The Golden Wolf Warrior
By: Agent-Ayu
Chapter 14: Battle of Omashu
Note: I'm back! Okay so there is going to be two notes (this one and one at the end of the chapter). First off, school sucks. Especially college, and it's your last year before graduated and transferring to another college next fall. We had late mid-terms, then weather issues closing the school for a whole week leading straight into finals. This is the end of the first note. More at the end of the chapter.
Disclaimer: Disclaimer from Prologue still applies.
Katara leaned in towards Tom Tom, "Ooo, you're so CUTE. Mmmmm..."
Azula smiled when she saw her girlfriend kiss the baby on the cheek.
"Azula, can we keep him?" Katara asked excitedly.
"He's not a pet, Katara." Sokka said annoyingly.
"I know that, I was just teasing." Katara argued.
Tom Tom managed to get out of Katara's grasp and walked over to the firebender. He sat himself down directly in front of Azula and gave her a big smile as he waved his arms in front of her. Azula had a faint blush on her face realizing the boy wanted her to pick him up.
"Oh, no. If you want cuddling go back to Katara." Azula urged the young Fire Nation child. But Tom Tom did not move he just kept waving his arms in front of her smiling and laughing. "Okay, I admit you're cute, but I don't want to cuddle with you."
Realizing that the firebender wasn't going to lift him up he began to cry. "No, no please don't cry. Okay, alright, I'll cuddle with you!" Azula panicked as she lifted Tom Tom and held him to her.
The boy immediately stopped crying and cooed as he cuddled into Azula. "Awww, Azula you're a natural with little kids." Katara awed.
"This is not right. Kids should be running away from me in fear." Azula responded, as she blushed deeper when Tom Tom snuggled further onto Azula and yawned. "I've just become his pillow didn't I?"
"Pretty much. You two are so cute together." Katara leaned against the firebender. Azula leaned her head down on her girlfriend's head. "I hope we can have a family of our own someday." Katara mumbled before falling asleep.
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Cazu looked down from the balcony of Mai's room. "Pentapox? That's the disease that made the soldiers and your father scared?" The princess asked.
"Yep. I found it rather amusing." Mai replied as she leaned against the railing while twirling a set of her kunais. "Though the moon turning red and vanishing incident was more fun to watch."
"Only you would think that way. Dad isn't going to be happy to hear how stupid these soldiers are becoming. That's if I decide to tell him. There's no such thing as pentapox! Besides how could any of the resistance capture Tom Tom if he was in his room earlier today, according to one of the servants?"
"Who knows? Who cares?"
The princess looked over at her friend. "You do. He's your little brother."
"I know. Doesn't mean I care about him." The assassin tried denying.
"Yes, you do. While your expression says one thing, I know you well enough that you care for him. If Ty Lee was here even she would say your aura is very pink whenever Tom Tom is around you."
"I don't believe in auras." Mai stopped twirling her kunais.
"You don't have to. Only those who know you well enough can tell your expression changes when he's around. You're lucky. At least you have a sibling."
Mai turned to the firebender. She and Ty Lee knew how hard it was for Cazu when the princess learned how her mother died. "Cazu…"
"It's alright." Cazu interrupted Mai. "I can't keep thinking on the 'what if's. My mom isn't coming back, and my dad is not going to remarry. Just do me a favor, when you're around Ty Lee and I don't deny your feelings for your brother. Even though Ty Lee as six identical sisters and they drive her crazy enough for her to runaway to join the circus, I know she still loves them. You two are just lucky."
Cazu stepped back slightly so she could place her head on top of her arms that were crossed on the railing. Silence fell between the two girls. The princess kept thinking about her mother.
"How could Fire Lord Azulon do that to his own soldiers?" Cazu suddenly shouted.
The assassin jumped slightly not expecting her friend's sudden out burst.
The firebender had her face covered by her hands as she tried not to cry. "How could he do that to them? I'm not the only one who lost a parent in that betrayal. Azulon purposely sent all those soldiers to that battle knowing fully well they would not make it out alive just to attempt to break the outer wall into Ba Sing Se. Why them? Why did it even have to come to betraying your own people for a stupid war?"
Tears were slowly down the princess' cheeks. Mai gently placed a hand on Cazu's back. "What are you going to do when you go to Ba Sing Se?" Mai asked.
"I… I don't know." Cazu wiped away her tears. "I don't even understand why Dad is attempting to go at the outer wall again after what happened to Mom. If he wants to make it an easy victory for the Fire Nation he should be focusing on stalling the Avatar from finding an Earthbending master until Sozin's Comet this summer."
Mai quickly removed her hand from the princess' shoulder. This was a side of Cazu she did not appreciate being around. She knew, and Ty Lee knew, there are times where Cazu could be very dangerous. Even though Cazu is one of the kindest people anyone would ever meet, she was very practical and her practicality is what made her dangerous. The Fire Nation Princess was a natural strategist.
"Is that why you're here? Are you asking me to go with you to track down the Avatar?" Mai asked.
"No. That's my Dad's trouble. I'm only following his orders. Find the wanted Water Tribe firebender and run the drill that is supposedly going to break the outer wall to Ba Sing Se. I'm here to see how miserable you are in this city. If you want you can come with me when I leave and stay with Ty Lee at her circus."
"I'm in! Anything to get out of this place."
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Azula was subconsciously rocking the small boy as she stared out towards Omashu. The sun was just starting to rise. Tom Tom gripped the front of Azula's shirt tighter as he continued to sleep against her chest.
"You're a natural."
The firebender turned to see her girlfriend, who was still half asleep, walk up to her. Katara placed a kiss on top of Tom Tom's head.
"I still say he should be running away from me." Azula smiled.
"I think you're familiar to him. He's from the Fire Nation just like you. I wouldn't doubt it if he knew you're a firebender. He looks more comfortable around you than he did with me."
Tom Tom snuggled more into Azula. The small gesture caused the firebender to widen her smile. If they didn't count the many encounters with Zhao or running into Jeong Jeong and his followers, Tom Tom was the first person Azula came in contact with who was from the Fire Nation.
"I have a feeling the trade off is not going to be so peaceful as that letter made it seem. The governor may want his son back, but would he really trade Bumi for him?"
"How could you think such a thing, Azula? What if it was your child?" Katara whispered trying hard not to yell.
"If it was my child I know for a fact I would want my son or daughter back, but this boy is not mine. I'm only thinking that possibility out loud because there is no doubt in my mind that the Fire Nation would probably do exactly what I just said. We could be walking into a trap."
Katara shook her head. "I can't believe you think so bad about someone."
"Try seeing this from my point of view. It wouldn't be the first time the Fire Nation betrayed their own people." Azula turned her attention back towards Omashu. "It wouldn't be the first." She whispered to Tom Tom.
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Cazu and Mai walked up the stairs to the construction platform. When they reached the top Cazu instantly singled out one of the members from the opposite side. She immediately recognized Azula. The Fire Nation Princess silently thanked Agni because Azula was not holding Tom Tom.
The silence between the two groups was broken as a crane lowered a metal coffin that was holding King Bumi. Azula shook her head as everyone heard Bumi laugh and snort as he was lowered. The chain kept twisting until Bumi's face was revealed to the two parties.
"Hi, everybody!" The king announced cheerfully.
When the coffin finally landed on the platform Mai stepped forward. "You brought my brother?"
"He's here." Aang said as he stepped forward as well. "We're ready to trade."
From the corner of her eye, Mai say Cazu lower her head slightly. The princess looked like she was ready to attack. "You have something planned don't you?" Mai whispered.
"That's the firebender I was planning on tracking after I left. Looks like I get to fight her sooner," Cazu whispered back.
"What about Tom Tom?"
"Think you can handle the two Water Tribe members?"
"They have the Avatar with them."
"I know. If we play it right we won't have to worry about him."
"Okay I trust you." Mai turned her attention back to Aang. "The deal's off." Mai raised her hand causing Bumi to be raised off the ground.
"BUMI!" Aang yelled. The airbender charged towards the rising metal coffin.
The Fire Nation princess ran towards Aang. Using the momentum of her run she flipped herself into a cartwheel and front flip. On her way down she sent an arc of fire towards Aang. She was temporarily blinded by a burst of blue fire when she landed on the ground.
When both flames dispersed, Cazu was on the ground look up not at the Avatar, but Azula. A shadow flew over Cazu, telling Aang had airbended his way above her. The Fire Nation princess smirked.
Azula saw the smirk and barely jumped out of the way as Cazu threw a stream of fire. The two firebenders each took a fighting stance none were those of a traditional firebending.
Cazu was in a shortened back stance and her arms were extended from her sides as if she was challenging Azula to make the first move. Azula took a defense waterbending stance. It was a stand off.
Seeing as Azula was not going to make the first move, Cazu stepped out of her stance to take a small step forward. As she stepped the princess did a reverse turn while crouching and did a leg sweep sending an arc of fire that was close to the ground towards Azula. The blue firebender jumped into the air to avoid the fire.
"That's a mistake on your part." Cazu commented. She threw a roundhouse kick before jumping in the air turning all the way around to throw another roundhouse kick in mid-air, sending two fire arcs at Azula.
The Water Tribe firebender just barely dodge both arcs. Azula took control of the second arc and redirected it towards Cazu. However, the arc missed. The Fire Nation princess was nowhere in site. Suddenly she felt a sharp pain on her back as she fell to the ground. When she looked up she saw Cazu standing over her.
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She knew she was in trouble. Azula wasn't used to fighting someone who knew how to firebend in a different art form like she did. The Water Tribe firebender did a scissors motion with her legs kicking into the front and back of Cazu's legs tripping the Fire Nation princess.
Cazu reached out in front of her as she fell to flip herself over instead of falling to the ground as Azula hoped for. The two firebenders were once again facing each other readying themselves. Azula took a deep breath before releasing a giant fireball out of her palm towards Cazu.
The fireball flew past Cazu as she immediately dropped into a front split. Unfazed, Cazu jumped up from her splits and countered with a fireball of her own.
Azula prepared herself to redirect the fireball, but it dispersed before it even reached her. She then realized Cazu's weakness.
"AZULA!"
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Both Azula and Cazu turned their attention to Katara. "Azula, the baby! He's in one of the carts of the delivery shoot."
Brushing past Cazu, Azula ran towards Katara. Sokka was already on Appa, ready for them to chase Tom Tom.
"How in Agni's name did he get there? Sokka, I thought you were looking after him!" Azula quickly climbed on Appa as she yelled.
"Well, someone had to throw a giant blue fireball at us. If it wasn't for you, I would have –"
"Would the two of you hold your bickering for after we save Tom Tom!" Cazu shouted as she and Mai climbed into Appa's saddle.
Sokka panicked. "There is no way the two of you are going to be coming with us. You took back your end of the deal."
Cazu grabbed a handful of Sokka's shirt. "Either you get this bison moving or I will toss you into one of those carts and not bother to save you. Get moving now. Tom Tom could be half way towards the end of the chute as we speak!"
"Oh, move over!" Katara pushed Sokka and Cazu out of the way. "Appa, yip yip!" Appa flew as fast as he could to catch up to the cart Tom Tom was sliding in.
"Do you have any decent length rope?" Cazu asked, mainly looking at Azula for the answer.
Azula immediately dug into one of the packs they had to pull out some of Sokka's rope. "Why?"
The Fire Nation princess grabbed hold of the rope and began to make a small noose. "I'm going to grab Tom Tom, while you…" Cazu looked at Azula again, "listen for if I need you to lower or rise this bison. Mai, I'm going to hand Tom Tom to you once I pull him up."
Mai nodded while Cazu quickly tied the loose end of the rope to Appa's saddle handle and attached the small noose around her right ankle.
"Are you crazy?" Sokka asked.
"I've been told on several occasions." Cazu responded as she sat on the edge of the saddle waiting for Appa to get closer to the cart Tom Tom was in. The closer they flew to the cart the more they could hear Tom Tom laughing.
Cazu sat back out of the saddle so she was dangling upside down on Appa's side. Tom Tom looked up to see Cazu and laughed even harder.
"Tom Tom, come on get a little closer." Cazu encouraged the toddler. When he didn't move Cazu yelled up to Azula. "We need to get closer, he's not moving from the cart."
Shortly Appa was flying above the cart with Cazu hanging into the cart to grab Tom Tom. Just as she was about to pick him up, Mai shouted.
"Cazu, look out!"
The Fire Nation princess barely saw the poles and beams that were stabilizing the chute. She quickly brought herself up high enough on Appa as they flew over the beams. Cazu was gripping Appa's fur tightly.
Once past the beams Cazu lowered herself back down to grab hold of Tom Tom. She easily grabbed the young boy and held him against her chest as she climbed back up Appa. Once they two were close enough Mai grabbed her brother and Azula helped Cazu the rest of the way up.
The three Fire Nation girls stared at Tom Tom. They smiled when they saw Tom Tom laughing as Mai held onto him. Cazu placed her elbow on her knee, and her chin on her hand. She imagined herself being in Mai's place with a younger sibling she could have had.
Azula continued smiling as she remembered another memory from her past.
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The three-year-old princess looked up at her cousin, Lu Ten. She smiled so wide she could barely feel her cheeks. Azula and her brother were fighting for their older cousin's attention.
In the end, Azula won. Her imagination of why she always won was because she was the baby of the family and the only girl.
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"You could have easily beaten me today."
Azula snapped out of her thoughts and looked at Cazu. "What do you mean?"
"You're an amazing firebender. Your wanted posters didn't say anything about you producing blue fire. Being able to bend fire in a different color proves you are probably the strongest firebender in the world. Blue fire is hotter than the normal fire and from what I saw, it produces doubles, maybe triples, the size of any attack a normal firebender could produce." Cazu explained.
"However," Cazu continued. "You lack the mental aspect of a firebender. You think too much like a waterbender. It is understandable since you know how to bend water like fire, but don't forget fire is your natural element. You need to remember to think like a firebender too on defense."
"Firebending doesn't allow for much defense though. That's where my 'waterbending' comes in." Azula argued.
Cazu smirked. "Yes, that is true. But, you didn't even 'waterbend' my fire away earlier. You jumped. Any firebender could have easily parted my attack using firebending. That's why I said 'That's a mistake on your part.'"
Azula smirked in return. "Aright then, if you want to get nit picky about it. You also lack the mental aspect of a firebender."
The Fire Nation princess arched her one of her eyebrows. Azula continued explaining. "You amazing physically of moving very differently of a firebender. However, you don't have the correct breathing pattern down. Your fireball didn't even reach me and I wasn't standing too far away from you either. That's your current weakness."
"You two have to be the most stupid women I have ever met!" Sokka exclaimed jumping into the conversation. "If you know the others weakness, you shouldn't be telling them. Azula, it's going to be harder to fight her the next time we see her!"
Completely ignoring Sokka, Cazu and Azula continued talking. "Is he always this obnoxious?" Cazu asked.
"Try imagining growing up with him." Azula countered.
"Touché. Oh, I know we've been hearing each other's names a lot already, but we never properly introduced ourselves. I'm Cazu." The princess extended her hand.
"Azula."
The two firebenders shake hands. They both took the opportunity to understand the other with the handshake. Both of them learned at a young age how to learn about someone in one handshake.
"And what are the names of those you are traveling with?" Cazu asked as she and Azula broke their handshake.
"The annoying one is Sokka. The one controlling Appa is my girlfriend, Katara." Katara turned around and smiled when she heared her name. "And then there's Aang, he's –"
"The Avatar." Cazu finished.
"You're not planning on capturing him are you?" Katara asked.
"That's not my job. I only intent was to find Azula."
Everyone in the saddle became quiet.
"I'm not planning on capturing you." Cazu continued. "When I read your wanted poster, I wanted to fight you. I love fighting, but not for the war. I love being able to have a friendly sparring match with other benders and learn about the other bending arts. I find the Avatar amazing. Every Avatar can learn to bend the four elements. So if Aang and all he's predecessor could bend the other elements, why can't the other benders use the bending motions and work it into their own natural element. To find out a firebender had learned to bend the natural element in their natural opposites motion who isn't an Avatar has never been heard of until now."
"I understand completely what you mean. Even though Katara is the last waterbender from the South Pole, I've always loved learning how to fight differently from the usual."
"Well then, the next time we run into each other let's fight again. May the best firebender win!"
The two firebenders grabbed the others halfway up their forearm and shook.
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"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Aang asked Azula.
Aang was staying up in Appa's saddle. The further he was from Cazu, the safer he felt. Azula finished tightening the reins on Appa's horns.
"We're just dropping Cazu and Mai, at the port closets to Omashu and then we'll be on our way to continue searching for your Earthbending master."
"Yeah, but that port we're dropping them off at is under the Fire Nation's control. Also I have a bad feeling about her. Most of the firebenders we've encountered, excluding Jeong Jeong and his followers, have been after us. I think there is more to her than she's letting on."
Azula joined Aang in the saddle. "I understand your feelings. I need you to trust me. Something tells me when we run into her again it's not because she is after us. She's my rival. We both get the thrill of fighting someone different from the usual."
The future master and pupil continued sitting and watching as Mai and Cazu talked to each other privately.
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"You know something that I don't."
Cazu smiled. "I have a feeling that my father and the rest of the Fire Nation will worry if I go back an announce to them what I have learned today about our 'traitor'."
"And that is?"
"I'm only the Fire Nation Princess because my father crowned himself Fire Lord after he overthrew Fire Lord Azulon. Two princes and two princesses went missing after my father's coup. After seven years they were presumed dead."
Mai nodded showing Cazu she was following.
"They were: Prince Iroh, Prince Zuko, Princess Ursa, and Princess Azula." Cazu narrowed her eyes as she saw Azula and Aang looking right at them. "It all fits Mai. My father wouldn't stop mentioning to me how the princess and I shared the same birthday, she and I are the same age. The coup was nine years ago. Nine years ago, we were five. We're fourteen now. Azula is the Princess Azula, the real Princess of the Fire Nation.
"Here's the thing though. I don't think she even remembers that she is the princess. The way she talks and acts shows she only remembers her life in the Southern Water Tribe. Her firebending also shows that too. When she was fighting in the firebending style she was only fighting mainly in the basics. It's best we don't mention this to anyone. Except Ty Lee. But we have to be careful. If anyone else knew, you can bet word would get to my father."
Both Cazu and Mai stared at Aang and Azula. That moment Cazu put her practicality to use. If everything goes according to plan, many great possibilities can happen for the Fire Nation and the rest of the world.
Note (2): Okay, so I'm not dead. No, I did not get hit with writer's block. Though I did have to re-write this chapter several times. To keep you readers from worrying, I've had this story planned out and written down in note form since February 2010. So, there is not chance of me of getting a writer's block. The only block I'll have is writing the chapter out so the readers can see what I want you to see (I guess it is a type of writer's block, but not the standard, "I have no idea where I want this story to go!").
Also, I need to focus more on drawing. If you are on deviantArt my username is exactly the same as my username. Look me up and watch me there as well. I need to focus on drawing more because I need to draw more original artwork for my art portfolio when I go for my portfolio review sometime in early 2011 for the 4-year college I plan to transfer to this fall.
One more thing, as much as I love reviews. I do not appreciate reviewers who review without an account so they could keep sending "reviews" asking/begging/telling me to write faster. There is one reviewer who comes to mind. He or she knows whom I'm talking about. I'm writing this story on my time. I have other priorities before writing this story.
Would I want to spend most of my time writing Golden Wolf Warrior?
Absolutely! However, like many writers here, I do have other issues in my life that require my attention first before Golden Wolf Warrior.
Please I ask of you, my readers, to continue to be patient and respect me enough to not pressure me into writing faster.
Another thing, I love how many of you are willing to listen to my thinking process of writing the chapters to Golden Wolf Warrior if I do get a writer's block. However, I already have someone I talk to. She's my honorary little sister. She's been getting Golden Wolf Warrior's spoilers since the beginning and still loves the story. My sister will be the only one who will ever get to hear/read my thinking process on Golden Wolf Warrior and gets all the spoils. I let her read one review from one of you fabulous readers offering your service to help and she stuck her tongue at you (sorry had to mention it because it was adorable when she did stick her tongue out at my computer screen). Fianlly, just so you know, some of her input on the story has are in some of the past chapters (more of her input are in the future chapters).
Last thing, I promise. If any of you have checked my profile lately I have three other Avatar: The Last Airbender fanfics lined up. I'm still in the note form process of those stories, but they are going to be written after I finish Golden Wolf Warrior. There is also a Glee fanfic, which will more than likely be written between one or two Avatar: The Last Airbender fanfics. So my readers, if you watch Glee and love Faberry (plus little Brittana), that's a story I hope you will read too. If you're not a Glee and/or Faberry fan, please don't stop following me. I will still write Avatar: The Last Airbender fanfics, so I ask you ignore my Glee fanfic updates.
Thank you again. Keep reading and reviewing. I love you my readers. It keeps me writing on.