Chapter Thirty Seven

Twenty Questions

Ten miles north of Gaoling, the indomitable Princess Azula was having a bit of a melt down. Her blasted Uncle had gotten away, and her brother tried to kill her. Well, she was pretty sure that's what had happened. Iroh, who she did not trust anymore, had claimed Zuko couldn't control his new- how in the name of the sun had he learned to do that- bending skills. Combustion Bending. Zuko, who had always lagged behind her, was now on another level entirely.

Azula continued her efforts to melt the rock that had become a victim of her displeasure. It made her feel better. She kept her composure, so the Rough Rhinos wouldn't realize how very upset she was. Mai and Ty Lee knew, she was reasonably sure, but as far as the others were concerned, this could pass as a regular training exercise. She paused, focusing on her breathing, and then bathed the stone in fire once more. She was furious! They had been so close! If not for that insufferable little earthbending girl, they likely would have succeeded, Zuko's new ability be forgotten.

He had been on the ground, and then her uncle had been all that stood between them. Azula was sure that herself, Mai, and Ty Lee would have been sufficient to take him. They had worked out a strategy for exactly that scenario, and then the girl had popped out of the ground like spring weeds after rain. Even still they might have taken Zuzu, but then the Earth Kingdom had come. Colonel Mongke had helped bring The Combustion Man away from the ruined estate. June, the bounty hunter, was nowhere to be found. Her uncle had shot the woman's beast with lightning, and the pair had disappeared.

Perhaps they would have succeeded, had it not been for her. Major Wen. She had been present in the city, which was not a surprise really, and had ordered a force of earthbenders and light infantry towards the Beifong estate. Maybe she had heard the fight, or maybe she had just gotten a hunch, but she had been the one to charge towards the estate and force Azula to retreat. Had it not been for Mongke, then perhaps they would have left The Combustion Man to die.

"Azula?" Ty Lee said quietly, "I think you should eat something."

Azula stopped her murder of the now mostly melted boulder and turned to her friend. She said nothing, but took the canteen of water and the bread Ty Lee held out to her. She was a tad hungry.

Azula looked over to the Rhinos. They were all sitting against their mounts, napping in the midday sun. Mai was watching her with calculating eyes, lounging against an evergreen in the shade. The Combustion Man had recovered from his collision with the wall and sat in the shade reading A Song of Knights and Maidens. Ty Lee had told her that it was the last book in the series. Evidently, it was the story of an orphaned farmer who learned the way of the warrior, saved a kingdom and won the heart of a nobleman's daughter. Azula could not, for the life of her, understand the man's fascination with melodramatic romance novels. She was already angry, and the sight of the giant man reading the silly book wasn't helping. She rolled her eyes and took a drink of water. It helped somewhat.

Mai sauntered into the soft spring sunshine and crossed her arms. She raised an eyebrow at Azula. "They're on an ostrich-horse."

"No," Azula said sarcastically, "It can't be!"

Ty Lee snorted and chortled. Mai glared at her. "What I mean, is that they can't have gone far. Three people on one bird."

Azula nodded, understanding Mai's point. She would have realized it herself far sooner if she wasn't so… not happy. Azula weighed her options. The resources she had at her disposal were limited. She had her friends, the Rhinos, and an extraction team. They were nearby, a small unit of armored cavalry, only three tanks. She hadn't taken them into Gaoling, as they were meant to transport her uncle and brother back to Omashu. They would be here soon, though they wouldn't find Iroh or Zuko. Or maybe they would…

A plan began to form in Azula's mind, and she shared it with her friends.

Azula stood on the hilltop, overlooking the valley they were in. She could see the road leading north, and a small patrol of soldiers meandering across a streambed. She wondered what they were looking for.

A strong breeze crashed against her, causing her hair to whip around her head. She leaned into the wind to keep her balance. It was a powerful gust, and it seemed to rage northeast, taking some of her anger with it.


"The Legion of Aang," Sokka suggested to his sister and best friend, both of whom groaned. Sokka had been trying to come up with a good team name for them all morning, and so far they had been very unimpressed.

"Why do we need a team name?" Katara ventured.

"Well, I just think it makes us sound more professional. You've got the Kyoshi Warriors, the Yuyan Archers, the…" He trailed off.

"That's only two." Aang pointed out. Sokka shrugged.

"Yeah, but I'm sure there's more."

The three of them had stayed overnight in the mayor's home. Aang and Katara had gone out looking for earthbending teachers, and Sokka had gone looking for any information on the Beifong family. He hadn't come up with much, as the library in town was rather small. The two others in their group had come up with zilch, at least as far as earthbending teachers go. They had, however, found out how to hold hands. Sokka wasn't sure how he felt about that.

"What about the Boomeraang Squad?" he drew his boomerang, pointing to it. He got pitying stares back. "You know, because it's got Aang in it?"

"Tell us about your vision again," Katara said to Aang. Just then, the mayor walked in with a basket of food.

"I have those supplies- a vision?" He changed topic mid-sentence, his eyes lighting up with a ravenous curiosity.

"Oh, thanks Mayor Tep," Aang said, "Yeah, I had a vision a few days ago. I can tell you about it, it's not exactly a secret."

Aang told the story of his vision of the earthbender and the one-eyed dragon. Mayor Tep interrupted him before he got to the end, "So, this dragon, are we talking was like cyclops, one-eye-in-the-middle, one-eyed, or one eye was missing?"

"Uh… one eye was missing," Aang answered. The mayor nodded.

"Anyway, that was pretty much it. The girl's got on a flying boar, and then she and the dragon flew away." Aang finished, "We're pretty sure that it has something to do with the Beifong family, but we haven't been able to learn anything other than a name."

"The Beifong family?" The mayor looked surprised. "I'm familiar with them, I could get into contact with them for you."

"Wait, really?" Sokka asked in surprise.

"Yes, of course," Tep answered, "They're one of the wealthiest noble families in the Earth Kingdom."

"Do they have a daughter?" Aang asked, and Mayor Tep looked at him in disapproval.

"Now, Avatar Aang, that's hardly an appropriate question. You shouldn't seek to marry into a rich noble family so brazenly!"

"What? No, I mean the girl from my vision." Aang said, "As my earthbending teacher."

"Oh." The mayor grew red in the face, embarrassed, "I apologize, I shouldn't have- uh, you know what, I'll just send a letter to Lao right now."

The mayor stood, but Katara stopped him. "Maybe you could just tell us where they are, and we can fly there on Appa."

"Yes, yes, that would make more sense," Tep said. Sokka wondered how he had gotten the position of mayor. He wasn't the most eloquent speaker. "They live in Gaoling."

Aang's head whipped over to Sokka, and gave him an annoyed expression. Sokka, feeling a tad stupid, stood up. "I'm gonna… go check on Appa."

Sokka excused himself and walked through the mayor's home, politely telling his four daughters that he did not require assistance, and went outside. Appa was lying in the yard on the side of the house, bits of loose fur shed all around him, evidently enjoying the topiary. He was eating it.

"No, Appa, you can't eat that! It's decorative!" Sokka said to the bison, who promptly spat out the once beautifully designed plant. It now loosely resembled a pile of chewed-up leaves. Sokka hung his head. "Well, it's too late now. Go ahead and finish that one, but leave the others alone."

Appa winked at him, an act that Sokka didn't know the bison could perform, and scarfed down the rest of the plant. Sokka rolled his eyes and walked away, where he faced southwest. He looked around to see that nobody was in sight, and he took on the mantle of the Face Stealer. He felt the darkness swirl through him, charging his muscles with power.

A gentle breeze wafted in as Sokka focussed on the shadows at his feet, trying to manipulate them. He wanted to form words, to see how fine his control was. He stopped in his efforts when he caught a familiar scent. It was faint, very faint, but… he could smell it. Smoke, lilies, a thunderstorm. Sokka smiled lightly without realizing he had done so. He knew of only one thing in the world it could be: Azula.

She was… close? No, she couldn't be. The scent was faint, far fainter than anything nearby would be. He thought for a few minutes, and remembering how he had pooled Koh's shadow into his vision, he tried to do so with his sense of smell. He took in a new breath, and he could tell the scent was stronger, but he couldn't tell how far away it was. He frowned. The crunch of gravel alerted him that he was not alone. Odd, he thought, shouldn't he have been able to smell whoever it was that had come to him?

"Sokka," Katara said, "Are you okay?"

"What? Of course, I am, why?"

"You're sniffing really hard and smiling a little."

"Uh…" Sokka said eloquently. Well, now he felt creepy. He quickly thought of an excuse to explain why he was doing that, and one that did not include the fact that he could smell Azula on the wind. "I was experimenting with my…" He pointed to his shadow. Katara nodded slowly.

"And then I remembered that I could make my vision better, so I tried it with my sense of smell. Someone's cooking, I don't know what, but it smells great."

Katara's eyes lit up, "Really? That's pretty cool!"

"Yeah, it's.." He trailed off as another breeze brushed past them, stronger this time. This one carried more than just Azula's scent. There was anger on the wind. Sokka's eyes narrowed and his smile fell. He turned towards the wind and looked southwest. Azula was angry, and for some reason, he couldn't understand, it made him sad.

"Sokka?" Katara asked when she noticed her brother's sudden change in mood, "What, did someone burn dinner?"

"N-no." Sokka answered, "I can smell her, she's far away but… she's angry. Furious, I think."

"What? You can smell anger?"

Sokka nodded, and Katara looked in the same direction. "Who?"

Sokka was silent for a few moments. Speaking softly he said, "Azula."


"So, you're telling me, that the Fire Nation has it so that candy recipes are labeled a state secret, and sharing them with other nations is considered treason and an act of confectionary espionage?"

Zuko was silent for a few moments as they walked through the wide, shallow stream - or maybe it was a river? He had never studied potamology- that was lined by trees on either side before answering Toph's question. "Yes."

"Why?"

"I don't know."

Toph nodded. "So, have you met the Avatar before?"

Zuko nodded.

"What's his name?"

"Aang."

"You suck at this."

Zuko stopped. "Suck at what? Walking?!"

"Conversation."

"I do not suck at conversation!" Zuko nearly shouted. Where had that come from? They had been walking peaceably, and how was it his fault if he was distracted? He was watching the sky for the Avatar.

"Yes you do! You're giving only yes and no answers, or just one word answers! Unless I ask something specific like 'what kind of candy do they have in the Fire Nation? I've never had any.' It's boring." Toph pointed a finger at his face.

"That's because you're terrible at asking questions!" Zuko cut back, anger in his voice.

"You're terrible at answering them!"

"I-" Zuko pinched the bridge of his nose in irritation. "Fine. I could probably do better at it."

Zuko turned back in the direction they had been going. Toph started clicking her tongue. Click. Click. Click. Zuko closed his eyes. Was she doing that just to annoy him? He glanced at her over his shoulder, She was grinning evilly. So yeah, just to annoy him. Her boredom meant his irritation. Man, she reminded him of Azula from before their mother… That gave him an idea. He stopped and Toph bumped into him.

"Don't do that." She snapped at him. "I'm blind!"

"I thought you could see with earthbending," Zuko said curiously.

"I can, but this water and the sand make everything really fuzzy," Toph said, and Zuko nodded in response. Realizing she might not have been able to tell, he said, "I see."

"Do you want to play a game?" Zuko said quickly, and Toph thought he seemed embarrassed to have asked.

"Sure, Zuzu. What do you have in mind?" She smiled when she felt Zuko bristle.

"Have you ever played Twenty Questions?" He said, slightly annoyed.

"No. What is it?"

"I used to play it with my mother and Azula, before… well, I guess that doesn't matter. One person thinks of something, and the others have to ask questions until they figure it out. If they can't do it in twenty questions or less, they lose."

Toph was silent for a few seconds. "Alright, sounds fun."

Zuko nodded and then moved aside for Toph to walk slightly ahead of him. "I'll ask the questions since you've never played before. Think of something. It can be anything, as long as it's something the other person probably knows about."

Toph nodded. She thought for a second and said, "I got it."

Zuko walked in the shallow water for a bit, and said, "Is it something you can touch?"

Toph said "Yes."

"Is it alive?" Zuko asked. Toph shook her head. "Is it something you can eat?"

"Uh, no. I mean, you can if you try hard enough," Toph said. Zuko rolled his eyes at her.

"Is it sharp?"

"No," Toph answered.

Zuko thought for a few seconds. How many questions was he at? Four, he always lost count at this game.

"Is it bigger than a person?" Zuko asked.

"No," Toph answered.

"Does everyone own one?" Zuko asked.

"Uh, probably?" Toph answered.

"Do you use it every day?" Zuko asked.

"Nearly," Toph answered.

"Is it something you keep inside?" Zuko asked.

"Yes," Toph answered.

"Can it be taken outside?" Zuko asked.

"Yes," Toph answered. Zuko nodded, and said, "Alright, this next one doesn't count, since I'm just listing what I know about it."

"It's smaller than a person, it's used nearly every day. You can't eat it, but it's not sharp. It's kept in the house but you can take it outside, and most people probably own one." Zuko said. Toph nodded.

Zuko thought about what was used every day, that everyone would have. Or, at least what Toph would have used almost every day. Cleaning supplies were out, as the Beifongs had a maid. He suddenly had an idea.

"Shoes?"

"No. That's nine questions by the way."

Zuko huffed.

"It heavy?" He asked. Toph shook her head.

"Uh… Toothbrush?"

"No. Also, I forgot mine." Toph said. Zuko groaned.

"We'll find one in a village or town. Maybe I can make you one." Zuko said, "Do you keep it in the kitchen? Not the toothbrush, the thing you're thinking of."

"Yes. Eleven." Toph answered.

Zuko smiled, he was getting close. It was probably food related. "Do you cook with it?"

"They have some for that specifically."

"A spoon?" Zuko asked.

"No, but you're getting close."

"Chopsticks!" Zuko said confidently. Toph laughed at him.

"No, and what kind of chopsticks can you cook with?"

"I forgot about that," Zuko said, blushing with slight embarrassment.

"Does it hold liquid?"

"Yes, but not always," Toph answered.

Zuko pondered the matter. He was on fifteen questions. He could think of a few options.

"A cup."

"No."

"A bowl?"

"Yes."

Zuko grinned, very pleased with himself. "So, what do you think? Do you like it?"

Toph took a deep breath. She tapped her chin with a finger, frowned, and said, "Yes."

Zuko smiled again. "Alright, I'm thinking of something."

"Can you touch it?" Toph asked. Zuko nodded.

"Do you wear it?" Zuko nodded again.

"Shoes," Toph said. Zuko's mouth fell open. "Yes."

Toph laughed with glee. "See? I'm not terrible at asking questions!"

"Three questions. I'm impressed,"

Toph laughed and shrugged. "What can I say? I'm incredibly talented."


Major Wen stopped on the road north from Gaoling. General Long had given her orders to report to the council of five in Ba Sing Se, but something had stopped her in her tracks. It was tracks, literally. Not the ostrich-horse tracks that had preceded them up the road, but human footprints. She knew that the Dragon of the West and Prince Zuko had taken the Beifong girl with them, but she hadn't been able to pursue them. Sure, she was on their trail in a literal sense, but she and her soldiers were on foot. They couldn't run down an ostrich-horse that way.

But along the north road, the tracks stopped and went into the small river. They were surrounded by more, smaller, human footprints. Two different men, and a child. One man and a child had walked into the stream, leaving occasional prints in the sand that rose above the water. Wen rubbed her hands together in thought. Was it possible that one of the Fire Nation royals had taken the Beifong girl this different route on foot? Why would they do that? General Long had said they were being hunted by Princess Azula… Yes, that made sense. If the princess was following their trail, she would be looking for the ostrich horse. The dirt road was wet from recent rainfall, so the tracks were obvious. One of them would have led her away, while the other took their hostage wherever they were going. She hadn't been given orders to pursue, but things had changed now. The enemy was on foot.

"Ping." Major Wen said. The sergeant saluted her.

"Change of plan. We're following these tracks to rescue Lady Beifong and capture the Fire Nation royal."


Author's Note:

Sorry for the short update, all. I've been taking mad L's this year and it's not yet let up.

Anyway, this chapter has had the least amount of plot advancing content, although that is not to say none of it advancing the plot. Actually, now that I think of it, almost the entire chapter is relevant. The bit with Toph and Zuko was just to let the reader see their friendship build up, so that it doesn't feel unnatural.

Anyway, if you've made it this far, thanks! Maybe follow, or subscribe or whatever it is. Or don't; it's your choice lol