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Outside of Yu Dao
All that remained of the shrine was a simple stone monument sitting on top of a cliff, overlooking the turbulent oceans below. There had to have been more to it once upon a time, but scorch marks on the stone told Aang that whatever was there had been burned to the ground.
What was legible among the fractures and chipped stone on the monument read:
Here reigns the old beings and spirits of the earth and sea.
May their memory be honored forever.
Obviously, the ones who carved it never accounted for what 100 years of war could do to a people.
Aang took a deep breath, knowing all too well what was lost to time. Sure, some things had managed to endure its ravages The spirits themselves, for example, would always be linked to the world. Even if they weren't there in person, it didn't mean they were any less intrinsic to the fabric of reality. Still…he'd give anything for those blissful times back.
He exhaled, feeling the air leave his body and making him light. He couldn't turn back the clock and pretend things didn't happen. What he could do now was move forward. And for that, he needed the advice of the past.
Sitting down amongst the grass and feeling the breeze bring about the salt from the sea, Aang could feel the spiritual power here. His isolation made it all the easier to recognize them. The rest of his friends knew that, and were waiting back at the Fire Nation camp for his return. Hopefully, he wouldn't have to linger here too long. All he was looking for was advice after all.
Closing his eyes, he sent his mind into the past, feeling the constant elements of the world that were there before and would be here long after he had joined the cycle. And with him, he asked his past lives a single question.
Does anyone know anything about Godzilla?
It didn't take long for him to get an answer.
He opened his eyes, seeing the tall woman sitting in front of the monument facing him. The earthy emerald and golden robes. The distinctive makeup. Aang knew her well.
Kyoshi opened her eyes, gazing upon her reincarnation. "You want to know about this Godzilla?"
The airbender blinked, not expecting her to appear. "Uh, I just want to say I'm sorry for-"
His past life just held up her hand and chuckled warmly. "Don't worry about Ozai, Aang. You managed to defeat him and bring him to proper justice. Removing his bending was the best way to do that. The world's seen enough bloodshed as it is, and you can't exactly usher in a world of peace with one more body. Trust me. I know from experience."
Aang let out a sigh of relief. Honestly, a lot of people wondered why on earth he let Ozai live after what he did. Zuko and a lot of the Fire Nation amongst them. It did feel good for a past Avatar to see his point of view though. "Thanks. I mean it.
"But back to my question…"
"Right. You want to know about Godzilla," Kyoshi reiterated. "It happened during Chin's conquest of the Earth Kingdom. His lust for power was insatiable and didn't stop at the Kingdom's borders alone. He saw the Fire Nation across the sea and saw Fire Lord Zoryu's ascension to power and sundering of the clans as a sign of weakness. So he sent a fleet to take a few of the islands within Fire Nation territory, to gauge their strength.
"They never came back. I wasn't able to respond at the time because I was taking care of refugees and doing what I could to stem Chin's advance so I only learned about what happened after Chin died. I found out from Zoryu, who was a little miffed I couldn't be in two places at once. Can't say I blame him.
"Anyways, he wanted me to find out what happened to the fleet since they never gained a foothold on any Fire Nation island. He did know where the fleet disappeared."
"Odo Island," Aang realized.
Kyoshi nodded. "Yes. That's where they told me about the legend of Godzilla."
Aang's vision flashed to an image of Avatar Kyoshi standing on top of a great pillar of stone that jutted out from the raging waters below. Her steely gaze was fixed on the dark waters below, watching as a massive swell came rushing towards her.
"Like you, I assumed he was some kind of monster that needed to be dealt with. So I challenged him directly, figuring he wouldn't ignore another being infringing on his territory."
That great form arose from the sea, blotting out the sun and casting Kyoshi's pillar in shadow. Despite this, she stood stalwart, gazing up at the titan almost asking for it to make the first move.
"Thing was…I was wrong."
To Aang's surprise, Godzilla did not attack. He just leaned down and locked eyes with Kyoshi, the two of them sizing each other up. Moments passed, and somehow…Aang felt the tension in the air ease up. Kyoshi's muscles relaxed as she gazed into the eyes of the dragon.
"He didn't attack. And looking into his eyes…I understood. I wasn't dealing with some rampaging animal. This was an intelligent being. Chin drew his rage because his forces dared to ransack and pillage through his dominion. As such, it was something he couldn't allow."
The last image Aang saw coming back to reality was Kyoshi watching as Godzilla descended back into the waves, its great tail thrashing in the surf.
"Godzilla knew I was the Avatar, and I knew that if it weren't for him, more people would've suffered. So we parted ways as equals."
As reality came back into focus, Aang began to understand what Kyoshi wanted to show him. "Here's my advice to you. Godzilla can be destructive, but he's an inhabitant of this world just like you and I. And I think he and kaiju like him play a vital role in maintaining the balance. After all, the Avatar can't be everywhere at once. And like the Avatar, he can be both a menace and a protector. You just need to find that common ground between you both."
A question still nagged at the back of his mind though. "Wait. If Godzilla is a guardian…how come he's going berserk now and not when the war started?"
"I…can't answer that. There might be something bigger going on that neither one of us fully understands. My best guess is that the war was something beyond what a single being like him could stop. It's like what you were so worried about. You can't end a war by simply adding to the piles of bodies. There needs to be common ground. An Avatar could find that common ground, but a kaiju might not be able to.
"As for why he's going berserk now…I'm guessing the Fire Nation hasn't changed enough for him to be satisfied."
"But the Fire Nation IS changing! …isn't it?" Aang wasn't sure himself. He knew that Zuko was having a lot of problems in court with the other nobles and the various clans that ruled the home islands. And he also knew that there were problems with the Fire Lord relinquishing the colonies. Everyone knew that it wasn't going to be easy to change overnight.
Then again, he could understand what usually followed when Fire Nation ships sailed through your waters…
That left with him only a single option. It was crazy, maybe even suicidal. But if the alternative was that kaiju (is that what Kyoshi called it?) going on another rampage, it was a risk he needed to take. "Alright. I'll talk to Zuko to see if I can't get him to let me try to calm Godzilla down myself."
"Good luck," Kyoshi said, her image beginning to fade. "Uh…one last thing. About Azula."
The Princess's name caught Aang off guard. "What about her?"
"...she reminds me of somebody I knew when I was still alive. And…I don't think she's unreachable. I know it's a lot to ask, but could you please make sure she doesn't end up rotting in some cell somewhere?"
He wasn't sure what to say. Sure he didn't have anything against the daughter of Fire Lord Ozai, but he didn't particularly LIKE the girl who almost killed him. Going off of what Zuko and Iroh said seemed more appropriate since they knew her better. So maybe they'd know how to handle her better.
Yet the way Kyoshi talked about this somebody… gave Aang pause. There was a sort of regret and concern in that voice. And for some reason, an image of a young Earth Kingdom man flashed through his mind. Someone vaguely familiar…
"...I'll try," Aang promised.
"Thank you, Aang," Kyoshi said with a smile, her image beginning to fade from reality as the world began to come back into focus. All at once, the Avatar felt the presence of his past life vanish, leaving him alone on the cliffside.
Though not without leaving him with a sense of purpose. Now he just needed to convince Zuko of his insane idea of trying and reasoning with a giant rampaging monster. He was going to have his work cut out for him.
Yu Dao
Once Kori had confirmed that there was nobody in the temple aside from them, Azula threw off her hood and strode through the empty halls.
It was a modest building, the light of the setting sun beginning to cast long shadows against the walls and pillars. Up ahead was the typical shrine dedicated to the glory of the Fire Nation, the great flame emblazoned on the tapestry overlooking the altar. At the foot were candles surrounding a small statue made in the likeness of her grandfather, Fire Lord Sozin. It made sense to her that he who tamed these lands would be honored among the oldest of his colonies.
Yet her attention was drawn to the walls of the shrine. More specifically, the skulls mounted on them.
They certainly weren't dragon skulls, but they were certainly reptilian in appearance. Almost crocodilian in appearance, each one was about a meter in length. To anyone who wasn't part of the nobility, they would've looked ferocious and strange. To Azula, they were merely a reminder of the time she had seen one back home as a small child when visiting a returning general's house. A war trophy, he'd called it.
These were mosasaur skulls. And if you had asked her earlier this year, she would've told you they were extinct. Yet these same creatures were depicted in the shrine amongst various other sea animals dedicated to Godzilla. Certainly, none of these resembled fossils…
"They used to be common around here," Kori explained. "Young men who wanted to prove themselves would hunt them for glory and prestige."
"Guess they were the closest thing to dragons…" Azula mused. Each one had a plaque, commemorating the slayer and how it was conquered. Here was one dedicated to a Yozom, who speared a mosasaur through the heart. Over there was a skull taken by Rimo, who drove a sword through the monster's brain. Sometimes there was a small tapestry illustrating how the young men killed the beast, often shown in grisly detail.
This shrine wasn't just dedicated to the Fire Nation. It was dedicated to slaughter. Something that…didn't sit well with Azula. If there was one thing she wasn't proud of, it was dragon slaying. And these beasts, with their depictions stylized to include small whiskers and horns, painted an uncomfortably familiar image.
Their deaths were not the only ones to be depicted around the temple of course. All around, there were engravings, tapestries, and paintings dedicated to those early days of the war. Most of them were recognizable as feats performed by Sozin. Azula gazed upon one that depicted a story she and all other Fire Nation girls grew up learning about in the academy. Sozin and his armies descending onto the shores of the Earth Kingdom with his soldiers in an assault from the sea, fists unleashing a wave of flames against the endless barbarous hordes.
She remembered the lessons well. About how he moved swiftly and established the beachhead for the rest of the war. It wasn't meant to be overly aggressive, just enough to set up some forts and even some settlements so the rest of their forces could roll into the rest of the continent unmolested. Helped that those forts and settlements proved to be more than resilient against the first counterattacks from the Earth King.
"This is nothing but butchery and lies," Maina muttered, looking at a tapestry. Azula could see that it depicted an army of dragon riders descending on one of the Air Nomad temples with Sozin's Comet high in the sky. Arrows flew out to meet the riders, with Air Nomads carrying hook swords readying to rip the brave warriors to shreds. All of which didn't stand a chance against the blazing inferno of the dragons.
Seeing the great winged beasts, Azula felt a pang of remorse. She knew the reasons for the hunt of course. They went mad shortly after Sozin's Comet and attacked anything Fire Nation. Sozin's own dragon turned on her master when the war began and was butchered for her defiance. That's when the hunts started. If the dragons would not give their fire for the cause, at least they could surrender their flame to their conquerors.
Yet…she felt grief and rage when Iroh slew the last one. She never forgave him for what he did. A world without those magnificent reptiles, the very sources of fire, just wasn't the same.
Azula wondered if this was what Maina felt about the Air Nomads being killed off. For that, Azula couldn't blame her. Still, one couldn't live under one's delusions forever…
"Here! I found it!"
Azula and Maina followed the sound of Kori's voice and found her standing in front of a large painting. Here, Azula saw the familiar image of Sozin standing triumphantly upon his flagship, his fingers pointing as he directed his forces at sea.
What they were directed at was the familiar giant, rising out of the sea and blotting out the sun with blue flames erupting from its maw. Sure, it wasn't a complete resemblance. His maw was redrawn to look more draconic and had the familiar horns and whiskers of the dragon. Likely they were some artistic flourishes to make the kaiju resemble the more familiar dragons back home.
And all around its body were massive flaming chains. They were wrapped around its arms and back, digging into its flesh. Several were wrapped around its maw, as if they were trying to silence the azure fire erupting from its maw in a roar of defiance.
Faintly she felt the chains around her arms, being hogtied down to that grate. Azula…had to turn away. It was…too much.
Maina on the other hand had another reaction. "Hang on. Sozin never attacked Godzilla. If he did, I'm pretty certain there would've been something about it back on Odo Island."
To this, Kori looked in surprise. "Really? Cause my father always told me about how Sozin conquered the great sea beast and freed the Earth Kingdom of its tyranny."
"You're shocked that Sozin would just make something up to make himself look good to the natives?"
"...no. I guess not," the rebel whispered. Their discussion though didn't go unnoticed. Dragging her mind back to the walls of the temple, Azula was going to snap about how Sozin wouldn't lie about this. And she probably would've, if she hadn't seen Godzilla in the flesh and didn't know full well what he was capable of.
Even still…Sozin lying about something this big? Sure she lied to Father about Zuko killing the Avatar, but even that was something that was plausible. This, on the other hand, would be the equivalent of her claiming she tamed a hurricane. Not to mention that this story didn't appear anywhere in the history books back home. And she doubted he would've been capable of forging great chains before Azulon had perfected the method of using metal chains to capture escaping Water Tribe boats. Even if he did, that still wouldn't be enough to "conquer" the kaiju.
So if he lied about that…
"Can…I have a moment to meditate? Alone?"
The answer to her was silence, with Kori and Maina thinking for a moment before stepping out through the entrance of the temple. Leaving Azula alone for the first time since…well, she couldn't recall. Alone with the flickering candles and the fading sunlight filtering in through an opening in the ceiling right in front of the altar.
It was here that she took her place, kneeling in front of the idol of Fire Lord Sozin. For even in death, his achievements commanded respect. Taking a meditative pose, she closed her eyes, reaching out to feel the flickering candles illuminating this place of glory. Their warmth filled her heart, the embers coursing through her very veins. This was a practice she had leaned on ever since she was a child. A way for her to see her purpose, her true path through her toughest times.
Everyone lied, but not the flames.
And yet, as she took that dignified posture, that poise that came so naturally to her…she felt her breath catch. Her muscles beginning to seize up from paralysis. Her hair loose and tangled from the lack of upkeep. She almost felt the flames being smothered, the aches of chains and a straitjacket around her limbs. The dull pain of where they injected her with medicine began to ache.
All at once, the memories came flooding back. She was humiliated by her brother and a mere peasant. Her weakness and failings were laid bare for all to see. And she could almost feel the icy chill and the tears streaming down her face on that awful day.
Her eyes snapped open, unable to take it anymore. Azula felt drained and cold. That had never happened to her before. Desperate for some meaning or comfort, she looked upon the scowling face of Fire Lord Sozin, trying to figure out where she went wrong.
Yet her eyes wandered to the painting of the chained-up Godzilla, howling and thrashing against the burning restraints.
She gazed upon the skulls and trophies of slain mosasaurs, whose only crime was being reptilian enough to resemble dragons.
And she thought of the dragons, who her nation slew to become men…
It was then that Azula knew that the Fire Nation had not changed. If it had, why would those who conquered this place still be on top despite her brother promising that things would change? And if they hadn't changed, then that meant that at their core, the Fire Nation were still dragonslayers.
And if they were still dragonslayers…oh Agni.
Last of the Dragons. One of the titles Nami gave to Godzilla during the ritual.
Your brother's going to die, the three voices in her head gleefully taunted in perfect unison, so much so she couldn't tell Ty Lee apart from Mai or Zuko. Worst of all, Azula knew they were right.
Zuko was going to get himself killed, and there was nothing she could do to stop him. He wouldn't even listen to her.
…but maybe somebody else could get him to…
Azula and Maina crouched down behind the rocks overlooking Zuko's camp down below. Night had fallen, and they could see the fires of the various guards patrolling up and down the city of tents. They could see behind them, the tanks and war balloons standing at the ready for any sort of violence about to break out.
"I don't know, Azula. We're taking a pretty big risk asking the Avatar to help us out," the airbending girl observed. "We don't know what tent he's in and we definitely don't know when we'll be able to get that message you wrote to him."
She was referring to the message Azula had written by candlelight, asking for the Avatar to meet her outside of the camp in parley. "Good thing then that we're going to be up bright and early for when he does move out. You seriously think I wouldn't have thought this out?"
"The least you can do is be a little less smug about it."
"When you conquer Ba Sing Se from the inside out-"
"Yadda yadda yadda. Next thing you'll tell me is that you knocked the Southern Water Tribe out of the war when you were a toddler."
"No, that would be stupid. Toddlers can't lead armies. Besides, we all know my grandfather took care of them." Most of them at least. Others could say what they will, but you had to admire the will of their chieftain and his children for continuing to fight against the odds. Despite her experiences with Katara, she did admit her waterbending counterpart was a talented bender in her own right. Not that she'd ever say it out loud of course.
"So when we know where he's staying and when he'll be there, I'll sneak this message into his tent while you cover me. It's foolproof."
"Alright. What's my job then?"
Both girls looked behind them and saw Kori striding up to them garbed up in black, snug clothing with a quiver of arrows on her back and a bow in her hand.
"...what? I wanted to be a hunter once I graduated from the academy."
Azula composed herself a little, not quite expecting the noble girl to be experienced in some form of combat. "Alright. I guess you could cover me as well."
Instead of nodding and understanding her role though, Kori lowered herself to the ground and crawled up to the cliff overlooking the camp. "I could probably sneak in there myself and shoot your message into the tent or something. Would mean less ground to cover for me."
"Alright. Since when were you an expert in stealth?"
"Well, you can't just walk out of your home under your father's watch with the intent to help out with the 'rabble'. Right, Your Highness?" Azula felt her respect for her fellow noble grow more and more. She understood the need to know your home inside and out so you could sneak into places you weren't supposed to be. Now if only Kori could put those talents to good use instead of aiding a bunch of anarchist ruffians…
Whatever. Azula wouldn't turn down help when she needed it. Right now, she needed all the help she could get. With their plan in place, the trio of girls looked over the great army below them. The fact that this would've been the biggest Fire Nation military presence here since Ozai's fleet was not a fact lost on any of them. If they had been on better terms, Azula would've admired Zuko for putting his foot down and protecting their interests. There was no way the Earth King would let them just keep all the victories their country achieved over the years.
No. What bothered her was what her hotheaded brother would do with said army when there was a nearly indestructible monster on the loose. Who could say how many of these tents would be empty by the week's end? How many lanterns illuminating the inside of them would be snuffed out?
"Here's my question Kori: you hate Zuko, but now you want to save him?" she asked.
Kori just sneered. "I don't hate your brother. I just hate what he stands for. And I'm not trying to save him. I'm just saying if Zuko provokes Godzilla, that means Yu Dao is right in its path. I'd rather not have my home get trampled on by a monster."
"Hey, if it means saving people, that's alright in my book," Maina whispered, patting the new member of their "team" on the back. "Often saving others can mean saving yourself."
"You always do that? Spouting proverbs?"
"I mean, I am a priestess. It's kind of my job."
"Eh. Can't complain. We've got a bunch of slogans for our campaign so I get wanting to win people over with words. Feel free to pitch some if you think of any."
Azula let the two chit-chat, as long as they kept their voices down. It almost reminded her of when she, Ty Lee, and Mai-
…no. She couldn't go there. That bridge burned a long time ago. She didn't need any more reminders of how badly she ruined that relationship. Especially when she was bound to run into more than a few more facing her brother again.
"What about you Azula? How come you want to save your brother?"
"Not him specifically. If he engages Godzilla, he's going to get a lot of men killed who can help protect our colonies from the Earth King. That and help shore our defenses against anyone else who wants to take a swing at us," she lied to Kori. If she were honest, she would admit that she had no idea why she wanted to help Zuko, who made a habit of backstabbing her every time she helped. She gave him a ship and wanted him home, he stabbed her in the back, betrayed Father, and ruined her life. Why would she be charitable to her brother?
No, the more pragmatic reason was acceptable. Not that Kori seemed to care since she just sneered at the answer. She didn't like the cold hard truth? Fine. That's what life is, and the sooner you get on board, the better.
Besides, it's not like she was talking about letting everyone die again…
…
"You alright? You seem a bit quiet."
"I'm fine, Maina," Azula lied again, hoping everyone would stop talking so they wouldn't be caught because of all this chattering. She wouldn't let her emotions and guilt get the better of her this time.
Besides, it was going to be a long night. The Princess needed the peace of mind for what was to come. Or at least to try to get some peace of mind.
Aang yawned as he walked through the camp, a drowsy Momo on his shoulder trying to get a few more winks of sleep. It had been a restless night, with an aura of tension as though they were getting ready for battle. Even the late morning couldn't burn away sleeplessness. But that was natural, given who he was sharing this camp with. The army was going through their drills, making sure they were in top shape in case they were needed.
Especially since yesterday, Godzilla had been sighted late afternoon.
The scout war balloons that Zuko had deployed reported seeing the beast patrolling the waters of Odo Island. Sokka determined that it hadn't moved out of its territory, which was a good thing. Still, it didn't mean that they couldn't stand idle. While Aang had been busy communing with Kyoshi, Sokka had also been busy drawing up a battle plan with Zuko in case Godzilla decided to show up on the shore.
Naturally, Aang wasn't sure whether or not any plan would be good enough to stop a monster like what they had seen. Still, Zuko assured him that they needed some plan to ease the fears of the military leaders present. Made sense.
Walking through the tent with Katara and Toph, the Avatar met with Sokka, who had gotten up early, and was collaborating with Zuko and his generals over a battle map. "Morning Zuko. How goes the plan?"
"Good. The plan remains the same." It was something that the young Fire Lord had cooked up with some additions from Sokka. Their lighter tanks and airships led by Zuko himself would engage Godzilla once it made landfall, then rapidly pull back to the bulk of their forces. Naturally, the aggressive titan would chase after them as he went after anything that attacked him on Odo. Which was the point of course. He would be so enraged, that the rest of Zuko's forces would easily surround him at one of the ash fields left over from Ozai's attack. Then, all at once, he'd face the full might of the army of the Fire Nation.
A plan all laid out on the battle map, with models standing in for where the units would be positioned and would attack. Godzilla himself was represented by a small gold statue of a dragon.
"Any advice your past lives were able to give us?" Zuko asked. All eyes were on him, putting Aang on the spot. Particularly were the Fire Nation generals, sizing him up and likely wondering if this boy had anything to offer.
He did. "I spoke with Avatar Kyoshi and she told me that we shouldn't engage Godzilla directly unless we need to. If he's still in his territory, I might be able to confront him myself. It's…complicated. She said he's a part of this world just like all of us. And that he can be reasoned with. As for how I'll be able to calm down an angry monster, it sounds like he's a lot like Hei Bei. I'll just tell him that the Fire Nation is trying to change and that he doesn't need to be angry anymore. I just need you to give me some time and space for me to talk."
After all, you couldn't be angry all of your life. Aang understood that. If he could offer a way out, convince Godzilla that things weren't as bad as the monster thought, then maybe, just maybe, he'd stand down. He hoped.
Nobody said a word once he'd finished sharing his intentions. Some of the silent faces looked…rather familiar. One of them was the War Minister they had met during the Day of the Black Sun, standing right beside the Fire Lord. It surprised him to see one of Ozai's men being here.
The silence dragged on. Aang looked over to Iroh, who stood to the side, hoping to get some indication of what everyone was thinking. Oddly, the old man didn't look him in the face.
The voice of the War Minister spelled out why. "You said it wasn't a spirit."
"...yes?" Aang answered cautiously.
"So there's a chance it can be killed."
"I mean…I suppose. It would be difficult but…"
"...then the plan stays in motion. We'll be able to muster our forces by mid-afternoon, Fire Lord."
All at once, the Fire Nation generals clustered around the map, detailing how their plan would be seen to fruition. Aang stood there surprised, staring at Zuko for some kind of explanation. The young Fire Lord couldn't meet him in the eye, turning away right before he met his gaze
"Hang on! Aang just said he'd calm down Godzilla himself! There's no need for there to be a battle!" Katara exclaimed, waking Momo up. Aang didn't notice his lemur chittering with annoyance, feeling the air begin to tense up.
"Aang…" Zuko took a deep breath and looked upon the rest of Team Avatar with a steely gaze. "I ordered the scouts to fire upon Godzilla as soon they saw it. It's coming our way."
"WHAT?!"
"Hang on! We agreed that this would be a last resort!" Sokka yelled.
"I don't know if you've noticed, but this monster just wiped out an entire Fire Nation village and is threatening our people. We can't just let it rampage again."
"Uh, did everyone just fall asleep at the part of our story where an entire garrison wasn't able to even scorch it?!" Toph shot back at the general.
The War Minister just shook his head. "No. Yet there's a big difference between a garrison and an army. We have enough firepower to lay waste to multiple cities. One beast shouldn't be much of a challenge."
"Not to mention, we need to make a show of force if we are to maintain control of the Yu Dao and the oldest colonies. Once the Earth King has seen what we're capable of, he and his forces will back off. We'll avoid war, and we can maintain our economic stability here," another general explained.
…
"Zuko…we agreed that the colonies would return to the control of the Earth Kingdom," Aang quietly said.
"You will address him as Fire Lor-"
Zuko held up a hand, silencing his generals. "I know what I said Aang. And we are returning land to the Earth King. The problem is, the clans and a lot of our wealth are tied up in the economy and resources that the colonies offer. We're already facing a crisis given all the spending Father did during the tail end of the war with projects like the drill or the Comet fleet. Relinquishing control of the colonies would just make things worse for everyone.
"Besides, everything has been better here ever since the Fire Nations stepped in. That's one of the reasons why it's one of the richest cities in the world."
This raised Katara's ire as she stepped forward. "Zuko, I took a stroll through Yu Dao and it doesn't seem like the Fire Nation citizens and the Earth Kingdom citizens share equally in that wealth."
"It's not perfect, Katara, but all the city's people, including the Earth Kingdom people, are better off now than they were a hundred years ago."
"I think they'd be a bit better off if they weren't living under the people who conquered them in the first place," Katara snapped back.
Aang began to sweat a bit. This wasn't right! The Fire Nation couldn't stay here. Was this what this was all about?! They were trying to fight what basically amounted to a god just so they didn't have to give up their colonies?
"Look, what do you think the whole point of the tribunal was?!" Zuko fired, the air in the room suddenly becoming a lot hotter. "Those prisoners were supposed to be put on trial so Kuei would get off our back. But ever since Azula escaped and this Godzilla showed up, we need another way to legitimize our claim! Killing it is the best way we can do that!"
"That's assuming you can even do that without getting yourself killed!" Sokka shouted back. Suddenly, the generals around the table started to argue with the Avatar's companions, trying to justify why this needed to happen.
Aang didn't see it as he looked Zuko dead in the eye, stepping up in the role that was given to him. "Zuko, this isn't the way! The Fire Nation needs to move past this! And you're risking the lives of everyone here!"
For once, Zuko…paused. A flash of what could've only been regret crossed his face…before he slammed his fists down and shouted "ENOUGH!" The flames around the tent flared up, promptly silencing the din.
Rising to his full height, Fire Lord Zuko put on the mask and glared at the Avatar. "The decision has been made. I won't risk the interests of our nation and the safety of my people just for a chance this monster can be calmed down. I understand your concern, but the plan I've come up with was detailed to make sure as few of my men's lives are put at risk as possible.
"And if the Avatar and his companions have a problem with it, I have no choice but to request that they remain in their tent until the situation has been dealt with." He snapped his fingers as he said this, summoning a squadron of elite firebenders that surrounded the dumbfounded Team Avatar.
Before anyone could even contemplate a course of action, Aang raised his hands. "Alright. But Zuko…you're making a huge mistake." It pained him to say that, to take up the mantle of Avatar and treat the teen who had changed so much like this. When the alternative was certain death though, it was a sacrifice he had to make.
So the Avatar nodded to the others, causing them to stand down and let the soldiers escort them to their tent. Nobody said a word at the turn of events. Of how the whole world seemed to turn upside down.
No one noticed the grimace of anguish that flashed across Zuko's face.
Zuko let out the breath he had been holding during that entire meeting, feeling the weight of the crown and his robes heavy on his shoulders.
That had to have been one of the worst things he's done since taking office. The looks on his friends' faces when they were escorted out of the tent. They were going to haunt him for a good while.
He took a sip of Iroh's tea, letting himself sink into the cushions of his private tent. Anything to ease his nerves. Yet still he could see the looks of betrayal. It's not like he had much choice in the matter. The clans and rogue warlords were looking for any sign of weakness. Ever since they learned about the various circumstances surrounding his Agni Kai with Azula, there have been nonstop questions about his legitimacy. Whether or not he'd be strong enough to hold on to the crown his forefathers had sacrificed so much to keep.
Slaying a monster like this Godzilla would be more than enough to silence his rivals. Right?
Uncle sat across from him, not saying a word. He knew why Zuko had done it. Knew the pressures the young monarch was under. Didn't make it any easier when it happened, though. Hopefully, something could be salvaged from this once the day was through.
Finally, Zuko's nerves got to him. "Uncle…I'm doing the right thing by doing this. Yes?"
Iroh sighed, taking a sip from his tea. "Nephew, sometimes you need to do something less savory to maintain order and stability. It's the burden of the crown, and it's a choice that you're going to be faced with time and time again throughout your reign. Either to be good or to ensure peace by dirtying your hands."
"Yeah, but we're supposed to be restoring our honor. We can't do that through betrayal."
"It's not betrayal. Aang and his friends just need to see that sometimes you need to bear steep costs to maintain peace amongst all of our people. One can't exactly bring back harmony while letting a monster go around killing innocents. And you have restored your honor. You took the throne and became a man. The whole of the Fire Nation and the world couldn't be more grateful for what you did following the end of the Comet."
But I didn't defeat Azula. Katara did, Zuko thought to himself. Didn't matter if he was winning. He let his pride get to him and gave his sister an opening. Of course, she'd do something so underhanded! And because of that, he nearly died. How anyone could be proud of such behavior was unreal to him.
"You showed that you had stronger character and morals that day," Iroh said, almost reading his mind. "Your sister gave into her insanity and thus tore herself apart. You stood firm. That's the difference. I understand that it wasn't pleasant, but she had too much of her father in her. A woman like her shouldn't lead a country with her mind warped."
Then why couldn't Zuko believe in that? As much as he hated Azula, seeing her bawling her eyes out chained to that grate, the look as he condemned her to the asylum…
This Godzilla on the other hand. That was a monster. That was a remorseless killing machine. If he could overcome it, it would solidify in his mind that he had changed. That Fire Lord Zuko was somebody worth admiring. Then he would put his mind at rest, knowing he did something worthwhile. Finally, he would have a deed to his name worthy of honor..
"Could you talk to Aang and tell him what's really going on? Try to get him on board?" Zuko asked.
Iroh smiled and put a hand on his shoulder. "Of course, Nephew. Once he understands what needs to be done, he'll come around to our side." With that, the old soldier put down his tea and walked out of the tent with his purpose clear.
Leaving Zuko alone. The Fire Lord began his routine of breathing in and out, to control the breath and the fire within. He'd need it sooner than later. Reports said that Godzilla would be landing when the sun began to set this day.
When it did, he'd be ready.
Team Avatar had been returned to their tent, where the question on everyone's lips was, "When did Zuko completely lose his mind?"
"I don't know Toph," Katara said exasperatedly, pacing the carpeted floor as if that would somehow will the spirits to change Zuko's mind. "I mean, it's been a while since we've last seen him. We were busy escorting those Fire Nation nobles back to the ships from the newer settlements."
"The pressure from Kuei's gotta be immense. I don't think I could blame Zuko all that much for making sure the ports remain under Fire Nation control to discourage a counterattack from the Earth King. Making a bid to retain the colonies though? You might as well be asking for the whole war to restart!"
That was a bitter truth they were all exposed to when they restored the Earth King to his throne following the Liberation of Ba Sing Se. Kuei had told them all what he had seen in his travels among the common folk. About how deeply the Fire Nation had hurt them, the scarred veterans from the war, and all the graveyards that were filled by Fire Lord Ozai's hands. When he heard that Ozai's son would ascend the throne, he promised that he'd give him a chance, but he wouldn't forget Zuko's role in the fall of his kingdom.
The tensions had been immense on both sides, with armed forces from both countries reluctantly cooperating to get the Fire Nation nobles out of the Kingdom. When it came to places like Yu Dao though, it seemed certain that there would be conflict. Even so, nobody could've imagined that Kuei would escalate things to the point of marching his army to Zuko's doorstep.
"Yeah, but Zuko just showed up with an entire army instead of letting us talk it out!" Toph argued back, nursing her head so she could keep track of those stupid arguments the Fire Nation generals made. "I bet you 5 gold pieces that those generals got to him! He's not much older than us so it's not like he fully knows what he's doing! That's a prime opportunity for them to get their claws into him!"
"I don't think so, Toph. I mean, I saw what it was like back at the academy. They practically worshipped military might. Chances are they probably are doing what they think is right. The thing is, they just got taught that the right way is through a show of force."
"You'd be correct in that assumption, Avatar."
The seasoned voice of Iroh calmed everyone's tempers. He made a respectful bow before walking amongst them. "I'm sorry for my nephew's attitude, but unfortunately…this is something he needs to do. His position on the throne is precarious as it is. The clans have been whispering about his legitimacy given the circumstances of the Agni Kai with Azula. If nothing is done, we could have a coup on our hands, or perhaps a full-blown civil war."
"Civil war". That was a term that everyone in the tent was familiar with, but could never conceive. Countrymen turning on one another was something unheard of when your allegiance was to your nation on pain of certain death. Just the idea of such a conflict within the Fire Nation's borders was enough to give one pause. Particularly since the breakout of civil war could delay the reparations Zuko would make for Ozai's war by years. Nobody wanted to wait that long.
"In times like this, a leader must show his strength to his people. To assure that he is right where he belongs. Zuko must do this here with Godzilla. This is not some wayward warlord. This is a rampaging monster that kills without reason. Letting it kill any more people would be a sign of weakness on the Fire Lord's part."
So what about me? Aang asked himself. He fused with La and wiped out a whole fleet out of rage. Did…that make him a monster? Of course not. They were threatening the Northern Water Tribe. He understood it. Katara understood it. Yet it was something that still ate at him.
Still. "Iroh. We can't underestimate Godzilla and put our needs first. If Zuko won't let me talk to him, at least let me fight with him. I know I haven't used the Avatar State since Sozin's Comet, but it's better than letting Zuko face this monster alone."
"Aang…" Iroh put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "As the Grand Lotus, it is my duty to advise you on the best course of action. And Zuko needs to face this alone so he can prove his worth to the rest of the Fire Nation. I understand how badly you want things to change, but we need to accept things for what they are now. And right now, they respect strength. You need to give him that chance to show he is strong."
Grand Lotus. That title furrowed Aang's brow, but he knew better than to speak his problems with the ones who were supposed to have helped him out loud. Sure the reveal of the White Lotus was a pleasant surprise to everyone when they needed them the most, but he'd talked to his friends and they all privately admitted that they weren't sure they could trust an organization that worked from the shadows. Especially since they had passed up so many opportunities to reveal themselves before now, for their own inscrutable reasons.
"Besides. The Avatar State can cause a lot of damage in itself. No one in the Fire Nation has forgotten that. It might be best if you hold back on it lest you burn through what trust is left."
Katara narrowed her eyes at Iroh's assessment of the Avatar State, but it wasn't not like he was wrong. Especially for Aang, since he knew full well how destructive the state could be when tossed around without a care.
"...alright," Aang declared firmly. "But the moment Zuko gets into trouble-"
"Then you can help. I want a lot of things, but my nephew being put in unnecessary danger is not one of them."
The warmth in his voice put everyone at ease. If there was anyone who could point out the light in things, it was Iroh. "I'll brew some tea for all of you once he's finished."
"I guess we'll hold you to that," Toph teased, hoping to break the ice a bit further.
Iroh chuckled. "Well, I wouldn't want to displease my most favorite guests after all."
With that, the old master left the tent, saying hello to the guards out front as he did. Aang tried to let himself relax a little. If Uncle Iroh said that things would be okay, then maybe they would. After all, it wasn't like he had much of an argument against what had just been told.
It's like the monks said: sometimes you need to listen to a more seasoned voice to guide you through the tempest.
"I…still don't like it," Katara muttered. "Something about this feels wrong. Since when did Zuko listen to his generals instead of us?"
"Katara…we're not exactly officials here. Maybe we should let them do the talking for once."
"You mean let a bunch of Fire Nation generals do what they've been doing for the last hundred years?"
For once, Sokka didn't have an answer for that. Nobody did. And they all sat in silence unsure of what they should do.
That was until they heard something fly through the open window of their tent and lodge itself into the ground before them. Everyone cried out with surprise, causing the two guards to charge in to see what the alarm was about. "You kids alright?" one of them asked.
"I-somebody just fired an arrow in here! What do you think?!" Sokka yelled.
Aang bent down towards the embedded arrow, seeing something attached to the shaft. It was a scroll wrapped with a piece of string. Curious, he undid the string and unfurled the scroll, holding it up for the rest of his friends to see.
It was a letter. Elegantly handwritten and penned with immaculate precision. The signed name was what gave everyone pause.
"...guards. Could you escort us to the foot of the hill overlooking the camp?"
Confused, the guards decided that if it were something to get the Avatar's attention, it probably warranted a quick trip. Stepping aside, they let Aang and his friends file out of the tent and began to escort them out of the camp.
One thing was on Team Avatar's mind: what did Princess Azula want with them?
Azula and Maina watched as the guards escorted the Avatar and his friends to the base of the hill. This was it. They either were able to get through to them, or they could fight with their hands. The Princess wasn't exactly sure if this would be a fight they could win if it came to that, but she certainly had a few tricks up her sleeves if worse came to worst. Never go into a confrontation with your enemies expecting things to work out.
Behind them, they heard Kori scrambling up the cliff, panting and trying to catch their breath. "They…got the message…whew…"
"Are…you okay?"
"I'm fine, Maina. Just…don't get as out as…I should."
"Look, you need to not exert yourself all in one go. Try to space out your energy next so you don't get worn out."
"Duly noted…Your Worshipfulness…"
Azula let the nickname go. Kori did her role and she did it admirably. That's all that was asked of her. She made a mental note to recommend her to one of those espionage guilds if she ever came across one. Talents like hers shouldn't go to waste.
Thankfully the noble straightened herself up as the Avatar came up the cliff with the waterbender right beside him. Down below, Azula could see that Sokka and the blind girl hung back. Probably didn't want to provoke a fight with their full team being there.
Azula crossed her arms, seeing the two of them stop a distance away from them. High above, the late afternoon sun shined down on them all, setting the stage. "Alright. We got your message. What do you want?" Aang demanded.
Good. Seemed like he was growing a bit of a spine. "Let me get straight to the point, Avatar. I want you to take me to my brother."
"Okay. And why on earth would we ever do that?" Katara asked, steel in her voice and water floating in her hands.
The Princess gave a well-timed shrug. "I don't know. Why would I? Why would I want to dissuade my dear brother from trying to attack a gigantic monster that we all know can single-handedly crush an entire village? You know, something you were unable to do."
Aang and Katara stood hilariously slack-jawed. "Wait, how did you-?"
"Lucky guess." She told the truth. Inwardly she knew that Zuko would've been stupid enough to try something like this. And she knew that his new friends wouldn't be able to sway him from something once he put his mind to it. Her on the other hand…
"Listen. I've known Zuko longer than any of you. If you can get me to him, I'll try to see if I can talk him down. That way you can have your puppet try to negotiate peace with the Earth King. If Zuko dies…well, I can't guarantee that the Earth King isn't going to try and raze Yu Dao to the ground.
"So what'll it be Avatar? You know as well as I do that Zuko isn't an easy person to dissuade. And it's not like you have any other options left."
The Avatar just stared back, telling her everything. No doubt he was wrestling inward about whether or not to trust her. Weighing his chances. He wondered if he could rush her right now and risk her capture at the cost of her being unable to warn his puppet. His choice.
After a moment, Aang sighed. "First off, Zuko is NOT a puppet. Second…" He looked towards Katara, the two nodding in unison. "We'll take you to him. But don't try anything, or we'll take you in. Got it?"
"Fully understood," Azula said, letting the two lead her on. She felt a spark come to life in her soul, especially from seeing Maina and Kori watch her do her magic. The trick was knowing that the Avatar was human, and any human would want to see their friend stay alive and their ambitions fulfilled.
Now if only Zuko had as much self-preservation…
It was late afternoon when they found him standing before his airship, letting his servants put his armor on. Azula almost got deja vu, seeing them lower the phoenix-styled helmet on his head. All of a sudden, she wasn't so sure if she was up to this. You couldn't just walk up to your estranged brother and try to convince him not to go fight a monster. Especially when he looked so much like…
Curiosity took over and drew her eyes over to the Avatar, who had the same nervous look on his face. Guess that was something they could both agree on.
One of the guards marched forward and gave the customary bow of respect. "My Lord. The Avatar has come with…well, see for yourself."
"Aang? What are you-" Zuko's surprised expression hardened into a stone-cold mask upon seeing her. "Azula."
The Princess figured that dripping contempt was all the proper greetings that she was going to get. "Zuko, listen. You can't-"
"No. I don't want to hear it."
"If you'll just-"
"I said that's enough," he snarled, his composure cracking for just a minute. "It's bad enough that I have a monster to deal with, and then you show up. Let me guess. You're here to watch me die?"
"I'm here to save your life!" Azula snapped. "Zuko, this isn't a fight you can win! This thing, it's nothing like you've ever seen!"
"Yeah, you've told me that all my life…"
"For the love of-this isn't about you for once! You attack that thing, you're putting your men and all of Yu Dao in danger!"
"Oh, now you care about other people?!" Zuko snapped. "Or, let me guess, this is just some scheme to let that thing kill more of my citizens so you can pin it on me! Wouldn't be the first time you played with the lives of an entire nation."
"I swear, I didn't know what Father was doing!"
"But would you have stopped him from burning the Earth Kingdom thanks to your idea?"
"..."
"...wait. Didn't you say it was Ozai's plan?" Aang asked the Fire Lord. Azula just stood silent, the last of the pieces falling into place. She…did suggest burning their land and their hope to the ground. The need to defend herself, to argue that that was before she knew full well just how bad the carnage got. What it was like to see countless people die.
Yet she couldn't. She just let Zuko wave off Aang's question. "Does it matter? This is just like her! She messes everything up, and tries to make things work out for her!"
"That's not fair!" Maina shouted. "I've been with her this whole time, and I know she's telling the truth!"
"You expect me to believe that?! After she's lied to me all my life? Well, not this time. Her luck's run out. And as soon as I get back, I'm going to make sure she gets dragged before the tribunal in chains."
The fires on the torches surrounding them grew as Zuko stalked over to Azula. "You won't get the satisfaction of watching me die," he hissed. "I'm going to do what you never could, and all you can do is watch. You won't get the last laugh this time. This time…I'm going to prove that I'm better than you."
Azula just glared back. "This is about more than your petty grudge, Zuko. Godzilla won't give a crap either way."
They both just stood there, glaring at the other to get one to back down. Then Zuko just turned and strode to his airship. His honor guard fell into step behind him.
Azula, Maina, Kori, and Team Avatar could just watch as the guards held them at bay. Watch as the airships began to take off and the tanks started their engines. Zuko stood at the bow of his flagship, his face unreadable. Deep down, he felt a tinge of regret for his words. About how he was handling this. Yet that was consumed by the fire that was his duty. For he knew destiny was calling.
All Azula could think of seeing her brother was that this could be the last time she ever saw him. And how badly she messed this up.
Somewhere off the shore of the Earth Kingdom, the waves swayed in the wind. High above, the scout ships were rushing back to the rendezvous point.
Down below, the great mass swam furiously through the water. Its focus was entirely on the flaming symbol of the Fire Nation.
They hadn't changed. They were still the same butchers that slaughtered its kindred all those years ago. And now…they'd pay.
All of them would pay.
A/N: This will not end well.
I apologize for the delay. We've been having some personal issues that sort of messed things up in the writing process. Life is quirky like that sometimes. Anyways, thanks again to Selpharia for beta reading this. Your advice is appreciated as always.
For the backstory of Godzilla wreaking Qin's fleet, I based it on a real historical event where Kublai Khan (grandson of Genghis Khan, Khagan of the Mongol Empire who fashioned himself an Emperor of China) sent a fleet to Japan to expand his empire. Naturally, while they conquered a few islands and made a beachhead, they were repelled and forced back to their ships. They also had the bad misfortune of showing up during typhoon season and their fleet got wrecked.
Japanese legend has it that Ryujin, Dragon God of the seas sent forth this hurricane to wreck the ships. I do like drawing on history and real-world events for inspiration so an incident that is attributed to a massive sea dragon seems like a natural fit. Plus this wouldn't be the only time that Godzilla was attributed to the fleet sinking since Godzilla: Rage Against Time had a similar scenario play out.
Also we get a cameo from Kyoshi, who is admittedly my favorite past Avatar (both from the series and her books which you should definitely read). I wanted to have a balance between what we saw in the series and what was told to us in the books while busting the myth of her being some bloodthirsty maniac the fandom likes to joke about her sometimes.
In a sort of parallel to this scene, we have Azula in the Fire Temple. Again, I wanted to do some worldbuilding that contextualizes her struggles and makes it feel more grounded. In this case, I created a more localized version of the Dragon Hunts with the mosasaurs. Sort of like how some expansionist empires will distort myths in order to placate the locals while "molding" them to be more like them, what once was sacred and respected had become the object of slaughter.
We also get some banter between the girls. I…do know that Kori isn't necessarily an archer in the comics, but I didn't really want her to be a Mai knockoff given her role as an assassin.
Next up is the meeting where…yeah. Personally, I don't feel like Zuko's character arc was finished by the series end and I am open to the idea of him "regressing" a bit once he takes the throne that he is unprepared for. I even lifted some actual dialogue from the comics in order to demonstrate my point. Naturally, it's a little reframed here, and he most certainly isn't in the right for saying this.
Same thing with Iroh. He's not a saint and I don't think he necessarily broke out of his general mindset yet. Originally his dialogue was supposed to be more militaristic with him praising Zuko defeating his sister as a sign of being a man. Again, lifted from the Legacy of the Fire Nation book. Thankfully Selpharia stepped in and…yeah. That wasn't a very charitable view of the guy. I don't really like Iroh or Zuko, but I'm not going to turn them into monsters.
Finally, we get Azula's confrontation with her brother. I didn't really want either to be entirely in the right or wrong…but considering how a lot of my issues with Zuko stem from his treatment of Azula (particularly in the comics which was…horrific), I do apologize if I leaned more into Azula's side. I also hoped to explain his rationale here with wanting to fight Godzilla, something he distressingly had a habit of doing in the series by rushing into suicide situations without thinking.
Which lays down the groundwork for the next chapter. As I said before…things won't end well.
Thank you all for reading. Make sure to leave a comment to leave your thoughts. Follow and favorite if you want to see more. And as always, have a great day and hope to see you next time where…uh…the hurting starts. Take care for now!