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A New Ally – Chapter Fifty-One
In the early morning air Appa soared across the horizon while an exhausted Toph was seated upon his back with her broken right arm currently encased in an earthen cast.
Soon the sky bison was dropping down over the commandeered airship while the earthbender slid off onto her bare feet.
And waiting for her was ironically enough was Zuko.
"Toph!" Zuko exclaimed with concern in his eyes while the short woman dropped down onto the steel catwalk.
"Hey there Sparky. Quite the welcoming." Toph quipped with a trace of her usual wit in her voice after she stepped forward.
Even though she can't 'see' so good on the metal surface she was still experienced enough to know that the firebender was the only one on the catwalk.
And the large sky bison released a happy yip as he nuzzled against her face while she reached up to pet him with her hand while the grimacing firebender approached her.
"The others have been very worried about you but they haven't had the chance to leave Katara's side. She hasn't woken up from her surgery just yet." Zuko commented as he shifted with his arm in a sling while the woman tilted her head in concern.
"Surgery?" Toph pondered in a wary voice while she sensed her once enemy breath heavily in anger.
"Between…Azula striking the tendons in her arm…and the damage that she incurred from the exploding mines…they had to perform an emergency surgery so she could keep her arm." Zuko revealed in a disgusted voice while Toph listened in returning anger.
The earthbender stood speechless with her mouth open in a numb sense of shock while the firebender grasped the rail of the airship as it continued to soar in the air.
"She'll…be able to keep her left arm. But the doctor believes that Azula may have damaged her tendons beyond repair. He said that she might have difficulty using the arm as she did before. As for how great the injury will hinder the use of her arm…he couldn't say." Zuko explained with his teeth clenched in guilt while he gripped the rails of the airship.
And all the while he continued to despise himself for helping all of this come to be six years ago when he assisted his sister in striking down Aang.
"I…see. At least…she'll be able to use it." Toph muttered lamely with anger in her expression while the firebender nodded in agreement.
"Yeah." Zuko replied in a voice of intense self-loathing while Toph also grasped onto the rail with her good hand.
"I should have hit the bitch." Toph grumbled with a fist pounding the rail while her friend gazed at her in confusion.
"You encountered my sister after you got separated from us?" Zuko asked in an alarmed voice while the earthbender nod her head.
"I got separated from you guys on purpose." Toph admitted while Zuko blinked his eyes in puzzlement.
"What?" Zuko answered while he held his injured arm against his chest.
"When Sunshine fell underground…I saved her life. And I jumped in after her." Toph remarked in a casual voice while Zuko nearly fell over in disbelief.
"The girl…Elle…you saved her life?" Zuko questioned in a stunned voice with his good hand falling to his sides.
It was just mind boggling that this girl had such a great power at her disposal.
And she still needed someone to jump in after her.
It was an intriguing clue to say the least.
"She would have died if I hadn't. What! She's a good kid. She hasn't done anything to a single one of us!" Toph exclaimed after she sensed that the firebender was staring at her in uncertainty.
"I know. It's just that…she has such a tremendous power in her hands and she is completely at my sister's mercy. Azula is stringing her along…and making her think that she cares for her." Zuko spoke in a furious voice with his palm grasping the rail while Toph turned her head.
"Eh…it appeared to me that your sister actually likes her. And that they might be closer than you think." Toph stated with a spark of returning sass while Zuko turned red in frustration.
"Azula would never date a commoner! Much less a commoner of the same gender! She's just using her! It's just like Azula. Can't you see that…you get know what I meant!" Zuko growled as he turned away with a frown on his lips.
And yet he couldn't help but ponder if there was more to his sister and this girl's relationship than he first thought.
"I'm blind duh. But that's beside the point. Sunshine told me that they are keeping their relations secret so your father doesn't know. I admit I was skeptical but…when your sister walked in on us. She…was acting like…well an overprotective lover!" Toph remarked with a knowing nod while the prince listened in increasing disbelief.
"That's impossible…Azula was just concerned because she can use Elle to kill Aang!" Zuko protested with a shake of his head while Toph held a finger to her chin.
"I can tell the difference between a tyrant and a worried lover. Well…it was probably both. But I could tell that she was concerned…even if she didn't want to show it." Toph insisted in a momentarily curious voice while Zuko still gazed at her unconvinced.
"And Azula let you leave?" Zuko queried with surprise still in his voice when the woman nodded once more.
"Yeah. Because Sunshine asked for her to spare my life. Azula let me live…because it was what Elle wanted." Toph spoke as she turned to her stunned friend.
"No…way." Zuko muttered in bafflement as he turned to face his earthbender companion.
"Don't you get it Sparky? If your sister listens to that girl like she did today…if she cares about her. We might be able to use her as a mediator to negotiate terms with Azula." Toph announced with unusual seriousness in her voice while Zuko gazed at her as if she just grew a second head.
"Negotiate with Azula? Are you insane?" Zuko inquired in an incredulous voice while the other bender stepped closer.
"I am dead serious! She convinced Azula to let me live." Toph retorted while the firebender gazed down at her in still present incredulity.
"Even if that is true…even if Azula cares about her enough to accommodate one or two requests. Azula isn't going to step down just because a young girl tells her to." Zuko stated in an unconvinced voice as he
"Who said anything about asking her to step down? I was thinking that she might be able to help us if it came down to asking Azula for terms in place of your father." Toph explained with her good hand on her hip while Zuko swallowed the lump that was in his throat.
"The purpose of the Avatar is to restore balance to the world…Aang can't just let my father and Azula's actions go unchecked." Zuko argued with a furious shake of his head.
"In case you haven't noticed we don't always get what we want in this world. All I am saying Zuko…is that we should consider the possibility that we may not be able to completely defeat the Fire Nation." Toph declared in a grave voice while the firebender stared down at her in an unsettled silence.
That was when the two turned around when they heard a pair of footsteps behind them.
Only to find that it was none other than Aang.
The monk stood with an unnerved expression in his eyes while his two friends gazed at him in remorse.
"Twinkle Toes…" Toph trailed off with a sigh while Aang furiously shook his head.
"We will defeat the Fire Nation." Aang stated with anger in his eyes over what had Azula had done to his girlfriend.
"Aang is right. We have to." Zuko agreed despite his uncertainty while turned to watch Aang turn away.
"I'm going to go back to Katara…I was just getting a breath of fresh air." Aang mumbled before he quickly walked off while his two companioned watched him walk away.
Not a moment later the steel door closed with a clang.
And the earthbender sighed under her breath.
"I forgot…my uncle wanted to see you when you got back…and you should probably get that arm looked at." Zuko muttered while he began to walk with the woman following after him.
"Good point. Fine. Let's go." Toph sighed as she followed after the firebender's footsteps.
About ten minutes later.
The two stepped into the breakfast room to find the welcoming aroma of a hot breakfast awaiting them.
"Welcome back Toph! We are pleased to see that you are well." Iroh greeted with a tea cup in hand while the two made their way over.
"Your voice seems…a little off Iroh." Toph commented in an ever-observant voice while she sat down before the table.
All the while sensing the anger of the prince as he sat down opposite of her.
"In our retreat Zoi fought her way aboard the airship…she killed many good men…and she cut out my left eye." Iroh spoke with evident pain in his voice while the earthbender glanced up with a startled expression on her face.
"What! If the airship was already in takeoff. How did she even manage to board it!" Toph shouted with a trace of fury in her voice.
Their situation was becoming even grimmer and grimmer by the day!
"They don't call her Zoi the Mighty for nothing. In any case…I am the one to blame. I was so alarmed by Azula's increase in power…and the appearance of this young girl's power…that I had falsely assumed her dead by Mai's hand." Iroh answered in a calmer voice while he took a relaxing sip of his tea cup.
"Well…now you're half as blind as me." Toph quipped as she began putting food on her plate only for to sense Zuko glaring her way.
"Toph!" Zuko exclaimed in a defensive voice only for Iroh to wave his hand.
"It is alright Zuko. We are traveling to reconvene with an old friend of mine…who brings us promising news." Iroh conversed with his tea cup in hand while the two benders gazed up from their meals in curiosity.
"Really? I find that hard to believe Uncle." Zuko grumbled in a moody voice while he stared down at his plate.
"He brings news of a growing Earth Kingdom resistance." Iroh informed in a serious voice while his companions listened in welcome relief.
"A growing resistance?" Zuko asked in a calmed voice while he began to eat his food.
"Yes. Led by the daughter of the former Earth King Jaran…Princess Ling." Iroh declared with his words jarring the two into a state of shock.
"I-impossible! All of his surviving lineal heirs were assassinated by the Dai Li when Long Feng had their cousin Kuei ascend the throne as his puppet Earth King!" Toph protested in an awestruck voice while she held onto a cup of tea.
"So, we thought. I have been assured that this young woman is the genuine daughter of Earth King Jaran. In any event. An alliance with this faction would grant extra strength to the fractured Order of the White Lotus. And possibly grant us the military power to mount a rescue for our imprisoned allies on Boiling Rock." Iroh explained with a sigh while Zuko stared on with stunned golden eyes.
"No way. Surviving Earth Kingdom Royalty…that will no doubt motivate people to take up arms against my father and Azula." Zuko spoke in a voice of higher spirits while he took a drink of juice.
"Hm. That it will Zuko." Iroh agreed with a nod while the earthbender set down her tea cup.
"Sokka has been asking about Suki for a long time now. It's been six years…and we still haven't been successful in breaking her out." Toph muttered in a glummer voice while Zuko's shoulders slumped once more.
And he gazed down at the table with guilt ridden golden eyes.
It was Azula that captured Suki and her band of Kyoshi Warriors. Not him.
But he no inadvertently helped play a significant factor in their long-term imprisonment when he assisted his sister in her coup of Ba Sing Se and, in the process, put Aang in a coma.
"Soon. Very soon. We will have the necessary strength to rescue Suki and the others." Iroh assured in a determined voice while his companions could only nod in hope that it was the case.
Later that same day.
Katara sat in her bed with her blue eyes staring down at her left arm in unfathomable anger as she clenched the fingers on her left hand.
At the side of her bed sat her brother and lover who both watched in concern as she flexed her left fist.
Only for her eyes to well up in anguish when a jolt of nerve pain shot through her upper arm.
"Katara…it will get better." Sokka attempted to sooth only for renewed anger to spark in his eyes when Katara cried out in despair.
Outside the door stood Zuko whose golden eyes flashed in newfound disgust for his sister when he heard a pained sob emanate from the medical room.
"M-my arm! T-that bitch maimed my arm! I can barely move it!" Katara shouted in a distraught voice as she gazed down at her arm with horrified eyes when her weakened limb fell back to her side.
'Azula!' Zuko thought as he pushed himself off the wall with his good fist tightening in anger.
His sister has become more dangerous than he could have ever possible imagined!
And even crueler than he had once taken her to be!
Zuko stormed down the halls of the airship while cries of helplessness still rang out from the medical room.
"The…physicians has assured us that you just need to give the nerves time to heal." Aang spoke in an attentive voice with a hand on his girlfriend's shoulder while she sunk in despair against her pillow.
"Thank you Aang! That makes me feel s-so much better!" Katara snapped with tears in her eyes while both men recoiled in fear of her temper.
All she could do was release another quiet sob while she scolded herself for yelling at her boyfriend.
It wasn't Aang's fault.
It was…those two Fire Nation monsters!
No one said a word while the waterbender lay gazing off at the steel wall of the airship with her boyfriend and older brother watching her in unhidden concern.
Sometime later after Katara finally gained the ability to speak coherently, she finally voiced her thoughts.
"This girl…she…can counter the power of the Avatar?" Katara asked at long last with a look of unparalleled dread in her eyes while she turned to the two men's flinching faces.
"I…I didn't see it. I…was with you. I've…only heard about it. And it…doesn't sound good." Sokka stated in a voice of great worry while the both turned to Aang's apprehensive face.
"She…temporarily disabled my bending when I was hit with an attack by her chi. She is some sort of ancient opposing force to the Spirit World." Aang responded in a distressed voice while both his Water Tribe companions gazed at him in soaring horror.
"H-how? How is that possible? Where has she been all of this time?" Katara pondered with fear in her blue eyes while the airbender shook his head.
"I…don't know. I have been trying to seek guidance from the spirits on the matter. But so far…I have heard nothing." Aang admitted in a dejected voice with his gray eyes overtaking an expression of terrible worry while his two friends sunk in their seats.
"This is bad guys…very bad." Sokka muttered in a disconcerted undertone while an unnerving quiet spread throughout the air.
"And…she's in Azula's hands." Katara remarked with evident terror in her blue eyes that soon gave way to anger when she found herself crying out in pain not a second later.
The two men gazed on with their fear quickly giving way to anger while they watched the waterbender scream in pain with her teeth clenched in torment.
The sound of Katara's wails continued to echo throughout the halls of the airship leaving all who heard it to only shiver in renewed fear of Zoi and Azula.
Several days later.
The airship sat atop the calm ocean waters in a sea cave opposite of a small vessel while a walkway of earthen rock was being extended between the two.
Team Avatar excluding Katara stood observing the ship with hopeful eyes.
The recuperating woman was asleep below with Jeong Jeong watching over her while the meeting was underway.
Behind them White Lotus sentries stood on guard as they stoically observed the impending meeting as it began.
"How does Katara fare Pakku?" Iroh inquired with a turn of his head while he gazed at his friend.
Pakku was still greatly injured after several weeks of starvation and torture at the hands of the infamous captain.
Which was to say nothing of the guilt that he must feel to know that all of his men were killed in Zoi's attack on his ship.
"Well…considering all that she went through. However, it remains uncertain if she will be able to use her left arm in combat again. But perhaps her outlook will improve if we are able to get her to a source of spirit water to repair the damage that was done to the tendons in her arm." Pakku answered in a bitter voice with his enraged eyes still waiting for their allies to convene with them.
Sokka and Aang stood together as they gazed down with shared anger in their eyes.
"I'm…not going to let Azula and Zoi get away with what they did to Katara!" Aang exclaimed with his burned fist clenched before him while his other arm was still wrapped in bandages.
"Neither will I buddy and Azula is going to pay for that…and for taking Suki away from me." Sokka agreed in a torn-up voice while the two older men briefly gazed at them in concern.
No doubt worried that they will be too clouded by anger to properly face the two lethal firebenders in battle.
Zuko gazed down with still present guilt in his eyes while Toph sat beside him against the wall of the airship.
And beside the angered Avatar sat Appa and on his back sat Momo.
Only to all turn their heads when they saw several figures walking over the length of the walkway to greet them.
One that they were all familiar with.
Master Piandao.
The veteran swordmaster strode with his usual composed countenance with two people following after him.
One a middle-aged man.
And one a young woman who looked to be around Zuko's age.
"Master Piandao." Sokka greeted in a respectful bow while Piandao responded with a bow of acknowledgment.
"Sokka. It is good to see you. And the rest of you as well." Piandao spoke in a composed voice as he stepped onto the catwalk of the ship with the others following after him.
"You as well old friend." Iroh responded with a small smile despite bandages covering the other side of his face.
"So, it is true Iroh…my student cut out your left eye." Piandao remarked with a grimace while all of Team Avatar save for Zuko stared at him in disbelief.
"Your student!" Aang cried out with realization in his eyes while his friend sunk against the wall.
"I can't believe…that you trained her." Sokka commented with genuine bafflement in his eyes.
A sentiment that was shared by all.
Why in the world would a man like Piandao teach such a violent person how to be even more dangerous?
"Well, that explains why Captain Bloodshed is so dangerous with a sword." Toph snorted in a humored voice that was not shared by the others.
"That is correct. I trained Zoi a long time ago. She was my finest pupil. Although… she isn't taking her skills in the direction that I had hoped she would." Piandao admitted in a sigh while the others still gazed at him in bewilderment.
"Finest pupil." Sokka muttered in a comically offended voice while Aang patted his shoulder with a comforting hand.
Only for the other man in the party to scowl as he took a wary step onto their airship.
All eyes turned to the Earth Kingdom man who now stood before them adorned in green robes.
He wore his hair in an elegant Earth Kingdom top-knot with a golden colored hairpiece signifying his status among nobility.
His eyes were a hardened green and he regarded them with an almost distrusting gaze.
"Enough of this! Every moment that our ships remain moored together puts the princess's life at risk. If your airship is attacked…our ship is attacked by virtue of association. And I will not allow that." Ruolo barked with his hands folded behind his back as he turned to gesture to the young woman standing behind him.
The allied forces gazed on in amazement as they came to understand that they were in the presence of true Earth Kingdom royalty.
Zuko gazed on with astonished golden eyes while the princess stepped forward.
She was a dignified woman much like his sister but her face was without cruelty.
She wore black plated armor and graceful yellow and light green robes befitting of her status as royalty while she walked forward with her light green eyes sweeping about the airship.
Her hair was in an Earth Kingdom top-knot with a magnificent golden hair piece holding up her dark hair.
And at her hip was a sheathed sword.
Her boots were a regal green.
Ling now stood rigid behind her adviser while the two men cleared their throats.
And just like that Team Avatar save for Toph hastily bowed while the princess observed them calmly.
"Incredible…then King Kuei…" Pakku trailed off in a shocked voice while bent over in a respectful bow to the enigmatic young woman.
"Earth King Kuei was not the rightful heir to the throne. After Earth King Jaran fell in battle, Princess Ling was by all rights the legal successor. However, Long Feng betrayed the Earth Kingdom Royal Family when he had the Dai Li purge Ba Sing Se of Earth King Jaran's surviving lineal heirs or so he thought. He then arranged for their naïve and malleable cousin Kuei to take the throne as Earth King. He served as a puppet for Long Feng and the Dai Li so that they could continue their rampant corruption. Just like they were before long Earth King Jaran took the throne. Their goal was to ensure that no future Earth Monarch would ever attempt to retake control of Ba Sing Se from the Dai Li like Earth King Jaran did. I was able to save her and her youngest brother. Unfortunately, I was not able to do the same for their other two siblings. I took the two of them into hiding. And I waited for the day that she was old enough to reclaim the throne. And now…that day has come." Ruolo spoke in a voice of upmost graveness as he solemnly nodded his head while the group listened in an awestruck silence.
It certainly explained just why the former Earth King Kuei had been so shockingly naïve.
Zuko and Iroh exchanged a marveled glance while the former general stepped forward to greet the young woman in a dignified bow.
"Princess Ling it is our honor to make your acquaintance. You are among friends." Iroh announced with a kind hearted expression while Ling's light green eyes now surveyed him closely.
The allied forces arose from their bow while the young woman glanced at her two advisers before she turned to gaze back at them.
"You have some nerve Dragon of the West to call yourself our friend. Considering that it was you who slew many of my people when you sieged the gates of Ba Sing Se." Ling snapped in a bitter voice with her hands behind her back while her eyes narrowed at the old man's remorseful face.
Piandao then nervously cleared his throat while he shared a knowing glance with Ruolo before he spoke.
"The princess still holds a grudge for your actions at Ba Sing Se and over your attempted murder of her father." Piandao informed in an awkward voice while his allies unanimously flinched.
And both the older man and his nephew winced as they shared a look with one another while Iroh still adorned a guilty expression.
It was an unsettling reminder that Iroh was not always the sagely old man that they knew him to be.
"Ouch. You just got burned Iroh." Toph snickered with a great many turning around to glare at her.
"Toph!" Many voiced shouted in unison while the earthbender just snorted as she lazily rubbed at her ear in an undignified manner.
Before Ling clenched her jaw while she turned to stare harshly back at the shamefaced old man.
"The only reason why you stand among us as an ally is because your son did not survive the war. Had that not been the case. You would still be making jokes about burning my people." Ling stated in a resentful voice with her light green eyes gazing hard back at the former general's flinching countenance.
And it was all poor Iroh could do to stand there with his shoulders slumping in understanding that he deserved each and every word.
Only for Zuko step forward with his golden eyes sparking in anger.
"Hold it! That was ages ago! Uncle now stands here as your ally! Not your enemy!" Zuko defended with a scowl while Iroh patted his shoulder.
"Calm down Zuko. It is alright." Iroh assured with a gentle smile while his nephew still stood unconvinced while the princess rapidly spoke once more.
"That's rich. Coming from the man that helped his sister deliver Ba Sing Se to the Fire Nation. Look at you acting so sanctimonious. If it wasn't for that mark on your face, you wouldn't give a damn about my people's suffering. You only care because it suits you." Ling ranted with a deep scowl on her beautiful features while her vibrant light green eyes glared into the prince's guilt-ridden golden eyes.
While both Piandao and Ruolo exchanged yet another uncertain glance.
All the while as Team Avatar shared a doubtful look with one another.
They were all beginning to realize that for some it wasn't so simple to put aside the grudges of the past and fight together as one.
Before the rightful monarch turned to gaze back at the bewildered Avatar.
"And I take it that you are the Avatar." Ling spoke in a curt voice as Aang now smiled back at her.
"That's me. It's a pleasure to meet you Princess Ling." Aang greeted as he bent over in a bow while Ling stared back at him.
Before Ling then returned the gesture when she bent over in a bow while the others gazed on in uncertainty.
But even so and despite their circumstances Aang still offered Ling his best smile.
The two then rose from their bows while the princess turned to gaze over the rest while Sokka slumped when she seemingly disregarded him.
Why does everyone always do that!
Only for her light green eyes to fall upon Toph while the younger woman lazily picked at her ear.
"Now here is someone that I can respect." Ling remarked with the first trace of a small smile on her lips while everyone stared at her in a comical silence.
And the metalbender grinned as widely as humanly possible.
"Toph is respectable but I'm not!" Sokka cried out in an offended voice while his friends listened in humor.
"It makes sense. They are both Earth Kingdom and we are not." Pakku sighed from beside Iroh while they both stared at the princess.
By the look of Ling she was a warrior unlike King Kuei.
"I think I like this princess. More than the other one anyhow." Toph stated in an amused voice only to blink when she felt a hand grasp onto her own.
"It is good to meet you Toph. From one earthbender to another." Ling informed in a more polite voice than before while Toph stood up with her hand interlocked in her own.
And the rest of the allied forces stood observing the first friendly greeting between the rightful Monarch of the Earth Kingdom and one of their own.
"Likewise. Same to you." Toph answered with a grin only for Ling to scrunch up her nose as she quickly withdrew her hand.
And then she gazed down at it in evident disgust when she caught the hint of earwax on her fingertip.
The allied forces nearly fell over in endless embarrassment while Ling swiftly wiped her hand with a cloth while she released a slight groan of revulsion.
"Sorry about that. My bad." Toph offered in a nonchalant manner while her friends glared at her back.
"Toph!" Aang scolded with a shake of his head while the woman's grin never lessened.
"Show some respect! Princess Ling is the true heir to your country's throne!" Ruolo yelled out with a growl while Iroh held a hand over his sighing face.
And Zuko just stared at his relatively new comrade with a flicker of disgust in his own eyes.
"Perhaps…we should go discuss the rest inside?" Iroh suggested while the others exchanged a curious glance before Ling nodded in agreement.
"That sounds like a good idea. Dragon of the West." Ling agreed while she began to walk forward with the metalbender beginning to walk alongside her.
As well as a blind woman could on a steel airship anyhow.
And soon enough the two earthbenders disappeared in the belly of the airship while the others followed after their new royal quest.
It was obvious that Ling had already taken a liking to Toph. Despite the other woman's rudeness.
And Toph herself seemed interested in getting to know the princess better.
Not too later after that.
The two groups sat in the dining area of the airship while they all gazed around the table as Iroh, Pakku, Piandao and Ruolo conversed.
"You've managed to recapture land from Fire Nation rule?" Iroh questioned with something akin to relief in his voice while everyone listened in joy.
"That's right. Princess Ling is rallying a larger resistance movement against Azula. Recently she has recaptured four towns in the far east. She is unnaturally skilled. So much so that she has already defeated two commanding officers in combat." Ruolo replied in a proud voice as he gazed at Ling seated beside him while the others turned to her in admiration.
"Impressive." Toph chimed with a growing grin while she turned to Ling as the princess took a sip of tea.
"Yes. After ten years of living on the run I confess that I take great pleasure in striking back at the people who stole my home. Both the Fire Nation and the corrupt Dai Li. We even smashed the royal portraits of Fire Lord Ozai and Princess Azula." Ling commented with a proud smile on her lips while the others listened in amusement.
"You smashed a royal portrait of my father and my sister?" Zuko asked with a trace of satisfaction in his voice while he smirked at the princess.
"Not just smashed. The townspeople even desecrated both with platypus bear dung." Ling stated while the others gazed in hilarity at her smirking face.
"I like your style." Toph snickered beneath her hand.
"As humorous as that is. Ozai and Azula will find out eventually and they will send a larger force to quell your open rebellion. My sources confirm that Azula has already dispatched a fleet to capture and kill my scattered comrades. Once I received word of the attack on Pakku's ship and that Azula was launching a hunt on Aang. I changed my course and set sail to get to him before it was too late." Iroh spoke with a sigh while his companions grimaced as they gazed at his bandaged face.
"Even so. We will not run. Me and my people are through with running. And done with…peaceful tactics." Ling answered before casting Aang a pointed stare while the airbender shrunk under her cold gaze.
"Princess Ling is no ordinary earthbender. She is the only surviving user of her late father's unprecedented earthbending technique. She was further trained in the arts by King Bumi himself and more recently in swordsmanship by Master Piandao as well. She is someone that the people can believe in." Ruolo insisted with a nod in Ling's direction while all eyes remained locked on her face.
"Bumi…trained you?" Aang pondered in a voice of heavy emotion while Sokka placed a hand on his shoulder.
"For three years…up until he was captured when the Fire Nation took Omashu when I was seventeen years old." Ling answered in a cool-headed voice while she stared down into her tea.
"Your father…he was something else. I recall that he once bested me in battle…" Iroh trailed off in a reminiscent voice while Zuko gazed at him in fascination.
"My father was like no other earthbender. He was a good man. And he was wise beyond his years. But he should have never let Fire Lord Ozai provoke him into such drastic action." Ling muttered in a reflective voice as she set down her teacup while the others listened in a sympathetic silence.
There wasn't a single person present that hadn't heard about Jaran's famous counterattack on the Fire Nation.
That ultimately ended in his premature death at the hands of the newly crowned Fire Lord Ozai's forces.
"Jaran…I heard that his control over the earth was so great that he could bend the earth in a shallow river. Just by touching the riverbed with his earthen staff." Toph spoke in a fascinated voice while her friend's gazed at Ling in awe.
"Then why did he openly journey into the Fire Nation? No matter how strong his band of fighters were. There was no way that they were going to make it to my father alive." Zuko inquired in a voice of confusion while the adviser solemnly sighed.
"It was a matter of family and honor. And such matters are never simple." Ling grumbled in a quiet voice as she clenched her fists in her lap while the prince numbly nodded his head in understanding.
"Her Highness is correct. It is a long story. One that I do not wish to get into at this time. But regardless. Princess Ling is the successor to his legacy. And with Piandao's training. We believe that she will be able to stand against Princess Azula and that wretched Captain Zoi." Ruolo declared in a confident voice while the allied forces stared at Ling with impressed gazes.
"You are going to fight my sister?" Zuko questioned in a voice that was clearly concerned for the other woman's wellbeing.
"I am not just going to fight your sister. I am going to kill her." Ling answered in a guarded voice while she glared into the prince's once more recoiling golden eyes.
"Please…as much as want to see Azula punished for what she did to Katara. There…is no need to so readily stoop to her level of ruthlessness." Aang attempted to reason while his friend's gazed at him in pity when Ling narrowed her light green eyes into a harsh glare.
"That is pathetic! To preach about showing mercy to the enemy while they butcher my people with no regard for international conduct. I am going to open her stomach. Just as I did with all of the other firebenders who have fallen by my hand in battle." Ling declared in a livid voice as she spun around to glare back at the taken aback airbender.
It was an openly ruthless statement that had some of Aang's allies shivering.
But it was a sentiment that was shared by many.
Even if they did not say as much aloud.
"But before that I am going to face Zoi." Ling spoke with her hair swaying behind her while she balled up her fist in her determination.
"She is going to fight Zoi? Some might say that is even more treacherous than fighting Azula herself. I speak from experience. She takes flesh." Iroh stated grimly while his nephew and the others shuddered.
"Why Piandao? What did you see in such a bloodthirsty young woman that convinced you to train her?" Pakku asked in a baffled voice while all eyes turned to man in question.
"I saw the potential to save what our nation has become. Eyes that were full of passion." Piandao answered to the further disbelief of his companions.
The entire room fell silent while they waited for the man to continue.
"At just thirteen years old. Zoi was more skilled than veteran soldiers in their fifties. I still remember the words that she spoke to me as if it was yesterday." Piandao spoke in a recollective voice with his hand grasping at a cup of water.
And despite Aang and Sokka's anger towards the woman they couldn't help but feel curious what he had to say.
"What did she tell you?" Iroh queried in an intrigued voice while he gazed at his clearly conflicted friend.
He could tell that it was not easy for Piandao to come to terms with what his apprentice has become.
"She told me that she wanted to become immortal." Piandao responded with his words only serving to puzzle the others even more.
"Immortal? As in live forever?" Aang questioned in a dumbfounded voice only for Piandao to quickly shake his head.
"Not in the way that you think. She said that she wanted her name to become immortal by becoming a hero that the history books would praise for centuries to come." Piandao explained with a stony nod while the group listened in a bewildered silence.
"Immortality through fame." Iroh mumbled while his nephew gazed on in fascination.
No doubt because he never would have guessed that beyond Zoi's ruthless exterior that she had such a great desire to become a legend.
"She threw down a sword at my feet and demanded that I train her. Because…she needed her glory. I was perplexed. But I accepted. Under the hopes that she would become one day take up arms against the tyrannical Fire Nation rule." Piandao lamented in a far-off voice with a forlorn frown.
The allied forces sat in silence while they gazed at the quiet man in a grimace.
'She needed her glory. Just like I…needed my honor.' Zuko thought with a rare spark of realization in his golden eyes while he gazed away in shame.
"I was wrong. Somewhat. But there may still be a slight chance…that I can convince her to turn against Fire Lord Ozai." Piandao spoke with the others now staring at him as if he just spouted a second head.
"You…can't really think that Piandao?" Pakku pondered with his mouth ajar in shock while Piandao frowned as he set down his cup.
"I do. Because Zoi took up arms against the Fire Nation once before." Piandao answered with his companions gazing on in puzzlement.
"You speak of General Shoren?" Iroh asked with a thoughtful glimmer in his eyes.
"She almost killed my sister!" Sokka exclaimed in an angered voice while his friend's listened in pity.
"Calm down Sokka. Now is not the time to strike against our own." Aang reasoned with a frown while his friend sunk in his seat.
"Do not mistake me Sokka. I am furious over Zoi's actions and the many lives that she has taken. Zoi has a very rigid worldview. And she cuts down all those that she perceives as traitors. If anyone steps beyond that line…" Piandao explained once more while the others sat in a speechless quiet.
And they were all silent as the older man continued.
"Just as General Shoren did. By trying to surrender his post to Earth King Jaran." Iroh stated in a curious voice while Piandao frowned.
"That is just the cover story for the Song clan. That isn't what really happened. Zoi came to me after the battle. In private…she told me that General Shoren told her that he was going to detonate the local power plant over Jang Han to prevent Earth King Jaran's advance." Piandao revealed only for all to stare at him in horror.
The allied forces were silent while Ling listened with her light green eyes paying close attention to the history of her enemy.
"One fifty thousand people would have died if he had done so. Zoi felt that would be a betrayal against the people of the Fire Nation. And so, she killed him to save the people of Jang Han." Piandao informed to his stunned audience while he gazed on with serious gray eyes.
"I…can't believe it. So that's why she killed General Shoren." Iroh breathed with a newfound understanding in his amber eye.
"Do not mistake me Iroh. My apprentice is a ruthless warrior. And she has killed a great many of our brothers and sisters. But if she should feel that Ozai and Azula are causing undo harm to the people of the Fire Nation…then she will turn her blade on the Fire Nation Royal Family." Piandao concluded with his palm gripping his cup while the group sat in a numb silence.
"That…seems like wishful thinking." Zuko spoke in an unconvinced voice while the princess nodded in agreement.
"The Dragon of the Song Clan is my enemy. And I shall challenge her on the war front." Ling insisted once more before she set her hand atop her sheathed sword that now rested on the tabletop.
"Then you best take heed Princess. Because she is a monster. From the South Pole to the North Pole many warriors freeze up in terror when they see her marching on the horizon." Pakku commented with a shudder that was shared by Team Avatar.
"He is not wrong. She has killed far too many earthbenders to count. Tales are told of Zoi the Mighty…and how her blade pierces the heart of every earthbender that is bold enough to stand against her." Ruolo agreed as he gazed at the Team Avatar's fearful faces.
"Zoi the Mighty." Toph snorted in a mocking voice that was not shared by her companions.
"In the last year alone, she has gained great fame for her merciless hunting of my comrades. I can see why Azula dispatched her. Zoi has cut our strength in half. The Order of the White Lotus is fractured because of her." Iroh declared in a grim voice with his tea cup in hand while the younger people around the table listened in grim understanding.
"I will not deny it. The Prospect of facing Zoi Song in combat sends a chill down my spine. But I will do so regardless. Because it would sully my honor to back down from any opponent. I will face her…for the honor of my people." Ling spoke in a spirited voice with many turning to stare at her in rising respect.
Zuko more so than anyone else.
He couldn't help but stare at Ling as he realized that they had a great deal in common.
"My father fought a legendary battle with her…when she was only fourteen. They say that she was the only soldier that proved to be a worthy opponent. Rumor has it that they fought a duel that witnesses talk about to this very day. They even say that it was the wound that she dealt him that killed him in the following battle." Ling muttered in a far-off voice while her new allies listened to her in a sympathetic silence.
Zuko failed to suppress the shiver traveling down his spine as he recalled his brief but savage battle with the warrior.
And how she would have killed him if not for his former lover stepping in to assist him.
Even then she still escaped the exploding minefield with her limbs intact!
"Which is why I wanted to ask you Toph. If you would teach me metalbending." Ling announced as she turned to the surprised metalbender.
Iroh and the others sat in suspenseful silence as they came to realize just how useful it would be if Toph could teach others to metalbender.
"Teach you metalbending?" Toph pondered as she swallowed her food before she turned to the general direction of the princess.
"Yes. And in turn I will teach you my late father's defensive technique. We'll make each other stronger." Ling offered with a small smile while a look of excitement overtook Toph's features.
"Now that sounds appealing. I have always wanted to see what Jaran's fighting style was like." Toph quipped with a growing grin while she held her broken arm in a cast beside her.
"That is a marvelous idea. It will bolster our strength by a good margin." Iroh agreed in an approving voice while Team Avatar stared at the two earthbenders with rising hope in their eyes.
"I have a maneuver that I plan to use on Zoi in battle. I plan to metalbend her armor and then use my father's technique to land a finishing blow." Ling announced in a deadly serious voice while a speechless silence now reigned over the table.
And Aang visibly gazed away with a growing discomfort in his gray eyes.
He understood that Zoi was a beyond dangerous warrior.
Which was to say nothing of the terror that Azula now represented with her evolved bending.
And he desired nothing more than to see them imprisoned for their crimes.
But even after all they have done.
And even with his lover still recovering in a bed down below.
He found the subject of killing to be a disconcerting one.
"Alright. It sounds like a deal." Toph spoke at long last with a nod while the warrior princess cracked a smile once more.
"Thank you Toph Beifong. Perhaps this is the start of a new friendship." Ling stated as she put a hand on Toph's shoulder while the younger woman grinned up at her.
And Sokka still gazed at his friend with amazed blue eyes.
Seeing Toph so readily forming a new friendship was quite astonishing.
It was unlike the Toph he knew.
"It just might." Toph remarked with a still present smirk while Ling's hand lingered on her shoulder.
'Perhaps there is hope after all.' Iroh thought with a growing smile on his lips.
About one hour later.
They now watched as a small boat lowered into the water with Ling and Toph inside.
The two earthbenders had agreed to venture onto the isle to train together for several days.
Jeong Jeong stood among the others while he gazed down at the boat in unhidden concern.
"Are you certain that it is safe to moor here Iroh?" The deserter inquired with a worried edge to his voice while the other firebender sighed beside him.
"Safer than anywhere else. Given the cover that this sea cave offers us." Iroh assured as he turned to the adviser once more.
"You just be certain…that this training does not lead to Princess Ling coming to harm." Ruolo spoke with a noticeable sharpness to his voice while Iroh nodded in understanding.
As they watched the princess paddle the boat as it headed deeper into the cave the former general bit his lip before voicing his mind.
"Ruolo…I wanted to ask you if you would be willing to lend strength in rescuing our captured allies from Boiling Rock." Iroh announced in a guarded voice only to wince when the other man stared at him with widened green eyes.
It was a strategic decision to ask Ruolo now while his nephew and the others were down below with Katara.
As of right now it was just himself, Pakku, Jeong Jeong, and Ruolo.
It was an unspoken rule to broach the subject of Suki in Sokka's presence.
"Boiling Rock! Are you mad!" Ruolo exclaimed with clear reservations in his voice while the older man sighed heavily once more.
"Suki has been there for over six years. Our sources say that she is alive. And Sokka…he is heartbroken that he hasn't been able to save her." Iroh explained in a downcast voice only for his spirits to plummet when Ruolo adamantly shook his head.
"No. I will not commit to such foolishness. We will not follow in the footsteps of a suicide charge. And blindly charging into Boiling Rock is just that. Suicide. I am sorry. Do as you must. But we cannot follow through in such a dangerous plan." Ruolo declared with a frown while the other three men nodded in understanding.
"It is alright. I understand." Iroh sighed in a saddened voice while the other man turned to gaze into his eyes.
"Princess Ling will stand beside the Order of the White Lotus on this day until the day that the Earth Kingdom is liberated from Fire Nation rule. We will fight with you on the war front Iroh. But for the princess's safety we cannot venture so deep into the Fire Nation. Not while they still possess such a great power advantage over our army." Ruolo remarked with seriousness in his green eyes while the other three men offered him a nod in comprehension.
"May this day solidify our union." Pakku stated as he held out his open hand before the others.
Not even a moment later Iroh set his palm beside Pakku's.
And then Piandao followed suit by placing his hand alongside theirs.
Until finally Ruolo placed his in the circle while they gazed into each other's eyes.
"To victory and the death of tyranny." Ruolo commented with his hair blowing in the wind while the three older men smiled in agreement.
"To victory." Iroh agreed with a returning smile while he felt a new hope for the future flow through him once more.
Yes indeed.
There was always hope to be found.
Even in the darkest of times.
All one has to do was but look hard enough to see it.
AN:
So, some big things happened in this chapter. Princess Ling most of all.
First, let's talk about Katara.
So, Azula and Zoi brutally wounded Katara.
Basically, Azula being the perfectionist that she is created a precise sword technique that permanently damages the enemies' tendons. Azula ruined the tendons in Katara's arm, and Zoi made it worse by detonating the land mines over Katara.
In a sense Katara still got lucky, as she could have been blown to pieces.
We don't know if Katara's arm will recover. But we do know that her effectiveness in combat has been heavily weakened for much of the war to come.
This will serve as fuel for Aang, Sokka, and even Zuko's anger towards Azula and Zoi in the future battles with the two.
Especially Aang and Sokka, because every time they watch Katara sob over it only makes them want to get back at Azula and Zoi even more.
Hopefully, I don't come across as disrespecting Katara. Because I am not trying to do that.
I just see Azula as an all-around more powerful bender, and in each instance that Katara got her it was only because Azula was not taking the battle seriously, as we saw in the catacombs.
Azula has a tendency to look down on her opponents and 'play' with them as if they were prey. And the only time we ever saw her go all out, was in her Agni Kai with Zuko.
Katara would have never gotten the drop on Azula on that night had she been in the right state of mind.
I believe that Katara cannot defeat a full powered, healthy minded Azula UNLESS she uses bloodbending.
A prodigy firebender, and a brilliant conqueror like Azula does not get to where she is by being weak. So, that's my stance on that.
That said.
Azula knew that Katara had been a significant obstacle to her in the past. Which is part of the inspiration for such a technique.
That is why Azula created a technique that cannot be doused. Even if her flames are put out by water. She is now skilled enough with a sword to pierce her opponent until her flames come back again.
That brings me to the second topic of discussion, Suki.
I briefly covered it before in the afterword of chapter thirty, the Ravine. But Suki has been in Boiling Rock ever since Azula, Mai and Ty Lee defeated her on that day six years ago in the forest.
This is a direct consequence of the timeline taking a slight change from canon.
Thank about it. If it took Aang six years to wake up from his coma. How would Sokka, Katara, and Toph mount a rescue on Boiling Rock? Zuko wasn't an ally at that point. And he was the one who initially helped Sokka to infiltrate the prison.
Because if this, Sokka is not at his normal cheerful self. The stress of everything that they have been through, combined with all that they did to protect Aang for six years, as well as missing Suki for six years and feeling guilt for never rescuing her.
It adds a deep layer of torment in the moment that Azula taunted him on the Day of the Black Sun. Because he feels like he failed her.
The White Lotus and the Gaang are planning to launch a rescue soon, as we saw in this chapter. But it must be planned very carefully, if they want to rescue the Kyoshi Warriors.
This also means that Suki will almost certainly hate Azula more than anyone else.
And yes, as we learned before in chapter forty-nine, Master Piandao trained Zoi.
Not only did he train her, he considers her his greatest pupil and he holds her abilities in the highest regard.
When he trained her, he had hopes that she would use her rare talents to overthrow the Fire Lord only to find himself disappointed when Zoi did the opposite.
But despite this he still has hope that it may still be possible to convince Zoi to betray Azula and Ozai if they convince her that they are harming the Fire Nation people.
And that brings us to the biggest detail of the chapter.
The true heir to the Earth Kingdom Royal Family, Princess Ling is alive and her deceased father Jaran was the true Earth King.
This means that Earth King Kuei is the cousin of Ling that was put up on the throne as Earth King to be used as a puppet by Long Feng.
This also explains why the Earth Kingdom government was so weak when Azula overthrew it.
They were fractured and even further divided because they had already suffered an internal coup that weakened their war efforts.
We'll get more into Ling and her late father as the story goes on. We'll find out why Jaran felt the need to launch a suicidal attack on the newly crowned Fire Lord Ozai.
Jaran had good reasons for what he did.
Princess Ling is basically the secret weapon of the late King Bumi and Master Piandao. So secret, that they didn't even tell Iroh.
She learned how to earthbend from King Bumi and now Master Piandao has taught her his swordsmanship skills.
As I stated previously. In my story the Avatar world is much larger. The Earth Kingdom is the size of Asia in my story. So, this means that there are thousands of other cities that were not pictured in the show and Ling is now actively taking those small territories back one by one.
We also got to see from the other side how terrified people are of Zoi.
I want everyone to see just how infamous and renowned Zoi is. She is the only person in the Fire Nation army that people believe could have any chance of overthrowing Ozai and Azula.
This means that she is a huge obstacle to overcome if the rebels want to win the war.
So, now Ling is determined to defeat both Azula and Zoi, but because Zoi has been directly attacking her soldiers. She is going to go after her first.
Ling represents a growing mentality of people that do not want to rely on the Avatar to change society. It's a completely different thought process than the likes of Iroh and the rest of the White Lotus.
People are starting to ask do we really need the Avatar? Does the Avatar make us weak and dependent on one person?
Furthermore, Ling and Toph are going to train together, and Toph has the chance to teach her metalbending for the first time.
Ling and Toph are going to train together, and Toph has the chance to teach her metalbending for the first time.
Ling's earthbending style, which was created by her father. Is a highly unique form of earthbending, just as much so as Toph's style. But it requires patience and elegance, which isn't really Toph's strong point.
We'll get to see the differences between the two styles as we move forward. And what makes Jaran's style so powerful.
We also got to see how much Elle's power frightens the Gaang. Despite her gentle nature, the consequences of Azula having Aang's weakness in her possession are huge.
Anyhow!
I think that about covers it.
Next chapter we'll get back to Azula and the others. And then we'll finish up this arc.
The next arc, the Fire Mountain arc is going to be much slower, but I promise that things will pick up action wise again in the following arc.
Stay tuned next time.
For chapter fifty-two! Starvation and Illness!