As Katara was heading to her current home after breakfast in the palace, she heard hundreds of explosions and saw smoke billowing from the Great Wall. In response, she poked her head outside the carriage. "Hey, can you take me to the Lower Ring? I want to see what's going on."
The Driver shook his head. "I will only take you as far as the Middle Ring," he replied as he turned the carriage toward the direction of the distress.
Once she arrived in the Middle Ring, she was shocked to find large groups of soldiers standing behind the second last ring of walls. Getting out, she paid the Driver, who turned around and headed back toward the Upper Ring while she moved through the gate, ignoring the confused stares of the soldiers as she did. "Time to see what's going on," she whispered as she reached the Lower Ring.
When General How reached the palace, he entered and quickly made his way to his study and ordered the Guards to find Long Feng and relay his request to speak with him there. After arriving, he steeled himself, taking several minutes to meditate before an idol of a badger mole in preparation for the dire report he had to file to the most powerful man in Ba Sing Se. Yet, this did little to ease his mind when he heard the door open and the tell-tale footfalls of Long Feng. "So, the battle is over?" Long Feng asked as he stopped, and the General stood up and turned to him.
"Yes, Your Excellency..." How began, trying as hard as he could to keep his voice from trembling. "We lost," he said, shaking his head. "I have never beheld a greater disaster in all my years, and I am ashamed to say that I, as the highest-ranked commander, bear the ultimate responsibility for this crisis."
Long Feng looked stunned by his admission but soon recovered nonetheless. "What happened, General?" the Dai Lee leader said as his eyes narrowed. "And be honest. I cannot devise a plan without honesty."
"It was a massacre. The enemy stood as though they were untouched while our army was in tatters, and the outer wall won't have the men to hold," he explained. "I have already summoned the remaining members of the Council of Five-"
"Remaining members?" Long Feng questioned with a cocked brow.
The General inhaled to steady his breathing. "General Yiwen is... no longer with us..." he explained as diplomatically as he could muster.
Long Feng blinked several times, seemingly taken aback by his statement. "WHAT!?" he shouted in rage. "You're telling me that one of the best Earthbenders in this Kingdom, the very man who defeated the Dragon of the West himself, is dead!?"
The General nodded. "Yes. We discovered his body among the dead after the bombardment," he began before shaking his head. "Those weapons of theirs, I've never seen or felt anything like them. I don't think we can hold the city with our current forces."
The Grand Secretariat stopped and pondered for a moment before he sighed deeply. "I was afraid this day would come. Only I wish it weren't so soon."
The General cocked a brow in confusion. "Sir?"
"General, take what men you can and try to hold them at bay for as long as possible," he began, though the General hardly appeared to be reassured. "It will be difficult. But, if all goes to plan, this defeat will not spell our Kingdom's doom."
"What plan?" How questioned.
Long Feng shook his head. "I have always had contingencies in case the city was under threat of falling," he stated before turning and heading for the door. "I am not asking for a miracle, General. I merely require that you keep the enemy busy."
How inclined his head as Long Feng left. Once he was sure he wouldn't be coming back, the General heaved a great sigh. "I only hope you're right, Sir."
As Tiya remained on the floor of Vassili's tent, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't stop the feeling in her chest, nor the shaking of her body, even after the big booms from the cannons stopped. He'd shown them to her the other day, telling her he was in command of them and of the terrible power of the weapons. Even still, she worried for him, the man who'd shown such concern for her. He'd told her to stay in the tent, and she had done just that. Yet, she snapped out of her stupor when she heard the flap open and turned to see the Ruskian enter. "You're okay!" she shouted as she leapt up and jumped into his arms, much to his apparent shock. Recognizing this, she quickly separated. "What happened? Did you win?" she asked excitedly. Sure, the Earth Kingdom was her nation, but unlike many adults she'd seen, she had never really felt attached to it in the way they were.
"Yes, we did," he stated. Yet, he didn't seem very happy about it. "But that's all I will say for now."
Curious, she tried to leave the tent. "Can I see-" only for Vassili to wrap his arm around her torso and turn her toward him. When she caught the look in his eye, she couldn't help but notice the almost inhuman look in his eyes. Sure, Tiya had seen many people being sad before and had felt it more than most, yet in his eyes- She had never seen such sadness in all her life, even though no tears fell, and his eyes were clear.
"No, I don't want you to see," he replied, his voice firm as he lowered himself to her level. "Tiya, you are young. You should live to love. Have children..." And as his voice trembled, he leaned over and embraced her. "Please. Don't go."
Though she didn't quite understand what he meant by that, she nodded. "Okay, I won't."
The man backed up before standing up and wiping his eyes. "Thank you," he began before giving her a weak smile. "Now, why don't we return to the Bulwark? I think its time for lunch."
"Okay," she replied as the two left the tent and made for the fortress. "But, it was a little scary being in there while your cannons went: "Ka-boom!" she said, clapping her hands for emphasis. "Kinda like a drum!"
The General's smile brightened. "I see..." he said as he stroked his chin. "Though, now that you mention it, I suppose it does sound a little like a drum."
After Azula collapsed, Ivan and several of his men carried her unconscious form back to the Bulwark as his unit halted and reformed alongside the rest of the infantry. Upon returning to the fortress, Ivan told Major Shostakovich what had happened, and the man had immediately departed inside as he and those helping him eased Azula into her current room. When she was on the bed, Mai and Ty Lee came rushing inside as the soldiers left. "Oh my gosh, what happened!" Ty Lee shouted as she ran up to the bed. "Azula, are you okay!? Talk to me!" she tried shaking her until Ivan stood in her way, and Mai tapped her shoulder from behind.
"Why don't we let him explain," Mai said as Ty Lee reluctantly nodded.
Ivan lowered his arms and sat beside Azula. "To be honest, I don't know what happened. Though it may have something to do with stress, I suppose."
Ty Lee looked shocked. "You mean, she was with you when... you know?"
Ivan nodded. "Indeed, she followed us into battle," he replied before turning as he placed a hand on Azula's forehead. "Damn it, she's burning up," he said as he turned to the girls and stood up. "You two watch her. I'll get something to cool her down," without waiting for a response, he rushed out of the room to search for water and a cloth.
After Ivan disappeared with Azula, Lieutenant Antonov remained with the formation as General Bykovsky rode ahead and ordered his brigade to advance. As the Grand Duke was absent, he took over his position as the two Guards regiments of the brigade, along with the rest of the army, moved toward the wall under the cover of the field guns. To his astonishment, it seemed their foes had used the time between the bombardments to attempt to rebuild the wall, as Sergei could see men raising stones with their arms, only for their structures to crumble under the sustained attack from their guns. By the time they reached the colossal ruins, the enemy was in full retreat as he and the guards entered, with several small detachments of pioneers ahead of them. "I guess you would have to move earth to make walls like this," Antonov whispered while climbing over the pile of rubble, and when the Lieutenant stood atop it, he could hardly believe his eyes: Rich fields of crop stretched as far as the eye could see, with the walls wrapping around. Ahead stood yet another layer of walls, though unlike the castles he was familiar with, the walls were much further away than he expected. Still, if he had done the math, the city must have been several times the size of the capital.
"Lieutenant, where is the Grand Duke?" Major Dimitriev asked from his side, knocking him from his stupor.
Turning, the young officer saluted him. "The Princess had an accident, Sir, so I took over for him," he replied as the Major sighed.
"I see..." he began before shaking his head. "The Colonel wanted us to go ahead and return to the Bulwark. Grand Duke Nikolai's orders."
"Of course, Sir," he replied as the two exchanged salutes, and the Major returned to his post while Antonov and the rest of the unit turned around and retreated down the slope before forming into a column.
As a young man rushed to finish packing his and his family's belongings onto the back of an Ostrich Horse cart alongside his neighbours, he heard drum beats in the distance. He'd already woken to the sound of explosions and had seen the wall fall. Then, as if things couldn't get any worse, fleeing soldiers came and stole his cattle and some of his belongings before leaving. He was only grateful they hadn't checked his barn to find his Ostrich Horse and cart, the reason he and his neighbours were still packing whatever they could as the soldiers took theirs. But, when he and the other villagers turned and saw what appeared to be speartips and a banner coming their way, the man gestured for them to lower themselves. "Quick. Everyone hide!" he whispered as he took himself, his wife, and two children before he ran into the field left of the main road and ducked into the wheat.
Once settled, the man heard singing, and watched as green-clad soldiers came into view, marching down the road in a long column as drums and strange flutes played a cheerful tune as the men sang in unison with the music. Curiously, even though these men wore the colour of their nation, their uniforms did not match those of the soldiers who'd arrived earlier, nor did they appear panicked or anxious. Their flags, too, differed, as rather than flying the golden coin, their standards displayed a crowned, double-headed bird. "Первый батальон: Стой!" The man at the head of the column shouted when the soldiers reached the center of the village. When they stopped, he stepped forward and drew a piece of paper:
"Greetings, people of the Earth Kingdom! On behalf of Grand Duke Nikolai Vladimirovich Asimov and His Imperial Majesty Tsar Vladimir II, I hereby declare this village under the protection of the Ruskian Army! From henceforth, all who live here shall bear the responsibility and privileges of Ruskian Citizens, as decreed by the Tsar!"
As he finished reading, several soldiers marched beside him and erected a wooden pole with a yellow, black, and blue flag with the same strange bird atop it. "Daddy, what's going on?" his son asked.
"I don't know..." he replied, considering his options. While he didn't understand what this strange accented man meant, he did feel rather curious, and seeing that these men weren't ransacking their village, he took a gamble and stood up.
Upon noticing him, the soldiers tensed and raised their odd spears so the point faced him, and he put up his arms, showing he meant no harm. After a moment, the soldiers lowered their weapons, and now that he had a clearer view, he noticed how their skin seemed much paler than any he'd ever seen, though their eyes seemed a mix of light and dark. Some even had golden hair! "Hello, Sir!" the man who was reading greeted as he approached. "And who might you be?"
The villager blinked several times. "Uh, I'm Rao," he replied before looking from the man to the soldiers and the flag. "And, um, who are you?"
"I am Major Alexander Rachofsky of the 111-й пехотный полк," he told him, though Rao didn't understand the last part. "Now, where is everyone else?" Somewhat distrustful of this man, Rao did not answer. Seemingly guessing the reason for his lack of response, the Major sighed. "As I said, Sir, I am under strict orders not to harm you or anyone in this village. We're only here as a temporary occupation force until the rest of the army arrives."
Rao cocked a brow. "What army?" he asked in suspicion.
In response, the man gave a slight chuckle. "Why, the Ruskian army, of course. Soon, we shall claim the city!" he declared before turning to his soldiers. "Солдаты, расходитесь и разбивайте лагерь!" he shouted as the soldiers saluted him and separated into small groups.
"What are you doing!?" Rao shouted in concern.
Alexander faced him, seeming taken aback by his tone. "We're just setting up camp," he began as several other villagers arose from their places to avoid being walked upon as the soldiers spread out. "Ah, there's the rest of you. Come, let us eat! After all, it's much better преломить хлеб and get to know each other, right!?" he shouted as he gestured for Rao and the others to follow him. As the Earth National reluctantly obeyed, he could smell the scent of something, and he looked to see they had started a small fire atop which they placed a large pot.
By noon, Zuko and his uncle found their teashop flooded with wounded Earth Kingdom soldiers being attended to by nurses and medics. He had already heard the explosions and saw smoke rising from the outer wall. But he and Iroh hadn't realized the gravity of the situation until ragtag and tattered units of Royal Guards and Army Regulars began pouring into the city through the gate and requisitioned spaces for makeshift hospitals. Then, as the wounded began to arrive, he found himself mortified by the scene: Men who'd lost limbs, ears, and parts of their faces were brought inside and laid on blankets or tables. Some he heard laughing or speaking complete nonsense as their gaze darted about in a frenzy, seemingly having lost their nerve. The majority, however, remained silent, their eyes, "those windows to the soul," as his uncle put it, reduced to an empty void. "What happened?" he asked one of the frantic nurses.
"I'm sorry, but I can't answer that," the woman replied before kneeling and applying an ointment to a soldier who'd lost his ear, though from what, he knew not. It was no clean cut, as the ear appeared torn, with a fleshy bit hanging loosely from the bottom. Even looking at it made his insides curl.
"Come, Nephew, why don't we prepare some tea?" he heard Iroh say as he took his shoulder and turned him around.
"Y-yeah, that's a good idea," he replied, trying to hide his disgust at what he'd just seen. There was no bending he could think of that could have done such a horrific thing: it must have been a weapon, but who could make something so horrible that could do this to a man? When they arrived in the back, he noticed his uncle's hands shaking as he began mixing the tea leaves into the pot. "Uncle?" Zuko asked as he tried to lay a hand on his shoulder.
Iroh shook his head and raised his hand. "I'm fine, Zuko. Why don't you heat the stove?" he asked without turning toward him.
Zuko felt shocked! It was one of the few times he'd ever seen his uncle slip up, especially using his real name during work hours. But, the teen decided it would be best to leave him. "Okay, if you say so," he replied before turning and doing as he had asked instead of correcting him as the banished Prince usually would. However, had he seen his face, he would have realized Iroh was crying.
Not long after the battle, though he preferred massacre, Pyotr had returned to friendly lines after fetching the banner he'd captured from the unit he'd left to safeguard it and rode toward the Bulwark bearing his prize. Upon arriving at the foot of the Bulwark, he found Nikolai's aide exiting from the structure. "Where is the Grand Duke? I have a gift for him!" he shouted at the man, holding aloft the ornate banner.
The man pointed toward the entrance. "He's inside, though I'm unsure if he wants company right now. I saw him and several other men carry the Fire Princess inside. She appeared unconscious."
Concerned, Pyotr swiftly dismounted and rushed inside, nearly hitting the top of the flagpole in the doorway as he did. Not long after, he arrived at Azula's door to hear Mai and Ty Lee speaking with each other inside, though he couldn't understand what they said. Entering the room, he found the two off to the side as Ivan sat beside Azula on the bed. Upon seeing him, Ty Lee ran up and embraced him and began franticly checking him over. "Hey, what's gotten into you? I'm fine!" he shouted as he attempted not to laugh. However, when she noticed the banner in his hand, her eyes widened, and she turned to her friend.
"Mai, look at what he has!" Ty Lee said, pointing to the flag as Ivan looked up from his fussing, and Mai blinked several times before turning to see.
"Where did you get that?" Mai asked, curious as Ivan nodded in approval before turning back and continuing to wipe her forehead with a damp cloth and put a cup to her mouth.
When Pyotr didn't reply, Ivan shook his head and sighed. "They wanted to know where you got the Standard, Pyotr," he told him without leaving from his task.
"Oh, uh, right," his friend said before clearing his throat. "So, there we were, charging into the fleeing remnants of the enemy. As we went in, I singled out my target, a bannerman attempting to rally his fellows. Between us stood a veritable ocean of soldiers, spears at the ready-" Ivan violently cleared his throat as he gave him a deadpan glare while Ty Lee watched him intently, even though they both knew she didn't understand a word he said. "I meant: there were many men between me and my target, but with my comrades at my side, we charged into the fray, cutting down men left and right before I reached my prize, held by a giant of a man, who stood almost as tall as me, on top of Yelena-" Ivan cleared his throat once more, his gaze somehow more severe. "Well, of course, he wasn't quite that big, but he still put in as much force as possible to hold on. I even had to chop his hand off!" he shouted as he showed where the man's blood had splattered the wood.
However, as the hussar dragged on, Ivan returned to looking over Azula, his concern evident. His father had arrived earlier with a doctor, but that hadn't been much help, as the physician didn't know what affected her. But, he'd ordered Ivan to monitor her closely and give her water while he invested his medical texts. Yet, as he did, he noticed that she'd begun to move, if only slightly at first, but as time lingered, she became restless. "Uh... Mai, Ty Lee, is this normal?" he asked as he backed away, and Azula's friends came over and watched as she began moving more erratically.
"I-I'll get the doctor!" Pyotr declared before turning and rushing out of the room as Ty Lee felt the Princess's head.
"She's burning up again," she said as Ivan nodded and dipped the cloth in cold water before he handed it to her.
As she began wiping Azula's head with the cloth, the Grand Duke shut his eyes. "Please, O Lord, please let her be alright," he whispered.
"Azula... Azula... Azula..."
As she thrust her fingers forward, time seemed to slow for Azula as she watched her lightning connect with her target. The result was immediate: The man trembled from the hit, his body convulsing as he tumbled from his horrified mount. However, unlike how she remembered, she could hear his screams, and she could only watch in shock as his eyes darted every which way before he hit the ground. Yet, even as his cries fell silent, his body continued reacting until, at last, he stopped completely. Only then did she notice the horrific scar left on his chest. It had to be the worst she had ever seen.
"Look at what you've done."
With a sigh, she turned and saw a woman she never wanted to see again. Yet no matter how much she wished this, she would always find her in her reflection, but this was no surprise. She was her Mother, after all. Even looking no different than the last she'd seen her. She wore her signature wine-coloured dress, her long raven hair styled in the same manner as always, and even the chastising look on her immaculate face hadn't changed. "What are you doing here? I thought I'd gotten rid of you when I was a child," she told the spectre.
"Azula, I am your Mother. I will always be with you," she replied, a hand over her heart.
The Princess rolled her eyes. "Oh, really? And where were you exactly? Oh yes, that's right, Father banished you," she began with a derisive snort while concealing all she wished to add to that sentence. "If you care so much, just go. I do not need a ghost to tell me I'm a Monster."
"And here I thought you would grow out of this," she began, though Azula didn't turn to face her, instead staring at the corpse that had lost half its face and then turning to see the Ruskians celebrating atop the bloodstained sand. "Are these your new friends?"
Azula rolled her eyes. "Not exactly. I'm just using them," she replied with a huff, yet her cold demeanour failed when she saw his face appear.
"Yet your thoughts betray your intentions for this one," her Mother said. "After all, I am a part of you. No matter how hard you may try, I will always be here."
Azula held her hands to cover her ears. "GET OUT OF MY HEAD!" she bellowed before tossing a bolt of fire where the spectre once stood, only for it to vanish as the flame hit. Her eyes grew wide, her breathing becoming erratic as she looked around to find herself in a place devoid of light.
"As I said, no matter how much you try, I will always-" her Mother began to say before something, or rather, someone cut her off.
"Азула? Азула?"
"Ivan-" As soon as she realized who she was speaking to, she turned and found him standing there, looking confused at his surroundings. "Ivan!" she shouted as she ran up and embraced him, seemingly catching both herself and him off guard as the two fell to the ground, with her on top of him.
"Азула, что ты делаешь?!" she heard him shout, yet, for whatever reason, her head began to feel... strange, to put it mildly. She didn't know why, but she felt attracted to his warmth and began nuzzling her head against his torso. At the same time, her nose felt stuffy, and her throat felt dry.
"You're so warm," she said, getting slightly more aggressive, feeling her own body beginning to heat up as she lay on top of him. She could feel him tense, but she didn't mind. All that mattered was the contact and warmth from his chest. She heard him say something, but her world had begun spinning! Bright shapes moved and flowed as she looked around, but once again, what mattered was the warmth and how good it felt. Yet, as she continued to rub against his torso, she noticed his scent. It was unlike anything she'd known before. But she knew she liked it. "Mmm, you smell funny," she said as she felt something building up inside her nose.
"Azula, what are you doing!?" Ivan shouted in shock after she'd lunged at him.
"You're sho warm," she said, nuzzling him, much to his astonishment, as he felt his face burn up.
"Azula, please, get off," he said, trying to push her off, yet she still clung to him as the others watched her strange behaviour. But, as he did, he noticed her fever had only worsened. "You're burning up," he said as he tried to stand, only for her to cling to his chest.
"Mmm, you smell funny," she said with a slight chuckle, one that sounded oddly stuffy.
"Uh... Azula, can you-" he had begun to ask, only for her to sneeze on his uniform.
By this point, both Mai and Ty Lee had begun to back away toward the door. "Uh, you know, I think Petr forgot his flag. So, uh, let's bring it to him," she said before taking the standard and running out of the room, with Mai following closely behind.
"Hey, don't just-" he began to say as the two girls shut the door. "Damn it," he said in frustration before turning to Azula... only to find blood pouring from her nose, staining his uniform. "A-Azula!" he shouted before pulling out a handkerchief and attempting to wipe away the blood and plug her nose to stop the bleeding. With that done, he grabbed her and attempted to lift her off of him, but no matter how hard he tried, she seemed determined to remain where she was.
"N-No, I- hck!" and then when she coughed, bloody mucus sprayed onto his uniform, ruining it further. But, of course, that wasn't his immediate concern.
"A-Azula!? Are you alright!?" he shouted in horror as he again tried to lift her to no avail.
"Y-yeh, f-fine, s-so warm," when she finished, she collapsed and rested all her weight on him. Realizing there was no escape, Ivan opted to soothe her instead as he waited for the doctor and Pyotr to arrive. But, as his thoughts turned to his friend, he sighed. "I am never going to hear the end of this, am I?"
And there we have it. I apologize for the short delay, but all I needed to take a short brake. But, from now on, I should hopefully be able to post a chapter a week.
So, to answer Whisky's question from several chapters ago, yes, it is a disease, and yes, Azula is sick with it. But, next chapter will focus more on the continuing siege and how it affects those living in the city. Also, I am astonished to see that the story has reached 109 favorites and 130 follows. And, as this was my first story on this site, I am emboldened to see it doing as well as it is. As always, don't forget to follow, favouite, and review, as I always love to see what people have to say, I enjoy interacting with you all.