Hello folks, and welcome to another chapter of A Walk Through Fire. I'm really really proud of the amount of cute this chapter has. There's also A LOT of plot in the later parts of this chapter. So much that I highly recommend rereading Chapters 3, and the endings of 10 and 11. You'll find out why when you read this chapter. I hope y'all have a good time reading! Don't forget to Review, Favorite, and Follow!
Aang sat in the bath, absentmindedly bending the water in the tub. He knew that he was going to have to get out eventually as Azula was on her way to the room to have dinner with him. He placed his hand lightly on the floor of the room and cursed.
Of course it's made out of wood. I can't see if she's coming or not.
He sighed and decided to get out of the tub. He bended all of the soap and water off of him and washed his clothing. He looked at himself in the mirror and smiled.
Man, I still look good.
He changed his clothes, walked out of the bathroom, headed to the balcony, and started meditating.
I wonder how this will go? Should I come up with things to ask her? Should I ask her about her day? UGH, I don't know what to do!
Azula walked into the room and looked around. She didn't see anyone there and was confused as to why Ty Lee had asked her to go back to her room.
"Hello? Is there anyone there? Avatar, are you in here?" she asked while walking into the room. "Ty Lee told me to come in here and-"
She stopped in the middle of the room when she saw the table with the flowers on it. She then took in her surroundings and smelt food being cooked. "Wait, did he cook something?"
She looked around and saw that Aang was sitting on the balcony meditating. "I guess some things never change."
She walked out the door and tapped him on the shoulder. He jumped a little which made her laugh. "Someone is awfully jumpy."
Aang opened his eyes and looked at Azula. Well, I guess all she needed was some sleep. She seems like a totally different person.
"Hey, did you sleep okay?" he asked her as he stood up and started walking towards the kitchen area. "Oh, I also made dinner for you!"
"Aang, you didn't have to do that for me," she replied as she walked into the room and sat down at the table eager to see what he had made. "To answer your question, I did actually get sleep."
"That's great! I'm glad that you were able to get some sleep," he said as he smiled at her and then turned around to face the oven. Holy crap, what am I doing?! "I was also told that you liked roasted rhino, so I decided to get you some and make it for you!" He blushed a little and opened up the oven.
"Aw, you didn't have to do that for me, Aang," Azula said, blushing a little as well. "Why didn't you light the candles?" she added, looking at him curiously. She waved her hand over them and they lit up with her light-blue flame.
"Well," he began as he pulled out the rhino and grabbed the two plates on the table. He put the meat onto each plate and added a helping of vegetables and mashed potatoes onto them as well. He then placed one plate in front of Azula and the other where he was going to be sitting. "Would you like something to drink, Princess?"
He didn't even acknowledge my question, Azula thought to herself. Maybe he didn't hear it.
"Um, sure. I'll have some tea," she answered aloud. Maybe he'll heat the kettle with his hands.
"Okay!" he said as he turned on the stove and bended water into the kettle. He added some leaves into two cups and waited for the water to get hot enough.
I hope she doesn't ask why I can't Firebend, Aang thought.
After a few minutes, Aang bended the water from the kettle and into the cups. He then perfectly blended the water with the tea leaves in it with his bending. I hope that she likes it.
"Here you go," he said, placing the cup onto the table and sitting opposite of Azula.
Azula looked at the tea and smirked. Well, it looks like tea, but he didn't use his Firebending.
"Thank you Avatar," she acknowledged, taking a sip. Her eyes widened. "This is really good!"
He blushed and shifted awkwardly in his seat. "It couldn't be that good. It's my first time making it."
"No, honestly," she repeated. "It's really good, and dinner looks really good! How did you know that I loved rhino?" She picked up her fork and knife and started to cut the meat. She noticed that it was medium-well and blushed a little. "And how did you know how I liked my meat cooked?"
"Lucky guess," he replied, smirking while cutting his meat. Past Airbenders, I'm so sorry for what I'm about to do. He took a bite and his eyes widened as well.
"This is really good!" he exclaimed, smiling as he continued to eat. "So..." He took a sip of his tea. "How are you?"
Azula laughed at the sudden question and smiled. "You're on a date with the Princess of the Fire Nation and THAT'S what you ask?" She shook her head and continued to smile.
"What? You act like I've done this before!" he replied, looking at her with a nervous smile on his face and continued eating. Wait, does she think that this is a date? he asked himself.
"Well, haven't you?" she asked, still grinning. "I would expect that being the Avatar must sit well with the ladies."
"Nah," Aang said blandly. "I would expect you to have done more research on me, Princess," he added, returning the smirk and cutting another piece of the rhino. He put some mashed potatoes on his fork. "I was raised with only males. I met my first girl ever when I came out of the iceberg."
Azula was shocked at this information. She didn't know that he hadn't been around girls all his life. She had looked into Air Nomad culture when she was at Ba Sing Se, but she couldn't find anything about them. "Really? I would have expected you to have girls falling for you left and right."
Aang reddened a little and lowered his head slightly. "I still have common human decency!" he replied as he took another sip of his tea. "Plus, I've never really seen any other girls."
"What do you mean? You had a mother, didn't you? So there's one girl right there."
"I didn't have a mom," he solemnly spoke, which caused Azula to look at him with concern and sadness. "I didn't meet my parents."
Azula put down her fork and frowned. He has a strained relationship with his mom, too, she noted to herself. Huh, didn't think I'd find that out today.
"So, who raised you?" she continued aloud.
"Well, the monks did!" Aang replied, reminiscing on the past. "Life at the Southern Air Temple was great. I had friends; Monk Gyatso was my Airbending teacher and friend. He was great." He smiled at Azula who also smiled back at him.
"So, then, how did you end up in the iceberg?" she pried, though having an idea of why. She guessed that it was to escape the upcoming slaughter of his people. It made sense to her. What didn't make sense was why he would show up now of all times at the very end of the war.
"I don't want to talk about it," he answered in a quite shallow voice as he went back to eating his dinner. I don't want to bring that up right now. It would just ruin the mood.
Well, everyone has their secrets, Azula reasoned to herself. I just hope he tells me at some point. "Sounds like it was an ordeal, was it not?"
"Yeah," he said, lowering his head and cutting another piece of meat. Man, she's good at prying. "One I would like to forget. But enough about me. What about you? What's life like as the Princess of the Fire Nation?" He looked at her and smirked.
"Well, my mom thinks I'm a monster and my dad is the tyrannical dictator of the greatest military the world has ever seen. So, you know, a normal childhood," she said nonchalantly as she took another bite of her food. "I had servants at my beck and call. I am also a genius, a Firebending master, and considered a tactical mastermind."
"I guess you had a pleasant-" Aang stopped as Azula's words sank in. "Wait, did you say your mom thinks you're a monster?! What kind of mother would think that?!" Aang dropped his silverware and looked at Azula with fury in his eyes. "You aren't a monster! Or, at least, I don't think you're one," he added.
Azula was taken back by his words. I've attempted to kill you, chased you around the Earth Kingdom, nearly killed your friends, tortured you and lied to you, and you don't think I'm a monster?! She looked at him confused but laughed. "That was a funny joke, Aang. Didn't know you were a comedian."
He looked at her with a totally straight face. "I wasn't joking," he said earnestly. "You aren't a monster. Trust me. I've met monsters and you aren't one." He looked into her eyes and smiled. "You're a good person, Azula. I really think that you are a good person."
She looked into his eyes and saw that he was being genuine. She didn't see an ounce of deceit or ill-intent on his face. He really means that? He really thinks I'm not a monster. Maybe he's the one that's lying. No, he wouldn't do that.
"Sure. Okay, Avatar," she said in a confused tone. She looked down at her food and continued to eat it as it was slowly starting to get cold.
The two ate the rest of their food in a comfortable silence. They would occasionally glance at each other but it wouldn't last for more than a second and would result in one of them lightly blushing.
Azula was still recovering from Aang saying that she was not a monster. She honestly couldn't believe that even after everything she had done to him, he couldn't hate her a little bit. I guess that's just how good of a person he is, she thought. She looked at him and giggled. He had some mashed potatoes on his face. She leaned across the table with a napkin in her hand and cleaned it off his face which caused him to immediately blush.
"The Avatar isn't supposed to have food on his face!" she stated in a mocking tone which caused him to blush even more. He is just adorable when he gets embarrassed. She moved back to her seat and finished her food.
"So, wait, if you're a vegetarian how did you cook this rhino so well?" she asked, figuring that it was Ty Lee who made it since it smelled like fried food.
Aang choked on his vegetables when he heard this question and coughed. "Well…" He hesitated. Shit, I can't lie to her. I'm the Avatar. "Ty Lee helped me make it. I have to admit it was a lot harder than I thought it would be.
Seemingly satisfied with his answer, Azula nodded and smiled. "Well, it was very well-cooked." She placed her silverware down and looked at him. "What's next?"
"Next?" he asked, looking up at Azula with a confused look. "What do you mean 'next'?"
"Well, Avatar, since you've clearly never been on date, what else are we going to be doing after dinner? The sun only just went down." She leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms.
Shit, I didn't think of that! he cursed to himself. Wait, there's a beach near here! Maybe I could take her there! He looked out the window and it was now almost dark outside.
"Let's go walk on the beach!" he suggested, smiling and quickly getting up.
She looked at him and then back out the window. She smirked and also got up from the table. She looked at him and crossed her arms again. "Alright. Lead the way."
He started walking out of the room when he saw the box with the earrings in it. He grabbed it and stuffed it into his pocket. He then opened the door and checked to make sure that no one was there. "Alright, let's go!"
The pair headed out of the Stronghold and strolled down a path that led towards the shore line. There was a large sandy beach that seemed to stretch on as far the eye could see. The waves were crashing against the sand and the smell of salt water was in the air.
Aang and Azula walked along the beach shoulder-to-shoulder. Their hands would lightly touch at times but instantly move away from each other which would, in turn, cause them to flush.
"What made you want to come out here?" Azula asked while looking at the ocean as it waved onto the shore.
"I love the beach!" Aang replied hastily. "It's really calming to just walk and hear the water as it moves around. It was also the first element I learned how to bend after I got out of the iceberg." He looked down and didn't realize that he had grabbed Azula's hand.
He's holding my hand, she thought hurriedly. He's holding my hand. What do I do?! Just be normal. "Oh, really?" she replied. "Did that Water Tribe girl teach you?" She looked at him and then down at their hands which were now intertwined with each other.
"Yeah, she did. But I'm better at it then she is." He let go of her hand and started bending the waves with minimal effort.
She looked at him with amazement. And to think that he whipped out an entire Fire Nation fleet.
"Wow, Avatar," she said. "I would expect nothing less from you." She looked around at the surroundings and smiled. "You know, can I ask you something?"
He looked at her and nodded his head. "Sure! What's up?"
"Why don't you Firebend?"
He stopped moving and looked at her. His eyes widened and his hands started shaking. "I…don't want to talk about it." He clenched his fists and lowered his head. "I never want to Firebend again."
"What happened the last time you tried?" she asked as she moved next to him and brought them closer to the water. She sat down and patted the sand next to her to signal for him to sit next to her.
There was a long pause. "I hurt someone," Aang finally replied.
She looked at him and sighed. He was radiating sadness off of him and was visibly upset. For someone who is so bright and bubbly, he sure can get down and fast. "How did it happen?" she asked cautiously.
"I didn't have control over it," he confessed. "I burned Katara. I was careless and stupid. It was all my fault. I never want to use that kind of force again!" He put his face into his hands and sighed.
Azula didn't know what to do. She didn't know how to comfort him since she was responsible for so much destruction with the very element he was scared to use. She sighed to herself and moved a little closer to him, giving him something to lean on.
"Fire causes a lot of destruction, yes," she stated as she twisted her hand face-up and lit a small light-blue fireball in it. "But it also is responsible for warmth and a source of life." She moved her fingers lightly and created light-blue flowers out of her flame. She looked over at Aang who was simply enamored by the sight. "Fire is life, and if utilized correctly, can do amazing things."
"Yeah, I guess you're right," he said, looking into her eyes and finding a strange warmth in them. They looked softer, lacking the usual sharpness that they always had. She looked calmer.
Azula did the same and looked into Aang's and saw that the sadness was slowly being replaced by their normal glow and radiance. She could tell that he had a lot of darkness in his past and that while he tried his best to hide it, he was still struggling. She felt something flutter in her chest as she looked into his eyes. She felt like her stomach was tossing and turning. She felt her cheeks burn a little. What's happening? Why do I feel so… happy?
The pair sat on the sand and looked at all the stars that were in the sky that night. Aang pointed out the constellations since he learned all of them when he was younger. He explained what they meant, how some of them looked like animals, Air Nomad legends, past Avatars, or just large clusters of stars. He went on for what felt like hours and Azula listened to all of it.
She hung onto every word he said as he explained things. She couldn't shake the feeling that she had gotten when looking into his eyes. She thought that she was well tuned with her body and that she could understand and identify all of her emotions, but this one stumped her.
Aang was also feeling these things as well. He couldn't stop smiling for some reason. He also couldn't forget how soft her hand was. He looked at their hands which were intertwined again and smiled to himself. Who would have thought I would be holding hands with Princess Azula. And who knew I would actually like it.
They sat there for hours just enjoying the other company. It wasn't until Aang shifted a little when he realized that he still had the earrings in his pocket. He grabbed them and made sure that they were still there, which they were, and sighed.
"Can I ask you a question?" Azula asked quietly.
Aang tilted his head towards her. She was still looking up at the stars. "Sure, what's up?"
"You've been having nightmares recently," she began. "Don't try to hide them either because I know that you have them and they wake me up." She looked at him and watched as he sighed to himself.
"Yeah, I guess I have been having them recently," he responded, closing his eyes and internally scolding himself. Can I seriously not hide anything from her?
"What have they been about?"
"Nothing you need to worry about," he replied quickly which alarmed the Princess.
"Oh, really?" she said as she sat up and smirked at him. "Well then, you will have no problems telling me what they are." She knew the game he was playing and internally laughed. He's not getting out of this that easily.
Ugh, of course she, of all people, would know how to counter that! Think, Aang. What can you say that's not lying? "It's just some stuff that happened in the past," he answered aloud. "I'll get over it. Like I said, you don't have to worry about it."
"I think I should be concerned when you go into the Avatar State in the middle of the night," Azula said, keeping her tone as even as possible. However, she was starting to get a bit frustrated at his evading skills. Checkmate, Aang!
"Wait, I went into the Avatar State?!" he shouted as he sat up, looking Azula in the eyes who nodded in response.
"Yes, you did. And if it weren't for me, all of us would be dead." She crossed her legs and looked him dead in the eyes. "Now, tell me what those nightmares were."
"It...it's nothing for you to worry about," he repeated. "I just have a few issues I need to come to term with, okay?"
Azula glared at him and facepalmed. "I'm trying to help you, Airhead! I care about you."
Aang signed defeatedly. "Fine. They were about what happened in the cave with Zuko and Katara. They were telling me how awful of a person I was, how bad of an Avatar I am, and how Zuko is just a better person than I am. And then I saw her with that ring and I just snapped. They deserted me...forgot about me."
Azula sighed and frowned lightly. She knew that it wasn't the full story and was determined to get the entire story out of him. "Are you sure that's the only thing that happened?"
"Zuko said that you still don't care about me. And then you said that you were still lying to me."
"Aang," she said, grabbing his hands and holding them in hers. "I'm not lying to you when I say that I care about you. You mean so much to me. I would have never been able to express these feelings to you or anyone for that matter if it hadn't been for you." She looked him in his eyes again and smiled. "I'm not leaving you. No matter what happens, I'm never going to leave you."
Aang looked at her and felt as if a weight was being lifted from his chest. Looking into her golden eyes felt like an endless void that he never wanted to get out of. He felt so at ease and safe when he looked into them and never wanted to stop looking at them.
"Thank you," he replied. "It really means a lot that you said that. And I'm really sorry that I kept you awake for three days. I really, really am."
He stood up, reached into his pocket, and pulled out the box with the earrings in them. "While Ty Lee and I were out shopping, I saw these and thought that you would like them." He handed her the box and nervously put his hands behind his back.
Azula stood up with him and was taken aback by the fact that someone had gotten her a gift. She blushed lightly and opened the box and instantly gasped at what she saw. Inside were the red-and-black garnet earrings. They were shimmering in the moonlight and let off a reddish hue. She took them out of the box and looked at them closer. "Oh, Aang they are beautiful! Thank you so much!" She hugged him and smiled when she felt his muscular body on her softer one. Holy Agni, he's built. And he smells good too. Even his chest muscles. And is that… no, it can't be. It's so… big. No, Azula! Keep it together!
"I'm glad that you like them so much!" he said happily, reciprocating the hug and moving his hands to the swell of her back. Holy crap, she smells really nice. And she's hot, even in the dark! Once they broke the hug, he looked up at the sky and saw that the moon was hanging high in it.
Azula broke the hug and was crimson when she looked at Aang, who was also a light shade of pink. "We need to get some sleep. The boat arrives midday tomorrow and I have stuff I need to do before we leave." She sighed, grabbed his hand, and started walking back towards the Stronghold. She wished that this night could have lasted forever but, unfortunately, it couldn't.
"Yeah, I guess you're right," Aang said. "We should probably go back and get some sleep." He walked behind Azula as they made their way back.
When the two finally got back to their room, they saw that all the dishes had been cleared from the table and that there was a note on it.
Azula closed the door and said that she was going to bathe and get ready for bed. She grabbed her pajamas and went into the bathroom. Aang walked over to the table and picked up the note.
Aang and Azula,
We saw that you weren't here so we decided to clean up for you. Hope you had a good date. See you tomorrow morning.
Ty Lee & Mai.
Aang blushed a little and placed the note back onto the table. I guess that was a date. I hope she thought it went well.
He sighed to himself and changed into his sleepwear which was a pair of pants and no shirt. He climbed into bed and waited for Azula to come out of the bathroom.
Azula looked herself over in the mirror and smirked. "Alright, let's put this theory to the test." She glanced over her outfit which was nothing more than a bra and some sleep shorts. She exited the bathroom, made her way over to the bed, and started to climb into it.
Aang looked at Azul and almost screamed. She doesn't have a shirt on. She doesn't have a shirt on. SHE DOESN'T HAVE A SHIRT ON!
"A-a-aren't you going to put on a shirt?" Aang sputtered timidly.
"As a Firebender, I naturally run a bit warm," she spoke as she lowered herself into the bed. "You know, that was a really fun first date."
Aang, who was not paying attention to anything Azula was saying, simply nodded his head as his eyes were fixed on her body.
Azula smirked and tilted his head upwards, making him look into her eyes.
"Um, y-yeah, it was nice having dinner with you!" he croaked as he looked into her eyes and turned crimson.
"I hope we have the opportunity to do it again sometime." She blew out the candles and lay down onto her pillow. She turned to face him and smiled. Yup, I think he finds me attractive. Theory confirmed!
Aang lay down on his pillow and looked at her. He nodded his head and smiled as well. "Yeah, I would like that."
Throughout the night, Azula would move closer to Aang who would instinctively wrap his arms around her. Eventually, Azula turned to face Aang and moved his head to her chest. He wrapped his arms around her waist and held her tightly. Both went to sleep with smiles on their faces. Smiles that would still be there when they woke up the next day.
"I hate my job," a messenger spoke as he read a letter from a royal official in Ba Sing Se.
"Oy, Pangi, less talking, more opening!"
"But sir, it's a level five document!" Pangi said, handing the letter to his manager who went wide-eyed.
"Y-you need to get this to the Fire Lord!" the manager ordered while shoving Sangi out of the room.
Yes, why do you think I showed it to you? Pangi thought to himself as he started running out of the building and towards the palace. I'm going to die. I'm actually about to die today. This is my last day living.
He stopped running and took in the scenery of the palace grounds. Well, if this is my last day here, I might as well take it all in. He slowed down his pace to a slow walk and started to explore the grounds.
While the Palace itself was situated on a barren wasteland made up of flat gray rocks and a giant wall, the land around it was luscious and beautiful. The message building was a fifteen minute walk from the Palace. He walked by families and children playing in the streets, cafés which were serving norbals tea and snacks, and even some alley cats. The sun was shining brightly and the temperature was moderate. He continued walking around the outer walls of the capital and then decided that it was time to go into the Palace.
He walked up to the front grate, showed his identification card and was let in. He looked around and shivered. Man, it's like this place gets creepier and creepier the more I walk in here.
He looked up and saw the giant red-and-black ornate structure that was the Fire Nation Palace. There were three main sections and then a much larger section which was where the Fire Lord's throne room was. He entered the center building and started walking up a large vertical staircase. He had to squint in order to see where he was going. Once he was at the top, he turned to the left and started walking towards the Fire Lord's throne.
Whelp, I guess this is where I'm going to die, Pangi told himself as he continued walking. With each step, he started to sweat a little more. He checked his identification at the numerous security checkpoints and then, before he knew it, he was standing in front of the throne room door.
"Dear Agni, thank you for allowing me to have a good life up until this moment. Thank you for giving me a good family, a good decent job, and a good life." He concluded his prayer and opened the door.
"Who dares to disturb me during a war meeting?" a low gravelly voice spoke.
Everyone in the room looked at the messenger who was at the point of peeing his pants. "I…I have news from Ba Sing Se, my Lord."
"Read it."
"I cannot, my Lord."
Everyone in the room started murmuring amongst themselves. Some were looking at the Fire Lord who had leaned forward on his throne. Oh, he's going to die today.
"Why can you not read the message, you insignificant peasant?"
"It is a level five alert, my Lord!" Pangi stated. He bowed his head as the room went into uproar. Shouting and cursing could be heard as the room delved deeper and deeper into chaos.
"SILENCE!"
Immediately, the room was silenced. Ozai motioned for the messenger to walk forward and hand him the message. He handed the Fire Lord the message and watched him open it.
I'm about to die. This is it. I'm about to die! Pangi thought to himself as he watched Ozai read and process the note.
Ozai looked at the message in his hand and read it. Alright, what has Azula sent me now?
Fire Lord Ozai,
Princess Azula wrote to you in a letter that she had captured the great city of Ba Sing Se, which is true. She also said that there was a large fight with the Avatar and his accomplices with Dai Li agents and the Princess. During that battle, she wrote that she had kidnapped the Avatar. Recently, she let the Avatar out of his prison cell and is treating him normally. We have reason to believe that she has befriended the Avatar. Her accomplices, Mai (Daughter of Ukano) and Ty Lee, have also appeared to have befriended the Avatar. The four of them were spotted going shopping together and we have seen them sparing with one another. As it is my duty to report this to you, I am asking for what her next move is to be.
Best regards,
Minister Dan.
Ozai immediately burned the letter and growled. "It would appear that my daughter and her friends have become traitors and are housing the Avatar."
Once again, the room erupted into uproar. People were shouting and shoving and papers were flying. It was all a mess.
"Silence!" Ozai yelled which once again caused everyone in the room to go silent. " I would like to have the situation monitored, as it could cause me a great amount of headache. Isn't there a prisoner who is being moved from Ba Sing Se to the Boiling Rock?"
"Yes, my Lord," one of the officials said. "Her name is Suki and she is the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors, a group of people known for helping the Avatar on numerous occasions."
"Don't they have to get to the Stronghold?" another official asked.
"Yes, that's where they get onto a boat to be brought to Boiling Rock," a third official spoke from across the room.
"What if we sent Azula to the Stronghold to test her loyalties?" a general chimed in.
"No, she'll see that we are testing her," Ozai interjected. "I know my daughter, and an idiot is one of the things that she's not. The Avatar's group of friends will go looking for her. So, when Azula hears that, she will follow them. We will have some spies stationed at the Stronghold that will follow her every move. They will report to me and me alone."
"Yes, my Lord. Do you have any you already have in mind?" A commander in the special armed forces asked.
"Sango, Haki, you may reveal yourselves."
Suddenly, two figures dressed in all black dropped from the ceiling. They had masks on their faces and swords strapped to their backs. Their sudden presence caused the room to go into absolute chaos. No one had expected or sensed them being there.
"How long have they been there?"
"What have they heard?!"
"Who are they?"
"SILENCE, OR ELSE YOU WILL ALL BE BURNED ALIVE AND BECOME ASH!"
The two soldiers snickered under their masks and faced the Fire Lord.
"You hollered, boss?" Sango said as he bowed.
"Yes," said the Fire Lord. "You both will be traveling to Pohuai Stronghold. Once you are there, find out when the prisoners are supposed to arrive. Once that day happens and Azula is there when the Avatar's friends show up to get her, watch what Azula does and write down everything that she says or does that is considered traitorous. From there, you will make arrangements for two ships to arrive. One ship will be Azula's which will be her personal Battleship Cruiser and the other will be for a group of the Fire Nation's most advanced Special Forces operatives, also known as the Snuffers. Make sure that Azula's ship has a limit to the amount of food that it has on it so that it has to make frequent stops, delaying their arrival to the Capitol. The ship with the Snuffers will have no such limit and will arrive at the Capitol before Azula does. I also want you to keep me posted on anything that happens. Is that understood?" Ozai looked at the two spies and smirked to himself. He had had a contingency plan for if Azula ever turned on him and now he was going to be able to use it.
"It will be done, my Lord!" both spies stated simultaneously. Both left the room with a bow and closed the door behind them.
"But, my Lord," a nobleman called from the floor. "We don't even know that the Avatar's friends are going to go after this Suki girl. Your plan is flawed."
"We have made sure that she will be known to them," Ozai explained. "Azula mentioned that Zuko had escaped with them who had knowledge of the Boiling Rock and the transfer. She noted that the list of prison transfers was stolen from her study."
"And my plan is not flawed." He sat up in his chair and pointed to fingers at the nobleman who was now shaking. "It is you who is flawed!" Lightning coursed through his finger and shot directly towards the poor man who instantly vaporized due to the sheer power of the strike. "Does anyone else have any objections?"
The room was dead silent once again which put a smile on Ozai's face. "Good. Now get out of my sight!"
"Yes, my Lord," they all said in unison, bowing. They left the room and ran down the hallway so that they wouldn't be killed like their colleague was.
Ozai sighed to himself as he sat in his throne room alone. He got up and exited, walking towards his study. When he got there, he poured himself a glass of alcohol and drank it. He placed it onto his desk and sighed to himself.
"This war just got a whole lot more interesting."