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Odo Island

Gone…it was all gone.

Odo Island. A quaint little village, spared the worst the war had to offer…was trampled in under an hour.

Villagers milled around the ruins of what was their homes, digging through the rubble. Salvaging whatever they had to leave behind. Hoping beyond hope that their loved ones or friends who stayed behind wouldn't be…

It was too much. Aang's legs buckled from all the weight. Try as he might, he couldn't help but let a few tears fall. On one shoulder, Momo meekly tried to lick his face dry. On the other, he felt another weight press down as Katara rested her head.

Ordinarily, it would've been comforting. Knowing that he wasn't alone and that there was something in this world that kept him grounded. A steady rock against the ever-changing tides.

Yet tears fell from her eyes too. The smoldering wreckages and distant cries were all too distressingly familiar.

"...we couldn't even slow it down…" Sokka muttered. Toph tried to put a reassuring hand on his shoulder, but even that was half-hearted. What else was there to say? What could even be said?

Other than that they failed.

They failed to apprehend Azula. They failed to stop Godzilla. They failed these people. Everyone was counting on him yet again, and again he-

"Aang? You okay?"

Her voice brought him down to earth, making him aware of the dirt between his fingers. Slowly, he felt the air coming in and out of his lungs, centering him back to reality. In…out. In…out.

"Ye-...no. No, I'm not," he said in a hollow voice. He couldn't lie to himself, or anybody else. It wouldn't change anything. All he could do was wrap his arm around Katara so they could both support one another.

The crunching of armored boots almost caused Aang to try and dust himself off, to make himself a little presentable. Sokka on the other hand wouldn't have any of it, stepping in front of the Fire Nation soldier without hesitation. "He…needs a moment. You can talk with me."

A man who looked to be in his mid-thirties, this soldier was the most senior officer following Maoso's death. Nobody tried to think too much about what remained of his body. "We're…we're too undermanned to rebuild or even man the fort. Our casualties were…far too many." He took a moment to collect himself, before steeling himself with a salute. "The rest of us will ship out with the boats. Not much we can do."

Sokka let his hands fall to his hips in exhaustion and disbelief. His father told him that the Fire Nation's brutality was matched only by the bravery of their warriors. When one tells you they've given up, you know that things have truly gone bad.

"That will not be necessary," an aged voice spoke up. All eyes turned to Elder Yamane with the shrine maiden Nami at his side, both almost ethereal specters amidst the ruins. "We…have a place you can rest and station yourselves. It's well dug in, and we've already stockpiled enough food for the foreseeable future."

If the newly-minted officer gave any sign that he recognized this clear tip-off as to the identities of the "smugglers" Maoso had been after, it was masked by a look of relief and a grateful bow. However, anyone who had gone through the night they had endured could easily be forgiven for not remembering what was truly important in the moment.

Hearing the elder's voice brought Aang up to his feet, using his staff to drag himself from the dirt. Katara was naturally at his side, but the Avatar took a few steady strides towards the one he'd failed. "Are you sure you don't need any help from us?" he asked, taking the reins from Sokka and letting the warrior take his own rest beside Toph. Momo glided over to the boy, letting Aang face the leaders by himself.

"We'll be okay. It'll take some time to rebuild, but we've prepared for something like this for months now. You worry about yourselves, you hear?" Yamane reassured, giving a weary smile to the tired boy.

Not that it was much comfort. The islanders knew who the real threat was, but all they were doing was hunting Azula. If they focused on Godzilla from the start, maybe they could've stopped this from happening. Maybe they could've…

Aang sighed, knowing that dwelling on might-have-beens wouldn't help now. "I'll let Fire Lord Zuko know what's going on so he can send support. I'll make things right. I promise."

To that, Nami placed a hand on his shoulder and looked him in the eye. "It's okay. Gojira has not been seen for ages. Nobody could've known he would emerge."

He knew she was trying to comfort him, but it didn't make it any less painful how badly he'd misjudged this whole thing. Right now though, his mind was set on what needed to be done.

Aang gave a respectful bow to both of Odo's leaders before turning towards a waiting Appa a good distance away, with the rest of the team falling in behind his newfound purpose. "Where to, Twinkletoes?" Toph asked.

They all knew the answer before the Avatar even said it. "The colonies. We need to warn Zuko before anybody else dies."

Fire Nation Ship Cargo Hold

Deep within the dark hold of a Fire Nation ship, Azula stared at the impossible girl across from her.

Lieutenant Kazuma's offer to smuggle them to the colonies to warn the Fire Lord was an obvious choice. It gave them some breathing room away from the Avatar and some time to plan out their next move. Or rather, time for Azula to dissuade herself from the absolutely stupid idea she did have.

That wasn't happening right now, so perhaps she figured she'd get some much-needed answers when she had a chance.

To that end, she rose to her full height, and crossed her arms. Her eyes were blazing, practically pinning Maina to the hull of the ship. The image would've been more powerful if she were in full armor, but she'd have to make do with the robes and cloak she had.

"Start talking. How many of you are there?"

"Not too many of us. We're just a small tribe with a few settlements, but we rarely leave our island. I'm the first in…well since the war started I think."

"And how exactly did a small tribe of airbenders manage to escape one of the largest operations in military history?"

Maina sighed, slumping herself down to the dirty floor. She offered Azula an open spot beside her, but the Princess just leaned on a crate behind her. If they were going to be here a while, she wanted to make it clear who was in charge here.

"None of us had any idea of what Sozin was going to do at the time of the Comet. I mean, all of us knew that the Fire Nation was becoming more radicalized and were looking for the Avatar, and we knew he had been born to the Air Nomads. We just didn't know who he was at the time. Nobody did. And…nobody imagined what lengths the Fire Lord would go to get him out of the picture."

"You mean make a pre-emptive strike on the Air Nomads' forces before they had a chance to unleash their army and the Avatar on us, right?"

"What the-They were monks! Why would they have an army, of all things?!" The outburst didn't have too much effect on Azula. She supposed growing up listening to the lies of this girl's ancestors would blind her to the truth. Couldn't exactly blame her for that.

Maina took a deep breath, collecting herself. "They didn't have an army…so when the Fire Nation wiped them all out, they couldn't do much to defend themselves. Neither could we. It all happened so fast. When we learned about what had happened, it was too late for any of us to help.

"The Fire Nation was pretty efficient in hunting down the last Nomads. And one of the things they did was rob them of places to hide. They knew we were allies and could easily harbor refugees, so they came after us next. Had a whole fleet and a squadron of dragon riders to wipe us out just so not a single Nomad survived. Who…who does that? Who wipes out an entire culture?"

Sometimes sacrifices need to be made for the greater good, Azula told herself. It was war. War didn't care about morality or what was lost. It only cared about who was left standing. Especially if the enemy would stoop to any low to kill them all. Either us or them. Plain and simple.

"Then how did you survive when no one else did?" Azula asked.

"...Mothra saved us."

"Mothra?"

"Yes. She's the Goddess I pray to," Maina elaborated, holding up the stone necklace with an engraved cross. "And this is her symbol. She's a deity of peace, love, life, and harmony."

"Sounds like she and the Avatar would get along just fine then," Azula snarked.

"Yeah. The Fire Nation underestimated her then too. But she's real. Just like Godzilla is real. And when the navy came for us, she whipped the winds into an impassable hurricane. Ships were sunk. The dragons went mad and threw their riders off their backs. Within an hour, the whole force was sent to the abyss of the sea. And with her strength, she kept the storms raging for many decades until she had spent the last of her power. Even then, nobody came after us since no one was sure if Mothra was alive or not."

"...so…Mothra is dead?"

"Sort of. She's a Goddess of life but also of death. Think of it as an unbreakable cycle. One dies but can be reborn in a new life. That's what Mothra's like. Right now, she's dormant. But I don't doubt she'll awaken soon enough. She always does."

"Sounds a bit like the Avatar."

"Something like that," Maina conceded.

"...is she a monster like Godzilla then?" Azula hesitantly asked. The parallels seemed a bit too similar for it to be a coincidence. Armies and soldiers being sent to their graves by some kind of unassailable force akin to a god. A pattern she'd been picking up as of late.

"Kaiju. That's what we call her, Godzilla, and others like them. We don't call them monsters, and especially not Mothra. Sure, there are some bad ones out there, but they're not all like that."

"...others…"

"I mean. That's what I've heard," Maina quickly added, but it was enough for Azula to push herself off the crate and walk a bit in a daze.

There were others.

She didn't know if it was the ship rocking or the revelation, but she needed to lean on a crate for support once she had walked out of sight. Kaiju. Monsters. It didn't matter what you called them. The possibility of there being more of those things out there almost brought bile to her throat.

We'll overcome these threats. Just as we've always done, the ghost of the Phoenix King told her.

"Just like at Odo Island then, Father?" she hissed. Whatever strength she had fled her, causing her to slump down to the floor with her back against the crate. Even talking back to an image of her father was enough for her to flinch. How else could she possibly react? Honestly, she expected a sharp scolding from him whenever she spoke out like that.

Instead, she got the aggravatingly soothing voice of her mother. My love, maybe it is not as bad as we thought. This Mothra does not sound so horrible. Maybe this Maina could help you understand them.

"Her? Mother, I didn't even know she could bend air and she wanted to take me to a place I never even heard of. How could I possibly trust her?"

I suppose you're right. After all, you can't trust people these days. Too many unknowns. It's good for you to stay on your toes.

So why stick your neck out for those who are so unworthy?

Zuko, Mai, and Ty Lee's voices sounded so fake, that Azula almost laughed. That was rich coming from them. No. She needed to look out for herself. And if this Maina had any ill intent-

"Everything okay?"

Azula snapped out of her musings when Maina rounded the corner, looking at her with concern.

"I'm fine," she said, biting her lip, hoping she made herself sound convincing.

Maina just looked at her in that aggravatingly concerned way and sat across from her. "It's just, I heard you talking and…" She trailed off, not wanting to push it any further already. "Look, I'm sorry I kept things from you. It's just when you're far from home, you…don't want people to know who you are."

Azula drily chuckled. "Finally. Something we can both agree on."

"But the offer still stands. Infant Island can help. It's a place of healing and wisdom. If anyone can help, it's Mothra."

And that sounded too good for Azula to believe. Why would anyone help a monster like her out? She was insane. She talked to people who weren't there and banished her friends and servants on a whim. Who would ever give her the time of day?

"She doesn't know me then," she spat out.

To her surprise, Maina leaned over and gave her a reassuring pat on her shoulder. "When I said Mothra is a Goddess of Life and Death, I don't just mean the physical way. She's the embodiment of renewal and new beginnings. That anyone can begin to change their ways if they're brave enough to take those first few steps."

…

"...it's too late for me then."

Maina looked at her as if she had grown a second head, before leaning back and letting the silence descend on them both. Good. It left Azula some time to think of her next move. Which distressingly was the same as the first idea she thought of.

But how exactly do you warn your brother against doing something stupid when he hates your guts?

Yu Dao

From high above, on Appa's back, Yu Dao looked like any other Fire Nation settlement. Situated comfortably along the seaside, the roofline was dominated by the typical crimson pagodas and towers. Great naval ships docked in the harbor, with the proud flame of their nation fluttering in the breeze on red flags everywhere.

You'd have to be told that this settlement was sitting on what, centuries before, had been Earth Kingdom territory.

Outside the city was the thing that caught everyone's attention. A large military camp had been set up, with massive war balloons and tanks lined up to be deployed at a moment's notice. It was enough to house a sizable army.

Aang, Toph, Katara, and Sokka were silent. They all knew that talks with King Kuei about the oldest colonies were breaking down. They knew he was arriving with his own army for the next summit. Zuko assured them that the armed forces here were a deterrent or a precaution for a worst-case scenario should fighting break out. Nobody was in the mood for restarting the whole war all over again.

They just hoped that this wasn't a dry field waiting for a single spark to set it all ablaze.

Appa groaned as he descended, not having gotten quite used to landing in a war camp full of Fire Nation soldiers. The soldiers standing at attention didn't help his nerves much. Regardless, Aang gently patted his oldest friend on the head in reassurance. They weren't being fired at this time, so that was a start.

His other animal partner wasn't so keen on taking him at his word. Momo proceeded to curl up underneath one of Sokka's blankets, his green eyes peeking out from the fabric.

Well, not like that was going to stop him. Aang and his friends leaped down to the dusty earth below. Right away, the few closest Fire Nation soldiers exchanged nervous glances before bowing in respect. "Avatar Aang! We…weren't expecting you. If we had known you were coming-"

"We're here to speak with Fire Lord Zuko. It's an urgent matter," Aang interrupted.

"Ah…yes. See, the Fire Lord is currently in the middle of a meeting with his advisors-"

"And will cut some time out so he can see his friends."

That voice got the soldiers to jump and immediately part ways, giving a respectful bow to the young man striding through their ranks. Aang on the other hand had about as much respect as you could expect a kid of his age. None. He practically zoomed forward on the wind and gave Zuko a big hug with a huge smile plastered on his face.

Zuko, to his credit, took the breach of protocol in stride and hugged his friend back. "Oh thank Agni you're here," he said. "If I had to hear another advisor talking my ear off, I thought I was going to lose it."

"Good to see you again too buddy. You look great!" Indeed, Zuko was decked out in the resplendent crimson, gold, and black robes befitting of the young Fire Lord. A cape cascaded down from his shoulder plates while the crown he had fought for sat rightfully on his topknot.

"Thanks. I, uh, wish we could've met under better circumstances."

"Doesn't mean we can't make the best of a bad situation though," a much older voice chimed in. From behind, the familiar stout figure of Iroh strode in amidst the reunion. This brought a smile to the faces of Team Avatar at seeing Zuko's old uncle…and a little confusion.

"Wait, what are you doing here instead of the Jasmine Dragon?" Toph asked.

Iroh just gave a cheeky grin. "Well my nephew here wanted my help regarding the situation with the colonies, and it's not like I could say no to that. Why don't you come join us for some tea? I've got the kettle on."

Figuring they could take the tea master at his word, Aang, Zuko, and the rest followed Iroh through the camp. All around, they could see soldiers training, cleaning their gear, and making sure all was in tip-top shape. It was almost surreal that they weren't being chased by everyone present this time around. Then again, six months since the war ended was a pretty long time.

They all followed Iroh into Zuko's tent, a regal abode guarded by elite firebenders outside, and furnished with all the ornate trappings of home inside. The smell of tea wafted in the air, prompting them to take their seats and allow Iroh to serve their drinks.

"Now then. Let's get down to business." Almost instantly, the tension in the room rose as Zuko looked Aang dead in the eye. "Tell me about what happened on Odo Island."

And so the Avatar did. He told him everything. Every detail they could remember. While the tea was warm and delicious, it didn't quite drown out the grizzly images from the night before. The others piped in now and again to tell the Fire Lord and the Grand Lotus some detail Aang might've missed.

Especially about Godzilla.

Zuko soaked it in, letting the others talk. When they were done, he took a sip of his tea and closed his eyes while taking a breath.

"What about Azula?"

A chill descended on the air. Everyone looked at each other before Katara said, "She got away. We couldn't find her among the dead or the survivors."

The Fire Lord took another deep breath. "So she's still out there running loose…"

"No offense Zuko, but we've got bigger problems than Azula," Sokka sheepishly said. "This Godzilla just took out an entire village and almost wiped out a whole garrison. We all know Azula's a problem, but I think this monster should be our biggest priority."

"And what do you believe we should do then?" Iroh asked.

Aang fidgeted a little bit, not sure if he was going to like the response. "Godzilla's tough. Nothing we had was even able to put a scratch on it."

"Do you even know why it attacked in the first place?" Zuko asked.

"...not exactly. But I think it was angered by the Fire Nation prison ships moving through its territory."

"Godzilla seems to have some kind of beef with anything Fire Nation," Sokka picked up. "Once it got finished out at sea, it made a beeline to the fort on Odo Island. Maybe it figured that's where the ships came from and decided to attack the source."

"It also seems to go after anything that attacks it in retaliation. Once those tanks fired on it, Godzilla went crazy and practically tore them to shreds. We guess that whatever it sees as a threat, it goes after, " Katara finished up. It still amazed Team Avatar how anything could rip solid steel to shreds. Aside from Toph of course, but even she had to invent metalbending to do that.

Aang straightened himself up to make himself clear. "I'm going to commune with the past Avatar spirits to see if I can't find out more, but until then, I'd recommend you stay away from the waters around Odo Island. The last thing we need is to give him any more reasons to go on a rampage."

Whatever cordiality was there had been replaced by the gravity of their news. They all waited a bit nervously for Zuko's assessment. These were his people after all, and there was no telling what anyone would do when faced with such a threat. After all, Team Avatar didn't initially believe that the monster would be more than some local sea beast before it rose and destroyed Odo.

"...my sister's escaped her trial, Kuei's breathing down my neck, and now this 'Godzilla' is going around threatening my nation…"

"I…know it sounds bad, but all we can do about Azula is wait for her to make her move-"

"No, that's exactly why this is so bad!" Zuko snapped at Aang. It took him a moment for him to register what he did before he slowed his breathing. "Sorry. It's just…between all the stuff I've been dealing with in regards to Kuei and this…I know my sister. She's going to take advantage of this somehow."

"And put the peace we've all fought so hard for in jeopardy," Iroh mused gravely.

"Uh, hello? We just told you about a huge lizard that destroyed a village and you think that Princess Sparky's our biggest problem?!"

Everyone just stared at Toph for a moment. "What? Princess Sparky? For her lightning?"

"...okay, that's kind of amusing," Iroh admitted, chuckling to himself.

"That's beside the point. Didn't you say that Godzilla could be pacified by avoiding his territory?" Zuko asked.

Aang rubbed the back of his head. "I didn't say that. I just said to avoid those waters for now and avoid engaging him. We still don't know what angered him, which is why I'm consulting the past Avatars. That way I can find a way to actually calm him down.

"Zuko, we know that Azula's a problem, but there's not a whole lot we can do about her right now. We'll get to her, but right now our biggest concern is this Godzilla. What's going to be more of a threat? Azula, who everyone knows, will be on the lookout for, and is someone we've beaten before? Or something we weren't able to hurt and seems to hate the Fire Nation?"

"...Uncle. What do you think?"

Iroh furrowed his brow. "Azula is a problem. But this monster, this 'Godzilla'...sometimes you need to save one problem for another time when a crisis of this magnitude is staring us in the face."

The old man proceeded to shrug. "Who knows? Often solving one problem will lead to the solution of another."

"Alright, I'll need to talk with my advisors to get them on board," Zuko declared. "There's an old shrine nearby that I think you'll be able to pray at, Aang. That should help you get the information you need."

"I'll work with the other White Lotus members to see if there's anything we can dig up about this 'Godzilla'," Iroh added, already moving to grab a parchment and a quill to contact his "Pai Sho buddies".

"Thanks Zuko. And don't worry about Azula. We'll find her eventually." Aang bowed in respect as he said this. He wouldn't let the young monarch down. Not this time.

Zuko bowed in return. "I know you will," he said. Yet…Katara couldn't help but notice a look of concern on his face. Something was hidden beneath the surface but still visible if you had known the Fire Lord long enough. She had known him for a while. After all, she was the first one he opened up to back in Ba Sing Se.

So when she saw Zuko being worried and him talking about Azula, it didn't take too much thinking to put two and two together.

"Okay, so walk me through your thinking process here. You want to warn the guy who put you in an asylum about Godzilla?"

"Yes."

"Yet you also know that the Avatar and his friends probably beat us to him, so they probably already warned him about Godzilla."

"Yes."

"So…why exactly are we still trying to warn him? Especially what happened after the last time you tried to warn somebody about Godzilla?"

"Ugh. For the love of- you stow away on a boat and try to think up a better idea next time, okay?" Azula exasperatedly said. Honestly, this Maina was just as pushy as Mai was.

They wandered through the crowded streets of Yu Dao, Azula wearing a cowl to obscure her face. Maina didn't have the entire Fire Nation army looking for her, so she could at least blend in easily with the crowd. Honestly, it might've been safer to find someplace for Azula to hide out and let her…she wouldn't say "friend", but perhaps her "acquaintance" scout the city out.

But that would also mean putting her safety in the hands of a stranger AND being cooped up in yet another hideout for the time being. No, she wanted to stretch her legs. Besides, with so many people around, it would be easier for her to disappear than on an island.

Even if it did mean having to walk amongst more peasants.

"Hey, I do have a plan. Go to Infant Island like I said," Maina snarked. The Princess did have to admit, being stuck with somebody who could stand up to her was a refreshing change of pace.

"Look, I know what I'm doing. Sometimes, the best course of action is to see your surroundings and make use of what is given to you. Often the way forward will present itself. It's how I conquered Ba Sing Se after all," Azula confidently said. She made a note to write that down somewhere. Iroh wasn't the only one with "wise" remarks after all. Of course, hers were better since they actually worked.

And almost on cue, the two of them heard the shouting of a crowd ahead. Azula gave a smarmy smirk before leading a rather annoyed Maina to what she guessed was the entrance to the noble distract.

They snaked their way into the crowd seeing a…rather confused mixture of what looked to be Fire Nation citizens and…Earth Kingdom peasants protesting together? Azula raised an eyebrow at all of this. She hadn't spent much time in the colonies herself, but she definitely knew that these two groups did not mix.

Up ahead were a few annoyed Fire Nation guards who had the unlucky fortune of being assigned to "keep the peace". So far, none in the crowd made a move, but it wasn't like things were calming down anytime soon.

Intrigued, Azula turned to a teenage girl with brown hair who wore the garb of Fire Nation nobility in amongst the crowd. "Excuse me. What exactly is going on here?" she asked.

The girl took a break from chanting "YOU DON'T BELONG HERE!" to answer Azula's question. "What's it look like we're doing? We're protesting against the war profiteers that our 'oh-so-benevolent' Fire Lord is letting stay here!"

Azula and Maina looked at each other. "Uh…we just arrived so we're kind of out of the loop here. Who's profiteering from whom?"

"Oh. OH!" The protestor's demeanor changed in an instant. "Forgive my attitude. I didn't realize you weren't from around here."

The Princess looked the stranger up and down. Her stance and shift in mood betrayed a drilled-in sense of politeness and poise. Things you needed when growing up with a noble background. Particularly a Fire Nation one. "What's your name?"

"I am Kori Morishita."

Morishita…she recognized that name. Morishita was the name of the mayor assigned to Yu Dao. Father taught her that when she learned all of the important names in the colonies. This Kori then must've been his daughter.

That made her wonder why the mayor's daughter was here amongst this rabble and not in the mayor's house. Did somebody just decide that the whole world was to lose its mind instead of just her?

The answer decided to make itself known when one of the guards fired a short burst of flame in front of the crowd. "Citizens of Yu Dao, this is your last warning," he commanded. "Go back to your homes, or we'll be forced to start arrests for civil disobedience." Whatever fire the crowd had was snuffed out by the threat of being scorched, their chantings extinguished with it. The Earth Kingdom citizens seemed to shrink away the most, much to the few staunch members trying to rally them all back.

Azula furrowed her eyebrows. A threat was one thing. Sometimes you need to frighten those you ruled to instill order. But there was a difference between dangling a grisly fate over one who you were pretty certain was a collaborator and would be more deserving of such punishment and threatening a whole crowd of citizens who got swept up in the hysteria. You couldn't just start arresting people left and right after all, lest you be left with nobody. A lesson she was…all too familiar with.

Didn't seem the grunts got the obvious message though. They started advancing with fire in their hands and weapons drawn. The Princess's ire was raised, almost stepping forward to prevent what she saw was an incoming slaughter. Kori, on the other hand, put an arm out to stop her. "Don't. You're just going to make things worse. Let me handle this."

Turning around, the noble girl proceeded to spread the word amongst the rabble, saying "It's not worth getting killed over" and "We did what we could" to a few people. She simply told a few people, who in turn started talking to others. It wasn't long before the message got across to everyone, even the few more fervent members. In time, the crowd dispersed. With just a few words, they backed down faster than what the grunts would've been able to make them with violence.

Kori sighed. "This…happens all the time. We get a crowd, they start throwing fire around," she said while gesturing to the grunts who stood down, "and we disperse 'cause we can't fight against something like that."

"...so you're hoping to get yourself loud enough so people who can stand against those grunts listen and back you up?"

"Yeah, something like that," Kori replied to the Princess. "...that's…actually on point. How did you-?"

Her eyes went wide once she saw who exactly was under the hood. "You're-!"

"A friend!" Maina hurriedly said with a nervous smile. "A bit confused, a little lost, and she can be a pain, but she's a friend. And definitely someone who doesn't deserve to be thrown away to rot like some people would want to do with her. Trust me on this." Azula gave a bit of a glare at the "lost" description, but she wasn't in the mood to get into an argument right now.

It helped that Kori seemed to calm down a bit, trusting in the stranger's judgment and…giving the Princess another one of those maddeningly sympathetic looks she's been getting a lot recently.

"Then…what are you doing here? I heard you were lost out at sea near Odo Island."

"It's…a long story. Just know that I need to warn my brother against doing something stupid that could kill us all."

"Or we could be on our way to a certain island right now…" Azula elbowed Maina in the arm, not really in the mood to get lectured about how she needed "help" at that particular moment.

Thankfully the priest's little aside went right over Kori's head. "Trust me. Your brother is causing enough problems as it is."

"What do you mean? Fire Lord Zuko said he was going to bring honor back to the Fire Nation, didn't he?"

"Look, it…probably would be better if I just showed you," Kori told Maina, waving for them both to follow her. The two girls exchanged a confused look before falling in step.

The noble teen led them through what looked like the marketplace, with business owners and customers mulling about. "Notice anything off?" Kori asked. Azula's eyes took a moment to spot what she was talking about. Granted it was hard to spot, but once she noticed the first signs, she started seeing it everywhere.

Shops that were owned and manned by Fire Nation merchants were more ornate and flashy when put next to their Earth Kingdom counterparts. Sure the former wasn't entirely new for Azula. She'd seen plenty of business owners flaunting their wealth back at Caldera. Yet the contrast was stark between those shops and the less well-kept stores manned by Earth Kingdom citizens.

It wasn't just in store decor either. All around, she saw the typical crimson and flowing robes of Fire Nation nobles, symbols of wealth and success. Yet compared to the more drab and subdued Earth Kingdom shoppers, the gap was hard to ignore. Sure there were quite a few Fire Nation peasants who looked a bit on the poor side, but Earth Kingdom nobles were nonexistent.

Looking all around, Azula almost stopped when she saw a shoe-shining booth where an Earth Kingdom worker was shining the shoes of a Fire Nation noble. The noble's grey hair meant he had probably lived here awhile. Could've easily had ties with some of the old blood that conquered these lands.

Azula blinked. It wasn't the dynamics here at work that gave her pause. It made sense that the Fire Nation would be on top since they had succeeded in taking the land. Obviously, the Earth Kingdom didn't deserve it since they couldn't defend their land and citizens properly.

What got her though was…Zuko promised that things were going to get better. That there would be peace and understanding and no more conflict. So…why was somebody who got here through conquest still on top?

"Yeah. I thought he was telling the truth as well. The thing is, they're kicking all of the Fire Nation nobles out of the other colonies, but not here. I'm hearing it's the same story with the other old territories," Kori bitterly explained.

A thought just occurred to Azula. "Hang on. You're a noble. Why's it you're protesting your father being here?"

"My father's Fire Nation. My mother's Earth Kingdom. I've…got roots in both places."

Ah. A mixed marriage, Azula thought to herself. It wasn't unheard of out here in the colonies for the two to mix, but it wasn't exactly smiled upon back home. Sometimes they did it for political reasons to keep the peace with the natives. Sometimes it was for love. While she didn't understand it herself, she wasn't exactly one to look down on those who made such choices. It was an unavoidable consequence when cultures interact.

"Okay. I get that part. But why would you side with those who'd want you and your father gone? He's the reason you have a decent upbringing instead of being with the rabble after all," Azula pointed out. Turning against one's father was downright alien to her. After all, they were the ones who shed their blood for the Fire Nation. It was their duty to uphold their honor.

She would know. Father was the reason she was such a great firebender, and made a name for herself.

Kori on the other hand had a different opinion. "I'd rather side with rabble than those who have the guards in their pockets. And I'd rather call here home than go back to a country that almost killed us all during Sozin's Comet," she bitterly spat out. Azula's ears picked out how…rehearsed this was. Clearly, it wasn't the first time she'd given this speech.

Thought it was what she also said that got Azula's attention. "Hang on. Sozin's Comet?! Why would the Phoenix King want you dead? You were loyal!"

Both Maina and Kori stopped dead in their tracks and looked her in the eye. "You…you don't know?" Maina asked.

"Well…I wasn't with the fleet. I had…issues of my own. But I do know that the plan was to position the ships in the areas with the most resistance and put on a display of force to burn any hope they had to the ground." She should know. It was her idea after all. She even detailed the areas where they could make the most impact within the time given to them with the least amount of effort.

Kori and Maina exchanged glances. "You really don't know?" Kori asked.

"I…admittedly wasn't in a position to hear."

…

"Come with me, you need to see something." With that, Kori walked on, leaving Azula befuddled. The Princess looked to Maina for some explanation, but she just shrugged before following the rebel. However, there was something in her eyes that told Azula that she knew something she didn't.

Curious, Azula fell in behind both. A part of her felt like she needed to see what they knew.

Outside of Yu Dao

It was a bit of a hike, but they got to where Kori wanted to bring her during the early afternoon.

Azula stopped in her tracks and gawked at the scorched earth before her.

There were burnt trees and the hollowed husks of housings as far as the eye could see. Where there were fields were just dead fields of burnt ash. Nothing seemed to be living out here.

"What…how…this…Father did this?" Azula asked no one in particular. Maina and Kori just gave solemn nods in response. "We…we were supposed to burn down the Earth Kingdom's hope…"

"Did he say 'hope' or just 'burn down the Earth Kingdom'?" Kori pointedly asked.

Azula felt…uneasy. Yes. He did say that. And she didn't think much of it at the time. Even if he was serious, there had to have been some reason to escalate to this level. Sure it meant scorching loyal citizens but…

For some reason, her mind flashbacked to the destruction of Odo Island, seeing an entire village reduced to rubble and good Fire Nation men and women getting crushed. Now it occurred to her that her father wanted to do the exact same thing, but now to an entire continent.

It made her feel…uneasy.

"I can't go back to that legacy. And I don't care what the new Fire Lord said. He decided to take the mantle of Fire Lord, so he gets the legacy behind that title. Wouldn't be the first time his line decided to butcher everyone around here after all."

Yes. The initial invasion into the Earth Kingdom territories spearheaded by Fire Lord Sozin himself. Azula knew the history. She still didn't understand why Kori would place her mother's country before of her father's…but she did understand why she wouldn't be fond of her brother. Odd that they'd find common ground in that fact.

And it made her more uneasy when she realized that there was a chance that this could happen again.

"Well, there's a chance he might get everyone killed here," Azula murmured.

Now it was Kori's turn to ask, "What are you talking about?"

Looking at each other, Maina and Azula told Kori everything that had transpired at Odo Island. The pain, the amount of death. And of the great beast responsible for it all.

"Godzilla? …I thought he was just a legend."

"So did a lot of others," Maina sadly mused. What caught Azula's attention though was Kori's apparent familiarity with the name given how casually she said it.

Her look of confusion was caught by the rebel. "There's a depiction of him at our local temple. Did you want to see it?"

"Yes." Azula let the local lead the way. That name. Her mind kept saying it over and over again. It wasn't just the chaos from Odo that was practically painted in her head, thought that had a lot to do with it. For some reason, she felt like she needed to know more. More about something that seemed to defy any known logic and threw everything she knew about the world upside down.

And the blue fire…she couldn't forget what she saw both in the shrine and during the monster's rampage. What did they mean by the "Wielder of the Sapphire Flame"? She had a lot of questions. And when Princess Azula wanted answers, she got them. Sooner or later.

A/N: Happy late Thanksgiving! Sorry I couldn't post this sooner since holidays kept us busy, you know? I'd like to thank Selpharia again for beta reading.

Now, for the chapter. A key aspect of a few Godzilla movies is that we often see the carnage and the aftermath left behind by a rampage. After the excitement and awe-inspiring destruction is down, we see the actual damage and death toll. Granted it's not universal since a lot of the later movies. And since the effects of war and conflict are a key aspect of Avatar: the Last Airbender, I figured this would be one aspect that would have some synergy.

Also, I hope my Kataang moment did the ship and both characters some justice.

Anyways, we finally get Maina's backstory. As I hinted before, I took her basic character beats from the Godzilla anime trilogy as one of Mothra's priestesses (who WILL be appearing later on if you couldn't tell). I wanted to give some plausible reason for why there would still be airbenders around, but also make it clear that the Air Nomads are wiped out. And they're a small population, so it's not like they're ready to leap onto the world stage. I wanted to make sure that the events of Sozin's Comet still had some weight to them.

Naturally Azula's resistant to Maina's suggestion cause at this point she's still in denial about having a problem. It's something she struggled with in the series since she still kept pursuing Ozai's affection when there are hints that she knows his love is hollow. If there's anything she's good at, it's lying to herself.

Then we get to Yu Dao…now this and Kori I lifted from the comics (although the geography is a little different). How the plotline regarding the colonialists was handled in The Promise really bothered me a lot. Particularly since it felt like it fell under the "oh we brought prosperity to the natives" that so many colonialists used. And that scene of the Earth Kingdom citizen shining the Fire Nation man's shoes? That's adapted straight from the comic, which in turn was based on Hong Kong Chinese citizens shining white men's shoes.

This is stuff I'm going to be tackling and sort of deconstructing in this leg of the story.

Which brings us…to Zuko.

I'll admit, I'm not a huge fan of Zuko. I felt that he was completely butchered in the comics and was turned into a wannabe tyrant without being called out on it. It's why I so hesitant on writing this fic cause I DON'T want to turn this into a Zuko-bashing thing. Especially since he's the one saying that "things are so much better that the Fire Nation is here" during The Promise and manhandled Katara from attacking colonialists who WERE keeping the natives down. Basically, he was Gene Yang's author avatar and…I did say this was comic-critical. I'm gonna try and keep his portrayal somewhat nuanced, but he's…not going to be seen in the best light for the next few chapters. Just warning everyone ahead of time.

Finally, we get Azula's reaction to Ozai's scorched earth plan. I think she would go along with it since it's Ozai calling the shots and it would be inconceivable for her to turn against him, but I don't think she would be affected by the mass deaths. Especially not after Odo or the prison ship. Think of this as her first wake-up call.

Anyways, thank you all for reading. Make sure to leave a comment to share your thoughts. Favorite and follow if you want to see more. And as always, have a great day and hope to see you next time where we get to see what Kori was talking about and what exactly Zuko has planned for Godzilla. Take care for now!