Chapter 9 – more questions than answers
Toph was walking to the barracks when it started to rain, she used her metal bending to make an umbrella. She held her hand out to feel the rain.
"the fire-bending students are going to have trouble today" and she continued on her way. She sensed that there were many people looking at her, and they were getting anxious, she didn't ignore them, but she acted like she didn't pay attention, she then senses two guys in guard armor, but she also sensed that they weren't the same guys at all.
Then seemingly out of nowhere, there were boulders flying everywhere and the guards that approached toph were earth bending at her, she not knowing what's going on fought of the two disguised earth-benders and was now running to the barracks, fighting off any aggressor on the way. She could sense that this was happening all over town, people were in panic and more of these aggressors were everywhere in town attacking the guards and everyone else. She made her way to the barracks and found Yasuaki and all the students fighting off more of these thugs.
"What's happening!"
a panicked Pinga said, Hon Ton in a panicked state metal bent some chunks of metal knocking out a couple of thugs who were approaching her
"were DOOMED! So very DOOMED!"
Yasuaki fire bent another thug away and noticed Toph
"What's happening?"
and Toph getting her breath
"its happening all over town"
all the students were scared, the fire-bending students were starting to panic but Toph reassured them and they calmed down then she came up with a plan
"ok, Yasuaki take all the students to the back in the northern most part of the city along with anyone you come across. And have my students knock it down"
Yasuaki then asked
"and what about you?"
Toph then stomped her foot down
"I'm going to get the mayor, his family and anyone else I find out of here. If I'm not back in 30 minutes leave without me"
they then separated
Toph made her way to the mayor's house, she found him on the front yard along with several fire-nation guards in stone cuffs. There were several thugs beating him with whatever they could find, they also dragged his wife outside and wrestling two-year-old son out of her arms"
"give it up you Ash-bedding wench!"
then Toph earth-bent large stones at the thugs, and released the guards and the mayor, the guards mostly seemed ok, but Morishita was too injured to stand on his own, and the guards helped him to his feet
"head for the north most part of town! Yasuaki will be waiting for you… I'll evacuate as many people as you can!"
Toph then went to different parts of town and with the aid of Fire-bender guards went and found as many people as possible, but there was no saving, Yu Dao.
In prison Ozai waiting, he needed more news on the avatar, on Yu Dao, and Zuko.
"can't that wench take anymore time with my meal?"
He muttered to himself
then the cell door opened, and a lady guard came in with his tray of food, Ozai looked at this guard and she seemed much younger than the usual one, and even kind of familiar somehow.
"you are not the same guard as before"
he said, and the guard just replied
"Ming is on sick leave today, I'm Sapphire and I also don't like you"
Ozai just looked the other way
"as long as you bring meals and clean my chamber pots, I have no complaints"
the Guard placed the tray on the floor and slid into the slot with her foot and left with a huff
As the guard closed the door she met another guard in full fire-nation soldier armor and he pulled out a periscope that belonged on a tank, then placed it on the door window just enough that it wouldn't be noticed. Looking at Ozai eating his food was nothing out of the ordinary, then he saw Ozai open the bottom of his cup and saw he pulled out a letter
"knew it"
he muttered but continued to watch Ozai. He read the letter, then used one of the napkins as paper and using the chopsticks with lemon-orange peals to write a new letter. He then shredded the old letter and put the shreds in the chamber pot that he defecated in it.
"didn't need to see that"
the guard muttered to himself
Ozai then wrote some more on the new letter and then placed in the hidden compartment of the cup and resealed it, then placed the tray threw the slot.
The same lady guard came in and picked up the tray, and the male guard came in and opened the inner gate and collected the chamber pot. Ozai a little shocked asked
"who are you?"
the guard just stood there holding the chamber pot in silence but then the lady guard spoke up
"his name is Lee, he wears that armor to hide his mutilated face he got from the war and he's a mute, and we are cleaning the chamber pots more regularly as a part of Zuko's public sanitation action"
Ozai wanted to protest but knew it would bring too many questions
"I just need to use it"
the guard then placed the old chamber pot out the gate and placed a new one in the cell, not uttering a word but the lady guard did.
"there you go, I nice clean chamber pot ready thy royal rain.."
Ozai shot her a very angry look but accepted it.
after picking up the old chamber pot the two guards left the room
Upon entering the mess hall, the placed the tray and chamber pot on a table, and the lady guard raised the visor on her helm reviling Katara, and the other guard took off the face plate revealing Zuko. Zuko immediately closed the doors then went up to the table and Katara immediately started to unscrew the cup and pulled out the letter.
"thy royal rain?"
Zuko asked Katara, she giggled a little
"I know, that is something that Sokka would come up with"
Zuko smirked then looked at the napkin
"ok, carful"
he said to himself as he lit a fire in his hand, Katara was shocked at first but then let him do what he was doing.
soon enough, words started to appear on the napkin, and they read as follows
-Advance the colonial uprising to phase 3, the freedom fighters will be useful idiots.
-Morishita's usefulness has come to it's end, execute him and his family in public.
-Continue the stories of Zuko and Katara in Ba Sing Se more exaggeration is necessary.
Avatar needs a little more push to advance to phase 4
-Spread rumors, accusations of weakness, ext.
-get more intel on this Avatar fan club.
-Advance plans for earth king to phase 3
-This blue Spirit has already interrupted our operations many times, terminate by any means necessary.
Zuko and Katara looked at this letter, and Zuko was frustrated to say the least. He placed it down and got up and paced a bit
"Ugg, I knew it… I knew he was a no god spider-snake!"
he sighed
" and I still let him bite me"
Katara reading the letter, now realizing how far this goes, she then got up searched her bag for a blank piece of paper, brush and ink and started to wright down what was on the napkin, letter for letter.
Zuko seeing this decided to grab a clean napkin and using the lemon-orange peel and a chop stick. Katara looked at him with a questioning look
"what are you doing"
and Zuko continued to copy the letter
"I want to see how far this network goes"
he finished it and placed it in the cup's hidden chamber and closed it, he then put the face plate on and picked up the tray
"ill take this to the kitchen, and see where this goes"
Katara nods then looks at the chamber pot with unease but then tell Zuko
"I'll also sort through this to find the message he received"
Zuko cringed a little
"I can do that Katara…"
but Katara then interrupted
"Zuko, you have taken enough crap from your father, let me…"
the two of them smiled at the pun she unintentionally made and laughed and Zuko sighed
"ok… ill be back in a few minutes"
Katara looked at the Chamber pot with the shredded paper, and all the CRAP mixed with it. She uses water bending to make herself some makeshift gloves.
"here goes nothing"
Yasuaki was leading a group of about 200 people away from Yu Dao, it was pouring rain but they couldn't set up camp because they were being pursued by a relentless army of the Eternal Earth Enclave.
"there getting closer!"
a woman cried as a EEE thug came and started to throw boulders at them, Yasuaki repelled the boulders and defeated the EEE thug.
"GO, go"
he ordered people as he could see more thugs trying to cut a path ahead of them to intercept them.
the people stopped at a fallen Ozai statue when the EEE thugs were now blocking their path and were advancing now on them.
"no were to run ash-makers"
they were about to attack them but then fire blasts came from the forest then the statue moved out of the way and some earth benders attacked the EEE tugs, then from another path the Blue Spirit on an armored Ostrich-horse with several other soldiers also on ostrich-horses and were charging into the EEE thugs trampling them, and cutting them down. The EEE army was routed and those who weren't captured made their way to Yu Dao.
the Blue Spirit was quite intimidating to these people as he assessed the people then looked around, riding the ostrich-horse around them like a moose-lion looking for its prey. He then signaled one of his soldiers
"take the women, children, and elderly to the farmhouse and barn, give them generous rations. Bring the Mayor and his family down to the command center" he then looked at the crowd and pointed at Yasuaki and his(and Toph's) students "you seven, come with me"
he then dismounted from the ostrich-horse and went into the passage under the statue
Hon Ton started to panic
"were doomed, so very, very doomed. I know I've said this before, but we never have been so doomed!"
as he piggy backed Pinga because she had no shoes on, the Dark one was helping the three fire-bending students by using his metal bending to make a large rectangular umbrella to cover them from the rain
The leaders of the different cells of the colonial militia were debating on what to do, some wanted to evacuate the colonies, others wanted to call for fire Nation reinforcements. The Blue Spirit came into the room and asked
"where is Miyagi and his regiment?"
then one of the officers told him
"the EEE annihilated him, his division and the Fire Nation's colonial army"
Sokka was stunned and scared but maintained his deminer, then he asked them
"who is in charge now"
and everyone just looked around confused
"um it's over… Yu Dao is gone, the Eternal Earth Enclave has won"
Sokka then asked them
" so you are going to surrender the future of families to a future of subjugation, and death"
they just sat there unsure of what to do, then they whispered to each other then one of them stood up
"we need to discuss this"
Sokka then looked to Suki
"go to the mayor and his family… they need help"
Suki then wanted take his mask off but Sokka stopped her, she then looked down and nodded.
"don't take too long"
and she left
Entering a temporary residence of Mayor Morishita, Suki looked around and found Morishita on a cot with bandages, and makeshift braces on his arms. Mrs. Morishita was tending her toddler Han she was using soaked towels to wipe his head.
Suki went up to them, Mrs. Morishita didn't react to her she just continued to tend Han, Suki felt his head and he was in a deathly fever and was barely breathing. Suki saw Kori and a boy just sitting there, Kori was watching her mom and brother anxiously, Suki sat beside her and did the best she could to ease her nerves. Eventually they fell asleep.
About four hours later Sokka and a couple of other officials came into the room and went up to Mayor Morishita and started to talk about Yu Dao and other things. Suki greeted them and Kori was just pacing like a cat while the boy just watching her, Suki noticed Mrs. Morishita with a bowl of mashed bananas and she lifted up Han into her arm, and Suki noticed that little Han wasn't moving or reacting to his mother at all. Mrs. Morishita was feeding him, but his mouth was just open and had banana all over it
"it's ok Han… it's banana, your favorite"
she said desperately to her son as she put another spoon full in his mouth
"you wont… wont grow big and…"
Suki then went up to Sokka, Morishita, and the others, she tapped Morishita on the shoulder and pointed at his wife and son.
Morishita was in tears and tried to get up but couldn't and fell down, Sokka helped him back up then Sokka looked at Kori and Suki and without words told them what to do and they listened.
Sokka helped Morishita to his feet and lead him to his wife and he sat beside her, he looked at his son then to his wife
"honey… its too late"
Mrs. Morishita seemingly ignored him as she used the spoon to move Hans jaw up and down. Kori then sat on the opposite side of her, and gently removed the spoon from her mother's hand.
"no… he's fine… just let him nap…"
Mrs. Morishita said in a desperate tone.
Sokka stood there for a good half minute then approached her, Mrs. Morishita looking him in the eye held tighter to Han and her eyes seemed to say 'no… please don't, please don't I beg you' Morishita and Kori put their arms around her shoulders and she seem to loosen her grip, and Sokka with tears in his eyes reached and grabbed the lifeless child from his mother's arms and held him in his arms and started to walk away fallowed by Suki
Mrs. Morishita cried her heart out into her husband's shoulders and Kori did the same, Sokka and Suki could hear their whaling as the went down the hall and outside to find a suitable burial spot for little Han.
After they buried the child, Morishita and his family just stood there early quiet compared to an hour earlier. Sokka looked out to the now clear sky over Yu Dao, eyes flowing with tears. Suki went up to him to try to comfort him and he sighed.
"two years ago, I never thought I would cry of the death of a fire nation person. But I feel like I just buried my own son"
Suki hugged him as he sobbed into her shoulder, Suki then asked what happened in the meeting? Sokka regained his composure and took a couple of breaths
"they elected me as the supreme commander of the Colonial militia"
Suki was surprised by this but then figured he was the best for the job
"what are your first orders?"
Sokka put his mask back on then went up to the other leaders of the Molita
"I want you to send as many couriers as posable to the swamp water benders in the south, and I want all you to rally all our division near Yu Dao by the end of the week"
they then saluted and left. Sokka then went up to a captain of his own division
"I want you to draft every able bodied man and strong lad, bender or not from that refuge group, as well as any willing female recruits and have them be here along with our two divisions by noon"
the captain saluted and left, Sokka turned to Morishita's family and Suki as well as anyone else there
"we are taking Yu Dao today"
Aang ran to a unoccupied area at the palace Gardens, he was still in the avatar state though he had no uncontrolled bending. He was distraught about that article on the paper, he was trying to tell himself he was overreacting and that it was just a gossip paper what credibility did they have? But he was furious then he heard a voice behind him
"I figured I find you here"
Aang looked to were it came from and found Aung sitting on the branch of a tree, he looked at Aang and had a devilish smirk (similar to Azula's smiles)
"so, how is this little talk session going for you?"
Aang looking at him furiously
"why don't you tell me? You know what I know"
Aung then jumped down and walked towards him
"I take its not going anywhere anytime soon, but that isn't what really concerns you is it?"
and he proceeds to make a smoke statue of Zuko and Katara kissing
"so Zuko has not only broken his promise on the colonies, and now he intends to take our forever girl to, what more will he put us through until you take action?"
Aang hesitantly shouts
"Katara is not… our forever girl, she can… should make that choice herself"
Aung just laughed at this desperate attempt to be right
"yea, yea independent woman, and all that. She probably wouldn't enjoy the Air nomad life stile anyway, and your now destroyed promise to Zuko himself… event to a spirit like me that is just low"
Aang was restraining himself from throttling him
"Zuko is nothing like Ozai! What makes you think I should take that Action!"
Aung just changed the statue again into a map of the world
"because, if you continue to do nothing the Earth King will attack the colonies, and a 100 years of vengeance will be unleashed on the colonials, then Zuko will retaliate in kind and the new war will have more casualties in 1 year than the past 100 years combined. He wont just be like Ozai… he'll be far worse and has to be to save his people"
Aang was quiet then Aung smiled
"Katara will understand your actions, and this…"
he remade the map into a statue of Aang and Katara kissing
"… will become a reality"
Aang sat down in the meditation position trying to figure out what to do, tears started to run down his cheeks.
Toph woke up in a cell somewhere in Yu Dao, she remembered fighting hard to save as many people as possible from the EEE thugs, then everything went black.
"Ow my head…"
she struggled to move because she had leather bindings on her wrists and ankles and was tied to the edge of what was a wooden cell. Though she had no earth to sense through, she could hear the breathing and felt the breath of other people in this cell with her.
"oh you are awake now"
Toph faced in the direction of the voice and asked
"where am I… who are you?"
the guy just chuckled
"just an earth-bender farmer, one who decided to start a family with a fire-bender woman, and pick the worst day to come to Yu Dao…"
then there was angery voice that came from out side of the cell
"keep it down Ash-bedder"
then there was a bumping sound of wooden handle hitting the head of the famer
"you ok?"
Toph asked and the famer getting his senses back
"yea I'm fine… but I have to thank you for at least getting my wife and children out of here"
Toph felt a good sense of gratitude then she heard that angery voice again but mumbling to himself 'we'll get those ash-spawn soon enough' but then she heard voices of many other people and even children in the room as well.
"your welcome, but where are we?"
Toph asked again
The farmer just looked around then and explained
"we are in the Yu Dao prison, awaiting to be tried for our crimes"
and Toph then chuckled
"the crimes of being married to, parent of, or helping fire-benders?"
then another voice said
"or simply being a fire-bender or ash-maker as they put it"
Toph was now thinking on her students, poor things, now uprooted and even the fire bending students crossed her mind, 'by the spirits I've become such a softy, or a momma platypus-bear' she thought to herself.
a guard came and in a panicked voice
"the boss needs more soldiers to secure the walls, that Blue Spirit is attacking", so there was only a handful of guards left behind
Later she heard very quiet footsteps, then a hand came from behind her and covered her mouth she tried to scream but then she heard a familiar voice, it was Suki
"don't make too much noise"
he started to cut the leather bindings and Toph asked
"what's going on?"
then Suki explained
"I and the other Kioshi warriors are going to release the prisoners here and in the other parts of town, wile our army is laying siege on the city and will advance at dusk, that will give us less than two hours. If everything or most of it goes according to plan, civilian casualties will be minimal"
after the bindings were cut Suki gave her meteor bracelet.
"here, Mr. Yasuaki told me to give you this"
Toph used the metal to cut open the cell as Suki fought and defeated the only two guards left in the prison. She freed the farmer and other earth-benders then proceeded to the other parts of the prison freeing the other prisoners.
Toph sensed that some of the prisoners were family with the other prisoners and had a heart felt reunion.
Suki climbed to the top of the building and saw it was dusk now, so she blew a horn to signal the Army. she then dropped down to Toph and the other capable fighters in that prison and told them to attack the city square, and that is where they will meet Sokka's army.
After about five or so hours of fighting, bending, and general combat the EEE army was routed and the Blue Spirit's army was now pursuing them along with Toph and her prisoner army, Yasuaki with both sets of students and Suki and the Kioshi Warriors.
as Suki and her Kioshi warriors continued to rout the enemy they found more prisoners, some were women with chains around their necks and in their under garments, it didn't take much imagination to figure what their purpose was for these EEE thugs.
They eventually caught the leader of the Eternal Earth Enclave or at least the regiment's leader, a Kioshi warrior and a fire-soldier held him by the arms and brought him to Sokka (the Blue Spirit) Toph, Yasuaki, and Suki.
"what do we do with this monster"
Suki asked as she drew her sword, Sokka with his sword out already held it to the man's neck
"easy Suki" then he looked at the man "what do you have to say for your self?"
the man just snickered and looked at him
"for a spirit, you are quite foolish"
Yasuaki then lit a flame in his hand and held close to the man
"that Spirit just asked you a question"
the man then continued
"its too late now, Blue Spirit… the war is unavoidable now… with the blood of both fire nation and earth kingdom staining the land… it will bring real change, the magnitude of that hasn't been seen since the birth of the first avatar!"
Toph was looking for any lies in his words but couldn't find any, and she was concerned, then Sokka asked him
"why are you doing this?"
as he grabbed him from the Kioshi warrior and fire soldier, Toph sensed the man was pulling a dagger from a scabbard and she immediately made a barrier between them causing Sokka to take a couple of steps back.
They immediately checked on the leader and found him dead with that dagger in his chest, hand still holding it, Sokka looked at his wrist and found tattoo of a Lotus, but it was distinctly red instead of white.