Author's Note: I'm exploring ways of presenting the story. Let me know what works and what doesn't!
The past branches from canon at Blue Spirit, which begins in this chapter.
Colonel Shinu,
You are hereby ordered to divert what troops you can spare to reinforce our hold on Ba Sing Se.
Fire Lord Ozai
My Lord,
Allow me to express my deepest sympathies in losing Azula, your daughter, during the coup at Ba Sing Se. Your terrible loss is felt by us all. I met your daughter years ago in better times. She was the most fierce and clever young woman I'd ever had the pleasure of meeting. Her noble sacrifice ended the Avatar threat and paved the way for an end to this war. She is a true hero.
As for your request, I regret to inform you that I cannot provide you with the manpower you seek in strengthening our position in Ba Sing Se and continue to maintain order among the populace here. As you are well aware, last year Admiral Zhao ordered the use of 3 platoons worth of Yu Yan archers and support personnel in an effort to find and capture the Avatar. Of the 450 men and women dispatched to the mission, less than 60 found their way back to camp. Fewer than 20 were deemed fit for duty. The rest are presumed dead at the hands of the Avatar. To weaken my forces further would invite opportunities for open rebellion.
Of course, my troops and I will accommodate your orders to the best of our abilities. I await your decision.
Respectfully,
Colonel Shinu
Colonel Shinu,
The situation at Ba Sing Se is more dire than first reported.
Mobilize your entire force and reinforce our position at Ba Sing Se under the command of my son, Prince Zuko. Leave no skeleton crew at the fortress nor leave any resources for resistance forces to find. You will be briefed more fully when you arrive. Leave without delay. Another regiment will arrive shortly to handle the locals.
Fire Lord Ozai
-Present day-
Piro averted her eyes away from Kyala and gazed at the barely visible tendrils of steam rising from her tea. She seemed lost for a few moments. Finally, Piro said "It's been 54 years since I first laid eyes on your father. He came in during a storm, the likes of which I'd not seen before nor since." She relaxed into her chair, closed her eyes and sipped from her cup as if drawing strength from the warm liquid. "Not even a teenager. He was spry, confident, bubbling with life, and in a such great hurry."
"Hello! I'm sorry to barge in like this, but I need some medicine for my friends. They have fevers and they've been coughing and –"
"What struck me most was his innocence. In my youth, the airbender tattoo meant death to its bearer. The Fire Nation paid a tidy sum to anyone who brought in an Air Nomad, real or otherwise. More than a few innocent souls found themselves kidnapped, their foreheads scarred, then sold to as Air Nomad refugees by their friends, family, or neighbors. By the time Aang returned to the world, the genocide Sozin started was nigh complete."
"Nigh? You mean some Air Nomads are still alive?"
Piro merely shrugged. "Like water, air may escape via even the most insubstantial gap."
"You're insane, aren't you?"
"What did you tell my father?" Kyala asked, despite herself. The implications of rogue Air Nomads still in existence today sent her mind racing. The loss of his people weighed heavily on Aang. To find even the most miniscule enclave would've brought such unimaginable joy. She checked her rage. Why would this woman, purported to be her father's friend, would hide this information? It made her blood boil.
"To have his companions suck on frozen wood frogs, but I'm sure you've been told that story. As I recall, Sokka was particularly incensed by that."
"That's right," Piro returned to her task: a poultice to rid bot flies from infected troops. No gust of wind? No pitter patter of running feet? Piro looked up from her concoction. The airbender looked out her dumbfounded. He needed to get a move on. "Well, don't just stand there all day." Piro's whipped her spoon in Aang's direction. The black poultice landed squarely on his cheek. "Go!"
"When did you start traveling with my father?" Kyala felt like that should've been the end of their interaction. Why would Aang return? Weren't Admiral Zhao's soldiers looking for him by then?
"Unfortunately, not long after." Piro shifted uncomfortably in her chair.
"Why unfortunately?" Kyala leaned forward with interest and placed her cup of tea on the table.
"The next day, after the storm subsided, I went out on my usual walk to collect firewood, among other essentials. When I reached the base of Taku, all I found was devastation."