A/N: I'm still alive, just busy irl. Not going to abandon this anytime soon.
oOo
"So we are living legends, only gone wrong according to them. I wonder how we could use that." Azula mused while 'cooking' Shori's breakfast.
"We could try commanding them to join the Fire Nation when the airships return." Zuko shrugged at her raised eyebrow. It might work.
"Fine, we'll try that when they arrive. But what about the criminals? You never did train them, and I doubt father will appreciate us simply leaving them here."
Well damn. He'd completely forgotten about that. Probably not the best thing to say, though. Zuko opened his mouth to reply, with what he knew not, but was saved by the sight of two airships approaching.
oOo
The airships were back, sooner than expected. And with only two instead of three. What was going on?
Zuko and Azula sent the cubs back into the cave to hide for now, better safe than sorry, and moved to wait for the airships to land. It took less time than expected. Apparently the crew was getting used to the new vessels.
Azula stepped forward, flanked by her brother, to meet the second in command. He walked to meet them with an obvious attempt at confidence, not helped by the two Dai Li following behind him. Or Azula's first words. "Where is the captain?"
He bowed respectfully, a little lower than usual. "Dragon Prince Zuko, Dragon Princess Azula," he began before swallowing at her frown. "We received an urgent message by messenger-hawk for you." He held up the small, rolled up paper. "Omash- New Ozai has been lost to King Bumi and his forces have fortified the city. We have been instructed to aid in your retaking the city and defeat of King Bumi."
Zuko raised his eyebrow at the slip and the attempt to ignore it, and the fact that the poor man hadn't answered his sister's question. Fortunately for him, he caught on fast at the small expression. "The captain took the dragon bones and continued on to the Capital, judging this best."
Azula finished reading the note and passed it to Zuko. He folded it away to read later. "Very well. Mai and Ty Lee continued on to the capital, then?"
"No princess, there were some stronger winds on the way back. They are in their rooms recovering from, well, sea-sickness."
Sea-sickness? In the sky? How bizarre.
She nodded and turned to the two Dai Li agents. "I take it the others went to escort the bones?"
"Yes your highness. They will inform the others of your orders. I also sent word to Ba Sing Se for several squads of Dai Li to join us near New Ozai. I trust this is acceptable?"
"Well done." She was trying to use a little more positive reinforcement. Apparently it engendered respect and increased morale. Or something along those lines.
Then Zuko remembered something. "What about the Fire Sages?"
The new captain stilled. Damn. Zuko waved his hand to silence whatever the man might have said, and turned to his sister. What should we do?
She raised one eyebrow in reply. Why would I know? You think of something.
So he tried. Two airships with full crew and guard, himself and Azula, two Dai Li agents, Mai and Ty Lee, and two dragon cubs. The Sun Warriors, the Eternal Flame, the criminals from the Boiling Rock and no Fire Sages to...
Didn't he overhear Zhao say something about punishing the Fire Sages on Crescent Island? On the Winter Solstice, when he almost captured the Avatar only to be thwarted once more. It felt like that had been half a lifetime ago. Maybe they were sent to the Boiling Rock. It wasn't likely that they would be banished, Fire Sages would never be sent where they might be captured and interrogated, and Azula had told him father was so proud of his pet prison... It seemed worth looking into. Besides, where else would they contain firebending masters?
"If you let me borrow your Dai Li for a while, I think I know where I can find our Fire Sages."
Azula was intrigued, but nodded without asking questions. She'd get the full story out of him later when there weren't others around to put on a show for. So she waved the Dai Li after him and suppressed laughter at their petulant frowns; they had never really acknowledged Zuko as Royalty or in any way capable of ordering them about, not after throwing him in the dungeon back in Ba Sing Se. They recognised his worth in battle, well, his brute strength anyway, but other than that they treated him like the bothersome pet of their master.
Which he seemed to resent for some reason.
Perhaps this excursion might change that, Azula thought to herself as she watched the three head east to the city ruins.
Probably not though.
oOo
When they had gained enough distance to be polite, Zuko stopped and turned to his silent companions.
"How fast can you travel by that earth-slide form you use, and how much does it tire you?"
The two Dai Li exchanged brief looks, clearing wondering how much information they wanted to give him. As the silence continued, Zuko fought back his urge to use fire to intimidate them into answering. It was getting easier each time. He tried again.
"I will be travelling quickly in search of the criminals in order to question them, and hopefully gain information necessary to secure something invaluable to the Fire Nation. I do not want to fight them, but it might be necessary. So. I ask again. How fast can you travel, and how tired will you be afterwards?"
The apparent leader stepped forward, hands hidden within his sleeves in that falsely subservient way that set Zuko's teeth on edge, and answered.
"As fast as we need to, and it is not at all tiring."
Alright then.
"Then try to keep up." And that said, Zuko shot off with a burst of blue, flying along the ground like a meteor across the sky. They didn't keep up. Heat and low, mocking laughter trailed behind him for them to follow.
oOo
The two Dai Li soon gave up trying to keep up with Zuko by sliding alone, resorting to flinging themselves forward in great leaps to try and make up ground. It was impressive, he had to give them that. But it would do him no good to outpace them and arrive by himself, so he slowed to a pace they could more easily keep.
Perhaps this little demonstration would improve their attitude. He doubted it. Sigh.
Thin trails of smoke eventually grew closer, so Zuko slowed down to take in the surroundings. They were not far from where the criminals had been set loose, and apparently they had taken the chance to move and establish themselves in the abandoned ruins of the city. He decided it would be better to approach from the sky, no reason to give them the chance to ambush him.
Without warning the Dai Li, Zuko angled his fire and shot up into the air, drifting forward over what might once have been a bathhouse. Behind it lay an open courtyard of some sort with trees and vines twisting past their allotted places to claim unused paths and buildings. Signs of hastily abandoned campfires led him to believe they had either spotted him coming, or see the giant airships return. Either way, it was annoying.
He drifted to the centre of the courtyard and let himself fall a little lower, the Dai Li were standing guard on top of the tallest building. "I am Prince Zuko, and I wish to speak with you. Come out, you have my word I will not take you from this place nor harm you without cause."
Nothing happened for several seconds, then someone fell, no, was thrown out of one of the smaller buildings. He had to fight to keep from laughing.
"Who are you?"
The man scrambled to his feet. Tall, with long grey hair, and spotting several bruises and scorch marks. One had ruined his beard. He brushed himself off and called out. "I am Shiyu, apparently chosen representative of, well, us. What do you wish of us?"
Well what do you know. Fire Sage Shiyu, traitor of the Fire Nation and the last one of the five Fire Sages he wished to speak to. Zuko let his fire fade and drifted lower to land on vine covered rock.
"I wish to speak with you and the other four of your order. Call them out here, I need to ask you something. We have discovered the First Fire, the Eternal Flame. Can we bring it back to the Capital? You know how important this is."
Stunned awe was easily read on Shiyu's face, even from this distance. He nodded and left without another word to do as asked.
Zuko smiled.
oOo
Zuko led the five disgraced Fire Sages out of the courtyard. Four loyal souls and one blackened enough to taint the rest. He'd have to do something about that.
He turned to the Dai Li. "Escort the Fire Sages back to the airship, I will go on ahead." Then he flew off ahead of them without waiting for a reply he wasn't sure was coming. Without having to slow down on their account, he made better time and arrived significantly before the others. It helped that they were weighed down with having to pull along five others who were likely uneasy about being dragged along via earthbending.
Azula walked out to greet him, unsure what to make of the lack of Dai Li. "What are you doing, Zuko?"
He smirked. "I've found us some Fire Sages amongst the prisoners. Your Dai Li are bringing them to us now. One of them is a traitor, he helped the Avatar contact Roku at Crescent Island. Zhao had them all punished though, even though the other four were loyal. We can't trust the traitor, and I think we can use him to test the others."
Intrigued, Azula listened as he outlined his plan.
She liked it.
A/N: New side stories published by wonderful authors! Links on my profile page! Read PinkBeadGirl's Zucesty fic, and ElectricDetective's Mai perspective!