Chapter 54: The Fire Before the Storm

Given the impending confrontation, it was useless to think that the final conference day would be possible, hence warranting an emergency postponement— the second one in a single session. This conference session will no doubt go down as one of the most dramatic ones in history, and it is needless to say that there will likely not be another Global Conference organized in the North for at least the next hundred years. And yet, the most pivotal moments of the day were yet to come. The rescued couple thus resisted leaving the leaders in this situation, for none of this would have happened had they at least taken a different path away from the capital city while eloping. A move that would have no doubt allowed them to avoid Zhao.

"The issue isn't whether you took the right steps in avoiding that asshole or not," Sokka said. "It's about his moral judgment and the Fire Nation's support of their citizen's demonic behavior."

"But still, this wouldn't have happened had we not been involved—"

"You can't say that. He could've found another tribeswoman as his target," Yue told them. "And placing the blame on the victim is a horrible societal fallacy."

"But he chose to charge at us, and now, it's not looking too good for the two of you," Qirahn said to Sokka. "I'll at least help however I can—"

"You were stabbed like four hours ago, take it easy, man!" Sokka exclaimed before taking a breath to calm himself, "It's gonna be fine. I'll take care of everything. You two need to get out of here as soon as you can. Stop lounging around and blaming yourselves 'cause you think major shit's gonna go down and that you're the cause of it."

"But we can't just leave you and the princess here, La!" Chumali choked out, looking from him to Yue. "We're not in the wrong, but we're entitled to gratitude."

"For the last time, I'm not La, okay?" Sokka said, managing to keep his voice soft and his demeanor calm in front of the shaking couple, "And yes, you have every right and incentive to leave. You've got to. We're not incompetent slug-fish, we can hold our own."

"That's not what I meant, La…"

"I'm not La," he said again. "Look, Sister Chumali, it's been especially rough for you. You've been here long enough. Now both of you go home and heal from this shitstorm. Our Revivalist friends will make sure the coast is clear for you. The dronningi and I will stay alert."

"But—!"

"The best thing you can do to show your gratitude is to leave. No exceptions, no questions asked. Am I clear?"

The couple eventually nodded. Tears brimmed in the woman's eyes for the tenth time in the past five minutes, "There are three men in my household whom I call siblings, and yet, for the first time in my life, I feel like I have an actual brother who cares about my well-being." Drying her eyes, "Thank you for everything, Brother La."

He didn't attempt to correct her this time, merely swallowing his protest as he managed a small smile, lightly placing his reassuring hand on her shoulder. Yue stopped the couple from bowing and gladly returned Chumali's grateful, desperate hug, the woman's quiet sobs dissipating into the princess's tunic.

"And thank you for saving my Qirahn, Princess. I may never be able to repay you."

"As the isumataq said, you can by taking cover and staying out of this," the princess told her, turning to Qirahn, "Everything's going to be okay. You two run along. Keep out of the public for a while. We'll make sure your names don't go out."

The couple promised the young leaders that they would be back to see them once the danger had passed, and following extensive cajoling, they were escorted away from the temple by the Revivalists.

Imona, who had opted to remain quiet until they left, shifted her attention to Sokka, having decided to exercise leniency in her scrutiny of him following the events that transpired, the bandage at his temple being a reminder of his rightful anger. "Ozai and his clowns will be after you first."

Everyone turned to Imona, surprised that her tone of voice wasn't wrathful for once as she conversed with the Southern prince.

"I realize you took out several firebenders barely a few hours ago, and I'm not challenging your ability, but I do recommend that you stay out of sight. Regardless of what we're capable of, it's true that we nonbenders have to take more precautions than benders. At least, depending on who our opponents are." Folding her arms, "Don't think of this as me belittling you. I'm only saying this because you were centimeters away from having your face burnt off."

Sokka was pleasantly surprised that she wasn't skeptical of him for once, and he took it as a personal victory of sorts that he was recognized to not be the predator that traumatized victims like Imona thought he was by default. "I appreciate it, Sister, I do," he said with a small smile, "But I think I'm fine."

"Imu has a point," Yue interjected, her gaze fixed on the prince, "I was thinking it would be best if you spent some time in the Spirit Oasis. At least until we're hauled to the meeting with the Fire officials. I will personally come get you when the time comes."

To which he gave her such an incredulous look, "You're saying I should leave you here alone now of all times?"

"I'm not telling you to leave this issue behind or leave me to this until the end of time," she clarified, "I'm telling you to wait for a while in the Spirit Oasis. It won't be long before—"

"Before the Fire Nation starts charging at us, yes, I'm aware, and that's why I'm not leaving."

"I'm only telling you to—"

"Princess Yue, what makes you think I'll leave you in this situation? What if they hurt you because they don't have immediate access to me?"

"He does have a point," Junguk pointed out. "Everyone knows you and the isumataq are close, Your Highness. Ozai and his supporters will know that you know where he is."

"It's not like they can get me to confess," she protested.

"That's not the issue, why would that be an issue?" Sokka persisted, his eyes soft. "You said I won't be handling this shitstorm alone. That doesn't mean you'll be handling it by yourself."

"This isn't a matter of me handling things independently. You will be targeted, and I have to make sure—"

"Well I have the right to make sure you're not hurt, too. You could literally be Tui as we speak, but the truth will always be that I'll never forgive myself if you're hurt in any way."

Fighting the strange warmth that seeped into her chest again, "Isumataq, don't let our friendship cloud your judgment—"

"We agreed to face things together. We agreed to watch each other's backs. Let's just stick to that plan. Please."

Shaking her head at his stubbornness, she ultimately gave up on the matter, feeling the warmth in her chest encasing her entire being. "I take it you're not gonna go home, either?"

"Nope," he took a seat on the altar steps, "We can go back to the palace if you want, but I'm not going home."

"The palace is probably not a good place to be in right after pissing off the Fire Nation," she mumbled as she reached into the folds of her robe. She then handed him a small, wrapped cake. "I know you're not gonna make yourself sleep if you declined hiding out in the Oasis. You should at least eat something. Kanguq said he'll grab something for us on the way back; have this in the meantime."

"What about yo—?"

"There's plenty where that came from," she assured, holding up another cake for herself, "Now eat."

He gave up on protesting, waiting with a raised eyebrow for her to take a bite, and only when she did did he unwrap the cake, smearing his lips with the icing as he took a generous bite. Yue, who in spite of the worrisome circumstances was still riding a spiritual high over a highly toxic book being blatantly disaffirmed by the prince in the Moon Temple, was inwardly amused, reminded of La's simultaneously pungency and child-like justice. She reached into the offering basket that she kept beside the Aninnialuk idol and pulled out three more wrapped cakes, offering him the same, one of which he took with gratitude while leaving the other two with her.

Imona and Junguk exchanged brief looks, clearly reading the room and recognizing the established affections in the air. Imona briefly itched to let her guard down despite unwilling to admit outright that the interaction between the two was charming, but she retained a considerable amount of caution, ignoring Junguk's knowing look.

Before the leaders were truly given a chance to breathe and satisfy their pangs of hunger, however, Sanka briefly stepped into the temple, "Heads up, Chieftess Kya is apparently on her way here. Lady Ki'ma is with her."

Which deflated the temporary interlude. Sokka blinked, "I know my aunt doesn't mind it here, but my mom—?"

"She's coming for you, obviously," Imona said, not too happy about the news.

"Do you and Brother Junguk mind keeping watch outside?" Sanka asked Imona, "I need to escort the couple back home."

"We'd be happy to, Sister," Junguk said, leading Imona outside. The ex-Revivalist turned around, briefly looking at the prince and princess, but the bandage on the prince's face was a strong reminder of his character, leaving the tribeswoman not as worried about leaving her friend with him. She softened her features, adding, "Call if you need anything," before stepping out.

Yue, having a sense of what would likely happen if the Southern chieftess saw her, told the prince without hesitation, "I think it's best if your mother doesn't see me. I understand she might already be nervous about how the meeting will go, but she will most likely react strongly when she sees me…by which I mean, she might be overly stressed out. Extensive amounts of stress are not good for expecting women, especially in the first trimester." Looking at him, "Not that you'll give her a hard time or anything, but if she wants you to do something— like go home, for example— don't argue with her. Just do it."

With his stubbornness defeated by her logic, he sighed, nodding.

"I'm not saying this so I can handle this without you and that this will work in my favor," came her disclaimer, "Your family would naturally be worried, and they'd want you next to them—"

"That's not exactly the vibe I got from my dad as he basically assumed I was sleeping around instead of working my ass off to keep the South from starving, but whatever." Frowning, "Good thing I stopped expecting appreciation years ago."

"He may have said those things in frustration over the circumstances. Everyone says things they don't mean when they're angry."

"Still, it's nauseating that his mind would go in that specific direction," the prince said. "Pakku's the same way. If he was really pissed at someone, he'd call 'em whores."

Sighing, "As much as I hate to say this…that's commonly how toxicity manifests. It's not necessarily something only men do. Toxic women do it, too. Like when they gossip about other women and default to calling them prostitutes if they do something remotely different from everyone else. It's sad, but such is society."

"Yet another thing we gotta change."

"That's right," she smiled, ruffling his hair, "So don't take it personally. You are very loved and appreciated. Some people just don't go about saying it enough."

He smiled softly, the look in his eyes being that of longing, a clear desire to stay here. She recognized this, thus finding it difficult to say what she did next, "I don't mind you staying here, ikkingutima, I really don't…but you need to keep your mom's condition in mind, too. She's been trapped in that household for years, and the only people she genuinely gets adequate respect from— apart from your father, I suppose— are you and your siblings. Imagine how hard it is on her to see you being away from home as long as you can. You've already been forced away from spending time with your family long enough." Brushing a stray strand of his hair back, looping it evenly into his wolf-tail, "So when she asks you to go with her, go. Aput will be in charge of increasing security at your estate. Just in case. And I promise, someone will come and get you when the meeting starts."

"She's here, she's here," Imona briefly rushed in.

"Pretend I'm not here, okay?"

"Okay."

Yue flashed the prince a reassuring smile, her gaze brimming with admiration as she placed a quick kiss on his forehead. She hurried towards the back into the storage chambers, leaving him a putty of love as Kya rushed in seconds later, relief flooding her at the sight of her son. "Sokka!"

He tore his eyes away from the storage chamber at the exclamation as his mother ran over to him, bringing him into her arms immediately, "Sweetie, are you okay—?!"

"I'm okay, Mom, really—"

"Oh, thank Tui and La!" And she, too, kissed his forehead, eyes damp and bloodshot with a nearly aggressive need to hold onto him, "I was so worried, I…oh, those horrible Spirit-forsaken people," her thumb briefly hovered over the bandage at his temple. "Does it hurt?"

"It's not bad at all," he assured her, his voice automatically softening, "Her Highness is very kind. She healed me in time."

The chieftess pressed her lips together, not commenting, the frown on her face indicating she was not at all touched. Ki'ma, however, stepped inside in time to hear it, expressing her relief, "Well thank the Spirits. The princess sure keeps a watchful eye on you."

Kya shrugged off her sister-in-law's comment, her hand resting on her son's head, "I don't understand why you'd need a bandage if you're properly healed with bending—"

"This isn't because I'm bleeding," he explained, "It keeps the herbal paste in place over my scar. Her Highness said it helps clear the skin."

Again, Kya said nothing of the dronningi's mention.

"I didn't expect to see you here," Sokka told his mother.

"I'll go to hell and back to take my baby home," she said, grabbing his hand, "Now let's go home. And throw that garbage away—" she tossed the wrapped cakes away from his hand.

"Mom—!"

"I have sea prunes prepared for you, and it's properly blessed," she insisted, pulling him along with her, "Don't eat food that's not blessed."

Ki'ma attempted to protest but decided against it, sharing an equally displeased look with her nephew. Sokka couldn't help but follow his mother, simultaneously turning around and peering towards the back. A spark of baby blue greeted him from behind the door to the storage chamber, a milky hand waving.

Barely half a mile away from the Moon Temple, Kya instructed her son to go back to the estate.

"Your aunt and I will stop by the other temples in the sector," the chieftess told her son, "You've been acting up ever since you lost your original talisman. We're getting you another one, hopefully one that's more powerful."

He didn't question it, reminded of the princess's words, and he trudged back with silence and heavy feet, clearly resisting the instinct to turn back and look at the Moon Temple, wallowing in thoughts of the dronningi as he left. Kya was not brainless; she was fully aware of her son's uncharacteristic infatuation, repeatedly reminded that but for his involvement with the princess and her endeavors, he wouldn't be in this situation. Otherwise, what motive did he have for sneaking out of the house before dawn and spending time at the Moon Temple, cleaning up the place when he was normally averse to sacred spaces and never gave a care in the world about their maintenance?

"We can take a gondola and explore the other temples in the area," Ki'ma suggested to her sister-in-law only for Kya to march back in the direction they came from, her fists clenched, her expression determined.

"Kya? Kya, what are you doing?"

Kya stormed back towards the Moon Temple, traversing back up the steps. She stepped inside, and as she expected, she saw the masked princess, who, while tending to the bloodied Aninnialuk idol, froze at the sight of the chieftess.

Briefly, Kya recalled the goosebumps her husband had experienced while describing to her last night that the princess's physical resemblance to Tui was uncanny, but Kya told herself that it was merely the tempting nature of sinfulness— a clever manipulation on part of the princess, perhaps, so that she may prey upon religious minds and feast on them by appealing to the patron Goddess. It was likely an initiative of hers to rationalize heretical beliefs that would doom their nation.

"You supporters of the Akna have nothing better to do, don't you?" the chieftess hissed, keeping her distance from the Akna herself, reminding herself to not give anything away if at least for the gratitude she still exercised over the princess's help in saving their tribe and healing Sokka. Nevertheless, the chieftess remained displeased and incensed.

"Kya," Ki'ma attempted to reason with the chieftess, but the older tribeswoman didn't have a care in the world for others' advice or attempts at calming her down.

"What is it going to take?!" she bellowed at the princess, "What will it take for you to leave him alone?"

Imona, who was listening along with Junguk from outside, wanted to speak up but didn't as a result of the look in Yue's gaze, the subtle shake of her head forbidding them from arguing back.

"Kya—" Ki'ma insisted.

"I know I raised my baby into an honorable man. The boy I begged La for…I put forth every bit of my love, every ounce of my energy into teaching him right from wrong. I'm his mother, I know he'd never step out of line." Pointing to the princess, "But the reason why his own father doubted him today is you. Because of you, my son has lost his reputation as a respectable tribesman. Because of you, he's been acting recklessly. He's turned into a lovesick polar puppy, and our lives have become utterly miserable! We're all breaking apart and it's because of you!"

"She doesn't really mean that, Princess," Ki'ma fumbled lamely, "She's just…it's the hormones—"

"You think you're out here looking out for the Water Tribe? Well guess what! You and the Akna are no different," Kya hissed at the princess, completely disregarding her sister-in-law's defenses, "She defiled this sacred space just as you're defiling the honor and legacy of the Water Tribe. I don't see a leader when I see you! I see a whiny, arrogant child who thinks she can do anything she wants with no consequences, an immature brat who refuses to acknowledge that we have to accept our fate as women. A man-hater encouraging respectable tribeswomen to leave their households and disrespect their elders." And with an angry huff, "You're incapable of giving respect to your own father. It's no surprise you'd talk to my husband the way you did."

"Kya!" Ki'ma pleaded, "Please, you can stop now—!"

"All those years stuck in a room...no wonder you want the attention. You think you're some kind of sensation. You helped us out for that attention. But no matter how many games you play, at the end of the day, people like you don't deserve the love of my son. You're not even worthy of La's wrath! The Spirit of Justice Himself would want nothing to do with you."

Yue continued to say nothing, eyeing the Southern chieftess with patience.

"You're an untouchable," the Southern chieftess glared at Yue, "A contagious germ of the Water Tribe! And you will never find a place in our household! So leave my son alone. As soon as this meeting is over." Gulping, "If we all make it out of this alive, I mean."

The Southern chieftess was quick to leave following her outbursts, dragging Ki'ma with her before she could apologize for the chieftess's behavior. Junguk and Imona shared worried looks, more so when Yue went back to what she was doing earlier, pretending as if nothing happened.

"Who does she think she is?" Imona piped up, frowning. "She has no right to talk to you like that. After everything you've done for them. And I can't believe you just sat there and didn't say a word back—"

"She's pregnant," Junguk pointed out, "Give her some leeway."

To which Yue nodded in agreement, dipping the cloth in her hands into a nearby water bucket and cleansing the Aninnialuk of Zhao's blood.

"That's no license for her to hurt people's feelings like that," Imona argued. "The reason why they're able to care for themselves in the first place and enjoy themselves to the point of conceiving another child is that their tribe is in a better situation."

"Imona, we need to approach the situation with our heart, not just our senses," Yue told her. "You're the mind specialist here, and I shouldn't have to tell you this, but you're letting your care and concern for me get in the way of your analysis."

"What analysis is there to be done other than the fact that she's pissed with the way you spoke to her husband? And that she doesn't care to think about the extent of offensiveness he displayed when he launched all of his insensitive comments at you to begin with?"

"You're looking at the way she acted, and you're hearing the things she said, but all I could tell was that she's in pain." Frowning, "'We have to accept our fate as women,' she said. And just based off of everything we've seen happen in our missions…those aren't her words. That was probably something she was told over and over again, something she was forced to internalize. By her mother, grandmother, other family members. She grew up in a conservative household, likely, if someone like former chief Pakku gave his blessing and eagerly married her off to Chief Hakoda. And the pressures of being a 'good daughter-in-law'...I can't imagine staying a second in that situation."

"She was probably held back from doing everything she wanted to do, too," Junguk added. "We know from what Sokka tells us that she wasn't allowed to see her brother because Pakku was pissed at him. I mean, who is that man to take away her right to see and interact with her own family? If anything, that poor lady likely doesn't want Sokka to upset Pakku to the extent that that man would separate her from him."

"See? Brother Junguk is with me. And he raises an excellent point."

Imona softened her eyes despite holding onto a disgruntled state of mind.

"She's afraid that the one right she has — that is, the right to earning the genuine love and respect of her children— will be taken away from her," Yue said. "Because that's all she's allowed to truly have in our society," Yue said. "And this is likely true especially with Chief Hakoda's alarming mentions of disownment simply over trivial matters and misunderstandings. He's not being serious, obviously, but he, too, grew up in a conservative household, didn't he?"

"Where it's supposedly better to cut off a limb than to accept it for what it is. Believe me, I know what it's like," Junguk said. "And Sokka's not a believer; I can only imagine how people must've harassed him and the family about it. And coupled with the situations they've found us in…how it's easy for other narrow-minded people to twist around what happened…"

"Exactly. What if Chieftess Kya just wants to break away from these chains but simply can't? See, Imona, we need to keep these things in mind. Recognize this is a lot for her to handle…especially in her condition right now." Yue took a deep breath, "It's certainly heartbreaking to see her accept a fate she doesn't need to accept…even though it's also heartbreaking to hear what people have to say about the Akna."

Junguk sighed, "It is heartbreaking…but that doesn't mean we're the ones at fault here, right? Basic courtesy would still be to not yell at someone who saved your tribe and accuse them of things you're not sure about. Things you just hear from other people."

"Come on, Brother Junguk, I thought you were with me on this one."

"I wish I could say I'm trying to be neutral, but really I understand where they might be coming from and still chose to side with you."

"You two are just biased," Yue said, finishing up her cleaning and leaving behind a pristine, smiling Aninnialuk. "Society and culture has pitted us women apart…though we should ideally be on the same team."

"I think it's simply a matter of you being too good for this shithole of a society enough to find justifications for certain people," Imona said, crossing her arms, "And I know you're going to use this conversation as a way to discourage yourself from acting on certain feelings."

"So you've started it, too, huh?" she shook her head, "I'm happy you saw him as an actual human being today, but I won't have you give labels that don't exist. The only feelings we share are friendship and mutual respect."

"Sure."

Frowning, "I have a nation to run, Imona."

"Whatever you say."

Even before they were given a chance to enter the meeting chambers fully, Yue along with Sokka, who was in turn accompanied by Katara, received glowers from the Fire Nationers, particularly Azula and Ozai, whose scowls only deepened when the other members of the Fire Nation royal family stood and bowed to respectfully welcome the young Water Tribe leaders. Also in attendance were several Loyalists, Neo-Nationalists, and Revivalists who were there in support of either the princess or Chief Arnook, thus currently pitted against the Fire officials.

"There they are, the heroes of the Water Tribe."

"Disgraceful savages."

The words were muttered under the Fire ministers' breaths with no regard for the speed with which Fire Lord Iroh would snatch their positions away should he hear them. The young Water Tribe leaders, however, were not at all surprised, for they were well aware that as soon as the first rays of dawn had seeped into the sky, shrill outrage on part of the Fire Nation officials— at least those who were drowning in the self-proclaimed superiority of their race and refused to acknowledge Zhao's irreversible errors— had burst into being upon receiving word over what happened. According to the commentary that spread from the servants who had supposedly fled, the eruption of the chaos was barely contained within the Fire family's temporary ice lodging, which Ozai nearly melted with the might of his fire. It was a wonder as to how Ozai and his daughter were currently held back from shooting fire in the young leaders' faces; the only possible explanation for their restraint was Aang's presence, for the Avatar had literally seated himself between the radical members of the Fire family and the dronningi and isumataq, his face harboring a kind of sternness that people seldom saw in him.

The Water and Fire officials were not the only ones present at the meeting, however; several yards away behind a wall of ice that blocked the actual meeting participants from the attendees were Arnook and Ahnah to one side, worried looks crossing their faces. To the other side were Hakoda, a calmer Kya, and Ivaneq, who kept their eyes glued to the Water Tribe leaders. Hakoda frowned from a conflicted feeling of awe and disgust as he saw the princess, reminded that under the ritual purity-defying Akna's current masks and the sheer power exuding from her Black Lotus robes was beauty that resembled Tui's. The Southern chieftess, recalling her previous outbursts, looked away, her blood still boiling to a degree.

"You've really crossed the line this time," Ozai drawled, "But this isn't new at all for you, is it?"

"Ozai—!" Fire Lady Mayu began in reprimand.

"You do something abhorring and come crawling to us for forgiveness—" Ozai went on, glaring at the Northern princess.

"Might I remind you that you are to keep your mouth shut, Lord Ozai," Aang glared.

"Avatar Aang, don't stress yourself," Yue's sharp gaze flitted to Ozai, "I'm not here just as the princess of the North. I'm also here as the leader of the Black Lotus. I want this to be a raw conversation, not at all glossed over by fake pleasantries and condolences."

"You want an honest opinion? You got it," Ozai spat as he stood up, earning Aang's look of absolute scrutiny, "What you and your precious prince did today is completely outrageous. That animal you call a leader to your sister tribe," pointing to Sokka, "has crossed several lines with his monstrous whooping of our esteemed admiral and loyal servant of the royal family. His actions were unspeakably horrid and have stripped not only Zhao but the Fire Nation itself of its dignity."

"Our dignity was burned to a crisp the moment Zhao acted on his debased desires," Iroh interjected, "Not because—"

"She wanted honesty, Iroh," Ozai reminded, turning back to the princess, "My brother might be a coward and would try to avoid conflict at all costs, but I am of the opinion that you and your nation have a chance to repent. You should count yourself lucky that we are willing to settle even after all of the mockery we faced, but you'll have to pay a hefty price this time." Grabbing hold of the papers he had laid out before him on the table, "The Fire Nation is to receive eighty trillion gold pieces, one hundred tons of platinum, and three hundred acres of Water Tribe land, taiga regions in particular, along with partnership rights to your fishery businesses and unhindered access to your ports. In the alternative, we expect ninety trillion gold pieces and seven hundred tons of silver, five hundred acres of taiga, and a share of your profits in your oil and mining industries."

The tribefolk in the room paled significantly at the demands. Sokka was about to lash out a snarky remark of refusal but was silenced by Yue's hand draping over his wrist. The princess then leaned back in her pelt-cushioned chair, swinging one leg over another, "How bold of you to assume I'm here to settle things."

The Fire Lord's brother gaped at her nonchalance as did Azula and the other Fire officials. With regard to everyone else in the room, they were shocked that she exhibited an utter lack of care.

"I understand you had made efforts to conquer several lands in your recent past and even plotted entire genocides in the process, but it appears your failure has blinded you to the fact that we are not your colonies that you so wanted us to be. We are not your slaves, and we are not going to put up with every horrible act your representatives and superiors do in our tundras."

"The nerve you have to speak to me with a tone like that?" Ozai raised his voice, "The consequences of your arrogance will be devastating for you and your tribe—"

"You seem to have forgotten why your nation hasn't been able to cast a mere look in our direction, much less touch our land in any of your military pursuits to this day. You and your crew members have wallowed in your metal cruisers, cowering at the sight of our magnificent tundras and icy fortresses. You're one to talk about devastating the Water Tribe?"

Collective gasps rang through the room as Azula glowered, summoning blue fire to her fingertips.

"That woman will single-handedly put us all in danger," Hakoda gritted his teeth, watching as Iroh launched himself at his brother to hold him back, "She will strip the South of all of its benefits!" Turning to Ivaneq, "You need to do something about this!"

"There's nothing I can do, sir, I wasn't even consulted to be part of the conversation!"

What in the world is she doing? Arnook rose from his chair, calling out to his daughter, "Princess, this is not the way to—!"

"I will be speaking this time," the princess retorted, "And no one is stopping me."

"You watch your tongue!" Ozai roared and attempted to charge forward, but he halted at the momentary glow in the Avatar's eyes.

"By honesty, I didn't mean you can act like an uncivilized hooligan, Lord Ozai—"

"AAAAARRRRHHH!"

"Princess, that's enough!" Arnook demanded.

"How is it my problem when this man has serious anger issues and knows nothing about professionalism?"

"As if you're being professional!" Ozai bellowed.

"I'm only returning what I've received. Genuine respect is earned in these parts."

Yue was not at all unnerved in the midst of this chaos, watching the Fire Lord's brother conduct his dancing tantrums as each of his family members pitched in one by one to hold him and an incensed Azula down. Sokka, who had been concerned with the dronningi possibly finding ways to shift the blame upon herself, was pleasantly surprised to see her assertive side taking over.

"I had taken the blame and called it a day far too many times," Yue spoke. "The Fire princess sent the snowball rolling when she nearly attacked a minor a few days ago for the most inane reasons. I gave a formal apology and called myself incompetent of making arrangements. The Fire Lord's brother really pushed it the other day by insulting all Water Tribe women with his horrid sexist remarks, and when he faced retaliation, I settled that issue by healing his eye. Repeatedly, your people— officials and laypersons— have proceeded to call our people savages and sewer-rats and barbarians and have behaved brusquely with them, and you have refused to correct their behaviors, in fact encouraging them. Your crew members and ministers haven't stopped short of verbally abusing and ridiculing our servants; they even attempted to make moves on our maids."

Indeed, there was no justification at all for the Fire visitors' actions, but the princess, hoping the conferences would go by fast enough so that she'd never have to see any of their faces again, did her best to avoid conflict and made sure the conferences went off without a hitch, instead limiting the interactions her tribefolk would have with the Fire citizens.

"But what we have before us today isn't a simple matter. We can disagree all day long over which snow hill around the block is better for sleighing, but in terms of fundamental respects paid to the other nation, the topic at hand is a blatant act of injustice and disrespect, a grave insult to our people and culture. The real issue has always been that your moral compasses are fundamentally flawed, and if I apologize or seek to settle this, that would be an insult to justice and morality. An appeal to your overbloated ego." Glaring, "You may think of yourselves as being honorable and noble, but mark my words, I will not rest until I destroy your pride."

Azula readied her fingers to generate lightning but was held back by the Avatar's scowl, a hiss of, "One more move, and I will take away your bending, Princess Azula. You know I am capable of doing so."

To which she swallowed and grumbled, fire boiling her gaze.

"We understand your anger, Princess, and every word you have spoken is accurate," Fire Lord Iroh said to Yue, standing, "The Fire Nation is here to recognize its fatal actions and greatest regrets. We are ashamed to say that Zhao was a member of our council, and I myself am ashamed for my brother's unacceptable tantrums—"

"You seem to regret a lot of things, Lord Iroh, but I don't see you doing shit about any of it!" Sokka yelled.

Again, the tribal officers in the room collectively gasped at the blunt remark and gawked at Sokka with wide eyes. Katara nudged her brother harshly while an astonished Aang flailed about in order to shush him. But following the princess's lack of care, Sokka, too, had no incentive to hold back.

"Don't try to silence him," Iroh told the alarmed tribefolk, "He is right."

And the truly defeated tone of the man's voice and his sister's death-glare made Sokka give in; he sighed and grumbled out, "I'm sorry, I respect you very much, Fire Lord Iroh, and I am most definitely not saying you're behind all of this, but this is extremely frustrating. It seems even with a compassionate leader like you," directing a glare towards Ozai, "your brother's shithole supporters are spiraling out of control. Unless you're being compassionate to them, too, and refraining from sentencing them with much-needed punishments."

"I completely understand where you're coming from, Prince Sokka. And you're not at all wrong." Iroh's eyebrows furrowed, "No matter how many steps I've taken to educate my people, no matter how many White Lotus centers we have to spread knowledge of the other nations and promote respect, it has become increasingly difficult to curb the superiorist influence. I have taken aggressive action in the past against Ozai's supporters, but the result of that was a nation that was nearly on the brink of civil war—"

"Gee, I'd love to sit here and give a viper-rat's ass about the splitting of your country if our people aren't literally being harassed by your brother's minions as we speak—"

"Sokka, shut up!" Katara nearly yelled.

Hakoda facepalmed as Kya resorted to the Spirits' mercy, frustrated with her son's loud mouth.

"As the leaders of the Fire Nation, we accept full responsibility," Lady Mayu said. "However much the victims demand as damages, we will arrange for the same without question—"

"If our nation abides by His Royal Tea-loving Kookiness and Madam Fuddy Duddy, it will really be deprived of its honor and dignity," Azula spat, earning glares from Ursa, Zuko, and Lu Ten. "What happened today is an act of utter disrespect to the Fire Nation, and nothing is going to change this."

"Our princess speaks the truth," a Fire minister pointed out, "No matter how abhorring a crime, a criminal who is a citizen of the Fire Nation should be handed over to the Fire Nation government so that the mainland will consider matters of punishment."

"Why, so you can let him off the hook? 'Cause everyone here knows that's what's gonna happen," Sokka said.

"You shut your trap, you sewage-rat—"

"I will escort you out of the room for a time-out if you keep behaving like a child, Azula," Lady Ursa shot back, to which Azula frustratingly couldn't react, especially with the Avatar summoning his glow every five seconds.

"There's no reason why the Water Tribe would take matters into its own hands even if it's an issue of justice," the Fire minister insisted.

"Well that is easily the most idiotic argument I've ever heard," Yue said. "The incident happened within Water Tribe borders, and the targeted victim of the assault was a Northern tribeswoman. The second victim of Zhao's fireballs is the prince of the South. We have every right to get our hands on this issue—"

"Of course you'll say that," Azula interjected, ignoring her family's subsequent disapproval, "You're just looking for every little nook and corner you can squeeze your discrimination into. Your blatant disrespect for the Fire Nation by humiliating a high-ranking officer makes it obvious that all you've ever wanted was to lay your dirty hands on those of the noble race."

"You're one to speak of discrimination, Princess Azula? I'm quite surprised. You are currently looking to absolve a rapist from all criminal responsibility simply because he's Fire Nation, and you have adequately turned this into an issue of politics instead of approaching the serious moral questions it raises. You keep saying our prince disrespected your nation, but you're not willing to face what Zhao has done and the utter disrespect he has for our country. Do you honestly not realize what a heinous crime— or should I say, set of crimes— this is on his part? Because if you're really struggling with this realization, I will gladly pitch in funds to afford you a therapist—"

"YOU WATER BITCH—!"

"Shut your damn ash-mouth!" Sokka retorted.

"Alright, everyone, settle down, I mean it!" Aang burst. "Prince Sokka, I really think it's best if you keep quiet. And Princess Azula, you are really pushing it right now. If you cannot control your tongue, the door is right there."

Yue, unperturbed, settled her hand upon Sokka's arm upon hearing him shift in his continued grumbling, "If anything, your extreme reactions to facts alone seem to imply that you have no defense laws in your country at all, Princess. Because if Prince Sokka hadn't stepped in to defend that tribeswoman, her life would've been forever haunted."

"Admiral Zhao is a jewel of our nation!" another Fire minister piped up. "You just need an excuse to punish a child of Fire!"

Yue sighed. "You want a walkthrough of Zhao's punitive counts? Let's do it." Leaning away from her pelts and sitting up, "This 'jewel of the nation' that you speak of lusted after one of our tribeswomen, who would have been the age of his daughter had he begotten one— to the point of stabbing her husband repeatedly, throwing him in the canal to drown in his desperate state, physically abusing the helpless woman, chasing her through the second sector in attempts to assault her in the presence of hundreds of witnesses, threatened to burn down the loved ones of those who tried to interfere, and invaded the sanctity of one of our places of worship and forcing himself on her in that sacred space. Not only did he assault her but he also became the cause of her emotional distress. He severely damaged her reputation. Thankfully actual penetration and intercourse did not take place, but he did touch her in ways she did not want to be touched enough to warrant sexual assault claims. When he was prevented from committing graver sins, he ended up attacking a member of Water Tribe royalty. Oh, and did I mention arson? Setting a woman on fire, burning her clothes off because she refused to strip and opted to save herself and her dignity? Attempting to set our prince on fire because he defended that poor woman? Is this what you call Fire Nation etiquette? Is this the so-called glory of the Fire Nation that you were so eager to spread through the world? If so, even High Lord Agni would spit in your faces and disown you from his civilization. If He hasn't already for your unethical conquest missions, that is."

By now, the wiser end of the royal Fire family had their heads hung low in shame and regret. Azula and Ozai, though flustered from the princess schooling them, continuously felt paralyzed by the Avatar's promise of crippling their bending for good.

"These all amount to only a quarter of the crimes your 'jewel of the nation' has committed against the Water Tribe ever since he's been here. We could go on and on about his utter disrespect for the Southern leaders when he blatantly insulted them on many occasions in front of a large audience. We could also go on about how Princess Azula blatantly encouraged that by shooting lightning right at our prince during the last conference session, how she would've fatally injured him had he not moved out of the way in time."

"You're talking about him like he's a fucking saint," Ozai retorted, "He, too, has blabbered on about the Fire Nation in front of a live audience—"

"Because he was provoked by your own disrespectful blabbering," Yue shot back. "Furthermore, all of the actions he took to disable Zhao fall under his defense of another person. I admit that his exercise of that privilege ended as he chased Zhao into the woods and struck him with a belt, for it was an act of retaliation, and justice is not one-sided, meaning this action warrants its own penalty. However, the prince regained that privilege when Zhao's minions— all of them being firebenders who were significantly capable of incinerating him on the spot— closed in around him and began to attack him in the woods. As firebenders, your precious jewels of the nation or whatever should have been aware of the immediate harm that would occur when their fire-dispensing fists make contact with the skin of another. Given the nature of your element and its instant ability to destroy whatever it touches, they should've exercised great care, and considering their statuses as government employees, your government is liable, particularly for failure to take precautions in preventing such consequences. That failure is itself a crime."

By now, Arnook and Ahnah had slouched back into their seats, no longer beating themselves up over the truths that Yue was spilling. They were still worried to death over what move the Fire Nation would make on her following this, but they were simultaneously captivated by her words, by the justice she was trying to revive. Hakoda and Kya were definitely caught off guard by her brazenness, and although they would never admit to it openly, they might have even been touched that she didn't fail to mention Zhao's disrespect for the Southern branch. Nevertheless, they, too, held onto the fear of what would happen, how the Fire Nation would seek payback.

"And coming to the point of the wolves' attack, that was an unfortunate turn of events," Yue went on. "Though I wouldn't quite call it unfortunate in the greater sense of the word because Zhao and his minions basically received what they inflicted on others. Your admiral attempted to slobber over a tribeswoman like a lust-infested dog to satisfy his disgusting sexual appetite, and our wolves slobbered over him to try to feed his appendages to their young. And even they must've found him disgusting. Either that or they showed him mercy by leaving his appendages attached to his body." Turning to the Fire minister, "What are you going to argue next? That Prince Sokka conspired with the wolves? That he summoned them with his mighty psychic powers?"

"Well if you put it that way, of course it will sound ridiculous—!"

"Say, Prince Sokka," Yue looked to her friend, "Are you a wolf whisperer? A dog whisperer, at least? A psychic who engages in telepathic communication with canines, at least? Any hidden talents you'd like to share with us?"

"No, Your Highness," he shook his head, remaining utterly captivated.

"Well there you have it," Yue crossed her arms, eyebrows raised at the defeated Fire minister, "Apart from retaliation, Prince Sokka's actions are privileged, and anyone with a basic knowledge of how laws and governments work would recognize this. Surely a pompous, self-absorbed regime as yours would have laws for self-defense and defense of others? Unless if your senses of entitlement and superiority are so off the charts that they warrant anarchy and freedom from all social responsibility instead?"

At which Sokka outright laughed, really pushing Ozai and Azula's patience to their limits.

"Know the immediate seriousness of your crime before judging another's," Yue said to the Fire officials sternly. "Make sure you and the rest of your men are civilized before charging at ours. You're speaking so highly of yourselves as if you're entitled to having all of your crimes justified, but it's about time you came down from your militaristic highs. Come to our land as respectful equals, and you will be considered honored guests, but if you approach us with the purpose of conquest, you will be ousted from our land, and we will find no shame in facilitating that process."

She stood up from her seat, her figure towering over them from her place atop the steps, "I have tolerated all the racist jargon. I've kept calm and carried on with my duty of making your stay here as comfortable as I could, and I gave respect where it's not deserved, even after you had the gall to say I as a tribeswoman am only good for being 'fucked, bred, and milked' by a man. And I don't mean to gloat, but the general expectation is that not every woman— and not every host of a Global Conference— is going to step up to heal you right after you submit in front of her entire assembly that she's essentially a broodmare, shoot lightning at her bodyguard, and inflict damage to her royal palace, but I swallowed my rage for the sake of leaving my tribe out of your hit list. But you should know that I, too, am a patriot of my nation, and I, too, have pride and the right to exercise it. There are only so many fucks I can give about a situation, and your nation has reached the limit the damned day you set foot here."

More gasps and wide eyes followed. Sokka kept his gaze glued to the princess, thrilled by her embrace of raw language.

"I've always admired the passion and culture of the Fire Nation to the extent that it reached out and helped the other nations several times throughout its past history. I have especially been won over by Master Jeong Jeong's efforts at reclaiming rights for the oppressed lower classes. I have seen a glimpse of what the Fire Nation is truly capable of being, the extent of honor it has exuded in its Golden Age, but that is not the same Fire Nation that I see before me. This is intolerable, unacceptable behavior on your part, frankly enough to warrant sanctions, and I assure you that Agni Himself is disappointed with your conduct."

"Filthy scum like you don't even deserve to have Agni's name leave your mouth," Ozai barked, "And you're standing here acting like you're some sort of goddess from the heavens who has authority over us—"

"On the contrary, Agni is repulsed that people like you wage war against the rest of the world in His Name, hence he has entrusted me to demand the Water Tribe's share of justice. In light of the nature of Zhao's crimes combined with your blatant damage to our reputation, firstly, the Fire Nation is to return the hefty amounts the Water Tribe has paid in the previous two settlements, amounting to a total of five million gold pieces. In addition, I impose on the Fire Nation a punitive penalty of fifty-three trillion gold pieces for the totality of crimes committed against the Water Tribe. Third, while Zhao is allowed to receive emergency care at our healing huts, his treatment costs are not to be covered by the Water Tribe in any manner whatsoever, and as soon as convenience permits it, he and his injured comrades are to be taken away from the North. Finally, the royal family is denied entry to the remainder of the conference with the only exceptions being Fire Lord Iroh and Fire Lady Mayu to represent your country."

The demands, no doubt, sparked outrage from Ozai and his supporters, but Iroh and the rest of the royal family members did not protest.

"Those who refuse these demands and still opt to side with Zhao are no longer welcome in the Water Tribe," Yue added. "As I am a 'lactating mother' whose only purpose is to look out for my children," shooting a sharp look at Ozai, "consider this as me looking out for my people. We have enough on our plate to worry about already with our tribesmen inflicting pain and disrespect on our women. We don't need you to jump in and add to that yakshit."

"We agree to every one of your demands, Princess," Lu Ten answered, bowing, "And we are truly sorry and ashamed—"

"Enough of the dragonshit," Azula hissed. "As long as we're alive, we won't agree to a single one of these savages' demands—"

"Since you do claim we're primitive beyond repair, you'd probably expect us to do it the old-fashioned way instead," Yue said. "Our outdated Code authorizes a very egregious punishment for men guilty of rape or attempted rape, part of which includes castration, blood-letting, and total abandonment in the tundra in the middle of a blizzard."

To which horrified and squeamish looks crossed over the faces of those in the room.

"Keep in mind that I am being far more merciful and lenient on you than our ancient laws. You will agree to these demands, lest you want to be expelled from our country."

Storming out of her seat and pointing dangerously at the isumataq, who had thrown himself protectively in front of the princess, the Fire princess growled, "You said you couldn't handle a conflict with us. Keep that in mind, or else—"

"I said the Water Tribe can't afford a conflict with you," Yue clarified. "I never said I can't."

At which the entire room seemed to pause all at once. People ceased to move, breathe, be for a split moment.

"I may prefer peacemaking, but if justice so demands it, you will see me out on the battlefield," Yue reiterated to the flabbergasted Fire officials, "Even if I'm the only one representing the Water Tribe. And if I can promise you anything, it won't be much of a battle."

"You can only be a fucking princess if you have a kingdom to rule," Azula pointed out. "It takes me seconds to burn your kingdom down."

"Did you know that intense wildfires bring harsh rain?" Yue crossed her arms, "The wilder the fire, the greater the storm. It's nature's way."

"Well your little city needs to be intact before it can rain on my parade," Azula huffed. "I will stop at nothing to destroy your icy shithole of a country and drag you all the way to the Fire Nation as my personal slave. You have your britches up in a knot because one of your peasants was almost raped, but I'll be sure that there's no almost once I establish you as a slave at the Fire Nation Capital. Our men will violate you until the day you die and sire illegitimate bastards with you, and you will be forced to lick the ground they walk on and spread your legs for them like the Water whore you are."

"WATCH IT!" Sokka roared, quick to cast away her hand, the tips of her fingers which were encased in fire and were pointed at the Water Tribe leaders. The fire nearly set Ozai's topknot ablaze, barely missing him, wreaking havoc as the Fire Lord's brother bellowed and lunged forward. Aang was quick to disable Ozai with jabs to his pressure points, rendering him unable to bend, but it was harder to restrain Azula, who burst out of the door following several blasts of blue fire that emitted from her mouth.

Azula kept breathing fire in the direction of all who were in her way, evoking screams from those who tried to get out of her way. Aang was at her heels, followed closely by Iroh and Princes Zuko and Lu Ten. Ursa trailed behind him, screaming Azula's name.

In her rage, Azula attempted to incinerate the path she took, expecting the fire to restrain those who were after her, and as for the icy cuffs that Aang repeatedly bent in her direction in an attempt to restrain her, she either dodged or obliterated them. She eventually stepped out of the Northern palace's courtyard, breaking into the inner sector and blasting away at nearly everything she saw. Several waterbenders, aware of what was happening after momentary interludes, sent several tendrils of water in her direction, but they were forced to come to a halt when Azula grabbed hold of a little tribesgirl.

"Another step and I'll turn this savage into ash."

"Anaana! Ataata!" the girl broke into cries, reaching for her parents.

"NO! No, please, let her go!" the mother cried.

"Let her go, please, Princess Azula!" the man begged. "Let go of my daughter!"

"Another step, and I'll blast her face—!"

"NO!"

"We'll give you whatever you want, please!"

"AZULA!" Iroh bellowed, "Put the child down!"

By now, the Northern princess and everyone else had stepped out with Iroh and Aang doing what they could to cajole the princess into dropping her act, but Azula ignored them all, venom dripping from the gaze she cast on the North's dronningi.

"Is this the storm you were expecting?" she taunted, "A bunch of savages begging for mercy?" She intensified her blue fire, holding it close to the squirming, crying girl, "Do our demands sound more appealing to you now? Maybe they will once I offer this savage as an offering to Agni—!"

Azula's movement was cut short by a deadly spark of lightning and a booming crack of thunder that suddenly rattled the sidewalk she was standing on, thus knocking her backward onto the icy ground. She nearly toppled into the waters of the canal, barely catching herself. She gasped to keep herself from slipping down, pulling herself up to her feet as she, along with the hundreds of tribefolk who had assembled to watch the sight, drew their gazes up to the sky. The little girl took the chance to escape and ran to her parents, and the trio inched away from the front of the crowd despite gawking at the sky as well.

Azula frowned, taking note of how the previously clear sky was suddenly beset with dark, heavy clouds, the air churning with uncharacteristic aggression. She directed her glare to the Northern princess and took note of a minor yet vital detail; the princess had her fist clenched at her side, her eyes peering into the sky.

"What's going on?" a tribesman mumbled.

And as repeated claps of thunder answered the tribefolk, another guessed in his bewildered state, "Is it…is it going to rain?"

"But…but we're in the Arctic…" Which was basically a desert. It couldn't be storming. Not to the extent it was making out to be right now anyway.

But it was actually happening, people realized. With a slight squint of Yue's eyes, more thunder rattled the Northern capital, making its sidewalks and canal system feel feeble and vulnerable, and much to the shock of all the tribefolk— those who were present and those who were a considerable distance away from the scenario at hand— it began to drizzle. Hard. The fire that danced at Azula's fingertips died down quickly as did her previous blue flames that had lingered from her rampage from earlier.

The winds groaned and howled, and the sky continued to churn, catching the residents of the tundra by further shock as they became even more drenched. The drizzle quickly manifested into a full-on shower within minutes, making it impossible for the Fire princess, much less any firebender, to combat the downpour with even the strongest of flames.

Sokka, who had also taken notice of Yue's clenched fist, stared at her in astonishment and awe. Is she whipping up a storm out of nowhere?!

In a last-minute effort as Azula attempted to generate lightning at the tips of her index and middle fingers, Yue's hand stopped her wrist. It was then that realization struck the Fire princess. The same confident touch, the same milky skin tone, the same pair of baby blue eyes, lacking all fear as they pierced into hers like sharp icicles. Biting, demanding, stinging. The princess of the North was the servant who had stopped her a couple of days ago. She was the one who blocked the devastation of her lightning.

Azula yanked her hand away, mortified as the rain intensified, making it difficult to keep her eyes open. The tribefolk began to run for cover. A few ambitious waterbenders tried to bend an icy arc of water over their heads to keep themselves dry but found that the showers were too intense to sustain even that, let alone a feeble flame. The streets became empty in a matter of minutes as people ducked behind whatever shelter they could find. Yue, however, refused to budge, bending a seat of ice for herself, yawning audibly as she took her place, calmly weathering the chaotic downpour and waiting on Azula's next move. Though she was absolutely drenched, she exercised great resilience and comfort in her element contrary to the fidgeting Fire Princess.

Sokka, shocked out of his wits as he was, didn't leave the dronningi's side, captivated, allowing himself to also be drenched from head to toe. He kept a hand wrapped over the handle of his space sword, keeping a cautious watch on the Fire officials as they all gawked at the princess. Joining their flabbergasted states were Yue's parents and especially Sokka's parents, Aang and Katara coming in a close second.

Azula, basking in humiliation and fury, took a few steps back, and as the rain continued to patter down on her defeat, she turned around, proceeding to storm away, closely monitored by Ursa as Iroh took charge of Ozai. Within seconds, the Fire officials began to retreat as well. The minister who had exercised the audacity to speak out against the Northern princess, surrendered the scroll canister containing her demands, his signature of approval gleaming boldly upon the canister itself. And with that, he, too, retreated.

"Victory to our princess!" came a fierce, distant cry that overpowered the battering storm.

Sokka closed his first and held it over his heart, echoing with, "Long live our dronningi!"

"LONG LIVE OUR DRONNINGIi!" the chants followed. "LONG LIVE OUR DRONNINGI!"

Yue only closed her eyes and leaned back, drinking in the storm, the epitome of La's justice. So lost was she that she disregarded the hundreds of eyes either watching her or aspiring to watch her. Among those people were an astonished Kya and Hakoda, who couldn't have felt any more humility, any more awe and dread than the extents they were feeling now.

Even when the cries died down and people were forced into actual shelters following the intensity of the storm, even when there came a point where her own parents— among the last few who stood outside, fascinated by their daughter— were forced inside due to the chaos of the storm, she remained outside, arms resting on the sides of her icy, peltless chair, accompanied by the presence of her floored ikkingut.