Chapter Text
1, 2 , 3
Against her will, Azula felt herself shiver as she woke up.
Not because she was cold - a firebender of her capabilities didn't get cold, but because of whatever she had been dreaming about. She grit her teeth as she felt all memories of the dream slip away from her, as they always did.
She let out a small groan of frustration, then clapped her hands over her mouth as she realised what she had done. Princesses do not sigh or groan, but bear their frustrations with grace, that was what Ozai had taught her.
She may not care for her father, but she knew if she snuffed everything he said than the Fire Nation would turn on her once she returned. She was getting sloppy.
She wanted to sigh again, or go back to sleep, but she knew better than to allow herself such luxuries. Instead, she prepared herself for the day, taking care to wear Earth Kingdom clothing as she knew they would be going to town today.
She had slept without her wrist cuffs last night, and when she put them back on she felt a little better about herself. Leaving the tent, she was dissapointed to see a sky full of clouds. A storm was approaching, it seemed.
◇ > <◇ > < ◇
Aang groaned as he blinked his eyes open.
He had been having these dreams sporadically ever since talking to Avatar Roku, but he could never seem to remember them when he woke up.
"Hello Aang," a familiar voice greeted him, and he shot up.
In his other dreams, he was talking to Roku on Crescent Island, but now-
He was home. Or, in his old home, anyway - he was in the Southern Air Temple. But the way it had once been, with the faint voices of other air nomads in the distance, and a ground free of dust and debree.
(He didn't have a home now, because this Temple was a graveyard...)
Monk Gyatso was in front of him.
Aang felt like he couldn't breathe.
"...is this real? Or is it just a normal dream?"
Gyatso gave him a paternal smile that made him feel lightheaded. "Can you not tell me, Avatar?"
He almost flinched. Or, he almost stopped himself from flinching, but couldn't quite manage to refrain.
"Please don't call me that."
He didn't want Gyatso, of all people, to call him that.
"I'm sorry," the other monk said. He sounded like he meant it.
"Why am I here?" He asked.
"Well, you aren't really. Can you tell me why?"
Aang almost screamed at him when he realised what was being asked. But he was never very good at being angry with people.
"I never meant to leave - I just wanted some space, and then-"
Well he had gotten his space. A century worth of space, even.
"I know you didn't mean to leave, Aang."
Aang wanted to cry. He probably should be happy that he had another chance to talk to Gyatso, but he didn't know what he felt right now.
"Why am I here?"
"The same reason I am. Because there is a problem, Aang, and I would like to help you with it. You shouldn't be able to accidently enter the Spirit World, and certainly not in your dreams."
Aang stared. "What?"
"No matter how much time passes, I will always find myself worrying about your well-being. That is why I am here to warn you of dangers to come. Please, Aang, listen carfully to what I have to tell you..."
◇ > <◇ > < ◇
"So what's the plan?" Suki asks.
They had made their way towards the port where General Zhao was likely going to stop at next. Now, they just needed to figure out a way to nuetralize him.
Lee considered. "Okay, let's try this-"
First, they would wait until the crew left the ship for a brief shore leave, then they would sneak onboard and tamper with the engine.
"That'll only slow him down," Suki tried, but Lee was already talking about that. While Zhao was waiting on repairs, they would take him out and turn him in to the Earth Kingdom authorities in Ba Sing Se.
It seemed easy enough, but Lee seemed nervous.
"It'll be fine," she tried to assure.
◇ > <◇ > < ◇
After the rest of the crew left the ship, Zhao remained on board and in his quarters. He didn't feel good about leaving the ship after last time, and was rewarded for that choice when he heard banging coming from the engine room.
He ran towards the noise, throwing the door open and shooting a fireball inward. There were two figures inside, one in red garb and the other in blue - he had gotten the red one.
The other whirled around with a shout, but he had already run forward and grabbed hold of the red figure. The blue figure threw down something that filled the room in some sort of powder, but he was too busy slamming the red figure into the engine to knock them unconcious.
He looked up, searching for the blue figure, but by the time the powder disapated and he could properly see, they were gone.
No matter, he thought, looking at his new prisoner with no small measure of glee. Perhaps this one knows something of the Avatar.
4
He only made it about twenty paces from the ship before realising Suki wasn't with him anymore.
The realisation left him nearly hysterical with panic.
He wanted to shout for her, but if she hadn't followed him it was because she couldn't.
I gotta get her back-
He needed a plan - he needed - he needed-
(He missed Azula-)
"Focus," he hissed at himself, because he needed to help Suki.
He could do this. He could do this.
(He had to be able to do this...)