The Monsters We Create

by Orca2015

The Fire Lord is defeated. The war is over. But a hundred years of conflict has taken its toll. As the world takes its first tentative steps to peace, ancient things have begun to awaken to wreak their vengeance. For the Avatar, the war is won. For the Princess of the Fire Nation, the war is lost. Both are now faced with things they could not believe. A world ruled by monsters.

22. Eyes in the Dark

Avatar: The Last Airbender and all associated characters are owned by Paramount Global. Godzilla and all associated characters are owned by Toho Studios. Please support the official release.

---

Yu Dao,

Fire Nation War Camp

"Azula! Something's happening! Wake up!"

"Ugh. Just five more minutes," the Princess grumbled, turning onto her side in her sleep.

THWACK!

"OW! By the Frozen Pits, what was that for?!" Azula protested, referencing a rather unpleasant biome of the Spirit World, which no self-respecting firebender wanted to end up. It was a cold, dark place far from Agni's grace. By all descriptions, it wasn't too different from being in the dark of night outside their tent.

A fact Maina so rudely ignored when she leaned against that cursed staff of hers. "Waking you up before one of our guards sticks their head in here to get our asses moving."

Right on cue, Ming poked her head into the tent. "The Iron Maws have been spotting marching our way. So the Fire Lord wants everyone up and moving. That means you girls too."

"Whatever happened to 'rising with the sun'?" Kori grumbled.

"You're not exactly in the Academy any more kid. Better get with the schedule." Ming stepped back outside before Kori could protest again. Azula on the other hand had already grabbed her brush and was attending to her hair. Unlike her colonist friend, an elite firebender like herself always rose about an hour before the sun rose. She could handle getting up at night. Just give her some warning and no staff knocking her head, and she'd be fine.

Course Maina was the first ready, having dressed in her priestess garb already and practically pacing around the tent for the other two to get ready. How she managed to get up first was anybody's guess. Azula figured it must've been an airbender habit.

"Hang on. Azula…are you still wearing your armor?"

Another habit must've been sticking their noses where they weren't exactly wanted. "We're on the front lines if you haven't noticed. Did they not teach you to sleep with one eye open back on that feral island of yours?" Azula snapped back. She could've been more polite about it, but that's what Maina gets for waking her up so early.

"You've been wearing that armor ever since Aso. Please tell me you at least cleaned it," Maina snarked.

Azula just rolled her eyes, making sure she carefully applied her topknot lest she have to break out her scissors again. "Of course I did. Washed it myself before we went to bed. What do you think I am? One of those traveling vegetable merchants I've heard so much about?"

"More like a girl that constantly sleeps in her armor," Kori observed, adjusting her clothes and getting her weapons together.

Realizing she wasn't getting anywhere, the Princess sighed. "If you must know, it does pay to always be prepared when you're in the Royal Family. Or if you're on the run. Or both."

"We're…not exactly at court you know."

"Then I'm sorry to say, but my family is a bit different. Be thankful that you grew up on an island, Maina," Azula concluded. Nodding to herself that her topknot was in place, she stood up to march outside.

"No offense, Princess, but didn't you talk things out with Zuko yesterday?"

"...not all of them," she told Kori before stepping out in the cold night air. For once, she wanted to be wrong about what she said.

---

A sea of torches illuminated the night. Behind them, the ghostly smoke of burning furnaces billowed from the tank engines. In the absence of the sun, it seemed less like an inspiring strength and more like a groggy dragon glaring at the fools who awakened it. Such a scene was rare in the army of the Fire Nation.

For the Iron Maws, however? A night attack was what wiped villages off the map. This little anecdote was not lost on Azula, who struggled to remain calm. One glance around showed that the army of the Fire Lord had a slight numerical advantage. Yet in terms of tanks and artillery pieces available, they paled in comparison with the Maws. Behind Zuko's forces, the port and buildings of Yu Dao were dimly lit, just barely aware of the potential slaughter that threatened them all.

There was something else as well. The skies were dark. Very dark. It caused the hair on the back of her neck to stand up. She couldn't put her finger on it, but she felt they were being watched. By whom or by what, she wasn't sure. But her instincts were still on high alert. When they were on edge, she had to be on edge.

Still, she remained calm. Taking a deep breath, she noted Kori and Maina at her side. Ming and Lee stood behind them keeping watch, but the Princess knew they couldn't watch in case things went bad. With luck, Azula and her friends could slip through the chaos and maybe get several forces back to Yu Dao. She'd rather have some walls between her and those cannons.

Zuko, on the other hand, had a different idea. There he stood with Mai and Iroh at his side, fully clothed in the regalia of the Fire Lord. He had his formal robes on rather than the extravagant battle robes. No doubt the tailors haven't been able to replace their loss following that idiotic sortie with Godzilla. The fact he was still standing there proudly, almost daring the enemy captain to attack though spoke of either a bluff or another blunder in the making. A few hushed whispers amongst the ranks prayed for the former.

Those words were hushed when a large man marched forward from the ranks of the Iron Maws. He was unmistakably Captain Nojon. While lacking the chiseled physique of many Fire Nation warlords, he certainly made up for it in presence and bravado. Not once did he shrink from Zuko's challenging glare as he stopped right in front of the Fire Lord. Mai and Iroh closed ranks, flanking the captain on both sides.

"Fire Lord Zuko. For a man of peace, you certainly have a way of greeting your guests," Nojon observed. His booming voice carried over the army, each word practically a tank firing.

"It's hard to find allies these days. Feels like you're being surrounded," Zuko parried. Behind him, Azula could see the war council watching his back. She wondered if he was referring to them as much as the war criminal standing in front of him. Still, she had to compliment his good form.

"Then it's a good thing we're not here to wage war on the rightful Fire Lord." With that, Nojon put his fist in his palm and stiffly bowed. His subordinates and army followed after, much to the surprise of everyone.

Nojon continued. "This monster threatens my men as much as it does Yu Dao. I alone cannot stand against such a beast. Therefore, I commit my forces to the command of both you and Princess Azula. May the roar of our tanks deafen the very air together."

Now this is interesting, Azula noted, her eyebrow raised. Nojon was one of Ozai's diehard supporters on the field. Out of all the people in this world, she wouldn't expect him to willingly bow before her brother. And him adding her name into the mix was also quite a pleasant surprise. She did recall her message to the other rogue armies after all…

Zuko on the other hand wasn't so sure. He stood there, sizing Nojon and his forces up, clearly weighing the odds in his mind. Which was rather smart for him, and a bit worrying. Rejecting such an alliance would deprive her of potential forces. And if that were the case, she'd have to play nice for a little while longer. Already the hair was standing on the back of her neck, as if a certain chi-blocker was standing behind her.

Fortunes smiled on Azula though when War Minister Qin stepped forward. "If I might, Fire Lord. We lack the armor and artillery to properly pose a threat to Battra. What Nojon and the Iron Maws are offering would help strengthen our defense further. Particularly concerning recent events."

Zuko looked at him questioningly, causing Qin to whisper in his ear. Whatever news was shared caused his eyes to widen as the War Minister backed off. "Alright. You have a deal," the Fire Lord then declared to Nojon. "I only ask that you take orders exclusively from me. You move when I tell you to. You attack when I tell you to. And I want a list of people under your command who have committed atrocities during the war. We have a tribunal coming up after all."

"Understood," Nojon replied, bowing once more before retreating to his forces. Satisfied, Zuko and his entourage stalked up to Azula and her companions.

"Did you order an attack on Godzilla?" Zuko asked her straight away. Azula paled, seeing not only her brother sizing her up, but Iroh, Mai, and the two guards. Additionally, Ty Lee had emerged from the crowd to back her brother up.

"No I didn't," Azula said carefully. "Why would I put my forces at risk when I put my neck out for them on Aso?"

"...alright. Just wanted to make sure." The tension almost eased up as the Fire Lord began to walk past, before stopping right next to Azula and whispering into her ear. "We just got a report that there was an attack on a patrol boat just outside of Cranefish by Godzilla."

With that, Zuko stalked past, leaving Azula shell-shocked. Ty Lee gave her a worried look as she followed the Fire Lord, before walking away as well.

Her mind was still on the news. Godzilla was on the warpath again? That was impossible. She gave explicit orders for the Fiery Raptors to stand down. Why would they disobey her?

The Princess just realized how thin the ice she stood on was.

A woosh from high above distracted Azula's attention to the skies above. Yet it was so dark that she couldn't make out anything.

"Everything okay?" Maina asked.

Azula couldn't answer. That feeling at the back of her mind still made her wary. For some reason, her mind went back to the mines of Aso. One never knew what lay in the dark when there were monsters about. Indeed if the Abomination or whatever it called itself wanted to keep tabs on what was happening outside Yu Dao, it'd probably want to know where this army came from.

And the words it said. This body here is naught by a mere puppet. Were there other bodies it had? Of course it did, that assassin Zuko interrogated was one of them. Then again, unless it could grow wings and hide in the night sky, there was no way it could've observed them without being noticed by somebody.

…

"No. I…just be on guard," Azula warned. But against what, she wasn't sure. For once, she prayed she was going mad again. The alternative was so much worse.

---

Cranefish Village

"Alright people! We got a kaiju on the way, and that means I'm stuck with you all for a little while! What do ya got for me?" Appa hadn't even fully gotten off the ground before Toph started barking orders. Which suited her just fine. Better be here on solid earth than up in the air.

The first voice that greeted her was the huffing and heavy treads of the Mayor. "We already have the citizens evacuated down into the mines, and we've got enough food to last us for a few days."

Loban then proceeded to guide her to the tunnels and mines running underneath Cranefish. On the way, he proceeded to rattle off on some logistics and yatta yatta yatta. All she heard was just numbers and procedures and would this guy just shut up? Suddenly she was missing Aang. If anybody could handle having their ear talked off, it was him.

It was a relief when the mayor brought her to the mines proper. Now this was her home turf. Toph stamped her foot and grazed her hands against the earthen walls to get a feel for their defensive structure. She was impressed. The tunnels had been expanded and reinforced extensively. Which was good news for her. One thing she didn't miss was almost being buried by a cave-in.

"Guess the earthbenders won't need to hold up the mines as much as before, right?" Toph asked.

"You bet. Now we just need a portion to hold up weak points. And to sense when Godzilla arrives, of course."

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure we'd be able to sense a giant multi-ton monster stomping his way to shore." Behind her sarcasm though, Toph was worried. Two giants duking it out was one thing. Could these mines withstand three? And she couldn't get the last few times she met Godzilla out of her head. Here she was, the best earthbender in the world, and she hadn't been able to slow it down. And she didn't need to be told how Aang's fight with it went. She still remembered how the Avatar, savior of the world, buried himself under a shield of earth to save himself from that beast's wrath.

She felt her heart thumped deep down just thinking about it. And she wasn't the only one who was spooked. Loban's heartrate that spiked as well. "So…with Old Iron and Anguirus up there, you think you'll be needed on the surface?" he asked nervously.

Toph sighed a bit, leaning against the wall of the cave. "Doubt it. Guess you'll have me around for a little while."

A relieved sigh reached her ears. "And you can tell my parents if they want to talk to me about it, they can find me right. Here." She folded her arms and glared right where Loban was standing. She heard him gulp, then sensed the dirt shift as he plodded away.

Toph took a few deep breaths, feeling the firm earth beneath her feet. For amateurs, she had to hand it to Cranefish's earthbenders. The tunnels here were sturdy. Crude, but sturdy.

That's what she needed to be now. Sturdy. Especially as she sensed two more sets of footsteps coming her way. They were lighter, more refined, and distressingly familiar.

"Toph. We're…we're glad you're down here with us," her mother's elegant voice said. Yet her refined tone couldn't hide her nervousness. Not from somebody who got used to growing up in a world of sound and touch.

"Let's get this out of the way. You didn't want me here. You wanted me far away from you and sitting back home waiting for you guys." There was no bitterness in her voice. Just a simple observation of the facts.

A pause hung in the air. "I mean, that would be our wish. But we both know that's not going to happen. Is it?" her father commented. Again, no bitterness.

"You both know I never intended to hurt either of you, right?" Toph said. "I wanted out of the house. Took the first chance I got. Kicked ass. Saved the world. And then I saved both of you guys from Old Iron. Gotta give me that." Her mother jumped a little bit from her crassness, a little flinch that she relished.

"That…is true," her father admitted. The blind girl's eyebrow was raised. Was that admittance in his voice?

Still, she wasn't satisfied with just a hint. "So what is it? Tell me what I'm doing wrong. And don't give me the 'I wish you were different' junk. If that's what it is, then we're through."

Silence, causing Toph to get a little nervous. No. It couldn't be that. Could it? She couldn't believe that her parents could be that shallow. If they were then…what was she supposed to do with THAT?

Finally, her mother spoke. "It wasn't just that. Toph…when we heard about what a strong earthbender you became, we thought you were going to be taken away. Not long before you were born, there was a draft in our village. Every earthbender was called to the army, and the official said we should be proud our children were going to give their lives to the defense of Ba Sing Se."

Inside her head, the truth was starting to crystallize. "The 500 Days…" she said.

"When the battle was over, only a handful returned home. They were said to be heroes, yet they were never the same. The rest of their families only got a letter instead of their sons," Father's voice grimly recalled.

"Toph…" She heard her mother's knees crunch the earth as they knelt to her level. "We knew the Earth Kingdom was getting desperate. There's no telling what the army was going to do when they found you. The thing that kept us up at night was that letter winding up at our doorstep."

"But it didn't happen, so what's the deal?"

The blind girl expected them to say a lot of things. What she didn't expect was both her parents crouching down and embracing her in a tight hug. "We just don't want to lose you again," her father muttered. "I…never told you how proud I was for saving us from Old Iron. I was…too ashamed. Both of us were. It was only when you left again that we realized the truth."

"We don't want to lose you again, dear. It's just, we don't know what to do. What can we do to convince you to stay?" Mother choked out, tears falling on Toph's shoulder.

Toph stood stiff. How badly she wanted this to happen, yet now that it did…

She hugged her parents back. "I can't guarantee I'll stay, but…this is a good start." There was a lot of emotions in her heart. Anger. Shock. Fear. And there were so many things she wanted to say as well.

For now, she just sunk into their embrace. Even if it wasn't perfect, it was what she needed right this moment. The earthbender could let the mushiness slide if the hope for forgiveness was there.

---

Yu Dao,

Fire Nation War Camp

Zuko resisted the urge to burn down his tent. He settled to just slam his fist on the table. "Dammit! Just when I was giving her the benefit of the doubt-"

"Zuko, listen. I don't think Azula had anything to do with this."

"Really Mai? Her troops fired on Godzilla and you're defending her now?" Zuko asked. This had to be some sick joke. Just when he thought they were making progress…

Okay, there were still some hurdles to work out, he silently admitted. Even he could admit that their chat last night was somehow both a step in the right direction and a burning wreck. Already he was asking himself where he went wrong. Was it asking for an apology? Well okay, that was a bit forward, but he still felt he was owed one. Maybe it was something about his apology. That didn't make any sense either. Why did he have to apologize entirely for everything he did? It was like apologizing for speaking out at that war meeting.

Mai on the other hand remained as cool as ever. "Think this through. Why would she do something this stupid? She probably knows most of all how dangerous that thing is."

"You're thinking then that some of her men did this?" Iroh asked, standing on the other side of the tent across from Mai. Following that bombshell Qin dropped, they needed a little privacy to figure things out. His sister and her cronies had been taken back to their tent to wait for the morning. As for his council, he didn't know where they were but there was no way he was having this discussion with them.

"I never said that. I'm only saying that I don't think Azula would do this. So unless Godzilla went berserk for no reason or there's another one out there we don't know about, we're going to have to assume somebody set him off."

Iroh stroked his beard in contemplation. "This could be an opportunity for us. But…you're not going to like what I'm about to suggest."

Both the Fire Lord and his lover exchanged glances. They didn't like where this was going, but they needed an idea. Zuko gestured for his uncle to go ahead.

"If Azula's forces attacked Godzilla, then she bears responsibility. This is what we've been waiting for. We can arrest her on charges of defying your orders, Fire Lord."

"Wait a second! For all we know it could've been one of ours! We'd be arresting her on bogus charges!" Zuko yelled. His opinion of Iroh was sinking by the moment. He was willing to put Azula on trial for stuff they both did during the war. Yet at least those were things they did and he could take some responsibility by placing one of them on the stand. This on the other hand? This was going too far.

Iroh held out his hands and spoke calmly. "Zuko, listen to me. Regardless of your feelings towards her, Azula is a rival to the throne and has an army behind her. We need to get her out of that position at any cost. Even if she does want to change for the better, those forces might not exactly give her the back down now. They want a conqueror, not a girl."

Now at another time, Zuko would've been willing to listen. But his thoughts were confused and tangled up inside. "Uncle, I was able to have a somewhat okay conversation with her yesterday. How can I just stab her in the back when I got that far?!"

"Then don't, and see what happens. Or do you want her shooting you with lightning again?"

"Iroh, back off," Mai warned, getting between the two. "It might be easy for you to throw your niece to the wolves, but you're asking this of her brother. Have the guts at least to do it yourself this time."

Her words managed to strike harder than one of her knives ever could. To Zuko's shock, Iroh shrunk a bit and looked taken aback. He looked away, unsure of how to respond. For a wise old man, it wasn't like him to be put on the back foot.

"Uncle…I understand what you're saying, but I still want to try and build that bridge up. I'm going to give her a chance. Maybe Mai's right. Maybe it wasn't her fault. But if she tries anything, I'll-"

"No. I'll deal with her," Iroh declared, the warmth in his voice had gone. "If your firebending isn't working right, I'll fight in your stead."

Mai and Zuko exchanged glances. The Dragon of the West. Currently the best firebender in the world. As good as Azula was, there was no way she stood a chance. "Alright. Just don't kill her. I'm begging you," Zuko asked. He couldn't help it. As bad as things were between them now, he couldn't just let her die.

His words hung in the air, causing Iroh to sigh. "I'll try not to. I just hope you know what you're doing."

"Me too," Zuko admitted. Silently, he took the crown of the Fire Lord out of his hair and gazed at it for a moment. All this talk of backstabbing and putting Azula away. Was it worth any of this just to hang on to this crown?

The golden gleam reflected his image, showing the bags under his eyes and the scar marring his face. He had been wanting to be Fire Lord for so long, and yet it seemed like he was sacrificing more and more just to keep it. Was it the gravity of the situation sinking in on him?

Or was it something else? He remembered what that prisoner told him yesterday. About this crown being bathed in the blood of the world. How badly he wanted to wash it clean. But was the way through more blood? There had to be some way out of this. Some way where he could bury the hatchet and be the Fire Lord he knew he needed to be.

The crown though gave nothing. Just showing how tired and ragged he had become.

---

Somebody attacked Godzilla.

Somebody attacked Godzilla.

Azula felt like bashing her head in from the sheer stupidity on display. The only reason she hadn't was that she needed to throttle whoever gave such an idiotic order. Was SHE the only one who had any sense these days? Her. The mad girl who had a breakdown somehow had more wits about her than men in charge of an army.

"I mean, we don't know if somebody attacked him. Didn't he attack Aso before anyone set him off?" Kori reasoned as if somehow there was something logical in this whole debacle. Thank Agni they were back in their tent instead of out in the open. The last thing they needed was for somebody to pass them and wonder just what the hell they were doing.

So for now, the duty of reason fell on her. Again. "For the last time, he attacked the ship that was carrying me for invading his territory. I don't know about you, but I'd want a piece of somebody who tried muscling their way into my home. No. One of my men did it. Trust me."

"And how can you be so sure it was one of ours?" Maina pointed out. "I mean, you did give explicit orders not to engage him."

"Well clearly, I didn't get the message across!" Azula paced around the tent, her mind racing faster than one of Ty Lee's punches. Something she was afraid was going to come any second now. It was all falling apart. This was exactly the sort of thing Zuzu needed to put her away. And where WAS he? Was he holding Uncle Fatso back from laying a smackdown to make her sweat?

Azula, you're not thinking straight! Why would Zuko-?

Something snapped as she heard Mother's voice try to console her. She marched over to the front of the tent and poked her head outside to the two guards standing watch. "You two. Why didn't you arrest me?"

Ming and Lee looked at each other at both being taken off guard, and out of confusion. "Uh, no offense Princess, but this whole thing doesn't sound like something worth arresting you over," Lee carefully explained.

"Plus, you don't seem like you're guilty," Ming pointed out.

"Oh! And what made you an expert in guilt?!"

The elite firebender shrugged. "You pick up on a lot of things guarding prisoners."

"GAH!" Azula growled before stalking to the corner of the room so nobody could see her face. Desperately she tried to get it under control, to slow her breathing and calm the fire in her soul. Yet she couldn't help but think about Ty Lee storming in, paralyzing her, and dragging her before her brother in chains. It happened before. It could happen again. What else should she expect from Zuko of all people?

"Azula…I don't think this is something you should be stressing out over this much about."

"SOMEBODY has to take responsibility, Kori. I promised if any of my men wavered, I'd face judgment," the Princess reiterated.

Kori though stood her ground, facing the prodigy's wrath. "Or if it was one of ours, we can hand him over. You did everything you could to prevent this, and it's not like you're dodging responsibility. This is what leaders do."

"Of COURSE there was something I could do!" Azula roared, letting out all of her frustration and just not caring anymore. "I could've stayed to make sure my men were loyal! Things like this don't happen when you're careful! I got sloppy, and now we're all paying for it! One mistake, one lapse of control, and you lose EVERYTHING!"

She felt the fire within burning white hot through her veins. When the fury left her heart though, Azula's legs buckled. All that rage had found their outlet, and she couldn't be any more ashamed. Again, she lost control in front of the last people she wanted to hurt. It didn't matter if they knew what they were getting into, that wasn't any excuse to lash out. Yet lash out she did. And any minute now, they were going to walk through the flap of that tent and leave her here all alone. It's what she deserved after all.

Maina kneeling and hugging her most assuredly wasn't what she expected. "This is what happened leading up to Sozin's Comet. Wasn't it?"

…numbly, she nodded.

"Look Azula. I get that you're not happy about what happened. Who would? But you're being way too hard on yourself," Maina consoled. "Sometimes you need to accept that there are things in this world far out of our control."

"How can you be so sure? Control is the only thing that kept me breathing for so long. Anything less…well, you all know what happened with Zuzu."

The priestess bit her lip, mulling over Azula's words. "I mean, yeah. Look, whatever things were like back at your home, they're not the same here. Kori and I? We care. And I think that's a step above whatever you had before."

Azula scoffed. "Right. It's not like we have a Fire Lord hovering over our shoulders watching our every step. You ever wonder what's going to happen when my brother decides we're not useful anymore?"

Kori, who had been silent since Azula's outburst, just rolled her eyes. "Oh come on. I don't think he's as bad as Ozai."

"He's got a grudge against me and dangled me over a cliff. Say what you will about Father, at least he only got angry when you failed him. Zuko doesn't even have the patience for THAT."

"So how come we're here and not in some cell right now?" the rebel pointedly asked.

Azula…didn't have anything to answer that. Instead, she slumped down defeated as the realization was setting in. Paranoia. Yes, there was plenty of that during her breakdown. And now it seemed to be happening all over again. Her world almost went sideways. No, this isn't happening. This isn't happening! She screamed internally. As if somehow pleading to herself would make her calm.

But her body knew better. Shaking palms. Hitching breath. Quivering eyes. Already she felt chains tying her down like an animal, ice stealing her breath, Zuko just stood there watching while she bawled her eyes out-.

Her panic seized when she felt two pairs of arms wrapped around her.

"You know we're not going to turn our backs on you. Right?" Maina asked.

"Like I said. We'll tie us to your backside if we need to." Azula snickered a little bit from Kori's barb. Granted it was a bit stiff and a little forced, but her friend deserved that much. They both did. Awkwardly, Azula embraced them both back, wondering if this was just one more hallucination.

"Lady Kori?"

With that, the vision was shattered. Kori withdrew from the embrace as she stood up at attention to the soldier who entered the tent. "Yes sir?"

"You've been requested to join your father at his manor in the city," the soldier reported. Azula felt her heart plummet. She knew this was a possibility ever since their little skirmish yesterday. Yet now?! NOW?!

Kori could already see what was going on, already kneeling by her. "Listen. It's only going to be for a few days. And I think he just wants me away from the battle. I'll be fine.

"Besides…" she leaned in close to whisper in Azula's ear. "I can let him know who the real enemy is. That and I can keep him distracted from doing anything stupid."

"Clever," Azula whispered back. "Just…be safe. Alright?"

"No problem. I'll get back to you soon when I get a chance. Good luck with that kaiju of yours." Kori then gave one last embrace. The Princess returned it, savoring it. Funny. She hadn't known her for too long and she most assuredly didn't see eye to eye with the rebel on a lot of things. Yet she couldn't deny there was something to the young Morishita that drew her in. Maybe somebody she could call a friend.

Azula just wished Kori was there waiting when she got back with that thing on the loose.

So, reluctantly, the two pulled back. And Azula watched someone who had her back when she felt at her lowest, walk away with the guard. The hole in her stomach was opened just a bit wider.

"You alright, Azula?"

"...no. I'm not," the Princess told Maina, telling the truth as if it could make it any more palpable.

---

Children of the Sun Camp

Somewhere east of Yu Dao and Cranefish

Appa sat down nervously on the earth, with everyone on his back making ready for a brawl. They saw the campfires in the distance and now there was the fluttering banner of the Fire Nation everywhere in the first rays of the sun. Sure they looked Fire Nation, but these soldiers were operating outside of Zuko's influence. That meant that things could turn very ugly if somebody acted stupid.

Naturally, that meant Aang was the first to hop off the sky bison's back and hold his hands up. All around him were soldiers clad in red armor. Most of them were standard infantry with an assortment of weapons being aimed right at them, though he could see a few firebenders in the back poised for action.

One of those firebenders broke off from the crowd and strode to the frontline of their formation. "Avatar Aang?" she asked, her mask causing her voice to reverberate.

Cautiously, Aang nodded. "That is correct. And I don't believe I've had the pleasure of meeting you."

Dutifully, the firebender lifted her mask, revealing a rather weathered-looking face underneath. "Name's Lieutenant Kiriko. Well, technically 'captain', but I'm the senior officer around here."

"A woman in charge? That's…kind of rare for the Fire Nation," Suki commented.

Kiriko shrugged. "Well, it helps that all of my superiors either were killed, got themselves captured, ran off to banditry, or were handed over to local authorities to keep them off our backs. Sort of helped out on the last one. Didn't want some idiot getting us all killed over what their definition of 'honor' is," she explained, counting off the reasons why she was the one in charge.

"Hey, that means less work for us," Aang quipped, hoping to break the ice a bit. Then he walked forward and reached out his hand for a shake. Kiriko stared at his gesture for an uncomfortable amount of time before reaching out and stiffly shaking it.

"Uh…thanks. We honestly thought you guys were going to try and arrest us or something."

"Only if you try anything. You wanted clemency, you got it. Abuse it, and we're going to have problems," Katara declared, walking up to the lieutenant and crossing her arms.

"Believe me, we've got no intention of crossing you guys. Had our fill of doing dirty business to last a lifetime." Waving them all over to follow her, she led them through the lines of soldiers. The tension was still there, but the weapons were lowered just a bit.

Marching out from the men, Kiriko brought them through the tents of the camp. Many of them were standard-issue army tents with all the essentials a soldier could need. But there were others too. Ones that were more well-furnished than one would expect from what was essentially an insurgent force. The reasons came waltzing out of the tents, all decked in fine robes with their families in toe. Some of them gave Team Avatar the evil eye. Others kept on a mask of neutrality. Others still looked at them with fear.

"The refugees," Imana realized.

"I wouldn't call them that," Kiriko corrected. "These folk aren't used to being ordered around."

Seeing all of these nobles coming out to gawk at them made Sokka realize something. "Wait a second. I thought the Earth Kingdom was supposed to escort them to the colonies. Not you guys. Uh, no offense."

"None taken. As for your question, being led out by their enemy would be considered a huge stain on your honor in some circles. Helps they have deep pockets."

"Wait. You're doing this for the money?" Suki asked.

"Money for food and supplies. Plus these are our countrymen we're talking about. We're not just going to stand around and leave them out in the cold," the lieutenant explained. Aang…couldn't see the fault in that logic. Well, not from his philosophy. The thing was he had to get into the head of a Fire Nation citizen if he were to make peace with them. Sneaking into that school was the first thing, and Zuko's rantings when he was chasing them told the Avatar all he needed to know about honor.

That also meant Katara had an opening. "So why didn't you submit to Zuko and pull out?"

Kiriko sighed. "Long story. Let's just say coming back into the fold is the last thing on my men's mind. Not after Yu Dao." Her comment stung a bit harder than was intended. Yet Aang knew exactly what she was talking about. Who'd come back to their country when their leader made such a cataclysmic mistake? Sure he liked Zuko, but even he could see that the whole thing was a mess.

"Look, he wasn't the only person there," Sokka said, jogging over to the lieutenant's side. "I helped put together the battle plan. If anybody's as much to blame for that mess, it's me. So if you want to take it out on anybody, take it out on me."

"That's…unexpected. And appreciated. But it's less us being mad at Zuko and more thinking about our well-being. Besides, you drew it up. He executed it. Would you be willing to follow somebody who'd pull a stunt like that?" Kiriko asked.

"...fair point."

"Well, now you know." She led them further into the camp, eventually coming to what looked like the insurgents' council tent. Momo spread his wings and leaped off of Aang's shoulder, probably to try snarfing down some fruit from the surrounding jungle.

The jungle. Those dark green leaves loomed rather forebodingly with strange bird calls echoing from within. Now Aang was no stranger to jungles. Yet there was something wrong with this particular patch of jungle. As if a dark haze had fallen over it and smothered it. The sun's rays didn't even touch the skies it was that suffocating.

There was something else too. Deep within, there was a shape. A shadowy figure that blended in so well that the Avatar could only see a vague outline of the thing. All he knew was that it was big. Maybe about as big as Appa.

And it seemed to be looking back right at him…

"Fair warning to all of you, we've got only a single guy who's seen where we're going to be scouting out. Didn't want to commit any of my guys without knowing what we're dealing with."

Aang raised an eyebrow at the lieutenant's words. He suddenly realized his attention was diverted and snapped back to where he saw the thing. Yet the outline was gone. The feeling of being watched was gone. He wasn't sure to be concerned or relieved, but there wasn't much he could do for that at the moment. "Okay. What's the warning for?"

Kiriko sighed. "Mainly because our intel guy ran into your group before. Take that for what you will."

She raised the flap of the tent. Showing a rather familiar bald man with a ponytail waiting there for them.

"Avatar Aang? Truth be told, I wasn't expecting our paths to cross again," Colonel Mongke greeted.

Seeing the leader of the Rough Rhinos and somebody who quite literally burned down villages caused Team Avatar to freeze.

Naturally, Kiriko quickly got between them and the war criminal. "Okay, now I know what this looks like-"

"Are you kidding? That guy almost burned down Chin Village! We're willing to work with a lot of crooks, but him of all people?!" Katara snapped back, her hand reflexively reaching down to her sealskin pouch. Aang put his hand on her shoulder, but he was just as disturbed as she was.

Mongke stared at them rather quizzically. "And yet you're willing to call yourself allies of the Dragon of the West. My superior if I recall correctly. Fascinating how you're willing to support one monster and not another."

"Iroh's not a…" The waterbender forcefully wrenched her hand away from the sealskin, willing up every muscle to not lash out with a water whip.

"Point still stands," Kiriko continued. "This guy's seen the inside of that jungle, and that's fine enough. Besides, if he can't exactly try anything in those woods if this monster territory we're talking about."

Her words didn't convince everybody though. Sokka pointed out, "Okay, but I thought all the Rough Rhinos aside from one guy were killed by Old Iron!"

"I slipped away in the chaos," Mongke explained. "My mount wasn't so lucky. That place was a wilderness ruled by many a vicious beast. It was a miracle any of us made it out alive. Luck alone was what saved me."

An elbow to Aang's arm brought his attention to Imana. She nodded a bit discretely over at Mongke. Curiously, the Avatar looked over at the war criminal. Not that he wanted to. Iroh was one thing, he had regret at the very least. Here was a man who desecrated a spirit's grave just to escape justice-

Wait a minute. The way the light played on his eyes. That dark brown turned blue for a second. That…wasn't natural.

"Now I understand that my Rhinos and I haven't been the model example of what a Fire Nation warrior should be. Yet the things I've seen in that place. The people I bore witness to. The world needs to know what's out there. They need to know the threat at their doorstep."

Aang looked up back at him, wondering what he was getting at. "What do you mean people? There are people out there?"

"If you want to call them that."

The Avatar weighed his options. It's true. He couldn't stomach the idea of cooperating with somebody like this. Yet was he even the same person who crossed paths with them not too long ago? Aang remembered what Zuko told him about their problem in Yu Dao.

About the "man" with unearthly blue eyes.

Still, he only needed to hear the people outside to get his answer. Those people, no matter what they thought of him, needed his help. And if he could scout what was waiting for them out there, he could stomach putting up with this man.

"Alright, it's a deal," Aang declared. At the back of his mind though, he felt a part of him scream that he was making a far bigger mistake than he could comprehend.

---

The Ash Fields

"We are waiting for you at the Ash Fields," the letter from the Earth King said. Azula didn't need to be told where this was. All one had to do was look out at the wastes between the camps of the opposing armies.

So that's what this place is going to be called, the Princess mused. All around them was destruction on a scale unimaginable. This was one of the areas that Father first put to the torch during Sozin's Comet. It was also where not too long ago, Zuko decided to take on Godzilla head-on. Indeed, there were wreckages of Fire Nation tanks and artillery littered all over the place. Thank Agni they managed to remove the corpses in the wake of the carnage. At least, the bodies they found.

Tactically it made sense. Here away from their camps, neither Zuko nor King Kuei had an inherent advantage in terms of manpower. Psychologically though, Azula knew well that this place was a reminder of what was coming for Yu Dao if they didn't unite to do something about it. Ironic. The one person who brought the Earth Kingdom to its knees advocated for their cooperation. Then again, she doubted Battra would care much over who came at him.

As for the Earth King, well she was about to find out very quickly. Right up ahead was the area designated to where they'd have their summit. Smack dab in the middle of the Ash Fields. She could see the emerald flags of the King's honor guard emerge from the blackened fields. Before them, sitting behind a stone table bent from the ground was King Kuei himself and his Council of Five. Basically, people who had very good reason to hate Azula's guts.

Quite frankly the only reason she was being dragged along was this whole thing WAS her idea. Not that she could back out even if she wanted to. Zuko had marched her and Maina here along with his honor guard, his own council, and Iroh. Mai and Ty Lee were nowhere to be seen, having opted out of appearing before the people they captured and imprisoned. Well technically the Dai Li did that, Azula just pointed them in the right direction.

Speaking of which, she didn't see any of those wide-brimmed hat-wearing stooges amongst the Earth King's honor guard. Good. It didn't please her to see that buffoon Kuei in power, but she'd be damned if those corrupt snakes were still kept around. She made a mental note to send a discreet letter to the rival monarch of basically everything those Dai Li did so they most assuredly stayed gone. Long Feng kept a lot of notes on his potential scapegoats after all.

Whatever the reason, she felt glad she only had to deal with one group that hated her rather than TWO groups who hated her. Only so much hate you could deal with at once, you know?

Regardless of her feelings on the situation, she sat down with the others on the stone chairs (also bent out of the earth). Before them was a map of the area surrounding Yu Dao. There were the pieces meant to represent their armies. And there were the figurines. A golden dragon in the sea for Godzilla, a stone soldier and lion turtle in Cranefish for Anguirus and whatever that spirit was, and another stone carving of what looked like some kind of centipede-esque spirit placed to the northwest of their position. No doubt that was Battra.

Well, at least we only have to deal with Battra, Azula noted, trying to find something positive out of Godzilla moving on Cranefish.

Kuei cleared his throat, bringing her attention back to the present. "Alright, before we begin this 'war plan' of ours, I want to know why you've been attacking my scouts."

And with that, Azula groaned in frustration. Really? REALLY? They've got a kaiju on their doorstep and they're talking about those scouts first? Not like she didn't understand why it was brought up since it was pretty serious. But she'd rather deal with a battle that has a very high chance of happening instead of a battle that could happen.

"What I want to know is why you're sending scouts into Yu Dao to begin with." Of course, Zuko had to fall for it. Azula proceeded to pay only half attention to the argument that was going on. Kuei expressed shock that his scouts were escalating the situation. General How insisted his men were preventing violence. Iroh pointed out how both sides were equally at fault and by AGNI this was going on for too long.

The Princess's focus was more on the centipede figure than any of their bickering. Her mind wandered, asking why Battra was on the warpath. Was he attacked? That couldn't be right. Looking at the map, she could see the general route the dark worm had taken. If he was enraged, why hadn't he struck now? Instead, it seemed like he was hanging back from their forces for whatever reason. Like he was waiting for them.

Like…he was waiting for them…

"ENOUGH!" Maina snapped, catching everyone at the table off guard. "I get that the situation in Yu Dao isn't the best, but we've got a kaiju to deal with. Battra's the reason Yu Dao's on lockdown. If the Earth King wants his subjects safe, I suggest we focus our efforts first on the kaiju so we can let their citizens actually step outside and feel a bit safer."

Azula elbowed the priestess. "Nice work, Maina," she whispered.

"Ah. You must be the Priestess Maina," the rather sad-looking General Sung observed, not exactly impressed by the admittedly young native girl. It was okay. Azula wasn't exactly impressed by him either.

"Okay, who invited the savage here? Bad enough we have to rely on dirt shovelers to fight our battles for us." Evidently, Admiral Chan had even less tact than their enemy.

Very well. Azula decided it was time to be the leader she was supposed to have been and rose. "I did. And unless you want to have what's left of your army wiped out, you'd better listen to her. She knows more about this thing than anybody else, so pipe down and don't miss anything.

"Besides. King Kuei's the only person who's got enough manpower to help us stand a chance. I don't know about you, but I'd be a BIT more concerned about somebody who's mulling over whether or not to help you out than what that worm's already decided."

That was enough to shut him up. The Admiral sank and no one was willing to pick up where he left off. "I…thank you, Princess Azula," Kuei cautiously stated. The rest of the generals on the other hand had undisguised looks of hatred. Which was fine by her. They were paying attention.

With the generals placated, Maina took the initiative. "Well, with that out of the way, Battra's not someone to take lightly. He's not as aggressive as Godzilla, but he WILL retaliate when attacked. As for weaknesses in case he does attack, the legends say his hide is heavily armored but his underside is fairly soft."

"What about offensive abilities? We already know he can dig through the earth. He got anything else that can give us a bad day?" General How asked.

"He can shoot lightning from his horn."

"...I'm sorry. What," War Minister Qin stated. Not a question, just laying out the insanity of what Maina just said.

The Priestess held her ground though. "Battra's capable of harnessing the very energy of the planet itself. We're not talking about 'cold-blooded fire' here. What he channels is a lot more mystical. Think of it as being almost like a spirit and you get the picture."

Azula remained silent, a plan forming in her head.

"That settles it then," Qin declared, his eyes turning to the war table. "I propose then that-"

"Actually, I was wondering if Princess Azula would be the one to lay out the plan," King Kuei proposed.

General Shinu scoffed. "Oh really. You'd take the word of a mad woman over some of the most accomplished minds in the Fire Nation?"

"If the brightest minds thought the Drill was a good idea, then I'll take my chances," the Earth King deadpanned.

"Now with all due respect my lord, we are more than capable-"

"And I'd rather take the advice of somebody who has a fairly substantial victory on the field, General How. Trust me, it doesn't make me any happier, but she's the one who suggested this whole thing. Let's give her a chance to speak."

Azula saw through the pleasantries right away. She could see the message in his eyes. Here's your chance to screw up. Whatever happens, is on your head, was what King Kuei said. We're facing impossible odds. How about we pass the buck off on somebody whom we hate?

Well, she was more than prepared to disappoint him. "Alright then," she declared, rising in front of everyone. "The plan I had in mind is based on two core principles. The first, and I want to emphasize this to everyone, we are to allow Battra to strike first."

Iroh's brow furrowed. "Princess Azula, we give it the initiative and we lose our biggest tactical advantage."

"You took the initiative against Godzilla and look what happened," Azula harshly reminded, causing the old man to shut up. "You heard Maina. Battra's armor is too tough. Our biggest priority should be avoiding a direct battle if we can afford it. Engagement should be a last, not first resort. Besides, if that thing wanted to tear us apart, it would've done so already. He's out on our doorstep, so what's keeping him?"

She was referencing how Battra was sighted not too far away from the Earth King's camp of course. With how fast he moved underground, it would've been trivial to practically bury one of his enemies. Instead, he held back, allowing their forces to converge. For Agni's sake, coming out here was a risk in itself if he wanted to catch them with their pants down.

"He's the one who gave us the initiative," Azula summed up. "So that means he's waiting for us to make the first move. We keep him waiting, we could get him to back down with zero loss of life. I've seen it happen on Aso with Godzilla. Don't attack and he'll leave us alone. Attack, and be prepared to sacrifice men and resources. Those are the rules."

The term "men and resources" was aimed at Zuko's war council. Azula knew that "lives" wouldn't work. It certainly didn't for her not too long ago. Yet the efficiency of running a war machine is being threatened. That got their attention. Sure enough, no one raised a voice to argue. She on the other hand was most certainly prepared for some arguments with this next bit.

"Our next priority is to keep a gap in our forces that leads directly out to sea."

"...okay, why would we do that?" Admiral Chan questioned, and not entirely without reason. "Everyone knows you need to keep a solid formation to maintain army integrity."

And here comes the tricky bit. "Not if you know there's another kaiju on the way. Godzilla might not be coming for us, but something else is. Mothra. She's another worm like Battra, though she's on the opposite side in terms of temperament."

A wave of murmurs erupted from both sides of the war table. Maina stepped forward to fill them in on the details, about the sibling-esque nature between the two and the legend of how Battra went berserk and how Mothra put a stop to him. Meanwhile, Azula took a step back, resisting the urge to fidget with one of her bangs. This would be a tough swallow for anyone. Certainly was for her. Though the brief reprieve Maina had granted her wouldn't be left to waste. Mentally, she was rehearsing for her self-admittedly insane appeal.

Once Maina had finished her recounting, there was a pause amongst the council. Finally, Qin leaned forward and said what they were all thinking. "You are expecting us to put our faith in a giant monster?"

Azula stood up. "I know this sounds crazy-"

"You're right. You're downright INSANE!" Qin exclaimed. "You're expecting us to believe that a giant worm of all things is intelligent and can talk down another giant worm?! And even if that were true, what's stopping either one of these things from turning on us?! You saw what Godzilla did to us! We can't rely on a monster like that to save us!"

Everyone was giving her the same look those orderlies gave her back in the nuthouse. Even Zuko and Iroh were taken aback by what was suggested. Yet Azula stood her ground. Around her neck and beneath her chest plate, she felt Mothra's medallion pressing against her heart. Somehow, she knew Mothra was on her way one way or another. And she knew just what to say.

"Okay, fine. Strike first and see what happens. It isn't going to change the fact that Mothra's on her way, and you'll have TWO kaiju to deal with. And for what?! Just to get a chance of maybe killing one of them? Well here's the truth you're overlooking: this isn't going to stop. These kaiju are just the start. So either we come together and hopefully avoid one battle and thus save our strength for when we need it or waste it all away and lose the whole war.

"And if you think these kaiju are just mindless brutes, let me remind you that the Fire Nation used to honor dragons as the teachers of firebending. And doesn't the Earth Kingdom have their Badgermoles as their teachers? If we can trust animals to be smart enough to teach us what we hold dear, why is it such a stretch to believe that these kaiju can be intelligent?"

Nobody said a word. Rather, nobody wanted to. The question and her arguments were perfectly calculated, dredged up from what little she knew of the Earth Kingdom and what she knew was relevant for those meatheads in Father's circle. To question what was true would just be an obvious attempt to tear her down.

Zuko only had this to say. "I'm standing behind my sister on this one. She…tried to warn me once about fighting Godzilla. While none of us can exactly trust her entirely, I can trust her to be honest about this."

After a deafening silence, King Kuei sighed. "Very well. We'll hear what you have to say."

With that, Azula launched into her battle plan. She was careful not to favor one army over the other lest she be accused of keeping the Fire Nation's forces out of harm's way. Didn't want to be lumped into the rest of the warmongers on her side.

For once, Zuko and Iroh looked…almost impressed. It felt odd having her brother be on her side for once. Maybe not proud since she had to feed in what he believed was the Fire Nation's worst vices, but impressed she could get both sides to listen to her. Azula supposed it would have to be the best she could pull together. After all, what could one expect? They wanted peace yet came from war. One needed to see what was true in the present if they desired something in the future. That's what Father always taught her about scheming and getting his nobles under control.

Maina looked impressed, nodding with approval. That was the most encouraging of all. Azula knew she wasn't exactly the best diplomat of peace. If she thought the Princess of the Fire Nation did a good job, that was saying something.

And yet…she felt conflicted. It was a performance, not what she truly wanted deep down. She wanted the Fire Nation in control of the world and to be Fire Lord. Lying was one thing, but this felt like lying to herself. Did she want this? To be in this position?

Her father's voice said no, already chastising her for being so weak. Her mother's voice was more receptive, offering to embrace her if the specter could. And the medallion felt ever warmer.

Which heightened the chaos in her heart even more.

---

Mayor's House,

Yu Dao

The Morishita Estate. Wide. Opulent. Packed brim with enough living quarters, storerooms, and tea rooms to keep a small army happy. Even having outgrown the blissful years of youth, Kori couldn't help but marvel at all the detailing and workmanship that went into constructing her childhood home.

Take the dining room she was seated in, for example. Lush carpets. Fine furniture neatly arranged in one corner of the room. A grand table with plush chairs just to seat three (though one chair was conspicuously absent). The teen remembered how on special occasions, her father would break out an even bigger table to satisfy visiting dignitaries. She also remembered hating those occasions the most since that meant she had to be extra formal and refined than normal.

Being able to relax was the only decent thing she had going for her right now. Granted, the smell of her favorite breakfast almost seduced her to dig in and forget the worries that were raging on outside these walls. "Well go on. Wouldn't want to go hungry on a day like this," her father encouraged, already digging into his meal.

Then she thought about how this food was possible. "I'm guessing the food stores are still stocked?" Kori asked.

A deep, rumbling sigh came from the heavyset man who was her father, his sideburns bristling a little. "It's about all we have left," he explained. "The rest of our stores have gone down into the tunnels below. We had some engineers sent over from the Capital to build our bunker. Won't be entirely like home, but we'll be able to sit out this nasty business in comfort."

Kori knew he meant well. And maybe if she was younger, she'd be a bit more appreciative. Yet she was a teen now. Being a teen meant one started to learn more and more about the world at large. A breakfast that would've seemed sumptuous before made her wary.

"We'll distribute food for everyone else while we're in lockdown. Right?" she asked.

The mayor shrugged, taking a bite out of his eggs. "Of course. If things get a bit loud, we can give some morsels to the masses. We're not exactly jailers to our people now, are we?"

…Kori paused, putting down her utensils. Immediately, her father realized his mistake. "Young lady, you should know he left me with little choice in the matter-"

"Saki would never advocate for violence."

"And yet he lay down the groundwork for those radicals to take power," the mayor rumbled, getting out of his chair and pacing alongside the table. "You don't organize a protest and expect things to always remain peaceful. His arrest may as well have lifted their mask. What I don't get is why you'd vouch for him of all people."

"Because it's not him that's doing the killing. This new leader-"

"Took what was already there and pushed them to the logical extreme. Besides, it doesn't matter a whole lot in the long run. Once the Avatar comes back, this replacement will be behind bars and Yu Dao will know peace. As much as those dirt shovelers can be expected to know of peace of course," her father said with a scowl.

Her patience on the other hand was at an abysmal low. Kori shot right up and gave him a challenging glare. "Father, if Aang takes down this master, the violence is going to start all over again. He's going to be a martyr, the Fire Lord will be forced to keep his troops here, and the Earth King will be pissed that we haven't left already!"

"Then maybe the Earth King will have second thoughts about inheriting this powderkeg of a city if peace means so much to him. At least if there's one thing our country's good at, it's taking violence by the horns." His stony face didn't give her fiery tirade one inch. Of course he wouldn't. One didn't become mayor of Yu Dao by being a pushover.

Try as she might, Kori was forced to look away and gaze out a nearby window to calm herself down. The sun was rising in the east, casting all of Yu Dao in its glow. Funny. Up here the city didn't seem so bad. All the chaos in the streets was hidden by the towering buildings.

A deep sigh came behind her. "Kori, I just want you here safe with me. I was willing to turn a blind eye to your rebellion before, but not when people are being hurt. A father needs to look after his children after all."

"And a daughter must uphold her family's honor." She grimaced a little from that most important lesson growing up. The one thing both of her parents instilled in her ever since she was young enough to understand the words. Not the meaning behind them though. That came after.

"Precisely," her father declared, coming close and rubbing her shoulders affectionately. "And after Mother…I can't lose you too."

Kori went silent. Their mother. The stable rock in their lives. That sudden illness that took her life left an empty hole that hadn't been filled. She wondered what her mother would've thought about her association with the rebels.

Her mind was clear though. "I'm sorry, Father. Things…aren't the same anymore. You grow up, your eyes start to open. Suddenly you're not sure what to believe in and everything changes. Especially family." And by Agni, she didn't want those words to be true. She remembered the days when her father was her hero. Always safeguarding them from any noble that tried to exploit them or their people.

Then she grew up. And she realized who was truly exploiting Yu Dao in the end.

"I…see. If you want, I can arrange a meeting with Saki after breakfast. It's the least I can do," her father offered. Kori felt her throat hitch. She knew when the mayor held some veiled threat or coercion, but there was none there. Nothing at all.

"I'd like that," she concluded.

"Very well. Well, first we'll have breakfast and then we'll pack our bags. Then we can stop by the jail on our way to the tunnels." Right on cue, a low rumble was heard through the house. They knew the earthbenders down below were making the final touches on their defenses.

Soon, she'll be asked to join them. Kori suddenly felt a bit uneasy going down into the depths. That would mean leaving Azula and Maina, and she wasn't sure if she wanted to part ways with the two yet. The timetable was a lot shorter than she anticipated. Especially if Father was that confident that the Avatar could put down the new master. Suddenly she wondered if telling him their enemy was a monster could dissuade him.

She sighed, figuring she might as well get some breakfast in her to figure out her next move. Kori almost turned to leave when she saw a shape high up in the skies above. Or she thought she did. Maybe it was simply a bird or something.

Kori decided to focus her attention on breakfast. Yes, it was a bird.

She ignored how it seemed to be much larger than a bird.

Or how birds don't usually have large, dark, batlike wings.

---

Outside of Yu Dao,

Beyond the Ashlands

For a while, Azula didn't say a word as the army marched. They packed up their camp just a few hours before the sun rose, leaving behind a small detachment to hold Yu Dao. It should've been cause for celebration. After being stuck in a city that hated them, the men of the Fire Lord's army were finally heading into battle. Iroh should've been playing his stupid tsungi horn to raise their spirits.

Yet not one instrument was played. No songs. No fare. Just grim silence, the gears of treading tanks, and the dull rhythmic pounding of thousands of combat boots. They knew they weren't setting forth to conquer the enemy. This foe couldn't be conquered. Godzilla taught them that.

All around, she saw soldiers passing notes around. Final messages made their rounds about how it was an honor serving with them all. She even got one or two herself. Odd. Before nobody would dare approach her. It seems following her humiliation at Sozin's Comet, her status lowered. Didn't matter if she wore royal armor, she was nowhere near the royal procession. She was going under an armed escort of guards (Ming and Lee being replaced by a squadron of royal firebenders). And her hairpiece was gone.

She wasn't a Princess here. She was just another face they were going to see when they all died. Strangely enough, that gave her a little comfort. 'Little' being the key word, she realized how far she'd fallen that she was just another soldier to what should've been her subjects. Seemed like the universe was taking its sweet time rubbing her failures in her face again and again.

Not that she didn't have anything to play herself. Before they left, she sent a message to one of her Fiery Raptor agents who snuck away from the Coalition. Again, there was to be no engagement with either loyalists or kaiju. As for whether the message will get through, THAT remains to be seen.

It did little to quiet the pain in her heart. Kori was gone. She knew everyone was watching her, waiting for any sign of weakness. Minute by minute, it was getting harder to ignore the signs. That annoying strand of hair that kept getting out of place had been left unattended. She even felt her hair knot being looser than normal. Despite all her attempts, there was only so much she could do to maintain the image.

Worst of all, people were beginning to take notice. "You okay, Azula?" Maina asked, walking alongside her as she marched.

"I…no." She couldn't lie. Not to her that knew so much. Nor could she deny a question that was burning on the tip of her tongue. "Maina…do your people have a concept of destiny?"

"Destiny? You mean believing that our lives have some predetermined path that we have to fulfill?" the priestess asked.

"Something like that."

Maina paused for a moment. "I mean, in a way, yes. We do believe in fate. And we do think it's something tangible. I mean, some things are determined when we're born. Who we're born to determines what experiences we'll have growing up. And eventually, everybody dies. Why do you ask?"

The prodigy considered what she was going to say. She recalled what her father said about the order of things in the world. "Well, how do you know who's going to be destined for greatness and who's…not? Uncle always said he was destined to conquer Ba Sing Se and Zuko keeps going on and on about how he was destined for the throne."

"Ah. You're asking how you know what lies in store for you."

"I mean, sort of." Azula wasn't sure of how to even phrase her question. Iroh and Zuko were always so sure of their destinies and how they fulfilled theirs. Hers on the other hand? She never gave much thought to it outside of serving Father.

"That's the thing. Where I come from, we simply don't know. We can guess, but none of us are willing to say 'this is what we were put on this world to do' with complete confidence. Nature can snatch us away at any moment after all. Why should we presume we know things that aren't meant to be fully understood?"

"Sounds like we've got different views of fate it seems. Everyone in my family seems so sure of their place," Azula concluded.

A pause as Maina gently traced her staff in the dirt as they walked. "What about you? You know what your destiny is going to be?"

Now the firebender gulped. "I do. At least, I thought I did. Now I'm not so sure. Like, how did you know you were going to be a priestess?"

Maina shrugged. "Well, my sister and I were always keeping the peace at home growing up. Mom and Dad would get into arguments from time to time. Nothing serious mind you, just standard family stuff. We just learned how to defuse them on our part. Soon it started extending to the entire village. That's when Dad knew we'd be the next priestesses."

"So your father decided?"

"Well, not exactly. We figured we were meant to honor Mothra on our own. He just offered the way and gave us the words to say. And it just felt…good. Not hiding. Settling disputes. I felt like I was part of the community. Heck, when we learned the war was over, I argued we should start reconnecting with people again. I couldn't stay on that island cooped up forever. Arguing with the same people over and over again was driving me nuts.

"That's why I think destiny brought us together. If I hadn't gotten tired of hiding from the Fire Nation, I wouldn't have met you. And, well, here we are," Maina concluded, seeming so sure of herself.

Azula raised a quizzical eyebrow at her assessment. "You said you people don't presume to know your destinies, and yet you seem so sure. Doesn't that seem hypocritical?"

"Not really. I never said what destiny has in store for us after the fact. Only that I know we're meant to be together for some time. I learned it from past experiences, not just making a wild guess or presuming I'm going to be better than anyone else. Know your past to see the future and all."

Know your past to see the future. Azula played with the words a bit in her mind. "I guess that makes sense. Know who you are and know where you're going," she phrased in her own words. "Yet…what if you don't know yourself? What if you're not sure."

Maina's fingers drummed her staff a bit, leaving the Princess in suspense. "Would it help if I said I think what your future can hold?"

Now that caused Azula to scoff. "Really. You know what my future's going to be like?"

"In a way, yeah." The earnestness in Maina's voice gave pause to Azula's snark. Silently, she braced herself as she gestured to continue.

"Azula…you're not going to like this…but I don't think your future lies in the throne."

"...what? After everything, you don't I'm-"

"Let me finish. Azula, why do you want the throne so badly?"

"Why do I want-? Maina, my father gave me one last order. To look after and safeguard our country. I failed that, and the universe has been kicking me ever since for failing that duty. I let Zuko take power. I let that savage get the best of me. My destiny was taken from me just so my brother could live out his at the expense of everyone else. That's why I want the throne." Azula huffed in annoyance. After all this time together, did that backward native not pay attention to what was going on around her?

Her rage was simmering when Maina delicately said, "It sounds like more of what your father wanted than what you wanted."

"Well then, you don't know me at all," Azula spat out. Why did she even bother? What would this hick know about fate? About what she and Father shared? He put his faith in her, the one person in the world to do so. And she burnt it all away in return.

"...what if your fate lies with another?" Maina hesitantly asked, feeling the rage simmer underneath.

"Oh really? Who? Zuzu? Uncle Fatso? Do I have to prostrate myself before them and let them take my bending?" Azula asked sarcastically.

"I was talking about Godzilla."

…

All the rage left Azula when she heard his name. The only thing she had to say was "What?"

"Think about it," Maina argued. "Whenever you follow your father's words, you get weaker. You got angrier, and you suffered. Godzilla on the other hand saved you. Ever since you've been following him, your firebending's been getting better and better. You met Kori, Mothra, and I. Every time you turn away from the throne, you've become better. Why can't you see that?"

"...Godzilla also killed countless people. He almost tried to kill me too," Azula reminded both Maina and herself. The faces on the prison ship. Odo Island. Those bodies amongst the ashes. She couldn't forget those.

"And he spared you, Aang, and Aso Island when he was calmed down. I'm not saying he's not a threat, but I don't think he's evil incarnate either. I think it's just a matter of learning to live with him instead of trying to destroy him."

"Well, we still need to be ready for when he goes on the rampage."

"That's why we build shelters. Trust in each other to pull ourselves out of the wreckage. Learn about him so we can minimize the risk. Technically almost everything on Infant Island can kill us, so why haven't we gone out of our way to wipe them all out?" Maina asked.

"I can't just abandon everyone just so I can go chasing after some monster!" The frustration in Azula's heart rose again. Why was this so difficult for Maina to understand? If she gave up her pursuit of the throne now, that meant giving up on the Fire Nation. Giving up on what made her her! Did that mean nothing?

Maina, for once, didn't pursue the matter. She only stated, "Then maybe you should take some time away and figure out what you want. And it's not like you're stagnating or anything. I did mean it when I said you were getting stronger."

Azula sighed, trying in vain to control her breathing. As much as she hated to admit it, the native girl did have a point. She did feel herself getting more powerful ever since she started focusing her firebending in on herself. Deep down, she felt the blue flame roar to life, filling her veins. Before it was just her heart, not her whole body.

Maybe studying Godzilla and learning about him would make her a far stronger bender. Strong enough to widen the gap between her and her enemies.

But is that what you want? Mother's voice asked.

For once, Azula wasn't sure.

---

Jungles within the Territory of Unique Risk

They trekked through the forest until mid-morning when Team Avatar and their entourage decided to take a quick rest. Stomping around in thick foliage turned out to be a bit more taxing than flying around on Appa, so they needed a moment.

Not that they weren't idle. Sokka and one of the soldiers Kiriko brought with her went up ahead to scout the route Mongke had marked out for them. Now they were just waiting for them to get back. Best thing to do now was hunker down in a thick patch of trees.

For a while, nobody said a word. Aang knew why, listening to the deafening silence around them. This jungle wasn't anything like Anguirus's turf or Infant Island. Those were filled with life, the very air alive with the calls of distant animals. There was nothing here though. Just the occasional chirp of a cricket. It wasn't as though there wasn't animal life here, they did find the track of a mysterious beast now and then.

More like, the creatures of this place were unwilling to venture forth unless it was absolutely necessary. That's what freaked Aang out. He knew nature wasn't exactly kind, but even he was pretty sure no healthy ecosystem should have its entire population paralyzed by fear.

He wasn't the only one who noticed it. Momo was murmuring on his shoulder, trying to hide behind his large ears. Gently, Aang stroked the lemur's back saying it was okay. Maybe he'd be able to convince himself that things were okay. If he hadn't seen that huge shadow earlier…

Looking around, he saw they were all worn down. Katara kept herself busy by playing around with the water in her pouch, but everyone else was silent. Well, he decided it wouldn't do much good just sitting around.

"So…" Aang whispered, leaning over to Imana, "You excited to see those ruins? This technically is airbender history we're talking about."

"I…wouldn't say visiting a bad place for us would be 'exciting', so to speak. Especially since…you know. Kaiju and all," Imana whispered back.

"Oh. Right. Sorry about that." Aang suddenly felt sheepish. Sure, he was a bit excited. A place dating back before the Four Nations? Who'd want to miss out on that? Especially if it were somehow connected with the ancestors of the Air Nomads. It would be like rediscovering a piece of lost history.

So much so that he forgot it may not be exactly a good place for others to think about. Especially if the Infant Islanders remembered a bit more of what happened. Then again, he supposed the Air Nomad elders would've also known. They just never told him about it.

"Hang on a second. You're an Air Nomad?" Kiriko asked Imana. One quick introductory lesson on the history of the Infant Islanders later and the firebender was mostly brought up to speed. "Can't say I blame you for being wary around this place. We've had ghost stories about here for years."

"Really? What kind of stories?" Suki asked.

"Nothing much. Just whole groups going disappearing off into the night. It started as one or two every year or so, but it started to ramp up towards the end of the war," Kiriko explained while adjusting her armor. "Soon we started to give the place a wide berth, but the disappearance just extended to nearby villages."

Katara silently bent her water back into her pouch, causing Aang to rub her shoulder reassuringly. "Mongke, when you were out here, did you see anybody?" she asked.

The Colonel of the Rough Rhinos sighed. "Deep within, yes. I did see people. Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom working together oddly enough. Funny. The one place in the world where people put aside the war and it's in the Storm King's shadow. That's what happens when you live in the presence of gods, I suppose."

"They…were there of their free will. Right?" the waterbender pressed a bit nervously.

Mongke looked her right in the eye. "If you want to call doing their duties without a single word 'free will', then sure."

A shiver ran down Katara and Aang's back. They both knew what that meant. So did the two soldiers, who stared with graven expressions on their faces. Needless to say, everyone was on edge. Especially since they haven't seen a single patrol track or sign of human habitation upon entering the jungle. One figured they come across something by now.

Mongke didn't seem to pay them much mind though as he leaned back. "Though I must admit Avatar. If you want to get the Nations all working together, maybe you'd follow the Storm King's example."

His words caused Aang's attention to snap up and his eyebrows to furrow. "That's not peace. It sounds more like slavery," he pointed out.

The former colonel shrugged. "You know what I'm talking about. Earth Kingdom. Fire Nation. They don't want peace. Sure, some might want it, but that's not what the majority wants."

"I can't just put my foot down and start going into the Avatar State every time I run into some extremist!" Aang protested, his voice ringing out across the forest.

"And yet, that's what you're going to have to do. People won't listen to reason. They need it to be drilled into their mind. You. Kyoshi girl. Let's say one of your followers disagrees with you. What do you do?" Mongke asked Suki.

Taken aback by the sudden turn in the conversation, Suki stammered a bit before rallying. "I talk to them. I want to be somebody they'll look up to, not somebody they'd keep stuff from me."

Nodding, Mongke then turned to Kiriko. "And you. What would you do with a dissertation amongst your men?"

"I'd discipline them. Only so they know where they went wrong and how they can be better. I'm not exactly going to throw them to the wolves," Kiriko pointedly stated.

Encouraged, Aang stood up. "Well, there you have it. Not all of us think force is the only way."

Mongke on the other hand just sneered. "They gained loyalty through being there for their followers. For offering something they wanted and needed. But the world doesn't want peace. And it most certainly doesn't need an advocate for harmony when they forgot what that even meant long ago. No. They want blood.

"Can you give that to them, Avatar?" the colonel asked, sizing Aang up. "If you can give them war, they'll follow you. If you can't, they'll push the issue and you'll be forced to put them down. Either way, conflict is inevitable. Ultimately the choice of where to fight is up to you. Are you willing to do that? To give them the fight when the time comes?"

Aang stared back, almost seeing the blue tint in the rogue colonel's eyes. "I won't be the one who throws the first punch if that's what you're asking," he warned. Whoever this person thought they were, he wasn't going to be intimidated. He faced Ozai. He faced Godzilla. Some bitter war hounds weren't anything compared to the horrors he had to deal with.

They both stood at a standstill. Nobody was quite prepared to get in between the Avatar and a feared Fire Nation commander. It was only the sound of footsteps trampling through the brush that broke the tension. "Hey guys, I just scouted ahead and-okay, and I turn my back for five minutes and you're already at each other's throats?" Sokka groaned.

"It's nothing. We're just having a discussion," Aang managed to get out, finding enough self-control to look away.

Upon seeing her scout having returned with Sokka, Kiriko rose. "How's the path look up ahead?"

Sokka and the scout exchanged glances before the latter sighed. "There's a lot of open ground to cover. If we go out there, we'll be exposed."

"I suggest maybe taking a detour through the jungle so we still have the element of surprise," Sokka suggested. "The last thing we want is an engagement with an enemy force we don't know anything about."

Kiriko scratched her chin in contemplation. Before she could give her answer, Mongke snorted. "It's why we're taking this route to begin with!" he argued. "We take a detour, they're going to be all over us. It seems dangerous, but that's the point! They won't expect us coming from their flank over open ground."

"But if we do that, we'll be at risk of being spotted!" Sokka argued back, wondering why everyone disagreed with every last suggestion he made. He advocates for sticking to the schedule, his friends goof around. He suggests NOT attacking a giant monster unprovoked, they go in fires blazing. Was the Fire Nation allergic to common sense?

Unbeknownst to anyone, Momo's ears swiveled around as the lemur began staring off into the dark woods…

"We haven't seen any patrols though! You think I'd bring you all this way if I knew the path was being watched?!"

Aang noticed Momo's behavior amidst all the fighting, and he began to look in the same direction as the lemur. The dark woods stared back.

In the distance, he swore he heard trees cracking…

"That could mean anything! I'm more nervous since at least we'd know if there were men in the area by now. It feels like we're waking into an ambush!"

"Everyone quiet!" Katara shouted, causing them all to shut up. She noticed Aang kneeling on the ground and feeling the earth. His eyes widened when his palm touched the dirt. Not that it was needed. The sound of crashing trees was coming closer as heavy thuds began rapidly approaching them.

He didn't need much more motivation. "RRRRUUUUUNNNN!" Aang yelled, causing everyone to bolt in the opposite direction of the…whatever it was. Momo did the sensible thing by screaming his head off and taking to the air, flying alongside the airbender and away from the threat.

Said threat was currently gaining ground on them. While they had to bob and weave through the vegetation, it just crashed through them. The snarling and hissing kept them moving. To look back was to give their hunter a chance to catch up. Nobody was that foolish.

Katara on the other hand wasn't deterred. Bending a tendril of water out of her pouch, she wheeled around and sharpened them into lances of freezing ice with a jerk of her wrist. They went flying when she whirled around, all aimed at their pursuer. She wasn't daring enough to risk a glance, trusting her reaction was enough to land her projectiles home. The distressingly familiar sound of ice piercing flesh rang in her ears, confirming some of the lances hit home.

Still, they all ran. Up ahead, the trees began to break up. "We can make our stand in the open out there!" Sokka shouted, the route he scouted still fresh in his mind.

"You heard him men! Once we break through the trees, give this bastard the roaster!" Kiriko ordered her men. Nearby, Aang began to control his breathing. If they needed fire, he was more than ready to turn up the heat.

The moment they broke through the trees, they sprinted a few meters before wheeling around. Kiriko and her men got into position in a semi-circle and took firebending stances. Aang joined along with them, noting how the lieutenant snapped down her skull mask and hid her face. Funny how enemies could become allies so quickly.

Suki, Sokka, and Katara also snapped around. The Kyoshi Warrior whipped out her shield and sword, facing the crashing trees of the forest. "I'll try to see if I can find a weak spot to exploit! No sense in wasting water, right Katara?"

Her allies though stared at her in shock. "That thing's crashing through trees like it's nothing and you want to swing a sword at it?!" Sokka practically shrieked.

"I've got a shield and armor. Trust me, I can handle a big animal up close and personal! Especially when they've got its attention!" She tried not to think about how her definition of a big animal she could handle was relegated mostly to Komodo Rhinos and how this thing seemed a bit bigger than those.

The skies above didn't help things. It should've been midday at least, yet the clouds were so dark and thick that it seemed the very sun was blotted out. As if it was the herald of a great storm.

Still, everyone got into position, watching nervously as the…whatever it was kept charging closer and closer. Just as the final trees crashed into the clearing, the firebenders thrust out their fists and unleashed a torrent of flame (evidently the "Roaster" as Kiriko called it). Together, they formed a wall of fire, big enough to consume their pursuer.

For a moment, they stood in silence, watching the fires crackle and burn. Nothing moved amidst the flames. Had they done it? Was that thing roasting alive?

They got their answer when a large, greenish-gray head snaked its way through the flames. The head itself was…bizarre. Covered in sinewy flesh. Red eyes hungrily regarded them all. Multiple pairs of red-eyes as a matter of fact. A sharp hiss erupted from a maw that was far toothier than it had any right to be.

The thing stalked forward upon a pair of powerful legs with taloned feet. Its head passed right through the flame upon a serpent-like neck, with powerful arms flexing deadly looking claws.

On instinct, Aang and the firebenders let forth another torrent of flame. But the creature snapped forth a pair of powerful bat-like wings and covered itself. The flames washed over its strange scales. When the flames died, patches of burnt flesh and skin covered the wings.

Then the flesh started to pulse and grow. The burns shrunk, and new flesh had repaired the wounds. Snarling, the creature beat its wings and pushed the ashes of the fiery salvo right in their face. They were forced to cover their mouths and eyes to prevent choking on the minute particles.

"What the-? Is that a dragon?!" Kiriko coughed out.

Aang did his best to bend some of the ashes and cinders out of their faces, but their assault had generated a lot of it. "No. This is something else!" Aang answered back once he got some air. Truth be told, he didn't know WHAT it was. Yet he couldn't deny there was something vaguely draconic about it.

He could worry about what constitutes a dragon later though when the beast whirled around. A long tail whipped out behind it, lashing through the choking embers. With almost no air to bend, Aang was forced to stamp the ground and bring up a shield of rocks. Toph probably would've barked why on earth did he just not create a hole to duck into, but he was a little bit too busy for a more advanced technique. The shield itself wasn't particularly tough, but that wasn't the point. Aang just had to time his next stunt right.

Just as the tail was about to crash through his fairly shoddy defenses, the airbender lept onto the shield. The earth shattered when the tail struck, but Aang used the momentum to launch himself clear of the smoke. A spin in mid-air and a gust of wind straightened him out and let him land on his feet. Kiriko and her firebenders didn't have the wind on their side, so they just dove to the ground as the tail snapped over their heads.

The wings of the "dragon" beat once more as it propelled itself up into the air, launching itself at those who remained standing. Aang and Suki dove to the side as the monster streaked past. Katara and Sokka on the other hand weren't so lucky. Their pursuer moved so fast despite its great size that they didn't have time to react. All they could do was gape as its feet lashed out and seized them with massive claws.

"KATARA! SOKKA!" Aang cried out as the monster began to climb into the dark sky with its quarry. His instincts kicked in as he snapped out his glider. Already his mind was thinking of too many ways two of his oldest friends could die. He wasn't losing anybody else.

The two Water Tribe siblings on the other hand were struggling in the beast's grasp. Katara was trying to wiggle her arm out and maybe reach her water pouch, but a sharp cry from Sokka put a stop to her struggle. "He drops us, we're both dead!" he shouted. A look down below on how high they were getting, and Katara realized that he had a very good point.

Somebody else on the other hand didn't get the message. Not that it would've mattered as Momo quickly caught up to the predator and tried gnawing at the toes clutching Sokka. "Momo, I love ya buddy, but could you maybe help when we're NOT holding on for dear life?!" he screamed, panic fueling his words.

It was at that moment that the creature almost seemed to hear what the teen was shouting about and released its catch. Now by this point, Sokka and Katara were seasoned combat veterans. They had fought, survived, and helped end a war that lasted a century. Yet they learned that certain fears resonated deep in the human psyche. One was a fear of being dropped at such a height that you could see your death incoming. Involuntarily they screamed, seeing the earth begin to get closer as they plummeted through the air.

Yet their fate wasn't to die that day. Aang swooped in under them, allowing the siblings to grab onto the wings of his glider and save themselves from their doom. "By the Spirits, thank you Aang!" Katara shouted over the winds.

Her boyfriend on the other hand was straining from the sudden weight he had taken up from his two passengers. "Bad idea…" he muttered, feeling that the best he could pull off was a controlled crash landing.

His concentration was further interrupted when Momo pulled up alongside him screaming. Looking behind, the color drained from his face as the predator was diving after them with that toothy maw wide open.

A salvo of fireballs slammed into the monster's face just in time, letting Aang maneuver safely away from its path. Distracted from its prey, it leveled out and descended back into the earth so it could avoid a crash of its own.

Somebody was waiting for it though. As it landed with a heavy thud, Suki dashed forward as Kiriko and her firebenders fired another salvo. Once more the "dragon" covered its face with those wings, but the Kyoshi Warrior was ready. She ducked underneath where she assumed its heart would be and slashed out with her sword. A spurt of blood and a scream of pain indicated she hit home.

Her satisfaction would have to wait though as the beast pulled back and smacked her away with a swipe of its claws. Suki got her shield out before they could render her flesh, but she was knocked to the ground regardless. Before she could get up though, the thing's massive foot slammed down and pinned her to the earth.

Those unearthly red eyes stared at her, almost examining her curiously. Suki tried to swing her sword to free herself, but her weapon was effectively pinned by one of its talons.

So she glared back, unwilling to give the creature the satisfaction. That's when she saw the wound she delivered close up, flesh being repaired. Suki paled. Such a strike should've been enough to gut a Komodo Rhino. How had its flesh recovered so quickly?

"GET AWAY FROM MY GIRLFRIEND YOU BASTARD!"

A boomerang hit one of the "dragon"'s eyes. Snarling, it turned and saw Sokka charging at it, catching his rebounding projectile in the process. Yet it didn't let go of its prey. Instead, its claws tore through the dirt beneath Suki and lifted her. Both the Kyoshi Warrior and Sokka stopped in their tracks. It was going to crush her in a single stroke before she even had a chance to escape…

Suddenly, a lash of flame-seared the leg, forcing the monster to release Suki. Kiriko dove forward and caught the falling warrior. "You can thank me later!" she barked out as both of them scrambled to their feet and away from the thrashing predator.

"How are we supposed to kill this thing?! We've been hitting it with everything we've got!" one of the scouts dejectedly exclaimed. Nobody bothered to correct him. They just backed up as their hunter regained its footing. Indeed, nothing seemed to stick. Burnt flesh was repaired. Spilled blood was sown back in. How was one supposed to defeat such a beast if they couldn't hurt it?

That's when Aang saw the dorsal spines on its back. Inwardly, he paled.

"I found the cave! This way before the Servum rips you to pieces!" Mongke's voice rang out. Aang's thoughts were dashed for the moment, forgetting that the Colonel was there. Indeed, everyone lost him in the chaos. But those thoughts would have to wait for now. A more primal instinct had taken over as they dashed to where Mongke was.

They ran into the trees on the other side of the clearing, following Mongke and making sure he never left their sight. All the while the enraged beast sprinted after them, crashing again through the vegetation. After what seemed like forever, they found a ridge ahead of them. And at its base was a cave opening.

Nobody thought twice when they dove inside. Didn't think as they ran into the dark. Didn't look back as they heard the "dragon" dive its head in and snap in vain to try and catch them.

They ran for as long as their legs could carry them, and until they couldn't hear the beast anymore. Everyone stopped and panted, a distant light illuminating their surroundings. Evidently, their pursuer had given up.

"That's…why we take the shortcut…" Mongke panted. Nobody argued with him. They just gasped for air. Aang looked around and saw that everyone was accounted for. Even Momo, who was currently lying on his back and struggling to get air, and Imana, who had ducked for the trees as soon as they were under attack.

"I'm sorry I didn't help. I just…a Servum…I never thought I'd see one," she panted.

"Remind me to…teach you some airbending techniques when we get a chance," Aang requested, getting the air back into his lungs.

"Duly noted."

Sokka looked up. "Hang on. What'd you call it?" he asked Imana.

"A Servum. We don't have many stories about them. Only that they're supposed to be distant cousins of dragons. Can't breathe fire, but you can't exactly kill them either.

"What I want to know is how you know about them?" she asked Mongke.

The Rough Rhino paused for a moment. "They're a legend from what I know," he got out, his voice still gathering breath. "Said to be the spirits of dragons possessing trees. That's why you can't kill them. Didn't think they were real though."

"Well, that's just great. Now we have to deal with that thing," Kiriko snarked, bringing up a flame with her palm and taking a look around. Her fire illuminated the dark rocks surrounding them. "This is the cave we're looking for?" she asked.

Mongke nodded. On the one hand, there was some relief. If what he said was true, this cave would lead them directly into the ruins of the Storm King. On the other hand, it would lead them directly into the ruins of the Storm King. They couldn't let their guard down now. There was no telling what horrors lay before them.

A gruff sigh came from the lieutenant. "Come on then. The more distance we put between us and that thing back there, the better." With that, she led them further into the cave.

Aang held back for a moment though as he whispered to Imana. "Did you see those spines on its back?"

"I did," she whispered back. The moment they got a good look at its spines, they couldn't get the image out of their head.

Those dorsal spines were like flames frozen in skin and bone.

Just like Godzilla.

---

Somewhere on the Earth Kingdom Coast

Their orders were simple. Patrol the roads, check up on the locals living along the coast, and keep an eye on the sea. It was simple and boring most of the time. Turns out the threat of a kaiju attack made people stay shut in their homes and not want to come out. Sure it made the job fairly easy, but it certainly wasn't interesting either. Peasants around here didn't even have any news given the recent deadlock of traffic.

So for a bored squadron of Fire Nation soldiers, it almost seemed like a gift from Agni themselves that they came across a family (a man, woman, and a boy and a girl) with a Horse Ostrich drawn carriage. After a quick look over to make sure no contraband goods were on hand, the sergeant stepped forward to consult who seemed to be the patriarch of the family. Earth Kingdom by the looks of him.

"Alright. Looks like you're clean. Now would you mind telling me why you're out and about when we're in the middle of a warzone?" he questioned.

The patriarch, a middle-aged lanky man with a short beard, proceeded to puff out his chest like it would make him seem bigger. "Well if you must know, we've got family in Yu Dao. Course I wouldn't expect some firespitters to understand." His wife proceeded to slap him upside the head to shut him up.

"Yu Dao?!" one of the privates cried out in alarm. "That place is under siege! Why in the Three Nations would you want to drag your kids in the middle of THAT mess?"

The wife stepped forward and cut off her husband, not wanting him to make an even bigger fool of himself. "We have family in Yu Dao. Now we've heard that things have been bad there for a while and we wanted to be there to support them in any way we could. Besides, it's not as if things are any safer in Cranefish."

"It's not just kaiju that's causing problems in Yu Dao you know," the private warned.

Yet the mother stood firm as if challenging them all. "Everywhere has problems. We'd rather face them together."

Sighing, though a little impressed, the sergeant held out his hand to silence his subordinates. "Alright. Obviously, we can't stop you, so we're going to escort you. Just stay close and-"

"Uh…Sarge? We've got company!" One of the privates shouted, pointing out to the water of the sea.

More specifically, the massive swell coming their way and the spines beginning to rise from the water.

Frantically, the sergeant scanned the surrounding area before seeing a pile of boulders higher up the slope. "EVERYONE TAKE COVER IN THOSE ROCKS!" he ordered his pitch high with fear. In an instant, any division between Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom vanished as they ran for the hills. The patriarch quickly got out a knife and cut the Horse Ostrich free, letting it run free before joining the others.

Everyone was screaming at him to join them on the cover, telling him not to look back. He didn't need to. The sound of seawater being displaced as something rose from the water caused him to scramble faster.

Finally, he made it amongst the rocks. "Everyone shut up and hunker down. Not a sound," the sergeant advised. Nobody was willing to argue with him. They all hid behind the rocks and listened with dread as the sound of booming footsteps came closer. And closer.

Suddenly, the sun was blotted out as the towering form of the monster slowly lumbered past them. They could hear its breathing and the water dripping down its charcoal back.

The boy curiously looked out to gaze at the beast. "Is…that Godzilla?" he whispered.

At once, the kaiju stopped. Before somebody could pull the boy behind the rocks, Godzilla looked around, observing the landscape. Then those fiery eyes landed on the people, paralyzing them with his gaze.

Seconds seemed to stretch out as the monster silently observed them.

Then, he turned and marched away, his tail thrashing in the air.

"Yeah, that's Godzilla," the boy's mother confirmed. Cautiously, they began to come out one by one to behold the monster. What they saw was different among them. The adults felt fear and terror.

The children felt something else entirely. "Woooaaah," the girl muttered, seeing the living mountain stalk away. Despite their difference, one couldn't deny its terrifying majesty.

Godzilla couldn't care less about the humans as he lumbered to the east. A challenge was made. And he aimed to answer it.

---

A/N: Happy late holidays everyone! I hope you had a good time with your folks. I sure did. Which probably would explain the delay this time.

The Fremen were right. Life truly is just a giant temperamental sandworm that does everything but cooperate.

Anyways, Azula's not doing so good this chapter. One of the big misconceptions about her mental breakdown was that she was always mentally ill. This wasn't the case at all, it was things moving out of her control that painted a bigger target on her back. I hoped to get that point clear in this chapter.

Now for the Iron Maws. I honestly doubt that every Fire Nation army group is going to throw their arms down and start being obedient to somebody who might as well be the poster boy for what you SHOULDN'T be. They, along with the Fiery Raptors and the Children of the Sun, are basically the remnants of what the average Fire Nation soldier would think of the regime change. In keeping with the spirit of the original series, I didn't want them to be monsters either. The Iron Maws or Fiery Raptors might be more aggressive and "villainous", but the Children of the Sun certainly aren't. They've got different reasons to be fighting. Heck, there's disagreement in their ranks since not every rogue soldier is some warmongerer. I wanted to find a healthy balance here.

Same with Iroh and Zuko. I didn't necessarily want them to be in the right here with their suspicions against Azula, but I didn't want them to not have any reason to be antagonistic either. They had some bad experiences with her, and it's not going to go away overnight. Even if one of them is trying to make an effort to bury the hatchet. It's one thing post-canon got right at least. It's a case of, how are we going to coexist with somebody we fundamentally disagree with?

That was something I tried to do with Toph and her parents. I doubt she wants to cut ties with them entirely, but she still has a good reason to be alienated from them. I didn't want them to be monsters either. Just flawed people who made mistakes.

Now as for the concept of destiny, I wanted to deconstruct that a bit. At least the Fire Nation's idea of it. Iroh thought his destiny was to conquer Ba Sing Se but it was to save it, Zuko being destined for the crown, yadda yadda yadda. Even if the characters are sympathetic when they say it though, it's very easy to see their ideology being a product of their Fire Nation upbringing. Especially when Zhao and Ozai bring up several declarations and they're meant to be the bad guys. Maina's idea of destiny though is a bit different. It's essentially a culture clash between hers and Azula's since her idea emphasizes personal growth, discovering oneself, and essentially choosing what you want to be.

You can blame BIONICLE for how I wrote destiny here.

Finally, we get to the Servum. The Servum were a race of draconic-like creatures in the Godzilla anime trilogy that were essentially his "servants". They're meant to have their master's toughness and regenerative capabilities. Now I don't want to spoil too much about them, but they're going to be used in a different capacity here. I actually did take some inspiration from the Tyranids from Warhammer 40k in SOME aspect. Mainly being this unthinking eating and killing machine that's less an animal and more a walking virus.

Anyways, thank you all for reading. I am praying the next chapter comes out a bit faster since there are a LOT of scenes I'm excited to tackle. Thank you all for your patience and support. Feel free to comment to share your thoughts. Make sure to favorite and follow if you want to see more, and I'll see you all next time. Thank you for reading, have a great day, and stay safe out there.