Chapter 8: Bridge to Redemption pt 2
Bum-Bum Bum-Bum Bum-Bum*
The even tempo of vibrations reverberated through the skin and tissue of Azula's engorged middle as the Katsuyas and their guests took turns checking on the developing embryo inside her with their palms.
They all agreed it was a surreal experience, but some also had alternative takes. For instance, Toph was able to not only feel the baby through its heartbeat, but also see what it looked like through seismic imaging.
"Huh. Looks like you're gonna have a daughter." She whistled as she finished her imaging.
"Wait, you can tell just by feeling a seismic image?" Touya gaped in surprise.
"Pretty much." The Blind Bandit nodded. "This kiddo's nearly past three months, so it's easier to tell than like, say, a month." She added. This remark got a few surprised looks her way, which she felt. "What? Sugar Queen's not the only one who's helped doctor things before." She defended, her arms crossed.
"Okay… So, got any names picked out?" Sokka asked, bringing up another topic.
"We'll probably name her after my mother, Ursa." Azula replied with a shrug.
"So, what? Assuming you find your mother you'll call her Ursa "Minor" and your mom Ursa "Major"?" Team Avatar's "Idea Guy" chimed in, causing Aang and a few others to let out a chuckle or snort at that.
"Heh. Funny." The redhead grinned. "Speaking of which, what happened to Ursa, anyway?" He asked, looking between his fiance and her brother.
This caused the fire lord and princess to become quiet, which worried Hanako and Sho, who were laying their heads on Azula's lap.
"Our father said that he banished her after she helped him become Fire Lord in exchange for letting me live." Zuko explained, which caused Azula to wince, remembering what she said that night.
"Dad's going to kill you~!" She remembered singing, the words tasting like bitter bile in her mouth. "No really, he is." The image of her younger self's grinning face as she said those words felt like a gallstone that was twisting itself in her stomach–the regret that came with it felt like her insides were being hollowed out by a rusty spoon.
'Ugh… I feel like a bitch whenever those memories come up.' She groaned internally.
"Any idea where she ended up?" Katara asked.
"The trail's been cold for the past two decades or so, so I can't give a real response to that." Zuko replied with a sigh.
"Well that's unfortunate." Tai Lee sighed.
"We'll find her, Zuzu." Azula assured her brother, placing a hand on his arm. "We have to." She continued, her face becoming solemn but serious. "Not just for your sake, but for your niece's and my own sake." She continued, looking down. "I… I have so much I need to say to her." She added.
"What do we even do to find her?" Touya questioned.
"Start at the last place she mentioned." Zuko repled.
"Do you even know where that is?" Temari questioned.
"No, but I think I may know someone who will." The Fire Lord nodded.
(A few days later)
Azula and Touya were currently trying to load their possessions into the ship that was going to take them to the Fire Nation. Though, really it was just Touya, Sokka, Aang and Toph—under slight duress—doing most of the lifting, since the princess couldn't really move as easily as she used to.
"How do you feel about heading back home after so long?" The redhead asked his lover softly.
"A mix of things. Excitement, anxiety… I don't know how to feel about stepping into the place that Ozai brainwashed me in." The blue flame user sighed. It was difficult, sorting through these sorts of feelings, given her upbringing.
"Was it really brainwashing though?" Katara questioned as she helped Azula sit down. "I mean, you still have a lot of the tendencies you had back then. You even said it yourself, you don't exactly have good empathy, and can be kind of sadistic." She added.
Azula gave the girl a glare, before she recalled a bit ago when she still worked in the shop with Touya and flipped a man over her shoulder when he tried to grab her ass—and then crushed his nuts with her heel… and she thoroughly enjoyed it.
"… I'm working on it, alright?" The princess huffed.
(One flight later)
After a lengthy flight—or sail—across the ocean, the group had arrived in the Fire Nation and were on their way to the capital to meet up with Zuko in the palace.
"Well, home sweet home, I guess." Touya noted as he slung a bag over his shoulder, while Azula breathed in deep as the air of her homeland entered her lungs for the first time in—well over two years.
"I honestly forgot what the Fire Nation smelled like after spending so much time in Yu Dao." She sighed, smiling lightly as she placed a hand on her more than slightly distended tummy and breathed in a deep breath again. "Coal, Fire, Metal, Smoke and Cinnamon. Yes, it hasn't changed at all." She sighed, before feeling a slight rubbing against her hand.
"Don't worry. I'm right here if you need me." Touya told her gently. Azula smiled at him as they made their way to the palace with the others.
As they did though, Azula's other hand—the one on her belly—suddenly felt something rub against the inside of it, when Azula continued to relax amidst hearing the familiar sounds of the capital city. It was as if the baby was just as happy as her mother.
The feeling made her smile as she kept walking towards the palace, and as she did, she noticed that life seemed to be more joyful than she remembered it being before. Then again, she didn't go into town much in the past, so that's probably why.
As they reached the center of the city though, it soon became apparent that something was very different from before. The bronze statue of her father, Ozai, was missing. In its place now stood a statue of Zuko and Aang, the former having a hand on the latter's shoulder, with Aang having his staff pointing outwards and Zuko having a flame in his palm—and smiles on their faces.
On the plaque in front of the statue it read: "You must have hope, to have peace."
The words on the stone caused Azula to subconsciously clench her fists, her more dark impulses coming up again as she remembered another instance. "I think you should take their "hope" and burn it all to the ground. Along with everything else." Her memories hissed in her head, its words searing themselves into her mind like the hisses of a snake with a flaming tongue.
She was snapped out of her thoughts by her fiance giving her hand a light squeeze, which made her take a breath before looking at him and nodding.
"Thanks. Some of the darker parts were surfacing for a moment there." She sighed.
"You don't have to apologize." He told her, kissing her lightly.
It was at this point that they were interrupted by the gang over at a stand, one selling flaming fire flakes. "Hey crazy lady! Come here!" Toph called as she and Sokka chuckled to each other, having cooked up an ingenious plan.
Swallowing her indignation at the nickname she had gotten from the Blind Bandit and Runaway, Azula walked over to them with Touya following her. Once they got seated, they spotted the grins the two had.
"Why do those grins you're sporting make me feel like I'm gonna laugh at what you have planned?" Touya questioned, a grin of his own slowly growing on his face.
"Planned? We don't have anything planned… we just thought that since Azula here hasn't had much food from her homeland lately, she might want some… yeah. That's it." Sokka chuckled nervously, waving it off.
"You're a terrible liar." Azula stated flatly, her arms folded. She then took the box of Fire flakes and then smelled them. They honestly smelled like pork, chicken and duck all at once, with the same sweet and spicy oil smell that she remembered from the times her mother let her have street food.
"But, I suppose I can play along. I'm starving, anyway." She added with an eye roll as the two pranksters, the avatar, her friend Tai Lee, Katara, Suki, her fiancé and the owner of the stand watched her nervously as she ate a handful of the flakes. The last person afraid that he'd make her angry, ya know, reputation and all.
Azula swallowed them and sat still for a moment… Before shrugging. "Meh. They're okay." She said casually, eating more.
"…." Silence fell before everyone's—save Tai Lee, the shopkeep and Touya's—jaws dropped with the sound of a gong. She could eat those things without burning her tongue?! How?!
"B-But those are supposed to be super spicy!" Sokka exclaimed.
"And?" Azula deadpanned. "I've eaten food hotter than this when I was younger, so this is nothing." She added. Sokka and Toph slumped over in defeat at their prank's failure.
"You should see her scarf down an entire dragon unagi and black tuna roll. Hottest dish in Yu Dao and it doesn't even phase her." Touya added with a shudder.
"You're kidding!" Suki gaped in disbelief.
"I wish I was." The redhead replied with a shake of his head.
"I was hungry, alright?! Sue me!" The princess snapped, continuing to eat the fire flakes by the handful.
'Talk about crazy cravings during pregnancy.' The majority of the group thought as they watched the pregnant princess eat.
(Elsewhere)
Far away from the Fire Nation, and the other nations for that matter, a large fleet of wood and metal carved long ships with ram, bull, boar, raven and dragon heads on their forward masts sailed towards the world of the Avatar.
On these boats, stood men and women dressed in strange armor. Chainmail, leather tunics, hide armor, full and half steel plating, and brigandine cloth armor was all that was worn. Fur cloaks and lining could also be seen, as well as many different helmets as well.
The figures on these boats carried a multitude of weapons too. Axes, pikes, spears, pole arms, staves, ulfberhtulfberht swords, daggers, two handed Dane axes, maces fails, various kinds of bows and shields… They were armed to the teeth.
Basically all of them had the same skin tone: Caucasian with a little bit of a tan in various shades. They either had black, brown or blonde hair and some of them had tribal marks on their faces and bodies, though not all of them.
They also shared a common body build, that being the strong and able type.
On one of the ships, one of the figures blew on what looked like a large horn. Signaling something to the others.
"It would seem that we're not far from land, Eivor." One of the men on one ship said to a blonde woman at the rudder.
Said woman had caucasian skin with a light tan and tribal paint around her eyes standing at a height of 5'8". Her attire consisted of a fur coat, a leather tunic and matching leather pants with leather boots. She also had a belt with a pair of axes: one that looked like a hatchet and one that looked almost like a tomahawk holstered on it and another belt holding a pair of pouches with what looked like throwing projectiles at first glance. She also had a red sash around her waist.
"That will be a good thing, Andvari." The woman nodded. "But I do wonder, will the place we find have riches to plunder? Or will this be all for nothing?" She mused.
"Only one way to find out." The now named Andvari stated as they kept sailing on.
"I suppose so." Eivor nodded. "Then may Odin guide us." She continued before raising a fist. "Glory to Asgard!"
"GLORY TO ASGARD!" The rest of the sailors chorused as their sailing continued.
(Elsewhere)
Meanwhile, back in the Fire Nation, Azula was finally moved back into the Fire Lord's palace in her own room, and was currently taking a well deserved nap after so much travel.
And outside of her room…
"You want me to what?" Katara snapped as Touya and Zuko tried to talk to her, Aang attempting to keep his girlfriend calm.
"Katara, you're one of the best healers I know. Plus, didn't you say that you helped your grandmother out with stuff like this?" Zuko stated.
"Yes, but to her?" The water tribe girl hissed, pointing at the sleeping Azula. "I can't believe you'd even ask me. Especially after what she did to Aang! She almost killed him." She added.
Zuko couldn't stop himself from wincing at that. He knew full well Katara's reaction was a justified one, especially given what happened back in the crystal caves of Ba Sing Se.
"Katara…" Aang whispered, trying to get the girl to see reason.
Touya, however, was unmoved. Folding his arms, he decided to levy his own two cents.
"And you almost killed her during Sozin's Comet. Pretty sure that makes you even." He stated, his face conveying that he wasn't even phased by Katara's attitude.
"Wha-!" The waterbender started to yelp before she sighed since she couldn't refute that one. "Alright, fine. I'll help her." She conceded.
She then stomped up to Touya and jabbed a finger at the redhead's chest. "But don't think this means that I'm forgiving or trusting her." She added.
"Then unless you want to have everything you give her checked for poison, I suggest you: Check. Your. Attitude." The blue eyed teen growled back, sounding almost draconic.
Katara gulped at his show of intimidation before she went up to Azula's sleeping form and started using her water to heal her under Touya and Zuko's watchful eyes.
There were a few areas where it was rather tame in comparison to others, but she still healed every area she could in order to reduce the damage.
"Okay, that's done." The girl sighed. "Now what?" She questioned as Aang helped her back up and a servant took care of the used water.
"Well, I would like for you to perhaps consult the palace's cooks to develop recipes that may be good for her to eat." Zuko explained.
"Yeah. Maybe like some Water Tribe comfort food or something like a fusion meal or two?" Touya added.
Katara adopted a thinking pose as she mulled it over for a bit before responding. Aang also gave her a comforting rub on the shoulder so she felt more at ease about the idea.
"I think I can come up with a few things." She replied.
"Alright, then. Let's see what you can come up with." Zuko nodded.
(Elsewhere)
"I'm just sayin' how can we be sure that getting bonked on the head didn't make her even more crazy than she already was?" Sokka questioned as he talked to Suki about Azula while she was having lunch with Ty Lee and Mai.
Toph had left the Fire Nation to go back to her Metal Bending academy, and both Aang and Katara were busy with Touya and Zuko trying to help set the palace up for Azula until the latter had to check on her again.
So that left the boy with only the three girls as company before it was time to leave.
"I think it would've been obvious if she was crazier." Mai stated. "Namely the fact that she would've burned down Yu Dao while she was hiding there before we found her." She added.
"Yeah. Plus, she's like a completely new person now ever since then." Ty Lee chirped. "I think it's safe to say she's not even crazier." She added.
"How do you know she's a different person?" The warrior asked incredulously. This made the acrobat giggle.
"Because of her aura, silly! Back when we were kids it was rosy and mischievous. Then dark blue and menacing. Then wild and insane and now…" She explained before she tugged at the edge of the table cloth. "It's smooth, a light blue, like a calm river, or pond. With cute little ripples like when a turtle duckling swims in it." She added with a smile.
"Don't question her. She knows what she's talking about." The knife thrower told the boomerang boy as he was about to ask how she knew that.
"Believe me, I've given up trying to understand it too." Suki added. Sokka still seemed to be skeptical but soon deflated.
"Alright, I'll take your word for it." He sighed.
(Two weeks later)
A couple weeks had passed and now Azula was exactly four months pregnant. Currently, she is being checked by both Katara and Toph.
The former was healing any injuries and or swelling that occurred as her body changed, and Toph was sensing how the baby girl inside the princess was developing.
"You know, you're quite talented for such a little girl." Azula grinned down at Toph who pointed a finger in her face.
"I'm not above flicking you, so do yourself a favor and don't call me short." The earth bender warned. The blue flame user chuckled good naturedly in response. "But anyway, the baby's coming along pretty well from what I'm sensing." She stated.
Deciding to get up, Toph smirked as she flicked Azula in the forehead, it was a way of saying that they were cool–before walking out of the room. This left her and Katara alone in a state of awkward silence as the healer continued working.
"Well, there's not much damage from the pregnancy, but there's still strain." Katara told her, noting high levels of strain on the princess' body, particularly in the abdominal area.
"Well, with a belly the size of a melon, I don't really have much of a choice, do I?" The princess chuckled dryly, but Katara seemed unamused. "That was a joke."
"I know." The waterbender stated dismissively.
"Clearly not. You're not laughing." The girl retorted, folding her arms.
The two stared each-other down for about five minutes before the waterbending girl broke the silence.
"If you think I'm going to just be friends with you, you're wasting your time." She stated plainly, never stopping her work.
"I'd be disappointed if you just forgot so quickly." The blue flame user replied flatly.
That was the thing about Azula. Changed or not–She wasn't stupid. She knew what she did in the past. She was well aware of what she nearly did to Aang back in Ba Sing Se.
That being said, it wouldn't stop trying to change things.
"That being said." She continued as she placed a hand on Katara's as she healed her stretch marks. "I'm still willing to try and make amends. If you'll allow me." The mother-to-be added, looking at their hands as she felt her daughter touching back. "After all, I want to be a good mother for my daughter when she's born."
Katara wanted to say something against that, but discarded the thought since she could understand Azula's intentions, if only a little.
From what she remembered of her own mother, she said that being a parent was a truly life changing thing that would make just about anyone better if they tried to be such.
She also recalled how she treated Zuko when he so adamantly wanted to join their group. And although Azula's case was far worse, she understood that it was still nearly identical.
So she refused to let herself commit the same mistakes that she did with the prince turned Fire Lord. She wouldn't be so rigid this time, this time–she'd be fluid. Like the water she used.
"It won't be easy, but… I'll give you a chance." Katara conceded. Azula's face was graced by a gentle smile at this.
"Thank you." She said softly.
(Elsewhere)
Meanwhile, down towards the dungeons, Zuko was currently trying to dissuade Touya from doing something. But, as in all things, the boy's earth kingdom heritage was showing as he was not budging on the issue.
Said issue at hand? The boy wanted to talk to the former "Phoenix King"–a title he found stupid–and his–big air quotes– " Father-in-law ", Ozai.
"Why would you even want to? What are you hoping to get out of him? Aside from my mother's whereabouts, of course." Zuko questioned.
"I wanna see just how much I can get under his skin by taunting him with how much stuff he's missed. See if it makes him drop any juicy bits of ammo for us to use later." The redhead explained. "Plus, Azula says that she thinks I'm one of the most cunning people she's ever met, so I wanna make sure that her instincts weren't wrong." He added.
"... This better pay off." The Fire Lord sighed as he let Touya enter Ozai's cell.
As the boy entered, Ozai was stirred from what seemed to be an impromptu nap against a wall.
"So, Zuko, come to make pointless conversation with me again? Or is it one of those frail little girls who call themselves "warriors"?" The man questioned, his hair and beard as disheveled and grimey as his tattered prison clothing. "Either way, you're wasting your time, and my own." He spat as Touya was finally in front of him.
The earth and fire hybrid sat in a chair that he faced backwards so he could lean on the head, his gaze hard as stone.
"You'd enjoy it being them, wouldn't you, jackass?" He taunted.
"Hm?" The worst father ever hummed as he looked at the redhead. "Ah, now I see. You're the failure son of that whelp, Enji. What could possibly bring you all the way to my little cell from Yu Dao?" He questioned dismissively.
"Wouldn't you like to know?" The boy grinned with an audible smirk that made Ozai bristle. "Things have been changing the past few months, old man. And here you are, missing out on all of it." He continued, leaning his cheek on his hand with his grin never falling. "Ain't that a shame?" He chuckled.
"And you would do well to watch your tone, you half-bred mongrel." The powerless man snapped. "Now, just what, pre-tell, could I have been missing that's worth my time?" He hissed.
"Oh! Mongrel, haven't heard that before." Touya parroted mockingly in feigned offense, before rolling his eyes. "Yeah right, get some new material, shitbird." He stated evenly.
"You insolent little wretch!" Ozai snarled. "Had I still been in power, I would've had you killed like I tried to have my backstabbing wife's old friend!" He continued to snarl, not realizing what he just let slip.
"Fascinating." The boy said, examining his nails, as if bored. "Ya know, that's a heck of a way to talk to the man who's the father of your future granddaughter." He added, a shit eating grin spreading across his face as he could almost see the gears turning in the former Phoenix King's head as soon as he heard that.
"... WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!" Ozai exploded as the statement registered. "You dare sully my bloodline with your polluted genes?!" He roared furiously.
"Ha!" Touya laughed as he could to grin down at the man. "Tell me, "Phoenix King" can polluted genes produce offspring that can do this?" He continued as he conjured a blue flame in his free palm.
"What?! Impossible! Only pureblood firebenders can use blue fire!" The man exclaimed in denial.
"Wow, you're dumber than a platypus bear." The redhead chuckled. "Any firebender can use blue fire if they have a great enough amount of anger." He told the man. "And it just so happens that I'm full of righteous fury." He added.
Ozai continued to gawk at the blue fire, but true to form, was able to think of a counter. "Be that as it may, I know my daughter. And she would never have allowed herself to be bred by a mere commoner. If what you say is true, then you must have forced yourself on her." He added.
"Oh Ozai, Ozai, Ozai…" Touya tsked. "How wrong you are." He snickered. "A lot has happened to her, and a lot of it's been good." He told him.
"Oh please. What could possibly change her?" The 'man' scoffed.
"How about getting amnesia after escaping the asylum she was at?" Touya suggested in a rhetorical tone. "Or how she landed in my family's care?" He continued, and spotted Ozai growing more livid, and decided to metaphorically go for his jugular. "Or how about that, even after she got all her memories back, she couldn't keep her hands off of me along with how we got engaged?" He finished, awaiting Ozai's angry response.
He was not disappointed.
"You miserable little worm! I ought to have you and your entire family burned alive!" Ozai yelled rushing to the bars of his cell, his face literally inches from Touya's but he just couldn't reach him.
The blue eyed boy continued to smile as he taunted the man with his body language and expressions.
"Let me guess, touched a nerve there?" He asked cheekily as Ozai was practically foaming at the mouth, almost seeming rabid.
"When I get out of here, I'll hunt you down and use the same poison I used on my wretched father!" He yelled, his anger clouding his thoughts and making him fail to realize the secret he just let slip.
"I'm sure ya will, you powerless weakling." Touya said dismissively before he turned to leave. "Ta ta, dipshit." He added before walking out the door, ignoring Ozai's angry screams as he closed the door behind him and faced Zuko. "Did you hear all that?" He asked.
"Every. Single. Word." The Fire Lord seethed. He knew his father was twisted, but poisoning Azulon? He couldn't find the words to describe his disgust.
Granted, Azulon wasn't a Saint, either. He was the one that ordered his son to kill his own child. But still, it was the principle of the thing.
"How were you able to rile him up so much?" Tai Lee questioned, having come in as the conversation ended. "You were just talking, right?" She asked.
"Yeah, what'd you do? Flick rocks at him until he lost it?" Suki added.
"I brought up that I'm his "son-in-law" now and recapped what happened with Azula along with a few other things. Before you say I'm putting her and myself at risk…" He replied before taking a breath. "Don't. He's literally too weak to do shit." He stated.
"We didn't saying anything." The girls told him.
"I was going to taunt him more with how successful Zuko is in comparison to him, Azulon and Sozin, but I think I'll save that for another day." The redhead shrugged before yawning and stretching. "That being said, I'm calling it for today. Goodbye everyone."
As Touya left the dungeons, he passed a few guards and a couple fire sages on his way back to the palace, to which he gave a kind nod to.
Upon entering the main hall, he walked down the halls of portraits that lined the walls of fire lords long past, at least until he reached the portraits of Sozin, Azulon, and Ozai. To these he stopped, and turned on his heels to face them.
"You three are failures." He stated as he set his gaze on Sozin first. "You ordered the genocide of the Air Nomads to try and keep the Avatar from stopping your pathetic war. All because you were too scared to face the consequences of your actions." He continued before turning to Azulon.
"You carried on the war, forced Ursa into a marriage she didn't want and ordered your son to kill his own child. In some cases, you being poisoned was a mercy compared to what I would've done to you had you lived." He added further before setting a glare on Ozai's picture.
"And then there's you." He snarled. "You turned your daughter into a monster, banished Ursa from here to isolate Zuko along with other reasons, scarred him, and so many more atrocities. You started out small, and you'll die small. Azula will live on free from your poisonous ideals." He finished with a hiss. "That I promise."
"... You wear your convictions well." A beautiful feminine voice purred from behind him, causing him to turn around and see Azula walking towards him–dressed in her bed robes. "They suit you." She added as she closed the distance between them, placing a hand on his cheek as her engorged middle pressed to his.
"I was raised by a good family. And our daughter will be raised by a good father." Touya smiled as he held his beloved close. Then he chuckled. "You really should've been there when I went to have a chat with Ozai. The way he reacted to what I said was priceless." He said with a grin.
"You sound like you had fun taunting him." The girl smirked knowingly, stroking his lips with her thumb, and popping his bottom lip. "I knew you were the cunning type, but I never took you for a sadist." She purred.
"Only for those that deserve it, my dear." Touya whispered into her ear, causing her to shiver before they started walking to their room. "Now let's get some shut eye. I'm tired." He yawned.
"Right behind you." The princess yawned in agreement as Touya picked her up. "Wha–how are you?!" She gasped in surprise as she was held in a bridal carry, rather easily.
"I have an earthbender's body, remember? That makes me naturally stronger than a lot of people." The boy told her as he carried his pregnant girlfriend to their room, while she nuzzled herself close to him.
(Elsewhere)
Meanwhile, on the coast of the Earth Kingdom, not far from where Ozai and his fleet attacked during Sozin's Comet. The long ships from before made landfall, and the occupants seemed disappointed due to the lack of settlements present.
"Well this is just inconvenient." Eivor commented as she looked around. "But considering it looks like a fire burned the land here, I shouldn't be surprised." She amended.
"Perhaps there was a conflict between two nations? One with Fire Magic, the other Earth?" One of the others suggested, rubbing some of the scorched earth between his cracked fingers.
"Maybe, Hadvar. Maybe." The woman nodded before a glimmer in the distance caught her eye. "Thor's beard…" She exclaimed before she ran up to the object and revealed it to be a fire nation sword. But the blade was black, as black as the midnight sky.
She picked it out of the ground and looked it over, whistling at how it looked. "Whoever made this had a lot of imagination and dedication invested in it." She noted, opting to keep it.
Maybe if she found the owner, she'd give it back. No reason to do the opposite and just keep it as a trophy, plus it really was a nice sword.
"We should probably keep moving, then." Another of them stated. "Else the rest of our vikings will start turning over ships before we see any plunder." He added, slinging a two handed ax over his shoulder.
The ax was long bearded, with a head that more resembled a cleaver and had a squid carving on it. It also seemed quite heavy, almost like Greyjoy's ax from GOT.
"Aye, Odahviing, that I agree with." Eivor nodded, walking over to the ship and pulling out a map of the nations they seized from a ship weeks ago. "Here, a place ripe for the taking and right in our element." She stated, stabbing her dagger in the image of the north pole.
Odahviing nodded as he hopped onto his own ship and pulled out a large horn, before blowing on it, signaling the others.
"Load up, Icelanders! We're sailing, this time, to the North Pole!" He bellowed, his braided beard blowing in the wind.
The others let out war cries as they made their ways to the boats. Once they were all mounted up, they cast off and headed north.
The Northern Water Tribe was in for a huge surprise.
Dragon Emperor0: Well, the nations were having a fair period of peace so far. But as they say: All good things must come to an end. And all settlements must be raided by vikings… and speaking of vikings–VIKINGS! *Cue Fus Ro Dah sound effects and Skyrim clipart*
ThermalsniperN7: Yep, that's right. Say hello to the Icelanders, our version of the Scandinavian, Dane, and Rus Vikings and one of the toughest enemies Team Avatar will face… for a while, anyway.
Dragon Emperor0:Yeah, and when they get started they'll develop a very efficient business model ranging from "Buy these furs or so help me Tyr, I will ax you" to the tried and true pattern of: Sail, Sack, Steal, Sell, Celebrate! And the Nations will be horrified.
ThermalsniperN7: Also, sorry this took so long. It's been a weird few days for us. It ranged from my co-author spending time in Key West to me being so tired one day that I could barely speak.
Dragon Emperor0: Yeah. I had been suffering from a bit of burnout and needed a vacation. But now I'm back and ready to get back to work. Speaking of work, Touya totally worked Ozai over, didn't he?
ThermalsniperN7: Damn right he did! The way he reacted to a "half-breed mongrel" knocking up his daughter was priceless! And it looks like he may have gotten dumber in that cell if he thought only pure blooded firebenders could use blue fire… Man, he's an idiotic dumbass.
Dragon Emperor0: And the way that Touya just kept heckling him the entire time just made it even more cathartic. Man I can't wait until Azula does the same to him in the next chapter.
ThermalsniperN7: I better get a bag of popcorn for that show. Anyway, see you guys next time!