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Infant Island
Not too long ago, Azula never knew that a place like Infant Island could have existed undiscovered. The distant mountains and lush, unspoiled jungle spoke of a sizeable landmass. Maybe not as big as home, but still quite a respectable scale for being on the fringes of Fire Nation society.
As their ship coasted closer, she could hear the strange calls of animals echoing in the dark foliage. The wall of green put her on edge. With a place like Aso, one knew that eventually, the unknown terrain ended into the more familiar meadows and grasslands fed by ancient volcanic runoff. Here though, there seemed no end to the trees, vines, and leaves harboring whatever was lying in wait.
Again in a rather distressing short amount of time, Azula felt tiny. Not helped knowing that somewhere in the dark waters below, there were shipwrecks of the last people who tried to tame this savage land.
There were people here though. Along a stretch of beach, Azula saw a number of large canoes resting. Proud sails patterned with that strange symbol Maina wore around her neck fluttered in the breeze. No doubt these were the boats belonging to the priestess's people, descendants of this island's first settlers.
Those descendants were waiting for them further along the beach. Azula and Kori held their breath as they descended onto a rowboat, and taken to the shore. As they got closer, they could see that the natives had various tattoos painted over their bodies. Spears, swords, and shields lay at their side, ready to be used at a moment's notice.
What caught Azula's attention though were the strange birdlike reptiles some of the warriors were riding. They were a bit bigger than a man with a body held horizontally, with a tapering tail that supported their balance. Their heads were held proudly, with a pair of horns sprouting from their cranium. No doubt their heavy jaws were filled with equally large teeth. Their long arms had sharp claws on their hands, and their powerful legs had vicious talons on their feet. One talon on each foot was larger than the others, held in a position to strike.
"Those the Carnoraptors?" Azula asked, observing the animals. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Flame Runner fidget nervously on her separate boat at the sight of the predators.
Maina on the other hand didn't seem too bothered with the vicious reptiles. "Yep. We actually call them Shaconnes. Carnoraptors is the term a lot of outsiders use."
Neither name seemed to put Azula at ease. Especially as the rowboats deposited them and Flame Runner on the beach and rowed away in a rather hurried fashion. Leaving them alone with the natives on that strange beach. Oh, THEY'RE the ones who leave me? Azula silently exclaimed.
She fought down her instinct to go into a firebending stance when one of the warband's party dismounted from his Carnoraptor. His headpiece was adorned with bright feathers, no doubt signifying his status as leader. Not that his tall figure and large build made him any less intimidating. His mount stalked behind him, those reptilian eyes sizing up the newcomers.
Flame Runner snarled nervously to Azula's left. Kori fidgeted with her bow nervously on her right.
And Maina…
"FATHER!"
Maina zoomed forward on a gust of wind into the outstretched arms of the overjoyed man, who embraced her in a tight hug. "Maimai! Mother, Swiftclaw, and I were wondering when you would get back!" The Carnoraptor affectionately licked the girl's shoulders, obviously being the "Swiftclaw" in question.
Leaving Azula and Kori to just stand there a bit gobsmacked.
"...Maimai?" Kori managed to jokingly ask.
"It's…a nickname my parents gave me," Maina explained sheepishly.
The two noble girls just stood there, before snickering uncontrollably. "Hey, I bet your parents gave you nicknames growing up!" Maina's father teased.
I was the one giving nicknames, thank you, Azula silently snarked. Though she did remember that delightful time when Zuzu kept trying to call her "Lala". Surprisingly, that was one of the few times both Father and Mother got mad at him. Knowing what she knew about that term now, she probably would've been just as offended as they were.
Her inner delight was then interrupted when the chieftain rose up again to his full height. Suddenly, Azula became aware that he had gotten his first proper look at her. And when one is so recognizable as her, it was pretty hard to just go unnoticed. Particularly when you were wearing armor that was only meant for royals.
"Maina. Is that-?"
"She needs Mothra's help, Father. And we didn't have any other options." Maina then proceeded to tell her father the whole story surrounding their impromptu "visit". Particularly the point about where the Fire Lord was coming with the Avatar, most likely via either airship or flying bison. Her story was enough to give the chieftain pause.
Something that didn't go unnoticed by the rest of his entourage. The natives' fists clenched around their weapons, while the Carnoraptors began to view Azula with suspicion. Flame Runner growled at the reptiles, but the Princess wasn't sure how long a single Mongoose Dragon could hold off several of them.
The tension though was cooled when the chieftain held up a hand at his entourage. All at once, they began to calm down. With their weapons lowered and their mounts at bay, they watched their leader stride forth to look Azula in the eye.
"Forgive us, Princess. We didn't have much warning to arrange a proper welcome. I am Chieftain Amimoto," he said with a bow. Though his words were friendly, he spoke in a clipped tone, as if gauging her reaction.
Azula dutifully returned the bow, not forgetting her manners. "The pleasure's all mine. And I'd like to extend my own apology. We do not typically appear on such short notice." Falling into her habits she perfected during her days at court was akin to putting on a freshly made set of clothes. Refreshing, familiar, and easy to slip into.
"And forgive our welcoming party. We've heard stories about army groups roaming about and we wanted to be prepared," the Chief explained. His entourage stood at attention, their eyes never leaving either of the newcomers. Swiftclaw didn't even bother with pleasantries as they kept their teeth barred at the Princess.
"I wouldn't worry too much about them. After all, I did just tell them to stand down and all." She threw out her new position out into the air. Honesty was the best policy when dealing with potential allies after all, and she hoped her breezy way of breaking the news would've made it sink in easier.
It didn't. Once again, the natives clutched their weapons. Even Amimoto seemed a bit taken aback by her brazeness. Suddenly it occurred to Azula that announcing yourself as the leader of a rogue army group probably was NOT the best idea in the world. She had to mentally kick herself for that slip up. Been a while since she was undercover. And had an official position to back up her words.
Thankfully, she had somebody watching her back. "What my friend meant to say is that the Fiery Raptors won't be a problem anymore. They've been ordered to stand down," Kori added.
Murmurs went amongst the welcoming party, leaving the three girls wondering if they botched up their chance at a refuge.
Chief Amimoto cleared his throat. "Well, it cannot be said that Infant Island is not an unwelcoming place. As long as you leave your conflicts on the seashore, we shouldn't have a problem. Besides, it wouldn't be our place to turn away a teenager looking for help."
The girls' tenseness faded away with the declaration. Azula in particular let herself breathe a little. Another moment and she thought they would've had to fight their way to safety. She wouldn't know where that would be with their ship sailing away, but the Princess figured she'd find out a solution amidst the chaos. Still, it was good knowing they had one place to stay against all the odds.
Satisfied, Amimoto clasped his hands together. "So! I guess you all are hungry after a day's worth of travel. Am I right?"
Azula and Kori stared as Amimoto's wife (Daiyo was her name apparently) served a plate of sliced raw fish seasoned with sea salt, yam, and a few kinds of fruit they couldn't identify. Neither one of them took up their chopsticks to eat, not even when Maina and her parents began to dig into the prepared feast.
Their hesitancy didn't go unnoticed for long. "Come on. You really think we'd poison our guests?" Maina asked.
"Well…truth be told, I was half expecting that you were going to serve us cooked human meat or something," Kori sheepishly admitted.
This elicited a rather hearty laugh from Daiyo, causing her husband and daughter to look a little embarrassed at her outburst. "Wow! Is that what the mainland thinks of us? Good thing you didn't wait another decade to see us or you would've thought we sacrificed our children to some spider god!"
"Yeah. That would be kind of ridiculous," Azula played off, still feeling a little embarrassed knowing that there probably were some nobles back home that thought that way.
Quite frankly, the brief hike to Maina's village was an eye-opener. All her life, Azula believed that anybody who chose the wilderness over the safety of a fortified city was a backward savage. Probably scrawny and living in their own filth. Not that she'd say this in front of her hosts of course, no Princess worth her salt would be so crass.
Still, her eyes went wide when she saw how utterly different things seemed to be. For one, the villagers were healthy and fit. Maybe even healthier than some of the nobles or peasants that lived in the shadow of the Capital. For another, their village, while not especially ornate, was well-maintained and pristine. Sure it wasn't a resort such as those you'd find at Ember Island, but it was a far cry from the hovel she expected.
What's more, they didn't even seem to be particularly industrious. They had a few farms here and there, but they were typically small and were grown in amongst the trees rather than in clearings. From what she could gather, the natives didn't practice much in the way of clearcutting and prioritizing staple crops. Rather, they seemed to rotate their diet to whatever was available at the time. Fruits were picked in season. Their livestock (which mostly consisted of parrot-beaked bipedal lizards about the size of a good-sized cat) milled about close to home, feeding on whatever was picked. The rest of their meat came from fishing and the occasional hunting of big game.
The later was helped by those Carnoraptors, or Shaconnes as they were called (Azula made a mental note to remember that). Bizarrely, they were kept outside of the village rather than in pens. She guessed somehow they were trained to avoid preying on unattended parrot-lizards, but it seemed odd that everyone was comfortable with having a pack of hungry predators living on their borders.
Not that it seemed to bother Amimoto before he let Swiftclaw join the raptors lingering on the borders. Flame Runner stayed safely within the village leaning by the hut they were eating at, though not without keeping a wary eye on the hunters milling about somewhere in the foliage.
Azula, on the other hand, was more wary of the food. She prodded at it with her chopsticks, feeling rather foolish that she was being intimidated by a plate of… "What did you say this was?" she asked.
"Armored fish caught this morning," Daiyo answered cheerfully, like that was supposed to make Azula feel better. Still, she didn't want to appear rude and since Maina was clearly enjoying it…
She took a bite.
"...wow. This is really good actually." For once, it wasn't a lie. Seeing that the food was royalty approved, Kori took a few bites of her own fish.
Her reaction was substantially less subdued. "By Agni! This is great!"
Azula rolled her eyes, but tucked into her lunch regardless. They ate for a moment, savoring the foreign dish and filling their bellies. Truth be told if Azula was more inclined, she would've proclaimed this was better than the slop they served at the asylum any day. Not that she wanted to bring down the mood.
Once their bellies were properly filled, the Princess decided it would be time to cut to the chase. "I thank you again for letting us have our little meeting here on your island. Is there anywhere in particular you would wish for us to conduct business?"
Swallowing his bite, Amimoto cleared his throat. "Best place to do that would be at Mothra's shrine high up in the mountain. She's the one who enforces the Law of Peace."
Maina blinked. "Father, Mothra's dormant. Right?"
"Actually, we believe she's about to wake up," Daiyo corrected, causing everyone's attention to be drawn to her. "Swarms of moths have been seen fluttering up the mountain side. We think she's calling to them and giving us a sign."
The mountain in question lay visible outside the hut's window. Towering high up, it was far from the fire scorched volcano of Aso. Dense vegetation flourished down its slopes. An unbroken carpet of green that spoke of times before coal and steel powered their Nation's heart. That seemed to be a recurring sign of these kaiju. Unspoiled habitats with people that clung to old ways.
Still, Azula wondered what this Mothra really was. It seemed very room for doubt that she would indeed meet the Goddess she had heard so much about. Yet her anticipation was only coupled with dread. No doubt this was yet one more kaiju. Not Godzilla or Rodan from what she heard of course, but the idea of meeting such a powerful being such as this one gave her pause.
"Mothra awakening and my lifetime…if only Miana were here to see it…"
Shaking her head clear, Azula had to ask. "Why are you letting me stay? You know who I am and what I've done. And I'm posing a big threat to your people. Why take the risk?"
Amimoto and Daiyo looked at one another, obviously not expecting such a question to be lobbied at them. After a moment, it was the lady of the household that deigned to answer. "We understand that our ways might not exactly be seen as traditional by the standards of the Fire Nation. But we believe that everyone in existence has a place and part to play. Even those who might seem lost or shunned by the world. This island is for them. After all, we're practically exiles everywhere else."
The Princess understood. All around the village, she had seen airbenders. Children playing with gusts of wind. Farmers spreading their seed upon the breeze. It seemed right out of a dream. Sure it was nothing compared to what the Avatar was capable of, but this people still seemed like a lost relic regardless. To think that a society of airbenders survived still boggled her mind every time she saw it.
Azula need only look to the mountain to know why they had survived. Even from this distance, she could feel some kind of…presence, watching down over all.
"Besides, there is a reason your path ended up here. Do you mind if we see your fire for a moment?"
Amimoto's request seemed pretty innocuous. No doubt these people had heard of her blue flame and wanted a demonstration. But deciding to keep it simple for now, Azula just shrugged, opened her hand, and willed to life a shimmering azure fire. It crackled and flickered in the air, with her fingertips gently making sure that no embers accidentally left her palm and set the hut on fire. Not that it bothered Kori or Maina that much, since they'd been with her enough to get used to the unusual color.
The chieftain and his wife had a very different reaction though. Their eyes were drawn to the flame, the azure glow reflecting in their eyes. All at once, it felt as if the life in the room stood still to hold its breath.
Now Azula had been used to people stopping to gawk at her fire. Ever since she'd first mastered it all those years ago, it felt as though the whole palace held her up as a gift from Agni. Father certainly saw it as a triumphant example of her progress. Certainly made all her work training in empty dojos worth it. Finally, she had something to be truly proud of.
Here though, Amimoto and Daiyo seemed to regard it with a sort of reverence mixed in with awe. Azula was more than willing to oblige of course, but it still made her think back to the ritual on Odo Island. How blue fire was revered as highly as the legendary fire of dragons. It only deepened her interest.
With a snap of her wrist, she snuffed the fire out of her palm. That broke the natives out of their trance. "Forgive us. It has been many generations since any of Infant Island has seen the blue flame."
"You know about it Daiyo?" Azula asked, setting out the line. Now it was a matter of who would take the bite.
The older woman didn't hesitate to take it. "Why of course. Everyone who lives in the shadow of kaiju knows of the blue flame. Legend has it that they who mastered it was given sanction by Gojira himself."
And there he was again. Godzilla seemed to dog her step even when he wasn't around. Everywhere she turned, somebody had some legend or story connected with him. Still, she remained composed. "I figured it out all on my own. Though there do seem to be a few things it's capable of that I wasn't aware of before."
"All the more reason to go to Mothra's shrine then. We have little knowledge of the blue fire, but there might be something our ancestors might have recorded," Daiyo suggested. "Besides: we always say that mastering your element will help bring peace to those in need."
That, Azula wasn't so sure about. Fire was passion and will given form, obviously. Everybody in the Fire Nation was taught that from an early age. A s for helping her with her problems…well unless she could set herself on fire and become Agni's vengeance herself, she didn't see how it could help.
"I'm just here to meet with my brother and the Avatar. That's it," Azula stated. Her declaration caused Maina to exhale the breath she was holding in. Didn't matter too much to the Princess. If she wanted to keep deluding herself into thinking she could be saved, that was her loss.
Amimoto on the other hand seemed to come out of a deep thought that he had. "Actually Princess, there was something we could have your help with. We can deal with it up on the way to the shrine."
Now this was something that piqued Azula's interest. Normally she wouldn't even bother with a request from somebody literally on the boundaries of civilization. But if she wanted to make friends with those who were going to help enforce the "no violence" part of what was certainly going to be a decidedly hectic talk, it was best to have your angles covered.
So, the Princess tucked into what remained of her lunch and gave the Chieftain his full, undivided attention. "Alright. What exactly did you want from the Princess of the Fire Nation?"
Yu Dao
The first bad news that Team Avatar learned when they landed outside in the camp was that there was a major riot happening in the marketplace of the city. The second bad news was that for the first time, Fire Lord Zuko had appeared to address it.
So many thoughts ran through Aang's mind as he and his friends snaked their way through the bustling crowds. They all knew there were protests when they first arrived. Why wouldn't there be? But a full-blown riot was another level entirely. That meant blood could be spilled. And when you spilled blood in an occupied town…
Nobody wanted to think about it. Not when the crowds got more packed. Not when the din of the usual hustle and bustle was replaced with angry shouting and threats being thrown. And not when they emerged into the bazaar.
In times of peace, it would've been a colorful menagerie of stalls and tents. Merchants would've advertised their wares as from either coming across the sea or beyond the deserts of the east. Buyers would've been taken in by the exotic goods, regardless over whether or not they got a good deal. And a steady flow of money would've made Yu Dao a place of plenty.
Now, a crowd of protestors had gathered in the heart of the marketplace. Opposing them was a division of guards. And behind them, resplendent in the robes of the Fire Lord was Zuko, trying his best to keep the peace. Given the way the crowd kept getting riled up by virtually every word he said, it was a losing battle.
"We came as fast we could! What's going on?" Aang quickly asked, he and his friends taking their place beside the young monarch.
Zuko rolled his eyes. "Please tell me you didn't miss the giant bird that just flew overhead."
"Miss? We nearly flew into that oversized buzzardwasp!" Sokka exclaimed.
"Well, that whipped the people up into a panic, and now somebody thought to bend a rock at one of our guard's head," the Fire Lord explained. He pointed to the offender in question, a young man wearing the green garb of the Earth Kingdom. His stance was that of a bender, though not an experienced one from his shaky legs. Opposite of him was a fully armored, skull-masked firebender with a flame in his fist.
"Bent a rock-he's the one who threw a fireball at us!" the earthbender yelled. "This was supposed to be a peaceful protest because we didn't exactly want any more Fire Nation soldiers in our city! Then this thug decides the best way to deal with us was bending fire at us!"
"And I told you, that the Fire Lord decreed that the city be considered under siege until we determine what threat that monster poses to us!" the guard shot back. "Who's going to protect you when we're gone?!"
"Oh, you mean the same people who got themselves killed when going up against the last monster?!"
"Know you place you little-"
"EVERYBODY CALM DOWN!" the head of the guard yelled, his more ornate armor denoting his station amongst the soldiers. Not that it did any good, since the crowd just shouted back "Easy for you firebenders to say!", "You're going to piss off this one too and get us all killed?!", and "We'll calm down when you get out of here!".
Sokka took a look at the scene around them. There did seem to be pretty substantial scorch marks where fire was clearly thrown around. And there was only a single patch of road that was upended from where earth could've been bent. "I think that earthbender's telling the truth," the warrior told Zuko.
"I know, but I don't exactly want to escalate this whole thing further," the Fire Lord answered. To this, the monarch bravely walked past his guards and held up his arms. "People of Yu Dao! I understand your concerns about the garrison we have placed here and the threat posed by this new kaiju. However, we need to stand united in face of this threat. I promise that justice will be dealt with, but until then-"
"What are you going to do about your goon then?!" somebody from the crowd yelled.
"He will face disciplinary action. But I can't ignore that not only have you been disturbing the peace, but one of your own has just lobbed a rock and nearly killed one of my people! As such, this earthbender needs to be placed under arrest and put under our jurisdiction."
Zuko practically winced from the renewed wave of outrage as his captain spoke for him. Already, Katara was muscling her way through the guards to say, "Zuko, we can't just arrest him for defending himself!"
Indeed, the young man paled as a group of guards began advancing towards him. "There's not much I can do," Zuko said, not liking how this was going either. "I can't just ignore that he assaulted a Fire Nation guard!"
"So you're just going to throw him into a Fire Nation cell?" Katara asked in disbelief.
The earthbender nervously got into a shaky stance. "Stay away from me," he whispered.
"Just for a day or two till this clears over. I'll make sure he's not hurt," Zuko reassured. Indeed, that was the very same thing that one of the older guards was telling the protestor.
The young man just backed further away. "I warn you. Stay back."
"Wait a minute, let me talk to him," Aang piped up, squirming his way to Zuko in front of the crowd. "He's scared, and your men aren't helping matters. Give me a chance to calm him down."
"STAY BACK!"
Before Zuko could even think about giving Aang the go-ahead to try (which he no doubt would've), the earthbender bent up a good-sized stone and kicked it into one of the approaching guards. A pained grunt came from the soldier as he collapsed into the dirt, his arm hanging dislocated from his shoulder.
With that, any hope of this ending peacefully was drowned out in a crescendo of uproar. The other guards rushed forward to try and apprehend the now panicking earthbender. What they got was a storm of stones and rocks being hurled in their faces. To the further astonishment of everyone, a few blasts of fire also came from the protestors, forcing the guards back further. Meanwhile, the protestor was taken back by the crowd. His fellow citizens physically put themselves between him and his would-be captors.
All the while, the roars from the crowd only increased. Shouts of "You call THIS bringing peace?!" and "Put that captain behind bars!" drowned out any attempts made by Zuko, Team Avatar, or really anybody trying to restore order. Only the aforementioned captain was able to form some kind of response. Which was to grimly motion for his forces to begin advancing upon the protestors. The sight of armored soldiers advancing on the crowd caused several individuals to begin bringing their elements to bare, whether it be earth or fire.
Behind the benders was, much to Team Avatar's horror, a crowd of now thoroughly terrified civilians. Many of them seemed to be of Earth Kingdom descent. And Katara didn't ignore that many of the civilians were wearing bandages one would use to cover burns.
Her blue eyes bored into Zuko. "For the love of Tui and La, put a stop to this or somebody's going to get killed!"
The Fire Lord was finally brought out of his trance, shaking his head and getting himself in front of the advancing guard. "As your Fire Lord, I command you to stand down and-"
"DEATH TO THE TYRANT'S SON!"
Before anybody could even begin to react, a man clad in fairly typical Fire Nation peasant's robes came rushing out of the panicking crowd. His bland appearance belied the sheen of a knife being pulled from its sheathe hidden in his sleeve. And between the chaos of the fiery riot, the only warning anybody had was his warcry.
It certainly wasn't enough warning for the young monarch, who tried to bring up his fists to defend himself. Yet his muscles seemed to move in slow motion compared to the assailant practically flying across the expanse.
A flurry of fists though put a halt to the assassin's dark ambitions. He collapsed to the earth into a heap, his nerves paralyzed. Above his prone body was a Kyoshi Warrior, her disarmingly soft face being the other indicator that it was indeed Ty Lee.
Even still, Zuko stood just as paralyzed as his assailant. Not even the crowd panicking and running in all directions brought him out of the daze. With the sovereign leader of the Fire Nation being stunned into silence, the Captain gave out the orders to drag the would-be assassin to whatever holding cell could fit him.
It was only then that the Fire Lord was able to shake himself out of his shock. "Let's…we need to get out of here."
Luckily, somebody was already planning farther than his mind was at. "You heard the man! Let's get to the Mayor's palace people!" Sokka ordered the Fire Nation soldiers. Despite being a boy from the so-called "barbarous" Water Tribe, the guards recognized authority when they heard it. Already they formed an escort around their entourage, hustling their way towards the safest place in the city they knew of.
Aang and Katara on the other hand were more focused on the dispersing crowds around them. Especially the looks of terror. If they didn't know any better, the two would've assumed they were back in the days of the war.
Today certainly seemed like a harsh reminder of those dark times.
Mayor Morishita's Mansion
"Okay. Could somebody please tell me why we're having assassins in broad daylight now?" Sokka sarcastically asked the mayor.
Team Avatar and the Fire Lord's entourage were able to safely retreat to the mansion without much incident. The only thing they had to endure was the occasional noble calling Zuko a "coward" for backing off in the face of a peasant revolt. As for the wounded guard, he had been escorted to the garrison's apothecary. Katara offered to heal him herself, but she was turned down on the basis of being a "backwards savage that would sooner drown him than help him". She politely said that it wouldn't be her fault that he'd be in agony for a few days rather than a few minutes.
And now here they were in the Mayor's common room. Iroh had brewed up some tea, but even that wasn't enough to assuage the simmering tensions. No due in small part to the Mayor Morishita had decided to make an appearance. He was a large man wearing the resplendent black and red robes of his station. Middle-aged with his sideburns still black, he had made several apologies already on behalf of his men's behavior.
Until a certain swordsman brought up how they were dealing with armed assassins now. "It's certainly not my fault the rabble has started hiring cutthroats. We try to protect them from these monsters and THIS is how they repay us? I'm surprised you haven't pushed for an arrest warrant for that ruffian who started this whole mess!"
"What? You mean the guy who was acting in self-defense? We saw the scorch marks! We know it was your people who shot first! And even then, how does that justify cornering him when we could've talked him down?" Katara fired back, not at all deterred by the bluster and accusations this pomped-up noble was throwing at civilians.
Aang took a deep breath, stepping forward and trying to get his emotions under check. "With all due respect Mayor, if a whole army wasn't able to stop Godzilla, what good would your garrison do? All they seem to be doing is making the people more panicked."
Before Morishita could launch into another furious rant, Zuko cleared his throat and stepped in. "We can't pull out. There are still nobles we need to escort and protect. And even then, Godzilla has made landfall not too far from here. I'm not risking sending any more Fire Nation ships to take us home with that thing still prowling around."
"Wait…Godzilla attacked somewhere again?" Sokka asked, speaking for the petrified Team Avatar.
Taking a deep breath, Zuko launched into sharing everything that was known about Aso Island. About how one of the rogue armies baited Godzilla into a trap and tried to kill him by awakening the firebird. And how Azula was there, told him this via letter, and had "invited" him to a place called Infant Island for some kind of negotiations.
"So as you can see, we've got a lot on our plate at the moment. That's why I want to ask all of you to accompany me to Infant Island. At least if we capture Azula, we can get something done," Zuko finished.
Imana didn't say anything at first. She simply withdrew into the background. "Maina must've taken her there…" she muttered, trying to put together the pieces in her head.
Aang on the other hand was not as convinced. "Zuko, you sure you're not letting her get into your head? Like, what if she's telling the truth? I don't want you to escalate things with her again."
The Fire Lord just scoffed. "Aang, when has Azula ever been truthful? She wouldn't just give me an invitation to arrest her. And even then, she's in control of the Fiery Raptors. That practically makes her a war lord right now! I'm sorry, but I'm not taking any chances with her."
"Okay, let me ask you this: why do you think this is going to help us? We have Azula in custody. Great! How's that going to help us deal with Godzilla? Or the escorts? Or this 'siege' you keep talking about?" Suki asked, getting a bit frustrated with how all this talk just kept them going in circles.
To that, Iroh cleared his throat. "Azula represents a way for all of these men to get back into power. If we were to capture her now, they'd be cowed. And if they are cowed, they can be dealt with at our leisure."
"I don't know Iroh. I think a bunch of monsters are a bit more of a threat than some guys who think the war hasn't ended. I mean the Rough Rhinos were one of those groups, but they got slaughtered by Old Iron," Sokka contended.
"Then it's imperative that we go to Infant Island."
Everyone's heads turned to Imana, who strode forth amongst them. Zuko blinked, wondering if this was the airbender that was traveling with Azula, before Katara clarified that she was actually the airbender's twin sister.
"Twins. Great…wait. That girl was an airbender?!"
Another explanation from Team Avatar and Imana, and Zuko was beginning to question how his country managed to almost conquer the world if they weren't able to wipe out an island full of airbenders.
Surprisingly, Ty Lee just shrugged. "I mean some airbenders survived pretty late into the war. But why do you think capturing Azula will be good for us?"
"I never said capture. I said we need to go to Infant Island. We practically have more legends and lore on kaiju there than any other place in the world! Our Goddess Mothra is one after all! If she wakes up, she'll be willing to fight for us if Godzilla or Rodan becomes a threat!"
"Just like Anguirus," Aang said with realization.
Zuko and Iroh just felt a pang of worry shoot through their hearts. "Another kaiju…" the Fire Lord muttered.
"How exactly is waking up another of those things going to help us?! We might as well designate the entirety of our colonies as prime monster territory at this rate!" Needless to say, Mayor Morishita was considerably less tactful.
Still, Aang was undeterred. "I believe her. And honestly, I don't think we should pass this opportunity up. Any information on these kaiju is better than nothing."
"I concur," Iroh added. "I've been having the White Lotus working as hard as they can, but these creatures have been awakening far faster than we've been able to find answers. If the Avatar wishes for us to go to Infant Island, then we should all go. That way we can also deal with Azula at the same time."
Zuko smiled at his uncle backing him up, though he was surprised when Aang just gave the old man a rather neutral stare. The airbender kept his thoughts to himself, but Katara had a pretty good idea of what was on his mind. After all, he had come out about his messages with Bumi with the rest of the team. As for what he found out, he wouldn't say just yet.
Yet she knew when something was bothering him. And when that something was a man they all thought they knew.
"Then it's settled. We're going on vacation to an island full of monsters. Yay. I'll go pack my bags," Mai snarked, gliding out of the room.
With that settled, everybody started to discuss what exactly they were going to do once they got to the island. Most of them were anyway. Aang kept looking at Morishita. Kaiju or not, he hadn't forgotten that it was the mayor's men who escalated that riot. Neither could he forget how many of the protestors had burns of their own. As hard as it was for him to swallow, he couldn't ignore that the noble was practically asking for a repeat of the war to happen on his streets.
Zuko's thoughts were also divided. The first was on the assassin. He wasn't an expert, but he knew that no amateur could use a riot as a cover or move that fast. That's plenty of reason for the man to be interrogated while he was gone.
His other thoughts were on Azula. What game was she playing at? If this was some play for the crown, she picked the worst time to do so. And here he was trying to give her the benefit of the doubt. How was he supposed to give her a chance when she threw her lot in with war criminals?
Well, she overstepped her boundaries this time. Armistice or no, he'd be taking her back to the palace. With or without chains.
Infant Island
Azula swatted a fly that was annoying her. She swore she had her fill of stomping through jungles to last a lifetime.
Then again, this whole excursion seemed beneath her. Don't get her wrong. Getting a headstart on a trek that was estimated to take at least until sunset to reach their destination was great. Even more so when one knew that their enemies had access to airships and a flying bison.
No, it was the Chieftain's request that bothered her. Apparently, a wild Shaconne was spotted with a nasty gash in its leg and they needed to help. Not that Azula cared, but she wondered why exactly they had to go out of their way to assist an animal that wasn't domesticated.
Oh sure, Amimoto did. He went on and on about the balance of nature that Azula only paid half attention to. The only thing she could remember him saying was, "Our raptors aren't domesticated in the traditional sense. We let them roam free with their brethren whenever they're feeling worn out or tired. It helps us maintain the bonds we have with both each other and the species as a whole. Around here, we look out for one another." Or something to that extent.
Now Azula could've mentioned that associating with wild predators was a bad idea. She was comfortable sitting on Flame Runner's back on this trek since she knew the Mongoose Dragon had been around humans all her life. Why would they place trust in mounts that go feral and are just as home in the wild as they are at what she considered civilization?
Not that she said anything of course. That would be impolite. Instead, she leaned over to Kori who was walking by her mount's side and whispered, "You getting any of this?"
"Yeah. They live side by side with them in some kind of symbiosis. Each provides something for the other and everyone benefits as a whole."
"...you understood that?"
"Why do you think I've been quiet?" Kori asked back. Before they could talk any further, Maina turned back and gave both of them a harsh shush while her father and some of his companions led them along the trail. Azula just rested on her saddle. Truth be told, getting to know the customs of the home islands was practically required to maintain good relations with the various houses and guilds. Not some of these border societies where you might only stop to make repairs on your ship before heading to war in the Earth Kingdom.
The Princess supposed that Kori was just more used to getting to know natives. After all this island wasn't too far from Yu Dao.
It still seemed like some kind of mirage or dream, however. The jungles here were thick with foliage. All around her were massive trees and walls of bushes and other low-lying plants. Granted, it wasn't completely stifling since there was just enough space between the branches to allow fresh air to fill her lungs. Yet this was far beyond the forests of Aso, and more primeval than any in the Earth Kingdom.
This is an old forest, her mother's voice whispered. For once, Azula couldn't help but agree with her. Though "old" was putting it lightly. This seemed to be a place from a world lost to time. In the distance, the air was filled with a chorus of deep bellows of great beasts, the calls of small animals in the underbrush, and the occasional snap of a branch in the far distance. This wasn't just an old forest. It felt primeval.
Azula felt small. Sure she had spent some survival courses back at the academy thanks to her father's urgings, but even she wasn't sure she could manage such a savage place.
Luckily for her, people who were more at home in these jungles were leading the way. Amimoto, Swiftclaw, and their friends led the way, snaking along some invisible route. Maybe there was some kind of sign unknown to the Princess they were using. They were certainly at ease, picking their way as though this was a local garden instead of a dangerous lair.
Danger certainly found them first when a high-pitched cry pierced through the foliage above. Their party stopped, crouching low to the ground. "Everybody get down!" Amimoto ordered, bowing his head. Everyone followed his command. First his followers, then Maina, and then Kori. Azula was the last to do so, but the growls from ahead convinced her it was probably a good idea to jump off of Flame Runner and bow as well.
From the brush, several animals emerged. They looked like Swiftclaw, though they had no saddle or markings. Wild Carnoraptors, Azula realized. And fine specimens by the looks of them. Powerful muscles covered in scaly skin, with ivory teeth on snapping jaws.
Two of them, one with larger horns and a more colorful skin pattern and one with smaller horns and duller colors, stepped forward. They flexed their claws, sniffing the party warily. Azula felt their breaths wash over her, as they paused to scope her out. It felt so wrong to bow before animals, and she wanted to look them in the eye. Warning them that a single claw that wandered too close was their last mistake.
By the way they were growling, they probably were thinking the same thing about her. Flame Runner hissed protectively, but she didn't dare make a move when a whole pack surrounded them. It was all the more reason for Azula to remain composed as best she could. The last thing she wanted was to be dinner to a pack of these carnivores.
At long last, the pair moved away and approached Swiftclaw. In a complete reversal of their reception towards Azula, they cooed and nuzzled the Shaconne with their snouts. Swiftclaw looked them in the eye and returned the gesture, the trio sniffing and licking one another affectionately. It was then that the Princess recognized the familiarity between the younger raptor and the older ones. They must've been Swiftclaw's mother and father.
The rest of the pack stalked over and greeted Amimoto's raptor in the same way. There was something oddly…human about the display. Azula suddenly remembered with guilt about how she greeted Mai and Ty Lee in the same way when she recruited them. Yet there wasn't any coercion here. This was a family that was greeting a long-lost member. Even odder was that their ferocious exterior melted away to a warmness that was so foreign to the Princess. Seeing the claws relaxing and toothed snouts nuzzling with each other left her a little floored.
In time, the alphas relaxed and nodded towards Amimoto and the rest of his party. Bowing once more, the Chieftain led them past the pack and further into the forest. Azula looked upon the raptors as she road past, knowing that while they had been accepted into their territory, they weren't given a free pass. Those claws still lay at the ready in case the humans tried anything. Now though, it felt as though it were a formality. Something that was to these creatures in the same vein as breathing.
The message was still clear though. Especially to the Princess at the pack watched her in particular. She dared not to look any of them in the eye.
They found her lounging on a muddy bank along the side of a sizeable stream. Azula watched the Carnoraptor from the bushes, noting the leg they were resting against the mud.
"Is that where the injury is?" she asked.
Amimoto nodded. "Looks like she's trying to keep it covered to prevent infection."
Clever, the Princess thought. Though not clever enough to know that covering a gash in your leg won't sterilize and clean it properly. Or numb the pain. Or really anything that was outside the range of an animal's comprehension.
Course her train of thought made her realize yet again what a stupid idea this was. When she heard that her "something" was to aid an injured wild animal, she balked. In fact, Azula made it clear that they were going to get themselves killed. Everybody knew that an injured predator was one of the most dangerous things in the world. The best thing would be to put it out of its misery.
Maina and Amimoto were insistent, however. Apparently, this one's injury hadn't progressed far enough to necessitate such a "drastic" course of action. If they could disinfect it in time and bind the wound, they should prevent it from driving the beast to madness. And this was something they've done before. Countless times. One of the benefits the Shaconnes got from the islanders was that they could receive medical aid, and typically, they were receptive to it. It was part of that "symbosis" mumbo jumbo they kept droning on about.
This one was different though. Azula was told she was young and not used to humans. What's more, she was what one would consider "prideful", and wasn't all that sociable around the other members of her pack. It was, in Daiyo's words, "A very unpleasant combination."
Now Azula wasn't sure how one could call an animal "proud", but she did note that the raptor kept their head up high and scanned the surrounding areas despite lying in the mud.
Still, she didn't like the looks of it. "Maina. Are you sure about this?" she asked the priestess, who was holding a basket full of meat.
"Positive. I've lived around Shaconnes all my life," Maina calmly responded, slowly stepping out of the bushes. The plan was a simple one. Or that's how it was described. First Maina would lure the raptor into an appropriate position. And the best way to do that was through meat. An injured animal couldn't hunt properly, and so would likely be more receptive to food given to it.
Azula was doubtful. A hungry animal was a desperate animal. And she heard Kori holding her breath, behind her. No doubt she was readying an arrow as Maina got closer to the predator.
All of this seemed like a bad idea. Even if it worked, the Carnoraptor probably would just associate humans with food and go after them. Amimoto reassured her that Maina would be wearing gloves to not get her scent all over the pieces of meat. And even then, they could always drive her off if she got too comfortable with the villagers. Like THAT is going to change things, Azula bitterly thought.
Her nerves rose as Maina laid down a piece of meat a little bit away from the bird-like reptile. Those reptilian eyes sized the native up, narrowing as she began placing piece by piece leading away from the mudhole.
It wasn't long before a harsh growl left its maw. Azula almost jumped, but the Chieftain put a reassuring hand on her pauldron. "Just watch," he told her, pointing to Maina gently lowering her basket and dumping the rest of the meat on the ground. Then she slowly backed away, never taking her eyes off the predator who continued to watch her.
Silently, the priestess knelt back into the bushes, causing the tension held by both noble girls to dissipate a little. "Told you it was easy," she claimed, taking off her gloves. Azula just rolled her eyes, wondering how desensitized one needed to be in order to consider THIS easy.
With Maina out of the picture, the Shaconne warily rose from the mud and stalked towards the first piece of meat. After sniffing it carefully for a moment, the raptor took the piece of meat in her jaws and snarfed it down. Then she went to the next piece and snarfed it down a bit quicker than the first. Every bite made her more confident. So by the time she reached the pile of meat, she was greedily chomping piece after piece. In the end, hunger won out over caution.
It was then that Azula could clearly see the streaks of blood running down her leg. While the mud covered the worst of it up, there was still a rather nasty looking gash in her flank. And it caused the Shaconne a great deal of pain. Every step she took with that leg was a limp. For an animal built for action, such an injury could sink any chance of hunting if it got worse. Forcing her to go after easier prey…
That's what her lessons at school taught her anyway. Even now, she felt her fingers flex, ready to summon lightning and put the poor thing out of its misery. And she probably would have, if Amimoto weren't there and gave a silent signal.
From the foliage looking directly at the river, a gust of wind washed over the feasting carnivore. While not a particularly strong wind, it was enough to topple a surprised Carnoraptor who was already on shaky legs. "NOW!" Amimoto shouted. And all at once, he and his companions lept from the bushes. They were guided by currents of air behind them, letting them to land on top of their startled quarry.
In such cohesion that you would almost see from a trained military unit, the hunters dogpiled down on the predator and began binding her legs and arms against her thrashing body with rope. The Chieftain himself lassoed a rope around that snarling maw. He said it was both for their safety and the raptor's, that way she wouldn't hurt them or hurt herself in the thrashing.
Even still, she had a lot of energy and rage from being hog-tied down. Her body bucked, and even with several men on top of her, it took every ounce of strength to hold her down.
Now according to Maina and her father, this would've been the time where they would've tried calming the Shaconne down to apply the balm. Some kind of technique that the Avatar would've understood. Even Azula knew enough that he had some mastery or domain over animals.
For this occasion though, the Chieftain motioned for Azula to come forward. Dutifully, the Princess knelt down by the raptor's head so those orange eyes could glare hatefully at her.
Then she held out her palm and brought to life a flickering ball of blue fire.
All at once, the predator slumped to the ground. The muscles slackened, and those eyes were riveted at the azure light. Hurriedly, Maina came forward to help clean the wound and apply the balm. Hisses of pain came from the Carnoraptor as they went about their work, but her focus was solely on Azula.
"Easy girl…" the firebender found herself saying, seeing her fire reflected in those reptilian eyes. All at once, a memory came rushing back of a darkened dojo in the dead of night. Where everyone had left her to her training.
When orange became blue.
"I don't get it," Azula muttered. "How come all these things seem attracted to my fire?" For Godzilla it made sense, their fire was the same after all. Yet it was also enough to give Rodan pause, and now this. What was it that she was missing?
Amimoto shrugged. "I cannot answer that. There hasn't been a wielder of the blue flame for generations. All we know is that it seems to resonate with the oldest in the world. Those that can trace their lineages back down to times older than legend. The kaiju are among them, as are ancient species like Shaconnes. Maybe they sense something. Like they know royalty walks amongst them."
"Royalty, huh? Sounds like they know their betters."
"Probably not the same royalty you're thinking of. With all due respect of course."
Azula wondered what the Chieftain meant, but she supposed that could be delved into later. For now, the bandage around the wound was set and the natives were beginning to undo the bindings. Carefully, Amimoto sliced open the rope around those powerful jaws and backed away. Everyone gave the Shaconne a wide berth as she staggered back onto her feet.
Shaking her head clear, the predator glared at them all before turning back to examine her now bandaged wound. She took a few exploratory steps, each one significantly less painful-looking than before. Still, the Shaconne snarled at them, but not as harshly as before.
Her eyes fell upon Azula, and the ferocity fell. After cocking her head curiously, the raptor ran off into the jungle. Leaving the party behind as they watched her run off without difficulty.
Azula felt strange. She hadn't gained anything from this act, but neither did she feel bad about it either. When that predatory gaze fell on her, she almost felt a sense of…gratitude. Is that what it feels like?
Whatever it was, it felt…nice.
"Is she going to be okay?" Kori asked.
"In a couple days, yeah. You'd be surprise how fast they can bounce back from a properly tended to injury like that. We'll keep an eye on her though," Amimoto said with satisfaction. Then he turned to Maina. "You think you can take our guests from here?"
"Yes Father," the priestess declared.
Nodding, the Chieftain of Infant Island turned towards his guest. "Well, I'll leave you in the capable hands of my daughter. She'll lead you the rest of the way to the temple. My people and I will wait at the village for the Avatar and his friends. Give them a proper welcome."
Out of gratitude, both Azula and Kori bowed. "We're honored that you would have us as our guests." Again, it felt wrong to show respect to a backwater savage. But the Princess couldn't deny she did feel out of her element on this island. She had to give them respect for eking out an existence here amongst such predators.
Amimoto returned the bow. "You're more than welcome. And I definitely think you've earned our hospitality." With one final gaze, he walked off into the jungle with his entourage in tow. Swiftclaw followed, having hidden in the foliage this whole time, but not giving a last look at Azula. Then she turned, leaving the girls alone in the unknown jungle.
That didn't mean they were entirely lost. "Now ladies. Shall we?" Maina teased, leading the way deeper into the heart of the island. Azula and Kori followed, unsure of what lay ahead.
They certainly knew who was coming from behind though. And that kept them moving.
Somewhere off the Earth Kingdom Coast
Team Avatar ended up taking Appa and a small airship. When you had a grand total of 10 people (hopefully 11 by the time they were done), it was probably best if you split them up. Sure the flying bison was strong, but Aang didn't want him becoming laden with too many people on his back. No, it made better sense to break them up in teams of five for the journey over.
Still, Aang leaned on the airship looking at Appa flying beside them. Granted, Sokka had learned to steer the so-called "fluffy snot monster" pretty well. It was just out of habit more than anything. Seeing how graceful the bison was in the air though, he felt splitting them and sacrificing speed so the airship could keep up was a good trade-off.
Besides, he did NOT want Azula on Appa whatsoever.
Satisfied with their arrangement, he turned towards the people on their small airship. Zuko was manning the burner that kept the balloon afloat, Mai was just staring into the distance to keep herself busy, while Katara was keeping as far away from Ty Lee as possible. Granted, Aang didn't understand why the master waterbender was that fidgety around an acrobat since they were now allies. But old habits died hard. Especially when said acrobat could paralyze you and cut off your bending.
Speaking of bending…
"Zuko. Could we talk for a moment?"
The young monarch looked over and gave a nod of approval before tending the fire. Aang took a deep breath. "I know you want Azula's bending to be removed-"
"Aang, that's going to be a last resort. If she doesn't give us any other choice," Zuko cut off. All eyes were turned towards him. Katara in particular, given that her stance on the issue was as well known. There was a reason she elected to give Iroh some space after all.
"I know, but what if we're going about this the wrong way?" Aang asked carefully. "We keep backing her into a corner, she's going to get more desperate. And if she gets more desperate, things are just going to keep getting worse."
"Oh, and I suppose you know more about my sister than I? I know her, Aang."
"And I know what happens when you feel robbed of options. It's how I felt about potentially killing your father. I'm just saying we should give her the chance to surrender."
"Last time we did that, she shot Uncle!"
"To be fair, I'd probably do the same if I got surrounded by people I thought were going to tear my limbs off," Mai said nonchalantly.
Now everyone was staring at her. She shrugged. "Look, I've heard stories. Alright?"
"You thought we'd do something like that?" Katara asked with a bit of horror in her eyes.
Ty Lee fidgeted a little bit. "Well, everybody on the home islands did. You sink a fleet, you kind of get that reputation. No offense." Aang went a bit pale at what the Kyoshi Warrior brought up but nodded with understanding. That day certainly wasn't his proudest moment.
"Besides," Ty Lee continued. "We…heard stories about what the enemy did with prisoners. They didn't call everyone around us 'savages' for no reason. Especially those who aid them. At least with the former, you knew they were an enemy. With the latter, you didn't know when they'd stick a knife in your back.
"Again, no offense," she sheepishly apologized, realizing she was talking about everyone on the war balloon aside from her and Mai. Katara and Aang just looked at each other. They both got flashbacks to a certain boy wielding hook blades and an elderly waterbender. People like those just galvanized the Fire Nation into fighting harder, creating this never-ending cycle that lasted for a century.
Still, Zuko just scoffed. "Okay. I guess we'll just try to be nice to Azula and let her shoot us all in the back."
"Zuko, nobody's saying that-"
"That's what she does, Aang!" Zuko snapped. "Even when she's nice, it's just so she can get some sick pleasure out of it! She brings me home? I get blackmailed. Tries to get everybody to express themselves? Makes fun of us for having feelings."
"I mean, you kind of did that with me, but whatever," Mai deadpanned, taking the wind out of Zuko's rantings.
"...okay. Fair. But you get my point! We give her a chance, and she'll turn on us. It's what she always does." With that, Zuko huffed and leaned on the railing of the war balloon to sulk.
"So…why don't you? Give her a chance I mean?" Aang asked, joining him.
"I just told you-"
"Zuko, it seems like you're the one not giving her a chance. Like I get you need us, but think about this for a moment."
"Everything she does is to tear me down. If I don't beat her-"
"That's the same kind of thinking that almost got you killed. Twice. Or are we just going to pretend that you didn't goad her into shooting lightning at that Agni Kai. Or tried to pick a fight with Godzilla to prove a point. You know, the monster we all told you fighting was a bad idea? We get you have a grudge and all, but is this with her worth it so much that you're willing to put yourself and everyone in danger just to carry it out?" Katara bluntly asked.
For once, the Fire Lord fell silent. All his bluster had been drained out of him. Leaving only behind a smoldering pile of embers.
He sighed. "Believe me. I want to give her a chance. More than anything. But…how can I trust her? Seems like every time we meet, I need to one-up her lest I get thrown to the wolves." Zuko put his head in his hands, replaying all the worst moments in his mind.
Especially, when Azula called him Father.
A hand was placed on his shoulder. "We need to be brave enough to take that leap," Aang said. "Who knows? You bury this thing with her, you might come out all the better for it. Do you want this thing to keep on going forever?"
"...no," Zuko admitted.
"Then let us do the talking. We give her a chance, and who knows? She could come around."
"And if she doesn't?"
"We'll cross that bridge when we get there," Katara stated, leaning back and watching the clouds pass by. Zuko sighed and decided to go back to the balloon and check the coal. The tension in the air lessened, but it was still there. Aang certainly could feel it but from the most unlikely of places.
Ty Lee and Mai were looking at each other, a bit unsure of what Zuko was talking about. Somehow, the Avatar had a feeling that there was something else going on behind the scenes. Truth be told, Aang wasn't sure if he even wanted to capture Azula from what he read from that letter.
The airbender looked across at Appa, seeing Iroh in some kind of discussion with Suki. He wondered if the Grand Lotus knew what lay in wait for the Princess if she was captured. Maybe if they gave her the chance, they could avoid that.
If not, then it made him worry about Zuko. About Iroh. About everyone in the Fire Nation. How could they possibly make a new start for the world if they couldn't learn?
Suki kept looking across at Iroh, seeing the old man meditate. The Kyoshi Warrior shifted a bit uncomfortably, feeling the weight of her robes and armor weighing down on her. Truth be told, she was accustomed to being dignified and being professional when the situation called for it. She didn't earn her golden headband for being a hothead.
Still, something about Iroh made her uneasy.
She looked around. Toph was sitting closely to Imana, trying her best not to appear freaked out from being in the air again. Sokka was sitting on Appa's head while Momo was rummaging in their supplies looking for something to eat.
Her eyes fell especially on Toph and Sokka. Something gnawed inside her. Both of them had accepted their elderly companion, and she wanted to trust their judgement. Yet something about that letter Aang got rubbed her the wrong way. That and she couldn't forget that he stood by and watched his nephew burn down her village. Only reason she chose Appa was she was even more uncomfortable around the person who actually did it.
Still, she said nothing. It wouldn't be proper and she didn't want to cause problems before they faced Azula.
"You look a little tense, Suki."
"Whu-I'm fine Imana," she lied. "Just a lot on my plate is all."
"You want to talk about it? We still have some time before we reached Infant Island," Sokka asked, turning around.
The Kyoshi Warrior sighed. Well, if they insisted, might as well tell them a truth. "I just feel…small is all. Ever since I left my island, the world just got a whole lot bigger. Then I find out monsters exist. It's like, what do you even do?"
Toph shrugged. "Fight em. I was able to take on Old Iron with Twinkletoes-oh."
"Yeah. I can't bend."
"Well neither can I, but I was pretty good at organizing strategies against them," Sokka pointed out. "And you're leader of the Kyoshi Warriors, some of the best fighters in the world!"
"A lot of good fans and swords are going to do against thick scales and claws," Suki deadpanned. She saw Anguirus. And she knew there was nothing in her arsenal that could compete against such power.
"My friend Bumi said that sometimes, it's a matter of patience. Wait a while and look for your moment," Iroh suggested, having opened his eyes.
"Right. That neutral jing thing. Do nothing and wait." She hadn't meant it to be bitter, but she still spat it out of her mouth. When she first heard that was Bumi's excuse for not doing anything to resist the Fire Nation occupation and get his forces out of the city, she balked. Doing nothing was what kept Kyoshi Island out of the war for so long, and look how well that panned out. People were accusing her and her warriors of being treasonous cowards when they finally joined the fighting.
Waiting for an opportunity is one thing. Sitting by and watching others suffer is another. How does one explain that to those they watched struggle?
Iroh stroked his beard. "I wouldn't say that exactly. Sometimes, you just need to step back and take a moment to observe the situation. Even if it seems cold-blooded, you can do more to help in the future without revealing your strategy."
Suki sighed in frustration. "Well I can't just do nothing either. What's the point of being a warrior if you can't do anything to help?"
"Then maybe it's time to reevaluate your priorities. Sure, you may not be able to help, but that's a burden for others to carry. Perhaps you should step back and focus on what you can do and what's truly important. Like helping the innocent or…" a sly smirk crept on the old man's face. "Maybe consider settling down with a boy who is dear that has been waiting."
Both Suki and Sokka snapped their heads to Iroh. "What?" they asked at the same time.
It was then that the Dragon of the West realized he might've just overstepped his boundaries. He chuckled a bit nervously and scratched the back of his head. "Forgive me. It's been a while since I've been in the dating game."
"Obviously," the Kyoshi Warrior observed, turning her head and trying her best not to look anymore offended. Even Sokka seemed a bit taken aback by Iroh's bluntness. Which was fine in Suki's book. Certainly it was a step up from the disrespect he showed her all the way back at Kyoshi Island.
Looking back, she never really held it against him. It was one thing if one was a confused boy in a Tribe ravaged by war talking about things he didn't understand. It was another when one was an old man and was trying to give advice.
Iroh sighed. "Listen. I'm sorry. It's just back home, female fighters of high standing stayed behind to tend the household in case we were ever invaded."
"You have female soldiers on the field," Suki pointed out.
"Not with the same autonomy you and your Warriors have. And those who survive in the field usually go back home to guard their families, which was the whole point. It's very rare in our society for a woman to get a position of power," Iroh explained.
Before he silently said, "If only Azula understood that…"
Suki just gawked at him. She had no love for the Princess herself, but she knew Azula from the frequent visits she made at the Boiling Rock. Ruthless, sure. But proud and bound by duty. Almost like her in a few ways. And if she was anything like the Kyoshi Warrior, she wouldn't stand by and let her strength be torn down in such a matter.
All this served to make her more frustrated. Suki sighed and turned around to stare at the clouds, as if somehow she could just scream her issues into a cloud where nobody would hear. She could talk with Sokka, but it seemed everybody in his team looked up to Iroh. How could she get across that he was making her uncomfortable?
So wound up in her own thoughts, she didn't hear Imana scooch closer to her. "Maybe it would be better to say, do what you can now but wait for your moment. You never know when destiny will call upon you."
"...yeah. You're right. Thanks Imana." Suki's words sounded good in her head, but they still rang hollow. She did appreciate the words of the priestess, and there was some truth in it.
It's just what could she even do now, when the whole world seemed teetering on the brink of chaos? When if all else fails, nobody would remember her and her deeds. Or even if her deeds would make a difference in the long run.
This feeling of insignificance weighed down on Suki's shoulders just as much as her armor. Some had their destinies revealed to them. What was hers?
Northeast of Yu Dao
Finding the Iron Maws was easy. One just had to find the tank fire in the fading daylight.
Mustering up the courage to speak with one of the more notorious renegade armies and risk treason…now that was a heavier task.
Still, the three men on the backs of their Mongoose Dragons ventured forward into the camp. They were stopped at the borders by blade tip, questioned why on earth the Fire Lord would send such a paltry force. Sergeant Zo simply told them the Fire Lord didn't send them, granting them passage.
To be fair, the Fire Lord did send them this way, but not to scout against the Maws. No, it was what they found out here that caused them to seek them out. All of them were in agreement that if their choices were to either be branded traitor and end up in some jail or let Yu Dao burn, they'd choose the former in a heartbeat.
So they came. All around them, rows upon rows of tanks stood silent, waiting for their drivers to hop into their cockpits and bring the deadly war machines to life. Yet they also found piles of assorted metal loot lying around. There had been a lot of reports of the Maws raiding caravans and taking whatever metal they could find in order to create ammo for their tanks. Seemed that in the absence of a stable source of ammunition, the rumors were true.
Seemed a surprise then to find the captain ordering his tanks to fire upon a landslide not too far from camp. Granted, Captain Nojon was working with his adjucants to find the best places to fire for maximum effect in order to save ammunition. It was only the approach of the intruders that brought his attention up from the map at his table.
"So…what does that brat want with the Iron Maws?" he asked. He was a rather heavyset man. Not obese, but more heavily built. For his squat body was less fat and more muscle. And he had a rather impressive beard and sideburns to match.
"We're not actually here on behalf of the Fire Lord," Zo said carefully, dismounting along with his companions. "I'm certain you're aware of the local seismic disturbances."
"The earthquakes? Yeah. My boys are trying to blast their way through a landslide that got in our path an hour ago right now. That way's our best way to the roads leading into Yu Dao, and I'm not going to let a pile of dirt stand between us and supplies." If anything could be said of Nojon, it wasn't his subtlety.
Still, that was something Zo picked up on. "Okay. Have you noticed how the tremors seem to be moving?"
"...as a matter of fact, yes," the Captain mused, realizing what Zo was implying.
"Well we have reason to believe that these tremors aren't just some kind of local earthquake. You remember that firebird that flew past a few hours ago? We've been dispatched to find it, but the area we've been investigating has been subject to earthquakes. A lot of earthquakes. And they appear to be slowly moving towards Yu Dao. As if-"
"-something is moving underground."
The realization settled down on everyone. Only one word was on their minds.
Monster.
"Listen. If the Fire Lord hears about this, we're going to be deployed against it. And if that happens, it's just going to be a repeat of his screw up against Godzilla. Long story short, if we sit by and do nothing, Yu Dao's going to be a crater."
"And what makes you think we have a better shot of it than Zuko does?" Nojon demanded.
With that, Sergeant Zo took a deep breath. "Azula has taken command of the Fiery Raptors and is rallying rogue armies to her cause. Zuko means to capture her, but if we can move on Yu Dao, we might be able to force the Fire Lord to release her. She seems to know more about these things than anyone, so we might have a chance if she's allowed to give the orders.
"It's not a coup. We just want Zuko and his sycophants as far away from the army as possible."
Nojon walked back and forth, contemplating his options and leaving the envoy in doubt. Finally, he turned and looked the Sergeant dead in the eye. "You've got guts, I'll grant you that. Give us a few days and we'll be able to move on Yu Dao at a moment's notice. Just give us a signal. Don't want dragging my boys into a bloodbath until you're sure what's going on with the Princess."
"We will! Thank you sir!" Zo gave a bow of respect before he and his companions mounted on their dragons and sprinted away. Less time spent in the company of rebels, the better.
What neither of them realized was that two pairs of eyes watched them from the bushes not too far away. With the gravity of the situation settling in, they grabbed their weapons and slinked back into the bushes. Yu Dao needed to be warned and right away.
Neither one wanted a repeat of Ba Sing Se.
Infant Island
The western horizon was ablaze with the sun's last rays when they reached the temple.
Azula and Kori gawked at the scale of the structure. A pair of mighty stone pillars marked the equally grand entrance. Stepping inside from the setting sun, they could almost feel the years begin to turn back. Grasses, vines, and flowers took roots wherever they could. Though it wasn't a case of them bursting through the carved stone. It was more like they were allowed to grow, adding to the otherworldly aura of the temple.
"Welcome to the Temple of Mothra," Maina announced, giving a flourish as if to emphasize the grandeur of the place.
"This place is…"
"Huge. I know. According to legend, the whole of the mountain serves as a fortress for this place. I don't even think Miana and I explored every last inch its so big."
The Princess felt the words being taken out of her mouth. Yet despite the scale, there was something oddly welcoming here. When the Fire Nation built great temples, it was to both inspire awe and fear. Here though, there was simply awe. Natural greens and earthly browns replaced deep crimson and ebony black. Flame Runner trodded over to a soft looking patch of moss and plopped herself down for a hard-earned rest. All in all, the vegetation simply added to the sense of tranquility.
As well as the moths fluttering about here and there from flower to flower. These weren't those disgusting brown vermin that ate unattended robes back home. They were fluffy and cream colored, with some of them circling around the newcomers. Maina didn't seem to mind the insects, even caressing one that landed on her shoulder.
The noble girls on the other hand were a bit taken aback by their strange hosts. Particularly Azula since quite a number of them were hovering around her head, causing Kori to chuckle a little. "Don't you dare…" Azula growled at the rebel, though it was kind of hard to look threatening when one of those fluffy moths settled on her bang.
"They're just saying hello," Maina teased.
Azula said hello back by blowing the moth out of her hair. After a moment, the insects took to the air and swirled around to an engraving overlooking a passage deeper into the temple.
All three girls paused and looked at the carving. A great moth was depicted, its mighty wings spread out in full glory, emanating rays that shone on a group of worshippers. The people were depicted on their knees, praying in reverence. Above the moth, a familiar cross symbol appeared. Maina caressed her necklace that held the same symbol.
The Princess had to ask, "Is that her?"
Maina nodded in awe. "Yes. That is Mothra."
Upon the name leaving her mouth, several moths broke off from the main group and fluttering down the passage way. The priestess certainly took it as a sign, waving her comrades to follow her. Azula took one last look at the carving of Mothra, feeling as though somehow she was being watched back.
Then she descended into the temple. The moths took them deeper, always waiting ahead to make sure they could keep up. Azula wondered if they were leading them somewhere. All the while, trepidation and anticipation began to build in equal measures. Every step they took was another into some great unknown. This didn't feel like the otherworldliness of a spirit's domain (at least that's what the Princess assumed a spirit's domain would be like). It almost seemed born from the earth itself.
After what seemed like hours, the girls emerged into a great chamber. They all stopped at the sight before them.
At the heart of the chamber, nestled in a bed of foliage was an egg. A great egg the size of a building.
And deep within the painted shell, they could almost sense the being beginning to stir.
A/N: At long last, we have reached Infant Island.
For those not in the know, Infant Island serves as the home for Mothra throughout the Godzilla franchise. It's gone over many names over the years, but the concept remains the same. I went with the earliest depictions of the Infant Island during the Showa era. Particularly with the presence of a native population.
I basically tried my best to portray them with as much dignity and respect as I could. Didn't exactly want a repeat of the original Skull Island inhabitants. Helps that they were portrayed pretty sympathetically in the films they appeared in. They're also where I got the names "Amimoto" and "Daiyo" from. Amimoto was the chieftain in Mothra vs Godzilla, while Daiyo was the principal native featured in Ebirah, Horror from the Deep.
Now for the Carnoraptors, I was going for a combination of a dromeaosaur (or raptor) and a tyrannosaur. Think of a raptor with the bone crunching capabilities of a hyena and you're on the right track. It's where I got the idea of the horns from since a lot of early raptor-like tyrannosaurs like Guanlong had crests. Course halfway I realized that the description actually sounded a lot like another fictional dinosaur from another kaiju film: the Shaconnes from D-War (great premise, BAAAAD execution). The Shaconnes were basically these miniature allosaur-raptor hybrids that served as riders for the villainous Atrox Army. Figured it would serve as a shout out to another film with giant monsters.
Moving on to Team Avatar's side of the story, things are heating up in Yu Dao. Literally. Again, I didn't want Zuko to be too draconian. It's just when you take up the mantle of a system that's built on oppression and conquest as your foundation, there is going to be a LOT of growing pains. I didn't want the Fire Nation to just go from "bad to good" just because he's in charge. Stuff that is going to come to a head in the coming chapters. I'm also trying to avoid a Game of Thrones style when it comes to politics. Mainly because the sort of cutthroat stuff they get up to there is a bit inappropriate for this type of story. What I'm going for is the painful transition from a brutal regime to a…considerablly less brutal government.
Which is reflected with the debate on Azula and what should be done with her. I'll get more into detail later, but the crux of it is whether or not removing her bending and putting her in an asylum is a suitable solution, or just an extension of the cruelty based system the Fire Nation's run on for literally more than a century.
Plus we get some more development for Suki. I can't imagine her just forgetting that Zuko and Iroh were responsible for burning down her village. Think of it as their consequences starting to catch up to them.
We also get an update with the rogue army subplot. I do apologize for not featuring them a bit more, and I'll try to shine a spotlight on them in the coming arc. The whole "riots in Yu Dao" and the assassination attempt are going to be pretty deeply tied with them. The scene of the Iron Maws blasting through the landslide was also taken from GMK, where the military tries blasting through a collapsed tunnel that Baragon made.
Finally, we get Mothra's temple. I wanted to show a place that shows a harmony between the man made, and nature. To that end, I actually got some inspiration from Team ICO's games, Shadow of the Colossus, and The Last Guardian. Both of which had various ruins that were overgrown by nature as a recurring locale. I also took elements from the MonsterVerse's portrayal of Mothra's temple as being welcoming. The moths themselves are taken from the miniature Mothras that appeared in Godzilla vs SpaceGodzilla and the Rebirth of Mothra trilogy. Basically these Fairy Mothras that act as liaisons or mounts for the Shobijin. Plus a version of them does appear in Godzilla: King of the Monsters within Mothra's temple. They got shocked when the later was put in a containment field.
Anyways, that's enough rambling from me. Stay tuned for next time when Teams Avatar and Azula finally meet up, and the subsequent fallout. Thank you all for reading. Make sure to leave a comment. Follow and favorite if you want to see more. And as always, have a great day and I'll see you all next time.
Pro tip: make sure you have your favorite rendition of "Mothra's Song" cued up for the next chapter.