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Aso Village,
Aso Island
Azula took a long hard look at the prisoners kneeling before her. Behind them, armed men and women kept a careful watch. Once, these captives would've been their commanding officers. But after Azula's orders to root out anyone that had any say in that suicidal plan of the Commander's to kill Godzilla, they had been apprehended. She wanted to make sure they didn't try to pull a fast one.
And give Zuzu some actual war criminals to try, Azula thought to herself. While the Fiery Raptors didn't exactly have the infamous reputation of the Southern Raiders, Father taught her that you didn't get anywhere in this army by being merciful or "honorable". Indeed, some of the faces of their guards spoke that their subordinates were more than eager to get rid of them.
A whole day had passed since the battle between Godzilla and Rodan. It was early morning, and Azula had woken up refreshed and renewed. Her meditations were helping to heal her wounds from yesterday, and she was ready to face whatever the day would bring about. Right now, it was the business of overseeing their captives.
"Are these all?" The Princess asked Kazuma, who was standing dutifully nearby.
"Yes, Princess Azula," the young officer confirmed. "Some of them surrendered on the spot, though. Said they expected the Fire Lord to treat them with dignity once they arrived at Yu Dao."
The idea made Azula sneer. If it were up to Zuko, it would be her, Kazuma, and the rest of the grunts in chains. Not that she couldn't blame him. A lot of these officers came from some pretty prominent families back home. Anything that happened to them was certain to ruffle some feathers.
Something that the Princess was prepared to take advantage of. Give the Earth King some people who actually were guilty of war crimes, and cause an uproar back home. Were the nobles not going to back her? Fine. Let's see them and Zuko go at each other's throats.
Either way, the fallout would give her and her newfound followers some breathing room. Besides, dear Zuzu did want to grovel before their enemies to make amends. Did he want the crown so bad? Well, he got it and all the responsibility that goes with it.
"Make sure they're locked up somewhere safe to be moved out. Dismissed." At her crisp command, the soldiers got up and corraled the last remnants of Ryuui's command to the makeshift prison they had in the shelters outside of town. She didn't want to risk them harming the civilians if they got a chance. If her only support would be coming from peasants, she'd have to make sure they were on her side. Couldn't do that with any would-be "heroes" running around trying to get themselves and everyone else killed. Furthermore, these were the same people Zuko and the Avatar wanted to serve. To see the look on their faces when they chose the Mad Princess over them. She couldn't pass that up.
Satisfied, she proceeded to present Kazuma with a scroll she had written. "Make sure this gets to Yu Dao. Fire Lord's eyes only." The teen obediently nodded before taking the scroll and scurrying off to his duties.
Out of anyone's view though, Azula fidgeted with one of her bangs. Well, the time was fast approaching, and she needed to be ready. Looking out at the village, the Princess had to admit that Aso had a certain rustic charm to it. And anybody who grew up in the shadow of the Fire Lords would've given anything to fully study the birthplace of the Phoenix cult. If she had a choice, maybe she could've delved deeper here to find out more about these kaiju. Any bit of knowledge was worth it.
But Zuko wouldn't give her the opportunity. None of them would. And she wondered if her newfound allies would truly be up to the task of facing off against both the new Fire Lord AND his Avatar master. On top of whatever else is out there.
As if the universe read her thoughts, Maina and Kori approached her from the village. "I got a ship to take us home. Should arrive at Infant Island sometime during the early afternoon," the native girl announced.
Azula felt herself tense again but took a deep breath. There was no going back. "Very well. Let's not keep Mothra waiting."
Earth Kingdom Western Coast
Aang couldn't help but let his triumph soar as high as they were flying. Once they had gotten the word that the Earth King was going to relieve the Fire Nation of their occupation of Yu Dao thanks to the situation in Cranefish being resolved, they were all the more closer to defusing the whole situation. Sure there had to be a few more things that had to be formalized of course, but now the Earth Kingdom was all the more closer to regaining their former territory.
For once, they had taken steps in the right direction. So naturally he was going to take it a little easy on the ride back. They were all hoping to get some downtime en route to Yu Dao. Katara and Toph were snoozing together while Imana was staring in amazement at the view from so high up. "I never thought I'd be able to ride on the back of a Flying Bison," she had exclaimed.
It wasn't just all for fun though. Imana wanted to come along since she wanted to share what she knew about the kaiju on the ride. Already, she was telling Sokka and Suki the basics. "Think of kaiju as having a similar role to the Avatar, though to a smaller degree. Each has its own dominion that it needs to maintain. Some are subordinate to others, but their duty is almost universal. They do what they can to protect the world as best they can. Within their abilities of course," the priestess added.
Suki leaned back, rolling the information in her head. "Sounds like the Unagi back at my island. Do what they can to protect their territories, but not to the point they start destroying everything in the process."
"That about sums it up," Imana said cheerfully.
"Okay, but how many of them are there? And how many of them are as benevolent as Anguirus was?" Sokka pressed. It was a question that lay heavy on everyone's mind.
Imana paused. "Well…quite a number of them. Each of the nations has a good amount of kaiju. Some are a bit more dormant than others, but they're still there. As for aggression, it depends on what kaiju you're talking about. Some can be as benevolent as Mothra or Anguirus. Others are more destructive like Godzilla when they're pushed. And… there are a few that are just ferocious in general."
Suki and Sokka looked at one another before sinking into their seats. It was as they feared. They were lucky enough to be dealing with a few of them at a time. Neither wanted to think too much about if a lot of them decided to wake up all at once. Just one was enough to wipe out an army. Who knows what many of them were capable of?
And Imana's word about particularly dangerous kaiju was just as heavy. More ferocious than Godzilla? They didn't want to think too much about that.
At that moment, Appa bellowed in surprise. "What's the matter boy?" Aang asked, right as Momo started hollering and screeching.
Everybody sitting on Appa's back was either reflexively holding onto the saddle in case the bison started going wild, or covering their ears trying to block out the lemur's hollering. Sokka in particular was cringing. "Momo, I love you buddy, but SHUT-AANG BANK LEFT NOW!"
Hearing Sokka's panicked cry, Aang yanked Appa down to the left. The bison did not complain as his partner sent him downward.
And away from the gigantic thing flying right at them.
In the blink of an eye, Aang turned to see the incoming object when they dove past. A golden reptilian eye looked back at him.
That was all he could see before a huge wall of wind threw Appa off course. The bison bellowed in surprise, spiraling out of control. On his back, everyone was now desperately either hanging on for dear life or screaming. Aang was so busy trying to wrestle with the reigns to get his friend back under control, but the gale was buffeting.
Instinct kicked in as he leaped off Appa's back and snapped out his glider. Spinning around and bending a funnel of air around him, Aang swiftly flew in and out of the gust of wind. Strong it might have been, the funnel was able to divert some of the winds away from the bison. Just enough for Appa to start righting himself.
A panicked scream pierced through the winds though. Probably the least comfortable with flying, Toph was plucked up by the powerful gale. The strong and comforting leather of Appa's saddle was replaced with near nothingness. No earth to stabilize herself on or see. Not even any sensation in her feet outside of furious winds.
Her peril had not lasted long though. She felt two strong pairs of arms catch her and hold her back down to the saddle. "You're going to be okay Toph!" Sokka's voice yelled, his calloused hands pressing down on her shoulders.
"What did we fly into?! A tornado?!" Toph shouted. The blind girl fought down the panic that was building up in her chest, hoping her barb would defuse her terror.
"I don't know! It looked like some kind of giant bird!" Suki's voice responded, the owner of the arms holding her feet down. Not that the answer did anything to reassure her.
Eventually, Toph felt her world begin to calm down, with Appa regaining his flight path and steadying himself. Aang glid over to back to the bison's head and took the reigns. "Everybody okay?!" he asked.
Everyone gave a tired "no" from almost being thrown into the winds. Toph in particular was trying to catch her breath, with both Sokka and Suki trying to calm her down with reassurances and a few pats on the shoulder. "Thanks, but I think I'd be a bit safer if we were on the ground," the earrthbender bluntly stated.
"Well, Yu Dao shouldn't be too far. It's right up the coast," Aang said, trying to make some small talk. Which was kind of difficult to do when you almost just spiraled out of the sky.
And when a giant crimson bird began gliding a good distance away from you.
Everyone gawked at the massive avian (those who could gawk anyways), though it certainly looked like no bird they had ever seen. No feathers were on those massive wings. Instead, a leathery flap connected the wingtip to its body. Indeed, the whole hide was scaly. It looked as though somebody decided to crossbreed a dragon and a bird. The fiery hue made it look like it had emerged from the mouth of a volcano.
A small name came from Imana's mouth.
"Rodan."
"Rodan?" Aang asked. The priestess nodded, though said no more as she continued to stare at the massive creature. Not that the Avatar could blame her. That thing came at them so fast that only Appa and Momo catch its approach. It earned both the lemur and the bison a few pats on the head, but Aang still couldn't believe how something that big could soar through the air so fast.
This "Rodan" stared back, gazing at the airbender in particular before veering off and heading north. It let out a cackling cry as it soared into the distance, right in the direction they were heading.
Aang just got a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach.
Another kaiju had just appeared. And by the looks of things, all of Yu Dao was going to be able to see this new one on its way north.
Zuko was not going to be in a good mood when they arrived.
En Route to Infant Island
Deep within a spare room on a merchant vessel, the Princess of the Fire Nation meditated in silence.
Maina had managed to flag down a small vessel for them to hitch a ride on. The voyage was short enough and Azula had already paid for their passage, so they didn't have to work to earn their keep. Royalty and her companions wouldn't work like meager servants just for a quick ride.
The destination wasn't unknown to the sailors, but it was hardly an island they went out of their way to visit. All in all, the inhabitants had been pretty apt to stay out of the trading business giving the fact they were…well, their kind was supposed to be extinct. It had almost become a legend told by sailors who spent far too long at sea.
Ever since the war ended though, more ships were reporting that the inhabitants were seen sailing great outrigging canoes, brimming with goods. Clearly, the island was interested in getting back into the world with the new Fire Lord in charge and the Avatar returned. It was slow going since almost nobody knew they existed, but it was a start.
That's what Azula got from the sailors anyway. Woe to those who went into uncharted waters and all that. Knowing that they had little to fear from some kind of waterborne attack from the islanders (and the fact she made it clear that no rogue Fire Nation ship was to harass civilian vessels), it should be a smooth voyage.
Smooth enough for her to take some time to herself and continue her meditation. She managed to find a nice empty storage room that the sailors didn't use.
And with that, she began.
Azula breathed in, and breathed out, feeling the fire within grow and recede. As before, she felt her signature blue flames caress and massage the bruises and sores she received from the asylum. And every time they receded, the nagging pain faded more and more. It was like her muscles were being renewed with every breath.
Indeed, her muscles felt lighter. Her veins began to feel clearer. And gradually, inch by inch, she began to feel her strength return. Perhaps she was still a shadow of her former self, but the fight was coming back. If Zuzu expected her to be drugged up and weakened when he arrived to Infant Island, he was going to be in for a surprise.
Feeling her thoughts wander to her brother, Azula concentrated back on the familiar blue flame. The steady crackling and the azure glow within her soul rejuvenating her body. And sure enough, she felt sapphire embers leave her lips.
Of course, a certain presence had to make herself known just at that moment. You appear to be getting stronger by the day, my love.
"Surprised, or disappointed?" Azula bitterly asked the image of her mother.
The specter shifted a little bit, looking unsure as how to answer. Good. After a moment, Ursa answered, Proud. And you should be too. You always loved your firebending when you were younger.
A snort came from the Princess's throat. "Right. Well, I'm sorry I never turned out to be the perfect daughter you always wanted. Too bad that asylum didn't break me like Zuzu wanted."
Azula, you know that Zuko never wanted you to suffer like you did.
"Just…don't. Alright? Even if he didn't, how come he never visited me?"
That was enough to shut the mirage up. A small victory, but one Azula relished in. After all, why should the Fire Lord visit the failure of a sister? She screwed up. She deserved it. Everyone knew that. What aggravated her was how Zuko proceeded to say he was "changed". That he was going to be better and that he wasn't the same Prince that left the Fire Nation in disgrace.
Easy for him to say since he got everything he ever wanted. Which was all he was good at to be honest. Talking. Making promises. Then things miraculously ended up in his favor. Rinse and repeat. What bothered her was that now everyone was eating it up. Maybe not the world leaders, but the Avatar? For somebody who claimed to be the guardian of the world, they certainly made her wonder what their priorities for safety were. Especially if they were willing to hang out with the Dragon of the West.
Or somebody who was willing to treat their sister like an animal. If one was going to be vile, at least don't dress it up like you were benevolent. She certainly didn't lie to herself or anybody else about being a monster.
"You should be lucky I'm giving him a chance," Azula threw at her mother. "If he cares about me, this is going to be his chance to prove it. No threats. No coercions. And if he so much as throws one fireball at me, he's got nobody to blame but himself for what's going to happen."
My love, you know that you don't want this thing to drag on.
"No, but maybe if he actually faced the consequences of his actions instead of throwing me into the fire again and again, I'd MIGHT show him a bit more clemency." Figuring she wasn't getting any more meditations in at this time, the Princess got up and began to stretch her arms. Anything to take her mind off of her frustration with her brother.
The more she thought of it, the more angry she got. Truth be told, she was amazed that Zuzu was still in power following his disaster at Yu Dao. But, of course, the Avatar was backing him, and those sycophants of the Fire Nation feared power more than they wanted to uphold the dignity of their countrymen. What, did the universe decide to buck all the consequences of his actions on her? Guess the next thing to be blamed for was torching Kyoshi Village or killing the Moon Spirit.
Azula sighed, trying to get her rage under control. She wasn't Zuko, and she sure wasn't that thing she turned into during Sozin's Comet. The last thing she wanted was to lash out again. If he just didn't seem so obsessed with sending her over the edge. What's next? Right her out of the line of succession out of spite? Not even Ozai did that with Iroh, but somehow it wouldn't surprise her if Zuko hated her that much that he'd do something that underhanded.
Azula, why don't you spend some time with your friends? Being cooped up down here isn't healthy, Ursa suggested.
For once, Azula couldn't argue. The more time she spent by herself right now was more time getting herself worked up. But that meant facing the prospect of facing her allies. Right after leaving them behind.
"Just like what everyone did to me…" she whispered silently.
At that moment, the Princess decided enough was enough. The mirage vanished as she marched out of the room and made her way up towards the deck. Unlike her brother, she'd face the consequences of her choices head-on.
Didn't mean they were going to be pleasant though. But that seems to be par the course for anything these days.
Dear Zuzu,
I hope this letter reaches you on swift wings. Though chances are, you already know a little bit about what happened on Aso Island.
That huge firebird you no doubt already know is flying around? His name's Rodan, and he's another kaiju. A rogue naval group calling themselves the Fiery Raptors woke him up to kill Godzilla. It didn't work. In fact, I think they're "allies" now if you can call them that. Don't bother trying to put a hit out for Commander Ryuui though. He's currently a bloody smear on the beach.
Though the dearly departed Commander did give me a proposition: an alliance so I could reclaim the throne. And you're probably wondering why I would tell you this. Let's just say that whatever Uncle Fatso told you, I'm not interested in the moment. That being said, I'm now in command of the Fiery Raptors who most assuredly do want me on the throne. And I'm currently getting into contact with any rogue army groups that will give their loyalty to me.
Before you go chasing after me, I have a compromise. I have Jozain, head of the Saowon Clan in my custody. I'd be more than willing to hand him over as well as any other high-ranking officials the Earth King has on his list. Course you'd want to "talk" about it or might not even believe me. So I'm heading to Infant Island. Do you want to do business? Meet me there.
Come alone. There's no need for this to balloon out of hand. I could easily take care of your rogue army problem. After all, I've already gave an order not to engage with any of your forces without my permission. And don't get any bright ideas of challenging me to an Agni Kai. Infant Island has a pretty strict law against violence of any kind. If you value your honor as much as you say you do, you'd probably want to give this some consideration.
Consider this to be an armistice. I'll keep up my end, and I expect you to do the same. Fail to do so…well we don't want a civil war on our hands. Do we?
Yours Truly,
Princess Azula
Yu Dao
Zuko wanted to throw up. First, he'd called an emergency meeting in order to address the crisis they were now in.
Specifically the fact that there was in fact another kaiju on the loose.
How could everyone miss it? One minute, Zuko, Mai, and Ty Lee were being escorted to the mayor's house. The next, a huge shadow comes flying over their head and a loud cry reverberates throughout the city. As if that wasn't bad enough, panic began to break loose. Civilians were pouring out of their houses, wanting to know if they were under attack.
The Fire Lord stopped the entourage whenever they could in order to reassure the masses. Not that it did much good since they were riled up already. In fact, just seeing him made some civilians begin to launch into impromptu protests. Zuko had to restrain himself from throwing a fireball over their heads. What? Were they seriously going to blame this kaiju on him too?
It was decided that now was not the time to appear in public. Promptly, Zuko sent a message to redirect themselves to the army camp just outside the city (outside of Mai and Ty Lee who did NOT want to be part of the summons). Both to prevent the mobs from converging on the mayor's house, and so he could more easily meet his advisors to deal with this new threat. He sent his best runner to get everyone ready.
By the time he arrived at the planning tent, his staff were already there. Iroh was sitting where he usually sat at Zuko's side while the other officials were milling about. Before them was a table set out and a map of Yu Dao along with the surrounding areas. The Fire Lord had to give them credit, they certainly knew when to move when needed.
That would be all he'd give them. His eyes and ears were on high alert, waiting for the slightest bit of treachery. Iroh was alert too. He was sipping his tea, but the Grand Lotus was keeping a careful eye on their circle. The advisors hushed up as soon as the Fire Lord entered, but he could see those eyes sizing him up. Only one pair seemed to be relaxed. Mak, one of the younger generals and put primarily in charge of the armed forces themselves. A bit inexperienced, but he served Zuko faithfully enough. Perhaps too faithfully for the teen's liking. Everyone else though was a wild card.
Zuko wondered which one of them would be the first to openly challenge him. Maybe not in an Agni Kai since tradition had it that almost nobody challenged the absolute Fire Lord. The challenge would come in the form of behind-the-scenes. Withheld information. Pushing for a military response. Anything to undermine his mission of restoring peace without actually declaring it.
Though given what he and Uncle learned, chances were that challenge had already been made. He had just been so wrapped up in the peace talks to realize it.
That was the second major headache. And sitting down on the throne they had set for them, he felt the scroll that was the third press lightly against his side. He took a deep breathe, knowing that this would be the time to spring this new bit of information.
But he'd have to time it just right though. Otherwise, they'd accuse him of prioritizing his own problems with the good of the nation.
Exhaling, Zuko looked at his staff. "Alright. What do we know about this new kaiju?"
"The Firebird was last seen heading in this direction," War Minister Qin said pointing to the phoenix figurine they used to represent the new kaiju to an area on the borders of Yu Dao's territory. "Godzilla was last sighted swimming towards Aso Island. And Anguirus awoke here near Cranefish." Indeed, the dragon and the Lion Turtle were placed where their respective kaiju were sighted.
Zuko felt himself sag looking at the phoenix though. One more kaiju. That makes three ever since Odo Island. And they are all clustered around the colonies. Further complicating matters were the pieces representing the last caravan of nobles that needed to be evacuated outside of the encircled Yu Dao.
"We can't get them anywhere near those kaiju, and even if we did, Godzilla's still patrolling offshore. Looks like we're trapped between a rock and a hard place." The Fire Lord couldn't help but sigh in frustration. They finally got the Earth King to send his forces to the colonies, but neither could they pull out till the nobles were evacuated. And that wasn't happening with all the kaiju running around.
That meant the nobles and refugees were stuck here in Yu Dao. This meant tensions were already going to be even higher with that many Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom people in the city. And with Earth Kingdom troops coming expecting to relieve the Fire Nation…
"We're sitting on a powder keg," Mak bluntly summed up. Zuko just numbly nodded, trying to find some kind of way out of this mess. His eyes were riveted on the map. If they could at least get the nobles here where there's some protection instead of being out in the middle of enemy territory, they could stand a chance.
It was there that he saw it. A patch of territory not marked by a kaiju. From the looks of it, it appeared to be a large swathe of mountainous jungles. They certainly didn't appear too high to be a problem.
"Why not move them through here?" Zuko suggested, pointing to the territory. "We'd be able to avoid Anguirus and whatever this new kaiju is. It'd be a bit of a hike, but we'd get them to safety."
Zuko blinked when he heard nothing from the other leaders. He looked around, with all eyes drilling right into him. Raising himself up and making his crown clearly visible, he remained as impassive as he could. "Is there a problem?"
"...that range is considered to be a Territory of Unique Risk," Qin explained. "It's a term used to refer to areas where Fire Nation military advances had been stalled due to unforeseen hazards. It's a closely guarded secret known only to the Fire Lords, so I didn't expect the new one to know what they were right away. After all, if people knew we had encountered significant losses, they'd lose faith in our soldiers."
At that moment, Zuko shared a knowing glance with Iroh. Territory of Unique Risk. During Iroh's probing into any matters related to kaiju, it was discovered that several areas around the world had been deemed too dangerous for any real military operation. The newest one was declared sometime right before the invasion of the North.
Specifically, the incident regarding the disappearance of Admiral Koga prompted its establishment.
The zone was established around Odo Island.
Needless to say, Iroh had a sneaking suspicion that these "unique risks" were more than just local resistance or rough terrain. The young monarch made a mental note to have his uncle look into this mountain range to see if there were any legends associated with the area.
Qin seemed to glean a little bit of what the Fire Lord was thinking. "Sometime after Sozin's initial landing, an advance group disappeared scouting the mountains. When we attempted to regain contact, our messengers and relief groups also vanished. Since then, we've avoided deploying any forces in that area. None of us figured it was worth the effort to keep it."
"If it's anything though, we've heard that the Earth Kingdom lost men in those hills as well," General Shinu added. While his addendum certainly piqued Zuko's interest, something also occupied his thoughts. He looked around at the generals seated before him, trying to peer through those faces.
This wasn't the first time he had heard of "Territories of Unique Risk". Iroh had brought it up, having discovered it via scholars he had comb through the Dragonbone Archives for anything even remotely related to the kaiju and Godzilla. Turns out, there were quite a number of these areas scattered all over the world. Odo Island was one of the areas identified.
He felt the letter weighing heavy within his robes. As much as he wanted to deny it, he couldn't ignore the possibility of these "advisors" having withheld this information beforehand. Not one of them brought it up before he sent the prison ship through those dangerous waters. Now that the truth was out in the air, they were trying to pin the blame on him for being inexperienced.
Zuko made a mental note to keep tabs on Qin and Shinu. As much as he needed them on his council, he couldn't overlook such an oversight. Looking to his side, he saw that Iroh was making the same conclusion. How much of this old guard can they trust?
"We could have the Avatar escort the nobles through the territory," Mak suggested. "If he's able to calm Godzilla down and work with this 'Anguirus', he might have better luck dealing with whatever's skulking around there. I mean, he's already on his way here since the matter in Cranefish is dealt with." A few murmurs and agreements from the other leaders rumbled around the room.
Taking a deep breath, Zuko cleared his throat. "Actually, we need to take care of something before we can get the Avatar to help out the nobles." With that, he pulled out the letter and relayed the contents for everyone to hear.
He had to resist sneering at his sister's words when he said them out loud. Of all the times-OBVIOUSLY she'd take advantage of the precarious situation they were all in. What was this to her? Another one of those mind games she used to play back in the Palace? When was she going to learn that there were real lives at stake here?
This though? This took the cake. Here he was trying to give her the benefit of the doubt, and she throws her lot in with rebels. The same people that backed Ozai in burning the Earth Kingdom as a matter of fact! It was bad enough he had to put her on the line to keep the nobles happy. Now she pulls this. She had to have known he'd have to go after her. It took all the restraint he had to stop himself from burning the letter to ash.
It was a relief when he put the letter down and got back to the matter at hand. His advisors looked at one another, their faces a blank slate. Iroh's brow furrowed though. That was enough indication to the young monarch that his uncle must've sensed something amiss.
Admiral Chan was the first that cleared his throat. "Forgive me Fire Lord. Ever since the death of Admiral Zhao, the navy hadn't been able to bounce back to its full capabilities. This splinter fleet falls under our jurisdiction. As one of its highest-ranking leaders, I will do my best to see that these traitors are brought to justice."
His declaration brought no arguments from the other leaders. Now Zuko had to lean back and furrow his brow. That was awfully quick and with no prompting from the Fire Lord. He wouldn't mind so much except Admiral Chan was one of the few naval leaders left over that he could afford to keep around. His family was old and well-respected (even though Zuko knew from first hand that his son was a bit of a meathead). And being old and respected in the Fire Nation was enough to ring some alarm bells.
"I concur. Furthermore, it's my recommendation that we send a group to recapture Azula. If she has the backing of one of these army groups, she's more dangerous than ever," General Shugo suggested. His response was expected. Ozai had placed him in charge of overseeing war prisoners and enforced labor. That included that oil rig where Zuko knew Katara helped inspire a rebellion by the captive earthbenders.
This time though, Zuko held his ground. "I'm not sending Fire Nation ships to a neutral island."
"My Lord, but Infant Island is hardly neutral. It does lie within our borders-"
"Let me rephrase: I'm not sending Fire Nation ships to an island where we don't have any presence. Or do you want to rile up the border islands even more than they already are?"
Admiral Chan promptly clammed up. Zuko was painfully aware of Odo Island's issues regarding the late Commander Maoso's actions regarding how he raided their food supply. Turns out, Godzilla's rampage put them on the map and gave them a voice that they otherwise wouldn't have had. One of their demands for restitution was the removal of Fire Nation personnel stationed on the island. A sentiment that was shared amongst the other border islands where they had military bases set up.
That just gave Zuko more headaches. He had to keep those bases there cause his advisors said they needed some eyes on their borders with the Earth Kingdom. Especially since the Earth Kingdom just reclaimed the last of the colonies, thus making the risk of an invasion a real possibility. And that's without the threat of the rebels stirring up trouble. Or Godzilla himself who was still prowling who knows where.
Suddenly, he felt the headpiece of the Fire Lord being heavier than it actually was. Every turn seemed to lead directly to violence.
"Alright. Then the matter with Azula is settled. Mak, I want you to send some of our reconnaissance squads in the direction of where that Firebird is heading. I want to know why it's here and if it's a threat. And make sure to pull them out the moment they spot any danger."
Mak dutifully bowed, but Shinu interjected. "Sir, those forces would be better spent screening the Earth King's advance. Wouldn't it be better if we sent some of our more expendable squads to scout where this thing is heading?"
…
There it was.
Inwardly, Zuko challenged him to an Agni Kai right then and there. He would've had the authority to, and nobody would've stopped him. Even Iroh seemed a bit worried, for the heat started to get intolerably hot.
Outwardly, Zuko glared at Shinu before taking a deep breathe in and out. "I'm not risking any more men until we know what we're dealing with. Men we don't have too many of at the moment. Do I make myself clear?"
"...yes. My Lord. Forgive my intrusion."
"Then it's settled. You have all your duties, and I expect you all to maintain the peace with the Earth King when he arrives. Does anyone else wish to add to the discussion?"
A suffocating silence was the answer to the obvious rhetorical question. Satisfied for the moment, Zuko called for the meeting to be adjourned. He swiftly got from his chair and stalked out of the tent. Iroh ran up alongside him, patting him on the shoulder.
"Well down nephew! I thought you were going to throw a fireball just back then."
Zuko waited a moment before they were well out of earshot from the tent. "They're hiding something from us. That place where the Firebird went? That's one of those areas Father had marked. They didn't say anything."
"Indeed. I'll look into it right away," Iroh grimly declared before walking away. Zuko felt his headache return. First the Firebird. Then his advisors. Then Azula.
And now there might be another kaiju out there somewhere about to wake up. By this point, he wondered if his sister would've laughed at his predicament.
En Route to Infant Island
The sun was high in the sky when Azula came out to the fresh air on the deck. Down further was Kori and Maina, leaning against the taffrail, gazing out at the shining blue waters of the sea.
It was just the three of them on deck. The rest of the crew was down below checking their wares. Good. Azula took a deep breath as she walked up to her allies, watching the light of the sun dance upon the ocean surface.
Sighing, Azula turned to her side to see Kori leaning there. The girl didn't seem too bothered with her presence, though there was a certain tension in the air.
Time for it to come out before it gets worse later, Azula silently decided.
"So, you two enjoying the fresh air up here?" she asked.
Kori shrugged, not paying too much attention to her. "Well, we're not heaving supplies around this time, so it's a step up."
"You guys are going to love Infant Island! The air is so clear. We've got some of the best food throughout the border islands. And I can't wait to show you some of the Carnoraptors that are hanging around with us!"
"...plus she won't shut up about home, so I got something to listen to."
A sharp "HEY!" came from Maina, but Azula didn't pay too much attention. The thing that drew her attention was the word "Carnoraptors". She knew "raptor", which was another word for a bird of prey. What the first part of the name meant though, she had no idea. From the way Maina spoke of them, it seemed that as though they were some kind of animal that was domesticated. Not too dissimilar to Mongoose Dragons or Komodo Rhinos.
She made a mental note to go feed Flame Runner who was relaxing in the hold down below.
Shaking her head free of the distraction, Azula thrummed her nails on the guardrail. "I just hope that your people are accepting of somebody like me. They're not going to be happy once they find out I brought the Fire Lord and the Avatar to their home."
Maina shrugged without a care in the world. "Believe me, we're not the sort to hold something like that against people. They'll understand once I clear a few things up with them. Besides…" She played with that sacred medallion around her neck. "You're the sort of person that Mothra is looking for. If she accepts people like you, we won't have a problem."
The reassurance did nothing to temper Azula's frustration. Realizing she wouldn't get anywhere with the priestess, she decided to go for broke and turn towards Kori.
"Doesn't any of this seem wrong to you?" A flash of confusion played out on Kori's face, further irritating the Princess. In exasperation, she groaned and spat out, "I'm the one who wanted to put your home to the torch. Surely you have some feelings about that."
The noble girl narrowed her eyes, trying to see what game Azula was playing at. "Yeah. I haven't exactly forgotten that."
"And I'm the one who just took control of an army that wants to see the Fire Lord deposed. You know, the one who wants world peace?"
"I already know this-"
"And if it weren't for me, you'd be able to go home right now. That's what I was trying to warn you about! By associating with me, Zuko probably has a detachment waiting to arrest you the minute you step one foot home."
"Look, what do you want me to say?!"
"Say that I'm going too far! Or that you're dying to get back home so you can liberate Yu Dao for the Earth King! Or just, I don't know, get mad at me! I know you want to. I can see that fire behind your eyes. Well, now's your chance. I don't have any soldiers with me. Nobody's around us. And I won't even put you down. It's not like I have any more feelings that are hurting. So go ahead! Say what you want to say!"
Kori looked straight into Azula's soul, gripping her hands on the taffrail. Good, the Princess thought. And that fire in the noble girl's eyes was blazing white hot. Inwardly, Azula braced herself.
"Okay. Do you want to know how I feel? I'm pissed you just left us behind like trash! We were willing to follow you because we had the gall to care! I looked at you, and I saw a little bit of myself! As much as I hate what you tried to pull, I'm not sure I'd do any different under the same circumstances if I grew up on the home islands! And trust me, you're far from the only person I have a chip on my shoulder with, so don't act like you're somehow entitled to get special treatment!
"Because why? Why do you want us to hate you so much?! Why do you want to cut us out, and don't say because it's for our own safety! Maina was able to handle herself when Godzilla attacked Oda for Agni's sake! If you don't have enough faith in us to take care of ourselves, you don't have to worry. We're doing a better job of it than you are! Who gives you the right to keep trying to get yourself killed?! You didn't have to go to Aso, but you did anyways!
"So what's the reason? Do you honestly think yourself a monster so badly that you just like pushing people away to convince yourself you are one?! Cause you're doing a pretty bad job of it! Monsters don't save entire villages like you did at Aso, or try to bring war criminals to justice! But no! I guess you just want to cling to your lie so badly, that you don't want to see people for who they are! Especially yourself!
"So yeah, you're stuck with us because we care! Even if we have to tie ourselves to your backside and follow you halfway across the world! So don't give me the "I'm a monster" crap, cause it's going to get really old fast and I'm not in the mood to make you feel like one."
With that, Kori huffed and leaned against the railing. Azula just stared dumbly into the distance, for once having nothing to say. Briefly, she gazed at Maina, who looked at her guiltily before turning away. Clearly, the feeling was mutual between the two of them, but only one had the courage to speak up. She didn't hold it against the priestess though. It wasn't easy even for the bravest soul to explode against the so-called "Mad Princess".
So her eyes wandered into the distance, not focusing on anything. The words roared in her head again and again, drowning out any voices that may have lingered. The longer the silence dragged on, the more that Azula realized she simply had nothing to say. No threats. No condemnations. Just the cold truth laid bare as the sea below.
"Am I making you feel guilty?" Kori asked.
"...a little."
"Good."
A sharp chuckle erupted from Azula's mouth. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a tiny smile creep on Kori's face. The Princess decided to let the noble girl have this small victory against her pride. She certainly was asking for it. Maybe even literally.
Even still, she felt herself be a bit disappointed. Not in Kori or Maina, but in herself. Again, those two latched to her, even when she made it clear that it was a fool's errand. Fool her once, shame on them. Fool her twice, shame on her. She wondered what it was that she was doing wrong. Threats didn't work. Leaving them behind didn't work. So what was going to open their eyes and see the big picture? Ty Lee and Mai at least knew when to call it quits. These two were persistent to the point of obsession in her eyes.
Azula sighed once more, this time in defeat. "And here I was thinking I was a masochist."
"Well, when you know how to deal with rock heads pretty quick growing up in politics."
The Princess's chuckle came back with a vengeance. "I hear you there."
It felt odd, just hanging out and sharing a few crude laughs. Almost, it felt like out of a long-forgotten dream. One of a time when she actually felt…happy? Was she feeling happy? When was the last time she felt that? Probably during Ember Island she supposed.
Maina just alighted herself on the railing, unaware or not caring about the waters below. Must be an airbender thing, Azula thought.
"Hey, at least you two know what it's like to deal with hardheads. Back home, my parents always told me I was the bullheaded one between my sister and I," Maina declared.
"I didn't know you had a sister."
"I do. Miana can be a bit of a pushover, but she's sweet. She should be there on Infant Island waiting for us when we arrive."
The two other girls just stared at the priestess. "...Miana? Really?" Kori asked.
Maina shrugged. "It's a traditional thing. Everyone calls her Imana so we don't get confused. As if that's the only thing they can get confused about us."
"Ah. Makes sense. I know a friend who has seven sisters if it makes you feel better. Her parents can't even tell them apart!"
The priestess and Kori snickered a bit at Azula's little jab. "I think I'd go crazy if I had that many siblings!" Maina declared.
Azula let out a good-natured laugh before they talked a bit more about family, childhood, and basically, all the stuff that only friends could be comfortable divulging. It felt good to indulge in this. No Zuzu to tell her she was so perfect that stuff like this wouldn't faze her. No guards. Just…three friends relaxing and shooting the breeze.
Friends.
That word felt so foreign and yet so right for this moment. It made Azula feel lighter than by any right she had. For once, she felt glad that these two had stuck it out with her.
Making her feel all the more guilty for trying to leave them behind.
The wind provided a blissful distraction, blowing in from the west in a pleasantly warm gale. Azula closed her eyes and embraced it all. It was a brief moment, but it was one she relished.
Then, out in the distance, an island rose into view. A verdant green place, with pristine white sandy beaches and blue waters. The girls looked out at the land emerging from the horizon, almost as if it were conjured out of a tale their mothers used to read.
"Is that Infant Island?" Azula asked.
Maina had a huge smile on her face. "Yeah. That's home."
A mix of emotions churned in Azula's stomach. It looked pristine, but she knew this was where she'd have to face her brother again.
And her mother if luck decided not to be on her side. She knew that Maina promised to keep Ursa away from her, but the fates haven't exactly been kindly to her as of yet.
Finally, she knew that somewhere in that tropical paradise was the Goddess, Mothra. A kaiju that she had been so adamant on avoiding was now in her future.
Well, no use in delaying the inevitable. Azula rose up and said to herself, "There's no turning back."
Northwest of Yu Dao
Deep within an ancient cavern, far from the surface, a gigantic worm has been roused.
From above and through the layers of rock and stone, a piercing cry had disturbed his slumber. Ever since Sozin's Comet, the being's black and red body had coiled and flexed. While the Avatar had vanquished the threat the Fire Nation posed, there was still something that kept the Lord of the Earth awake. A deep rumbling in the earth, as if he were far from the only one who had been roused from their dormancy.
It was Rodan's cries from above that stirred the black guardian from his rest. Yet it was his sister's awakening from across the sea that drove him to action.
Thrusting his golden horn through the dark earth, the worm began to tunnel his way to the surface. From above, one could feel earthquakes and tremors reverberate throughout the land. Down below though, a pair of glowing red eyes illuminated his way through his dark tunnels.
The dark being chittered to himself. He had sensed that conflict was brewing upon the coast, and it was his duty to investigate. It was certain Mothra would meet him as she did before, but violence was not on his mind this time. If the humans were prepared to face the oncoming threat together, then they had nothing to fear.
If their petty differences and hatred won over though, then they would find no comfort. For that was not the way of the Black Mothra.
A/N: Whelp. There you have it. Battra confirmed. I'll go into detail once we see more of him, but I knew he had to be here balance is a big theme in ATLA. Know then that Battra is the Yin to Mothra's Yang.
But that's getting ahead of myself. For Azula's story here, I wanted to play around with how she was seen by the masses. A lot of fans, myself included, believe that she's the Fire Nation's equivalent of the Avatar. Mainly the big hero that saved the day, destroyed the "evil" Avatar, and ended the War. I'd point out some more parallels between her and Aang, but I think that having somebody who is basically using Team Avatar's process of inspiring the people against them would be an interesting turn about. Particularly since Azula basically is in the same position Aang was, being on the run and trying to become a better bender.
Something that she explores in this chapter. I know that fire being used to heal is kind of a recurring theme in fics, but in this case, I wanted it to be exclusive to Azula's blue fire. It's almost the same power as Godzilla, so it's not much of a stretch to assume that she could adopt some of his abilities. After all, Godzilla's ability to self-regenerate was said to be a result of his mutations caused by the H-bomb testing. And his atomic breath was an extension of that power he got doused with. So I wanted to tie in his blue fire and healing in this fic, which I wanted to extend to Azula.
Not to the point she can regenerate lost body limbs and she's indestructible, but something that would make it easier for her to bounce back from injury a bit easier.
Something she's going to need since Team Avatar is going to be rejoining. The thing with the caravan is going to be their plot for when the time comes this arc, but for now they have to deal with Azula. I also wanted to explore how Zuko's cabinet operated. How they keep trying to poke and prode him into doing something that could destroy him. They wouldn't get away with this stuff with Ozai in power. But with Zuko, who's not that popular at the moment? It's open season.
Finally, we see Kori blow up at Azula. I didn't want to make her seem overly hostile and tear Azula down, but I felt she still needed to call out our "heroine" for what she did. And make it clear that they're not going away all that too easy. Both of which, Azula probably needs.
Thank you all for reading! Next time we head to Infant Island while the Gaang sets up to prepare. Feel free to leave a review and favorite/follow if you want to see more. Have a great day, and I'll see you all next time!