monotone candour gained a bit more sobriety when he then said: "I would like to stress the importance of speed here. The faster we move, the less enemies and casualties. Hopefully the enemy won't realize what we're up to until it's too late."
Someone raised their hand. "What is it in the back?" The officer asked.
"When do we go sir?" The commander asked.
"In six days we will attack. I think the plan is to charge at 7 hours." The officer replied. "Anything else?" After receiving nothing he finished the speech.
"And that's everything. I'm expecting each of you to tell your crews about the plans. As you exit, grab a map on one of the tables. You're all dismissed." The officer said, looking at each of them before leaving.
Michael was one of the first up and exited the tent, quickly swiping a map on his way out. It was extremely muddy outside from the rain this morning. Once every few years the Rhein had weather like this, it was mere bad luck that this year was one of them.
He trudged his way through the mud towards where he knew the tank would be. Franz had convinced Paul and Peter to help him clean the mud off the tank after the rain. Michael was assuming they were still trying to clean the tank.
When he finally reached the tank, he found his hunch was correct. Paul and Peter were scrubbing the tank with scowls on their faces while Franz was nowhere to be seen.
Paul was the first to see him and instantly stopped scrubbing. "Commander!" He said saluting. Michael waved his hand, "Paul, you should know this by now. I don't like being called commander while we're just relaxing in a muddy field."
"It's pretty hard to relax in a field where my feet sink ankle deep in mud." Peter scoffed, still scrubbing. "That is true." Michael chuckled. "Now where's Franz?"
There was the sound of moving metal from inside the tank and Franz popped his head out from the top. "I see why you like it up here. I feel like I'm a god." Franz said then in a mocking voice said, "Driver forward! Driver behind that wall!"
"Would you shut up Franz, you've been doing that all day." Peter said, looking up for the first time. "No, I have an expert shot and I'm very commanding." Franz said proudly.
"Not with that voice you're not." Michael scoffed. "It's way too high."
"Would you shut up?" Franz asked with mock politeness. "No Mr. Meier, I won't." Michael responded with an equal amount of mock politeness.
"Now get out of that tank! I have our mission plans!" Michael ordered.
Franz groaned and hauled himself out of the tank. "You know she has a name." He said as he took a seat atop the tank.
"Oh now you've named it?" Michael asked with a smirk.
"It's her!" Franz replied, taking a hold of a handlebar and dropping down. When he landed, he sank half shin into the mud causing him to groan.
"Then what'd you name her?" Michael asked again.
"Yeah, he calls her Breina." Paul said, Paul had thought it odd when Franz told him the name. "Pretty sure it's a Jewish name." He added as an afterthought.
"My mom's side is Jewish and my dad's Protestant." Franz clarified. "Now where are these plans?"
Michael took the plans from his pocket and laid it on the front side of the tank. Franz, Peter, and Paul crowded around him. "Now here's the map. We're going in waves to attack the village of Koblenz and from there we'll surround the Fire Nation armies by meeting up with the French lines."
"Ok, so what wave are we in?" Peter asked curiously. "Actually I'm not sure." Michael replied with a thoughtful face.
"Did you receive any pieces of paper other than the map?" Franz asked. Michael thought hard, did he ever receive any paper. The only thing he received was the map, hold on, they took attendance in the beginning and found out who was sitting where.
There was a piece of paper on his desk when he first reached the meeting area. That was probably it, but did he still have the sheet. Michael patted his pockets and heard the sound of paper being crushed. Sticking his hand in that pocket, Michael raised the paper out.
He slowly unraveled the paper and Paul and Peter looked over his shoulder. "Hey hold on, I can't see!" Franz cried out trying to jump high.
"It's not my fault your small Franz, me and Paul are tall while Michael is average." Peter replied with a scowl. "It's not my fault I had small parents. Plus I'm only slightly below average."
"Will you two be quiet!" Paul whispered harshly. Michael did his best to ignore the quarrel and opened the note.
Wave 1
French Group
Michael's eyes widened upon reading the note. "Are you kidding me!" Peter said, turning around and throwing his hands in the air.
"What? What does it say?" Franz asked frantically. "It says we're the cannon fodder and if we survive that, we travel over maybe 30 kilometers of mud and blood." Paul replied with a grimace.
Franz's face instantly fell but then he smiled. "Breina will get us through it."
"Don't get so down yet, I haven't explained the route yet." Michael Called them back.
Once they were all back Michael placed his hand on the map. "We're heading to Kastellaun, then to Idar-Oberstein, next to Saarbrücken, and finally to Nancy. The French line has really moved up since Lyon." Michael said.
"We're dead." Peter said, staring at the map. "Don't say that. I have confidence in Franz, you, and Paul to do what's right. I also have faith in Breina, right?"
Franz nodded. "I have faith that we'll all get through this in one piece. I have complete faith that we'll be taken by our lord whenever he chooses." Michael said.
"I promise you all that I'll get you through this battle. Even if it's the last thing I do."
Lyon
Sokka grunted as he lifted supplies and placed it on Appa. "You alright buddy?" He asked Appa. Appa looked at Sokka with big brown eyes while Sokka stared blankly.
"I'll take that as a yes." Sokka said before turning around and grabbing another bundle of supplies, this one food. "Do you think you can carry this?" Sokka raised the bundle towards Appa.
Appa leaned forward and sniffed the bundle before he opened his mouth and swallowed the whole bundle. "No Appa! That's our food! All that meat!" Sokka opened Appa's mouth and jumped in.
"Hold on, where's Momo? Did you eat him too, Appa!" Sokka exclaimed in fear. "Momo and meat, I'm coming for you!"
Sokka stuck his hands down Appa's mouth and began searching. "Sokka what are you doing?" Aang's voice came from outside Appa. Sokka slowly pulled himself out of Appa's mouth and stood straight up.
"Aang what's up?" Sokka said, rubbing the back of his head. "Nothing much Sokka, why were you in Appa's mouth?" Aang asked curiously.
"Appa swallowed our food and Momo!" Sokka exclaimed. "I couldn't even find either of them in Appa's mouth." Sokka added, pointing to Appa's mouth. "Actually I think I might need Zuko's fire to use as a light. Appa's mouth is really dark."
"Sokka that's silly, Appa would never eat Momo and the foods most likely gone by now. We can always get more too." Aang said with a hint of humor.
"Then tell me Aang, where's Momo? How do I know Appa didn't swallow him up?" Sokka yelled, flinging his arms in the air. Suddenly there was a chirping sound in the air and the sound of something flying in the air.
Sokka looked up and was extremely ecstatic to see Momo flying towards him. "Momo! Appa didn't eat you!" Sokka opened his arms wide and the flying lemur landed on Sokka's shoulder.
"See Sokka, Momo's right there. Don't be so worried." Aang said, grinning wildly. "Now come on, we've been asked to come to the main city square and bring Appa too." Aang began to walk away and Sokka rushed to follow.
"Is that where the battle took place?" Sokka asked. "No Sokka, that was just a normal square." Aang said, exasperated. Sometimes Sokka really acted like he had the mind of an ostrich horse or a fish.
"A normal square. How big is the main square?" Sokka exclaimed in surprise. "What's it called?"
"It's bigger than where we fought and it's called La Place Bellecour. I thought Mr. Strategy would learn all the landmarks in this giant city?" Aang joked.
"I did, like all the bridges and some of the buildings. I just can't pronounce anything. Who names things 'La Place Bellecour' or Paris. They're like such weird names."
"They're language is very different from ours Sokka so places would have different pronunciations and wording. Also, did you get Appa?" Aang asked.
"How was I supposed to get Appa? Was I just supposed to turn around and yell 'Come on Appa, let's go!'" Sokka said sarcastically.
Appa lifted off the ground and flew towards the two causing Aang to smile and Sokka to look on in shock. "That's exactly what you were supposed to do."
Aang and Sokka continued their walk with Appa flying above them. A few soldiers stopped and stared at the flying beast above their heads. A few mouths dropped and a few people asked their friends, "What is that?"
Then the friends would reply with, "My guess is as good as yours." or "It's a flying bull or bison." The latter would usually be correct in their assumptions but they were still shocked.
If Sokka were to guess, animals that were very big didn't usually fly in this world. To them, this was a new experience. The sky bison was a new species for them like all the stupid little pigeons that steal Sokka's food.
One time he was enjoying a delicious piece of bread which he had hand buttered when suddenly one of those pigeons landed next to him. He had at first hid the piece of bread until another one landed. Then another one. And then another one.
That's when Sokka realized what was happening. They had flown towards him in a fight to the death for a singular piece of bread. Sokka had put up a good fight but he was no match for those pesky birds.
He had lost his piece of bread and he had weeped. It was a sad moment in a man's life when his precious food was stolen by an army of birds. And since then, Sokka had been on his guard against pigeons.
He and Aang finally reached the main square where Aang waved to Katara, Zuko, Toph, and Pierre. Haiko was nowhere to be seen, most likely enjoying the view from somewhere high up before he left.
"So that's your sky bison?" Pierre asked Zuko from afar. "It's not mine. It's Aang's and it's name is Appa." Zuko replied coolly.
"Sweet, how's it like being up on Appa?" Pierre asked excitedly. "I've always wanted to fly."
Zuko took a pause before answering. "It's nice, calming even. There's a certain freedom in flying up in the air. The wind blows freely up there unlike with a plane, right?"
At Pierre's nod Zuko continued, "You feel weightless up there. You feel free. It's not like being enclosed in the cockpit of the plane. But that also means you have to face the elements yourself. Sometimes we travel through giant storms and get drenched."
"So I'll bring my umbrella." Pierre joked elbowing Zuko in the side. "What's an umbrella?" Zuko asked blankly.
Pierre's mouth dropped open. "You guys don't have umbrellas?" Pierre said, shocked. "Never heard of them." Zuko confirmed. "How far behind us are you guys. Do you have anything to block the rain?"
"We have hats and ceilings but what's an umbrella?" Zuko asked, staring at Pierre once again. "It's a large piece of fabric held up on a stick and when you click a button, it spreads out over your head." Pierre said, making elaborate hand motions with his hands.
"I still don't get it." Zuko said. Pierre raised his hands to the air and screamed. "It blocks rain!" He practically yelled.
"Ah so it's something on a stick that spreads out over your head that blocks rain." Zuko confirmed. "Yes!" Pierre said ecstatically.
Finally Sokka and Aang reached the group. "Hey Twinkletoes!" Toph yelled, punching Aang in the shoulder. "Hi Toph." Aang replied with a smile.
"What about me?" Sokka exclaimed. "Oh hi to you too, Sokka." Toph said grinning wildly, making Pierre laugh. "The blind one never ceases to amaze and make great jokes all the time." He whispered to Zuko. Zuko's lips moved the slightest bit upwards, almost unnoticeable but it did.
"Thanks Frenchman, I think you're pretty funny and amazing too." Toph who had heard Pierre whispering to Zuko said.
"Oh no, she has a nickname for you too now, Pierre." Sokka said grimly. "Well…" Pierre began but Katara interrupted him. "Will all of you be quiet, the French president requested to see us."
"Me too?!" Pierre said, shocked, pointing to himself. "Yes, Pierre you too." Katara said, exasperated, causing Pierre to start hyperventilating. "I'm gonna see the president. Mon dieu! Mon dieu!" He said, taking heavy breaths.
The others looked on in confusion at seeing Pierre, usually calm and relaxed, have a panic attack. "Pierre are you okay?" Katara asked, concerned.
Pierre seemed to compose himself and took a final deep breath. "I'm sorry, it's just a big occasion. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity for me to meet the president of France. I was once a measly farmer boy and now I'm meeting the president. It's just crazy."
Sokka saw out of the corner of his eye someone walking towards them. "Guys I think we're going to see President Lebrun soon." Sokka said.
When the person reached them they bowed. "Are you the Avatar and his group?" The man asked, eyeing Appa and Momo fearfully. Aang nodded to his question and the servant beckoned towards them. "Come with me."
Momo chirped and flew to a nearby post and began sniffing his wing and licking parts of it. "What the hell is that!" Pierre screamed pointing at the lemur on the post. Said lemur chirped in response and flew towards Pierre.
"Ahhh, get it off, it's going to bite!" Pierre yelled swinging his arms around trying to get rid of the lemur. "Stop, it's my flying lemur, Momo." Aang said laughing.
"He's my honorary lemur too." Sokka added. "Lemur! What the hell is a lemur!" Pierre screamed. "This is more like a cat!" Momo in response climbed on top of Pierre's head and covered his eyes.
"This lemur is trying to kill me." Pierre yelled as he swung around wildly. Momo shrieked and began pulling at Pierre's hair causing Pierre to yelp.
"No Momo!" Aang scolded. "Get back here." Momo chirped again and flew towards Aang and landed on his shoulder. Aang in response patted Momo on the head.
"Keep that devil away from me." Pierre pointed a shaky finger at Momo. "I think it would be best if the lemur was left to the side along with the flying cow when the president arrives." The servant said pointedly.
Aang nodded, he knew better than to argue. These people were unfamiliar with the creatures of his world. That unfamiliarity could lead to fear and hatred. He had seen how Sokka and Katara's fear of the Fire Nation lead to their hatred of it but once they familiarized themselves with the people of the Fire Nation, their hatred turned towards the Fire Lord and his staunch followers.
"When you see the president you are to shake his hand, firm but loose. Be very formal with him after all he is the president of France." The servant added. "Speaking of the president, here is President Lebrun now."
A black sleek vehicle drove down towards them. Sokka noted how it had four wheels and made a weird whirring sound. Maybe an engine similar to that in a tank or aircraft Sokka thought.
The vehicle came to a stop in front of the group. It was a night black with a white roof and a driver wearing a black coat and white gloves. Said driver stepped out of the car and opened the door allowing for President Lebrun to step out.
"Avatar Aang." Lebrun said curtly and shook Aang's hand. "President Lebrun." Aang returned with his own handshake, firm and strong, before stepping back and bowing.
"And then you must be Sokka." Lebrun stepped towards Sokka and shook his hand too. Lebrun's handshake was extremely tight and firm. From what Sokka was coming to understand, the handshake was a symbol of familiarity and getting to know someone in this world.
"Miss Katara and Miss Toph." Lebrun said, shaking their hands before finally reaching Zuko. "Prince Zuko." He said with a very forced smile. Sokka saw this as clear as day and he knew there was something up.
It could be the fact that Zuko was Fire Nation or it could be something else. From what Sokka had seen in this world, they were very ideological and if you weren't of the same ideology, you were hated. But monarchies and democracies usually got along well, no, it was something with Lebrun.
"Pierre Dupont" Lebrun finally said, shaking Pierre's, who had a giddy smile on his face, hand. "Mr. President, it's an honor." Pierre said jovially.
President Lebrun stepped back to face them all as Sokka watched suspiciously. "I would like to thank all of you for saving Lyon and France. Without your help and support, Lyon most likely would have fallen to Fire Nation forces and I, executed. Your unique abilities allowed us to have the home advantage and the courage to fight. France right now should not be pushing back the Fire Nation but rather the Fire Nation driving a dagger into the German, Italian, and Swiss countryside. Rather with your help, the Fire Nation advance in Southern Europe has been broken. Their forces crumble and will most likely fall apart within a few months. This war is won for us. I highly doubt the Fire Nation will muster a large army again."
"Thank you President Lebrun but that's just what we do best. We save and protect the innocent. We did that here in Lyon. We saved thousands from suffering horrors under Fire Nation occupation and possibly dying in resistance efforts. I don't want to see anyone killed or hurt." Aang said.
"And for that you have my respect, Avatar Aang." The president replied. "I would hand all of you the Legion of Honour if you were French but alas you're not. However I can hand out the Croix de Guerre to this group for your bravery."
The president beckoned forward a soldier who walked forward with six medals on a velvet pillow. He picked up a single medal from the pillow and clipped it to Aang's chest.
He repeated the same process with the rest of them, albeit with a scowl when he did so to Zuko. Pierre after receiving his medal was giddy with excitement. The president smiled at him.
"Pierre Dupont, you have shown excellent military conduct in the Battle of Lyon. For showing such honor and love for the fatherland, it is my duty to present you this."
The president took out a silver medal with a five point star surrounded by a green wreath made out of olives.. In the middle of the star was a gold circle outlined in blue with a women's face encased in gold. The medal was attached to a silver hook which then connects with another green wreath of olives. From there it is attached to a red ribbon.
Pierre bowed to the president who wrapped the medal around Pierre's neck. When he returned to an upward position, the president shook Pierre's hand. "This is the Legion of Honour Pierre, wear it with pride."
"But now we have a picture to take. Photographer!" The president shouted out. A man that Sokka had not noticed earlier stepped forward holding a large box.
"What are we supposed to do?" Katara asked. "Just look ahead at the man with the camera." The president replied. So that thing was a camera, the only question in Sokka's mind was what was a camera?
"Everyone look here!" The photographer as the president had called him yelled. Sokka turned towards the man with the box and stared straight at it, wonder what it would do.
Suddenly there was a bright flash and Sokka rubbed his eyes. "What was that?" He said. "That was the flash that creates the picture."
"Picture?" The photographer walked forward holding a piece of paper in his hand. "How does the picture look Mr. President?" The photographer asked.
The president took the picture in his hands and examined it. "It looks fine to me." He was about to hand it back when Aang grabbed it. "Wow it looks so realistic!"
"Hold on let me see!" Sokka exclaimed pushing through the group towards the picture. When Sokka saw it he was shocked. It was so lifelike. They looked so real, they're exact movements and positions captured precisely on a sheet of paper.
"You can keep it if you want." The president said. "Really!" Aang exclaimed. "Yes, we'll just take another picture." Aang handed the paper back to the photographer who walked back to the camera.
Another bright flash and the photographer rushed back with a new picture. "This one's for you Avatar Aang." The president said, handing Aang the picture. "Thank you."
"Thank you to you all for your sacrifices for this country. If I could, I would give you all the Legion of Honour but I can't for you are not French citizens. But still, thank you for saving this city and many lives. Now I have to leave and continue to make sure the Fire Nation doesn't return." The president said before he returned to his car and left.
"So Pierre what's that medal? It seems to be a pretty big deal." Sokka asked. "It's the highest military honor if your French. It symbolizes honor and pride in your homeland. If you have one, it's a pretty big deal." Pierre held his medal tenderly in the palm of his hand.
"What are you guys going to do now? Are you going to follow the army or go out on your own?" Pierre added.
"We haven't actually thought about that yet. Usually we make decisions as a group and not all of us have been together at once. Some of us have been exploring or helping to rebuild the city." Aang said with a shrug.
"I think we should follow the troops so we can get to the portal. I'm sure there's a sizable defense force there so we wouldn't be able to sneak past. Our best bet to get home is to follow the troops until they take the portal. From there we'll make a decision on what to do." Sokka imputed his two cents.
"For once I agree with Sokka. We won't ever sneak past the portal guards. Those portals might be the single most strategic point in the entire world at this point. My father and his generals aren't stupid enough to not realize this. There could possibly be ten thousand soldiers there plus all who are retreating towards there right now." Zuko grudgingly said.
"You sure, I think we could bash some heads there." Toph argued, punching her fist into her hand. "It would be suicidal to do so. We would barely make it through before being killed by fire or sword." Zuko replied with a bit more force than he intended.
"How about you Katara, what do you think?" Aang said, trying to ease the growing tension between Zuko, Toph, and Sokka. "I'll do whatever you want to do Aang." Katara replied.
"Then it's settled, we'll follow you." Aang said, turning to Pierre. "Toph you'll be able to bash some heads when we get there. We're just eliminating the sneaking factor." He added to Toph.
"Yes! I get to kick Fire Nation butt!" She exclaimed ecstatically. Pierre in return smiled widely at them all.
Japan
Souza and Anza watched as the pink cherry blossom trees bloomed. The pink flowers slowly fell to the ground peacefully. Anza extended her hand and gently caught one.
"It's beautiful." She breathed looking at the flower wonderously. "It's better than anything I've ever seen in the Fire Nation." Souza said with just as much amazement.
The two were walking in the forest looking for anything to eat. They had spent a bit in the cave but they soon realized they needed food. It had been at first only one of them to hunt but after a few close calls with Japanese patrols they decided to go together.
The Japanese seemed to know there were stragglers in the countryside and were now hunting them down without remorse. Souza and Anza were extremely careful when hunting for food.
Souza always had his sword and knife with him when they went out but Anza didn't have a weapon. When Souza had offered her a weapon, she had turned it down. This thoroughly confused Souza but he didn't press.
Anza at the battle had dropped her battle and instantly ran. Souza wasn't surprised by this, he would've done the same in her position. What was peculiar was the fact she didn't have a combat knife. Every soldier was issued one. So why didn't she have one?
Spring was blooming in Japan and with that, the flowers were blooming. But Souza still feared the melting snow and the avalanche that could occur.
Souza wanted to leave that cave as soon as possible, but they couldn't. Without the cave, they would have surely been found. The Japanese too, seemed to fear avalanches as much as he did.
What would happen when the snow disappeared though? Would they be discovered and hunted down. Would he and Anza never see the shores of the Fire Nation again?
All this pain and suffering caused by Phoenix King Ozai, Fire Lord Azula, and their cabinet. All these things, all this suffering and death. Souza and Anza should be home right now, without a care for the world. Instead they were soldiers in a war that he believed became more doomed by the day.
All these thoughts he wrote into his journal. Every little detail he encountered in his day and every thought, he wrote down. He wrote about his growing fear of a cave in and the Japanese. He wrote of his growing doubts and his curiousness over Anza's lack of a weapon. He wrote about the beauty of Japan and how if they weren't at war, this would be where he would travel.
He felt very attuned to this place, Souza realized. The wind, the sky, the mountains, the ground all seemed to almost feel alive. The trees were like beautiful guarders of peace, a peace that was being broken at this exact moment.
Souza, unlike most Fire Nation soldiers, believed in spirits and the Japanese seemed to too. In the few cities and towns he'd been to here in Japan, he had seen shrines to great spirits. Spirits who had saved Japan or created Japan before according to legend.
"Souza, what's that?" Anza said, taking Souza out of his thoughts. He looked to where she was pointing and saw brown. Souza walked forward and removed the brush that obscured what seemed to be a sign.
"What does it say?" She asked curiously. Souza studied the sign. The characters were similar to the language back home but slightly different. The characters were much more confusing than what Souza had ever learned. But Souza thought he could make it out.
"I think it means to the left is a river. I could be wrong because this is a very complex character but it's somewhat similar to the character for river in the Fire Nation."
"So where there's a river, there will be food." Anza concluded. Souza nodded, "This must have been an old trail a long time ago. See where we're walking is mostly devoid of trees, this means it could have been a trail once upon a time."
The two walked to the left and listened carefully for the sound of rushing water against rocks. A rabbit suddenly jumped out across the brush to the bushes on the other side. "The animals here are so weird." Anza noted.
"They aren't anything like mongoose lizards at all. That creature looks like they cut a rabbit-lizard in half and just took the rabbit. Who could have done this to them?" She wondered aloud.
Souza raised his hand. "Is there something you want to say Souza, this isn't the classroom." Anza said, raising an eyebrow. Souza just looked back at her and raised a finger to his lips.
She nodded and the two stood silently, listening carefully for the sounds of anything. That's when Souza heard it. The sound of voices, slowly coming closer, increasing in pitch. There was someone coming towards them.
"Get into the trees!" Souza whispered harshly and the two ran off the old trail into the brush. They hid under a bush that would allow them to see the trail but wouldn't let the people on the trails see them.
Slowly the voices became louder along with the sound of flowers being crushed under boots. Whoever was coming was speaking in a foreign tongue, one not known to either Souza or Anza. They knew what that meant.
Finally, they saw tan pants and brown slick weapons. Black boots that crushed pink flowers beneath them. Almost out of sight was the sheath for a long sleek sword. It was a Japanese patrol.
There were four of them walking and conversing as they went. Souza and Anza stayed silent. Neither would dare move a muscle in fear of being caught.
But as quick as they had come, they were gone. Even after their voices had disappeared, the two sat in the bush for some time before finally emerging from their hiding spot.
"Maybe we shouldn't go that way." Anza said fearfully. Souza shook his head, "We need food and this is our best option to get it as quickly as possible. The sooner we get it, the sooner we head back to safety up the mountain. Now come on."
The two continued walking, carefully this time. They were silent, listening carefully for the sound of anything that might help or hurt them. That was until a horrible smell assaulted their noses.
"What is that?" Anza gagged clutching her nose. "Your a city girl aren't you?" At Anzas nod Souza continued. "I had to hunt when I was younger for food for our village. That is the smell of a kill."
As the two walked forward the smell became greater and more foul. "I think I'm going to barf." Anza said. Souza rolled his eyes, "You have no stomach, crouch down so if anything is there, we don't scare it."
The two entered back into the brush to try and get a good look at whatever was making the smell. They were horrified by what they saw.
Leaning against two piles were the headless bodies of two Fire Nation soldiers. Judging by their armor, one was a firebender while the other was a normal soldier.
Anza couldn't hold in her stomach. Souza ignored the puke at his feet and walked forward into the camp. "What are you doing?!" She screeched at him.
"Looking for food." Souza simply said without a glance back. Anza glared at him before following in fear of being alone. They both knew what would happen if they were caught now and she refused to take that chance being alone.
"We should go back." She told Souza who shook his head in response. "We need food plus this is where the patrol just left, it's either empty or low on manpower. We can take them." Souza said but even he was unsure.
He wasn't sure if they could take the troops there if there were any in the camp. But Souza knew they needed food. He was willing to take a chance.
As they walked in, they could hear voices. Souza unsheathed his sword and walked forward cautiously and gently put his hand out in front of Anza. She looked at him worriedly for a moment before following.
"If we see anyone, don't kill them, Souza." She whispered to him. "I won't make any promises Anza but I'll try." He replied quietly.
They began to hear screams and laughs along with the unknown language being spoken. Souza was beginning to get an idea of what was going on. He gripped his sword a bit tighter and they hid behind a crate and peeked out.
What they came upon shocked and angered both of them. A single Fire Nation soldier was being whipped with a stick while being tied to a pole. Meanwhile three Japanese soldiers laughed cruelly.
"I say we knock them out cold." Souza said and Anza nodded. Souza took the left soldier in the back and Anza got the right. Souza snuck up behind his target and wrapped his arm around their neck. To his right Anza did the same.
The man Souza was holding made a muffled noise and the soldier with the whip turned around and growled at him. To his right the soldier Anza was holding fell unconscious unnaturally fast.
The man with the stick at Souza's head and he leaned back. The stick slammed into the back of the soldier's head. The man promptly passed out and Souza dropped him to the ground.
The final soldier swung the stick again at Souza who dodged and grabbed the wrist of the man. He squeezed the wrist and the man cried out in pain and dropped the stick.
Souza punched the man in the face before grabbing the stick and beginning to beat him. The man fell and began to bleed as the hits continued to come.
Souza kept on swinging. For this soldier bleeding on the pole. For all his comrades lying dead on fields in Japan. For the two headless people at the gate.
"Souza stop." Anza clutched his arm. "Please." Souza halted his attacks and let the stick lay to the side. He walked over to the man tied to the pole and cut the bindings.
"Anza, go look for medicine and bandages." She nodded and left. Souza gently laid the man on the ground and studied his face.
He had black hair that went slightly below the ear. Even though his face was blood soaked, Souza could tell he was handsome. The man seemed to be 16, extremely young and Souza wondered why he was fighting, the same thought he had when he met Anza.
The man had no facial hair unlike Souza who had a small moustache that looked like a bow tie. He checked his pulse and found he was still breathing. Good, he thought.
Happy that the man would be alright he got up and looked at the man Anza had knocked out. His mouth was wide open and he was sweating. The weird thing was, it wasn't even that hot out. How did Anza, not a very strong looking person, knock this guy out?
Souza stepped over the body and began looking through the three buildings. In the first one he found beds, 8 in total. There were two soldiers unaccounted for but Souza doubted they were in the area. They most likely were patrolling.
On a bed he saw a bow and grabbed it. It was a Yuyan archer bow, what was it doing here? He grabbed it just so that he could preserve the memory of whoever had used it.
In the second he found weapons and lots of them. Quickly he grabbed a rifle and a pistol along with many fistfuls of bullets and stuffed it into his bag. He also grabbed a few clips for the ammo and a strap to hold his rifle and a pistol holder.
He was too busy to see the shadow enter the doorway. "What are you doing?" He heard someone ask. He turned around and saw Anza standing in the doorway.
"Getting weapons. We'll need them if we want to survive. We can't simply defend on my sword if things get rough." Souza replied. Anza nodded, "What about the bow?"
"It's something I found on one of the beds in the barracks. It's a Yuyan bow, once someone's. Thought I should hold on to it in memory of the guy who had it."
"Alright, there's food in the other building. Why don't you go get some while I'll check out the injured guy who you left to get weapons."
"The guy was breathing, I didn't know how else to care for the man. I don't have any medical knowledge, do you?" Souza asked. "Actually I do. I thought it would be an important skill to have." Anza replied smugly.
"Alright." Souza conceded and walked out of the building and towards the final building. In it he found medicine and food.
Slowly he grabbed a bandage and examined it. "Seems good." He thought aloud and put it in his bag. He grabbed some medicine and something he translated into pain killers.
Then he moved to the food and grabbed some rice and vegetables along with some fish. On second thought, maybe no fish. It could rot very quickly in his bag.
He left the building and walked through camp towards the unconscious soldier. Then in the corner of his eyes he saw another building and walked towards it.
When he entered he found the lights off. He looked around and saw something dangling from the ceiling. He pulled it and the lights turned on and he took in the room.
It had tan walls, a brown desk was in the corner. There was a lamp in the middle which he had just pulled. The ceiling seemed to be made out of straw. On one wall there was a board with papers tacked onto it.
Souza walked over and looked at one of the papers tacked on. It was a map of the surrounding area and all the mountains. There were little lines that he assumed were paths. He grabbed the map and folded it up before tucking it under his shirt.
He looked over the other papers and saw random announcements for things Souza didn't understand. He then walked over to the desk and found something he did happen to understand.
It was another piece of paper that was addressed to a Colonel Yukonoe. Souza once again was unsure of his own translation but it spoke about a Fire Nation retreat. The Colonel here had orders to hunt down any stragglers.
The Fire Nation was making a run for it. Was it to regroup Souza wondered. Or was it an all out retreat for friendlier lands. The note finally ended with a statement saying it was a possibility the Fire Nation might destroy the portal.
Souza nearly dropped the paper reading that. If they destroyed the portal, they would be stuck here. Hunted for the rest of their lives. He shook his head in an attempt to clear that thought.
He would never see the shores of his homeland again. He would never walk in the forest and enjoy nature or swim in its clear blue water. He and Anza would never see their families again.
No, Souza resolved. He wouldn't let that happen. He would make sure they reach that portal. Then a sudden explosion ripped through the air of the camp causing him to jump.
In two steps, Souza was out of the office and looked to see the building with the weapons and barracks on fire.
Souza ran to where Anza sat tending to the man. "What did you do!" He screamed at her. "I used a match. Sad about your weapons?" She asked annoyingly.
"No it's over the fact you've probably alerted all the patrols to us. We gotta go." Souza replied, freaking out. "Give me five more minutes with the patient and I'll be ready to go."
Five minutes later Souza picked up the soldier and carried him to the cave. When they got back to the cave Souza started the fire and began cooking food.
In the silence of Anza caring for the man after dinner, Souza stared into the flames and thought about the events of the day and gently wrote in his journal until he fell asleep.
Earth Kingdom
Moza stared at all the now familiar knobs and gauges in front of him. In a way it was similar to a Fire Nation blimp but still extremely different.
He was an officer in the Fire Nation Airship Fleet but had left after his brothers death in France on an airship. It was then that Moza had realized that airships were really just flying coffins. If they lost air and started to fall, you were doomed.
So Moza had left it behind and enlisted in the new FNAF or Fire Nation Air Force. He was one of the first recruits that were close to graduating. He just had to take off, perform some maneuvers, and land. If he succeeded he would graduate.
Moza flipped a switch that turned the prop on and then increased clutch, leading to the propeller to begin spinning. Gently he increased throttle and he taxied to the runway.
His plane, the F-02 or Firebird, was a beautiful looking machine. Moza greatly admired it for its skill and looks. It lacked the bulk of the airship and was much lighter. The armaments were extremely effective against other planes as they were called.
He luckily didn't have to use the FS-88 or FB-26. They were bulky and for Moza hard to fly. He much preferred the fast lightweight F-02 to the FS-87 or even worse the FB-26.
He finished taxiing the plane and lined up on the runway. Slowly he pushed the throttle lever all the way up and the plane began to speed down the runway. He raised his flaps and pulled the joystick towards him.
The plane took off into the sky. After clearing the runway he pulled the joystick to the side and entered a turn. He did a few rolls and did his best to keep a clear head without passing out.
He pulled up into the sky and pulled back towards the ground and dove. When he neared the ground he pulled up and began to search for his target.
There, over on the end of the runway was a tank. He executed a maneuver where he turned away from the tank, did a loop, and flipped back around mid-air to face the tank.
He pulled the trigger for his heavier ammo and pounded the tank with bullets. He pulled over the tank and looked back to see it in smoke. Now all he needed to do was land.
He flew away for a minute before turning back around and lining up with the runway. Slowly he lowered flaps and throttle. He extended his landing gear and his plane slowed down drastically.
He felt the wheels impact the ground and he lowered the throttle all the way. Slowly he came to a stop and Moza smiled. He had passed the test. He was now a Fire Nation aviator.