Location: Earth Kingdom. A few days march from the city of Omashu.
A column of Fire Nation units are moving east around the area known as the Great Divide. The men are nervous. They have good reason to be. Traveling with the column is the Princess of the Fire Nation, Azula. "You look nervous General," She comments to the older man.
"Do I?" He asks. He takes a second to gather himself. "I apologize Princess. Moving my men through this area is difficult."
"Ah yes. The Great Divide. I have heard about these Canyon Crawlers. But they won't venture this far from their homes. So if it's not that, am I making you nervous?" She asks with a smile.
The general is sweating now. "A little," He admits. He turns serious. "But we've also received reports of an attack on one of our prisoner transports. I don't like the idea of an unknown enemy being in the area while the Princess of our nation is here."
Azula chuckles. "You worry too much general. I am quite skilled."
The general nods. "Yes, I have heard. A fire bending prodigy wielding blue flames." His eyes scan the horizon. "Still your safety is my responsibility, and I don't like having an unknown."
Azula scoffs. "Very well general. Do you have the report from the attack on our prisoner transport?"
He nods and had her a scroll. "Here you are Princess."
"Our squad was tasked with moving a group of 15 Earth Benders west towards the coast. We were to hug the edge of the Great Divide. Then travel along the coast until we reached our destination. There we were to be met by ships that would transport the prisoners to a prison that had yet to be determined. The prisoners were secured within metal cages without access to any sources of Earth. We had stopped in the late evening to set up camp for the night. Our Mongoose Lizards were on edge. We would soon find out why.
"Night had barely fallen when our sentries raised an alarm. A figure had appeared from the nearby woods. The fires of the camp gave just enough light so he could be seen. He was of average height, wearing a black cloak with a black hood hiding his features. The sentries warned him to move along. But he did the opposite and began advancing on our camp. After he had advanced no more than ten steps the order was giving to attack. The sentries began by fire bending a few times at him. The figure casually struck the fire. To our amazement the attacks were snuffed out with no damage done to the figure. Having our full attention he spoke. He demanded that we release our prisoners and leave the area. We refused. Not just refused laughed at him. Three of our men moved forward to arrest the man. His attacks were lightning fast. He struck each man once in rapid succession. Each fell dead.
"Our Captain ordered an all-out attack. Twenty men attacked. Twenty men were defeated with ease that I found awe inspiring. One attack for each of my men. I lay closest to the prisoner transport. The medic would later find six broken ribs. I was conscious but unable to move. I watched at the man moved to the transport. He placed his hand on the lock and melted it.
"The prisoners were in awe at the carnage. One noticed that I was still alive. He came towards me. Maybe to finish me off? I don't know. The man that had attacked us told him to stop. He came and knelt in front of me.
"Do you know why I have spared you? He asked.
"I told him I didn't.
"He said that out of all those men in my unit, I was the only one who did not have the blood of the innocent on my hands. He stood and spoke to me and to the Earth Benders present. He said that in war soldiers killed soldiers. It was the sad fact that people would die. But so long as he was present he would not tolerate the killing of those who were innocent, those who surrendered, and those who couldn't fight. He told us to spread the word to our armies.
"After that he and the prisoners disappeared into the forest and I passed out."
Azula studies the report. "Interesting," She mutters.
"What's that Princess?" The general asks.
"The fact that this unknown man melted the lock tells me that he is a fire bender. But at no point during the fight did he actually fire bend. Yet he killed more than twenty men with no problems. He is skilled."
"Even without him fire bending you deduced he is skilled at fire bending? Why not skilled at hand to hand but not bending?"
Azula shakes her head. "While he did not bend his own fire, he was able to bend the flames of others. No doubt when he was attacking that's how he won with no wounds. It tells me that he deemed our soldiers weak enough that he could win with only hand to hand attacks," She looks over the report. "Skilled and strong and vicious. But preaching mercy to the innocent." She smiles. "Another weak willed fool."
"What's that?" A soldier calls out.
"What's what?" The general moves to the front of the transport. There is a sudden rumble and the sound of screeching metal. The transport jerks violently before coming to a stop. The general growls in anger. "Earth benders!" He turns to subordinate. "Sound the alert! We're under attack!"
"Keep the transport immobile!" Someone yells out. "Launch your attacks from distance!" The earth benders launch salvo after salvo of boulders at the metal troop transport. Getting it to stop had been simple. Churn up the road so the wheels couldn't move anymore. Destroying the vehicle and defeating the soldiers would be much more difficult. The column was a small assault force of maybe 100 men. A formidable force no doubt. The earth bender forces attacking were less than half, maybe 45, but they had three advantages. One, they were fighting for their homes and families. Two, they had the element of surprise. And three, the young boy currently running rough shot through the fire nation's forces.
Azula smiles from her position on the top of the transport. The earth benders had surprised the column, but now the fire benders were beginning to turn the tide of the battle. ("That's the difference between a trained army and a bunch of guerillas,") She thinks.
"Fall back!" An earth bender calls out. The ambush unit begins falling back to the forest line.
"Don't let them escape!" Azula hears the Fire Nation general call out. "Burn down the forest if…," He's cut off.
Azula turns in time to see the general tumble over, his head no longer attached to his head. ("There he is.") The cloaked figure goes from soldier to soldier some are killed, others are spared. But all with minimal effort. ("Impressive.") These are combat veterans, and yet they can do nothing to stop him. His fists and legs lash out striking vulnerable areas ending most fights with a single strike. Fire bent towards him is redirected away from him with a wave of his hands. ("And he's still not using his fire bending to attack.") After taking out a few more soldiers he has effectively turned the tide of the battle. He stops his attack and looks up at Azula. He bows to her. She smiles and jumps off the transport. "You're very impressive," She admits. "To take out so many soldiers without using your fire bending is incredible. But attacking the Fire Nation makes you a traitor to all fire benders!" She growls out. "And traitors must be punished!"
"If I'm a Fire Nation citizen," He counters. "And if you can defeat me."
Azula smirks. "I am Azula, Princess of the Fire Nation. Do you truly believe you can defeat me?" She motions around her. Earth benders have begun surrounding her. "Or will you rely on these benders?"
"Don't interfere," He tells the earth Benders. "I will handle her, myself."
"You'll handle me?" She asks.
"Yes."
Azula's smirk disappears. "In my country it is considered polite to give one's name."
"Kokuen. In my native language it means 'Black Fire'."
"Black Fire, huh?" Blue flames encircle her fists. "Allow me to introduce you to my blue fires!"
Panting…sweating…shock…
Three words to describe Azula's current situation. "How?" She gasps. She had been fighting this cloaked figure for more than ten minutes now but had yet to land an attack. The Earth Benders surrounding them were beginning to taunt her. Humiliating. And worse yet, her opponent had yet to use any Fire Bending. Infuriating. He had been treating her like a rank amateur. Not even bothering with attack. Each attack was dodged or redirected with ease. It made Azula feel like she was five and was training with her father. Worse yet, it made her feel like Zuko. Even her lightning attack had missed. Not only was her opponent skilled. He was very fast. She growled in anger. "I can't lose like this!"
"But you are."
Azula looks around her. The Earth Benders have bound her soldiers and raided the transport for any equipment or intelligence they could find. Now they look like they're ready to end this battle. She turns back to her opponent. "I am Azula! Princess of the Fire Nation!" She growls out. "I will not be beaten by a traitor that won't even bend!"
Her opponent cocks his head to the side. "You're ashamed," He states. "Ashamed that you, a prodigy, could be beaten by someone who doesn't even need to bend." He stares at her for a moment then nods. "Very well," He moves his hands from inside his cloak and holds them to his sides. "I am not so horrible to destroy your pride completely." Flames begin to coat his fists.
"What…What is that?" Azula demands. The flames around his fist are not like a fire, nor are they blue like her own. "Black?"
"Now you see why I'm called Kokuen," The boy says. The black flames cover his fists and extend up his arm to his elbow. "Defend yourself as best you can, Princess." He takes a step forward. Azula takes a step back. He takes one forward. She falls back one. He disappears.
Azula's eyes go wide. She moves her head from side to side. "Where?"
"Up here!" A voice calls to her. She looks up. Somehow he's gotten into the sky without her seeing. Azula moves back just as his fist descends. The flames hit the Earth and then she remembers nothing.
She awakes with a groan. Her vision is blurry and her head hurts. "What happened?" She wonders aloud. Her hand goes to the back of her head. A large bump has formed. It takes another moment but her eyes focus, and she can finally see clearly. The first thing she notices is, "You!" She exclaims. She jumps to her feet. Immediately a wave of dizziness washes over her. She begins to fall back to the ground. It takes a second for her to notice that her uncontrolled fall has stopped.
"No sudden movements. You have a concussion," A gentle voice reprimands here. Her eyes focus once more. Kokuen is cradling her in his arms. After a moment he places her gently on the ground. "You hit your head when you dodged my attack."
Azula sighs and rubs her forehead. "How long was I out?"
"Two hours."
She looks at the hooded boy. "And you didn't kill me?"
He shakes his head. "Not my style."
Azula scoffs. "I forgot, you don't kill those that haven't taken innocent lives." He nods. She growls. "You humiliated me. I felt like an amateur."
"You'll do better next time."
She arches an eyebrow. "Next time?"
He nods. "Train hard. This war isn't over. We'll fight again. You're powerful and smart. You'll figure out a strategy."
She smirks. "Of course I will."
"And then I'll figure out a way to beat it."
She frowns. "Of course you will." Her eye become heavy.
"Rest now, Princess of the Fire Nation. We will meet again."
"Until next time Kokuen."