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On Ryuui's Flagship
To say that last night was hectic would be like saying Azula was struggling to contain her emotions. She couldn't deny it, but it wasn't like she'd admit it face-to-face with anyone. Including herself for that matter.
The Princess just kept telling herself that it wasn't as bad as her days in the asylum. For one, Admiral Ryuuki had managed to secure her favorite comb from Caldera. It was nice seeing the golden shining gleam run through her hair. Finally, she was able to address her tangled hair which had become disheveled both from her time in captivity and trying not to get killed by family members or monsters.
She let herself feel a bit more comfortable as she reapplied her lipstick and got her hairdo into her signature topknot once again after so long. It was a lot easier to do knowing that she had a whole ship watching her back and without an upcoming coronation fraying her nerves.
Satisfied to herself that she looked her best, it was time to put on her finest attire. She walked over to the wardrobe and opened it up-
Her breath was taken away when she saw her polished black, golden, and red armor.
Azula didn't know what to say. When the guards stripped her of that armor, she felt so vulnerable. So defiled. How Ryuuki got it was beyond her, though she did recall that a number of daring rogue commanders smuggled weapons and supplies out of the mother islands. He must've risked a lot getting this.
Rapidly, she grabbed her armor and rapidly put it on. She felt the heavy pauldrons rest comfortably on her shoulders. The red leather hugged her skin, the cuirass securing her organs. She took a few steps in her armored boots, getting herself comfortable for the first time since…she couldn't remember.
Taking a deep breath, Azula felt herself relax under the reassuring weight. Honestly, she didn't realize how much she needed her armor after so much. How vulnerable she felt without it.
The golden gleam of her crown in the wardrobe caught her eye.
Azula tenderly took the hairpiece in her fingers. She had to admit, they risked a lot managing to get this. Old habits would've caused her to place the crown in her topknot where it belonged. She would be overjoyed to brazenly defy Zuzu's schemes to disinherit her from the royal line.
Still…she put it snugly in a satchel on her belt. Putting it on now didn't feel right.
Now that she was presentable, Azula took a deep breath and readied herself as she looked in the mirror that was set up for her.
She looked…she didn't know what to think. The girl looking back at her looked better than the beast she'd seen on the day of the Comet. Her bangs had grown back for one. And the armor looked right.
Still…her skin wasn't as full as it used to have been. Bags were under her eyes and her bangs were a bit lopsided. It almost made her stomach lurch. She was getting there, but she wasn't quite there yet.
Almost isn't good enough, her father would've told her.
It's good enough for now, her mother told her. Azula grimaced, seeing her reflection in the mirror.
"I know what you're going to say. That I shouldn't go. That I should go crying into your arms and throw myself at this Mothra begging forgiveness."
No. Honey…you need time. Everyone needs time. You'll get there eventually. You just need to figure out what you need to do in the meantime, Ursa consoled.
The girl grimaced, but her mother wasn't entirely wrong. She couldn't face Mothra. Not looking like this. Not knowing who she was deep down. No. She was where she needed to be and where she could do the most good.
And right now, she needed to say some goodbyes.
Early in the morning, Kori and Maina had risen up to say their farewells at the place where they were picked up by sailors from Ryuui's flagship. Azula asked them to be there the night before, if nothing else but to cement that this was indeed where they would part ways. Maina would go back to her island. Kori would slink back to engage in pointless protests. And Azula would meet her destiny at Aso Island, the resting place of Rodan.
Given the argument they had last night, she was surprised they actually bothered to show up. Yet there they were in the distance, standing on the quiet beach framed by gently rolling hills. They looked so small. So vulnerable. It was enough to reinforce Azula's decision to leave them. They wouldn't survive with a rogue army group like the Fiery Raptors. Maina was an islander on the fringes of society, and Kori was a noted daughter of the colonies. Not exactly people who could take being associated with rebel groups.
Azula could. She didn't have much to lose after all. Still, she felt her arguments and self-assurance fade as the boat got closer, letting her see the neutral expressions on her companions' faces. At least show some kind of emotion, Azula pleaded. Rage. Hatred. Something.
Instead…nothing. Nothing as she lept out the boat, her boots hitting the wet sand, and striding towards them both.
"I guess…this is goodbye then?" Maina asked.
The crisp answer on Azula's tongue was doused, leaving her with little to say except for a dim, "Yes. I…I suppose."
"Look, if you ever change your mind-"
"I can't. I…just can't," Azula admitted. It wasn't often that she let anyone get a glimpse of her self-admittedly broken soul. Especially when it garnered her undeserved looks of pity that the girls were giving her right now.
She cleared her throat. "I'm the one who came up with the plan to burn down the Earth Kingdom. Believe me, there isn't a place for me at Infant Island. This is the best for everyone…" Azula wasn't sure what was worse. The infuriating look of sympathy that Maina gave her, or how her arguments were simply not as powerful, as they had been in the past, even to herself.
Kori just huffed and turned away. "Just…go. Do what you need to do," she spat out, not wanting to look Azula in the face. The Princess couldn't see her face, but no doubt the rebel was scowling in frustration.
Sighing to herself, having burned the bridges she needed to burn, Azula turned and walked back to the boat. Not before stopping in her tracks and saying, "If nothing else…I do appreciate the time we shared together." They deserved that.
Not looking back, she gave the signal for the sailor to take her back to the ship. She kept her eyes on the horizon, knowing that somewhere out there was an island where her destiny lay. Certainly, not so she could risk a look back and see her companions waving her goodbye.
And she most certainly ignored the tears that pricked at the corners of her eyes.
Maina and Kori watched the ship sail off into the distance. Both of them wondered if the Princess was looking back at them. It was impossible to tell.
With one hand gripping her staff, and another caressing the medallion on her neck, Maina's eyes did not waver.
"We're going after her. Right?" Kori bluntly asked, her eyes similarly in a fixed gaze.
The answer was obvious and crisp. "Did you need to ask?" Maina made a promise to look after the Fire Lady's daughter. And a worshipper of Mothra would sooner toss themselves into the sea rather than go back on their duty to help those in need.
And if anyone was in need, Azula was that person.
Outside of Yu Dao
It was a bright new day, and Sokka insisted on taking stock of their supplies before they headed out to Cranefish Town. Zuko had decided to stay behind to help stabilize a sense of order to Yu Dao and to help with any evacuations in the wake of a giant monster ravaging the countryside.
"I don't know, Sokka. Are you sure he'll be able to handle something like this without fire being thrown around?" Katara asked, taking inventory of their food stores so Sokka wouldn't have to bellyache about running low on their meat stocks.
Her brother just patted her on the back and kept marking down what they had and what they needed to make a quick run into town for. "He'll be fine. I think. Maybe. Look, if something happens, we can just always swing back."
She wasn't exactly so sure. Katara knew Zuko a little better than the other members. And she knew how he had a nasty habit of doing something stupid when pushed too far. Between that and their little spat with Iroh…but still, she didn't want to say he was a powder keg waiting to blow up since she had to trust him to do the right thing after all.
Besides, it wasn't Zuko that had her worried the most. Looking out over the buildings of Yu Dao, seeing the Fire Nation architecture dominate the city, she also knew that others in his circle might be more intent on extreme measures. They didn't take this land by asking nicely after all.
Looking farther out and seeing the clouds of smoke and ash rising up from the ruined battlefield where the scorched wreckages of tanks lay, it was clear that the Fire Nation hadn't exactly changed overnight either.
Still, the Avatar couldn't be every at once. Katara supposed that was the White Lotus's job…but even she wasn't sure about them considering that they considered the removal of one's bending to be an acceptable punishment for being on the wrong side of the war. Or consider letting someone like Iroh into their ranks. Whatever benefit of the doubt she would've given the old man had been swept away upon hearing what he was willing to do both in the past and in the present.
Speaking of White Lotus and old men, Katara looked over the edge of Appa's saddle and saw Aang talking to Bumi, his ancient friend. It still boggled the girl's mind about how anyone could survive for so long, but Toph told her that it was some kind of earthbending technique that helps with longevity if you manage to get it down right.
"Relax, Sugar Queen," Toph reassured, almost sensing Katara's hesitancy over Aang talking with a member of the White Lotus despite resting alongside Appa's great bulk. "Aang knows Bumi. I don't think the old coot's going to ask him to smash anyone's faces in."
"Okay, one: people change. Two: Bumi captured and threatened us. Three: he's part of some kind of organization that we just learned was a thing. And four: did I mention the part when he captured and threatened us?"
Toph just shrugged. "I mean if the Mad King of Omashu wanted you dead, he would've been able to make it happen. Besides, you know how many of your friends tried to kill you?"
"I mean there's Suki. She threatened to have us fed to a giant eel. Then there's Zuko who chased us all over the world. The Duke and Pipsqueak tried to kill us with Jet…"
Appa rumbled, basically confirming Sokka's assessment of their "enemies to friends" habit. Katara did find it a bit depressing to consider how often that seemed to happen to them. "Alright, alright. Fair point. I'm surprised you even remembered Suki's name," she teased.
Sokka flushed bright red. "Hey, you run all over the world trying to not die and see if YOU are able to keep track of everyone you meet."
"Didn't realize your girlfriend ranked that low," Toph said with a smug grin.
Katara reflexively covered her ears before Sokka predictably roared, "IT'S CALLED A LONG-DISTANCE RELATIONSHIP!"
"Huh. See, that's why I never got into relationships. Too complicated even for me," Bumi joked. Aang couldn't help but snicker a little at Sokka's very loud outburst. It was like he was telling the countryside "Hey! I'm having problems staying in contact with my girlfriend!"
"I mean, nobody's stopping him from leaving the team for a little bit. We're not exactly at war anymore."
"Does he know that?"
"I did tell him. Multiple times. Then he says 'Not my fault every time I look back, you guys muck things up'. Then we get into an argument, tire ourselves out, and then we don't bring it up again till he starts bellyaching."
"And they call me crazy," Bumi said with a chuckle, patting his old friend on the back. Aang just smiled back and laughed. It felt good just to cut loose, even just for a moment, and get back with an old friend. Like somehow there was still one last holdout in this world from before a century of war.
He gripped his glider, rubbing his fingers up and down the gift that Teo had given him when Aang lost his old one. Some things hadn't changed, but some things had. And he needed to know how much.
"Look, Bumi…I need you to tell me everything you know about the White Lotus."
"Whu-?! You telling me this isn't some invitation to Ember Island where we can ogle the ladies?!" Aang's blank stare was all the dignity he was going to give for an answer.
Bumi sighed. "Yeah, I figured you'd ask something like that. What do you need to know?"
"Everything. Why didn't they do anything over the course of the war? What aren't they telling me? Can I trust them?"
"Right. Believe me, those are questions I've been asking for the past 100 years," the old king answered, looking out over the rolling hills towards Yu Dao, wracking his mind. "The White Lotus is…very secretive. I've heard that there have been Avatars that didn't even know of their existence until they were forced out into the open; they were that clandestine. Think of them like the Dai Li. They take care of things where you are unable to."
"That doesn't sound too good," Aang murmured. Anything that even resembled the Dai Li was cause for concern.
"That's the whole point. The Avatar is supposed to be the hope of the world and the glue that holds it together. You can't exactly have somebody like that doing things like removing people's bending or making them disappear. It's…part of the reason we haven't been active. We needed to operate in the shadows cast by the light of the Avatar That way the Avatar alone doesn't bear the weight of doing all that must be done."
"Sounds like you needed a face to hide behind while you do your work."
For the first time, Bumi let his shoulders sag, the years weighing down on him. "Yes. Believe me. I tried to get the others to act, sent how many letters, but the old Grand Lotus wouldn't have it. I joined believing that I was doing what my friend would've wanted. All we did was waste a whole century and who knows how many lives. This went beyond neutral jing. This was complacency."
Aang blinked, letting the old king's words solidify. He had so many questions. Was the White Lotus worth trusting? Bumi at least seemed to be pretty uneasy with what they had done and what they had failed to do. He needed to know more.
"Bumi, I need you to let me know what the White Lotus is doing. As much as you are able to. Keep me in the loop and make sure they aren't hiding anything from me."
The king of Omashu gasped. "You want me to spy on my fellow members of the White Lotus? Avatar, I must protest-okay."
His bait and switch took a moment for Aang's mind to slow down and register that yes, his friend just said that. Now this caused Bumi to cackle that old, dry laugh of his. "Trust me, I've been waiting to do something like this for years! Somebody needs to keep tabs on those youngsters! I'll let you know everything I learn, alright?"
"...alright." The airbender let himself feel a bit lighter. His old friend was going to watch his back and make sure the White Lotus didn't go behind his back without him knowing. Granted, their attention would probably be focused on finding any information about these kaiju, but he still wanted to make sure they wouldn't try any drastic measures.
Speaking of drastic measures. "One last thing, Bumi. Iroh mentioned he pushed for Azula's bending to be removed. Do you know anything else the White Lotus would want with her?"
This time, the old man's cheer fell completely. "No. I have heard rumors that Iroh wanted her to be held…somewhere after she was captured, but he never told me where. What I do know is that Piandao and I were the only ones who didn't want her bending removed. That's something I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy."
Aang felt a breeze send goosebumps down his skin. If the White Lotus was serious about that, then he had good reason to worry about what they might pull. And what was that Bumi said about Azula being held someplace? The fact that Iroh didn't tell any of them was reason to worry enough.
He'd have to pursue that avenue further if this was the same man who thought removing one's bending to make them an example was acceptable.
Yu Dao
The harbor was packed with refugees trying to cram themselves on any ship they could. Most of them were Fire Nation, some nobles, others lower class. All had their belongings and families on hand while negotiating passage. Needless to say, one rampaging kaiju and news of another one was enough to spook anybody.
It also made it pretty difficult for two teenage girls to find passage themselves without their parents.
"Your dads aren't sending you off to your distant relatives?" the tired bookkeeper asked.
"No."
"Not trying to smuggle you in some cargo hold?"
"No."
"Not trying to disguise yourselves as nobles so you get premium seating on the next pleasure cruiser?"
"No! We just want to know if there are any boats inbound for Aso Island!" Maina snapped, groaning in frustration. Kori just smacked the palm of her hand on her forehead. It feels like they've been stuck haggling with this guy for hours!
The bookkeeper didn't exactly look too impressed with Maina's outburst. "Listen, unless you have some money or connections or whatever, I can't exactly let you on. Now could you move along for the next passenger please?"
Kori huffed, having about enough of this. She politely pushed Maina out of the way before putting on a face that her mother had taught her when she needed to be polite to men a lot stuffier and more powerful than this windbag was. "Look, we'll be willing to join a crew for passage. Any job works for us."
"...well, if you're willing to work, I think there's a merchant vessel that's still hiring. Course we're talking about some pretty heavy work. You sure you two are up to it?"
"We're in!" the priestess exclaimed, almost as if she could prompt the bored man to write down their names through her voice alone. Not that she needed it since the bookkeeper began to write down their names anyway. He droned on about where they would find their boat, but by that point, they would've gone for the dingiest rowboat imaginable.
Their friend was out there, and she was marching right into trouble.
On Ryuui's Flagship
Azula let a held-up sigh escape her lips. They were on their way, but she couldn't tie down this feeling of tension in the pit of her stomach. Maybe it was the crisp way everyone walked, the well-trained way they saluted her as she went past. Not that she didn't appreciate the respect, but she always remembered the lively chats and camaraderie she had encountered in her surprisingly brief time with the armed forces during the war. Well, before she strode into the room and promptly shut everyone up through her presence alone.
Here? Nothing. Not even a whisper. The only time she had heard such dead silence was when news about the Avatar's rampage in the North had reached Caldera's streets. Suddenly, everyone became painfully aware of how vulnerable they were behind the walls of the volcano. Knowing what destructive forces awaited them outside, and what they would somehow have to overcome.
They all turned towards the Fire Lord in those days. Now the Fire Lord had abandoned them, and she felt those eyes turn towards her instead. And for once, she didn't know what to say. Their cause was pure, but how do you manage to convince men to walk towards not one walking cataclysm, but two?
Her mind was so focused on having to stare death in the face once again that she almost didn't hear the hushed whispers within the admiral's room.
"I know she's a liability, but I assure you that I can handle a teenager."
The Princess quietly pressed herself against the wall, her old habits of spying on war meetings kicking into effect. That sounded like the so-called admiral, though his tone was considerably less grandiose and befitting a loyal subject of the crown.
It was his voice that caught her attention. The other voice protested in hushed tones. "You heard the rumors. She's crazy! I don't want to have my family's chance at regaining our glory go to waste just because some psycho is chasing after ghosts!"
Azula felt her lips curl in a snarl, barely restraining herself from barging in and telling Lord Jozain that this "psycho" had her own say in things around here. She wouldn't simply suffer the whims of just some stuffy nobles who didn't know what they were talking about.
She heard a sigh from the other conspirator. "Please listen! You need Azula's hand in marriage in order to get yourself in the royal succession. Once she produces an heir, you can get rid of her. It's not like she has much support among those sycophants back in Caldera trying to kiss up to Fire Lord Zuko or any of the other clan heads. Even then, if she acts up, you can cut her off and take the throne yourself!"
And there it was. Azula felt as though a knife had been slid between her ribs and gone straight for the heart. She was a means to an end. She should've known. This warlord sounded too good to be true from the outset. Who'd associate themselves with a wretch like her unless they could get something out of the deal?
Deep down, she felt her mother wonder just how many times she was going to go through the same story.
"Alright, fine. I just want to know what you are getting out of this?"
"I'm doing what is necessary to both remove a threat to the Fire Nation and get someone competent on the Throne. That should be the duty of any dedicated soldier. If I need to play this game you nobles love to play, then so be it."
Or you're setting the Saowon up to fail while YOU wait in the shadows, waiting for your moment, Azula inwardly snarled. She knew his type. The so-called "honor-bound" reluctant leader willing to march his men to their deaths just so he can get the glory. Iroh and Zhao were like that. Zuko was like that.
Silently, she slunk back the way she came, already going through what she learned in her head. She wasn't an idiot. There was always a chance she was going to be stabbed in the back. That was an unfortunate reality she had to put up with for all her life.
And she already had plans of her own, as she had ever since she agreed to join with Ryuui. She couldn't let anyone else know of course, but she was going to come out of this thing on top, and she'd do it on her terms.
Toph hated flying. Even if it was on Appa's back and thus probably one of the safest ways to fly in the world, she hated not being able to sense anything through her feet. Sure she could hear, but it still meant she was deprived of one of her most critical senses she needed to…well, envision the world.
She did hear Katara and Sokka's father coming to say goodbye, making Sugar Queen promise to keep Boomeraang in line. She did hear Aang say "YIP YIP!" and snapping the leathery reins to bring Appa aloft. So it's not like she was completely blind…well, blinder should've been the better word.
Still, she leaned back and tried hard not to think how agonizingly high they were in comparison to the earth. She would've just earth-surfed her way to Cranefish Town if it wasn't going to take until tomorrow for them to reach it.
Cranefish Town…she HAD heard that somewhere before.
"You okay Toph? You've been, well, quiet. Do you have any idea how scary that is?"
"Uh, yeah! Sorry," she apologized to Sokka's voice. "It's just…well, I know Cranefish Town. My dad had some holdings there."
Well, there it was. "Oh boy. Does that mean…?"
"Yeah. That's what I'm afraid of too," she told the concerned voice of Katara, causing the blind girl to sink further on her back. Her…dad…that was a meeting she had NOT been looking forward to. Of course, she knew it had to happen. It's not like she could just keep running away from her problems all her life. She wasn't Twinkle Toes after all.
Didn't mean she had to look forward to it.
Speaking of Twinkle Toes, "Hey, maybe your father heard about what you did to the fleet with Sokka and changed his mind?"
"Yeah, no. If he didn't think my stint with Earth Rumble was impressive, nothing would change his mind."
"People can change, Toph. Do you really want to just brush your parents if we see him again?"
"...no." Toph rolled to the side, hoping that Katara wouldn't see her face. "I'm just worried that he's going to brush me aside as some helpless little doll. Again."
She felt a gentle hand touch her shoulder tenderly caressing it. For once, the little blind girl didn't bat it away. As much as she hated to admit it, she needed every little bit of help she could get.
Funny. They just found out that giant monsters existed, and it was meeting her parents that had her scared to death. Talk about having her priorities straight.
Ryuui's Flagship
As the sun set, Azula set in motion the first part of her plan. Step one was mainly sitting in the mess hall with the other sailors. Nobody ever expected a Princess to mingle with grunts, so that was bound to raise a few eyebrows.
She didn't speak to anybody as she plopped herself down and examined one of the scrolls that Ryuui had given her. Now the scroll she brought was so she could have an excuse to not have to begin a conversation with the grunts. Her presence there was attention-grabbing enough.
Besides, Azula did have a practical reason to be reading the scroll. It was a gift from the Phoenix cult on Aso detailing some of the various legends on Rodan. If she were to face death, she'd very much like to know what it looked like. The accounts were varied. One legend held that the draconic bird once saved Aso from a volcanic eruption by carving deep grooves in the island with his talons to redirect the lava flow. Others claimed that Rodan wanted to preserve his territory and that saving the people there was incidental.
The ways Rodan was described conveyed a mixture of awe and fear. That certainly befitted the Phoenix that found itself emblazoned on her father's banners, though part of her wondered how the kaiju would've felt about its image being used for genocide. If Godzilla was riled up by Zuko using the fire of his kindred as a tool to slay him, she couldn't imagine Rodan would just sit idly by.
Still, Rodan was the Phoenix, and that was enough for every soldier on this ship to revere it. Probably where they got the name "Fiery Raptors" from too.
Speaking of soldiers, it didn't take too long before two of the younger grunts came by and sat across from her. She let the breach of protocol slide since they fell for the bait. And that they seemed to look at her with a sense of wonder.
"So…" one of the grunts nervously said, not sure how to act in front of the Conqueror of Ba Sing Se. Finally, she managed to force out, "You faced Godzilla twice now. Right?"
"Three times actually," Azula said flippantly, passing off her distressing near-death experiences as just another day in the life of a Princess. "He attacked the prison ship I was 'held' on."
The other grunt, a boy, whistled with astonishment. "Could…I ask what it was like? I mean we are going to be taking him on for ourselves and all."
Azula suppressed a smirk, the script she envisioned in her head going perfectly. "Trust me, facing a giant monster isn't exactly for the faint of heart. Course I made it out okay. It's me we're talking about. Pity everyone else though. All those poor souls being trampled, ripped apart…or burned. We're not talking about facing some soldier you can kill. We're talking a force of nature. I don't even think the Avatar is as nightmarish as that thing is.
"And to be perfectly honest, I can't imagine too many people in this room getting out of this alive," she casually said, letting a blanket of fear fall down on the grunts' shoulders. And it worked; she saw their faces turn pale from the implications. After all, if the Avatar Slayer admitted that this thing was even scarier than the boy who wiped out Zhao's fleet, what hope did they have?
All of this was setting them up for what she really wanted to say. Azula leaned forward, looking around her to make sure nobody was listening so she could whisper, "I wouldn't blame you if you wanted to abandon ship as soon as Godzilla appears in the bay of Aso. Sometimes the best thing to do is escape with your life to fight another day. After all, there should be enough lifeboats for everyone on board. I think the Admiral would be a bit understanding."
The grunts said nothing, only backing away and heading back to their seats. Azula kept an eye on them, seeing them discuss what they'd just been told with their friends at their table. Who in turn would discuss it with friends they knew. They kept it hush hush of course, for the mere idea of cowardice was enough to earn harsh punishment by the admiral.
But if it was an idea that could save their lives from a pointless death, then Azula was all for it. She made a mental note to start lingering in areas where the sailors loitered the most often. A rumor here. A story there. She knew how to spread her words all throughout a ship with as little effort as possible. And all under the nose of the Admiral at that.
As for why she was doing this…she wasn't sure. Maybe it was to build a powerbase for herself if Ryuui or Jozain tried to cross her. She'd certainly done that before. Certainly, a mutiny to have her gain complete control of the ship and possibly the rest of this faction had its benefits.
That required time though, and they'd be arriving at Aso by mid-afternoon tomorrow. No, it would've been better to create a possible lifeline for herself when things went wrong. Can't exactly lead anyone when your only claim to power was a few embittered soldiers.
Are you sure that's what you want? her mother's voice asked.
"I…I don't know," Azula replied, turning her attention back to the scroll. Maybe reading about who she was to face could ease her mind.
All she saw was an outstretched hand, screaming, destruction, and a voice that kept asking the same question.
Do you really want to let that happen again?
Cranefish Town
The first sign of Cranefish Town that Team Avatar (minus Toph) spied was the ugly clouds of smoke ascending into the blue morning sky. It was a bit of a contrast between the dense jungles on one border and the shining waters of the ocean on the other. Flying closer on Appa, it became clear that the largest of these smoke clouds was emanating from a huge refinery on the jungle border. The steel walls and red roofs made it clear who had brought this unsightly thing to these lands.
If Yu Dao was the shining jewel of the colonies, then this was the dirty coal that the Fire Nation probably wouldn't want people associating with them.
Aang and Katara exchanged glances. They knew firsthand what these sorts of refineries were capable of doing to the local populace, both human and otherwise. If there was indeed a kaiju here, then chances were that its attention would be drawn there.
The rest of the town was a bit more uniform. Fire Nation architecture dominated, though with none of the opulence or radiance from Yu Dao. Whatever mansions were there seemed pretty conservative and almost blended into the rest of the residencies. They were only marked by being a bit better-kept and having a few small gardens that none of the other houses could afford. In general, the houses were maintained to show who was in charge, but not enough that any reasonable noble would be actually seen there.
Aside from the unsightly village, there was a small island just offshore. Descending from the sky, Aang could spy a large statue of a woman on the island's highest cliff overlooking the sea. The stone it was carved from didn't seem like the bronze colossi he saw back in the Fire Nation, so he wondered who it was. They seemed…familiar…
That would have to be a question for another time though, with Appa descending into the jungle just outside the settlement. Colorful birds were disturbed by their roosts from the bison's landing. Granted there wasn't any reason for safety that they landed on the outskirts, but Aang figured that Appa wouldn't exactly want to be in the middle of an industrial complex smogging up the air. The airbender certainly didn't want to.
Still, duty called. Aang leaped out of the saddle and landed gracefully on the forest floor, with Momo following after him, landing on his shoulder. The others followed in turn, Toph being the last as she very slowly clambered down Appa's back. Everyone knew better to assume she was being careful due to her blindness.
With everyone in tow, Team Avatar joined the main road to lead up to Cranefish's entrance. Waiting for them at the stony entrance was a group of armored girls, their leader rushing towards them. Sokka just pushed his way past Aang and embraced Suki, giving her a massive hug. "By the spirits, it's so good to see you again! They kept teasing me about our long-distance relationship which isn't a problem thank you!" the warrior exclaimed, calling back to his "friends" that yes, he did remember Suki.
"Pleasure's all mine! And sorry for not joining you at those stuffy meetings of yours. Wouldn't be caught dead in those shouting matches," the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors admitted.
"Yeah, can't say I blame you for not coming. Honestly, you have it easy rounding up some of those rogue Fire Nation grunts."
"Hey, can't say I don't enjoy it. Invitation's open if you want to crack some heads together like old times. You know, spend some personal time together, keep count of thugs we take out, maybe get a spar in here or two…"
"Sorry, Suki. According to my brother, keeping us from not being late for the meeting on who's to distribute grain for the reparations apparently ranks higher on the list than you," Katara snarked.
This had the expected effect. Mainly turning Sokka's cheeks bright red and steam practically coming out of his ears. "Well maybe if you, oh I don't know, actually used those schedules I cooked up, I could have some time for myself for once!"
Aang snickered a little bit, loving just how much the brains of their group lost his cool the moment somebody dared consider that maybe he dial it back a bit. "It's nice to see you too, Suki. I just wish it was under better circumstances."
"Right. You're here about that kaiju." Suki took on a more professional tone, befitting the duty and status that came with being a leader. The two of them walked alongside each other into town, much to Sokka's disappointment that he couldn't be informal for just a little bit longer. The rest of their retinue followed them into town, though Aang couldn't help but notice that a certain acrobatic member wasn't amongst them.
"Ty Lee's acting as our representative to Fire Lord Zuko. She hasn't had time to continue our training in chi-blocking, what with all the reconstruction efforts," Suki explained. The name brought shivers to Katara's spine. Even if she'd "changed", something about a girl that rendered you helpless with a cheery smile on her face was still pretty disturbing. Besides, it didn't seem like she was the only one either. Several of the Kyoshi Warriors seemed a bit more relaxed with Ty Lee's absence.
Back to the task at hand though. "What about this kaiju? Has anyone seen it?" Katara asked.
"No. We were chasing a group just outside of town when we heard the reports. Nobody's seen it since…and nobody's exactly too keen on wanting to go chasing after a giant monster. I've sent some scouts looking for it, but it seems to have retreated deeper into the jungle. We did see a lot of clearings with smashed trees though, so we do know it's out there."
Well, it's not being aggressive. That's a good sign, Aang thought to himself.
"Know anything else about it? Anything helps."
"Not really, Aang. But ever since that thing's been sighted, we've met somebody who seems to know a lot more about it than anyone else here. I'm taking you to her right now."
And so they made their way through the crowded streets, seeing the populace milling about. There wasn't much stratification between the people here. Mainly, everyone seemed to be equally on the lower end of society. What shops were here didn't offer much in the way of luxury goods, instead offering plain clothes and basic foods. Usually, that meant just grains and dried meats instead of anything that looked fresh.
They didn't seem to be suffering from pollution problems like Jang Hui once did, but they didn't seem well off either.
Which made their contact stand out a bit more…and caused Aang to reflexively grip his staff. Behind him Katara and Sokka also stiffened, seeing the familiar girl running towards them.
There was the loose garments of red and gold. The short, frazzled, black hair. The tattoos under her eyes. Already Aang was on the lookout for an ambush, before asking, "What are you doing here?" to the airbender that hung out with Azula.
Suki just looked at him in surprise. "Uh…Aang. This is our contact. Miana."
"...huh?"
"Pleasure to meet you Avatar," the girl said with a polite bow.
"Woah woah woah. Don't you 'pleasure to meet you' US after you sided with Azula of all people, missy!" Sokka shouted, getting between his friends and the girl.
'Miana' just looked in confusion. "I'm…sorry. I've never met you before. Did I do something to offend you?"
"You were there on Odo Island and bailed Azula out!" Katara exclaimed, wondering what game she was playing.
"Odo Island…ooooooh. You must be referring to my sister, Maina! She said she was heading that way. I came here when I heard news of Anguirus's appearance in the jungles beyond."
"...sister?"
"Yes! I am Miana, High Priestess of Infant Island along with my twin sister. Although you can just call me Imana. That's what we did back home," she exclaimed with another bow.
Now that Aang got a good look at her now, there were a few differences between this girl and her sister. For one, her clothes seemed a bit more conservative and restrictive. Another was the braid on her right being brushed to the right instead of the left. Finally there were the tattoos. They were painted orange, blue, and white. And they certainly weren't the jagged bolts of red, yellow, and black on Maina's face.
"Twinkle Toes, I can't see but even I can tell this Miana, or Imana or whatever, isn't our airbender."
Aang brought himself back to reality. He smacked himself in the head. "Oh! I'm so sorry! We thought… never mind. Accept our humblest apologies." With that, he gave a respectful bow, prompting the others to bow along with him.
"It's okay! People who met Maina before me would probably think we're both stubborn sticks in the mud."
"Ah, Avatar Aang! So good of you to join us!" an aristocratic voice called out. It belonged to a large man in the red and white robes of a Fire Nation noble who came toward them.
"This is Loban. He's the owner of the Earthen Fire Refinery," Suki introduced. Aang and Katara exchanged glances. The balding man looked friendly enough, but they also knew that you didn't get far in Fire Nation society by being nice.
Still, pleasantries are pleasantries. "The pleasure is ours. We heard this…'Anguirus' was causing problems."
"Yes, it has. Nasty brute. The workers have refused to come back to work unless that thing is dealt with. Hopefully, we can get this situation resolved as soon as possible so we can get back on schedule."
Katara did her best to keep her eyes from rolling. Of course somebody like him would put productivity over safety. "We heard that the refinery is where the beast was sighted. I could imagine that nobody would want to work that close to a huge monster."
"Not that it has done any good for our town. Productivity is down, and the rest of the colonies are depending on the materials we provide," another voice reiterated. This one put everyone on edge, especially when the man to whom the voice belonged strode into view.
Loban didn't seem to notice as he said, "And this is my business partner, Lao Beifong! Without the finances from his family, we wouldn't have been able to set up as quickly as we have!"
Toph just stared, unable to comprehend what she was hearing.
The only thing she could mutter out was, "...hey…Dad."
She heard that maddening silence that came before her parents decided that they had given her too much freedom and decided to keep her imprisoned in their family compound.
"Toph…it's been a while."
"Oh! This must be the young girl you've been trying to rescue from those vagabonds. Funny. I didn't think she'd end up in the company of the Avatar…"
"Young lady, I've heard a lot of stories about you recently," Dad said with obvious disapproval, cutting off whatever pleasantries Loban had to offer. "Do you have any idea what your mother and I were going through when you left? Especially when we heard you've been going off fighting the Fire Nation and monsters?"
"Whu-what I was doing?! You sent a bounty hunter after me! And when was THIS a thing?! Investing in a Fire Nation refinery?!"
"Well to be fair, I came to the Beifong estate with an offer a few years ago. I didn't want the natives to feel left out of the bounty my refinery would've provided."
"Right. Tell me, what exactly did this refinery produce before the war ended?" Katara's voice asked Loban, promptly shutting him up. It didn't take a genius for anyone to realize just what an industrial complex would've been used for in Fire Nation territory.
Toph felt like a giant hole was threatening to swallow her up. Did her father…?
She heard him sigh. "Toph, I know how you feel. But you need to understand. The war was lost and I had a family to think of. It's why I was so insistent on wanting you back! Someone as fragile as you wouldn't survive in a world run by them on your own. Sometimes you need to make difficult decisions to protect what you have."
But she didn't want to hear him. "Right. And I guess working with the Fire Nation was somehow okay. You know, the same pricks that almost burned our home to the ground."
"Toph, wait a minute-"
The blind girl just walked away, unable to accept that her father would stoop this low. "You know, I was willing to give you a chance. I really was. But this? …I don't even know where to begin with this."
Before anyone could stop her, Toph ran off, trying and failing to keep the tears out of her eyes.
On Ryuui's Flagship
The Princess rose with the sun, hoping to get the first glimpse of the island. She wasn't disappointed.
In the distance, she saw the tropical island dominated by a low and massive volcano. Azula had heard of islands like these. Shield volcanoes they were called, creating islands from the land that arose from cooling lava. No doubt the plants here were fed by the rich, volcanic soils deposited.
"Fascinating really. How something that is capable of such great destruction can generate such great beauty," Ryuui commented, looking upon the island. Azula eyed him warily, looking for what was truth and what was more lies. For now, she couldn't tell, but she did have ways of prying a little deeper without being noticed.
"Forgive me Admiral, but what do you wish to gain from all of this? You're putting a lot on the line to aid someone like me."
"I only wish to place someone on the throne who cares," the warlord confessed. "I've seen too much bloodshed in my day just for some boy to render all of our sacrifices null and void. How many sons and daughters had to pay the ultimate price, just for their nation to turn their backs on them? I couldn't just submit to the rule of a traitor. Someone needs to make their deaths count."
"That's rather…noble of you," Azula admitted. There was no deception. No trick of the voice betraying a lie. He believed in what he was doing. That the only way for him to do his duty was to play a game where most soldiers wouldn't even think of making the first move.
Duty. The word weighed down on her like her armor. It gave clarity, but to carry it out was anything but easy. She played this game because she had to. Just like him. And just like him, she had played with a lot of lives. Back then it was easy to do. It was war and people were suffering anyway, so the chance for order and peace outweighed the heavy price.
Now though, having been on the battlefield…she wasn't sure if she could be so ironclad in her conviction. She could admire that about Ryuui at least.
"No regrets then, Admiral?" she asked.
"...none. Godzilla, Zuko, the Avatar. They're threats to us all. And they have the advantage. Well, I won't play by their rules. Sometimes, you need to fight dirty so others can rule with a clean hand."
Azula used to think that way too. And she knew she had to brush up on her skills in that area if her own plans were to pan out. After all, it's what Father would've wanted. Her mother's voice though said otherwise. About how this was wrong and how going down this path would destroy her. Their arguing voices were just as hard to block out as they were on the day of her coronation. The Princess wouldn't let it happen a second time.
"And if I am to pay for my trespasses with my life, then so be it. Let me be the last to die," the Admiral finished. Azula didn't have much of a response to that, just staring into the water.
She never needed to rely on luck, but now it seemed to be the only thing keeping her alive these days. Who knew when it was going to run out?
Her attention was diverted when she saw something dive into the water out of the corner of her eye. Looking to the sea, she saw a strange flying creature emerge from the water with a fish in its sharp beak, and leathery wings. It wasn't a bird, but it wasn't any reptile she knew of.
"Pterosaurs," Ryuui explained. "Ancient hunters. Around here, they're harbingers of Rodan's presence."
Right. More of those extinct monsters that Azula had been hearing so much about. And if they were anything like those sea monsters on the murals or the trilobite she saw back on Odo, this was kaiju territory.
Azula looked at the volcano in the distance. Somehow, she could just envision the phoenix slumbering within its fiery depths, wings red with fire.
Waiting to awaken.
A/N: A bit of a short one today. This chapter mainly serves as a bit of an intermission period as we shift settings a bit: Team Avatar heading to Cranefish Village and Team Azula heading to Aso Island.
First off with Team Avatar: I promise that we aren't going to linger too much on the White Lotus stuff. They're just going to be an element that shows up from time to time. And I'm not having Iroh be this overarching human villain, mainly cause we already have a bunch of kaiju on the loose that's giving us enough problems right now as they are. I just wanted to emphasize that Iroh isn't some saint.
Now Cranefish Village. This is the setting of The Rift, the comic trilogy that features Toph in a starring role. It's considered to be one of the better ones, and I'm hoping to showcase some other sides of the Fire Nation occupation. The stuff about the refinery being used to fuel the war effort though I did add, but I figured it would be a natural extension of the Fire Nation's warmongering attitude we've seen in the series.
Which means things are going to be messy with Toph's father. I don't think his association with Fire Nation is addressed in the comics, especially since they just got out of a century-long war. I'm going to delve into this a bit more as the arc progresses, but the first thing I'm going to say is I can see some Earth Kingdom nobles wanting to aid the Fire Nation so they don't get stomped on. A bit self-serving, but considering that the Fire Nation was on the verge of victory, I could see this as a possibility.
Now we come to Miana, or Imana. Miana is another character from the Godzilla anime trilogy where she forms the other half of the Mothra twins that have appeared time and again throughout the franchise. Since it's pretty difficult to tell the names Maina and Miana apart though, Selpharia and I (thanks again for the help) figured it would be best that she get a nickname so people don't get confused. Imana IS an anagram for Miana, so it could work.
Shifting gears to Team Azula: of course they're not going to abandon her. This is something that sort of bothered me about the new Azula comic, and I didn't want that to happen here. Helps that Azula isn't exactly their commander and never really bossed them around like she did with Mai, Ty Lee, or the Fire Warriors.
I was a bit torn about the plot to betray Azula though. On the one hand, we just met Ryuui and Jozain so it's not like the punch is that hard-hitting. On the other, I felt this would be the most logical opportunity for them to reveal the betrayal. We'll get some more development for them later and I did try to flesh out Ryuui a bit with his final speech. Either way, Azula's not going to let this lying down and she already has a plan cooked up.
Finally, there's Aso Island. Aso was the mining village where Rodan's nest was uncovered in the original movie, so I wanted to pay homage to that. The pterosaur sort of acts like Godzilla's mosasaurs or trilobites in the last arc who serves as a sign of Rodan's presence. That and it's a bit of a nod to his more Pteranodon-esque appearance in Singular Point.
Thank you all for reading. Make sure to leave your thoughts in a comment, and follow/favorite if you want to see more. Take care, have a great day, thanks again to Selpharia for beta reading, and see you all in the next chapter!