Authors Note. I am Sooooooooooooooooo sorry for the wait. Hopefully this chapter will help to make up for it :)
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Though she was relieved beyond words at discovering Aang had somehow managed to stay alive while she and Sokka dealt with the deadly firebender's companions, Katara could easily tell that she and her brother had simply left the frying pan to jump into the fire.
While she had been largely unsurprised at discovering that Zuko had once again tracked them down, though to her shock it appeared that he was also against the decisively more terrifying firebender, the presence of another dangerous opponent, one who had been mere seconds from killing Aang, had been more than enough to make her curse her earlier actions in driving away the blind, but undoubtedly powerful earth bender. While those two non bending girls had been defeated, the southern waterbender knew that Azula was a far more dangerous adversary, but what troubled her more was how she had acted around the black haired newcomer.
From what she had seen in Omashu, the girl was liable to burn anyone who dared question her, and yet instead of roasting the sword wielding boy for denying her the prize of killing the Avatar herself, she had just stood their, angrily accepting the fact that she was powerless to interfere.
It was only thanks to a well timed water whip that had prevented Aang's newest enemy from succeeding where others had failed. But since her attack had only succeeded in knocking out the murderous sword wielder, and with nothing to stop Azula from finishing what she had started, Katara knew that it would take a miracle for them to get out of here alive.
...
Though it pained her to admit it since she had been raised to expect nothing but the best from those in her service, the Fire Nation princess was actually rather grateful for Ty Lee and Mai's failure in capturing the Avatar's loyal allies. For if they had succeeded in their assigned task, the glory that was hers by right would have been stolen from her by one of the few people whose position in the Fire Nation hierarchy rendered them immune from all but the Fire Lord's wrath. And even then, thanks to the unique ties that had bound Ketsueki's family with her own, Azula suspected that even her father would be unable to successfully bring the black haired assassin to heel.
But now was not the time to think about her father's top agent. Thanks to the Water Tribe peasant, Ketsukei had been temporarily knocked out of the battle, leaving her free to claim the prize that had been denied to her family for the past 100 years. The only problem is, every time she though she was on the verge of roasting the Avatar, his allies managed to disrupt her focus thus prolonging the battle.
But unlike Ketsukei, and to a lesser extent her poor exiled brother, Azula knew that the airbending monk and his so called friends lacked the one thing that could possible give them a fighting chance of living another day, and that was killer instinct.
Oh sure, that pathetic non bender had tried to bash her head in with that bone club of his, but the Fire Nation princess could tell that was simply an act of desperation rather than a clear intent at killing her.
Such a pity that she couldn't spend more time playing with these fools, but all good games must come to an end.
But unfortunately for her, this game would not end with her emerging triumphant over the adversary that dared to give hope to her nation's enemies, but rather with the clear reminder that not even the favored child of Ozai could hope to contend with a grudge that spanned over 4 centuries.
For just as the Avatar and his friends had somehow managed to temporarily force her onto the defensive, her unwanted ally had finally decided to rejoin the fight in a manner that caused a shiver of fear to pass through the body of the Fire Nation's most manipulative royal.
...
If their was one thing I truly despised, it was having to put up with incompetent underlings.
While I understood Azula's decision to divide her forces, for only the drunkest of fools would have bet on a tired pacifist airbender beating a prodigal firebender who would probably kill her own father if she thought she could get away with it, the fact that her friends failed in stopping the Avatar's allies from interfering in this battle really tested my patience.
Sadly, the princess is safe from feeling the full force of my annoyance, but that does not mean I can't take out my frustration on the recent additions of our little party.
Lets see, which water tribe savage will serve my purpose?
The water bender?
Tempting. The girl is clearly a prodigy if I've remember the reports, though I guess I shouldn't expect anything less from the water bender who somehow managed to overturn the North's decision to deny combat training to its female benders.
Fool.
The ability to heal might be a less flashy aspect of water bending, but with the correct mindset, it could be even deadlier than even the most vicious of water whips. Forcing water down a persons throat before bending the liquid to rip a body apart from the inside, widening a wound so that an already injured opponent bled out faster, not to mention the more practical use of removing ones injuries so they can carry on fighting against a more heavily injured opponent, all these methods could be used by a skilled water healer.
Though I suppose when one travels with a naïve 12 year old monk, one's killer instinct tends to get a bit suppressed. Though I am curious as to how the little bender survived the Raiders cleansing missions. Probably due to some self sacrificing heroism on the part of a beloved family member. Must remember to ask her that if she somehow manages to survive the battle.
But I think her brother would be a more viable candidate for immediate termination.
While his fighting skills as a nonbender are mediocre if not completely non existent, making him rather useless as a combatant, its his position as the Avatar's strategist that makes him the most dangerous member of their little band. Its largely thanks to his ability to work around his lack of bending that the mechanist is no longer supplying the Fire Nation with advanced weaponry, not to mention the fact that he is the one responsible for allowing the Air Bender to make spiritual contact with his failure of a predecessor.
The ability to use one's head is far deadlier than even the most powerful of bending techniques, and since I have no intention of provoking the Avatar Spirit by holding the object of his romantic affections hostage, what better way to get rid of my enemy by threatening the only person in his group who allows reason to guide his actions rather than childish curiosity.
Using my feelings of rage to establish a connection to the power that was mine by virtue of the blood that coursed through my veins, I forced my will to take control of the flowing rivers of chi that dwelt within the club wielding peasant, and clenched my hand to force the energy of his body to turn against him.
And as my gasping victim vainly tried to break free from my invisible iron like grip, I took a moment to relish that intoxicating feeling of having control over another persons fate.
For what was the point of achieving power if you couldn't wield it over those who foolishly stood against you.
Now what to do?
Do I call out to Avatar so he could watch me break the neck of his least powerful ally? Or do I simply kill the annoying peasant and mutilate his body to inspire the naive monk and his water bending teacher into doing something reckless ?
Personally I prefer the later option, but their is something incredibly satisfying to see the horrified expression on a person's face when they witness the death of a loved one. So perhaps I'll go with that.
"HEY! FREAK BOY! PUT SNOOZLES DOWN AND I PROMISE I'LL ONLY BREAK HALF OF THE BONES IN YOUR BODY".
Surprised though I was that someone would speak to me in such a matter, I had to admit that the identity of the one brave enough, or foolish enough, to challenge me in such a manner caught me off guard.
Seriously, the girl couldn't have been older than 13, but there she was. Her stance clearly indicating that she was fully prepared to interfere in my fun, and if my sight was not deceiving me, she was also more than cable of carrying out her threat if I should agree to her rather amusing ultimatum.
Unfortunately for her, I had never responded well to threats. And although I instantly released my hold on the now gasping boy, it was only thanks to the need to respond to this new threat that I had agreed to half of the girl's conditions.
...
This was not good.
She had expected to be entering a battle zone when she had decided to rejoin the Avatar and his group, but she had never imagined she could come across someone who for the first time in a long time made her doubt the accuracy of her 'sight'.
Though she could clearly sense his presence as clearly as she could feel the others who were present in this previously abandoned town, the fact remained that unlike trio of fire benders, the water tribe siblings, or hell even Twinkle Toes, she could feel that their was something noticeably off with this clearly deadly enemy.
But before she could delve into what exactly made him so dangerous, she felt him flex his arms in a manner similar to a fire bender, and barely managed to raise a wall of stone to protect her from the worst of his attack. Even then it was clear that his assailant was no ordinary bender.
For while the blind girl's wall could have withstood the force of a strong fire blast, though she had some doubts whether it would have stood against the full attention of the fire bender who had robbed her of a good nights sleep, the blasts from her current attacker we're enough to shatter her defenses and send her flying.
Quickly regaining her composure, and feeling that her current opponent had yet to move from his current spot, Toph did the only thing that she knew would be able to distract her clearly dangerous enemy long enough for her to grab Sokka and run.
Focusing with all of her will power, and conscious of the fact that her adversary had tilted his head to the side in consideration as she prepared her attack, Toph used her earth bending to not only propel her benderless companion into the sky, but also to entrap her surprised enemy in a prison of rock before causing the surrounding buildings to bury him in rubble.
Sensing that her attack had only managed to knock him out, the earth bending girl stomped her foot to lower the pillar that had prevented Sokka from experiencing the same fate as his would be killer.
Kissing the ground with a reverence that managed to bring a smile to the previously focused earth bender, Sokka picked himself off the ground and hugged his rather shocked resucers.
"Oh thank you Toph. Thankyouthankyouthankyouthan...omph".
Unused to such displays of affection, and well aware of the fact that Sokka was not the only one in need of aid, the blind earth bender managed to disentangle herself from the not unpleasant embrace of the older boy by use of a well placed kick to his shin.
"You can thank me later Snoozles. Right now we gotta save Twinkle Toes and your sister from that crazy fire bending chick".
Grimacing in pain as he recovered from Toph's unnecessary blow, Sokka nevertheless nodded his head in agreement, and quickly ran off in the direction where the fighting was loudest.
...
Despite being a prime example of the twisted nature of his beloved nation, Iroh still felt a little bit of pity for his warped niece.
He still fondly remembered those cherished days long since passed, when Azula acted more like a mischevious version of her well poised mother, and his beloved nephew acted like the loving older brother that reminded him of himself before darkness began to consume Ozai's soul. But years of following his brother's poisonous teachings had caused Azula to more closely resemble a treacherous snake rather than the girl who would beg him to tell her stories of his travels.
Even when cornered by 5 powerful benders, and to say it surprised him to learn that the young blind earth bender was part of the Avatar's group would be an understatement, Iroh knew that his fallen relative was likely playing for time before she could come up with a way to escape her predicament.
And from what his nephew had told him, the most likely plan for her escape would be to wait for her unexpected ally to draw their attention, allowing her a chance to strike like a coiled viperbat before managing to flee.
However judging by the amount of noise he heard right before the earth bender and the Water Tribe boy had joined in the attempt to defeat Azula, Iroh concluded that his niece would have to rely on her own wits and skills to get out of this trap.
"Well isnt that wonderful. Enemies and Traitors all working together for a common goal. I can admit that I'm beaten. I surrender".
Not believing her words for an instant, though it gladdened his heart that both his nephew and the Avatar's allies did not appear to be tricked by Azula's false display of humility, the former general kept his eyes solely focused on his target.
A move that would have disastrous consequences as it turned out.
...
Its a good thing my mother is no longer alive to lecture me, otherwise I might find myself on the end of one of her more bloody methods of discipline.
Its my own fault really. I allowed myself to lose my awareness of my surroundings, and for that I have been denied the chance of enacting the revenge of my people. And to make matters even better, it appeared that the princess has also managed to find herself in a less than fortunate situation, so it appears that the Last Airbender will get to live another day.
Still, that does not mean that I can't traumatize him with a bit of violent murder. The only question is, which one of his ally's would have a greater impact on his already traumatized psyche?
The fallen prince? No. He's only fighting on the Avatar's side because he recognizes that his sister is the greater threat to his life than the pacifist monk. Makes me wonder what would happen if the opportunity presented itself where he does not have to worry about Azula launching a fireball when his back is turned. But I can think about that later.
General Iroh? Tempting. With his knowledge and experience, the Avatar and his allies could grow into a more troublesome nuisance then they already are. And Ozai already gave me permission to take his brother's life should our paths meet. I'll leave him for consideration.
The earth bender? Another tough call. She's clearly going to end up as the Avatar's next bending instructor, so it would be wise to remove her from the field well before that happens. But, I do so wish to make her suffer for her interference, so I guess that means that she is not an option at this time.
The Water Tribe boy? Would be a waste of energy to kill him.
The girl however, yes she will do nicely. Not only is she responsible for interfering when I had the Airbender right where I wanted him, but I can tell that the monk has more than friendship on his mind when he looks at her.
Pleased with my decision, and deciding that I only had a limited amount of time before my presence was discovered, I focused my chi to form another pulsing ball of green energy in my hand, and without a moments hesitation, I flung it at the back of the unsuspecting water bender.
However, it appears that old age has not affected the former general's to sense danger, though it appears to have effected his sense of priorities.
For as he used his own formidable skills to form a wall of flame to absorb my intended killing stroke, Azula moved to take advantage of her foes dividing attentions by launching her own attack at the now distracted general before causing a mass explosion to conceal her escape.
Oh well, even if my own attack failed to achieve the killing blow, at least I can remain content in the knowledge that it was because of my influence that the Dragon of West was no longer a factor in this war.
I wonder in Azula will admit to her so called friends that she needed help in escaping the situation she had found herself in. Doubtful, but it does provide me with an excellent opportunity.
For it stands to reason that if the Avatar can have friends helping him to survive in this forgiving world, then perhaps I can be an active member in another group whose leader wouldn't shed a tear if the 12 year old monk was sent to join the spirits of his people.
Grinning as I used my abilities to enhance my efforts to escape from that demolished settlement, I could only imagine the look on Azula's face when I decided to inform her of my decision to join her merry band.
...
Despite her general dislike for the fire nation, Katara had to admit that as far as fire benders went, Iroh was actually a pretty descent guy.
From treating her with respect after Zuko had managed to capture her with the aid of that thieving pirate crew, to severing his ties with his nation by trying to prevent the Moon Spirit's physical form from being killed, and now this. Saving her life from an enemy that had caused even the deadly blue fire bender to lose her aura of smug superiority.
So it was without the slightest bit of hesitation that she bit her pride and offered a understandably upset Zuko her help in saving the life of the aged firebender.
"Zuko, please. I can help him".
Predictably, the scared royal was in no mood to accept the help of others, and both her and the rest of the Gaang had to take a step back as a violent wave of fire was sent their way courtesy of Zuko.
"LEAVE!"
Moving to offer her help yet again, despite the clear unwillingness of the younger firebender, Katara felt a hand make contact with her shoulder, and met the saddened gaze of her older brother.
"I'm sorry Katara. Theirs nothing we can do. Come on. We should leave this place before those 4 maniacs decide to try for a rematch".
Accepting her brother's suggestion even though she could tell that she was not the only one who wanted to stay and help, Katara slowly made her way to the recently arrived bison, wondering just how much more difficult their journey had become with the appearance of yet another terrifying foe.
As she would come to discover in the next few months, it had gotten far more difficult, and far more dangerous.
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Annnnnnnnnd I think I will end the chapter here for now :)
Apologies for the long wait, had a lot of other projects/non fanfic related stuff happen in my life. But Rest assured, this story was has NOT been abandoned, merely had to find the proper state of mind to finish off this chapter in the way that I wanted...which meant my mind had to be on Avatar stuff...not star wars...harem animes...or anime based on a video game (which I'm happy to say is currently being worked on to finish the next chapter lol)
Anyways...Please review since it makes me motivated to keep writing this story if I see that people like this story :P
No flames...though will accept/answer questions in the reviews lol
And accepting offers for the Position of Beta Reader :)