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Peace and Oblivion – Chapter Ninety-Five
Meanwhile, on Reiko's Earth.
At an undetermined point in time before the current events on the Avatar Earth.
Reiko stood facing a window overlook while her lips twitched in a distasteful thin line.
She gazed out of the corner of her blue eye at the young man lounging in a chair behind her.
"I do want to thank you for granting me an audience. It really is a pleasure to meet you." Felix remarked in a casual voice as he used a knife to pry open a bottle of wine while Reiko coldly stared at him from over her shoulder.
"I suggest you choose your words carefully Mr. Turner. Given your detestable offenses I have every legal right to have you killed." Reiko spoke in a dignified voice with her gloved hands resting over her shoulders as she glared back at the man's seemingly amused face.
"I take it that you've already met my sister." Felix commented in a dismissive voice as he popped the cork of the wine bottle.
As he smiled back at the emperor's pale scowling face.
"As a matter of fact, I have." Reiko replied with her icy eyes watching as wine poured into the glass.
"I have no doubt that she has told you stories…about me. But I assure you they aren't true. She has a tendency to exaggerate." Felix sighed with a feigned shake of his head while Reiko still stood with her back turned to him.
"Your sister tells a different story…one that is corroborated by that stab wound on your neck." Reiko stated in an unconvinced voice while her blue eyes lingered on the young man's bandaged neck.
"Oh that. That was just a small scuffle." Felix answered with a wave of his hand while the older woman rose her brows in a questioning manner.
"She claims that she stabbed you in retaliation for attempting sexual assault upon her person." Reiko retorted in a tone of expert calmness while she turned to gaze back at the man's remorseless face.
"My sister loves me, Emperor Reiko. I am her sole surviving kin and without me she would live a life of famine." Felix declared with an unrepentant countenance while he sat back gazing at the emperor's skillfully emotionless face.
"It would seem that her circumstances have changed. From what I heard she has recently gained the favor of quite the wealthy foreign woman." Reiko responded with her fingertips resting over her sleeved biceps while she gazed back at the young man's intrigued face.
And instead of appearing angered like one might expect.
Felix instead seemed almost entertained over the news.
"Really? Would it be you by any chance?" Felix questioned with a lecherous grin while the older woman's expression remained entrenched in a practiced demeanor.
Only for Reiko to stare back with her blue eyes nearly showing faint annoyance while the young man reclined in his chair.
Before Felix then burst into obnoxious laughter while Reiko's face remained in an apathetic thin line.
"I was just kidding. Pardon my morbid sense of humor." Felix chuckled with his glasses shaking over the bridge of his nose while Reiko's face now adorned a cold smile.
"No. A princess by the name of Azula." Reiko informed in a courtly voice with her blue eyes turning to gaze out the window once more.
She stared on with a calculating look in her eyes as she grasped at her uniformed sleeves with her gloved hands.
While Felix's amber eyes shone with a fascinated gleam.
"Azula." Felix repeated as he leaned back with a twisted expression growing upon his lips while he clutched at his knife.
Before he stabbed the blade into the wooden table beside him while a demented look formed in his amber eyes.
Only for Reiko to turn her head around just as soon as she heard the familiar sound of steel splitting into wood.
And just like that her blue eyes narrowed with a barely perceivable bloodthirsty gaze while her gaze remained upon the damaged table.
Before Felix laughed once more as he reclined with his wine swishing in his glass.
As Reiko's lips almost shook in an aggravated smile.
"Take your knife out of that antique table." Reiko ordered in a tone of waning patience while her narrowing gaze drifted over Felix's laughing face.
"My apologies. It's a bad habit of mine. Just send me the bill and I'll cover the damages. Although I may not look like it. I can actually afford it." Felix assured in a tone of false apology as he chuckled while Reiko's glacial eyes burned through his skull.
'He's a discourteous creature. I pity that girl for having to suffer through sharing blood with this lunatic.' The emperor thought with her fingers coiling around her uniformed arms.
"It's not about the money you fool. It's about the principle." Reiko stated with a warning edge to her voice while Felix still smiled as he prepared to take a drink of his wine.
And then not a second later.
Before the wine could so much as even touch the young man's lips, the contents of the glass turned into solid crimson ice.
"So, the rumors are true. You aren't exactly a 'normal' human.' Felix remarked in a curious voice only to find himself falling back in surprise when his blood suddenly ran cold.
His amber eyes grew wide when he felt a chill traveling down his spine.
It was then that he gazed down to notice that his body was freezing over!
"How do I know that you speak the truth, Felix?" Reiko demanded in a tone of casual dominance while she watched the young man try to squirm in his seat.
"Because I sensed my sister awaken her power." Felix answered without delay with ice spreading over his arms.
He smiled back at Reiko's pale face as the older woman's blue eyes flashed with an interested gleam.
"How fascinating. Now…allow me to be frank Mr. Turner. What is your use to me?" Reiko inquired in a sophisticated voice with her blue eyes gazing intently back at Felix's increasingly panicked face.
"My use? You're in the middle of a war with the Separation. I could help you tip the scales of the war in your favor in ways that your army cannot." Felix spoke as he gazed out from underneath his frosted glasses with a smile still pulling onto his lips.
As Reiko perked another brow upward as she contemplated his words.
"And how exactly would you go about doing that?" Reiko questioned in a smooth voice with her powerful arms folded over her breasts.
Only to find herself watching with cold blue eyes as the young man erupted into another fit of demented laughter.
"By adding a little chaos into the mix." Felix announced with his chest shaking in laughter while he shivered in his frozen seat.
And then just before the ice could finish consuming his body.
It abruptly shattered to the floor below while he laughed once more.
And then he sunk forward with his reddened palms clasped in his lap while he continued to chuckle under the older woman's predatory stare.
'As much as I despise this lout. For the time being…I will make use of him. Yes. I most certainly will.' Reiko thought as she raised her head with her blue eyes never losing her sanguine gleam.
Before she turned away to stare out her window once more while the deranged young man continued to laugh behind her.
And then five minutes later.
The door stood open.
And Felix was now being wordlessly escorted out by a unit of soldiers.
And then the door soon closed shut.
And now a finely dressed woman stood in a brown suit before the closed door.
Underneath her pantsuit she wore a white undershirt with a yellow tie.
As well as a badge signifying her high rank.
She had long slate black hair that fell down to her middle back.
Her brown eyes gazed loyally ahead at her ruler's tall back before she swiftly dropped down into a devoted bow.
Her name was Victoria Cromwell,
Once a British citizen.
Now she served as one of the highest-ranking officers as the communications commander in Reiko's continuously expanding United World Empire.
"Emperor Reiko." Victoria began in a tone of upmost devotion with an arm bent over her chest while she bowed behind her leader.
"Victoria." Reiko stated as she turned to gaze over her shoulder at the kneeling woman while her blue eyes shone in approval.
"I do not like that man. He disrespected you." Victoria complained with a scowl adorning her lips while Reiko scowled in agreement.
"Be patient Commander Cromwell. We must tolerate that which we do not like in order to attain that which we want." Reiko spoke in a confident voice with her gloved hands folded behind her back while her subordinate listened in admiration.
"Wisely spoken, as expected of Your Imperial Majesty. I came to bring you the report that you ordered about that girl…the one you intend to take as your apprentice." Victoria remarked in a soft-spoken voice as she gazed up at her ruler's black clothed back while Reiko's blue eyes flickered with eagerness.
"Ah. Yes, Naoki." Reiko commented in a gratified voice as she gazed ahead with a look of profound interest in her eyes.
"It would seem that she has been making quite the name for herself." Victoria responded with a smile upon her lips.
As her emperor listened closely with a rising smirk slowly forming on her lips.
Back in the present, on the other Earth.
Blue fire now burned upon the cliff side.
While intense electricity sparked before the astonished eyes of Team Azula as they gazed on in a speechless quiet at the scene before them.
Azula stood with her boots rooted to the rocky ground with her amber golden eyes widening in surprise.
And now Naoki stood below her with her sword pointed against her jugular.
While in turn the princess's lightning infused left hand churned dangerously close to the girl's neck.
As the young assassin gazed up at the baffled princess with emotionless brown eyes.
Before the princess gritted her teeth as she glared back into the shorter girl's expressionless eyes.
"It's…a stalemate." Mai stated in a stunned voice with her tawny eyes wide in amazement while Azula glowered down at the ever-smiling Naoki.
'Incredible. What speed! She's as fast as the princess. No. Faster. And no doubt faster than me as well.' Zoi thought with her golden eyes agape in an impressed look while she intently gazed between the two motionless warriors.
"Azula-sama…" Elle trailed off in a worried voice as Ty Lee held onto her from behind while Azula stood scowling down at Naoki.
"Your life is in my hands and mine…in yours. If either of us moves the other will die. There's no telling who will die first. But I suppose we'll see…won't we Princess?" Naoki spoke in an emotionless voice with her sword against Azula's neck while the princess glowered down at her.
And just like that the tension in the air grew by tenfold while the group gazed on in trepidation.
The three noblewomen prepared to spring forward to assist their princess at the slightest sign of Naoki's movement.
Just before the serving girl sprang to her feet in a fretful panic as soon as she heard Naoki's words while Ty Lee gazed down at her in sisterly concern.
'As much as I am loathed to admit it…she's right.' Azula thought with her callous eyes glaring down at the sword pushing into her neck.
A defensive wall of azure fire began to take shape over her armored body with her friends watching in suspense.
She turned her imposing gaze back down to her opponent while Naoki smirked up at her.
Only for her amber golden eyes to gaze behind her when her young admirer's voice called out to her.
"P-please don't kill each other. It's not worth it." Elle pleaded in a sensitive voice while her princess momentarily rolled her amber golden eyes.
Before the princess turned to gaze back down into the assassin's emotionless brown eyes.
"Please. Don't get too full of yourself former slave. It will take more than a simple sword to kill me." Azula spoke in a regal voice with a smirk returning to her lips while she stared down at her younger opponent's smiling countenance.
"When did I say that my sword was my only weapon?" Naoki countered with a smirk on her lips while the princess's brows furrowed as she stared down at her.
Hot blue fire burned close to her skin as she met the older girl's authoritative amber golden gaze.
The three noblewomen on the sidelines gazed ahead in concern for their leader's wellbeing.
Before the servant girl scampered forward to break up the fight while the highborn women's gaze followed after her.
Just as Ty Lee and Mai rushed forward protect their adopted sister.
Azula gazed out of the corner of her cold eye through her partial veil of flames as she watched her innocent servant approach.
"Elle you should stay back. You still haven't recovered from earlier." Ty Lee urged in a sisterly voice as she gazed after the smaller girl's dainty back.
Before the princess returned her strict gaze back to her opponent while the shorter framed girl smiled up at her.
"I'll make a deal with you…Naoki." Azula purred in a silken voice as she leaned down over Naoki while the younger girl rose a brow in curiosity.
"And that would be?" Naoki questioned in an unafraid voice while she gazed up into Azula's vibrant amber golden eyes.
The others approached hesitantly from behind as they cautiously eyed the two combatants.
"Join me. Assist me in dealing with my enemies, and once they are killed. I will assist you in killing yours." Azula declared in a refined manner with her dark hair cascading her face while her companions listened intently behind her.
She gazed back at the girl with confident amber golden eyes as Naoki thought the offer over.
"No. Come back with me to my land. We will kill my enemies first and once that is done. I will assist you and your team in killing your enemies afterward." Naoki spoke with a never fading smile on her lips while she gazed back into the princess's now boiling amber golden eyes.
The remainder of the team stood silent while Azula's amber golden eyes narrowed in aggravation as she glared venomously down at Naoki once more.
'This girl is truly trying my patience!' Azula thought with fire escaping her nostrils while she icily eyed Naoki's expressionless face.
"Azula-sama can't do that Naoki. She's in the middle of a war and if she leaves, she'll lose her position as heir in her kingdom." Elle stated in a soft voice as she padded up behind the two while she gazed on with worried amber eyes.
"I am afraid young Elle is correct. We can't just leave. Our nation would fall if we were to do that." Zoi commented in a stoic voice with her calm golden eyes watching Naoki closely.
"So, you decline then?" Azula questioned in a colder voice with her callous eyes glaring down into the younger girl's machinelike gaze.
"Me and Elle are returning. Whether you and your friends come or not." Naoki answered in an unfazed voice with her determined eyes staring into Azula's wrathful amber golden eyes.
Another tense moment passed over the group while Elle nervously gripped the straps of her backpack.
She chewed on her lip as she frantically gazed between the princess and her childhood friend.
"You aren't going anywhere with Elle." Azula announced in a tone of absolute finality while her gaze remained locked on Naoki's detached brown eyes.
"Then I suppose…one us has to die." Naoki concluded in a bafflingly nonchalant voice as she shrugged her shoulders with a smile still present on her lips.
And that was all it took for the tension to grow even thicker.
Mai and Ty Lee stood behind Elle as they gazed about with uncertainty in their gazes.
The gentle handmaid continued to rapidly peer back and forth between the two fighters.
As the princess raised her head high with her frozen amber golden eyes momentarily meeting Naoki's gaze once more.
Before Azula turned her cold gaze to the wakizashi pointed against her jugular.
And then another moment of silence followed after that while the team gazed on in mounting suspense.
Until finally the two combatants struck.
Less than a second later the princess swung a burning boot upward to kick the sword away from her neck while she rapidly angled her neck backwards.
She simultaneously released the charged current of lightning from her clenched fingers on her left hand.
Only for her eyes to widen in surprise when the young prodigy's foot connected with her lightning infused wrist.
And then her aim was knocked off course while the bolt of lightning exploded off to the side of the cliff.
The team shielded their eyes from the blinding light while rocks crumbled down the cliff face.
And then the princess quickly regained her balance while she kicked the sword away from her neck before it could pierce her flesh.
She watched with shocked amber golden eyes that were now gazing down at Naoki's absurdly fast foot.
Just before her eyes widened once more when she saw that the girl had encased her foot in an earthen boot!
'She's…an earthbender!' Azula thought with disbelief in her eyes while she gazed back at the supersoldier's smiling face.
And then not a second later the sound of clashing steel resonated into the air.
The group gazed on with their eyes widened in unison as they watched the terrifyingly fast crimson blur connect with the princess.
Their eyes grew larger as they watched the earthen clay crumble from Naoki's tabi boot covered foot!
As the princess stood with her katana meeting the young assassin's swing as she quickly regained her composure.
"An…earthbender…and a highly impressive one at that." Zoi stated with surprise in her voice while her golden eyes gazed on in fascination.
And on top of that, the girl's fighting style was completely unlike that of any earthbender that she had ever seen before.
Even Earth King Jaran didn't fight like that!
"Elle…I didn't know that your homeland had benders." Mai spoke with astonishment in her voice while her little sister also gazed on with surprise in her eyes.
"Neither did I." Ty Lee agreed in a tone of wonderment while Azula hardened her eyes as she glared back at Naoki's smiling face.
Their swords clashed together while the princess and the young assassin met each other's gaze.
Neither one of them willing to give into the other's will.
'So, that's what they call it here…bending.' Naoki thought while her lips pulled into an even wider smile as she gazed up into the princess's cold amber golden eyes.
"You are very skilled. It would be unfortunate to have you as my enemy. But it's not like it will make a difference. Because after I leave here with Elle, you and I are unlikely to ever see each other ever again." Naoki remarked in a cold-hearted voice as her crimson red hair blew in her brown eyes while Azula's eyes narrowed in anger.
"You aren't taking Elle. The girl belongs to me. You'll find that out soon enough." Azula hissed with steam exuding from her nostrils while her eyes narrowed into a murderous glare.
"S-stop you two! Please stop!" Elle cried out once again while her princess gazed at her through the corner of her eye.
Only for the two combatants to kick each other away while the princess slid backwards on her booted feet.
Before the powerful princess turned to gaze over her armored shoulder with cold amber golden eyes to find her serving girl rushing up behind her.
The three noblewomen made their way forward to back her up.
Just as she turned her stoic gaze back to her opponent while Naoki gracefully slid to a crouch opposite of her.
"Why didn't you tell me that she is an earthbender?" Azula inquired in a stern voice while she gazed down at her loyal handmaiden's timid face.
"I-I didn't know that she could do that. She was very secretive about anyone seeing her powers. All I knew about Naoki and Katsu, was that Naoki is extremely fast and Katsu's light creates explosions. I had no idea that they were even benders or that we had any benders back in my homeland to begin with." Elle explained in a mousy voice with her amber eyes gazing back into Azula's intrigued amber golden eyes.
As the three noblewomen gazed on in growing curiosity.
'Light that creates explosions…could that be…firebending?' Azula thought with a look of deep contemplation in her intelligent amber golden eyes.
Could there be firebenders on the other side?
Just as she turned her cold gaze back to her opponent while Naoki stood up.
Before another eerie breeze blew through the air while Elle gazed back at Naoki with fretting amber eyes.
Naoki stared back with emotionless brown eyes while she paid no mind to the glares that Team Azula was sending her way.
Only for all of them to be torn from their thoughts when they spun around after they heard a distant sound from the valley below.
It sounded…distinctly like military machinery!
"A military force…" Zoi trailed off in an alert voice with her sword in hand while her princess stared furiously down over the cliff side.
Mai and Ty Lee exchanged an unnerved glance before they turned to gaze back at their adopted sister's distraught face.
Naoki gazed back at them with strikingly vacant brown eyes.
"Your time with Elle has come to an end. If I don't take her back. Someone else will. None of you are any match for any of the militaries on the other side. So, unless you're willing to watch as your country gets slaughtered. I suggest you hand her over." Naoki announced in a pitiless voice while she gazed back at the taken aback faces of the highborn women.
Elle hung her head with her hair shadowing her now saddened amber eyes.
Her four friends gazed on with rising alarm in their eyes.
The princess pursed her lips into a regal scowl as she clenched a fist at her womanly hip.
Only to gaze out of the corner of her eye when she saw her handmaid take a startled step forward.
"I-I don't want anyone to die for my sake." Elle mumbled in a guilt-ridden voice only for a mighty hand to grasp a hold of her shoulder.
She gazed up with great emotion in her eyes to find herself staring into her princess's strict amber golden eyes.
And then she turned her head with gratitude swelling in her chest to find that her big sisters were gazing back at her with reassuring looks in their eyes.
"Elle's home is the Fire Nation. And if I must mobilize the full military might of the Fire Nation to make that understood. Then so be it." Azula spoke in a callous voice with her amber golden eyes taking on a ruthless gleam while her companion shook in appreciation under her palm.
The three noblewomen nodded their heads in agreement while they stood their ground in front of their moved young friend.
"We're not letting anyone take her away without a fight." Ty Lee stated in a protective voice while she clenched her fists at her hips.
"Arigatou gozaimasu minasan…" Elle murmured as she held onto her sleeves while she gazed down with worry ridden amber eyes.
Only for Naoki to let out another soft chuckle that had Azula glaring back at her with glacial amber golden eyes.
"Have it your way then. But don't say that I didn't warn you." Naoki spoke in an unfeeling voice as she turned to gaze over the ledge with a focused look in her eyes.
And then in that very moment watched with unnerved eyes when an unnatural darkness began to consume the air once more.
"That spirit again…" Mai muttered in an unsettled voice while her tawny eyes glanced out over the darkening valley.
Before her gaze landed on Naoki's back once again.
Although to be honest.
That kid scared her more than the spirits.
And just then the sound of approaching soldiers grew even closer.
The team could only gaze on with guarded looks in their eyes only for their attention to be regained when they took in Naoki's disturbingly eager smile.
The handmaid swallowed under her breath as her gaze briefly passed over the slain soldier's lifeless face.
Before she turned her eyes back to the other teenager's back as she bit her lip.
"I'll finish up with you and your friends when I am through with these fools." Naoki stated as she started walking towards the edge of the cliff while the princess released an arrogant scoff.
"I am afraid you are mistaken. I will be the one finishing with you." Azula retorted in a callous voice with her cold eyes watching the girl closely.
Though, as much as she hated to admit it.
The girl had piqued her interests, and she was interested in seeing what else she was capable of.
"No matter where we go…those soldiers keep finding us. Why is that Naoki?" Elle asked in an unnerved voice while her sensitive amber eyes lingered on the other girl's back.
The others raised their brows in curiosity over their young friends' question.
Only for Naoki to hold out her left hand with a small circular device clenched between her fingers with a bright red light blinking at its center.
Just as the serving girl's mouth dropped ajar in shock as she gazed on in a stupefied silence.
"A tracer! She's using a tracer to lure them in!" Elle exclaimed in a stunned voice while her friends gazed at Naoki in surprise.
'That girl must be absurdly confident to wear an enemy tracking device. Though judging by all that we have seen so far…she has every reason to be.' Zoi thought with her golden eyes gazing at the younger girl in increasing interest.
"I have to admit the colonel is ruthless. He's sending them through as pawns, one unit at a time. In the hopes that they will eventually wear me down." Naoki commented with her hair swaying in her eyes while she gazed down at the blanketed valley.
The group gazed down at their young friend in concern as they took close note of the heavy emotion that was brewing in Elle's sentimental eyes.
"Then…you know that they are nothing but pawns. And yet….and yet you still kill them." Elle spoke in a deeply perturbed voice with her fists gripping the straps of her backpack.
Ty Lee turned to the younger girl with a softened look in her eyes before she turned back to Naoki's emotionless face.
She tried to suppress the shiver that was traveling down her spine.
And Azula for her part could only quietly roll her eyes over her admirer's constant habit of worrying about everyone but herself.
Only for Naoki to turn around to gaze back into Elle's shaken eyes with a profoundly heartless look.
"When will you learn to stop caring about people that are after your head? Just stop Elle. Stop concerning yourself with how they feel. Just kill them. It's not so difficult once you get used to it. In time it will eventually start to feel more fluid and natural." Naoki countered in an insistent voice while she stared back into Elle's horrified amber eyes.
Team Azula stared back at her with narrowed looks in their displeased eyes.
"N-no. Never. T-that's not what my mother taught me." Elle protested with a nervous shake of her head while the skies continued to turn dark around them.
"Leave her alone. She doesn't have to change. We like her just as she is." Mai stated in a firm voice with a scowl on her lips while Elle gazed up at her with emotional eyes.
Before Naoki turned away with her brown eyes gazing down at the distant valley while the wind blew through her hair.
"All my life, nobody ever asked me what I wanted. So, why should I care about what anyone else wants." Naoki muttered in something akin to a troubled voice while her fist gripped her sword.
"Naoki…" Elle spoke in a sympathetic voice once more with her amber eyes gazing back at the older girl's back.
Her four highborn friends stared on with guarded looks in their eyes.
Before she took a hesitant step forward while Azula watched through the corner of her strict amber golden eye.
And even despite the cut on her cheek from the other girl pushing her down.
To the astonishment of her friends.
Elle didn't even hesitate to reach out to place her hand on Naoki's shoulder once more!
"When you gave me water, you said showing me a little kindness might help me find my way." Naoki remarked with her brown eyes gazing down over the ledge while her childhood friend's hand nearly fell on her shoulder.
The team gazed on with their eyes widened marginally over the girl's admission that she had been awake the entire time!
"So…you were awake after all. Yes, I did say that." Elle replied in an uncertain voice while she watched with blinking amber eyes when Naoki turned around to face her.
"I propose the opposite. I propose that in time. You will become like me." Naoki stated in a sanguine voice with a soft smile on her lips while Elle froze up in horror.
The highborn women exchanged quiet glances while another eerie wind swept through their hair.
Before the captain and the princess quickly moved to rush forward.
Ty Lee and Mai rapidly did the same.
"L-like you?" Elle stammered in an affected voice while she found herself unable to gaze away from Naoki's haunting brown eyes.
And for the most fleeting of moments, she almost felt as if time around her had turned still.
As if her friends were entire worlds away.
"Watch me Elle. I'll show you how to kill." Naoki announced in a stunningly cutthroat voice with her hair blowing wildly in the wind behind her.
Elle gazed on with her amber eyes as wide as humanly possible.
As many emotions flickered before her innocent eyes.
Azula's eyes narrowed into slits as she lunged through the air.
Only for her amber golden eyes to grow wide in surprise when a powerful aura of chi red chi emanated off Naoki's body.
"Naoki! Wait!" Elle called out at the top of her lungs with her hair swaying in front of her eyes.
Naoki's lips pulled into a grin as she gazed back into her childhood friend's shocked amber eyes.
And not a second later the ground suddenly exploded beneath their feet.
And then before anyone could react the entire cliff edge was sent plummeting to the valley floor!
Elle's shouts rang out in the air when she found herself falling through the crumbling rocks.
Just as a strong hand swiftly took hold of her wrist as she gazed up through her blowing hair into her princess's fearless amber golden eyes.
The princess now slid down the eroding cliff with her pointed boots gliding gracefully down the crumbling rocks.
"A-Azula-sama." Elle stuttered out in an emotional voice as she grasped onto her princess's neck while Azula held her under her arm.
The three noblewomen dove down the vanishing cliff alongside them with their widened eyes gazing down below.
"Stay still Elle." Azula ordered in a commanding voice with her cold eyes gazing back down at the bottom of the collapsing cliff.
Naoki rode through the rock slide on a boulder with her back turned to the falling team.
"Naoki!" Elle yelled over her princess's shoulder with her amber eyes agape in conflict.
Just as Naoki momentarily glanced up at her with piercing brown eyes that sent a shudder down her spine.
Before the supersoldier sprang into the air from her boulder with her focused eyes gazing down at the valley below.
The startled team shared looks with one another as they glided down the tumbling rocks.
Only for all five of them to spin around in alarm when a bright light flashed across the other side of the forest.
Their mouths promptly fell open in disbelief when they saw an enormous brown skinned spirit rising up over the vast forest!
It had three feminine looking faces and its long arms were now stretched out over the valley.
And a swirling light was encircling its body, while a storm of otherworldly faces took shape around it on all sides.
"T-that's…a huge spirit!" Ty Lee blurted out in a stunned voice as she slid down on her good foot while Mai grimaced beside her.
"I take it that must be the spirit that attacked us." Zoi stated in a stoic voice with her golden eyes gazing out at the massive spirit.
"It is nothing to concern ourselves with. Why should we fear something that is afraid of the tiger monkey?" Azula snorted in a haughty voice with her young girlfriend gulping from where she clung to her shoulder pad.
Her two childhood friends cast her unconvinced looks but decided to keep their mouths shut and focus on their descent.
Just as the spirit's enraged voice split over the entire Forgetful Valley.
"Trespassing humans! How dare you defile my sacred pools! Get out of my forest! Every last one of you!" The Mother of Faces bellowed in a vengeful voice as her large clawed hand swiped through the tree line.
The sound of gunfire split over the once peaceful valley while the soldiers scrambled into position.
"It's…another monster!" A soldier hollered in a panicked voice with his assault rifle firing up at the looming spirit.
Only to find himself screaming not a moment afterward when he was batted to the ground by a large invisible paw.
Just as his eyes grew wide when he gazed up to see a giant blue wolf materializing above him.
As spirit wolf snarled with its crimson eyes glaring back down at him.
The Mother of Faces stood high in the air with her ancient eyes gazing angrily over the expansive forest.
Before her ancient gaze landed on the young girl riding on the shoulder of the Crown Princess of the Fire Nation.
And for the faintest of instances her eyes were ever so slightly wider while her lips pursed into a thin line.
'So, my suspicions were correct after all. The spirit slayer has finally returned.' The Mother of Faces thought with her three faces gazing back at the girl.
And then she turned to gaze over her shoulder in the distance in the direction of the old human's tree.
'You had something to do with this. Didn't you Mava?' The Mother of Faces wondered with a slight scowl on her lips while she turned to gaze back down at the forest below.
Before she swiped her arm through the trees once more while the soldier's fearful shouts split into the air.
Team Azula dropped down the cliff with their eyes quickly gazing about over the forest when they heard the soldiers' panicked shouts.
Only to quickly turn their heads the other direction when blood curdling screams came from Naoki's direction.
Mai and Ty Lee shuddered as they gazed back at one another.
"Judging by the sound of those screams. The spirit isn't killing the enemy soldiers…but Naoki is." Zoi remarked with her sword in hand while she gazed out over the forest.
"Good. It saves us the energy of having to do it ourselves." Azula stated in a callous voice with Elle hanging over her armored shoulder while the girl gazed down with saddened eyes.
"Azula." Ty Lee chided in a firmer voice only for the princess to ignore her while she slid down the slope.
Before they landed at the bottom of the rock slide with their alarmed eyes gazing out in the location of ensuing battle.
While one gun shot after another pierced the forest air.
Just as they hurriedly broke out into a run in that direction with their eyes peeled for any sign of danger.
"What sort of commander would send such unequipped soldiers into battle against such an overwhelming opponent?" Zoi questioned with a spark of disgust in her golden eyes while she sprang through the trees.
Azula gazed on with her usual callous expression only for amber golden eyes to turn to glare at her two lifelong friends when she noticed the looks that they were sending her way.
It was an unspoken statement that they were all well aware that it was something that Ozai would do.
Most especially, considering that Zuko had been banished for speaking out against precisely the same thing.
Only for their attention to be rapidly regained as they sprinted through the darkened foliage with their widened eyes gazing ahead.
Boulders and chunks of rock slammed into the forest floor that ended up crushing a man below.
The soldiers shouted out to one another as they madly rushed for cover.
Only to find themselves being cut down before they could even so much as say another word.
Naoki jumped past the dying soldiers with her sword in hand while her crimson red hair blew before her emotionless brown eyes.
Her heartless gaze never once expressed even a hint of remorse.
Just as she dropped to the forest floor in a crouch with her smiling face glancing about at the terrified soldiers.
"S-she's a monster! The colonel didn't say that she was anything like this!" A soldier shouted in protest.
"Fire the aura piercing bullets!" Another voice shrieked in a heavy Spanish accent as the young prodigy broke out into another horrifying sprint.
"I can't get a lock on her!" A third soldier screamed out with his eyes as wide as can be while he fired multiple rounds into the forest air.
And not a moment after that another scream resonated into the air while the taken aback Team Azula ran through the trees.
Even Azula was gazing on with a slightly taken aback look in her amber golden eyes.
"Seriously! What a little beast!" Mai exclaimed in an uncharacteristically rattled voice while Ty Lee swallowed apprehensively as she sprinted alongside her.
Before they finally broke through the dense tree line.
Only for their eyes to collectively widen at the sight they stumbled upon.
Elle slid from Azula's shoulder with her amber eyes trembling as she gazed in a speechless silence at the bodies strung out before her.
Numerous foreign soldiers lay lifeless upon the forest floor.
The pained cries of a man echoed into the air as he was savagely kicked in the stomach by an earthen boot.
Before he was rolled through the dirt while Naoki stood with her foot on his back chuckling above him.
"P-please…please stop…Naoki." Elle begged with her hands holding her cheeks in horror while her highborn friends stood transfixed beside her.
"Why? They never stopped when I cried." Naoki responded in a casual voice as she continued to stomp on the back of the man's head.
Azula and Zoi shared a momentary glance before they turned to their young friend's horrified face.
"I-I beg you please Naoki…s-stop." Elle sputtered as she grasped a hold of her hair while the two noblewomen gazed on in unconcealed disgust.
"And what exactly are you going to do if I don't?" Naoki retorted in a cold voice while her childhood friend froze up.
"N-nothing I…j-just am asking you to please stop torturing that man." Elle spoke in a trembling voice while her Ty Lee scowled at Naoki's back.
"Zoi." Azula sighed as she authoritatively raised her hand to wave her warrior forward while the captain stonily nodded her head.
Before Zoi began to stride forward with her golden eyes gazing at Naoki's turned back.
Only to pause in her tracks when the earth swiftly enveloped the now motionless man.
The team watched with stunned eyes as Naoki raised her left hand in the air and then remorselessly clenched it shut.
There was a faint muffled struggling sound from within the mound of earth.
And then not even seconds later there was nothing but silence after the man had suffocated within.
Before the dead soldier dropped from the ruptured earth back to the dirt below.
Elle stood shaking with her fingernails in her hair as she gazed on with torn up amber eyes.
"I call that technique…Earth Coffin." Naoki announced in a nonchalant voice with her back turned to the speechless group.
'Earth Coffin. What a ruthless name.' Ty Lee thought as she placed a comforting hand on Elle's shoulder while she shuddered.
Just before Naoki wordlessly jumped into the air while Azula turned to follow her with callously narrowed amber golden eyes.
Only for the supersoldier to blindingly drop down on the last prone soldier while her sword pierced his neck.
And then the prodigy stood up with her hair swaying in her eyes once more while she flicked the blood free from her blade.
Even the war hardened noblewomen women were struck by the brutality before them.
Although Zoi herself was no stranger to killing.
It was the act of insisting on doing it in front of Elle's innocent eyes that stirred up a sensation of anger within her chest.
Before Naoki turned around to face Elle's jarred face with her brown eyes paying no mind to the older women's enraged stares.
"The idealistic world that your mother believed in and that you so passionately follow does not exist. This is the world that you live in. I suggest you get used to it Elle." Naoki declared as she sheathed her blade with her earthen boots crumbling away.
And then Elle sunk forward with her hands holding her forehead while Ty Lee glared back at the young assassin's emotionless face.
"N-no human being…has the right to take the life of another." Elle mumbled in an unsettled voice with her palms clutching her golden hair.
"Get away from her! Just go!" Ty Lee snapped with her hands steadying her little sister's shoulders while Naoki shrugged in response.
Mai glowered in agreement as she turned away from the slain soldiers in revulsion.
"Alright then. I have a few stragglers to hunt down anyway. I'll give you a few minutes to cool off Elle. I'll come back to check on you afterward. If you change your mind about retrieving Katsu…you can let me know then." Naoki spoke with a smirk on her lips as she shrugged her shoulders while she wrapped her white cloak around her once more.
And then she strode past the glaring group while Elle numbly nodded her head.
The captain just gazed after Naoki with stony golden eyes when the girl walked past her.
While Naoki smiled up at her before she walked past the frigid princess.
As the princess stared icily at the girl through the corner of her callous eye.
And then not a moment after that Naoki vanished into the trees.
With only the soft sound of her feet striding along the forest floor carrying into their ears.
"Are…you okay Elle?" Mai inquired in a concerned voice as she gazed at her adopted sister's face with angered tawny eyes.
The other three highborn women turned to do the same.
"Can…can we just…get away from here? This is…just too much death for me to take in one day." Elle stated in a disconcerted voice as she averted her eyes from the carnage.
As she tore into her backpack with a shaky hand as she dug for a drink of water.
"Yeah. We can do that little sister. I am sure that Azula would be happy to oblige." Ty Lee assured as she rubbed the younger girl's back while Azula stared back with a lazy glare.
"Fine. Forget the soldiers or whatever remains of them for the time being. We'll continue on to investigate these four spirit pools that the old crone spoke about." Azula remarked in a refined voice with her amber golden eyes still gazing back at her admirer's annoyingly distraught face.
And then the serving girl withdrew a small pill while her friends watched close as she swallowed it with a gulp of water from her water bottle.
Before she began to quickly walk away with Ty Lee following after her as they tried to avoid gazing at the soldiers fallen faces.
Just as Elle stopped for a short moment with her saddened amber eyes briefly gazing down at a corpse.
"Sumimasen." Elle muttered with her head hung low before she resumed walking on her way.
The princess now gazed on with her amber golden eyes narrowing in disbelief.
"Why does she care so much about what happens to people that are after her head?" Azula growled with her cold eyes glaring down at the slain soldiers without any pity in her gaze.
"That's just the way Elle is Azula." Mai sighed in an even more dour voice than usual as she followed after her little sister.
"We should probably make haste…if we want to get a look at those pools. I have a feeling that is exactly what that spirit is furious over. And she may not approve of us taking a look around." Zoi spoke in a calmer voice as she turned to her princess's scowling face while Azula began to stomp ahead.
Azula pursed her lips into a glower as she strode after her pet with her amber golden eyes glaring ahead.
At the moment she could care less about the spirit.
No. Her sole thought was her little girlfriend's delicate mental state.
And with that the team quickly moved through the trees with Ty Lee guiding the perturbed teenager under her arm.
They warily gazed out through the unnaturally darkened forest at the looming figure of the giant spirit on the other side of the valley.
As they ran past many eerie forest creatures that were eying them with glowing eyes from high upon the tree branches.
And then soon enough they passed a body of water to their right that was partly obscured by the dense forest.
"That must be one of the pools." Zoi commented in a stoic voice as she sprinted through the trees with her golden eyes gazing ahead.
"Obviously Zoi." Azula answered in an irate voice as she still gazed at her serving girl's sensitive face with a strict amber golden eye.
Only for all of their eyes to gaze on in renewed fascination when they saw the distant bright light drawing closer and closer.
Until at long last they found themselves approaching a bright glowing light in the distant tree line.
Before they finally emerged from the shadowed trees with their amazed eyes now gazing upon the source of the luminescent light.
At the center of the forest clearing sat an unbelievable pristine pool of water.
And around it on all sides a bright light was spiraling high into the sky of the Forgetful Valley.
As a portal swirled forth from its crystal-clear center!
The awestruck team gazed into it with fascinated looks in their eyes while they watched as their reflections spiraled in the shimmering light.
"I-it's…beautiful." Elle spoke in a captivated voice with her amber eyes staring down in childlike awe.
"So, this is where they are coming from. If what the old sage said was true…then this may very well be a portal to the Spirit World." Zoi muttered as she gazed down with astounded golden eyes while Azula held a contemplative fist under her chin.
'How intriguing. And this…somehow leads to Elle's homeland?' Azula thought with her elegant brows arching thoughtfully while she turned to her petite serving girl.
"It…has a powerful aura." Ty Lee stated in a quiet voice with her hand still on her little sister's dainty shoulder.
"What…do we do?" Mai pondered as she turned to her compatriots while Azula mulled the matter over.
Only to swiftly turn their heads around when they saw the massive spirit turn to gaze in their direction.
And her three faces were contorted into an expression of rage.
The handmaid nervously swallowed as she shook while the seemingly eyeless spirit seemed to be glaring directly back at her.
"We may as well jump in and see where it leads. That is after all…where the old crone said the tiger monkey had to go." Azula announced with a returning smirk upon her crimson lips while Mai looked unconvinced.
"I was just about to say as much myself. It would seem that great minds do think alike." Zoi said with a hand on her hip while her princess wore a confident smile.
"W-we should probably hurry then. That spirit looks really angry." Elle muttered in a worried voice while she peered up as her princess stepped over her.
And just like that the team watched with unnerved eyes as the Mother of Faces began to rush in their direction!
"Well. Now or never then." Mai stated in a sigh as the captain stepped up beside her.
"Indeed. See you on the other side Saolin." Zoi taunted with a small smile on her lips before she swiftly kicked the other woman in the ass.
And then the noblewoman was sent falling face first into the magical pool with her angered shouts resonating into her companion's ears.
"Zoi!" Mai yelled as she splashed into the mystic pool while she gazed on with widened eyes as it quickly consumed her.
And then just as quickly.
The noblewoman was gone.
Ty Lee gazed down with concerned brown-gray eyes before she turned to glare back at Zoi's smirking face.
Only for Azula to roll her eyes in an uncaring manner as she gazed down at the pool.
"Oneesan!" Elle cried out in a fretful voice as she jumped into the pool before her friends could protest.
"Elle!" Ty Lee called out in a sisterly voice as she leaped in after the younger girl.
"For your sake Zoi. You had better hope that girl is not harmed by whatever is in that pool." Azula spoke in a frigid voice as she turned to cast her subordinate a domineering stare.
"That just leaves you and me Princess. How about I race you to the bottom?" Zoi called out with a cocky smirk on her features while her princess let out a pompous snort.
"As if you could ever beat me at anything." Azula scoffed in a conceited voice before she scowled back at the older woman's smirking visage.
And then not an instant later the two firebenders leaped into the magical waters at the same time.
The Mother of Faces now gazed out back at her sacred pools with her lips in a seething thin line.
As the five members of Team Azula plunged through the mystical waters.
Until one by one they were submersed in the waters of the Spirit World.
And all that remained in their wake was the shimmering light of the spirit pool itself.
AN:
First off, I want to thank everyone who wished me congratulation on the word count.
And yes, Kingzilla, Team Azula will learn that modern warfare is more violent than they think. However, it is key to remember that the setting is post destructive World War Three. And that means that the global military is going to be weaker as a whole as compared to pre World War Three. The reason is simply because many countries and people died as a result of the war. And therefore, armies are smaller and more fragmented than prior to WW3.
Also, thank you jigoku-kage, for asking me if I am doing well. I am making it through. Thanks for asking.
Regarding this chapter, we got to see the talk between Rieko and Felix.
And we are able to learn a great deal about Rieko's personality just from that talk alone. It is already widely known by most people in Elle's world that Felix is a remorseless monster. And seeing Rieko express disgust over his company shows that she has a certain level of standards.
While her reasoning is selfish, she does not allow senseless murder, abuse, rape and the sort to go on in her territories. Such violence would only weaken her rule, and what really revolts her about Felix is the fact that he has no respect for any sense of order.
In fact, you could tell that Rieko wanted to kill him from the moment she laid eyes on him. But she relented, because he has something that she wants, which will be revealed later.
We also saw that unlike Ozai and Azula, Rieko is willing to tolerate a great deal of which she dislikes if it works to her advantage in the grand scale. Which means that she'll put up with Felix openly testing her patience in the manner that he was.
In the end, Rieko is much like a predator scoping out her meal. You can tell by looking at her thought process that she intends to inflict tremendous pain on Felix in the very moment that he is no longer of use to her.
Whether Felix is self aware enough to see this coming remains to be seen at this point, but it is the little things that get to Rieko. An example is the coffee table, while it may seem trivial in comparison to what Felix did to Elle. That was the tipping point in her mind where she started to become more methodical towards Felix.
While it is just a table, it is the principal to her, it is her table. And damaging the antique showed Rieko that Felix has no respect for even the smallest of laws and that therefore he will have no respect for the laws of her empire.
Of course, despite all of that she still let him live and for the time being Felix is free to move as he pleases while under her watch.
And we also saw that Felix truly has no moral regard for Elle, as evident by how he described her former dependence on him.
We also saw that Felix sensed Elle awaken her power and that he is now looking forward to meeting Azula.
Also, I want to state that while it might seem as if Rieko is a waterbender. Rieko is NOT a waterbender. Rieko cannot manipulate water in its unfrozen form. However, she is able to create ice from nothing as she has absolute control over the cold elements. So, even if there is no water source in the air. She is able to create impressive displays of ice that no waterbender can match.
And as we will later discover when we delve into her origins, the power of her family line has strange origins that we'll explore later.
As for Azula and Naoki, despite not going all out, they were for the most part evenly matched.
And it was also revealed that Naoki is an earthbender. Keep in mind that the rules and traditions of bending don't really apply to Elle's world. Therefore, those who can bend from Elle's world may be more unorthodox in their methods than traditionalists like Ozai, Yoko, etc.
Naoki is completely unlike the earthbenders of the Avatar world, whereas most earthbenders like Toph are slow and wait on the defense. Naoki is fast and aggressive with her sword, and she values her speed over her earthbending.
To Naoki, her earthbending is a secondary power to her speed. As I have stated before, Naoki will likely go down as the fastest character in the series. Other characters, such as Azula, Zoe, Rieko may have advantages over Naoki in other ways and they will also be highly fast in their own right. And they will still rank high up on the list of the fastest characters. Naoki will still be faster though, because speed is her specialty.
At this point in time, Toph is probably a more skilled earthbender than Naoki. But that is because Naoki places most of her focus in mastering her speed, fine tuning her earth techniques is secondary.
And we also saw, that once again even they clash. Azula and Naoki are not true enemies. At this moment they just have no interest in each other's goals. However, the most they fight each other, the more they begin to respect the other for the power that they each show in combat. And while they may have harsh words to say to one another, that is just their way of feeling each other out. So, just remember that the words they speak do not come from a place of hatred.
As for Naoki and Elle, the resulting massacre of the invading soldiers perfectly exemplified Naoki and Elle's personalities in that one moment. There is nothing that Elle can say that will stop Naoki from killing all of the soldiers that attack her, and Elle's efforts were for not. However, while Elle was shaken up and even a bit traumatized by what she saw.
Elle would and will try again, even if it just brings her more sadness when Naoki kills again. Basically, neither one of them is going to change. But that won't stop them from trying to influence each other.
And we also saw the Mother of Faces again, we'll be seeing her one more time at the end of this arc.
Lastly, I would like to discuss the spirit pool that Team Azula jumped in. I am aware that the Spirit World is mostly a supernatural parallel to the physical world in Avatar.
Next chapter, Team Azula will get an explanation of how Elle got to their world and how they can get to Elle's world.
To simplify it though, there is a gateway in the Avatar world, and a gateway also in Elle's world. This World Gateway was reactivated somehow, and once it did it created a disturbance in the Avatar Spirit World.
This created several 'fissures' all throughout the Avatar world, the fissures are tears in the Spirit World that overlap into the physical world. And that portal they entered was one such tear.
To help you all understand, think of the Avatar world as one end of a bridge, and Elle's world as the other end of the bridge. In between is a formless void, a bridge between worlds if you will. We'll call this bridge the Pseudo Space.
The Pseudo Space connects the worlds together, and Team Azula must pass through this bridge to travel to the other side. In order for Azula to gain control over this passageway in the long run, she must first find the site of the physical gateway and establish it under Fire Nation control.
For the time being though, the goal is to simply stop the soldiers from crossing over and worry about the rest later.
I just wanted to give an explanation for that and lay it out in the simplest manner possible.
That will be all for this week though.
Stay tuned for next time.
For chapter ninety-six! Beyond the Mystic Pool!