A/N: And this half-written story is horror at best, the kind where the hero still dies in the end. Love and be loved. Read… and review!
The Last Thing You Do
[Early 158 AG]
[DAY 1]
Earlier in the day, Yasuko had received a cryptic letter. This was the second such occurrence to happen to her pertaining to this matter with such unique circumstances. The last one had been almost exactly seven years earlier, almost to the day. That letter had no address nor any posting for her to trace it. There was a knock at her door and then, as quick as the wind blowing, the unassuming note appeared at her front door.
Now, in the middle of the day, Yasuko examines both notes carefully. The first one from seven years ago is sharp and pointed, while the second is more flowy, with curves and less edges on the letters. She benefits greatly from the fact that both authors addressed her with the same name, a certain title that almost no one alive knew.
The first letter, the older letter, reads:
Little Dragon,
She lives.
It had bewildered her. If the purpose had been to assure her to Azula's vitality, it was not some massive surprise. She'd followed the news like anyone else and she had read The Last Dragon. The book did not mention Yasuko by name specifically, focusing the Lanxi chapters instead on her professional achievements rather than personal relationships. Part of her had been grateful for that because it granted her anonymity. But part of her also wishes the world knew she was imbued with the spirit of the Last Dragon.
Shaking that thought away, Yasuko now sits reading the second letter which had arrived today.
Little Dragon,
Find Toph and you will find me.
These are surely different authors, but she doesn't know who on Earth could have known her childhood title, known about the connection, and delivered such notes. What's more, this new letter saying she will find "me" is of note. There are dozens of questions piling up, but one thing is for certain as Yasuko watches the sunset:
She will find Toph, by any means necessary.
Looking for people by the name of "Toph" would be like trying to find the new Avatar the same day the previous one passed; that is to say, it would be virtually impossible. There are hundreds, if not thousands of Tophs all over Republic City and the Earth Kingdom. It is a very popular name for girls and boys alike of Earth Kingdom origins, due to the world famous Earthbending Master to Avatar Aang. That same woman also became the world's first Metal Bender and the first police chief of the Republic City Police Department. Initially it feels too obvious that the "Find Toph'' would also happen to be this modern day legendary figure found throughout history books.
However, the further Yasuko digs into it the more she convinces herself that they are one in the same. "Find Toph and you will find me" indicates that Toph will not be easy to find. She would be difficult to pin down. Toph Beifong, just like Azula of Caldera, is a monumental historical figure from the end of the Hundred Year's War who is simply missing from the public eye. Similar people like Fire Lord Zuko, Chief Sokka, and Katara of the Southern Water Tribe became world renowned figures, still within the public eye and relatively easy to locate. Meanwhile, Toph Beifong, who accomplished so much in so little time, has simply disappeared.
The similarities to Azula, the fact that the letter connects the two women together, it all feels like too much coming together; it makes almost too much sense. Luckily for Yasuko one of the direct descendants of the woman in question is still in the city: Lin Beifong was named Chief just a bit over two years ago, so Yasuko goes down to the station and requests an audience.
Yasuko assumed, perhaps foolishly, that her status as one of the premier engineers behind Future Industries and the wife of Hiroshi Sato would grant her an immediate audience with the Chief. Instead, she is left to languish and wait because Lin would not make special exceptions for someone regardless of their social standing. When Lin finally gives her five minutes of her time, the conversation takes a surprising turn for the terse.
"My Mother? You're wasting my time asking about her?" Lin ridicules her.
"It is a matter of great personal interest to me."
"Is Future Industries so desperate for new ideas that they'd turn to Zaofu now?"
"No. That's not - wait. Is that where she is? I can find her in Zaofu?"
"That's the last I heard at the least. My Mother and I haven't spoken in over three years."
"Oh."
"Yeah."
"I am so sorry to hear that. It must be so difficult."
"Are you kidding? It's the easiest thing in the world. A load off my back. Don't you get tired of talking to your Mom sometimes?"
"My Mother passed during childbirth, Chief Beifong. I would give anything to speak to her, even once."
"Hmm," Lin bites her tongue, realizing she has stepped into something. "I see. Well, I wasn't aware."
"It's quite alright," Yasuko forgives, even if Lin didn't apologize. "Most aren't."
"Well, nonetheless. Yes. From what I've heard through the grapevine, she is living out in Zaofu. You're best served checking there."
"Thank you, kindly."
"Yeah, don't mention it. Close the door on your way out."
From there, Yasuko requests an airship to be chartered. The ship will take most of the afternoon to prepare for the trip, and there are not many available in the fleet for such a frivolous journey. However, seeing as it is Yasuko Sato, unlike with the Chief of Police, there will certainly be special treatment and one will be made available.
Flying an airship solo would be almost impossible for the ordinary person, but luckily Yasuko is no ordinary person. She's hoping to eventually create a design for a smaller, more agile airship, but those plans are a long way away. Rather, due to her acumen and genius, she has uncovered a way to rig the ship to fly with a single pilot, herself, rather than with a crew.
With the day to herself, and a plan to leave overnight, she researches Zaofu and its technological advancements so she is better prepared for whatever she is stepping into with this trip. She also sends a messenger hawk to Suyin Beifong requesting an audience for the next day. She knows she won't get a reply in time, and that they will likely be angry about her arriving right after getting the hawk. She confides in Hiroshi that it's a matter of great personal importance, but she never tells him explicitly what she is seeking. He trusts her intrinsically and supports her search. Their bond is too strong for such trivial concerns.
There is just one thing left to do before she takes her leave.
Yasuko shoves the last of the travel items into her purse and then tosses the duffle over her shoulder with effort. She stands up, walks out of the bedroom, down the main staircase and eyes up the pair waiting for her at the landing. The steps creak with each step and she feels a weight to each one. The sun has set and darkness creeps in every crevice on the chilly winter night. She reaches the bottom of the steps, the sound of an idle Satomobile waiting outside for her. She puts the duffle down and embraces her husband.
"Be safe, whatever you do. We don't know enough about Zaofu." He says to her while holding her tightly.
"Of course," she hums into his ear. Quietly she teases him, "I'm not convinced you could properly function without me."
"I'm not even going to entertain the idea of such a world." He smiles.
This leaves Yasuko to her small one.
"Mom! Do you really have to go?"
"Asami, we talked about this. I shouldn't be gone long. A couple of days, a week at most."
"But Mom, Dad doesn't make turtle crab noodles like you do."
She can't help but chuckle at the comment and how closely it tied to what she has just told Hiroshi.
"Well, that's true. So you'll just have to wait until I'm home to have some."
The small girl's eyes percolate with wet tears, threatening to fall out. Yasuko rubs her shoulders in comfort, "Oh, Asami. What's the matter?"
"I just wish I could come with you!"
She pulls the girl into a warm hug.
"Listen, I promise, when I get back, I will tell you all about it. Every detail. Where I went, what I saw. The story will be yours! Just like last week, when I canceled all of my meetings so you and I could make plans for skyscrapers? Remember that?"
Asami, sniffling and trying to stop her crying, basks in the cozy memory. She nods her head in recognition.
"Just like that. I promise, when I get back, we'll spend the whole day together."
Her driver opens the front door. "Mrs. Sato, we're ready."
"Just a moment," she waves them off and turns back to her daughter. "Does that sound like a fair deal, Asami?"
The child finally nods and Yasuko gives her a huge kiss on the forehead. They share a few more seconds of tearful goodbye before Yasuko finally exits out the front door. She bids them farewell and makes way for her overnight solo airship flight.
[DAY 2]
Security at the Metal City was surprisingly stiff. Yasuko landed in the middle of the morning and was promptly greeted with a dark, damp, empty, dusty warehouse. Her wrists were metalbent to a desk and she was left to rot while they sorted out who she was and why she had invaded their airspace without warning. She can't say she was surprised by the reaction, but she was still hoping it wouldn't last much longer. For the first thirty minutes or so it was just members of the security force who had greeted her who had been questioning her. Now though the door opens and a strapping man who has dark skin, bald, trim facial hair, and green eyes enters and strides towards her. He stops at the desk before getting her.
"Yasuko Sato, it is an honor to meet you," he bows with his hands clasped. "My name is Aiwei."
"Pleased to meet you!" She greets him before attempting to wave with her hands. "I'd shake your hand but as you can see-"
"Merely a precaution, I assure you. We must be careful in our Metal Clan, I'm sure you can understand the importance of safety?"
"I'm an engineer, Aiwei. Safety always comes first."
"I see. So then, may I ask: was there no one else on board your ship? No one else who joined you?"
"Absolutely no one. Just me, myself, and I."
Aiwei is shocked to sense this is the truth, unable to comprehend how the ship could fly with just one. He raises an eyebrow at this before replying, "It seems that is so. Then, what brings you to Zaofu?"
Yasuko licks her lips. "I'm here to see Toph Beifong. I was told she would be here."
This is but another unexpected twist to what is becoming an increasingly worrisome event. Aiwei is thinking of ways to get rid of her or at the very least stall for more time when he's interrupted by the door swinging open again.
"I heard we had a visitor representing Future Industries, which was interesting enough," starts a spry woman who gracefully saunters up to them. "But their Top Engineer at that? I couldn't believe my ears. I had to see it with my own two eyes."
"Suyin! What are you doing here? This matter is far beneath-"
"Oh, don't worry yourself, Aiwei. This woman is as harmless as an antfly. No bending and not much of a fighter, are you, Yasuko?"
"That's, uh, a fair assessment. You've done your research on me?"
"It's in my best interest to know who is visiting my city. Even when they show up without an invitation," she chides the older Yasuko with a smirk. "I received your letter last night, but didn't even have time to reply before you were already landing?"
"I apologize for the intrusion. Normally I wouldn't be so crass. I'm just chasing something very important to me, and I can feel myself almost at the end."
Aiwei doesn't like where this is going and tries to interrupt. "Please, Suyin, allow me to-"
"Is that so?" Suyin's curiosity piqued. "And what on Earth could've driven you to my city?"
"I'm here to request an audience with your Mother, Toph Beifong."
"Mom? Well, that is surprising and somewhat disappointing. I'm not sure she'll meet with you."
"But she is here?"
Aiwei juts in, "We don't have to answer-"
"She is, but how did you know that?"
Yasuko smiles mischievously. She pulls her hands up and the metal cuffs clang together. She gestures to them as she answers.
"It's a rather long story and I've been sitting for so long. Do you mind if I tell it while we walk?"
Before Aiwei can object, Suyin waves a hand and the metal is flung off of her wrists. The Matriarch of the Metal Clan dawns her own wicked smile.
"Surely. Come along."
Yasuko rises and the two women walk out of the room together, leaving Aiwei behind.
Toph agrees to hear Yasuko out after lunch. The contingent of Yasuko, Suyin, and Aiwei walk out to a rooftop patio overlooking the city. The skyline of Zaofu, with its tall buildings, skyscrapers, and such is a gorgeous sight to behold in the broad, early afternoon daylight. However, for Yasuko, it is ominous. She strides across the hardwood flooring where, diametrically opposed to her is a small woman, her back turned, her long salt and pepper hair blowing in the wind. Toph Beifong, the Toph Beifong, stands with her arms behind her back and appears to be staring out across the entirety of the metal kingdom.
"That's close enough." She commands and Yasuko comes to a stop, approximately ten feet away. The founder of Metal Bending muses from afar. "Future Industries sends one of its highest members, Hiroshi's wife? What business do you have with us and our city, girl?"
Yasuko must admit she is wildly impressed by Zaofu and its technological innovation, the city in and of itself being a feat of industry. It amazes her that so much could've been built in such a short period of time. Before today she was certain the greatest engineers and architects in the world were living and working amongst her in Republic City. This could no longer be said to be the case, she concluded. However, none of this was relevant to the purposes of her visit. Until now she has kept her true intentions secret, and so it is now that she reveals her hand.
"I was told you could help me find someone."
Toph's ears prick slightly at this surprising turn. Aiwei, having known she was lying about her intentions for being here, now feels the truth being spoken. Suyin waits to see her mother return serve, and she does so quickly.
"Oh? Who told you that?"
"A letter I received yesterday morning from an unknown sender."
"I know you're not lying, but you're not making any sense either."
Yasuko steels herself. She readies for a fiery reaction.
"I am searching for the one they call the 'Dragon Empress.' Azula of Caldera. And I believe you can tell me where to find her."
Aiwei audibly gasps before he can stop himself. Suyin instantly scowls in confusion and shakes her head. She scoffs and interjects, "Well, this is certainly a surprise. My mother wouldn't know the first thing-"
"And why would I tell you that? Are you yet another one of her 'old friends?'"
Su is stunned silent to hear that her mother could locate the most dangerous woman alive.
"Mom? You-"
"Shut it, Su."
"So you really can lead me to her?"
"Aiwei here has been asking me for years to take him to her, and he's not the only one to ask. So I'll ask you again: Why would I tell you where to find her?"
"Because she sent me a letter. She said if I could find you, I could find her."
Toph thinks on this for a moment. "Azula would never jeopardize herself like that. Whoever sent you that letter? It wasn't her. If there ever was any letter in the first place."
"I assure you-"
"I've heard enough. I have sworn to leave the Dragon to its final place of rest. I don't intend to disturb it's slumber for some random woman. Beat it, girl."
Toph dismisses her. Aiwei, still shocked by these events, nonetheless recovers at this command. He motions for nearby metalbenders to advance to help remove the visitor.
"You haven't heard me out! She was like a mother to me!"
The guards apprehend Yasuko, grabbing her wrists.
"You and dozens, if not hundreds, of other girls." Toph replies.
"NO!" Yasuko protests as they begin dragging her away. "This was different! I was the girl she raised in Lanxi!"
"Enough! Take her away." Aiwei commands.
"Wait."
Everyone stops and turns back to Toph. The Blind Bandit has turned around. Although she can not see, she nonetheless senses that Yasuko was being truthful. So few people knew of the girl in Lanxi, yet this woman was claiming to be the one. Toph was with Azula, had gone to the home, had been present when she learned the child was gone. She remembers discussing it with the Dragon Empress and learning more during their travels.
"What did you say your name was?"
"Yasuko… Yasuko of Lanxi."
All truth. Toph couldn't remember the name anymore, but that seemed to be the one she recalled. She recalls another fact and tests the woman.
"If you're really who you say you are: where did you go? After Azula left. What did you go searching for after leaving Lanxi?"
Yasuko shakes loose from the guards and approaches.
"My father died from a weak heart, and I was alone. But I had a dream, one that she gave to me. So I chased after it."
Toph mumbles, almost to herself, in disbelief. She urges, encourages, hopes for the right answer.
"Say it."
Yasuko comes to stand right in front of Toph.
"The Dreaming City."
"Holy shit," Toph scoffs. "It's really you."
Toph and Yasuko are alone now. The term "sound proof" came up numerous times, and with Toph's seismic sense and finely tuned hearing, she has gone to great lengths to put them in a position where no one could eavesdrop, no matter how much they tried.
"You must understand the need for privacy. What I'm about to share with you I've only ever told one other person," Toph explains as she sits down with Yasuko. "It's not an exaggeration to say that this is among the most closely guarded secrets of my life."
"Yes, of course." Yasuko says without batting an eye to the 'one other person' line.
"I was told this day would eventually come."
"You were?"
"Yes. But after so long, eventually you begin doubting if it ever really will."
"I understand. Faith in the face of fire is not for the weak willed or fragile of heart."
"Huh. Spoken like the daughter of a dragon."
"I wasn't lying earlier. I do feel like her daughter, in a way."
"I know you weren't."
"She was a friend of my mother's, and she raised me after mine died. It was like her friendship passed from one generation to the next. Even though I haven't seen her in decades, I still feel the impression she left on me. The part of my soul that she touched."
"Huh." Toph says.
She's wondering about the concept that Yasuko has just described. The connection Yasuko feels to Azula is similar to how Toph has felt about Aang. At that moment, Toph felt like Aang's spirit was with them. Like he was still there, somewhere, just below the surface. She hasn't met Korra yet, but she is certain her bond with the Avatar would be exactly as Yasuko described.
"Well said," Toph says, as it's all she can muster. Yasuko gives a reaffirming nod. "Now, let's get down to business."
"Yes, let's." Yasuko agrees, anxious to learn the truth.
"I came across Azula about 10 years ago during the course of our travels. We met in Lanxi, actually, of all places."
"She went back?"
"For the first time, or at least so she said. I was passing by and convinced her to travel with me. She went knocking on your door, and that was the first time she learned your old man was gone and so were you."
It's unfathomable to think of it. Azula back in Lanxi, knocking on her door, looking for Yasuko, only to be left wanting. While it pains her, there is a not-small part of Yasuko's chest that is warmed by this news. She used to often wonder how different her life might've been if she had just stayed in Lanxi. She would've lost out on Zirin and Ukuyi, Hiroshi and Asami. The Dreaming City and her calling as an engineer. These were losses she was not willing to sacrifice, but in that alternate world where she stayed, knowing that Azula would've come back for her eventually, gave her a sense of peace that she could not describe in words.
"We traveled together by foot from Lanxi to here, Zaofu. Towards the end, I gave her the keys to an old home that I used to own. A place where she could disappear off the grid, and no one would even know it was hers since there was no property record or purchase agreement."
"Where was it? Where is she?"
Yasuko has spent almost thirty years now searching for her. She is here, on the precipice of being told where she is now. Her chest feels tight, like there are tiny claw marks on the base of her throat, sinking into her. Everything feels so heavy for her, and while objectively she knows that time is moving at its constant pace, she can't help but feel that it has slowed to a crawl.
"A tiny island village to the very far east called Mallard Island."
Yasuko gasps a bit.
"Mallard? But… I know someone that went that far. They said they never found her."
She runs the calculations in her mind over and over again trying to understand. Mallard Island of all places. Yasuko is one of her generation's brightest mathematical minds, but she can't make it make sense.
"That would be very surprising to me, although maybe not. Even if they reached the island and the main village, the house was miles from civilization, out along the sea cliffs."
"Sea cliffs!" Yasuko marvels at the idea. Lanxi had stood high above the port waters, so of course the Dragon Empress would return to the ocean.
"Yep. Hidden away at the end of the world."
"Incredible."
Suddenly, Toph felt the Earth moving. Someone was bending her metal walls away.
"Shh." She silences the young woman.
"Huh? Is everything okay?"
Toph readies a fighting stance, unsure of how to answer. When there are only a few walls blocking them and a doorway, the bending stops just as suddenly as it began. Before Toph can better assess the situation a knock comes at the door.
"Mother!" Suyin's voice rings out from the other side. "I'm sorry to interrupt but it's urgent. I need to speak with you - alone!"
Toph excuses herself and strides across the way, leaving Yasuko to reckon with this new information. She is contemplating it all when she looks to the door. Toph swings it open and Suyin is standing on the outside, wearing a stern, concerned expression. Just as Toph is exiting, with the door shutting behind them, Yasuko catches a glimpse of a freshly opened letter in Suyin's hand.
[DAY 3]
If Yasuko had her way, she would've taken off for Mallard Island the moment she got the answer from Toph. However, after conversing with Suyin for a few breathless minutes, Toph returned to the room and successfully convinced her to spend the night in Zaofu. She reasoned that it was a day's journey by airship and if she was going to navigate the trip solo, she needed to be fully alert for most of that. There was a soundness in this argument that she couldn't argue with, so she agreed. Now, early the next morning, Yasuko is well rested and has a full belly. She is being escorted out of Zaofu, headed towards the airships. She is surprised, as she approaches, to find both of the Truth Seers are waiting for her.
"Aiwei. Toph. When you weren't at breakfast this morning I figured that I'd seen the last of you."
"'fraid not. I've got one last thing for you before you blast off."
She extends a sealed envelope.
"Give this to that old hag when you finally find her."
"What is it?" She asks while taking it.
"A beautiful painting I drew last night," Toph jokes. "Don't worry about that. Just trust me. Keep that thing safe and give it to her when you get there."
"Of course. Toph, I could never-"
"Save it, 'Suko. I'm not the sentimental type. Just do what I asked."
Toph doesn't even shake her hand as she walks away, nor does she wait for Aiwei before leaving. She goes back the way Yasuko has just arrived and then disappears behind a corner, leaving the two former wards of the Dragon Empress.
"Madame Sato, I am pleased to inform you that I will be joining you on your journ-"
"Aiwei, I'm going to cut you off there."
"Oh?"
"I have a certain level of tolerance for political bullshit. Socially correct turn of phrases. I'm no stranger to greasing elbows and hobnobbing."
"I see?"
"But there's a reason my husband is the businessman and I'm the brains."
Aiwei is still trying to play the game. He replies, "I'm sure I don't know-"
"Yes, you do," she interrupts him again. When he feigns ignorance yet again she cuts to the chase. "But since you are so insistent on playing dumb then let me dumb it down for you: no one is coming with me."
She walks past him, towards the ramp for the ship. He abandons decorum.
"You can't possibly fly that ship alone. I don't know how you got here, but no one can navigate an airship by themselves. If not me, at least allow our Zaofu crew to join you. They can help navigate, and return the ship to Future Industries afterwards."
Yasuko stands at the top of the ramp and turns back to the sad, strange man in charge of security.
"You don't seem to understand so let me make this clear: I can fly this ship alone better than any team you could put together."
Yasuko turns away and Aiwei has no choice but to pull out his ace in the hole. He desperately appeals to Yasuko's heart.
"You're not the only one," he starts and she stops. She looks over her shoulder at him. "To have been touched by the Dragon Empress in their youth."
She turns fully around to face him. She gives him her full, undivided attention.
"After she left Lanxi and you, she came to me. To us. In the Southside of the Lower Ring. I know that's probably difficult for you to imagine. You read the book, I'm sure. Heard the tales. I was there, with Mama and Siq and On Ji and so many others. She took me under her wing and saved me. She saw things in myself that I never saw. She helped me, raised me. We talked about loneliness and hope."
Yasuko nods. Aiwei continues.
"You may have known her longer, but that doesn't mean your debt to her is any greater than mine. I've been trying to convince Toph to let me go see her for years. Let me come with you. Together we can reconnect with the Mother of the Lost Ones."
Yasuko is a woman of science, a woman of numbers. She counts the costs and does the math in everything she does. Calculating and recalculating, doing whatever she can to see things from all angles and varying points of view. Gather all of the known information in front of you, and decide if you want to run the risks on the information you are missing.
She thinks about what Aiwei has said. She thinks about how persuasive it is, and yet how despite all his time with Toph Beifong in the last 10 years, she has never told him where to find her. It took one conversation to convince Toph to share it with Yasuko, while Aiwei was still here, without an answer.
"That's a beautiful story," she tells him. Her eyes flip to the last spot where she saw the earthbender before the woman disappeared. "You should tell it to Toph. Maybe then she'll tell you where to find the last dragon."
Yasuko doesn't have all of the information, but she has enough of it to know she should not trust Aiwei. Without another word she disappears into the ship, shuts the door, and sets to work on getting it airborne.
Aiwei is left alone. Scorned after baring his soul to Yasuko, he grows angry and resentful. He's not foolish enough to sabotage the ship or sneak aboard. Instead, much like how Xai Bau used to treat the Immortal Soldier, he decides to play the long game. While Yasuko departs in search of their mother figure, Aiwei stalks off to seek vengeance.
[DAY 4]
It's the middle of night, a few hours before sunrise, when the messenger hawk arrives. Zaheer is unable to sleep, the final nights before their big day have him wound up and anxious. He gets a couple hours of sleep per night and then rises from bed to begin preparing for the following day's journey. They've accomplished a great deal much, but there is still much to do as they draw closer to the Southern Water Tribe and Wolf's Cove.
The letter comes from a dormant asset in the metal city of Zaofu. He's unfamiliar with this man or this place, but he learns quickly of the valuable Intel being provided. Yasuko Sato of all people has broken the code and is en route to Azula's hiding place, a shocking development. The woman could be the key to finding her, a worthwhile effort to pursue. If Azula betrays them at the Southern Water Tribe, or even if she helps them, no matter what she is too much of a risk to be kept alive. However, she has been hidden from the world for almost ten years now. The best efforts of Xai Bau and himself had turned up nothing.
'Now this woman will walk plainly up to her front door? That simply will not do.'
It's too late to have the ship tailed or to locate the woman. Instead, he knows she will have to return home at some point, and unlike Azula, Yasuko's address is well known and well documented. A plot begins forming in his mind's eye, one that he is sure that P'Li, Ghazan, and especially Ming-Hua would not condone or support. However, while he works, frets, and leads their journey to the Avatar and their new destiny, they sleep in the room beside him. By the time they stir awake, they will be too late. His memory flashes back to their last interaction with the Dragon Empress a few days earlier.
"Founder, did you kill Xai Bau that day? When you rescued me?"
Her silence in response has been deafening. So, in response, Zaheer will extract his revenge in silence as well. He pulls out his own parchment and quill. He begins writing a directive to some other Red Lotus assets back in Republic City.
Yasuko's ship comes to a rest on the landing pad of Mallard Island a little after sunrise. She comes down the ramp and is greeted by a technician who works the area. He approaches with soundproof headphones on, sunglasses, and an orange vest. He asks mundane questions about how long she'll be staying, what to do with the ship, and so on. Like many others, he is shocked to hear that she commanded the ship by herself. Unlike those in Zaofu though, he doesn't throw her in a glorified prison cell for questioning. Instead, he accepts her word and she pays the parking fee.
"One last thing, can you point me in the direction of the village?" She asks him.
He gladly gives her direction and she's off.
Yasuko isn't used to walking this much, not anymore at least. The satomobiles of Republic City had spoiled her rotten. It's a terrible thing having to make her way through the rugged terrain and grassy fields. She wonders what it must've been like for Zirin and Ukuyi when they once came here, and if they felt such annoyance.
It's almost a two hour walk to the village proper, and in that time Yasuko comes to accept and even appreciate the walk. It's a reminder of her youth and all of the adventuring she did before coming to the Dreaming City. She regrets her outfit choice now, business casual clothes that are not fitting for long walks. She takes out of her pocket the classic golden pin that Zirin has given her so long ago, and uses it to pin up her hair. She used to travel the globe, both with and without her adoptive aunts, and this felt very much like those distant memories.
When she finally arrives in town it doesn't take long for her to find her way. Toph's instructions had been vague and uncertain on how to get from the landing pad to the village, but Toph had once been keenly familiar with the village itself. She retraced her steps easily and plainly as she relayed them to Yasuko. Now, the middle aged engineer woman follows those instructions, and is quickly leaving the town, headed off into nowhere.
Two more hours later, when it's late in the morning and the sun is beaming down upon her, she sees it in the distance. Out on the horizon, sitting at the very edge of the world, as far East as anyone could possibly go, is a tiny home. At least it looks tiny, but as she gets closer it gets larger and larger. She understands now how people may have missed this, or never found it. It's so remote that it borders on non-existent.
Despite herself, her steps become hurried. She moves a little faster, her pulse quickening at the possibility that her search will finally reach its end. The house is a rancher, made of stone. The roof looks brand new, and there's a wooden fence that surrounds the backyard, which feels preposterous given that there are no neighbors or prying eyes for miles. There are cobblestones laid in a pathway up to the front door, which is painted bright red. Yasuko arrives at long last and stands before it. She raises her hand up and knocks as loudly and as clearly as she can.
There is silence in response. No one saying they're coming or the sound of feet approaching or floorboards creaking. There is a distant rumble of crashing waves down at the base of the sea cliffs, and that's all. Yasuko is confident this is where she lives now, as Toph had explained, but for the first time she entertains the very real idea that she may not be home. She looks around for any signs of life but none come. She turns to her left and begins contemplating what options she has if no one is here, if no one ever comes here. All these things and more she is rapidly considering when she feels a brush of wind tickle the back of her neck. She spins around.
Two steps behind, standing in the light of day, wearing dirty, messy clothes and carrying a sickle, is Azula.
"Azula? Is it really you?"
Yasuko asks the question with anticipation and a hitched breath, her mouth agape, belief not yet meeting with what she is seeing.
"Who are you?" The older woman replies, unmoving, still standing at the ready.
The sound of her voice and the sight of her face is all the confirmation that Yasuko needs. Reality sets in.
"It is you!"
She steps to hug her but the 70 something year old woman reacts quickly. Her one foot steps backwards and she tightens her grip on the sickle at her hip. She braces to defend herself. Yasuko stops herself and processes the reaction.
"You don't recognize me? Am I just somebody that you used to know now?"
Azula has not had a new visitor in seven plus years. Since then it has only been those she was expecting or those she allowed. She stares at a woman with jet black hair, and huge, bright emerald green eyes. She does not recognize her but she feels she can place her.
"You look familiar. Like a friend I knew in another life?"
Yasuko smiles warmly at this quote, given how close it was to what she said to Toph the day before. They felt like kindred spirits. She answers, "You did. You were friends with my mother, and a mother figure to me. In Lanxi."
These last two words unlock the memories and a deluge washes over Azula. Her grip on the sickle loosens. Her shoulders drop and her muscles relax. Her own breathing catches as the emotions rush through her and threaten to break her.
Her voice cracks a bit as she asks, "Little Dragon? Is it really you?"
Yasuko tears up and takes half of a step towards her.
"Yes."
The sickle falls to the grass. Azula launches herself forward and her arms fly open. She envelopes the woman into herself. Yasuko stands taller than Azula and so Azula buries herself in her bosom and neck. Yasuko breaks down as tears quickly fall, feeling Azula's warmth once more. A feeling she has missed, a feeling she has ached to feel again for over 35 years. She feels the elderly Azula grab and hold her, almost trying to convince herself that Yasuko is really here in front of her.
"Oh my Yue. It's really you," Azula says, muffled voice and all. She pulls back from the embrace and holds both of Yasuko's hands in her own. "How did you find me?"
A little shocked by the question, Yasuko replies, "How did I -? You sent me a letter!"
"I didn't send you anything?" Azula says.
"But it said-? I don't understand? I found Toph. She told me where to find you. Just like-"
"Toph! How is that old hag?"
Yasuko chuckles to herself as she answers, "She called you the same exact thing. And she told me to give you this."
"Of course she did." Azula says, taking an outstretched letter that Yasuko offers her. She opens it and scans the contents briefly, eyes narrowing with each word. Her expression becomes dark momentarily before she closes the envelope and puts it in her back pocket. She returns her focus to Yasuko, saying, "So. Why have you come?"
"I've spent most of my life searching for you." Yasuko says without any contempt, but rather still amazed that she's actually found the woman.
"Ah. Well, in that case, stay here."
Azula goes to enter the house through the little red door behind them.
"Where are you going?"
"Well, I can't very well let you see the inside, so I'm going to get us some lawn chairs and a drink," she replies with a wry smile. She gives a smirk and asks, "Do you prefer plum wine or cactus juice?"
Asuna of Lanxi and her Little Dragon spend the next nearly two hours talking and catching up, drinking glasses of alcohol and reminiscing on their younger years. Yasuko explains that she's read the book that On Ji of Ba Sing Se wrote about her. Azula instantly complains about the "numerous" inaccuracies. She reveals that On Ji should be releasing an updated version later in the year.
Yasuko asks Azula to fill in the gaps of the book about her life and elaborate on the inaccuracies. Azula had once upon a time forgotten many of the details of her own life, but something shifted a few years ago. She now recalls things with ease. She remembers everything, and she relays this information to Yasuko, who hangs on every word with astonishment.
The conversation shifts back and Azula hears from Yasuko herself about Lonou's sudden passing. Yasuko doesn't hide Zirin from her, she comes out and plainly explains how she ended up under her care and how they'd spend so much of their lives together. She is expecting Azula to be angry or react negatively, but she does nothing of the sort. She admits that she recently learned that Zirin was still alive.
"In a way, you were like our joint daughter," Azula finally says. There's the slightest tinge of a smile on her face as she explains, "I helped you to survive your childhood, and when Lonou passed on, Zirin carried you to the Dreaming City on her back."
This spurs a thought for Yasuko.
"Oh!" She says as she goes digging into her pocket. "Now that you say that, I have something for you."
She produces a four inch by six inch photograph. She rises from her seat and hands the image over to Azula in the lawn chair next to her. Azula takes the photo and examines it. The picture is in sepia tone and features three people. Even without color, Yasuko's beauty shines through nonetheless. She stands on the right side, almost exactly as she is now, with a wide smile. A bespectacled man with a ridiculous mustache is on the left side of the photo, his arm reaching across and slung over Yasuko's shoulder. Finally, standing only a few feet tall, directly in front of Yasuko is a little girl who looks like a spitting image of her mother.
"Is this your daughter?" Azula finally asks, finding herself strangely emotional now.
"It is. That picture is about a year and some change old, she's much bigger now."
"What's her name?"
"Asami. Asami Sato."
"Outstanding. She will no doubt be as fearless and determined as her mother."
"She has her grand 'mother' Azula and grandaunt Zirin as role models. The Dragon Empress and The Dragon Slayer. She will be formidable for sure."
Azula grows solemn. Resigned to her fate she says, "The Dragon Empress will be gone before long, Yasuko. All she'll know of her are tales and myths."
"I don't agree," Yasuko says and Azula looks up surprised. "Ever since you left Lanxi and I was old enough to think critically about what it all meant, what you meant to the world and more importantly to me, I've always felt that she was more than that. The Dragon Empress, in my mind, isn't a person, and frankly never was. I could be the Dragon Empress, or maybe Asami could be. The Dragon Empress, as she will be remembered, is anyone who is willing to be a friend to those in need."
Azula swallows hard. Yasuko can see the emotional weight this is carrying and decides to press on.
"When I was younger, going through hard times, if I felt low or needed motivation, I imagined myself as the Dragon Empress. Pushing forward against impossible odds. It was liberating."
"I see." Azula says quietly, suppressing the feelings.
"I want Asami to look to her own mother for such inspiration, since I couldn't. Instead, I put my faith in a legendary figure."
"Faith, huh?"
Azula feels a tingle in her heart. A fire she hasn't felt for some time. An inferno of love sparks to life. But this does not change her ability to bend. It only gives her a sense of fulfillment. She smiles broadly.
"That's my Little Dragon."
The two fall into a relaxed quiet for some time. It's pleasant and inviting. They stay there for a few minutes, just enjoying the company. However, Azula can see something in Yasuko's eyes. A doubt creeping in her mind. She prods her.
"You want to ask me something?"
Yasuko doesn't bother denying it.
"Do you think Agni forgives people like us?"
Azula ponders it for only a moment.
"I want to believe so, but the truth is I don't think they do. Agni, Yue, Raava. Whoever you want to believe is up there. The fucking Lion Turtles, which I never seemed to be able to find despite all my searching."
This earns a chuckle from Yasuko before Azula continues.
"I don't have any regrets anymore, but I have done things I'm not proud of. I've hurt, killed, bled, and betrayed so many people. I still plan to do those things here in a few days. People who have believed in me, much the same way you have faith in the Dragon Empress."
Yasuko seeks to comfort her. She says, "Fear causes us to do things that bring us shame. But it doesn't have to. It can drive us to do the right thing. To do the just thing. You don't have to do those things, Azula."
Azula blankly nods and so Yasuko doesn't feel like her words have hit home. She reformats her point and starts again.
"Do you remember the last thing you taught me?
Azula waves a free hand.
"I'm sure it was hogwash. A woman hiding, cowering from her destiny, playing pretend as a house Mother."
Yasuko persists. She won't let Azula ignore the impact she had or wave it off. She is stern and solemn. She continues.
"It was more meaningful than that," she says and Azula turns her full attention to her. Yasuko explains, "Endings are very important. People remember the last thing you do."
With this Azula understands. The words sink in and she accepts them. They sit there in the early afternoon light. Two women at the end of the world. Separated by miles and years, reunited at the very end of their lives.
"Little Dragon, if I'm being honest, I might not survive my next fight. There's a real possibility that the "heroes" of this world will put me in the ground and keep me there permanently. So this feels like a good time to take stock of things."
"What do you mean?"
"I am out of time. I have reason to believe I've been out maneuvered. Truthfully, I am out of my mind, and very probably on a suicide mission. Fighting and possibly killing people I consider friends… but the air and grass here will remember me. For this. Because out of all the endless, multiple ways for this to all end, this is the one I wish for myself. This is the one I want."
The grass all around them sways with the breeze. It has been there since the first dawn on this island, and it will still be there long after Azula is gone. They will never forget what she has done nor what she will do.
"When they tell my story, someday. Always remember me as you said: As the Dragon Empress. As a friend to those in need."
"No."
"Huh?"
"I will remember you as Asuna of Lanxi. The woman who played pretend as a house Mother to a little girl."
Azula remembers the sight that was forever burned into her memory. Alane dead and Yasuko alive.
"Told her of the Dreaming City."
Helping to raise the girl and save Lanxi while Lonou was depressed.
"Believed in her."
How she filled that little girl with love and adoration that she never got from her own mother.
"Taught her about gardening."
Planting seeds in the soil together.
"Took her to visit her mother's grave."
The long walks with Ty Lee.
"And told her to never fear the wrath of fire."
The sun envelopes them on Mallard Island together. Azula's legacy being told back to her in real time.
"That is how I will remember you when you're gone."
A/N: We're in the endgame now, folks. Not much left after this one. This chapter's OST is "For You" by David Ryan Harris.
Love always. Yasuko, The Little Dragon of Lanxi, forever!
Notorious
