Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar the Last Airbender.
Betaed by: Zim'smostloylservant.
AN:In the quest for quick updates, I just can't seem to win.
Avatar
Aang stirred; he felt the blankets tangled around him tight. A nightmare? He couldn't recall. Despite some discomfort, part of him longed to drift back down into warm darkness, but the rest was opposed. He woke regularly, so it was likely time to be up and about, and Gyatso would bend him out of bed if he took too long.
Yet his struggles against the blankets were inadequate; they felt off too, the texture was wrong. Tiredly, the young Airbender opened his eyes and was shocked by what he saw.
He was in a tent; two men crouched next to the entrance flap garbed in blue coats adorned with feathers and claws.
'Water Tribe?' Aang wondered. Water… the word unlocked memory and it rushed back, stunning him. The storm and everything that led up to it. He must have been blown far south; likely he owed these men his life.
Speaking of, they noticed he was awake and one dashed out through the opening, no doubt fetching a healer or elder. They probably had some questions for him.
Like Gyatso would, Aang realized. The Elders would likely turn their anger on his dearest friend. Did these tribesmen know who he was? Would the Elders send out word the Avatar was on the run? Was Appa okay? !
And why were the blankets tied around him? Was this some Water Tribe technique for hypothermia? Well, they would be the experts, he supposed.
"No, he hasn't said anything," Aang heard from the outside as the hide (ugh) was lifted to admit the man who ran off and a younger warrior. Aang cocked his head as best he could; there was something different about this one.
"I didn't know Water Tribe men wore ponytails," Aang let slip. Didn't Gyatso once tell him it symbolized a perky spirit? He was sorry he had said anything; the shocked and then angry expression on the young man's face said he had stepped on a nerve. Well it wasn't like they would throw him back in the sea.
"Tie him up better and bring him for questioning!" the ponytail man ordered.
Or would they? !
Later:
"So you fell into the ocean during a storm and froze, and just happened to emerge with all the subtlety of a drunk platypus bear in the midst of our operation. And you're also a genuine Airbender?" Sokka recited, tapping his chin with his boomerang.
"Yes, pretty much sums it up, though the frozen part is new to me. I was really in an iceberg?" Aang queried. Now that they had his story draught, he was finding it cool he had lived through something like that. It would certainly make a great story. He did feel a bit guilty about not telling them he was the Avatar, which was probably how he survived in the first place.
They were sitting in a larger tent with a low burning fire in the center. Sokka sat across from Aang, before the entrance, with other warriors between them in a circle. No elders though – Aang was guessing from what he saw this wasn't a village. A hunting expedition, or maybe the Water Tribes were forming war parties with the troubles in the west growing?
"Well – Aang was it? – that is the WORST COVER STORY EVER!" Sokka boomed from low and calm to overbearing exclamation. Aang almost fell backwards in surprise; luckily he didn't, since all the ropes would have made righting himself a little difficult.
"A lost Airbender is enough, but surviving falling into the ocean during a storm, falling from the sky? Not to mention that signal you sent. Are you working for the Prince directly, or the Fire Navy?" Sokka demanded, pointing an accusing finger; he had a sly smile that perked up his mustache, pleased at having 'figured it out'.
"What Prince?" Aang asked. Between the various royal families there were a lot of them.
"You know which," Sokka pressed, crossing his arms.
"No I don't," Aang corrected.
"The Crown Prince of the Fire Nation, Zuko," an older warrior spoke up.
"Bato, I'm asking the questions," Sokka protested.
"Zuko, don't you mean Azulon?" Aang was getting confused. Had he been rescued by crazy people?
The tent went quiet as even Sokka was at a loss for words.
"How long would you say you were in that iceberg?" Bato queried.
"Oh come, on you can't be buying his story!" Sokka whined, smacking his face.
"And your theory is that he froze himself to lie in wait until you blew up an iceberg with a grenade tossed around by your 'prey'?" another warrior spoke up.
"The Fire Lord is the Uncle of Lies! They will go to absurd lengths to get what they want. Besides, he can't be an Airbender, end of story," Sokka insisted, trying to regain control of the situation.
"I can prove it, untie me and I'll show you some airbending," Aang offered. He could demonstrate his breath-based techniques still, but he didn't want to put out their fire or something. The young monk's attention was deserted when he heard a familiar crunch outside. Sokka was oblivious to this and faint cries of sentries as he was caught up in his moment.
"Aha! You just want us to untie you so you can unleash your fiendish plan. Well too bad for you, nothing gets by Sokka of the South," the young war leader declared as the sky bison stuck its massive head through the entryway behind him.
He did take notice of Aang's joyful expression and his men's stunned looks, all directed behind him.
"There's something bad behind me, isn't there?" Sokka ground out. As Bato nodded, shocked at the sight, Sokka thought to himself mutinously:
'The universe…'
"Appa!" Aang cheered.
The Ship:
The dark was gathering as the light faded. Save for the sentries, the crew had retreated from the coming polar night. Or so it might seem – more than one person wandered the gathering chill of their own will.
Katara knew she should head inside; the night was falling and the cold would grow fiercer. But that light, she couldn't get it out of her mind – could it really be the Avatar? The Prince's search had not raised her own hopes; if the Avatar was out there why did he hide when the people needed him so desperately? What was better, for him to be long dead, or alive and not caring?
"You'll catch your death, dancer," a deep voice purred. She shuddered; something about his voice always made her feel dirty. His eyes and a dozen little things told her what he wanted as she turned to regard Lee.
She couldn't help but be reminded of her mother's killer – it wasn't how he looked, and even his voice lacked that same cold focus. Rather, he held himself with that same unnerving entitlement.
"This is my home, I know how to survive," Katara answered.
"Home? Looks more like hell. Bet the best thing to ever happen to you was getting dragged off to a proper land. Even your kin left this waste of space," Lee spat, looking past her at the polar landscape.
'Your kind stole me; you drove them away. You never even wanted this land, so why fight for it?' Katara seethed, trying to contain her fury. The smile as he leaned in closer showed her failure.
"Still a defiant wench; not surprising. All this time and no bastard – the Prince's seed is as weak as he is. Perhaps a real man would set you to rights?" his breath was hot on her face.
They were standing next to a puddle, melted by heat venting from the ship, she could… no, her trump card couldn't be wasted; life gave no second chances. The mad Waterbender had been right about that much.
"The Prince would kill you," she warned him. It was a humiliating threat, but it was the smart option. He laughed and she smelled the rice wine now. The General had opened rations for the cold, and this one had taken advantage. She looked to the sentries staring out to sea not far off; if they heard they deemed not to care. Hardly surprising for Firebenders.
"Let him try, he's weak. The Fire Lord would reward me for clearing the way for the Azure Dragon," the tipsy man declared. That dragon would find the worst way possible to kill him, but that wasn't a threat she could use.
"And General Iroh?" she offered. That seemed to cut through his alcohol addled mind. He took a step back and frowned; yes, the General was not something he could so easily dismiss.
"You want it; we'll see you dance," he seethed, before turning and stomping away.
Katara let out sigh of relief, and found her hands balled into fists. Invoking Firebenders to save herself. She had fallen low.
Looking to the horizon as an angry tear rolled down her cheek, she offered up sincere prayer for the first time since she realized no one was coming to rescue her.
X X X
Aang could hear the Water Tribe warriors conversing on Appa's saddle from his perch on the bison's head. For the moment he tuned them out; it sounded rude phrased thus, but Aang needed to meditate, find his center in the face of this horrid day.
A hundred years, more even, and it was all written in blood, blood and fire. He had known what was happening in the world that night so long ago. But he had not truly believed one of the nations would shatter the peace. He had visited all the nations and made friends in his short life. Why would they go to war? The world was so much better in harmony than discord.
Yet it had happened, and he hadn't been there. The bitterness in Bato's voice when telling the story, those words stood out.
"When the world needed him most, he vanished," the warrior had practically spat. The Avatar, the living embodiment of human unity and harmony, an object of contempt. A reminder of promises broken, tragedies not averted.
And now Aaang was breaking his own personal vow to never fight if he could help it. He had asked the warriors to try and not kill and they had looked at him with such incomprehension.
Another sin – his absence had made these men, who he could not dismiss as corrupt or ignorant, into willing killers. He offered his aid, claiming it was the Airbender way to repay a disservice by doing a favor. Which wasn't a lie, but not exactly the truth.
The truth was he could help them, so he would; it didn't make up for what he feared his running away had done, but mountains are made of small rocks.
He didn't dare dwell on the full implications, he who shoulders the mountain will be crushed; Bumi had once said something to that affect.
So for now, get this Katara quickly to end the fight quickly. What comes after that, comes after that.
"Aang, the ship," Bato called out, softly but firmly. The Avatar opened his eyes; he was very late, but he was here in spite of everything.
X X X
Zuko knew he should sleep. Tomorrow they would land ad search for the source of the light, the Avatar. Uncle had his doubts, as did the crew, but Zuko held none. Uncle had taught him to trust his gut in addition to wisdom, and Azula had endorsed instinct to accompany cunning. When two geniuses that disagreed on so much agreed, he saw it as the best endorsement under the heavens.
The Avatar was near; he knew this and had no need to justify it.
Tomorrow he would either find the Avatar or a clue on where to go next. That light had to be significant; the Avatar wouldn't send up such beacons lightly.
It was written Roku glowed as he shamed Sozin – Zuko was wary of facing that kind of power. But fear was not something he could afford, the only acceptable outcomes required him facing and capturing the Avatar.
Yet here he was, prowling the observation deck when he should be sleeping. The night had a restless feel; he wasn't the only one either, he had glanced the slave storming down a corridor.
Quite hypocritically, the Prince thought she should try to be a bit less intense. Everyone seemed to agree that wasn't healthy.
"Enemy, port!" a shout rang through the night. Zuko whirled and rushed to the railing leaning over it to see. Sure enough something was coming in fast, dark, and… leaving no wake in the water? What waterbending was this?
The form drew up to the deck's level, bathing it in the night light and the deck lanterns.
The men cried out 'monster', but a wide-eyed Zuko knew it immediately. A sky bison, the extinct Bending Animals that perished on the same day their masters were wiped from the face of the world.
He vaguely recalled how the true history ascribed more Firebender deaths to the enraged bison herds than the Air Nomads themselves. But he was grinning ear to ear as he ran to the ladder.
A sky bison! No doubt now – his prey had come right to him.
The crew on the deck scattered as the bison landed with a large thud. As several soldiers charged forward, weapons drawn, the beast spun around with a speed defying its size, and swiftly lifted its tail, then brought it down, unleashing a blast of wind that knocked the soldiers off their feet. As they attempted to recollect themselves, several people dressed in the attire of Water Tribe warriors jumped off the saddle on the bison's back, followed by a young boy in orange and yellow robes.
Zuko was excited. It wasn't the usual mix of anticipation and dread he had learned from battle, or even what he recalled from happier times. He felt as if his armor might fall away from his body vibrating as he hastily descended the exterior ladder.
"Avatar!" Zuko bellowed almost joyously as he hit the deck feet first.
The boy turned when he called his title, surprised but not surprised. He didn't know how, but this was him. Flesh and blood, right before him. His men collected themselves as he walked amongst them. The Prince had an uncharacteristic air about him, the typical sullenness lifted.
He wasn't going to get away… what would Azula do?
"Avatar, I am Zuko, Crown Prince of the Fire Nation, son of Fire Lord Ozai, and descendant of Agni," Zuko declared. The battle halted, both sides feeling some sacred significance to the moment. For the Firebenders, they could truly believe him the brother of his sister, for that moment at least.
"Wait, Avatar? ! What? !" Sokka being an exception.
"I'm Aang, pleased to meet you," Aang answered. He maintained a defensive stance, though he did smile and hold up a hand in greeting. A hopeful/delusional part of him still wanted this to be resolved peacefully – princes were trained to be diplomatic right?
"You're just a child," Zuko stated undiplomatically. Aang felt the wind go out of sails at that remark.
"Well, you're just a… umm," Aang searched for a comeback, studying the handsome young prince in fine armor. The prince cocked an eyebrow, as if wondering where Aang was going with it. But the moment passed – as swift as a snake, the Wandering Prince was in motion, sending a fireball at his prey. Aang went under it, then into the air.
"Aang, the plan!" Bato called from somewhere. Aang saw an opening and zipped through the Firebenders into the open hatch. Slamming the metal door shut, he pulled down the latch and gave a sigh of relief. Hearing the sounds of the battle meters away though, he turned to look down the corridor. He had to find Katara quick and end this.
X X X
"Get that hatch open!" Zuko roared at the soldier struggling with the door as he stalked over.
The Avatar was on his ship; he had waited too long to let opportunity slip through his fingers. And an Airbender in a structure was at a disadvantage – their avoid-and-evade style would be limited in cramped quarters.
The soldier stepped aside for the Prince, who considered the door before assuming a stance. Hardly practical, but speed was of the essence.
Instinct made him duck forward, a few hairs falling from his head as something clanged into the hatch. He glanced to the fallen projectile; a metal boomerang, he had seen its like in the war trophies of the palace. Southern Tribe, naturally.
"Don't go chasing boys when there are men to deal with, but I guess it's natural for the family of mass murderers," he recognized the loud tribesman's voice. Sure enough, he turned to see the man with the stupid mustache standing over a pair of his troops, looking quite pleased with himself.
"The Avatar is my mission, leave now and live," Zuko told him. Beneath the forced clam his rage was building; he would not be denied or delayed after all these years, not when Azula was the prize.
"Weren't you listening? I'm Sokka of the South! Messing with Fire Nation plans is my thing," Sokka grinned, drawing an Earth Kingdom-style short sword and a crude grenade.
"All you are is about to die," Zuko growled, throwing a fire stream at the warrior. Sokka dodged expertly, managing to light his fuse in the bargain.
"Get a writer pretty boy, your lines need work!" Sokka jeered, throwing the grenade.
X X X
Aang was starting to panic as he whizzed through the bowels of the ship. Sure he was making good time, and he had yet to meet anyone to stop him, but there was an unforeseen problem.
Where was Katara kept? What a fine thing to have the time and means, but not the knowledge! Wasn't there a metaphor for this? Why couldn't they have a map hung on the walls or something?
Oh, yeah, warship. Not exactly expecting visitors – well, not friendly ones at least.
Stopping at a fork in the corridor, Aang glanced to the left and right, hoping something would point him in the right direction. As it happened, to his left an old man sprinted into view, buckling his armor on.
'Directions!' Aang thought joyously. Unfolding his staff again he was in the old man's face as the elder turned to see him. Aang held his staff under the old Firebender's bearded chin; the way he held himself made his status as a bender clear.
It was shameful to hold an elder like this, especially since there had been no attack against him or anyone else yet from the man. But to end the fighting quickly Aang simply resolved to meditate on his breach later.
"Katara's room is next right, three flights up the stairs to your left. Go straight, take the third right, and she's behind the one across from the door with the royal seal," the old man told him, gesturing to indicate the directions.
'That was easier than I thought,' Aang blinked.
"Thank you," Aang bowed his head politely before withdrawing his staff and propelling down the corridor, following the directions.
Iroh smiled, watching him go.
"An Airbender, after all this time…" he shook his head, smiling. A distant explosion brought his previous engagement back to mind.
X X X
Aang reached the directed door in short order, and couldn't resist some satisfaction at the close quarter maneuvering. He hadn't earned his arrow so young just because he was the Avatar.
Yes, across from the door with the Fire Nation royal seal – despite the circumstances, the familiar seal was a bit of a comfort in this strange world he had woken to. But why the unmarked door, wasn't important stuff usually labeled? He had heard the Earth Kingdom's big shots had lots of very big fancy doors.
Oh, yeah, Prince's lover – Sokka had been very upset about that part.
It was only as Aang opened the door that it occurred to him this might be a trap the old Firebender had led him into.
He took a step back when he realized a girl was getting ready to attack him.
Then he took a look at the girl.
Aang was young, uninitiated in many things, and the Airbender way would prefer many of those initiations never come to pass in favor of loftier interests. But there were certain things no amount of discretion could totally thwart. Gazing dumbly at the most beautiful thing he had ever seen, even more than a perfectly executed triple reverse axle on an air scooter, Aang was struck with his first smitten.
And he had it bad. So it fell to a frowning and confused Katara to straighten up and look the strange pale boy over. His small stature and strange clothes made him more resemble a Fire Nation jester than anything else. Well, he wasn't Lee, so that was a point in his favor. And why was his head shaven… were those tattoos?
"You're… not a pirate," Katara decided, stepping up to Aang. Glued to the spot, he found himself level with something that did not allow her words to fully snap his brain into alignment.
"I'm not," he said almost like a question. Katara squinted at his tattoos, something tickling in her mind, a forgotten memory just barely in reach.
"Who are you?" she pressed. She meant more broadly "what".
"I'm Aang, hi," the Avatar answered truthfully but unhelpfully.
"So you are. Why are you here Aang?" Katara probed gently, wondering if he was an idiot. Harsh life aside, she still had a soft spot for the less fortunate, albeit a bit smaller of a spot. Luckily for the young Air Nomad, he knew the answer to that one.
"Sokka sent me," he answered dreamily. His face was grabbed and he was ripped from happy vibes to her leaning down to face him.
"Sokka! He's here! ?" Katara yelled in his face. It was unbelievable, her brother here; was she being rescued? Of course she was, why else would this kid be here, and Sokka…
Was her brother actually saving her? It seemed ridiculous, like something from the stories she loved as a little girl in the South.
But here she was, and she had known there was a battle.
A battle; if Sokka was fighting…
This wasn't just a chance at freedom; her brother was in danger. Grabbing Aang by the wrist, she ran down the corridor with him in tow. No need to pack even if there was time, she decided as Aang tried to tell her something.
X X X
'Smoke!' Zuko cursed to himself, trying to glare through the dark vapor.
Sokka the Trickster certainly lived up to his reputation. Zuko was certain he could destroy this annoyance to the Fire Nation head on, and he imagined his opponent agreed. What he thought were grenades were smoke bombs, and he was crippled by the lack of sight.
Sokka struck from the smoke, trying to take him down with one blow and then retreating, evading Zuko's counterattacks. At least the fool had lost his boomerang; apparently the last time Zuko deflected it the infernal weapon went overboard. The warrior's cussing at the loss had nearly cost him his life. And resulted in Zuko setting one of his own soldiers on fire.
Firebenders were said to be more resilient to heat than other humans; more relevantly, any decent Firebender was conditioned to not have their eyes hurt by the smoke that inevitably followed them. But it did nothing to clear his vision, and he dared not strike out blind.
"Are you afraid to face me? ! Some great hero of the Water Tribe," Zuko called out. Flinging insults wasn't something he thought highly of, but Azula thought goading opponents a valid tactic.
Besides, while the man who thwarted the Siege of the North would normally be a grand prize, the Avatar himself was Zuko's objective. Uncle wouldn't approve, but Zuko would bend his honor to meet his ends at this point.
Wait, listen, feel the heat in the air. The meditation technique turned into detection; Uncle had never spoken of using it in a fight though.
Left.
As before, he parried the strike with his gauntlet, using it to deflect the blow rather than take it. Not as successful this time though – his opponent anticipated this and the blade bit through, if only a little.
But he had anticipated enough to counterattack as he took the blow. No time to gather a proper fire blast, just a meager coating of fire as he struck Sokka in the gut.
With a cry of pain and surprise Sokka stumbled back, still keeping hold of his sword. Zuko should have used his own swords; keeping them in his cabin rather than on his person made this much harder than it should have been.
Sokka began to rise to see Zuko standing over him, arms held ready for a fire blast that would finish him.
"Surrender or die," Zuko told the erstwhile hero of the enemy. It was only a formality; he never expected this man to surrender. The Prince did not enjoy killing, but dead enemies seldom return to trouble you, and he needed to tend to the Avatar.
The smoke had been clearing, now it was blown away as a gust of wind struck Zuko in the back and sent him hurtling over the downed warrior.
Zuko landed flat on his back, his armor scrapping on the deck. Pushing himself up, he stopped as he found himself looking down Sokka's blade; the tables had turned.
"Sometimes the universe does love me," Sokka grinned. Killing a Fire Nation royal wasn't on his to do list… what kind of ransom do you get for a Prince these days, he wondered?
"Not tonight. Drop it," Sokka froze as he felt a metal tip press lightly into the back of his neck.
Zuko nodded to the soldier as Sokka tossed his sword aside and the Prince pulled himself up.
He could see the Avatar standing before the hatchway with Katara in tow. What was she doing? An escape attempt? Not that it mattered; he had the Avatar and the ideal way to catch an Airbender – their insistence on life's sanctity.
"Avatar! Give yourself up or this man dies," Zuko declared. More soldiers were gathering, the remaining Water Tribe warriors standing warily as their leader was held at spear point.
"Don't you dare!" Sokka growled. But not at the Prince – he was threatening the Avatar.
"Sire!" a soldier shouted. The urgency in his voice made Zuko turn his head, and his eyes snapped into saucers as a massive water whip knocked aside the knot of soldiers and himself.
Sokka was also knocked down by the force of the water, but unlike the Fire Nation men he was swiftly pulled to his feet.
Katara stalked up to Lee as the man who had just held her brother at spear point cradled his head. Her heart was pounding so hard from fear and anger she could practically feel the blood flowing through her. Perhaps even more than that, she had finally struck back – she had taken their moment of victory just as they had taken so much from her.
The water had been ice she melted on fury-fueled skill; she had felt like she could have split an iceberg in that moment. It must have shown on her face, because when her most despised tormentor looked up, recognition was swiftly replaced by terror. He raised a hand and opened his mouth.
She didn't let him speak; she pulled up a wave with that same raw emotion stripping the deck of water, and cast him the short distance needed to send him into the polar sea.
"A Waterbender?" she heard the Prince ponder. He was on his feet again; he was a level above his men, after all.
"Yes, you really should have paid some attention, your majesty," Katara grinned. Prince Zuko scowled, but with his men lying about in a heap and Water Tribe warriors around him, she no longer had to care what this man thought.
"Good to have you back, now let's-" Sokka began. He was interrupted when whips of fire came down around the Prince, forcing his men back. Everyone's attention went to the hatch – the Dragon of the West had arrived, and he didn't look happy.
Aang saw this as a good chance to leave.
"Appa!" the Avatar called out, and the bison swept down to land on the deck. The Water Tribe warriors wasted no time; they hadn't come to take the ship, and they knew who this man was. Katara marveled at the strange beast before glancing to the General. His stony gaze turned to her and gave the slightest nod.
Feeling as light as air, she ran to the beast and accepted Aang's hand helping her into the saddle.
"NO!" The Prince cried out. Dashing through his uncle's dying flames he fired off a series of blasts at the bison as it lifted from the deck. In one arcing swing, the Avatar let loose a windblast that extinguished or diverted all of Zuko's attacks.
"Uncle! Together! Bring it down!" Zuko ordered his uncle. It was unseemly, but his chance was slipping away!
Iroh rose to the occasion – after all, he was certain it wouldn't work. They performed the dual kata and let loose a massive fireball. As it hurtled toward the bison and its cargo, the Avatar leapt clear of the bison and was lost from their sight. Again the rush of wind and the fireball hit the ocean, raising an impossible steam from the waters.
It cleared to reveal empty skies. The Prince ran to the edge of the deck, frantically searching the horizon. The Avatar was gone.
X X X
"Katara! I knew it was you!" Sokka yelled as he embraced his sister. He'd known when he saw her on deck, but only now could the two truly be reunited, in the cramped quarters of Appa's saddle. Though he noted it not as crowded as when they had come.
But they had won, and they had brought back the Avatar, the warriors thought as Appa sailed over the ice flows under the starry sky. The resentment might return come morning, but tonight the hero had returned to save the day after all.
"Sokka, what's that on your lip?" Katara asked, smiling finally as she examined her brother. Sokka's eye twitched, pushing her to arm's length as he held her shoulders.
"Are you joking? ! We don't see each other for years, I go to war, you get enslaved, and I rescue you, and the first thing you do is make fun of my mustache! ?" Sokka shrilly raged against the universe.
"Sokka, you never change," Katara laughed, pulling him back into a hug.
"It's a perfectly good mustache," Sokka grumbled over her shoulder.
Aang smiled along with the warriors – he had failed to keep people from dying, but he had done something good tonight, there was no doubt on that.
X X X
"Prince Zuko you need to calm down," Iroh held up his hands. The two royals stood on the observation deck – or rather, he stood while his nephew stalked around with barely contained fury. He was certain steam would be coming from his nephew's mouth soon enough at this rate.
"Calm down? He was here, Uncle, the Avatar after all these years, a century! And he slipped through my fingers! We need to start searching before he gets away!" Prince Zuko bellowed.
"CALM DOWN. A raging fire is good to no one, especially its bender," Iroh intoned. Reminded of whom he was yelling at, the Prince stopped and turned his attention, not calmed but at least listening.
"The ship is ready to move but that is all. We lost four men and soon it will be five. That isn't speaking of the wounded – would you fight veterans and a Waterbender in their homeland?" the Dragon of the West demanded.
Zuko whirled and grabbed the rails, glaring over the icy sea. The Trickster was infamous for his traps and irregular tactics; this raid could have been about luring him into a trap.
'As if I was important enough,' Zuko huffed to himself. His sister was the object of veneration to his people and hatred to the enemy. Her fame was well deserved; she was the most worthy woman to walk the world after all. He idly wondered if Father would even ransom him if it came to that.
"Also, the Avatar is revealed, secrecy kept him safe but that won't work if the Fire Nation searches the South Pole in force," Iroh continued. That was speculation on his part – he wasn't entirely sure that boy was the Avatar. There could be other surviving Airbenders. Hiding from a world at war was in character for their tragic people. Not that he blamed them; after the massacre, surviving at all would be their goal, not revenge.
The words seemed to have an effect. His nephew straightened and released the rail. After a moment more staring, Zuko crossed his hands behind his back and let out a long breath. When he turned, the rage was gone, but the determined fires were shining brighter than ever in his eyes.
Iroh resisted the urge to step back. Zuko walked past him and the spell of nostalgia was broken, but for a moment it had been a young Ozai he had seen standing before him.
"You're right Uncle, he will run for the Remnant, and with a sky bison we must intercept him, as pursuit is futile. Send out the hawks; my rank and royal order gives me authority, whatever the men think. We will be ready and waiting for the Avatar – Azula is not the only one who can out think her opponent," Zuko smiled. It wasn't a pleasant expression, Iroh noted.
The Crown Prince stalked into the ship with a purposeful stride. No doubt to compose his orders and consult his maps for this trap he was hatching.
"Well, so much for setting him up with Katara," Iroh sighed. The Prince didn't even care enough to get angry about her being a secret bender. Best not let that get around; if people called his nephew foolish for missing that… well, no reason to throw coal on a wild fire.
Royal Palace, Fire Nation:
Azula had come to realize that even when you master something, it does not always make it enjoyable. Mingling was one of those things. She felt as disgusted and ill at ease here as she did at the Fire Academy for Girls socials. Soldiers made for better company – Earth Kingdom soldiers, she had long since decided.
The fact that one day she would have to navigate these waters constantly on her brother's behalf made her down her drink a bit quicker than was warranted.
Still, it was nice to be back in the palace. Her HQ was more secure, but the opulence of the palace was where she had begun and, along with Zuko, that made it about as sacred as any site to her mind.
And the palace was opulent tonight; Father was pulling out the stops for this celebration. That was hardly unusual though, as the growth of the royal family was a big deal.
Azula deposited her empty glass on a passing server's tray, opting out of selecting a new glass.
The banquet proper had yet to begin; now was the time of mingling and the eating of stuff carried on trays.
If she had to endure any more repetitive war stories featuring Uncle she might dig up certain officers' graves and ask if she could switch places. And she couldn't even brush the annoying people off!
That had been Uncle's mistake; he had never been popular with the court, holding a warrior's contempt for the grey beards who preferred High Command to the front and the gaggles of ministers and clan representatives. Which had been fine when he was the darling of the realm and the soldiers in the field. It was no accident that no one who mattered questioned her father's ascension despite its irregularities.
They had feared and hated the Dragon of the West, but when they saw his weakness, like sharks drawn to blood they had not hesitated.
Which meant in addition to following in her uncle's footsteps despite a war not lending itself to grand conquest, she had to beat Father at his own game while fighting a war.
Fortunately she was herself – for anyone else she would consider the task impossible.
"Oh, isn't it wonderful? !" Ty Lee cheered, popping up next to Azula. While Azula wore her dress armor befitting rank along with her royal insignia, Ty Lee was wearing a formal cut of her pink style. Showing stomach at an occasion like this was a virtual social crime, but she was with Royal General Azula, so all was forgiven in advance. Not like the young men were offended… or the old men for that matter, Azula thought.
She could see Ty Lee's young admirers waiting in the wings to resume fawning over her friend. At least the older men had the decency to leer from afar – these boys should be sent back to their mothers till they learned to think less with their rods.
Then again, they were smart enough to not approach the Azure Dragon with lust filled minds, so not complete fools.
"Azula," Ty Lee pouted as Azula ignored her question to try and kill her admirers with glares. Ty Lee could not fully understand her friend's aversion to attention; attention was the basis of interacting and interaction led to friendship and most good things in life. Perhaps it was because she preferred Zuko's attention, Ty Lee wondered?
"Well, Father certainly pulled out the stops. Still, I fail to see how it's sensible to pull me and so many fine officers from the war just to spend a night together," Azula answered offhandedly. Well, to be fair, it wasn't a frivolous waste; the assembled officers would meet with the High Command in a conference to take some use from this gathering.
"Not the party silly! You're a big sister now!" Ty Lee laughed, initiating her bear-killing glomp before the Princess could defend herself.
'What an inglorious death, Father didn't even have to pay for an assassin,' Azula thought in the embrace before she was allowed to breathe again.
"Half sister," Azula muttered. Ty Lee frowned, which was hypocritical, seeing as the girl had no use for her own sisters. Hardly surprising, since Agni had dolls on the mind with that lot – it was unnatural, their resemblances. Save for Ty Lee they matched fairly well in personality as well, perfect polite proper aristocrats.
She could forgive the girl her strangeness; distinction came to the Azure Dragon from birth, her yojimbo had to embrace all manner of oddity to separate herself from being part of a set.
So despising her siblings in all but name, Azula saw little ground for Ty Lee to disapprove of her own animosity. The child was a threat, a gauntlet thrown down by her father in their oh so secret war.
Though it would be an excuse…
"Ty Lee, I do believe you are right," Azula answered, turning a smile on her friend. She gave the girl no chance to reply, rolling onward like an armored charge.
"I am an elder sibling and it would be shameful for me to meet my new sister for the first time in such a public venue. Something more personal is called for," Azula declared loud enough for those nearby to pick up, but not a true exclamation.
Ty Lee smiled at her friend getting into the spirit. She may have feared being part of her sisters' aura but she still loved them. Really, she did.
Azula wound through the crowd to the grand doors… it occurred to her she had never seen them closed. What purpose is a door that never closes?
For all her smoothness, her departure did not go unnoticed as she plied what she needed to know from the guards and departed.
A General and a Colonel watched her go. They looked to be kin, and the matching sideburn hairstyles proclaimed it so. The General, with his grey hair and lined face, sipped his drink.
"I thought she would be a disappointment after the stories," the Colonel admitted. The General shifted his attention without moving his head.
"She is as you expected nephew?" he asked.
"Well no, I mean she is impressive, but she…" the Colonel tried to answer his uncle.
"You expected a hero and found a monster instead.
"Don't worry, everyone who matters knows what she is. An unnatural creature, to be sure. She mastered the basics of Firebending when most are still forbidden to bend without supervision. Her intelligence is unnerving, and her cunning more so, one so young should not know so much. And the blue fire… and a girl at the last.
"She's not like us nephew, she is Agni's monster. A blessing to be sure – to have a monster on your side is a boon from Agni on high.
"You must speak with her tonight, put fear in its place so you can reach for opportunity," the uncle advised his nephew. Ty Lee listened before melting back into the background, her face cheery as her eyes saddened.
X X X
The nursery; it hadn't changed in ages, much less since her own vague memories. Children were kept away from the throne room and centers of power. The palace laws gave little allowance for ignorance, so for their sakes those too young to hold themselves properly were shunted to the side. It was kind, in an uncaring sort of way.
Yet while Roku destroyed much, this area survived intact. The true history claimed Avatar Roku as having no small amount of compassion, and he would have known the lay of the palace.
But thoughts of dead Avatars did not concern her; that was her brother's song. She had business with her sister. The wrinkled old woman in pink and black sitting next to the bassinet wasn't Lo or Li. Azula was happy they weren't being shared, but also saw it as an insult to people she regarded as valuable.
The woman caught the order in her eyes and scuttled off like the dried beetle she reminded Azula of. A downgrade – the elderly twins would not be so easily moved from a royal duty.
Yet now she had no obstacles, and pride left no choice but to walk over and take her look. She could not understand where this uncertainty was coming from.
Looking down into the bassinet she found herself underwhelmed. The tiny pink thing had tiny clothes befitting its rank, but the as of yet unnamed infant was as unimpressive as its kind always were. Not that she had much experience with the like.
Thankfully it was asleep; she knew enough to know they could be quite loud and did not understand an order to be quiet.
"Was I ever truly so tiny and dependent?" Azula whispered, narrowing her eyes examine her sister. Yes, was the honest answer – she had once been as dependent on her own mother as this one was. Idle curiosity had her run a callused fingertip along its brow.
Infants were known to die suddenly, royalty was no exception, would her mother have quietly ended her had she known what the years to come would bring?
'I could end this threat easily enough,' the thought played across her mind without fanfare. Her finger stopped as her eyes sprang wide.
"What?" the shocked whisper escaped clenched teeth. Where had that thought come from? She wouldn't… no, her mother had been wrong, she wasn't truly…
Her thoughts spiraled downward in confusion as she scrambled for purchase in her own head. Her mother's voice echoing in her ears she was oblivious to all, until the spell was broken.
A tiny hand around her outstretched finger and a gurgle brought her back. Blinking away the chaos, already shoving the lapse away from herself, she saw the infant was awake. It regarded her with curious eyes, the eyes of a mother they didn't share. Azula resisted the urge to pull back when her finger was tugged and the baby began to suck on it.
"How do I taste?" Azula asked, baffled by the situation. The babe looked up from its prize at the noise and released her. The Azure Dragon received a gurgling smile as she cleaned her finger on a kerchief.
"To your liking then," Azula concluded. She heard someone coming down the hallway and was grateful – time to go. Yet as she reached the door she looked back; the fear was solely hers this time.
She closed the door gently behind her, and turned to meet her stepmother's approach. The woman was beautiful, but Azula was unimpressed; it was a very thin beauty, the kind that took so much effort to create. The eyes were as full of suspicion as ever – no, they held anger at the moment.
Coward; she actually brought a pair of guards and her crone?
"My sister seems in good order, Fire Lady. I think it's time I returned to the feast though," Azula informed them with perfect politeness. They entered the nursery as she walked away, as if afraid she had some ill intent.
They obviously did not know whom they were dealing with. Good enough – they would learn when it pleased her for them to know. Smiling sincerely and not without warmth, Azula made her way back to the viper's nest. She wondered what name her father had chosen.
BUMIAKE:
The Mad King of Omashu cackled as he read the report. His assistant/partner in crime joined in on the much maligned self expression.
"What are we laughing about?" Toph asked while they caught their breath.
"See for yourself," Bumi told her, tossing the scroll to the blind girl. She glared at the crazy old man, who after a few moments frowned.
"Oh, right, blind. My old friend Aang turned up, and he's coming for a visit. We simply must throw him a special party," Bumi declared.
"The special parties like you hold for the soldiers, or the kind for diplomats?" Toph asked. Both were amusing, but the amount of fruit required varied.
"The kind we hold for old friends that don't write for a hundred years – get my tailor, this calls for a new outfit. Brush up on your meek-slash-rude servant girl routine," Bumi started to make a mental list of ingredients for the perfect "Welcome back jerk, but I love you anyway" party.
"No Melon Lord?" Toph pouted.
"Next time; Aang wouldn't be able to handle the Melon Lord.
"Ah, I remember the first time I met Aang; I thought, there is a man who knows about hair! So many men waste so much time on their hair, and when they get old live in fear of loosing it. But here he goes and just cut it all down like a Firebender in a forest, clear-cut!
"Of course I was less impressed when I found out it was just an Airbender thing. But hair can't be denied; even in the pursuit of enlightenment, the monks all cultivated bizarre beards and frightening mustaches.
"I once encountered an Airbender without facial hair, and he had monstrous eyebrows. I thought he was being attacked by poisoned caterpillars, so I threw rocks at his eyebrows. Airbenders are supposed to avoid and evade. It was his fault anyway for forcing his hair to such extreme measures.
"Anyway, Father threw me in the dungeon again, which is how I discovered-"
"What does this have to do with Aang?" Toph asked.
"Aang? Oh yes, Aang! When I first met Aang I was a pretty young girl eking out an existence on the streets of Omashu, which was pronounced with more emphasis on the 'Shu' then. Misogyny is an ugly thing you know," Bumi ranted as Toph laughed, enjoying the latest version of the Aang story.
AN:
What can I say? I hope the next update comes sooner, sorry for the wait.