Chapter 21 Old Gods And Masters.
As the sun began to set, Sokka's eyes scanned the horizon in front of him. Appa was flying far faster than he usually would, as if able to sense the urgency of their situation. The gang was on the hunt for an air fleet heading to the Northern Water Tribe, and just as the last light of day disappeared behind the water's edge to the west, Sokka could swear he saw a glint of light in the east, a reflection of moonglow against metal. "There!" He shouted, pointing to a small formation of airships, only three wide. Everyone on Appa's back looked out to the horizon with him, save Toph, who remained in her seat.
"Just three?" Suki asked.
"Three is all that's needed if the ships are full of fire benders." Azula said, as everyone started to make their preparations to attack the ships.
"What's the game plan?" Yumi asked, as she handed Smellerbee her pistol, and began to take her carbine out from Appa's saddle pack.
Azula pulled all her hair up and put it in a loose knot to keep it out of her face. "We need to confirm this is the group going to attack the Northern tribe before anything else, so we should focus on taking the bridge of the lead ship as fast as possible."
"And if it is heading north, we either down, or destroy them." Zuko said.
Appa didn't slow down, as Katara took the reins from her brother, who drew his gun-sword. "Come up from behind them and above, we're less likely to be spotted that way." Sokka said, as Appa pulled to the left, and came up behind the formation, flying high between the left and center airships. lowering down to the catwalk below the center ship, everyone but Katara climbed aboard.
They were not met with immediate resistance, but once inside the ship's forward gondola, found several soldiers in imperial guard uniforms standing outside of the hallway leading to the bridge. Before the guard could even prepare an attack, Connor, Smellerbee, and Yumi raised their guns and fired, taking three men out of the fight.
The two remaining guards, both threw blasts of fire at the group, but Zuko and Azula shielded their friends, dispelling the flames. Sokka pushed past them once the fire had cleared, and with his sword swiped at the right guard's chest, slicing through a layer of his cloth and hide armor, before the man took a flying kick to the face, courtesy of Suki.
The other guard remaining was slammed into the wall by a section of the floor that had been peeled back, Toph's controle over metal pinning him there.
"Good work team. Toph, take the door." Sokka said, as everyone stepped to the side, as those needing to reload did so.
Toph placed both hands on the door, and then slammed the metal inward, shearing the bolts holding it to the frame clean off. The gang rushed into the hall, and didn't stop until they reached the bridge. By now an alarm had been raised, but that hardly mattered. Rather than wait for everyone to group up and organize, Connor drew his sword, and cocked back the hammer on his still loaded pistol barrel. With a raised boot, he kicked the door to the bridge, snapping the metal lock in half, and causing it to swing open.
Pistol raised, Connor shot the man at the acoustic communications board in the side of his chest, who stumbled, still standing after the shot. Sokka pointing his sword at the man and pulled the trigger connected to the flintlock attached, double tapping the guard. Connor rushed forward, and plunged his cutlass into the softer belly of the imperial guard's armor. The man yelled in pain, before Connor twisted the blade, and sliced outwards, spilling his guts across the floor. The last man at the helm stopped moving in fear of being shot, as Yumi rounded the doorframe and pointed her carbine at him.
Everyone else filed into the room, and Azula spoke. "Where's the captain?" She asked the remaining imperial guard, as he raised his hands in surrender.
"Uh… That was the captain." He pointed to the dead man on the floor, who'd been disemboweled.
"Oh…" Azula said, with a raised eyebrow. "Well… I'm the captain now, and I demand you tell me this airship's heading, and mission."
The helmsman stuttered for a moment. "W-we were heading to The North Pole, to melt it when Sozin's Comet arrives."
Connor lowered his gun, and flicked the blood off his sword before putting them both away. Sokka looked around, and came up with an idea. Stepping over the felled man at the communications board, Sokka cleared his throat, then picked up the announcement funnel. "Attention everyone. This is the famous pirate… Uh…" He glanced at Connor, and noticed the red facial hair he had. "Red beard, and I've just taken your airship. You all work for me now. Anyone who tries to retake the ship, or sabotage my ventures will be considered mutineers, gutted and tossed overboard. If you don't believe me, come to the forward gondola, and see what my crew and I did to your captain." Sokka looked over his shoulder at Connor, who sort of shook his head, but grabbed the corpse of the captain, and dragged him by his arms out of the room.
"Toph." Connor said, catching her attention. "Come with me, I feel like we're about to have company."
Throughout the airship, all the crew who could hear the announcement system were both confused, and somewhat scared. The guards themselves however were not. Over a dozen fire benders had started to come out of their bunk rooms, before descending down to the ship's catwalk, and hooking into the safety strap system. They all came to a stop near the forward gondola, and being in line, had to look over each other's shoulders to see Connor and Toph standing there, the larger of the two with their gutted captain being dragged by his collar.
"Told you." Connor said, before he tossed the body overboard into the sea. "Toph if you will." Connor said, before Toph cracked her fingers, and then bent down to grab the catwalk. Shaking the metal like a sheet, she whipped the walkway, causing all of the guards to lose their footing, most falling overboard, their straps catching them. With the walkway now stable again, Connor went forward with his sword, swinging the blade in a continuous overhead motion, cutting the straps the men hung by, letting them fall into the sea one by one, before he reached the end of the catwalk, and found himself at the center gondola. Stepping inside, Connor found the bomb bay, with it's non bender crew, all looking confused.
"Oh shit." One of them said, as Connor pointed at them with his sword.
"You and two others, come with me. Bring a lit match, a powder charge and an explosive cannon ball each." Connor said. They slowly started moving, before Connor raised his voice. "On the double, or I'll gut the three a' ya!" Frightened, the men scurried about, retrieving powder and ball, following Connor out onto the catwalk, and then forwards, around the bridge to the walkway with a single nose cannon. He looked back and gave a thumbs up to Sokka on the bridge, who returned the gesture. They were on the same page.
Under threat of Connor's blade, the three men loaded and then aimed the cannon to the bridge of the airship on their left. Connor took the slow match, and touched off the gun, sending an exploding round shell into the forward gondola, the round flew into the glass window, and when it burst, the round ripped open the room, and something flammable within caught fire. The opposing ship began to nosedive, and before Connor had even ordered his shanghaied gunners to reload and fire again, it crashed into the sea below.
Sokka, now at the wheel of the airship watched Connor ordering around the crew out in front of the bridge with his sword, before the cannon they were working with had been turned and fired on the bridge of the airship to their right. It remained afloat however, and for that, it was given a second explosive round, this time into the left side engine compartment. The propeller on the airship's side stopped spinning, and without the thrust it provided, the airship began to slowly drift to the left. "Well I guess that's two ships down." Sokka said, before realizing that they not only had control of the third airship, but control of it's skeleton crew.
Eyebrow raised and a goofy grin on his face, Sokka looked down, finding a lever marked "pitch." Pulling it down, the airship began to climb out of the path of the airship beside it. Once the now damaged ship had passed below them, Sokka righted the airship he had command of, and hummed to himself. "I think we've got something good here going for us." He said, before looking back at Suki. "Here, take the wheel." He said, passing the position of driver off to her, before taking the funnel for the communications board in hand once again. "Alrighty now my captive crew, in case you haven't heard, we've just fired on our sister ships, which are now out of commission. Seeing as all of you were complicit in this, you're now a bunch of pirates just like myself, and probably considered enemies of the Fire Nation, so what do you have to lose by listening to me, eh? I want us at full steam, and all remaining hands to man their stations, because we've got a time table to make." Sokka said.
"You're just stealing the airship?" Zuko asked.
"And the crew?" Smellerbee asked skeptically.
"Hey, this way we've at least got some artillery on our side." Sokka said, turning to Suki. "Now let's get this thing turned around."
"We should be able to make it back to wherever it set course from, before the comet arrives." Azula said, before stepping out into the hall. "The captain's quarters should have maps."
"Um…" Yumi said, raising her pistol with a bent arm and pointing it up to the former helmsman standing to the side. "What do we do with him?"
Sokka grinned again. "I have an idea."
Daylight dancing through the overcast stung Aang's eyes, and with a groan, he lifted his head off of the soft grass he found beneath him. Hearing the chitterings of Momo in his ear, Aang began to sit up. "Hey buddy. I just had the strangest…" As Aang opened his eyes, he found that he was no longer on the deck of the Fire Lord's summer home, and was instead on a lightly forested island shore. "Oh it wasn't a dream." He muttered.
Springing to his feet, Aang felt Momo land on his shoulder. Looking around, Aang saw only open ocean for miles in every direction, the island he'd found himself on being tiny. Looking into the forest, Aang began walking uphill. Curious, Aang lit a fire in his hand, before extinguishing it. "Ok, well I'm not in the spirit world since I can bend…" He mused, continuing through the sparse underbrush. Making his way to the highest point on the island, Aang could see a break in the treetops, and stumbled onto a clearing, with what looked like a strange patterned stone courtyard left in the earth. Being barefoot, when Aang stepped down onto the stone he could feel the material, and sensed that it wasn't vibrating as regular earth would. "This is so weird."
Taking a seat, Aang looked up to the cloudy sky, a tingle running down his spine. "This place, whatever it is, is full of spiritual energy… Like it's on the border between worlds…" Looking down at his lap, Aang had an idea.
Closing his eyes, Aang put his fists together, and started to meditate. Minutes passed, as he cleared his mind, and before long, a gust of hot wind alerted him to the presence of an old friend. "Hello Aang." Aang opened his eyes, finding Roku, blue in his spiritual form sitting across from him on the stone. "It's good to see you." Roku said with a smile.
"Avatar Roku, I need your help. Where am I?" Aang asked.
Roku's spirit glanced around and contemplated for a second. "I… Don't know…" At that Aang frowned. "But something tells me you're lost in more ways than one."
"I am… I need to figure out what to do when I face the Fire Lord." Aang said, slouching forward, putting his arms against his thighs. "Everyone expects me to take his life, but I don't think I can do that."
Roku hummed. "In my life, I tried to show discipline, and restraint. But Sozin took advantage of my mercy. Had I acted sooner, I could have prevented the war. I can only offer you this Aang. You must be decisive."
The blue shadow of Roku's spirit faded away, and Aang looked down at the ground. "Right." He said to himself, before thinking of who else from his past that he could call on. "Maybe Kyoshi?" He asked, glancing over to Momo who was lying beside him. Momo tilted his head at Aang. "Yeah, I have a feeling I already know her answer too." Meditating once more, Aang went further back. Calling for an Air Nomad Avatar to grant him wisdom.
After a moment a cool breeze rustled through the trees around him, and Aang opened his eyes to find a woman, with the tattoos of a master air bender running across her forehead and the back of her hands.
"Hello young Avatar. I am Avatar Yangchen." She said, before politely nodding.
"Avatar Yangchen." Aang started, keeping his back straight. "The monks always taught me that all life is sacred, even the smallest spider-fly."
Yangchen nodded again, blinking as she did. "This is true, Aang."
Aang glanced away for a moment. "But I have to fight someone, The Fire Lord, to end the war, and I don't know how to end it peacefully. How am I supposed to uphold my vows as an airbender, if my duty as the avatar requires me to break them?"
Yangchen looked up at the sky for a moment. "Aang, The monks have taught you well, but this isn't about you, this is about the world."
"But the monks taught me to detach myself from the world." Aang argued.
"Aang." Yangchen said, closing her eyes. "Many great Air Nomads have detached themselves from the world, and achieved enlightenment, but that is not something any Avatar can allow themselves to do, because your sole duty is to the world, and all it's people. Here is my wisdom to you." Yangchen said, as she began to fade away. "Selfless service to the world, requires you to sacrifice your own needs, and do whatever it takes to protect it."
As Yangchen's spirit vanished on the wind, Aang felt a single tear begin to trickle down his face. Reaching up, he wiped the liquid away, and raised an eyebrow. "What if someone from the Water Tribes, someone older, has something to offer? Who was the Water Tribe Avatar before Yangchen?" Aang asked himself, before putting his fists back together, and once more beginning to meditate.
The sound of waves breaking against the island shore could be heard and Aang opened his eyes to find a face he did not recognize in the slightest. A woman, who looked to be in her mid forties, wearing a water tribe parka, and a necklace denoting she had been betrothed. Her hair was braided together forming a long tail that was draped over her right shoulder, several beads scattered through it. "Greetings, Aang… I am Avatar Imiq Yuvi-Halfdan of the Southern Water Tribe. You may call me Imiq if you'd like."
"Avatar Imiq." Aang started. "I'm in a difficult situation. I have to protect the world, and all it's people from Fire Lord Ozai, but I don't know if I can do what everyone says I have to… I don't know if I can kill Fire Lord Ozai." He lowered his head. "I'm asking you, no… I'm begging you, for something, anything that can help me end the war without having to resort to murder."
Imiq smiled. "You desire not to break the vow of peace you swore as a monk?" Aang nodded. "In my time, eight hundred years before your people were taken from the world, I too saw war. I was there when Ba Sing Se gained dominion over the entire Earth Kingdom. I watched the first Earth King take the throne… And I watched him lose it too, along with his head."
"But were you the one who killed him?" Aang asked, eyebrow raised.
"No… The man who would go on to be my husband was the one who struck down the king. He was an air bender, but he was not born to monks." Imiq said, surprising Aang. "He was cruel, and cold when we first met, like a harsh sea wind, but together we learned how to bend air, and in that time he taught me that the only path that matters, is the one you carve for yourself." Aang closed his eyes, as Imiq continued to speak. "I might not know how to defeat Fire Lord Ozai without ending his life, but I know that if you actually tried, you could find a way, or you'll make one."
As Avatar Imiq's spirit melted away into the ground. Aang opened his eyes and sighed in frustration, the sun dipping low in the western sky.
Night had already fallen on the eastern Earth Kingdom. Crickets chirped in the fields of the city's furthest ring, the farmlands outside of the lower ring's squalor. On a footpath, overgrown and uneven, gentile feet tread closer to the furthest wall, a wall that had once been breached by The Dragon Of The West, a wall still scarred by the attack.
Looking up, the woman who walked under moonlight, found the tree marking where she was to meet the city's welcomed guests. She stopped her walk, and looked over her shoulder, checking one last time to see if she was being followed. Clearing her throat, the woman spoke. "Clovers in bloom catch the eye, but it is their leaves that all know and remember."
From behind a nearby bush, a man in blue and white robes stepped out onto the path. "For their leaves of four are what bring fortune… Miss. Joo Dee." The man said, nodding his head.
"Jeong Jeong." Joo Dee said, returning the nod.
"Come." Jeong Jeong said shortly, as he turned, and led Joo Dee further down the path, before pushing past some shrubbery, revealing an encampment of white tents hidden in the rubble of Ba Sing Se's fallen wall.
Jeong Jeong led Joo Dee to the same tent she'd visited before, and held the flap open for her. She entered, and was followed by the older man. Sitting on the ground around a Pai Sho table were several older gentlemen, all wearing the robes of the Order of the White Lotus, cups of tea by their sides.
"Ah, Miss. Joo Dee. So nice of you to join us." Grand Master Iroh of the Fire Nation said.
Joo Dee took a seat at the only open spot, between Masters Piandao, and Pakku. "Is the man you represent ever going to join us, Miss Joo Dee?" Pakku asked.
"Hei is still a government official at heart, Master Pakku." Master Xai Bau said, before sipping on his tea. Wiping his mustache the man grunted. "He's paranoid, and does not trust us."
"And he has no reason to." Iroh said, holding out his hand to quiet Xai Bau. "There are several of the city's rings between us and him, the journey alone is dangerous with the presence of Fire Nation soldiers in the middle and lower ring."
"And so he sends his servants." Xai Bau said, shaking his head.
"And we are grateful he does so to stay in constant communication with us." Master Piandao said, placing a hand on Joo Dee's arm, as he offered her a cup of tea, which she took.
"You flatter me, but I am not here for a courtesy conversation." Joo Dee said, taking a pause to sip on her tea. "You are aware that Hei has begun to organize the rebeling factions within the kingdom, yes?"
Iroh nodded. "One of his messengers is an initiate of ours. He told us of Hei's intentions to unify the states, provinces, and militias to fight under one banner."
"Ah." Joo Dee said. "Then you understand that such an undertaking will require his soldiers to be armed."
"And he should as well understand that moving muskets across the world is not an easily undertaken task." Xai Bau said, raising his voice.
"Joo Dee." Pakku sighed. "We are already sourcing guns for the rebellion in every way we can. Water Tribe ship raids, private purchases and sales in the colonies, looting battlefields, smuggling them out of the Fire Nation in pieces. We've even shared the technical specifications of their construction with whomever asks."
"But it is not enough." Joo Dee said, placing her cup on the table in front of her. "There is an active war in Ba Sing Se."
"I know." Iroh said, lowering his head. "Getting weapons into the city is the most difficult part of the endeavour, but it will not be this way for long. Hei must be informed that come the twenty second day of this month, Sozin's Comet will return, and we will have one opportunity to turn the tide of the war in the Earth Kingdom. On that day, his rebel cells will be faced with firebenders empowered one hundred fold their strength, but there is a silver lining… The fire benders of the White Lotus will also be granted such power. When the comet first breaks the horizon, the walls of Ba Sing Se must be brought down so that our forces can penetrate into the city, and remove the Fire Nation."
"After the city has been reclaimed, Hei can make as many muskets as he wants." Jeong Jeong said from behind Joo Dee.
With a nod, Joo Dee stood. "Thank you for the tea, masters. I will inform Hei of this new development." With that, Jeong Jeong held open the tent flap, and Joo Dee left the encampment.
Iroh sighed. "Such a terrible fate, not even knowing one's true name."
"This one seems to have at least made peace with herself." Pakku said. "Perhaps she knows of her own situation, and accepts it?"
Xai Bau hufed. "It's detestable that we do business with a man who's willing to brainwash his own people."
"It is admittedly a good way to prevent his messengers from divulging information if captured." Piandao said, swirling his tea cup. "Indecent as it may be."
"A necessary indecency for an indecent time." Jeong Jeong said, putting his hands together in his robe sleeves. "If Master Bumi were with us, we would not need to rely on Hei and his people to get into the city."
"Master Bumi is dead, and there is nothing we can do to change that." Pakku said. "So for the time being we will work with Hei. He is the only thing keeping the rebellion in Ba Sing Se afloat."
Iroh sighed. "And I fear that because he is keeping the city together, that when the war is over, and the Fire Nation falls, he will rise to power."
"Then we can only hope he does not become half the tyrant Fire Lord Ozai is." Jeong Jeong said, before stepping out, and returning to his position on the perimeter.
Aang had fallen asleep on the stone circle when the sun set on the island, and did not wake until the next morning when he felt a rumbling beneath him. Sitting up, Aang glanced around, and through the trees, saw mountains in the distance that were not there before… Mountains that were getting larger.
Momo "roared" in his ear as he got up, the lemure flying around his head. "No way…" Aang said, before he made several jumps up into the trees, breaking through the canopy and clinging onto a branch that stuck out above the treetops. "The mountains aren't getting bigger, the island is moving!" Aang said, looking behind him, so see the island leave a wake behind it in the water.
Dropping out of the tree and landing on a cushion of air, Aang took off down the hill, and at the edge of the island where shore met surf, Aang jumped into the sea. Diving down at least five times his height, Aang could make out what looked like dark earth toned scales, before he felt the current change around him. Looking right towards the direction the island was headed, Aang saw a gigantic clawed paw coming towards him. Kicking away from the incoming appendage, Aang went wide eyed, before jetting back up to the surface.
Taking in a breath Aang spotted Momo perched on a tree branch, and felt he needed to share the news. "You won't believe it, Momo! It's the largest animal I've ever seen!" Momo took to the air to follow Aang, before the boy dipped below the surface again, and swam towards the creature's head.
Jetting through the water with his bending, Aang passed into the creature's path, and through the darkness of the ocean could only just make out the creature's face, before a gigantic eye opened in front of him, and he swam backwards in surprise. Feeling the current shift beneath him, Aang looked down and saw the paw of the creature coming up from below, and braced himself to stand. Taken by the limb, Aang felt the water rushing past him as he was lifted forcefully out of the water.
Breaking the surface, Aang steadied himself, as the head of the gargantuan animal rose from the depths to see him clearly. And for the first time in thousands of years, The Avatar was faced with a lion turtle. Respectfully Aang put his fist to into his palm and bowed politely, for the creature was not merely an animal. It was an ancient, thinking and feeling being. Speaking in a booming voice, not with it's word's but through it's thoughts, the lion turtle addressed Aang. "Avatar."
"Mr.-uh-Turtle… Maybe you can help me." Aang said, as he came out of his bow. "Everyone, even my own past lives, are expecting me to kill someone… And I don't think I can do it. But I can't just abandon my duty as The Avatar."
The lion turtle blinked, before speaking to Aang once more. "This is not true, Avatar. Those who came before have spoken, but you did not listen. Those who are with you now have shown you the way, but you could not see." Aang looked up to the lion turtle unsure of his meaning. "You seek to end conflict without conflict, to spare life that would not spare life, but know no other way than to use force, or to be forced upon."
"Fire Lord Ozai is the most powerful fire bender in the world, and he's going to be even stronger when Sozin's Comet comes. Nothing but force can stop him." Aang said.
The Turtle chuckled, both in Aang's mind, and aloud, deep and thunderose. "What is power to man, Avatar, if not the energy of the universe flowing through him, giving him the ability to enact his will upon the worlds? Deep within the hearts and spirits of all men, though time immemorial, across the barriers between spaces, connecting us all, lies the answers you seek."
The Lion turtle reached out, and put his hand against the nearby cliffside, allowing Aang to step off of him. The Lion turtle removed his hand from the cliff, and gave his parting words. "Wait for him, and he will come."
Confused, now more than ever, Aang felt Momo land on his shoulder, before he looked to the mountains, and took off in an air assisted leap to gain higher ground.
The gang had been flying south, all day, and now nearly all night, aboard their comendered airship, with the assistance of a terrified crew. Being armed, if not having the power of bending on their side, the gang was able to keep the engineers who ran the ship in order. It helped that the former helmsman and imperial guard was chained to the ceiling of the bomb bay, the doors of which had been left open, threatening to drop him into the sea below, a warning to any of the crew who got too brave.
Connor was sitting out on Appa's saddle, as the bison rested on top of the airship. Katara was the only other person with him, and she remained silent, looking out to the horizon as it continuously approached. Connor kept himself occupied by sharpening his cutlass with a whetstone, only giving pause when he heard the nearby airship hatch creaking. It was Azula. "So this is where you ran off too." She observed.
"Needed some peace from Sokka's jokes and boasting." Connor said with a smirk, continuing his sharpening, as Azula climbed up into the saddle with him and Katara.
"He's talking about learning how to play Pai Sho when my father's been defeated." Azula said, watching Connor sharpen his blade.
"We're probably getting into a fight we can't win… Then again, that's never stopped me before." Connor said.
"It's still foolish to assume that we'll all make it out intact, true, but I'd rather look to the bright side of things. If we do win, then nothing can keep us apart. Not the war, not my father, not even public opinion." Azula said, leaning closer to Connor.
Connor chuckled, as he stopped sharpening his blade, putting it back in it's sheath, then looking to Azula. "I guess either you or Zuko would be Fire Lord. No one would dare question you."
"They can question all they like." Azula said with a smirk. "I just won't care."
"Azula." Connor said, putting his hand over hers. "If you mean that, and I think you do… When this is all said and done, would you, officially, legally, grand celebration in public and all, as if both of us were royalty, make me the happiest man in the world, and marry me."
Leaning in, Azula closed her eyes, kissing Connor on the lips, and let it linger for a second longer than she'd planned, before pulling away. "I-"
Before Azula could finish her thought's Katara cut her off. "Uh, guys…" She said, looking out to the eastern sky, as it began to turn orange.
AN: Avatar Imiq is a fanon made Avatar from the discontinued "Beyond The Void." Given the mad lad AdamantiumBladez made an exhaustive list of not just rules for how the avatar is reincarnated in the cycle, but seventy some new Avatars, he is getting credit for this here and now. That said, I'm coping the list and mechanics, because it's more than what the original show writers gave us.
Anywho... Only four more chapters left in this arc.