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Chapter Text

Around Sokka, everything burned or everything froze. 

He wasn’t on the Fire Nation flagship, where he was supposed to be hunting for Admiral Zhao. Instead, he was in the ruins of Agna Qel’a’s walls, surrounded by retreating Fire Nation soldiers. They fled onto metal boats, but they weren’t fast enough. 

The moon glowed as bright as the sun, though it didn’t grant him the same burst of energy. Instead, it seemed to sap at him, burning a pit into his stomach. A specter loomed out of this white miasma, forming a giant koi from astral light. In the center of that shape was a single, small figure: Aang, his tattoos glowing and face a mask of rage.

Sokka tried to move, tried to call out to his friend to stop. But no words could leave his mouth, and his legs refused to answer his commands. Instead, he could only watch as Aang swept his hands about in sharp, aggressive motions. It almost reminded Sokka of firebending as opposed to air or waterbending. The water in the canals around him, the ice shards laying in heaps, and the rubble from the walls, all responded to Aang’s command. 

They tore the Fire Nation soldiers apart. Some were smashed under chunks of ice the size of boulders. Others were skewered by thousands of icy daggers. Yet more were pulled, screaming, beneath the water. The ground shook, and Sokka could finally move.

He knew Aang, knew he would never hurt him. He ran all the same. Sokka ducked around the carnage that he was immersed in, a blind panic coursing through him. It sounded in a routine pattern like a beating drum. No, not a drum; a roaring flame, flickering and flaring in time with his pounding heart. 

With a rush of energy, he was swept off of his feet and thrown face-first into the ocean beyond the wall. He thrashed but was pulled, deeper and deeper, into the inky void of the deep sea.

In the darkness around him, he saw flickers… Images. He didn’t know. They came quickly and faded just as quickly, but he could just make them out. A giant wall with flames roaring behind it. A deserted town, lit up by a flash of lighting. The moon swallowing the sun. Colonel Kuzon’s demonic blue mask, its fanged jaw unhinged in a soundless roar. Fire, bright as the sun, sweeping across the earth and consuming everything in its path.

“Things come that cannot be stopped,” a voice said. He recognized it; it was supposed to be from the sun spirit, who had talked to him before. Was he influencing his dreams? Was this even a dream, or some freaky spirit vision thingie? “Be ready. The sun will always rise, but when it does is not always the same.”

Around him, the water began to boil. The darkness was driven away by a searing, burning light. Everything that was once cold enough to immobilize him flared with unyielding pain, burning and burning and burning—

XXXXX

Sokka jerked awake, breathing hard. What… what the heck was that!? He hadn’t had any dreams or whatever like that since he had gotten super sick after that storm. Why did he have one now? Just… just what was all that, anyway?

As his breathing slowed and his heart stopped racing, he took a moment to look around his room. He briefly wondered why the walls of the room were made of steel instead of ice, before the memories caught up to him. He wasn’t in Agna Qel’a anymore; he was on the personal sloop of Princess Azula of the Fire Nation. Who, also, just so happened to be the leader of a Fire Nation resistance movement! 

It was all too much for him. He slid his legs over to place them on the floor. Having taken his stolen Fire Nation boots off, his bare feet rested on the cold metal floor as he buried his head in his hands.

He had tried to have a plan when it came to almost everything. A routine he could follow and keep up with, or at the very least a plan he could focus on. It had worked when he was trying to keep control of his Firebending and do his chores back in the South Pole. It worked on the long journey to the North, making sure they were consistently fed and had enough money and supplies. But all this? Stuck on a ship surrounded by the Fire Nation in the company of a traitorous Princess? How was he supposed to plan for this? 

With a shuddering breath, he stood up. He retrieved his boots next to the chest, then threw on the tunic hanging from the desk. Before he headed for the bulkhead door, he paused in front of the small washbasin on the wall, staring into the mirror above it.

After their meeting two nights ago, Azula had given him a fresh set of clothes. A simple crimson shirt and pair of pants, accompanied by a burgundy outer tunic trimmed with gold. Those simple clothes, not a speck of blue on them, took away a whole lot of his appearance. Sure, with his one blue eye, darker skin, and brown hair, he still resembled a member of the Water Tribes. But, with his golden eye, he looked far more like a member of the Fire Nation than he would like.

With a sigh, he pushed open the door and entered the corridor. The middle level of the central tower where he had been quartered was deserted, with not a soul in sight. Of course, it would be, though; the only people here were himself, Azula, and a pair of servants she had brought with her. Still, he tried to move as silently as possible as he headed towards the balcony. 

Outside, the fresh sea air greeted him like an old friend. The moon hung low in the sky, signaling the approaching dawn. He leaned on the railing, watching the dark ocean swirl around the sloop as it carved through the waves. Try all he could, he couldn’t get the images out of his head. Both the wrath of the moon from his dream, and the wave that swept him out to sea. 

It was wrong, all of it. He was Water Tribe, born, bred, and raised. The only thing that he shared in common with the Fire Nation was his element, and he didn’t exactly like that. Maybe it was the dream, maybe it was just the fact he was on a Fire Nation ship, but the ocean still filled his veins with ice. 

“So you live,” a smug voice said behind him. Princess Azula stepped out onto the balcony, crossing her arms. She had tied up her sleepwear with a silk belt, but was otherwise lacking the armor or fine clothes he had always seen her in. Her long black hair spilled loosely down her back, framing a cruel smirk. “I was beginning to think you had suffocated yourself in your room.”

“Hey, Princess,” Sokka said, turning around to look at her. “What do you want?”

“Just seeing what’s eating at my guest,” she said. “You aren’t nearly as stealthy as you think, by the way.”

“Noted.” He sighed, before turning away from her again. “Well, you checked in on me. I can’t sleep, these clothes feel weird, and I miss my friends. You can leave now.”

“I already told you I sent a message to Ty Lee letting them know you’re alive and arranging a rendezvous point,” Azula said. “You’ll see them soon enough.”

“Right. Because you want to convince Aang to help you become Firelord,” Sokka said.

He wasn’t looking at her, but he could imagine her lazy shrug. “It only makes sense,” Azula says, moving from the bulkhead to lean on the railing next to him. He can easily make out her condescending smirk from his periphery, her arms still folded. “You’re planning on overthrowing the Firelord. You’ll need someone to replace them. Since I’m already opposed to the current Firelord, I am the only logical pick.”

The thing was, she was right. It wasn’t like there was some other random person out there that could take the throne. And having someone on board with stopping the war would be a good stop to ending things. But… “And that’s all I know. I mean, you didn’t even really say why you hated your own father. Heck, if you’re willing to kill your dad, why should I trust you?”

“I saved you, didn’t I?” Her golden eyes smoldered, meeting his own and showing no sign of backing down.

Sokka snorted. “That doesn’t have a lot to do with it, Princess. Again, you want to murder your dad!”

She looked at him, face completely impassive. Tui and La, that expression was so creepy on her. “You really are from the Water Tribes.”

“What does that—”

He was stopped by a hand held up, nearly touching his mouth. “Let’s just say that, while reverence for our elders is important, it’s not universal. My father is…” Her eyes seemed to lose their focus as if she was recalling something. “Let’s just say my father isn’t worthy of respect.”

“I mean, duh,” Sokka said. “But why don’t you?”

“I did, for a long time,” she said. With a blink, her eyes were back to that same piercing intensity. “But then he did something unforgivable.”

A detail came back to him; a name and a story that Ty Lee had told them when Katara was itching for a fight. “Your brother, right?”

“How much do you know?” she snapped.

He took a step back, holding his hands up in acquiescence. “Not much! Just what Ty Lee told us. Your… your dad killed him or something like that?”

“Or something like that,” she echoed. She stood back up, her back stiff as a board. “Very well then. I suggest you try and get some sleep. We can discuss this some more over breakfast.” She turned to leave, stopping in the doorway to look over her shoulder. “But remember. I do hold a large number of the cards here. I mean, who else is there?”

XXXXX

Iroh was amazing! 

Aang smiled as the old general poured out cups of tea. He was laughing, a soft chuckle that reminded him of Monk Gyatso. “And fortunately, they were Bacui berries!” Everyone sitting in the loose circle giggled except Master Pakku, though even he cracked a small smile.

The boat they were on carved through the waves on its path south, as it had been traveling for the past few days. The Northern Water Tribe was sending warriors and supplies to the South to help them out, which was great! Hoping to avoid the Fire Army in the North of the Earth Kingdom, they had tagged along.

As the laughter died down, Aang couldn’t stop his smile from falling. Omashu had fallen, and Bumi was rumored to have been taken prisoner. Sure, Bumi had said that he couldn’t properly teach him earthbending, but he was still gone. And… after what he did to Sokka…

“Are you alright, young Avatar?” Iroh asked. Aang looked up, finding all eyes were suddenly on him.

“I… I’m ok,” Aang said. “Just thinking about things.”

“Of course,” Iroh said. “If you wish to speak to me about those thoughts, simply do so.”

“So, why are you helping us?” Katara asked. “Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate it. We all do.” Ty Lee gave a strained expression, like she was trying to keep smiling when she wanted to frown or scowl or something. “But how did you join this… White Lily?”

“White Lotus,” Pakku said. “It is an ancient society, dedicated to bringing balance to the world. Iroh here joined after… a great loss.”

“My son,” Iroh said, bowing his head and closing his eyes. “I am ashamed to admit that it took such a personal loss to realize I was serving… I hope now to make amends for what I have done.”

Aang nodded in understanding. He imagined it was much like how he felt about leaving behind the other Monks a hundred years ago. He… he felt he had failed them, and that was his fault. He had to set things right, just like Iroh had to. It was destiny, in a way, that he came to them. 

After that, Iroh backed up his tea set and they prepared to leave. There was a nearby Earth Kingdom base where they could find a good place to look for an Earthbending master. On the way out, Master Pakku gave Katara two things: A vial of water from the Spirit Oasis and the rank of Master.

Katara bowed to Pakku, but didn’t smile or even speak. There was a certain tension between her and the Northerners beyond the simple animosity because she was a girl combative bender. She regarded them all coldly, not even saying a word as she boarded Appa. The only one she had willingly interacted with before leaving was Yue.

Soon, they were all packed up and ready to go. Iroh yelped in alarm, his hands going white on the saddle as Appa took to the sky. Everyone laughed at his reaction, which he joined in on after a few moments. While Aang held the reins, Katara and Iroh began to talk again, exchanging stories. 

Ty Lee stayed away from Iroh, looking at him and folding her arms. “Everything ok?” Aang asked.

“Y-yeah,” she said. She lulled her head over to smile at him, though that smile was less full than usual. “Just… unsure. Iroh was a big deal, and he was already a traitor. It just doesn’t sit right with me.”

“I’m sure it’ll be fine,” Aang said. “He seems alright.”

“I’m not saying he’s suspicious or something! He was always super nice, but… I don’t know. I just don’t like it,” Ty Lee said. 

At that moment, Momo shrieked in alarm. All eyes went to the lemur, who ran in circles shrieking before ducking under a rucksack. Before any of them could get to him, a shriek pierced the whistling air. Diving down, a hawk landed on the rim of the saddle, its wings splayed, and beak opened in a fierce caw. 

Katara went for the pair of flasks she had taken to carrying, but Ty Lee held up a hand. “Wait! I know this hawk!”

“You do?” Iroh asked. His eyes narrowed, and Aang gulped. Iroh had almost always worn a pleasant expression before, looking like a kindly old man; again, much like Monk Gyatso. Now, though, with that stern expression, Aang could see the visage of the retired, oft-victorious general. 

Ty Lee held out her arm, the hawk hopping onto it. It glared down at where Momo was hiding, cawing again. Momo twitched and snarled, but remained in hiding. Ty Lee reached around it, opening a small leather harness on its back. She pulled out a small letter inside, letting the hawk hop back onto the saddle and opening the note.

As she read, her eyes began to light up and her smile returned in full force. “Guys!” she said after she had finished reading. “It’s Sokka! He’s alive!”

“What!?” Katara cried, ripping the letter from Ty Lee’s hand and rapidly scanning the letter. 

Ty Lee probably would’ve broken into cartwheels if they were on the ground. Since she had joined them, she had done things like that when excited. “My friend found him at sea!” she explained to Iroh and Aang. “She’s asking where she can meet us to drop him off with us!”

“She’s right,” Katara said. “T-there’s a part in Sokka’s handwriting. He’s… he’s alive!!”

Sokka was ok. He was ok. Aang hadn’t killed him when driving off the Fire Nation fleet. Aang shrugged off a weight that had been on his shoulders since the Siege of the North. Well, not all of it. There was still a good chance that he could have killed Sokka. He lost control and almost killed one of his best friends. He was still dangerous, even if he wasn’t as dangerous as he thought.

Still, it was something. He slowly raised his head, looking out over the sprawling horizon. The coast of the Earth Kingdom grew steadily closer and closer. Things could get better. In fact, they almost certainly were going to!

Chapter Text

Sokka joined Azula on one of the balconies, a small table set between them. He’d overheard the captain saying that the ship was to dock some place called Yu Dao in an hour or so, with Azula inviting him for breakfast. Normally he would’ve waited until he was on dry land before eating, still feeling a bit unnerved by the lapping ocean. Still, his stomach spoke, and so he answered by attending. 

For a Princess, the breakfast presented was a rather simple affair. A bowl of rice, grilled fish, and pickled fruits. The same meal was mirrored on his end of the table, save for the fruits being replaced by a small bowl of misty soup. He was expecting something more elaborate, but was frankly too hungry to care. 

“Morning,” he said as he sat down, grabbing the bowl of rice. He fumbled with the chopsticks, still not entirely used to working with utensils. Seriously, what was wrong with eating with your hands?

Azula drank from a small glass of water, setting it down as he began to tear into the rice. “I’m surprised I didn’t see you earlier this morning.”

He looked up, quickly swallowing what was in his mouth. “Huh?”

“At sunrise,” she said. “I was on the deck practicing. I’m surprised I didn’t see you.” She studied him carefully, reminding him of Bato looking at a slain Elk-Seal he was going to butcher. “You do rise with the sun, right?”

“Of course. Firebender, remember,” he said. “Just… I didn’t know that the deck was open. For that, I mean.”

“That’s part of the reason the deck is so open. For firebending practice. It’s important for the Royal Family to hone their skill as much as possible.” She plopped one of the pickled fruits in her mouth before snorting. “What? Did you do your daily warm-ups in your room?”

Sokka blinked, recalling the semi-burnt banner now hanging from his rooms wall. “Uh… No?”

Azula sighed, leaning back and folding her arms. “Well, feel free to join me in the future.”

“Got it,” Sokka said, taking another bite. “So, uh… Anything from my friends yet?”

“Not yet, though I expect they will have gotten the message by now,” Azula said. She peered over his shoulder, gazing intently at the closed door. She then sat forward in her seat, her voice falling to a softer pitch. “I imagine we’ll get a reply from her soon. Until then, we’ll stay in Yu Dao. Make it easier for the hawk to find us.”

“Ok,” he said. He took a bite of the fish, thankfully finding it not as mind-numbingly spicey as the meal he had received on his first day. That had been almost impossible to eat, though he had still done it. “So… About the whole ‘I want to kill my dad thing’... You said we would talk about it?”

“And if you want, we shall,” Azula said. “But keep your voice down. Besides myself, the only person on this ship in my organization is the Lieutenant you came aboard with.” She took another sip of water, eyeing him over the rim of the glass. “To be clear, yes. This is about my brother.”

“Right, right,” Sokka said. That certainly made sense. He loved his dad, but if he killed Katara, then that would definitely make him hate him. “Zuro or something?”

“Zuko,” Azula said. “As I said before, you also want him dead, and need someone to take over after that. If there’s no Firelord, there will be utter chaos and you’ll just trade one war for another. I am the only choice you have.”

“Ok. Ok… But, what exactly do you plan to do when you take charge?” Sokka asked. “I mean, you can’t just replace something without a plan.”

“Very astute,” Azula said. “Well, since the Avatar is involved, that would likely mean that continuing the war would be impossible. The Fire Nation shifts from wartime production, downsizing the military, and other things of that nature. A series of public works programs in Fire Nation territory are instituted to counter unemployment during this time. Trade is sparked back up, and things go from there. Barring a few red lines, I’m open to a large number of concessions.”

“Huh,” Sokka said. “You’ve really thought this out, huh?”

“For years,” Azula said with a smirk. 

Sokka nodded. “Right.” He finished his fish when another thought occurred to him. “What kind of red lines?”

“Well, I’m not going to cripple the Fire Nation,” Azula said. “Again, that’s just inviting another war. Excessive reparations payments, giving up the colonies, things of that nature.”

Sokka blinked. “Hold up. The colonies. What do you mean not giving those up? You stole them from the Earth Kingdom!”

“Maybe,” Azula said. “But we built them up. Take Yu Dao, for instance; one of the first colonies. When we arrived and took over, it was a collection of mud huts. Now, it’s one of the biggest cities besides Ba Sing Se north of the Si Wong desert. So, what? We should hand it over to the Earth Kingdom? And what about the people living there? Many of them have intermarried. Should they all leave? Or would they be forced to swear allegiance to a kingdom they have fought against for years?”

Sokka frowned, averting his eyes from her smoldering gaze. He remembered what Major Teruko had told him when he was taken prisoner by the 41st. How, even though she was technically Earth Kingdom, she was a loyal soldier of the Fire Nation. There had to be plenty of other soldiers who thought like that. What would the colonies be like if they just gave it back to the Earth Kingdom?

“How about this,” Azula said. “Lieutenant Jee needs to deliver some forms to the Armed Forces office confirming his survival. Why don’t you go out into Yu Dao with him? Get a look at the colony.”

“Right…” Sokka wasn’t sure what to feel. Of course, he wanted to defeat the Fire Nation; make them hurt as much as possible. But he wanted to end the war first and foremost, and the easiest solution pointed out that going too hard would make the war last. “Well, there are some other things I want to know.”

“Of course,” Azula said. “I’ve got nothing to hide. Ask away.”

XXXXX

“Are you sure?” the Avatar asked. 

Iroh shook his head. “No, no. I think it would be for the best. I may have changed, but…” He looked down the hill at the great walled fort, small figures in green patrolling its walls. “... General Fong might not see it that way.”

The Avatar frowned, leaning on his staff, but ultimately nodded. “Alright. Let’s go guys.”

As the others boarded the Avatar’s sky bison, Iroh’s gaze fell upon Ty Lee. “Actually. Lady Ty Lee. Might I talk to you?”

The others stopped, exchanging looks amongst themselves. Based on what he had been told, Ty Lee had been traveling with the group for some time now. She was well-integrated with them and was a key member of their team. All the more reason to figure out what exactly her intentions were. 

“Alright,” Ty Lee said, somersaulting down the sky bison’s tail and coming to her feet just in front of her.

“Uh, stay safe you two!” Katara called as the Avatar flicked the reins. The sky bison let out a rumbling groan as it took to the air. It soared down the slope and towards the fort, leaving the two of them alone.

Ty Lee crossed her arms, an uncharacteristically intense look on her face. “This is about Azula, isn’t it?”

Iroh sighed, sitting down and pulling out his tea set. It was a portable version, the ceramic thicker and the designs on them hand-painted. As he started a small blaze beneath the kettle, he said, “You have a sharp mind, Lady Ty Lee.”

“We aren’t at court,” Ty Lee said, stretching before sitting down herself. “Just call me Ty Lee. Unless you want to call you Prince or General or whatever.”

“Very well,” Iroh said, groaning as he likewise stretched. The two of them sat still, gazing at one another over the heat shimmer of the fire. “So… What is Azula’s interest in the Avatar?”

“Same as yours, I suppose,” Ty Lee said, shrugging. “She wants his help in taking the throne.”

Iroh’s eyes narrowed. “I do not covet the throne.”

“But you’re planning on taking it, aren’t you?” Ty Lee asked. 

Iroh sighed. Simply as there was no one else, that was his intention. His brother had proven himself to be incapable of ruling properly. Azula, from his experience, was too much like her father to be trustworthy. And Zuko… Well, even if he could find him, his status as a nonbender would make him becoming Firelord difficult. 

“You are certain Azula is working against her father?” This could be some elaborate ruse. He remembered the long, drawn-out tricks she had played on her brother when they were younger. She was an expert in the long game. 

Ty Lee glowered at him. “I… I don’t like what you’re insinuating. Yes, Azula has turned against him. He killed Zuko, for Agni’s sake! You know they were close.”

Close, yes, but not necessarily inseparable. Especially just before the Agni-Kai, the two of them had been fighting and arguing more than usual. “I merely wish to understand my niece’s intentions.”

“And what about yours?” Ty Lee asked. “I mean, harmony and all that sounds nice. Aang likes it, at least. But what does that mean?”

“It means setting things right,” Iroh said. “Everything.” Ty Lee wrinkled her nose, looking away briefly as she considered Iroh’s words. He supposed it wasn’t really clear, but from what he could work out, Azula and whoever she was working with would not be in full support of what the White Lotus wanted from a defeated Fire Nation.

Azula was, based on his own interactions, self-serving. What she wanted, she would aim to achieve through whatever means necessary. She thought she knew what was best, even without looking at the bigger picture, and would aim to achieve it. She was cold-hearted, ruthless, and without scruples, all hidden behind a demeanor of control. His niece might have even deceived Ty Lee, stringing her along as a means to get the Avatar on her side. Any insight into her intentions would be useful.

“She just wants the best for the Fire Nation,” Ty Lee settled on. “There are a lot of people who don’t like Ozai. She simply coordinates them to counter him.”

Like a spider in the center of her web. “I see,” Iroh said, placing tea leaves into the steaming water. “Perhaps we might speak more of this.”

“I guess we will,” Ty Lee said.

Before either of them could speak, the Avatar’s sky bison crested the walls of the fort. It raced across the sky and landed next to them, the Avatar and Katara spilling off the back. The Avatar trodded off, sulking, while Katara came over to them.

“What is the matter?” Iroh asked, making sure to remove the hard edge of his voice. It wouldn’t do to speak to one of the Avatar’s companions like she was connected to a potential threat. 

Katara sat down, hanging her head. “General Fong, the guy in charge, wanted to use the Avatar state to defeat the Fire Nation.” She looked up, her eyes wide and sad. “Even after hearing about how Aang almost killed Sokka, he still wanted to do that. Called it an ‘unavoidable but needed sacrifice’. Aang… didn’t take it well.”

Ty Lee stood and went after Aang before either of them could stop her. Iroh sighed, tapping his fingers on his knee. He supposed that Ty Lee wasn’t suited for subterfuge, and was genuine in her support. Friendship and closeness often blinded one to the truth of things, he supposed. It was just a matter of ensuring there was no fertile ground for Azula’s manipulations to bear fruit. 

XXXXX

Azula breathed in deeply, letting her lungs fill with air. Her sharp breath fueled her flames, a phantom flicker of fire coming from her hands. On her exhale, she lunged forward, shooting a gout of flame out. 

One of her guards gave a sharp uppercut, deflecting the azure blast of fire before launching his own fireball in retaliation. At the same time, another guard did the same, attacking from another direction. She twirled on the spot, using her momentum to launch a counterattack at one of her assailants.

Flames roared in their back and forth, Azula moving and delivering rapid, powerful attacks towards her guards. They struggled to keep up, only throwing out attacks occasionally she effortlessly turned aside. With a flourish, she kicked up into the air, throwing a wave of flame around her. The guards were knocked off of their feet, while she dusted off her hands.

“Well done,” she said. “You are dismissed.” As her guards bowed and returned to their comrades below deck, Azula headed along the deck to lean on the railing. She looked out over Yu Dao, wondering exactly what Sokka and Lieutenant Jee were up to. 

Nothing too stupid, she hoped. While there was certainly a spark of intelligence within him, he was a fool. Not impulsive, but not restrained either. Clumsy in a way that would be amusing if he were an enemy but potentially infuriating as an ally. It reminded her of many of the peasants who were a part of her organization, now that she thought about it. Was that just how peasants acted?

She sighed, tilting her head down from the view of the city to look at the thin patch of water between her ship and the dock. What she wouldn’t give for Zuko to be here instead of him. Oh sure, Sokka was her ticket to the Avatar, but Zuko… he would know how to talk to him. Get the Avatar and his friends on her side.

Of course, Zuko was who knew where. Reports were still coming in, and few had made it to her, about what had happened in the North. There wasn’t even a proper casualty list just yet. Still, there was nothing about the 41st Battalion or their colonel. Not even a mention of them, almost as if they hadn’t been a part of the attack. It was like they, and her brother, had simply vanished from the face of the world.

“What did you do, you utter idiot?” Azula hissed to herself.

Still, as always, she would have to make due. Ty Lee would create a good impression on the Avatar’s group, and she had a feeling she could bring Sokka onto her side. Fool though he may be, he was a logical fool. He had already conceded that she could be a useful ally, and so it was just a matter of ensuring he trusted her. 

A few details, letting a few things slip about her plans. Just enough that he would be on her side without making herself vulnerable. With a bit of patience, she could make it work.

Down on the docks, the sound of a commotion reached her. Looking up, she saw a group of men accosting her guards. They were dressed in a ragtag assortment of clothes and armor, resembling bandits in combination with their coarse facial hair and rippling muscles. Azula would have brushed them off as bandits or maybe pirates if she hadn’t recognized the feather plum died into the hair of the man in the lead. 

“Colonel Mongke,” she said, folding her arms behind her back and descending the gangplank. Her guards snapped to attention, the group of men behind Mongke backing up. “I must say, this is unexpected. I didn’t expect to see you here.”

“Princess,” he said, bowing. The group of men behind him, his eponymous Rough Rhinos, bowed as well. Despite their group appearance, their bows were perfect militarily, indicating their former status in the Fire Nation Army. “Always a pleasure.”

Azula rolled her eyes, pushing down her revulsion at the undertones of the hardened mercenary. “Quite. Now, why are you here? I don’t recall asking for you.”

“You didn’t. We’re here on business. A job from your father, in fact.” Azula’s eyes narrowed and her smile fell. Since the Colonel's former unit had been disbanded, he and his Rough Rhinos had become the go-to mercenaries for her father. Not exactly subtle, but damn effective in killing whoever needed killing. Their being here could not be a good sign.

She cocked her head to the side, shifting her foot slightly. “Oh?” she asked. “What kind of business?”

“Just need to ask you a few questions, your Highness,” Mongke said. He passed a folded letter to one of her guards, who unfolded and quickly began to read it. “There has been an… interesting piece of information that’s come to light, and he just wants to clarify some things.”

“What sort of things? You still haven’t explained why you’re here and harassing my men.” Azula, despite herself, felt her heart begin to race. Had her father somehow figured things out? How? He, nor many of his upper command, knew anything about Ty Lee. Had one of her messages been intercepted and deciphered? 

Mongke grinned, letting one of his hands fall by his sides. A small flame began to flicker from his fingers, while his men behind him readied weapons. “It’s simple, Princess. We just want to know why your friend is with the Avatar. And… maybe a few more questions beyond that.”

Chapter Text

“Just pick one,” Jee said, rubbing a gentle circle on his forehead.

Sokka shot a glare over his shoulder before turning back to the rack of clothes. Unfortunately, there were no clothes in even the darkest shade of blue, only various shades of green, brown, and red. There wasn’t even any black, though he wasn’t sure that would be the best idea anyway with how hot it was. After a few more moments of examining the clothes from every angle, he finally decided on a simple brown tunic. 

After paying, it was added to the back he had gotten from the ship. It was packed almost to the brim, filled with extra clothes, a few tools, and as many meat products as he could manage. It wasn’t seal jerky, but he hoped that salted komodo-rhino would be similar enough. “Alright. I’m ready to go!”

Jee finally stopped massaging his temple, adopting an almost relieved expression. “Finally. Come on.” He turned on his heels and marched off, Sokka scrambling to keep up with him.

As they headed back towards Azula’s ship, he took a moment to look around at Yu Dao. He had done that on the way in, and the many sights drew his attention on the way out. When he had thought about the colonies before, it was always a singularly dismal impression. Long lines of Earth Kingdom slaves, lavish houses staffed by servants, big factories producing weapons of war, and camps turning out indoctrinated conscripts.

It… Well, there were some things that he noticed that he didn’t like. The people dressed in red appeared to be better off than those in green on average, wearing nicer clothes and whatnot. He’d also seen a poster advertising Fire Nation service, which promised that an earthbender could receive training only through that service. While he had been discouraged, he had never been barred from training with his bending. He remembered Haru and his family, imprisoned for defying that rule… Not just barring them from learning, but with such a harsh punishment made his stomach turn. 

What disturbed him the most, however, was how normal it otherwise looked. It was just… people. It was like that village where they’d seen the Fire Days festival. Just normal people who happened to be wearing red (or green) (or some combination of the two), going about their day. The architecture was fascinating, and the air was filled with the scents and sounds of a normal city. Maybe a bit more spicy, but if he closed his eyes he could almost imagine he was in Omashu. 

Try as hard as he could, he couldn’t help but see what Azula had been talking about. This wasn’t just some place the Fire Nation had taken over. This was almost like a part of the Fire Nation itself, at least as far as he knew. A place immersed in Fire Nation culture, even with a lot of the people in the city wearing green. Just handing this over to Ba Sing Se after overthrowing the Firelord? That was certain to result in a lot of issues, some of which may spark a new war right off the bat.

He stewed in those thoughts as he headed back to the ship. Everything he saw only made it more complicated. What was perhaps the best example of that complexity? A couple passing by him and Jee on the street. The husband wore red and the wife wore green. Both were smiling and happy, the wife clutching a pregnant belly to support it. He… he watched them go and didn’t know how to feel.

The Fire Nation was supposed to be the enemy, the ultimate evil. They had killed his mother and driven his tribe to near extinction. How was he supposed to see after seeing them as people? And the same for the people who supported them? His desire to defeat the Firelord was undiminished, but all this… This complicated things.

Jee thrust an arm in front of him, stopping him dead in his tracks. They stood before the ship, just a stone's throw away from the gangplank. A small crowd of Azula’s guards, as well as the Princess herself, stood at the bottom. Standing opposite them, their backs to him and Jee, were an assortment of muscly men, brandishing weapons or firebending at her.

“What—Who are they?” Sokka asked. 

Jee looked at him, a glower on his face. “The Rough Rhinos. Elite Mercenaries that take contracts from the Fire Army. Everything you hate about Fire Nation troops personified in one unit.”

Sokka’s expression returned to them, now sporting a glower. His hand tingled, flames urging him to ignite and let them burn. He breathed deeply and smothered them slightly, keeping himself under control. Maybe there was a good reason why they were here. There had to be—

“By the orders of Firelord Ozai, you are to surrender at once and come with us,” the leader said, brandishing a flaming hand.

Well, never mind.

His own flames leaped to life in his palm, a small ball forming between his fingers. “Think fast, Princess!” He tossed it at the back of the mercenaries, an alarmed yelp coming from the armored giant at the impact. The others turned as he threw another, raising their guard and scattering under the sudden attack.

Azula’s guards stepped towards her, and she suddenly began to move. After his brief training with Jeong Jeong, he thought he’d gotten pretty good at Firebending. He’d been able to hold her own, at least. And then he saw Azula begin to bend.

She was in a class of her own, far above almost anyone he had seen before. Her motions were fluid and fast, delivering sharp strikes with blue-hot fire. She knocked both of her guards aside with gouts of flame, spinning forward to knock away the Rough Rhino leader. She fought through them to him and Jee, who had been deflecting the attacks from the other Rough Rhinos and the sudden score of Azula’s guards racing down the gangplank.

“Wonderful,” Azula said. “I had it handled.”

“Sure looked like it,” Sokka said, ducking under an arrow and sending a ball of fire back at him. With reinforcements coming down, the three of them quickly found themselves cornered. “Any ideas?”

“Just cover your ears.” Azula fell into a wide stance, standing just behind him and Jee. Her arms began to blur with heat, sparks running up and down her limps. Just as a torrent of fire roared over him and Jee, breaking through their defenses, Azula unleashed a full bolt of lighting past them.

It crashed into the wharf, a blast of dull blue light echoing out in time with the ear-splitting boom. The wood of the port shattered, cracking apart and sending soldiers spilling into the bay. Others were knocked back, thrown back from the explosion. Others still were disorientated, a cloud of dust and smoke nearly obscuring the entire ship. 

Sokka gaped, his arms falling ot his side as he simply stared at the raw destruction. “Wh-what the heck was that!? Was that Firebending!?”

Azula turned to him, snapping, “Shut up and run!” Not having a proper rebuttal for the Princess shooting LIGHTNING from her hands, he and Jee joined her in fleeing into the crowds of the city. 

XXXXX

Azula sighed as she shrugged on the rough-spun and itchy tunic that Sokka had given her once they were out of Yu Dao. It was incredibly uncomfortable, but it was the only thing he had purchased that was roughly her size and not colored red. Her hair was taken out of its topknot and pulled into a simple low ponytail, which would have to do for now.

“How do I look?” she asked, splaying her arms as she looked at Sokka. He had likewise ditched his red clothing in favor of Earth Kingdom colors. Jee had snuck back into the city to grab some clothes from a friend that fit him, forcing them to remain in hiding on the outskirts.

“Drop the sneer, and you might just look passable for a refugee or something,” Sokka said. “Anyway, we were planning on meeting my friends in the Earth Kingdom anyway, so what’s the big deal?”

“The big deal is we now have to do it on foot and while being hunted by bloodthirsty mercenaries,” Azula snapped.

Sokka blinked before shrugging. “Yeah. I supposed that wouldn’t be ideal.”

“Understated as always,” Azula said. She folded her arms, glowering at nothing. How had father found out? Ty Lee was the most unnoticeable of her close associates, and had been traveling with the Avatar for weeks now. How had it only now been connected to her? For that matter, who had connected the dots?

Her thoughts, treasonous as they were, turned to the only obvious suspect. She hated to think about it, but it made sense. “Zuko, you damn fool,” she whispered.

“What?” Sokka said.

Azula turned her glare on him, earning a panicked step back. “Nothing.”

Before Sokka could press her on the matter, Jee slipped around a corner and approached them. He had his own pack slung over one shoulder, as well as a walking stick and wide-brimmed hat. Her personal messenger hawk was perched on that walking stick, preening itself around the message clasp.

“Found me while on my way back, Princess,” he said, tossing her the hat.

Azula sighed and allowed herself a small smile. At least something about today was going her way. She held out her arm, allowing it to hop onto the offered limb. Its talons dug into the thin fabric, but she brushed the minor pain aside and opened up the capsule. She produced the reply and began to read, finding comfort in Ty Lee's familiar loopy scrawl.

That comfort was soon dashed as she examined the contents of the letter. Oh, it started out just fine, talking about how the Avatar and his waterbending master were so happy Sokka was safe and asking about him. Also how they were heading north, and that meeting them at the trading town of Gaoling would be the best spot. A bit far, but they could manage it if they moved fast. No, what soured her mood instantly was the mention of who else was with them. 

Iroh. Her sanctimonious, treasonous uncle, now tagging along with the Avatar. 

She crumbled the letter, barely being able to choke back a snarl. A flame lit in her hand, the paper quickly dissolving into a cloud of ash. Both Jee and Sokka looked at her like she had burst completely into flames, and she forced herself to breathe deeply. Losing control wouldn’t do her any favors. “Come,” she said, slipping on the hat and starting to move towards the road. “The Avatar is meeting us in the city of Gaoling. We must move as quickly as possible.”

“Uh, why?” Sokka asked. Azula, who had already turned to march down the street, stopped and shot him a murderous glare. He couldn’t appreciate the stakes, but at least he could appreciate that she was angry. All of her plans would be for nothing if her Uncle could turn the Avatar to his side with tea and sob stories! 

“Because my stupid, self-righteous Uncle has decided to tag along with your friends,” she said. “Now, let’s go before he does something stupid!” She didn’t even look back to see if they were following her; she simply kept moving down the road, further and further away from the comforts of home.

Chapter Text

They arrived early in the morning, just after the sun had risen.

There were two of them, opening the door to her inn just as she was coming down from breakfast. The first was an older man, tall and bony with bedraggled, wiry silver hair. He wore patched clothes of a cut she didn’t recognize, along with a small pointed cap. His face was marred by a black scar, which appeared as if his skin was clinging directly to the bone. 

The second was a boy, likely no older than sixteen. Well-muscled, at least as much as she could tell with his body concealed beneath a baggy rice-fiber poncho. His face was also concealed from view, in this case by a wide-brimmed hat. Where the old man was open and calm, the boy carried himself stiffly, as if ready to fight at a moment's notice.

Hama was instantly weary of the two of them. 

Still, she had not lasted so long in the land of the Ashmakers by shying away from every person that made her wary. Almost all of them did; she simply had gotten used to being around them. So, putting on a pleasant smile, she took that final step onto the ground floor and approached them.

“Good morning, travelers,” she said. “I am Hama. Welcome to my Inn.”

The older man bowed, though the younger remained as he was. “Greetings. My name is Gyuki, and this is my ward. We have been away from home for a long time, and wish to rest our feet for the day.”

“Of course,” Hama said, bowing and turning to the wall of keys behind the front desk. “Would you like a room-”

“No room,” Gyuki said. Hama blinked, looking over her shoulder at the man. He had made for one of the small tables on the ground floor. His ward had already sat down, his head hung so all she could see was the pale skin of his neck. “Again, we merely wish to rest for a few hours.”

Well, that complicated things. She was hoping to catch them off-guard, maybe keep them contained until nightfall. An old man and a dullard, traveling far from home; no one would miss them. Oh well, these two would get to live then. “I see. A meal then? You must be hungry.”

“That would be wonderful,” Gyuki said, clapping his hands together. 

Hama smiled and bowed, content to simply attend to these two and let them leave. If she was lucky, they would be close enough for her to manipulate on the road. Otherwise, she would simply have to let these two ashmakers live. Unfortunate, but her vengeance couldn’t include everyone. 

As she turned to leave, she felt a pair of eyes on her. Looking over her shoulder once again, she saw that the boy had looked up and was now seemingly watching her. His hat still obscured most of his face, including those glaring eyes. She could see more pale skin, as well as the bottom of what appeared to be a burn scar on the left side of his face. When she was alone in her kitchen, she let out an amused huff. An ashmaker with a burn. Now she really had seen everything. 

XXXXX

Gyuki and his curious ward left a few hours before sundown. While Hama would have liked to simply string them along, she was somewhat thankful for their leaving. The boy left her… frightened. It wasn’t the same fear she felt after she was captured, but there was just something off about him.

Oh well. With them gone and well out of the reach of her bloodbending, she contented herself with letting them go. 

As the sun went down, she made her way through the woods. In the years since she had come to this village, the ashmakers learned to avoid them at night. Any fool who had tried to look into the disappearances found nothing during the day, and would disappear at night. If they persisted… Well, then their families would be gone.

There was a rush from such a feeling. More than just revenge, but knowing that they feared her gave her a boost. During the nights of the full moon, she became more than just a wronged woman seeking her revenge. She became vengeance incarnate, a living monument to the sins of the Fire Nation. It was… glorious!

As she approached her cave, already relishing the pain she would inflict upon the deserving Fire Nation scum, she felt a tingle on the back of her neck. She turned, seeing nothing but trees and shadows. Frowning, she continued her walk, though that feeling remained.

After walking a little bit further, she turned again, this time reaching out. Water was pulled from a patch of nearby grass, tangling into a whip around her. She readied the tendril, only to again see nothing. Again, all that was present was shadows.

The water dropped to the ground, she let out ragged breaths. She was alone. She had to be; the last person that had come out here during the full moon was in the cave, and that had been years ago. She was just being paranoid. Maybe she needed to move. Yes, that was it. Break the captives, leave them to die as their nation did for her, then find a new island to wreak her vengeance upon. 

However, when she turned around to continue her walk to the nearby cave, something shot from the darkness. Hama was only barely able to catch the ice dart, pulling the water from the control of another and dropping it to the ground. “Show yourself,” she hissed.

It was the boy who emerged from the treeline. She recognized the slender yet muscular build and the black clothes beneath a rice-fiber poncho. However, he had ditched his hat for a fanged, leering blue mask and held a pair of curved swords. Most shocking, however, was the water that ran along the blades and flowed around his arms like serpents.

“You… you are a waterbender,” Hama said, stunned. That soon faded, however, replaced by rage. This boy had become a weapon of the Fire Nation when he should have been a means of destroying them. “Traitor. Traitor!”

“Not quite.” Gyuki stepped out from behind a tree, his hands pressed together and his stupid grin adorning his face. “He is a waterbender. But, not anymore. Not just a waterbender, at least. Allow me to introduce the Blue Spirit.” The Blue Spirit shifted his position, the two blades falling into a guard position. “Your demise.”

“More Fire Nation evil,” Hama said, adopting a bending stance of her own. “One I shall be glad in destroying.” Gyuki’s blood sang, and she grabbed ahold of it.

The old man gasped and groaned as she twisted his body, ripping his hands apart and jerking him around. The blood within him was her tool, and she turned him into one as well. She turned that tool on the boy, throwing Gyuki at him in an attempt to impale him upon the boys’ blades.

The Blue Spirit side-stepped, swinging his blades once Gyuki was clear and sending darts of ice at Hama. The boys' technique was effective, reminding her of the old style of Southern waterbending. Taught on her people’s stolen heritage, no doubt. He rushed forward, his flurry of projectiles forcing her to drop her control over Gyuki to deflect the barrage.

As he grew closer, she lashed out with her own blasts, forcing him to deflect. His blades cut through the blasts, knocking aside her blasts and forcing her to divert around a pair of vertical slashes. Her heart raced as she backed away, panting in rasping gasps. This was like the raids when she was younger, but she was no longer young and her opponent was as aggressive as the Southern Raiders.

Gyuki had disappeared, leaving her alone with this boy… if he was one. He kept fighting, showing no sign of letting down. Each attack was fueled by something beyond normal adrenaline, sending attack after attack at her. 

In desperation, she reached out with her senses. Just like any other living thing, blood beat in his chest, and she reached out to grab it. She had found that it was like drawing upon any other source of water, simply contained within a living thing. Another waterbender could try and exert their own control over the source, but she was the sole master of bloodbending.

Except, as she tried to seize control of the sanguine fluid within him, his control reached out. It grabbed ahold of her. And twisted, shattering her control and taking hold of her own blood.

She howled as he swung his blades in short, choppy swings. With each slash, she felt the blood in her veins buck and clot, forcing her onto her knees. It was a pain beyond anything she had felt before. Everything stung and ached, her own body protesting under the strain of her blood roaring within her. 

Gyuki stepped out of the woods from the opposite side of the clearing, his grin unwavering despite her earlier attack. Behind him came the disheveled and terrified prisoners she had held. They watched her with wide eyes and terrified whispers, though she was barely able to notice over the scalding pain.

“Well done, well done,” Gyuki said, clapping like an entertained child. “Now, do what is right. End her.”

A dull glow seemed to emanate from the slits of the demonic mask. With a flourish, both of the Spirits' blades slashed down, crossing momentarily before ripping out like he was cutting rope. Hama heard a dull crack, felt a stab of pain, and knew no more. 

XXXXX

Zuko stared down while the old woman clutched at her broken neck. He watched as she pitched forward, falling face-first into the mud, and found he didn’t feel a thing. Even when he had fought the most fanatical of Earth Kingdom troops, he always felt pity, remorse, or guilt after ending the fight. He had to win, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t respect the enemy. 

This was different. It wasn’t just that she was a monster who was holding innocents… He felt wrong, the tattoos crisscrossing his skin beneath his coat smoldering like coals on his flesh. Ever since he had come back from the north, everything had felt muted and cold. His body save for the flesh around those tattoos, his mind save for what he had to do in the moment… Even his voice. Especially when he wore his mask.

The people that Hama had taken prisoner crowded closely, clutching one another in fright. Gyuki stepped forward, holding out his hands for calm. “Easy, good people. Easy,” he said. “Do not be afraid. The Blue Spirit is a friend to the Fire Nation!”

“Th-the Blue Spirit?” a man in faded guard fatigues asked.

Gyuki grinned wide. “Indeed! He has already served our nation, destroying our enemies. Silent as the night, able to travel through the darkness, and impervious to harm. Now, he has returned to our lands to slay this witch!”

Zuko’s tattoos burned as the people looked at him, their faces morphing from fear to… he didn’t know. Something like adulation. It reminded him of how his men looked at him after their first battle. They gave Hama’s body a wide berth as they moved away, murmurs on their lips. 

As they began to stagger towards town, Gyuki came up to him. “Well done,” he said, placing a hand on his shoulder. Zuko was barely able to suppress a flinch, his swords twitching in his grip. If Gyuki noticed how close the blades came to him, he didn’t notice. “Well done indeed.”

Zuko reached up to peel off his helmet, but Gyuki stopped him by grabbing his wrist. “No no no. Don’t.” Gyuki looked over his shoulder, watching as the last of the captives disappeared into the woods. “Keep it on. Do not worry, you do not need to speak for this.”

But Zuko wanted to talk. He had been quiet for so long his throat was beginning to ache. When he wasn’t wearing his helmet, the lingering thoughts coming from the loss of his men and his failure to save them made it so he didn’t want to speak. And when he was wearing his mask, he found that he simply couldn’t. Even still, at that moment, he wanted to.

“Legends are born from iconic elements, friend,” Gyuki said. “And silence is as iconic as a blade or bending form.” His smile remained jubilant, showing off chipped and yellowed teeth. “Now, this has been a successful test.” A… a test? A test of what? “It is time we return to the Earth Kingdom. You have an Avatar to hunt, after all.”

The… Avatar? Yes, yes the Avatar. The boy who slaughtered his men to the last. The one that threatened his nation and his father. He sheathed his swords in one fluid motion, nodding to the old Fire Sage. As Gyuki folded his arms behind his back and began to walk towards the road, whistling to himself, Zuko fell in behind him. 

And in the back of his mind, a voice that wasn’t his own rasped quite curses.

Chapter Text

Katara had long ago accepted that traveling with the Avatar would mean nothing would be normal. Being hunted constantly and having to seek out powerful benders for Aang to learn from meant that ‘an average day’ just wasn’t in the cards. However, that day had, so far, been one of the weirdest.

A Fire Nation artillery unit had prevented them from heading directly north towards Gaoling, meaning they had to cut through a tunnel system in the mountains. In the process, they had been joined by a nomadic group of musicians. And now, Aang and Ty Lee had been separated by a shifting tunnel, and she was alone with the musicians and a former Fire Nation general.

Katara had initially been suspicious of Iroh when he had first turned up at the North Pole. That had quickly changed, however, as he swiftly ingrained himself with their group. She hoped that Sokka would like him; maybe Iroh could even teach her brother more Firebending when he taught Aang! The only one that was wary of him still was Ty Lee, who kept her distance. 

As they trudged through the dark tunnels, Katara stuck close to Iroh while the nomads stayed further ahead. “I just hope the others are ok,” Katara said, shifting the torch around to peer into the shadows around them. 

“I am sure they are fine,” Iroh soothed, holding a small flame in his palm. None of the nomads seemed to notice his firebending, which she was thankful for. “The young Avatar seems to be the resourceful type.”

“Right,” Katara said. “And you can just call him Aang. I think he’d prefer it, honestly.”

“Of course,” Iroh said. He walked slowly, one hand gripping his sash while the other held aloft his flame. “Your brother is a firebender, correct? I heard about him traveling with one, and I know Lady Ty Lee is not one.”

“That’s right,” Katara said. “He… Well, my Grandmother said that he was blessed by the Sun Spirit.”

Iroh, who had adopted a somewhat pensive expression, relaxed and smiled once again. “Ah, that is good. I feared that… Well, men do horrible things in wartime.” Katara could barely suppress a shudder, but nodded in agreement. “I hope he shall be returned to you safe and sound.”

“He should be fine,” Katara said. “He can handle himself. For the most part. Plus, he’s with Ty Lee’s friend, so he should be ok.”

At that comment, Iroh’s smile fell into a grimace. “Perhaps not.”

“What do you mean?” Katara asked.

Iroh looked at her, his face a mask of concern. “Lady Ty Lee’s friend is not necessarily the most benevolent of individuals. I do not doubt he will be unharmed, but otherwise… I have my reservations.”

“What do you mean?” Katara asked. Concern filtered into her voice, a subtle fear taking hold of her heart.

He shook his head, the fire flickering in his palm. “Her friend is named Azula. She is… Well, she is my niece.”

Katara blinked, the flames appeared nearly blinding as she opened her eyes. Iroh, despite his obvious regrets, didn’t obscure the fact that he was a former Prince of the Fire Nation and the Firelord’s brother. If this Azula was his niece, then– “The Firelord’s daughter?”

“Indeed,” Iroh said. He didn’t say much more beyond that, turning his sight forward and letting Katara think. Why didn’t Ty Lee tell them that? What else might she be hiding? Iroh was clear about his intention to make amends with the other nations after taking the throne, but what was Azulas? So many questions that lacked answers. 

Her mind was drawn from her racing thoughts by the rumbling of beasts. Large, furry monsters emerged from side tunnels, cornering them in a dead end. The nomads ran in panic, dropping their instruments as they did so. It was too tight for her to bend properly, and Iroh looked just as worried. 

As they backed up, Katara’s foot brushed against one of the discarded instruments, eliciting a strangled strumming noise. That noise was enough for the beasts to stop, angling their heads in their direction. Iroh’s smile returned as he grabbed the instrument, beginning to strum and sing a pleasant tune. Katara couldn’t help but smile as well as the beasts relaxed.

Maybe things would be alright after all. 

XXXXX

“Don’t eat those.”

Azula turned back, glaring at Sokka. “Why not? They’re berries, aren’t they?”

“Maka’ole Berries,” he said. “So, don’t eat those unless you want to go blind.”

Azula blinked, staring down at the branch she had ripped from the bush. Eventually, she snarled and lit the stick on fire. She threw it on the ground and stamped on it. “Why is everything out here poisonous!?”

“Because we’re in the wilderness, Princess,” Jee said, coming up behind them. “At least be thankful we have something to eat.” He gestured to the fish Sokka had speared on a branch and the wild mulberries in his hands.

Azula folded her arms, adopting an almost petulant scowl as she folded her arms. “Very well.”

Sokka could only barely suppress a snicker as he propped the stick on a couple of rocks to cook it. “Look, you’re just not cut out for this yet. You’ll learn.”

“You’re right,” Azula said. “I will.” Sokka had to give her something, she was certainly stubborn. 

Jee ate some of the berries, licking the excess juice from his hands. He reached into his sash, pulling out the map he’d gotten from his friend and unfolding it. “Ok,” he said. “There’s a village not too far from here. We can—”

“We’re not stopping, Lieutenant,” Azula said. Jee looked up and stared at her, frowning. “Unless we need to stop for supplies, we can’t be slowed down by spending the day lounging around.”

The two of them stared at each other while Sokka looked between the two of them. After several moments, Jee snorted and rolled his eyes before saying, “Yes, your Highness. In that case, there’s a road not too far from the river. We follow the river for a few hours, then rest for the night and follow it in the morning. From there, we can be in Gaoling along that road in… Maybe two weeks?”

Azula frowned, but nodded. “Alright.”

Jee stood up, dropping off the last of the berries and slipping into the bushes. As Sokka turned the fish over the fire, he studied Azula. She popped another berry in her mouth, yet the somewhat sweet berries looked like they tasted bitter to her. “Something wrong, Princess?”

She glared at him now, huffing and folding her arms. She rubbed at her cheek, removing a small layer of dirt that had begun to cling to her pale skin. “I just want us to be there as soon as possible.”

“Yeah, because of your uncle,” Sokka said, removing the fish from the fire and examining the charred skin. “What’s with that, anyway? Why don’t you trust him?”

“Because he’s a traitor,” Azula spat, before sucking in a deep breath. She swatted at a bug in the air, spitting sparks at it. “I told you I want what’s the best for the Fire Nation. My Uncle abandoned the Fire Nation. Repeatedly. I don’t know what he wants, but it isn’t good. And I don’t trust him around the Avatar and my friend.”

“How so?” Sokka asked.

Azula sighed again, patting her dirty hand on her robe. “Despite him being a coward and a fool, he is convincing. He wasn’t one of the Fire Nation’s most inspiring Generals for nothing. Things will get… complicated if he’s able to turn them against me.”

Sokka shrugged. “I mean, you’re not exactly convincing.” Not really, but he wanted more information. Some of her points had been vague, particularly why she was doing all this. I mean, she was the daughter of the Firelord! Why had she turned against her father?

“What exactly do you mean?” Her voice was quiet but harsh. While not to the degree of a fang-filled grin, her glare reminded him disturbingly of Colonel Kuzon’s mask. “I thought you agreed I had good points?”

“I mean, yeah,” he said. “You did. But, it’s just… I mean, why? I know why punishing the Fire Nation too badly would be a bad idea. But that’s not to say you guys shouldn’t make up for most of the damage you caused.”

“The Fire Nation of course will make amends,” Azula said. “Like I said, I want what’s best for the Fire Nation. Just like if we give too much to the other Nations, if we don’t give anything, it’ll only delay a restart to the war.”

“Wow,” Sokka said. “You’ve, uh… You’ve put a lot of thought into this, huh?”

Azula beamed. “For years.”

“What happened?”

Azula’s smile fell. “What do you mean?”

“I mean… You’re the Princess of the Fire Nation. Why are you betraying your dad?”

“... That’s none of your business.”

And that was something Sokka didn’t trust. Sure, she talked a big game, making good and logical points about what needed to get done to ensure peace. But her reasons were guarded. “How can I trust you if you won’t tell me?”

“Take it on faith.” And that was the problem, wasn’t it?

XXXXX

Aang read the series of characters that sprawled across the wall of the tomb. He tried to focus on that story, and not the fact that he and Ty Lee were stuck in a tomb. Alone.

At least it was a nice story. Two lovers who couldn’t be together because their villages were at war. They built these tunnels so they could be together, which was really sweet. The man then died, which was less sweet. But the woman ended the conflict, and the villagers founded Omashu. 

“Wait, aren’t the Earth Spirits called Oma and Shu?” Ty Lee asked. “Can people become Spirits?”

“I… Maybe?” Aang said, lifting the torch up to better examine the carvings. “It doesn’t say anything about them becoming Spirits, but I think you’re right. A-about them becoming Spirits, I mean. I think my mentor, Monk Gyatso, said something about that. Anyway, that’s not important.” 

“Right,” she said, squinting at the inscriptions. “Love is Brightest in the Darkness. What does that mean?”

“I don’t know,” Aang said. He cast a brief look at the torch he was holding. The fire started to flicker and fade, its fuel expending as time passed. “Just how are we gonna get out of here?”

Ty Lee rubbed her chin, pacing back and forth before the pair of sarcophagi. After a moment, she perked up, pounding a fist into her palm. “I got it!” she said, turning and beaming at Aang. “We have to kiss!”

Aang blinked, wondering if he had heard her right. She showed no sign of joking or having misspoken, and Aang couldn’t help but flush bright red. “What!?”

“Think about it,” she said. “‘Love is brightest in the darkness’. If there is Spirit stuff going on, it might show us the way out!”

“B-but we don’t know if that’ll work!” Aang protested. 

Ty Lee shrugged. “I mean, there’s only one way to find out.” Aang shied away, clutching the torch like it was the only thing keeping him alive. She seemed to notice his pensiveness, frowning and holding up her hands in a placating gesture. “Hey, hey. We don’t have to kiss if we don’t want to.”

“Y-yeah. Definitely not.”

That was a lie. Objectively, fundamentally a lie. He really, really wanted to kiss her, and he was freaking out of that. He… he loved Katara! She was the one that saved him from the Iceberg, and helped him so much on his journey to the north. She was his first real friend after being frozen for 100 years. She was… Well, she was his Forever-girl. But Ty Lee also saved him, and she was so energetic and nice and… and he didn’t know anymore!

Thoughts like that ran through his head for the quick minutes it took for the torch to finally sputter out. Ty Lee and he looked at one another as the last glow of the torch faded away, and she shrugged. “Worth a shot, right?”

“I… I guess,” Aang said, strangely excited. He leaned in towards her as she did the same, their lips meeting just as the light faded. It was… nice. He didn’t know how else to phrase it. It just felt nice. And he didn’t know how to feel about that.

The darkness that fell on them lasted only a split second before a line of crystals along the ceiling began to glow a sickly green. They illuminated one of the paths leading out of the tomb, burrowing through the darkness. “Huh,” Ty Lee said. “It was being literal.”

“Yeah,” Aang said. He and Ty Lee looked at one another before quickly backing away, looking away as they tried to hide their blushes. With a spring in their step, they raced down the tunnel, Appa following on their heels through the tight tunnel. Soon, the light from the crystals was replaced by nearly blinding sunlight coming in through the tunnel exit. “We made it!”

Ty Lee beamed, flipping out onto the grass outside and giggling. Her braid swung around her head as she did so, her smile radiant. Aang’s heart beat rapidly, and he had to look away. That was how he caught Katara, Iroh, and the nomads exiting the tunnels, mounted atop badger-moles. He waved, trying to hide his guilt to his forever-girl… though there wasn’t much. And wasn’t that just confusing?

Chapter Text

Sokka had a feeling that the crazy mercenaries Azula’s dad had hired would find them again. He just hoped they would have a little more time.

They sprang from the treeline as the three of them were trudging along the main road. Unlike at the docks in Yu Dao, this time they were mounted atop Komodo Rhinos, racing down at staggering speeds. Before they could properly react, the Rough Rhinos surrounded them, circling like a pack of Owl-Wolves.

He, Jee, and Azula went back to back in the middle of the road, flames roaring in their palms. The feather-helmeted leader stopped in front of Azula, his mount snorting steam in the early morning air. “Princess Azula. Surrender now, and we won’t have to kill your companions.”

“And I’m expected to believe that, Mongke?” Azula asked languidly, glaring from the Colonel to the still-circling mercenaries.

Mongke shrugged, hefting his own flaming palm. “Maybe not. Still, your Father wants you alive. He wishes to… speak with you about things.”

“Again,” Azula said, her eyes flicking to one of the Rough Rhinos circling closer to them on Sokka’s front. “Am I expected to believe that?”

At that moment, she struck. Azure flames shot out in a torrent, forcing Mongke to send out his own flames to block. Sokka ducked as an arrow shot past his head, lamenting that he didn’t have access to his trusty boomerang. He contented himself with throwing balls of fire at the circling Rhinos, trying to keep them at bay. Jee followed suit, trying to keep a mercenary armed with a large polearm from rushing them. 

Azula rolled under Mongke’s next attack, kicking low to send flames at his mount. As it reared back, she rushed towards another that was pulling a small bomb from a bandolier. She lept into the air, spinning and sending flames arcing towards him. A hiss arose following the impact, sending the rhino tumbling off while scrambling to throw off his bandolier.

She landed in the saddle, driving a kick between the mans back to send him sprawling. The rhino bucked and snorted, but ultimately responded to her grip on the reins. “Come on!” she cried, drawing Jee and Sokka’s attention. Backing up while still firing at their pursuers, they clambered up onto the Komodo Rhino. 

As soon as they were on it, Azula whipped the reins. The beast burst forward with a rush of speed that nearly sent Sokka tumbling off of its back. The others fell in behind them, arrows and fireballs flying after them. Sokka held on for dear life to the tail of the thing, unable to help the terrified screaming that came from his throat.

He just hoped that his sister and friends were doing better than he was. 

XXXXX

Iroh hoped that Katara’s brother was doing better than they were. 

Honestly, she should have known better. He had passed through Chin Village during his wanderings, and remembered the arbitrary law and hatred for the Avatar. Unfortunately, by the time he had recognized the village, the Avatar had put out their burning effigies of Kiyoshi and been arrested. 

Now, the Avatar was on trial for a previous incarnation for the death of a Tyrant. They tried to defend him, pulling out old research and falling back on his knowledge of legal practices to try and defend him. Being far enough south, Ty Lee and Katara even made a quick trip down to Kiyoshi Island to gather information from the best source on the last Earth Avatar. Despite their protests and defenses, his objections were thrown out. The only reason he had stopped was because he was threatened with being imprisoned himself if he kept slandering their “Great Founder.” If he kept at it, he might be exposed as a Firebender, which would only make their circumstances worse. 

Sighing miserably, he sat back down as Katara stepped up to try and defend her friend. He supposed it wasn’t too surprising. These people venerated Chin the Conqueror, a man who was objectively a tyrant, but he was in the distant past. He was less a figure and more an idea, something that could be looked upon without being colored by present emotion. Not like his Nation. The court was corrupt, but better that than a Fire Nation raiding party. 

Even an intervention from Avatar Kiyoshi, speaking through the young Aang, wasn’t enough to shake their resolve. “I proclaim the Avatar guilty!” the Village Chief yelled. A large wheel was spun, ending up on an image of a pot of boiling oil. “The Avatar shall be executed via boiling oil! Bailiff!… Bailiff!?”

A pained groan echoed through the amphitheater, drawing attention to an entrance. The bailiff, a brawny man in a sleeveless tunic, was crumpled onto his knees, his arms twisted at painful angles. As they watched, he slammed his head into the wall, falling to the ground with a whimper.

Two figures stepped past him. One was dressed in faded red clothes like those of a Fire Sages, albeit dirtied and of an older cut. The other he remembered seeing in the Northern Colonies. He wore a rice-fiber poncho over his black clothes and armor, but that mask was all too recognizable. 

“Well, this is a pleasant surprise,” the man said, arms folded behind his back. “The Avatar, all trussed up like a Fire Days present. The Firelord thanks you for your Generosity.”

Panic shot through the assembled crowd at the gaunt mans proclamation. Colonel Kuzon advanced, drawing his swords as he approached the stairs. The other bailiffs backed away in fright from his steady advance, while Kuzon’s eyes remained solely on the Avatar. 

The Avatar’s eyes squeezed shut in fright as Kuzon hefted one of his curved blades. Before the blow could land, Iroh overcame his shock and surged to his feet. A blast of fire shot towards Kuzon, who dove out of the way from the attack. Iroh exploited his momentum, rushing the platform while keeping up his barrage. 

The other man just grinned savagely, even after Katara drew water from her flask and Ty Lee flipped towards him. He backed away, giving ground and casting out retaliatory strikes as they drove him back. Iroh, however, didn’t focus on their skirmish. Instead, he kept his eyes locked on the young Colonel.

Almost everything about his appearance seemed to mock him. The mask was the favorite character from his nephew’s favorite play. He wielded duel dao, once again mocking his nephew’s weapon of choice. The mask combined with his straw cloak was reminiscent of the Spirits whose will he aimed to serve. Even his bending, aggressive and choppy instead of flowing like a Northern waterbenders, was a mockery of broken balance. He was everything his nation brought to the world made manifest, falling back into a guard position and facing him. 

Iroh glared, holding his stance and controlling his breathing. He stepped between Colonel Kuzon and the Avatar, meeting the black eyes of his opponent. “Stand down, Colonel—”

XXXXX

“— Or I will not hold back,” the old man said. His… His Uncle? Yes, it was. He recognized that furious glare, that stature. He was older, his hair was greyer, and he was a little bit fatter, but Zuko would recognize his Uncle anywhere.

Zuko frowned, though didn’t drop his guard. The Avatar’s firebender was nowhere to be seen, so his Uncle had to be the one that shot at him. He knew that his Uncle had turned traitor (the memo had been circulated years ago), but being directly confronted with him, eyes smoldering and hands smoking, was another thing entirely. The truth settled in his stomach like a boulder; his Uncle was a traitor. He had betrayed him, and his nation.

Zuko hesitated for only a moment, which Iroh took as an opening to attack. Zuko sidestepped the torrent of fire, swords flashing as water flew at him. Iroh blasted the projectiles into steam, while Zuko kept up his offensive, closing the distance and lashing out with strikes of his swords. 

His uncle allowed him to approach before unleashing a torrent of fire from his mouth which slammed into Zuko’s chest. He was sent tumbling off the stage, his chest flaring with heat. He rolled as he fell to the amphitheater floor, landing on his feet in a crouch. It took a moment for him to realize that he… He wasn’t in pain. His chest ached, especially his tattoos, but there wasn’t the burning pain of a serious injury. His poncho wasn’t even burned.

He came back to the present as the mayor of this backwater shrieked, “— free as long as you get rid of these Firebenders!” 

The Avatar sprang out of his costume, falling into a bending stance just outside of Zuko’s vision on his left side. As he turned to look at him, Iroh once again attacked, flinging flames at him with almost reckless abandon. Zuko was forced back, especially as the Avatar sent a gust of wind blowing that send him back. Pressed from both sides, Zuko ran towards a shadowy corner of the amphitheater. 

He didn’t know why he did, especially since Gyuki was still holding the attention of Ty Lee and the waterbender. He could easily escape, but something drew him to that dark patch. Some… impulse, like a voice in the corners of his mind. All he knew was that when he ran into the shadow, he passed through it.

He tumbled from darkness outside, sprawling in an alleyway near where Gyuki fought. The former sage drew his attention by a loud whistle, his face just as bright as it always was. “Fall back, my friend. Fall back!” Gyuki ran away, casting a wall of fire as to block pursuit. Zuko, still dumbstruck and far, far too cold, staggered to his feet and limped away. His chest ached, his tattoos stung, and a feral snarl echoed in his head. 

XXXXX

Over two days had passed since their run-in with the Rough Rhinos, but Sokka still felt like his heart was pounding in his chest. That was far, far too close, and he had been able to convince Azula to take a more roundabout way towards Gaoling. Especially since they now had the stolen Komodo-Rhino, they could cover more ground than on foot, so even with the detour, they would reach Gaoling much sooner. 

Those days had sent them a bit further north, passing through a long-abandoned battlefield. There were no bodies, thankfully, but large stone discs were embedded in the ground and sections of charred earth remained. Sokka saw Azula keep her eyes locked straight ahead, though he could almost picture her piercing golden eyes shifting across the field. 

Eventually, Jee’s pack full of supplies had started to run dry. Sokka could hunt, but there just wasn’t a lot out in this place to hunt. Despite her reservations, Azula agreed to stop for supplies in the next village. He shared her hope, of course, that they wouldn’t run into any trouble.

Chapter Text

If Azula was being generous, the town was just a step above a shanty. A jumble of houses with no real rhyme or reason to their placement or design. The only order to the place was the four roads leading in and out of the village, acting like a path of order through the chaos. At the very center of the town was a watchtower, a small Earth Kingdom flag flapping from the top of it. 

The people were just as decrepit as the buildings. The few that were out at that time of the day were lean and haggard, wearing faded clothes and dirt-stained boots. Many were too old or too young to fight, but the most present feeling was the fact that it was just empty. 

Azula didn’t like it. Oh, call her a spoiled brat or a haughty Princess, but she simply wasn’t used to this. She had seen some of the places where peasants lived when she was involved in recruiting for the Grey Phoenix, but this was something else. Maybe it was the stale air, hot and dry, that made everything seem more beat down. Maybe it was the simple lack of people. Whatever it was, she didn’t like it. 

“What’s the matter?” Sokka asked. “Not used to seeing how the ‘Enemy’ lives? Or is this place too rustic for you, your highness?”

“Not so loud,” she hissed, darting her eyes around. She briefly caught the gaze of a group of soldiers playing some sort of dice game beneath the shade of an awning. Their leader, a brawny man wearing a Sergeant’s gorget, glared back at her with narrowed eyes. Great, now she’d be having to watch her back as well as contend with her companion’s idiocy.

Sokka nodded, looking over his shoulder at the soldiers. “Right. Maybe don’t attract attention to ourselves. Got it.” At least he had the sense not to act like a fool while looking even somewhat Fire Nation. 

“You think?” she said. “Look. Let’s just get some supplies and get out.”

They stopped in front of a small store, an old man manning the shaded stall outside. An array of food, half-baked by the heat, sat in front of her. She reached into her sash, removing a handful of coins. “As much dried food and feed as this can buy.” The owner examined the coins, parsing them with a finger, before nodding and ducking back into his store.

An alarmed exclamation came from behind her. She turned, spotting a young boy skirting into cover behind a large box. Turning even more, she saw the Sergeant approaching her and Sokka, a smashed egg dripping from his balding head. “You two!” he said, folding his arms. She supposed he thought was being intimidating with his trio of soldiers behind him, spears at the ready. Her brother was more intimidating as a six-year-old, and he cried when one of the turtle-ducks hurt itself. 

“Yes, officer?” Sokka said, smiling obscenely widely.

“You throwing eggs at us?” he asked, folding his arms.

Sokka shook his head. “No no! Not us!”

“Well, did you see who did?” he pressed, leaning closer to her. Azula could still see the boy out of the corner of her eye, but this brute looked like he could use the insult. 

“Can’t say that I did,” she said. “Maybe pig-chickens learned to fly?”

One of the soldiers burst out laughing, only to be cowed by the Sergeant’s glare. Sokka shot her a look of his own, clearly upset at her provocation. The man approached her, a hand reaching towards one of the hammers holstered at his side. “Think you’re funny, huh?”

“I’m hilarious,” she said.

Before things could escalate further, the owner returned with two sacks. Sokka immediately grabbed the one Azula judged to be filled with food. Before he could hoist the second back over his shoulder, however, the Sergeant brushed past both of them, grabbing the back. “Thank you for your contribution,” he drawled. “The Army appreciates your support.”

Azula’s face twisted into a snarl. She lifted up her foot, a hand shooting down for the knife tucked into the boot, only to be stopped by Sokka. The water tribe boy could move surprisingly quickly, grabbing her wrist with his free hand before she could draw the blade all the way.

The Sergeant must’ve seen it, however, as he slapped hi s hammer. “Best leave, strangers. Price for staying long is more than you can afford.” With that, he and his soldiers marched off, returning to the game of dice beneath the awning.

“They’re supposed to protect us from the Fire Nation,” the store owner said. “But they’re just thugs.”

“Yeah,” Sokka said. “Guess there are jerks like that everywhere.” He turned back towards her, leaning in close to her ear. “Not here. Let’s just go.”

Azula wanted to protest. Hell, she wanted to do more than that; she wanted to slit that thieving bastard’s throat and burn down his stupid watchtower. But Sokka had a point. The Rough Rhinos were already on their tail. Having the Earth Kingdom Army after them wouldn’t make things any easier.

So, she resheathed the knife and lowered her leg. The two of them turned to leave. “Well, at least we got the food for us,” Sokka said. “What about the—”

“Scrub, I guess,” Azula said, shooting a final look at the soldiers. “It won’t be much, but better than nothing.”

“I can help!”

Sokka yelped in alarm, nearly dropping the sack as he stumbled forward. Azula, meanwhile, turned on the spot and looked down, spotting the boy who had thrown the egg. He grinned up at her, a large gap in his teeth and a tattered tunic that completed the image of a peasant child in her head.

A peasant child who had cost her greatly. She folded her arms, eyes narrowing down at the boy. “After you got us into trouble in the first place?”

“Wait,” Sokka said, pointing at the boy. “You threw the egg at that guy!”

The boy held up his hands and shushed them, looking over his shoulder nervously at the soldiers. “Not so loud! Yes, it was me. Gow deserved it, trust me.”

“Not doubting you,” Sokka said. “I can tell.”

Azula cleared her throat. “But again. Why are you helping us after you gave him the pretext to steal our supplies?”

“Pretext?” the boy asked. Right, uneducated peasant. It was like speaking to a child, Azula… Not just because he was a child.

“A reason,” Azula said. 

“Oh.” The boy rubbed his arm, looking suitably sheepish. “Well, I guess I owe you. Both for the feed, and not ratting me out. Come on!” He traipsed off, waving at them to follow him. 

Azula and Sokka looked at one another, Azula merely shrugging. “He’s offering us feed for the Komodo-Rhino. Besides, even if it’s a bundle of straw, I would prefer to sleep on something soft tonight.”

“You got a point,” Sokka said. With that, both of them trudged off after the boy, Azula already feeling her ears ache at the boy’s rambling. Even though this was her idea, she really hoped that she wouldn’t come to regret this. 

XXXXX

Sokka ran off to fetch Jee, leaving Azula alone with the little brat. She had simply desired to lean against the shade of the only tree she had so far seen in this waste, but he insisted on peppering her with questions. No subject was off-limits: Where she was from, who Sokka was, what they were doing out there, why she used such big words. It was honestly amazing that he didn’t run out of breath from speaking so much.

One topic he kept coming back to was her knife. He kept pestering her to see it, wanting to know if she knew how to use it; once again, anything and everything was on the table. Eventually, her patience running thin, she said, “If I show you, will you stop talking until Sokka gets back?”

The boy, apparently named Lee, nodded eagerly, once again flashing a gap-toothed grin. Azula sighed, but dutifully brought her knee up to her waist and flicked out the blade. The boy oohed as it flashed in the harsh afternoon sunlight. She rolled her eyes as she held the blade at an angle, letting him examine the blade while not giving it to him.

“Never Give Up Without A Fight,” he read aloud, eyes wide as he scanned the blade. “Wow. That’s… Is that why you didn’t back down from those guards?”

“I simply had no intention to kowtow to their demands,” Azula said, shrugging. Once again, noticing he appeared lost, she cleared her throat. “I didn’t want to give them what they wanted.”

“Makes sense you have this then,” Lee said, still smiling.

Azula frowned, flicking the knife around and sliding back into her boot. “It’s not mine.”

“Huh?” Lee asked. “Then whose is it?”

“My brother’s,” she said. “I’m just… holding onto it for him.”

Though not her intention, that wiped the smile from the boy’s face. “Oh,” he said simply, as if that was a full explanation for the near one-eighty in his behavior. Obviously, he had a brother too, and felt some kind of kinship with her. What had happened? Was his brother conscripted as well? Did he know what happened to him and didn’t like it, the same as her?

She twisted her head away, not wanting to look at the simple peasant who suddenly felt so much more alike than she would like. He was a pathetic Earth Kingdom peasant; not necessarily the enemy, but not her ally either. The boy would try to kill her the instant he found out who she was, so ingrained was the animosity between their nations.

Fortunately, Sokka had returned with Jee by this point, so she had an excuse to look that way. They had wisely decided to leave the Komodo Rhino somewhere nearby instead of bringing it with them; such a Fire Nation creature would have drawn attention. Once they were all there, Lee perked up as if nothing had been said between them and began to cheerfully lead them towards his family's farm. 

They could hear it before they could see it, and smell it even before that. Azula honestly didn’t know what she was expecting, but this wasn’t anywhere close to how potent it was. Sokka smirked as she tried to plug her nose from the overwhelming stench of the numerous hog-cows and hog-chickens. She deftly ignored him, as well as Jee’s raised eyebrow, and kept walking.

The farm itself was a rather small compound, consisting of a barn, a well, and a decent-sized house. Standing outside the house was a middle-aged woman with somewhat ratty brown hair, sweeping off the porch as they approached.

“Lee!” she called. “Who are these?”

“They stood up to Gow and his bullies!” Lee boasted proudly, pointing at her. “She practically had them running away by the end.”

The woman sighed, shaking her head. “Right.” She looked up, her face laced with exhaustion but still mustering a smile. “Well, anyone willing to stand up to them is a friend of ours.”

“Lee here offered to let us have some supplies for not ratting him out,” Sokka said. “If you can’t spare anything–”

Before Azula could do something to cut him off, the woman nodded. “We don’t have a whole lot, but my husband finished pulling in the harvest before he left.” Left? Was he also conscripted? “There’s still some work that needs to be done before supper. Help me out a bit, I’ll give you some food, let you stay the night, and give you some supplies for the road.”

“That’s… awfully generous of you,” Azula said, inclining her head. “Thank you…”

“Sela,” the woman said, nodding back. “I’ll show you what you all can help me with. You too, Lee.” The boy groaned, hanging his head, while his mother only shook hers and chuckled. “Come on.”

XXXXX

Azula had never been all that kind to the servants. Even after altering her behavior to earn a better reputation amongst the common people, they had always been obviously beneath her. And yet, here she was, doing servant work to pay off their supplies from the family. She didn’t believe in karma; it sounded too much like the spiritual nonsense that her Uncle believed in. Still, this felt too similar to karma for her to ignore. 

At least she could count herself thankful that Sela hadn’t stuck her outside digging ditches or whatever with Jee and Sokka. Instead, she was helping prepare the vegetables for the stew they were having that night. Sela seemed to think that, because Lee boasted about her knife, she knew how to cut things. 

Yeah, Zuko had shown her how to fight with it. Not cut potato-onions with it!

So, when their host came in about half an hour later after doing some more chores, Azula had only cut about two of the eight set in front of her while her fingers had been nicked several times over. As Sela entered the kitchen, she nearly cut off her pointer finger, scowling and stabbing the knife into the butcher’s block.

“You ok?” Sela asked. 

Azula turned, barely suppressing her furious snarl. “I’m… fine,” she said. “Just not used to doing… This.”

“Alright,” Sela said, setting her broom against the wall and stepping up. “Here. I’ll show you.” She took the knife from Azula, propping the blade against the sloppily cut vegetable. “Curl your fingers in; that’ll stop you from getting cut. Use your knuckles like a guide. You don’t have to cut them so thin; it’ll still be a little bit out, so having them a bit bigger is fine.” She demonstrated, the blade sinking into the pliant flesh of the vegetable and creating decent-sized chunks.

“Thanks,” Azula said, reaching for the knife. Now that she had a proper technique, she intended to surpass her skill.


Sela held onto the blade, shaking her head. “Bind your fingers first. You don’t want that getting infected.” Right. Good point. As Azula went to wrap a few stray strands of cloth around her cut, Sela kept slicing the tubers. “So, Lee said you had a brother?”

“Yeah,” she said, thinking quickly. “His name was Li, too. Well, Li with and ‘i’ instead of with an ‘e’. He’s… He was conscripted.”

Sela looked over her shoulder, her look positively pitying. “I’m… I see. Sensu, my older son, was the same. Do you… Do you know what happened to him?”

Azula shrugged. “I know he’s alive. I don’t know where. Things got… complicated back home, so we’re meeting up with some of Sokka’s friends. I’m hoping to find him before then.” Zuko had apparently already hunted the Avatar since Kiyoshi Island. She had to rein him in before the idiot did something truly unforgivable to these bleeding-heart idiots.

“I understand,” Sela said. “Sensu is… We don’t know. My husband went looking for him, but… We heard he was captured.” She turned away from Azula, her voice turning venomous. “We… We heard that prisoners like him were sent onto the frontlines by the Fire Nation in their uniforms. Unarmed. I… I just want him to be safe.”

Azula kept her expression neutral, but internally, she was frowning. Was… was that a thing? Forcing POWs into their uniforms and using them as cannon fodder? She could understand the military logic, but at the same time, it was stupid. If even this backwater had heard about the practice, then why would anyone surrender? It would only make the soldiers more determined and the civilians resentful. 

“I… Who told you?”

“It… it was Gow,” Sela said. “He’s a brute and a thug unworthy of the uniform, but he’s still a soldier. He… He has to know about those things.”

And he would, wouldn’t he? These backwards peasants, less than fifty kilometers from the frontlines, would know about what the Fire Army did more than the Nations Princess. Oh, she knew about the aggressive, ruthless tactics that many of her father’s generals employed. Zuko had been burned and forced into the army trying to resist one such plan. But this? This smaller-scale but more personal savagery?

She didn’t know. She didn’t like not knowing. She really, really didn’t like it. 

XXXXX

“Thanks for the food and supplies,” Sokka said, bowing slightly in an Earth Kingdom style. Or, at least, a sloppy imitation of it. The midday sun was burning down on them, rested and fed. Night had passed slowly for Azula, her thoughts swirling in her head. Everything was so… out there, that she almost didn’t sleep.

Sela nodded, smiling. “It’s the least I could do. Safe travels.”

Azula nodded at her, swiftly turning around and marching away as fast as she could. She heard Sokka and Jee saying something behind her, but she kept walking. Eyes locked straight ahead, back straight, and arms swinging in small arcs at her side.

After a few moments, rapid footsteps came up behind her as her companions slowed their speed to fall into step beside her. Sokka took a few more steps to come slightly in front of her, looking back to glare at her. “That was hardly appropriate,” he said, adjusting the sack filled with supplies over one shoulder. “I mean, you wanted to stay the night.”

“And we were leaving,” Azula said. “I didn’t see a reason to tarry any longer.”

They walked in silence for a long time, the sun at its apex beating down on them. Azula’s hat offered her some shade, while Sokka and Jee adjusted scarves or other scraps of cloth to act as headwraps. Eventually, they stopped in a clearing, Jee announcing he would go retrieve the Komodo Rhino.

As the older man stepped away, Sokka turned on her. “Ok. Something’s wrong. What is it?”

“I have no idea what you are talking about,” Azula said, folding her arms. “Like I said, I want us to make good time in reaching Gaoling.”

“And being rude to the family that helped us is important in making good time?” Sokka asked. “I mean, is that too much to ask for?”

Oh, this uppity little– Azula breathed in deeply, taking off her hat and running a hand through her hair. “Look. We don’t have time to worry about–”

“It’s about what you were talking about with Lee, wasn’t it?” Sokka asked.

Azula’s eyes narrowed. “How much of that did you hear?”

“Not much,” Sokka said, shrugging. “But I saw you messing around with that knife. It’s your brother’s, right?” Sokka folded his arms, eyes angled slightly in deep thought. They shot open a moment later. “He had one too, doesn’t h–”

“Alright, fine,” Azula snapped. “He has a brother, too. One he doesn’t know is alive. Are you happy, Water Tribe?” He looked at her with an expression she couldn’t make out. Something approaching pity, perhaps. “Stop looking at me like that.”

“Like what?” he asked.

She growled, turning on him and pressing forward. Sokka held up his hands, backing up until he backed into a small, ingrown tree. “Like I’m some pitiable sap!”

“I’m not,” Sokka said. “I just… It’s fine to feel sympathy for these people. Hell, that’s probably a good thing! You know, make a good deal when–”

“When I end the war, I know,” Azula said. “It’s just… What do you know about Fire Nation military practices?”

“I mean, besides the cruelty and burning things down pointlessly?” Sokka said, shaking his head. “Not much, I guess. Why?”

“So it wouldn’t surprise you that some Fire Nation officers would use POWs as meat shields?”

“Not really?” Sokka frowned, before his eyes went wide in realization. “That… That what happened to Lee’s brother?”

“I don’t know,” Azula said, beginning to pace. “And that’s the thing, isn’t it? I didn’t know! Something this major, and I didn’t know! I have contacts within the highest echelons of the Armed Forces. I was the Crown Princess! And I didn’t know about something like this. What else is being hidden from me? How much harder is this going to be to clear things up when the war is over?” 

There was one thing that she didn’t say: Was this something that Zuko knew about? She knew that he wouldn’t take part in such tactics himself; he was a ruthless idiot, but he was also a bleeding-heart idiot. Besides, he was an Infiltrator; what would he do with them? But… how else might he be affected by such senselessness? 

Sokka fixed her with a blank stare. “Yeah. It’s bad. I mean, did you know about what happened in the South Pole? All of our waterbenders kidnapped? How that affected everything about what we had to do?” She did, of course. Zuko’s scrolls had to come from somewhere. But… Well, that certainly complicated things, huh?

Before she could reply, she detected movement from the corner of her eye. Looking over Sokka’s shoulder, she saw Sela racing towards them, her face panicked and movements erratic. She came to a stop in front of them, Sokka grabbing onto Sela to steady her. “What is it?” he asked.

“It-it’s Lee!” she gasped, still breathing heavily. “He… He stood up to Gow. S-somet-thing about never giving up without a fight?” Oh, that little peasant. “They… they said they were conscripting him into the Army! Please, I know you already did so much to help me, but please!”

There was technically nothing to have them do so. But there was something burning in her chest. More than just her flame, there was something demanding action. This was… It was perhaps the closest to rectifying some mistakes of her nation in a long time. Maybe it was worth it.

“Sokka, wait for Jee,” Azula said, turning and beginning to walk back towards the village. 

XXXXX

The sun was beginning to set as they returned to the village. Gow and his gang of soldiers were standing around their little watchtower, apparently taunting the captive boy. Honestly, why did people think that bullying children made them so strong? It wasn’t even that hard to do! She shook her head, clearing her throat and continuing to advance.

Villagers began to peek out from their homes as she approached them, watching her pass them without any seeming fear. The soldiers had been there for so long, it seemed, that anyone properly standing up to them was insane.

Finally, they noticed her. The three smaller men leveled their spears, while Gow retrieved one of his hammers from his belt. “I thought I told you to leave, stranger! This is none of your business.”

“Maybe,” Azula conceded. “But, well… It’s a boy. What exactly are you trying to prove here?”

Gow made a growling noise, shoving one of his men forward. The soldier advanced, spear pointed at her, and a wicked grin on his bony face. “Last chance, girl,” Gow said, pulling out his other hammer. “Leave.”

“You don’t command me, Swine.”

At that, the spearman lunged at her. She sidestepped the thrust with ease, swinging up with her leg. She briefly considered summoning flames to add extra power to her strike, but what would be the point? She could beat them without it. So, instead, she simply slammed her shin into the man’s stomach, forcing the air from his lungs. Without even lowering her foot back to the ground, she swung her leg upward, driving the point of her boot into the man’s chin.

He dropped to the ground, spear tumbling to the ground. The slowly gathering crowd gasped in shock, while Gow’s expression somehow turned more murderous. He shoved the other two forward, who advanced much more hesitantly. She pulled her knife free, reversing her grip and holding it in front of her.

As they closed in around her, she struck. She knocked aside the spearpoint of one with the knife, lunging in to slam the pommel in-between the man’s eyes. He tumbled to the ground, clutching a bleeding nose, while the second rushed her from behind. She twisted around, swinging the knife up to sever the spear halfway up the shaft. Before the broken-off portion could hit the ground, she grabbed it with her off-hand, smashing it against his throat.

All three of the soldiers lay on the ground, groaning and clutching bruised bodies. Gow was practically boiling with rage, advancing on her with both hammers held at his sides. He slammed down, the ground rippling as trenches carved themselves towards her. She spun out of the way, watching as Gow smashed more of the ground, throwing boulders at her. She ducked and weaved, watching as Gow grew more and more frustrated. As his attacks grew more erratic and lost their accuracy, she sprang forward like a coiled serpent.

His hammers may have been effective earthbending implements, but compared to Zuko’s Dao, they were hilariously clumsy. She ducked under his swings, jabbing the knife into his side. He howled, and stomped on the ground. Caught off guard, she was knocked off her feet.

He advanced on her, clutching his bleeding side and his face burning with anger. “You little brat. This is MY town!” He raised one hammer, poised to fall squarely upon her. “And I will not be outdone by one pitiful little–”

A blur of movement shot overhead, and something slammed into the back of Gow’s head. He dropped the hammer before pitching forward, falling to the ground at Azula’s feet. Sokka stood nearby, tossing a brick up in the air and catching it like a ball. “How about two pitiful little… Whatevers.”

Azula stood, brushing herself off. Sokka came over, helping to steady her after she stumbled. “I’m fine,” she said, waving him off. “Good plan. Using me as a distraction to free the boy.”

“Hey!” Sokka said, adjusting his tunic. “I always have good plans!”

“I found you in the middle of the ocean after being trying to assassinate an admiral with other Water Tribe warriors,” Azula said.

“Wasn’t my plan,” Sokka groused, the wind taken out of his sails.

The villagers watched, awestruck. Sela came over from the watchtower, Lee beaming at her side after being untied. Tears were running down her face, carving lines in her dust-smeared visage. “I… I can’t thank you enough,” she said.

Lee came forward, his gap-toothed grin just as wide as ever despite the potential brush with harm or even death. “That was so cool!”

“Thank you,” Azula said. “But now, we really must be going.”

“Alright,” Sela said. “But just… Thank you.”

“Goodbye!” Lee called as the two of them turned to leave. “I hope you find your brother!” 

Sokka turned to look at her, squinting at her. “I thought you said–”

“I’ll explain fully later,” she said, walking past the perimeter of the village. The villagers watched them go, eyes still following her with awe etched on their features. It was only natural that they recognize their superior, after all. There… there was something about that attention, however, that felt different than normal. Something that stirred in her stomach like fire.

She didn’t know what it was. But, for once, it didn’t feel upsetting that she didn’t know. And that made it all the concerning.

Chapter Text

After the days of running, skirting around Fire Nation forces while avoiding Kuzon and his weird friend, Aang was just happy to find a place to simply sit and meditate. There was something serene about the swamp, even taking into account the mosquito-flies and ever-present dampness to everything. He was just thankful that Iroh knew about this place and was able to guide them directly to the village instead of them having to traipse through the swamp on their own. 

There were weird things, of course. Specters of what people wanted most, as their guide, Huu, called them. Katara claimed to see her mother and Sokka. Ty Lee saw her sisters and friends. Iroh saw his son and nephew, which made Ty Lee frown and shirk away from him more than she already was. And Aang? He’d seen two people he’d never seen before. 

They were both girls, one around his age and the other maybe Katara’s. Both possessed pale skin and long black hair, though that was where the similarities ended. The younger girl was dressed in a cream-colored dress with green and gold trim, her hair pulled back into a bun, and her eyes were strangely blank. The other wore armor, a red tunic and trousers, and dark burgundy boots. Her hair was pulled into an aggressive topknot, while her eyes smoldered a molten gold. Animals unlike any he had seen hovered near the girls: a winged pig and a grey-feathered bird. 

Aang sighed, opening his eyes and rising to his feet. What he wanted most, huh? Maybe they were to be his teachers for the other two forms of bending? But who was the younger girl? He knew enough from Ty Lee to infer that the older girl was probably Azula, which was why he didn’t mention her to Iroh (He got a stony look in his eye that Aang didn’t much like when his niece was brought up). But he had no idea who the other one was.

A gust of wind brought him from the elevated tree roots that he had been meditating on back onto the marshy land where the Swampbender’s village was built. They didn’t have much vegetarian food, but otherwise, they were pretty nice. Again, just having a simple place to rest without worrying about being attacked was a luxury Aang was coming to appreciate. 

Iroh was sitting around a fire with several of the Swampbenders, speaking like old friends. As Aang passed, he sent a jovial wave to the young Avatar, which Aang gladly returned. He did the same to the friendly waves from some of the other Swampbenders before ducking into the hut that had been given to him and his friends to stay the night.

Ty Lee and Katara were inside, lying on their hammocks. Night was beginning to fall, and he was starting to feel a bit tired. He quickly climbed onto his own hammock, shifting around to get comfortable on the soft leafy surface. A small fire was burning in the middle of the hut, slowly dimming as time wore on. Several long moments passed, and sleep was beginning a creeping advance towards claiming him. 

Before that could happen, however, the muted silence was broken by Katara. “Why didn’t you tell us?”

“Huh?” Aang asked.

Katara shifted around, coming up and looking over at Ty Lee. “Why didn’t you tell us that your friend was a Fire Nation Princess?” Aang twisted, allowing him to see Katara’s stubborn expression. 

“I wanted to,” Ty Lee said, her voice unusually quiet. “But… Azula didn’t want to take chances. I don’t know; she’s always been so careful with these things.” 

“Were you ever going to?” Katara pressed. 

Ty Lee leaned up, her head just poking into Aang’s view below him. “I was,” she insisted. “I… Azula wanted to make sure you would have someone you could trust on your side before making any overt moves towards you.”

Aang nodded to himself. “That makes sense,” he said. “I mean, it would be kinda suspicious if she just came to us one day.”

Katara looked away, seeming to consider the point. “Well, I’m still a bit suspicious. I mean, why? Iroh… Well, he talks about his nephew like he’s alive. But you said that Zuko is dead.”

“He is,” Ty Lee insisted. “It… Azula found something of his. Something he wouldn’t just leave behind. I… I think the General is just clouded by his grief.” 

“So you don’t think he’s in his right mind?” Aang asked.

Ty Lee looked up at him, her grey eyes reflecting a sadness that was, once again, uncharacteristic. “I… I don’t know. General Iroh has always been smart. But… Well, some of the things that are said about him… I mean, he did betray the Fire Nation–”

“To help other people,” Katara interjected. “Because it was the right thing to do.”

“Maybe,” Ty Lee said. Once again, silence fell on the three of them. There was a tension in the air, this time, not just the muggy heat. Katara and Ty Lee were shooting on another uneasy looks, as if they were strangers unsure what to make of one another. Aang, meanwhile, was just tired. He had tried to clear his head, to focus on what the best course of action would be.

He didn’t know. 

XXXXX

Jee was far too old for this. He despised being called old, but he was still too old for this. 

He was a Sailor, for Agni’s sake! We wasn’t built for moving across the Earth Kingdom interior on the back of a snorting, snarling Kimodo-Rhino. Being hunted by elite mercenaries, who somehow managed to track them down at least once every three days. And, of course, having to deal with his technical superior and her (Friend? Ally? Boy she wanted to strangle but couldn’t? Young people these days…) companion. 

He was stirring a boiling pot of water, whatever he could find from their rations and nearby boiling away inside to make soup. It wouldn’t be good, but it would be better than eating salted meat raw.

“How soon until it’s ready?” Sokka asked, clearly impatient.

Jee rolled his eyes, but looked over the lip of the pot and studied the slowly bubbling contents. “Soon. Give it… Twenty minutes?”

“Alright,” Sokka said, leaning away from the pot and resting against a log. He rolled his head, glancing over at Princess Azula. The Princess was sitting in a similar way, staring up into the sky as the stars flickered to life above them. “So… About your brother…”

And that was Jee’s cue to leave. 

“I’m going to get more firewood,” he said, standing up and tossing the ladle to Sokka. The boy scrambled to catch it, while Jee swiftly stepped away from the campfire. He side-stepped around the glaring, cold eyes of the Kimodo-Rhino and out of the copse they had taken refuge within. 

All around him, extending in every direction, were flat, rocky plains. Tufts of grass and the occasional tree broke up the landscape, though most of what Jee saw were rocks, rocks, and more rocks. It reminded him of the sea, with the vegetation rising from it being the cresting waves and detritus one found deep in the ocean. It gave him a momentary sense of comfort, at least until the Princess began to speak. 

“What’s there to say?” Princess Azula asked.

Sokka made an indignant grunt. “What do you mean ‘What’s there to say’? You told me he was dead!”

Jee had long ago suspected that was the case. Officially, after Prince Zuko had been injured in an Agni Kai, he had gone to one of the Royal Family’s Villas to recover and reflect. For three years, though? And if the burn he had received (from his own father, no less) was as bad as he’d heard… Well, such callousness was the reason he had joined the Grey Phoenix in the first place. 

Jee couldn’t see her, but he could picture the Princess’s suspicious glare. “Is this really–”

“Yes, it is,” Sokka said. “Trust, remember?” Mostly hidden by the crackle of the fire and the tinkle of metal on metal, a heavy sigh rose into the air. “Look. I want to be on your side. Just… Tell me.”

“What I will tell you isn’t to be spread to anyone else,” Princess Azula said. Taking a quick peek over his shoulder, he swore he could see the firelight reflect off the Princess’s eyes like those of a predator. “The same goes for you, Lieutenant!”

“Yes, your Highness,” Jee said, quickly turning away and stooping down to retrieve some broken-off sticks. 

Sokka said, “Sure, sure. I swear on my Gran-Gran. So, Zuko. What’s going on with him?”

“You’ve already met him,” Princess Azula said. “Both of you have.” Jee frowned. He had actually met the Prince once, when he attended the funeral of General Iroh’s son. The boy had sat down next to his grieving uncle, keeping him company while officers and nobles paid their respects. He hadn’t spoken to the boy, but he had a grudging respect for the young man. But when had Sokka, a boy who hadn’t left the South Pole before last spring, met him? “You’d know him better as Colonel Kuzon.”

Jee went stiff, hand paused halfway to a shriveled-up log. For several long moments, the only noise was the flicker of the fire and the snorting of the Kimodo-Rhino. Then, in perfect mirror to his own thoughts, Sokka yelled, “WHAT!?”

“Not so loud, you idiot,” Princess Azula said. 

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Sokka said. “I just thought you said that your BROTHER, the guy that Ty Lee used as an example of a good person from the Fire Nation– You know, that guy– has been chasing us around the Earth Kingdom trying to skewer us with his swords and waterbending! Also, your brother is a Prince, and he’s a Waterbender!?”

“Yes,” Princess Azula said, speaking gravely. Jee had only barely regained control of his motor functions, and continued to gather kindling. “I don’t know how; my Mother wasn’t a bender, and from what we understand, she’s pure Fire Nation stock. However it happened, yes, my Brother is a Waterbender.”

“How many people know?”

“Besides you and the Lieutenant?” Princess Azula asked. “Never more than four at a time. My mother and grandfather knew, but they’re both dead. So, currently, it’s me, you, Lieutenant Jee, and the Firelord. Unless my father decided to tell someone else, though I don’t see him doing that.”

Jee finally stepped back into the small camp, the roaring fire sending a familiar heat across his face. He needed it, as this was thoroughly uncharted territory. A certain detail came back to him, and he had to swallow back a choking sound. “That… Colonel Kuzon appeared after the Prince’s Agni Kai, didn’t he?”

Princess Azula nodded, foisting a horrible weight upon Jee’s shoulders. That made so, so much sense, and yet it was something far more horrible than he had ever thought possible.

“I’m lost,” Sokka said. “What’s an Agni Kai?”

“A fire duel,” Jee said, his voice hollow. “It’s… When a Firebender’s honor is insulted, they can challenge another to a duel before the Sun Spirit.”

“But he isn’t a–”

“No one knew that,” Princess Azula said. “There hasn’t been a non-bender born into the Royal family in over four hundred years. Father considered it a disgrace, so it was kept a secret.” 

The boy was dull, but he was also smart. Jee watched as he rubbed his chin, eventually putting all the pieces together. As he did so, his eyes widened to the size of gongs. “And… When was this?”

“Three years ago,” Princess Azula said. She folded her arms, staring into the roaring fire. The flames reflected off her eyes, making them appear to be glowing coals. “Zuko’s 16th birthday was a few weeks ago.”

And that was the final nail in the coffin. It was… For want of a better term, Evil. Simple, unambiguous, evil. Jee knew his nation had done things that made men wake up screaming at night, or leave them with sullen, haunted looks in their eyes. He had seen enough men like that, or, worse in his opinion, men who admitted to doing such things without any hint of remorse. 

Princess Azula continued to avoid looking at them. When she had first greeted them after pulling him and Sokka out of the sea, Jee had felt a presence around her. That kind of control and power to a person of authority made them appear bigger than they were. Now, in the shadows cast by the fire, she looked so small.

“So,” Azula said. “If you doubt my motivation, think about that. I want Ozai gone as much as you do.” She slid back, resting her head against the hard ground and pretended to go to sleep. Jee and Sokka exchanged a look, before both looked back into the fire. Jee was far, far too old for this. 

XXXXX

Blood roared in Zuko’s ears as he listened to the report. 

Gyuki was more apparent in his displeasure. “Princess Azula, you say? A traitor?”

“Why else would we be here?” Colonel Mongke asked. The mercenary folded his arms, looking between Gyuki and Zuko. He nodded once in greeting, seemingly believing there was some comradeship between them. There wasn’t; not with men like him. 

The old man Zuko was attached to nodded, rising from his seated position and beginning to pace. “Fair, fair. That is a very fair point, Colonel.” He walked back, away from both him and Mongke, tapping his foot in a random pattern in the corner of the small tent. “Oh, not good. Not good at all. Too many complications.”

“Is something the matter?” Mongke asked. Zuko was wondering that too. Gyuki was… Avoidant would be an understatement. He kept brushing aside Zuko’s concerns, if he was even able to voice them. The constant shifting and riddles made his head hurt more than it already was.

Case in point was Gyuki’s reply. “No no no no!” he said, turning around and flashing him and Mongke a smile. With his partially necrotized face, the expression made him look like a leering ghoul. “A minor setback, but nothing either of you need worry about.” He clapped his hands together, completely sidestepping Zuko to stare up into Mongke’s eyes. “Well, since you’re here, we could use your help?”

Mongke frowned before turning his head to shoot daggers at Zuko. He returned the gesture, his arms tense and a burning itch in the back of his skull urging him to act. To take that callous, heartless man who dared consider himself a patriot and rip every drop of blood out through his mouth. However, he restrained himself… Barely.

“Depends,” Mongke said. “Is Colonel Bleeding Heart gonna get upset at me for doing my job again?”

‘You burned down a village as a diversion,’ Zuko wanted to hiss. However, no noise came from him save a raspy growl. It was Gyuki who answered with a wave of his hand and a renewed glow to his creepy smirk. “It will be of no concern. My dear Blue Spirit will not interfere with your work.”

“Then I suppose we can give up the chase for a bit,” Mongke said. “Trail went cold anyway. I have some of my men looking for him, but I could use the challenge. What did you have in mind?”

“Tell me, my friend,” Gyuki said, pulling out and unraveling a large, detailed map. “How much do you know about Gaoling?”

Chapter Text

Toph Beifong, the Blind Bandit, couldn’t see the crowd. Even with her seismic sense, they were too disconnected from the central platform of the arena to allow her to properly get a ‘look’ at them. But the cave in which the Earth Rumble took place had amazing acoustics, and she could hear them. The cheering, the chants, all of it; it was glorious.

It was why she had first gotten involved. She hadn’t even intended to find the place; she had been practicing in the Badgermole caves that criss-crossed underneath Gaoling when she had strayed too close. She had felt the fighting, felt the crowd, and heard the echoes of cheers. Not the false, masked praise of her parents for doing baby exercises or following her lessons. This was genuine, and she craved it.

Even if her opponents couldn’t keep up with her, it was all worth it. In short, it was damn fun. The rush was almost intoxicating (Whatever that meant), and beating the stuffing out of burly men over three times her size was a rush in-and-of itself.

Which was to say she was surprised when someone else hopped into the arena after she had sent the Boulder tumbling off the arena. They were small, light, and lacking the same solidness as other Earthbenders. It actually took her a moment to properly get a good look at them; that was how light on their feet her opponent was.

“Do people really want to see two little girls fighting out here?” Toph asked.

The audience laughed, whooping and cheering and eager for more carnage. Toph was more than ready to comply when her new opponent spoke up, voice rising above the din to reach her ears. “I don’t really want to fight you.” Huh, they were a boy. Toph actually did think they were a girl. “I want to talk to you.”

The boy took a step forward, which Toph took as her cue to attack. Xin Fu had left the arena, after all, and there was no reason not to get on with it. However, while she got the impulse of his movement, as soon as she sent a boulder flying at her opponent, he flat-out disappeared.

He reappeared a few feet away, saying something that was lost amidst the roaring crowd. She snarled, stomped her foot, and sent a rock pillar appearing below him. Once again, however, he leapt from the ground, disappearing from sight, reappearing behind her. Toph was growing frustrated, especially as he kept trying to talk! This was a fight!

“What’s your fighting name, anyway?” she asked, finally breaking her silence just to try and goad him into fighting back. “The Fancy Dancer?” She tried again to send him flying with a pillar of stone, only for him to once again vanish. “Where’d you go!? Come on! Fight!”

“Please, wait.”

There he was.

This time, she simply broke free a large rock from the arena, snapping her wrists to send it flying at him. However, somehow, it was sent flying back at her. She felt no contact with the earth besides his feet, and those barely moved. That meant she couldn’t see the reflection, and was caught completely off-guard. 

She was knocked off the platform, tumbling into the gap between the arena wall and the platform. This was the first time she had been down there, and she hated it. The ground was rough, biting into the soles of her feet. Blood roared in her ears, and she grit her teeth. What was that? That wasn’t Earthbending; she would have felt them touch the earth to counter her move. She scowled, rising to her feet, staggering towards the exit.

She felt him following her, still trying to get her to talk. She called back, “Leave me alone!” Stomping her foot, she bent a passage into wall, accessing the badgermole tunnels that led back to her family estate. At least she knew what to expect with her parents, even if she despised it. She would rather deal with them than… Whatever that was!

XXXXX

Iroh insisted on remaining behind while they attempted to meet with the Beifongs. It made a good deal of sense, given that he was probably the most well-known member of the Fire Nation in the Earth Kingdom. Beyond the practicality, Ty Lee felt more comfortable without him present. 

Oh, he was perfectly civil with her, and no doubt useful to have along. His contacts meant that they had greater access to money and, therefore, more resources than on their journey north. But something about him rubbed her the wrong way. It was primarily the simple fact that he was so distrustful of Azula, even after she had explained everything she knew! His aura was always so shaded, almost like he was drowning in… She didn’t quite know. Fear? Guilt? It was driving her crazy, and the others, Katara especially, didn’t seem to see it. 

But, she digressed. 

It was surprisingly easy to gain access to the Beifong estate, especially after Aang’s earlier attempt to sneak in and talk to the Blind Bandit. They simply asked if they could speak with the family, had to wait a little bit, and were let in with an invitation to dinner. Honestly, Ty Lee was just happy to have a proper, high-end meal for the first time in months. 

And then Aang and the Blind Bandit, or Toph Beifong, spent all dinner bending at one another.

She tried to but into the conversation, aiming to defuse the escalating tension between the two of them. If they wanted Toph on their side, they needed to provide something she wanted, not just try to pressure her into joining them. Toph’s aura was flaring, bright and angry, reflecting the scowl that graced her face.

“Well,” Lao Beifong said, wiping away the last of the food Aang sent flying into his face. “Shall we move to the living room for dessert, then?”

Aang kept glaring, the soup across his face slowly dripping down onto his clothes. Before he could do anything provocative, Ty Lee said loudly, “That sounds lovely!” The Beifongs stared at her outburst, but seemed to acquiesce.

Except for Toph, who had schooled her face into the all-too-familiar mask of blank indifference. She’d been forced to adopt a similar face often back home. “I’m… May I be excused, Father?”

“Of course, my dear,” Lao Beifong said, nodding slightly. A servant appeared and guided her away, while Lao and Poppy stood up, guiding them into a nearby room. Dessert was a simple affair; honey-glazed beancurds and a kind of custard. It was really good, especially since she hadn’t really had anything sweet besides fruit for the past few months. But still, there was a quiet discord that swirled around the place, leaving her woozy.

After being guided into a guest room, Katara and Aang began to talk amongst themselves, likely talking about how to get Toph on their side. Maybe about their plans beyond this; she didn’t know. She could feel Katara glaring at her from time to time, a tension growing between them that she didn’t know how to bridge. With a sigh, she slipped out, slipping through the estate.

“Hey,” Toph’s voice suddenly came from a nearby window. Ty Lee jumped out of her skin, jerking around to stare at her as the little girl cackled. “Man, you are on edge.”

Ty Lee calmed down, giggling and brushing her braid behind her head. Toph joined in, her cackling warmer than it had been in the arena. Her aura was brighter too, free of the dark tint she had at dinner. “Guess I am. Lot going on. Just wanted to get a bit of air.”

“And talk to me about helping the Avatar, huh?” Toph asked, her grin fading into a flat expression.

Wincing, Ty Lee rubbed her arm. “I mean… If I ran into you? How’d you know, anyway?”

Toph shrugged. “I’m good at telling when people are lying,” she said, leaning against the windowsill. “So… What do you have to say?”

“... I get it.”

That seemed to catch her off guard, judging by her deepening frown. Ty Lee shrugged, leaning against the wall next to the window and folding her arms across her chest. “My parents… Well, I’m a Septuplet. I have six sisters; all of them look exactly like me. My parents loved me, loved all of us… But they didn’t really SEE us. See me.” She looked, staring into Toph’s eyes. Even if she couldn’t see, it just felt polite. With a shrug, she asked, “Sound familiar?”

Toph’s frown, somehow, grew even deeper. “So what? We’re not the same–”

“I never said that,” Ty Lee said.

“–And what? You want me to help you guys because you know I’m not really… Well, you just want me to help you.”

“I didn’t feel like me until I left home,” she said. “I travelled a lot, helping out one of my friends. Spent a few months in a circus… It was fun. My aura had never been pinker. You love your parents, and you know they love you. But, sometimes, the only way to really understand who you are is to step away from them.” Ty Lee shrugged, twirling on her feet and beginning to walk away from Toph’s window. “Food for thought. Goodnight!”

XXXXX

Things… Things just didn’t make sense anymore. Azula? A Traitor? That just didn’t make any sense… It didn’t make sense for Uncle to be one either. And yet, he was. Why not Azula?

Zuko slunk even deeper into the shadows, hiding as much as he could in the darkness on the edge of camp. The Rough Rhinos had gathered around a campfire, speaking in hushed tones and drinking some foul-smelling liquid. They were preparing for battle. Around them, milling around their own small fires, were several squads of Fire Nation soldiers. He didn’t recognize the unit, but knew the type. Loud, brashly confident… Ruthless. The Army had far, far too many like them.

“You are disturbed, my Blue Spirit,” Gyuki said, approaching him and kneeling before him. He tapped Zuko’s helmet, which rested between his knees. “Why? Because of the Rogue Princess?”

Zuko nodded. “Yes,” he said, his voice raspy from disuse. “She… Why?”

“Humans are fickle creatures,” he said, rubbing his necrotic scar. “They look for simple solutions because they are, in summation, limited. As such, they look at things and see only how it affects them. They do not understand the power in these things…” He reached up, tracing the edge of Zuko’s scar with two fingers. Zuko flinched away, drawing a thin, faint frown from the sage. “No matter. No matter.”

Gyuki stood, brushing off his robes. “Do not worry much, my little Spirit. Merely focus on what you desire. The death of the Avatar, yes?” Yes, yes that made sense. Zuko brought a hand up to his head, trying to force down the phantom whispers tickling in his ears. That made sense. The Avatar had killed his men. Made his sister turn against their father; against him. It… he had to die.

Slowly, with shaking fingers, he slipped on his mask. 

XXXXX

“Hey Twinkletoes!” Toph said, suddenly appeared behind him. Aang jumped, turning away from the slumbering Appa as the girl approached him. She was still wearing the cream and green dress she had been wearing at dinner, but her hair was out of its heavy bun. It was choppy and wild, like her style from the Earth Rumble.

“Oh, uh… Hey Toph,” Aang said. 

“Look,” she said. “I’m sorry about dinner. Truce, huh?”

Aang nodded eagerly. He knew in his gut that Toph was supposed to teach him, and he remembered some of what Ty Lee had told him after coming back from her walk. About giving her space and time, letting her make her own decision. “Truce.”

“Good,” she said, gesturing for her to follow him. He fell into step behind her, walking way from the main compound and into the gardens. They were beautiful, with carefully curated bushes and large beds of multi-colored flowers. It felt like a shame that she couldn’t see all of it.

She eventually stopped beneath a large tree, its shade overhanging a small stream that cut through the garden. “I was born blind, but I can see,” she said. Aang blinked, staring at her. She stared into the distance, shifting her bare feet around on the flagstones. “I do it with Earthbending. Anything that touches the ground, I can see it. You, that tree… Even those ants.” She pointed at a small spot on the ground, and Aang was amazed to see a small anthill jutting out of the grass.

“That’s amazing,” Aang said. “No wonder you’re such a skilled Earthbender.”

Toph let out a single bark of laughter, leaning her head back. “Oh, thanks. My parents don’t see it, of course. I’m just their helpless blind daughter.”

“So that’s why you became the blind bandit? To express yourself more,” Aang asked.

She nodded. “Yeah. Your friend, Ty Lee, said something similar. About having to stand out…” She folded her arms, looking him dead in the eye. With her pale, almost blank orbs, it was a pretty intimidating sight. “Look, going with you… It’s tempting, it really is. But I just… I don’t know.”

“We’re not in a huge rush,” Aang said. “We were going to stay in Gaoling for at least a week. Katara’s brother… He got seperated from us a while back. We’re going to wait for him to show up before we leave.”

“Alright,” she said, smiling. “That’s cool. I’ll definitly be giving it some–” She paused, her smile falling abruptly. Her nose wrinkled, heavily sniffing the air before gagging. “Agh, what is that?”

“Huh?”

“That smell,” she said, still sputtering and coughing. “It smells like a fireplace, but huge!” Aang took a sniff of the air, able to pick up on the heavy scent of ash in the air. A lacing panic shot up his spine, and he grabbed his staff. Being thrust into the middle of the war had gotten him far too familar with that smell. He knew more as, during his race towards the exit to the estate, saw something begin to rise into the air. 

It was smoke. Black smoke. Aang summoned a burst of wind below him, hopping up onto the walls of the Beifong estate. As he landed in a crouch, his eyes went wide in stunned silence. Outside the estate, Gaoling was burning.

Chapter Text

Katara and Ty Lee ran from the estate, no doubt seeing the smoke rising from inside. “What’s going on!?” Katara shouted.

Aang didn’t reply. His eyes were wide as dinner plates as he watched the fire ravage Gaoling. It spread quickly, whipped through the air, and crashed down like waves upon the buildings and trees. People screamed and fled from their homes into the stone streets, carrying small children, valuables, and everything in between.

Despite his best hopes, he knew that it wasn’t a random house fire that had spread out of control. He had only seen fire spread this quickly, the panic this intense, in one way. And since he had been released from the Iceberg several months ago, he had seen it far, far too often.

Sure enough, as people fled screaming towards the edge of the city, Aang saw the lumbering forms of Fire Nation warbeasts. Soldiers rode on their backs, some throwing flames from their hands, others throwing bombs. More soldiers marched along the street beside the beasts, continuing to throw flames around, spreading the flames even more.

“Gaoling is under attack!” Aang yelled, finally overcoming his shock. That paralyzing shock was replaced by a flaring anger. Oh, he had been made before. Plenty of times, in fact. But this was something else. This was… Wanton cruelty, sheer pointlessness, all likely to get at him. And it was working. 

“What!?” That was Lao Beifong, who had likewise come outside into the garden. Some of the Beifong’s guards raced up to Toph, grabbing her and pulling her away. Aang looked away from her as the girl was dragged away by the guards. He wanted her – He KNEW she was destined – to teach him Earthbending. But that wasn’t important at the moment. 

Twisting his staff, he threw open the gate of the estate with a burst of wind, calling to his friends. “Come on! We have to stop them!”

Without hesitating, they rushed through the gate while Aang leapt from the wall. They rushed through the fleeing crowd, the people parting around them until they were face to face with the Fire Nation soldiers. At their head was a man with a feather sticking out of his hair, his face framed by a cruel smirk. “So… You’re the Avatar?”

Of course they were looking for him. “All of this…” Aang asked, looking at the burning buildings and trees around him. “All of this was for you to get at me!?”

The man laughed. “It worked, didn’t it?”

Aang’s knuckles turned white on his staff, watching silently as the soldiers spread out around them in a loose semi-circle. Like their commander, the soldiers with visible faces were sporting grins and leers, watching him and his companions like wolf-bats looking at prey… How had everything gone so wrong? This wasn’t the Fire Nation he knew. What happened?

Katara opened her flasks, water coiling around her arms like snakes. Her expression was murderous, fists clenched and posture stiff. Ty Lee’s face was likewise angry, but more measured, her eyes darting across the encircling soldiers as she fell into a fighting stance. And Aang? He let out a heavy breath, trying to do what Monk Gyatso had told him and let go of his hatred. Remain in the moment, release his emotion into the wind, and do what was right. 

And so, with a swing of his staff, he dismounted the leader from his Komodo-Rhino with a powerful gust of wind. And as the soldiers advanced, he met them with his full fury. He felt the pull of the Avatar state pulling at the back of his mind, but he forced it back. If he tapped into it now, it would only make things worse. So instead, he fought back, unleashing gusts of wind or pulling water from buckets and ponds to pin the soldiers under ice. His body buzzed with energy, lunging and ducking and moving. For the first time outside of the Avatar State, he was a force of nature.

And as much as he hated it, the rush was intoxicating. Almost so much that he didn’t see Colonel Kuzon lunging from the darkness before his blades were mere inches from his face. 

XXXXX

Zuko watched flames leap from building to building, and turned away. This was not what he wanted. He could slip into the town and just kill the Avatar. Even if Gyuki insisted on involving the Rough Rhinos, this… It was unnecessary. He despised soldiers who acted like this, and tried to avoid working with them whenever possible. They were supposed to be spreading the progress the Fire Nation had achieved to the world, not burn it down.

“It is,” Gyuki said, placing a hand on his shoulder. Normally, he would’ve flinched, trying to get away from the physical contact. Instead, it just made him feel numb, and he allowed it. “The Avatar will be distracted. In the open. Vulnerable.” He leaned forward, leering at Zuko through the corner of his mask's vision slits. “Now… You know what to do.”

He nodded. It… It was wrong. A pure waste. Colonel Mongke was making a mess and going against what the Fire Nation was supposed to be fighting for. And yet, he didn’t have any choice. Did he ever? He might as well use what chance he had to bring down the Avatar. For the Fire Nation. For his men.

And so, he stepped forward. 

When Gyuki had learned about his shadow… Thing, he had been thrilled. Taking him away from camp, he forced Zuko to do it. He tried, and eventually managed to work out how exactly he did it. He should have been more concerned about this sudden manifestation. It wasn’t related to his waterbending, and combined with a general numbness that had overtaken him the past few weeks, it was worrying. However, Gyuki said he shouldn’t worry. Ordered it, in fact. And so… He just didn’t. Couldn’t. He didn’t know.

It was like falling, moving through the shadows. He stepped into them, and just moved. His stomach was kneaded like dough and his vision swam, but he emerged on the other side. He had little control over where he ended up unless he had something in mind. In Chin Village, it had been out of the line of fire, and so it had gotten him out. Now, it was getting him close to the Avatar. And so, he emerged in the shadow of a burning house.

The flames roared at his back, the heat barely registering to him as he saw the Avatar. He was fighting the Rough Rhinos, using bursts of wind to keep himself in the air as he blasted water and air at him. He twisted in air, knocking aside a bomb and several arrows, before landing on the ground. As he readied himself to attack again, Zuko had his opening. He drew his swords as he lunged forward, blades leveled perfectly to slit the boy's throat.

At least, they were, until his scar began to tingle. It was the best warning he had, giving him just enough time to turn and take the fireball in his chest instead of his side. He staggered back, slowing himself by digging his blades into the cobblestone of the street. The Avatar stared at him, wide-eyed and panicked, while Iroh emerged from the smoke, his expression stoic and glaring.

As the others went back to fighting the other soldiers, Zuko fell into a fighting stance facing his Uncle. His Uncle– Iroh did the same, adopting the familiar stance he had seen Azula adopt during her training. After a few brief moments, he pulled water along the length of his blades, sending arcs of water flying at the traitor. Iroh was surprisingly nimble for his age, sidestepping the blows and sending out blasts of his own. At the same time, he rushed forward, flames licking out from the corners of his mouth.

Zuko was forced to cede ground, ducking out of the way and sending out ice daggers to force him to move. However, with the sheer amount of fire surrounding him, he was unable to make full effect of his waterbending. There simply wasn’t enough water in the air to pull on, and what water he did have was rapidly evaporating. Iroh, on the other hand, had no such limitation, and only wasn’t fighting even harder for fear of making the surrounding fires worse.

That was Zuko’s only advantage: Iroh’s restraint. He twisted around a wave of fire, flipping through the air and landing as close to Iroh as he could. Blades flashing through the air, he began a relentless offensive with his dual dao, finally putting Iroh on the backfoot. He attempted to catch the blades, but he could only defend effectively against one at a time. An intercepted blow meant another could only barely be avoided.

Iroh was far from defeated, still strong and still kicking or punching out torrents of flame. But Zuko had found his opening, and was pressing as hard as he could. The others were surrounded, outnumbered, and hemmed in. As distasteful as it was, as dishonorable as it was, victory was at hand. 

XXXXX

Fire felt weird through her seismic sense. It was… Hard to describe, honestly. She’d never been around very big fires; her parents worried that she would somehow touch them and burn herself. A totally unfounded fear; she could still feel heat, so they were just being their usual stifling selves. And the fires that she was around were mostly connected to the main fireplace, the stoves, or candlesticks, which she was better able to feel than the fire itself. 

But now, even through the walls of the estate, she could feel uncontrolled fire. It was like water in a way, flowy and hard to see. That last part was the most notable part of feeling the flames. Wherever they touched, the thing it touched just seemed to… cease to exist. Not disappear, not move, but just become obscured.

She was pulled from her contemplation by her father grabbing hold of her arm. “Come along, Toph,” he said, his normally cool voice laced with a noticeable panic. “There is something serious going on, and we must leave.”

That was the obvious choice, wasn’t it? The bloody Fire Nation was attacking! Even over the roar of the inferno, she could hear the screams and trampling feet of the townsfolk as they ran for the hills. Why wouldn’t she do the same, especially since she had access to guards and an armored carriage her parents had insisted on getting after she was born? 

And yet, she remained rooted in place. She remembered what she had talked about with both the Avatar and one of his friends. About choosing your own path. Standing out. If she ran with her parents, then she would be stuck as their little daughter the rest of her life. Oh, she had the Earth Rumble, but how long would that last before she was old enough for her parents to marry off? 

“No.”

A shift of her leg sent a pulse through the earth, allowing her to get a flash of her father’s irritated features. “Toph, this is not the time to be difficult! We need to–”

“No, Father,” she said. “I’m not running. I–” She let out a huff of breath, turning to face him. She hoped she was meeting his eyes as she tensed, her whole body being overwhelmed by slowly building anticipation. “I can do this.”

“What are you talking about!? You’re blind!” her father said, his voice having fully lost any control. Her gut churned into knots, hearing him talk like this. He was controlling in the extreme, but he was still her father. She reached out, touching his hand as she heard his breath hitch. “I can’t have you getting hurt.”

“I won’t.”

With a stamp of her foot, the ground beneath her caved in, and she fell into a tunnel. Not one of the numerous badger-mole caves that criss-crossed beneath Gaoling, but a recently bent one, filled with a half-dozen startled Earth Rumble fighters. “Listen up, Chucklefucks!” she barked, drawing all of their attention to her.

Xin Fu stepped forward, glaring at her. “You and that twerp friend of yours owe me money.”

“Is that really so important right now?” she asked, folding her arms. “Listen. I don’t know if you’ve figured it out, but the Fire Nation is burning down our town right now. The actual Fire Nation, not that shtick that Fire Nation Man puts on.” The fighter in question rolled on the balls of his feet before dropping his banner. “So, are you going to be a dumbass and try to do something now? Or are we gonna fight some Ashmakers?”

Faint murmurs filled the tunnels, though only for a few seconds. “The Boulder agrees. The Boulder wants to fight the Fire Nation!” A chorus of cheers erupted from the other fighters, and even Xin Fu looked away from Toph and up to the surface.

“Alright,” Toph said. “So, what are we waiting for!?”

With that, they all stamped the ground and shot upward, carried by their bending through the soil and cobblestone to rise out onto the street. As the ground resolidified, Toph got a good view of her new opponents. She recognized the after-images of the Avatar and his friends, as well as a big old guy that seemed to be on their side. Several large… things, rampaged through the seeming void of the flames, surrounded by at least twenty men in armor.

It took her a moment, but she also detected someone else. They were almost as light on their feet as Twinkletoes was, though in a different way. The Avatar was just like that; must’ve been an airbender thing. This guy, though… Again, it was hard to explain. It was almost like he wasn’t entirely there, flitting in and out of existence, or at the least tetering on the edge of doing so. It was, in short, really fucking weird.

Whatever. That hardly mattered. He was fighting the old dude, so he was an enemy. She pounded the ground, causing the ground to shake. “Hey!” The fighting stopped, all eyes turning to her and the other fighters. “Who’s ready to rumble!?”

XXXXX

Aang couldn’t help but beam as Toph stomped her foot, sending pillars of stone flying from the street. In all honesty, even with Iroh keeping Kuzon’s attention solely on him, he was being hard-pressed. The fires created a near-impenetrable barrier on either side of them, trapping them between it and the soldiers. Katara’s water was rapidly running out, Ty Lee’s strength was being sapped by the heat of the fire, and Aang was only barely able to hold back the Komodo-Rhinos from trampling them.

And so when Toph emerged from underground with the other fighters from Earth Rumble at her back, it was like the Spirits had come down to Earth. They lashed out with a veritable avalanche of stones, smashing aside the Infantry and forcing the Rough Rhinos to back away. The same fires that allowed them to keep their enemies in front of them now acted against them, giving the Earthbenders a clear path to trample them.

Toph especially was relishing the chance to drive them back. Even more than in the arena, she was laughing and giddy, practically vibrating with excitement as she threw boulder after boulder, effortlessly dodging return fire. Aang was somewhat wary of that earlier, as he didn’t quite know what to make of someone so eager to fight. At the moment, however, he didn’t feel like looking a gift Ostrich-horse in the beak. 

Instead, as the Earthbenders tore a path up the street, he turned his attention to Kuzon. The Colonel was still fighting with Iroh, his swords a near blur as they were swung through the air. Aang jumped, sweeping his staff low to try and knock him off his feet. Kuzon jumped up, turning and backing away as he and Iroh both pressed their offense. Seemingly conceding defeat, he rolled backward into the shadow of a burning building and vanished from sight. 

However, instead of simply disappearing, he somehow appeared above him, falling down from the flickering darkness of a blazing tree. He just gaped at the falling waterbender, his swords extended. How had he done that!? It was like he had… Shadowbent or something! But that was impossible. No human could do anything like that. 

Before he could land a blow, however, Kuzon was knocked from the air by a pillar of stone shooting out of the ground. “Did I get him?” Toph asked, looking around as Kuzon bounced off the pillar and slammed into a fence. “Oh. I did. I’m awesome!” She kicked out a hail of rocks torn from the cobbled street, striking the Colonel in numerous locations. He tried to hold his ground and deflect the stones, but it was just too much for even him to stand up to. With a growl (Which he shouldn’t have been able to hear over the ripping stone and roaring flames), the Colonel broke and ran, following after his fleeing troops.

The Earthbenders cheered as the Fire Nation ran, most of them still whooping and hollering as they took off after them. Katara came over to him, panting and smeared with sweat. “We… We did it.”

They did, but at what cost? Aang looked around, watching as the flames began to settle; not because they were being fought, but because there was nothing else they could spread to. Almost everything was consumed, ash rising into the air, and the earth itself was blackened. Even though they had won, Gaoling had lost.

A hand was placed on his shoulder. Iroh looked down at Aang, his eyes soft. “I know… I know you feel you have failed. But thanks to you, no one was seriously hurt. The devastation is great, but they will rebuild. You have done all that you can, and sometimes, that is enough.” It didn’t make him feel better, but he gave Iroh a small smile regardless. It was true, at least.

“Hey guys!” Toph said as she sauntered over, arms propped behind her head.

Ty Lee cartwheeled over, pulling Toph into a hug. “That was so amazing! Your entrance was amazing! And the way you did all that! Just… Wow! You’ve got the heart of a performer!”

“Thanks, Bouncy,” Toph said, brushing Ty Lee off of her. Still smirking, she asked, “So, when are we leaving?”

“You’re coming with us?” Aang asked. “You’ll be my teacher?”

“Of course!” Toph said. “Like you said, I need to carve my own path. My own destiny. If teaching you how to kick butt with earthbending is a part of it, so be it.”

Aang didn’t know what to say. Instead, he clasped his hands together and bowed, simply stating, “Thank you, Sifu Toph.”

Toph cackled, folding her arms. “Oh, I could get used to that. Now, again, when are we gonna blow this joint?”

Katara said, “Not for a few days. We’re waiting for my brother to arrive, remember?”

Iroh sighed, backing away from Aang and moving into the middle of the little gathering. “Actually, I think we should depart.” Katara sputtered, confusion and outrage waging a war across her face. Iroh held up his hands placatingly, his signature understanding expression returning. “The Fire Nation knows we are here, and now they know what to expect. If we remain here, then they will be back, and in greater numbers. If we leave now, we can draw them away and spare the rest of the town.”

“But what about Sokka?” Katara asked. “We agreed to meet him here, and they have the messenger hawk. If we leave now, then they won’t know where to find us.”

“Katara, Ir-Uh, I mean, he’s right,” Aang said, looking at Toph. She was willing to go with them, but maybe travelling with the Dragon of the West would turn her off of her plan. “We can leave a message with someone. Maybe one of the Earth Rumble fighters?”

“The Hippo owes me a favor,” Toph said. “He and the Boulder might be willing to do it.”

Katara was clearly unhappy about it, folding her arms over her chest and looking away with a deep scowl on her face. He hated seeing his friend like this, but he knew that the Fire Nation wouldn’t stop. If they would do something like… This, then they would certainly be back, just like Iroh said. “Fine,” she said eventually, bitterness lacing through her voice.

“Come on,” Toph said. “Let’s go.” As Katara and Toph began to leave, the latter suddenly stopped and turned to Aang. “Hey, Twinkletoes. Where’s my belt?”

“Huh?”

“The champion belt,” Toph said. “I think saving the day there means I should get it back. Plus, you didn’t really Earthbend, so it doesn’t count as beating me.”

Aang rubbed the back of his scalp, his face scrunched up in mild worry. Toph was on their side, but she was… Well, she was still kinda scary. “Uh… I left it back at the Earth Rumble arena?”

Toph’s unimpressed expression could rival Sokka’s, which was really saying something. “Ok. Here’s the plan. I go with Sweetness here to relay a message with the Hippo,” Toph said, ignoring Katara’s outraged noise. “The rest of you go get my belt. We’ll meet you there and head out.” Aang nodded, watching as the two of them strode off.

He looked around, watching as the fire petered out slowly but surely. People had returned, carrying buckets of water and transporting filled basins with earthbending. They were fighting the fires, working together to put them out. Others were beginning to root through the wreckage, pulling out anything salvageable. It was a show of resilience; pure and simple resolve to keep going. 

He couldn’t change what had happened, but he could keep going. And, just maybe, that would be enough to come through the other side.

Chapter Text

Panic raced up Sokka’s spine when he saw the smoke on the horizon. Outwardly, he thought he hid it pretty well (Though, considering Azula’s sidelong glance, maybe not so much…). Inside, however, he was worried. They had spent almost two months on the move, crossing the no-mans-land of the central Earth Kingdom to reach Gaoling to meet up with his sister and friends. Now, it looked like the Fire Nation had beaten them there.

Like before at Lee’s village, he and Azula headed into the town while Jee stayed with the Komodo-Rhino. Azula had told him to come running if she shot a fireball into the air, and he tried to calm himself down. He was getting better at his firebending, Azula showing him a few tricks whenever they had downtime. Plus, his sister was no slouch with her waterbending, Aang was the bloody Avatar, and Ty Lee broke into Pouhai. He didn’t know much about Azula’s Uncle, but given what he knew about Fire Nation royalty, it was safe to say he was a good bender. They were fine; he was just overreacting.

That attempt to control himself lasted until they saw the city clearly.

The town’s gatehouse had been blown open, the stone door marking one of the few entrances through the walls knocked off its hinges and scorched black. The interior wasn’t much better: A path of destruction wove its way through the streets, marked by burned-down houses and warped, half-melted stone. Ash clung to everything, marring the pale whites, greens, and browns with a chalky coating of black. People moved through the wreckage, some moving with purpose to recover things or clear the debris, while others wandered aimlessly. 

Sokka watched with wide-eyed shock. Really, he shouldn’t have been surprised. He had seen what the Fire Nation had done to villages that got in their way. His had been one. But the sheer scale of the destruction simply forced the reaction out of him. He watched a little girl, no older than some of the ones back home, looking through the ruins of what was once her house, sniffling as she called out for her doll, and had to bite back the urge to wretch. 

As he scanned the scene, his eyes fell on Azula’s face. She was likewise surveying the damage, her eyes narrowed and mouth twisted into a sneer. If he hadn’t been traveling with her for some time now, he would’ve thought she was angry. But she wasn’t. She was analyzing, and if the pale tinge to her features was anything to go by, she didn’t like what she was seeing.

“Hey!” a booming voice called to them, startling both out of their dumbstruck observation. Coming out of a gap between two partially collapsed buildings, a tall, bearded man strode towards them. He wasn’t wearing a shirt, showing off his well-defined musculature, while his face was set in a resting glower. He came to a stop just before them, towering over both of them, before leaning down until his and Sokka’s faces were just inches apart. 

Sokka took a step back, but that brief, uncomfortable closeness was seemingly all he needed. “Is your name Sokka?” he asked, still speaking in that same booming tone.

Azula glanced around, eyeing anyone who was too close to them. They seemed more interested in their destroyed town then them, however, and Sokka didn’t want to have the guy waiting any more than necessary. “Uh… How do you know my name?”

“The Boulder was told to give you a message.” 

Both of them stared at the man as he folded his arms over his broad chest. Sokka blinked, frowning and tilting his head as he studied the man. “Are-are you the Boulder?”

“Yes,” the Boulder said. “Your sister and the Blind Bandit told me to tell you that they had to leave.”

“My sister!?” Sokka said. They were here. Or, they had been here. That was good… No, wait. The Fire Nation had obviously been here. That was bad. “What happened?”

“The Fire Nation was after the Avatar,” the Boulder said. “The Avatar helped the Boulder and other fighters drive them off. But they didn’t want to stay. They told the Boulder to give you this.” He reached into his leather belt, pulling out a small folded piece of parchment, and handed it to Sokka.

“Thank you,” Azula said slowly. “Your services were appreciated.” She turned away from the towering Earthbender, leaning close to Sokka while watching him from the corner of her eye. “Let’s go.”

Sokka nodded. If the others had left to get away from the Fire Nation, who knew how far they had gone already? As they exited back out the gate, Sokka unfolded the parchment, revealing a crude map. “Ok,” he said, bringing it up to show Azula. “We’re at this spot here. This is the mountain range behind Gaoling, and this is the Nan Shan River. I think they want to meet us at this abandoned village near the Badlands.”

“Great,” Azula muttered. “More time out in that dry hellhole.”

“Hey, you think I want to go back out there?” he asked. “Sure, the sun’s nice, but I haven’t been able to get all that dust out of my hair in weeks.” He threw out his hands for emphasis, something which always elicited an eye roll or some other reaction from the Princess. This time, however, she simply stared ahead and frowned, her expression distant. “Azula? All good?”

Her head snapped up as if realizing he was there for the first time. “I’m fine.” Again, only time spent with her allowed him to pick up the faint wobble in her voice. “Come on. We didn’t see any Fire Nation on our way up here. That means they must be following them.”

XXXXX

Smoke clung to the interior of the transport; the only reason they probably all hadn’t been smoked out was because of the high speed and open windows. Even still, Mongke and the few other Rough Rhinos were grumbling and complaining under their breath, eyeing Gyuki. The Fire Sage ignored them, however, in favor of continuing to burn the small bowl full of incense and… whatever else was in there. Zuko honestly wasn’t paying attention to what Gyuki had pulled from his satchel and put in there.

He hadn’t been paying attention to a whole lot lately, if he was being honest with himself. His head swam, a dull stabbing pain in his head whenever his thoughts wandered. His skin felt clammy and his joints stiff, yet there was no cough and no copious amount of sweat he associated with a fever. He actually felt better than ever, physically at least. 

But that headache stayed with him, and he tried to ignore it. He sat down, crossing his legs and trying to keep from gagging on the foul-smelling incense. Breathing deeply through his mouth, reflecting on the battle that had just taken place, and the one that would be coming soon. 

Zuko had no idea where Gyuki had gotten this transport, but it was waiting for them. After scouts had spotted the Avatar leaving, they had given chase, following closely behind them along with Mongke and some of his best men. They had caught up with them twice now, forcing them to flee. 

Mongke looked up from the cards he and his men were playing, glaring at Gyuki. “What the hell even is that stuff?”

Gyuki looked up, quirking his head to the side. “Nothing you need to concern yourself with,” Gyuki said. “It’s more for myself and the little Spirit here.” He flicked a hand at Zuko, who closed his eyes in an attempt to drown out the smoke and the rumble of the engine and the fact that everyone in his family was–

The pain in his head spiked and he had to bite back a wince. He literally bit down on his tongue, drawing a small amount of blood that tasted like saltwater. Some of the incense wafted over to him, and the pain dulled.

He slumped forward slightly, a stoop forming in his posture. He was used to working and fighting with only a limited amount of sleep. He and his men… His men… Another flare of pain, and another wince. Gyuki noticed it this time, and frowned, but said nothing. Anyway, he could go without sleep for a while, but exhaustion was starting to catch up to him. 

“Rest, little spirit,” Gyuki said. Zuko hadn’t even noticed him move, but now there he was, kneeling in front of him. “Rest. We have a lot to do tomorrow.”

XXXXX

“They’re coming again!”

Even though her shout was loud, she was barely standing upright. Toph had spent many nights awake while attending fights at the Earth Rumble, but this metal… thing had been chasing them all night. Aang was right: They had to fight.

She was itching for a fight anyway. Their flight from her home had been stressful enough, what with her being unable to really feel anything while on Appa. Leather was different from stone or wood; it didn’t resonate as well and made everything look all wobbly. Combined with Katara getting on her case about every little thing, she just wanted to break something.

The rumbling got louder and louder, the shaking of the ground sending pulses up her legs. She twisted her legs, trying to get as good a view through her seismic sense as she could. Her ears were already ringing from the rumbling engine and nose burned with smoke, and she was just waiting for them to show themselves!

Finally, the rumbling stopped, and the others around her tensed. Something on the shape broke off, and people stepped out of it. Toph sensed six of them – No, seven; that freaky guy with the fading footsteps was with them. “Who are these guys?” Sugar-Queen asked.

“The Rough Rhinos,” Iroh said. She hadn’t exactly been thrilled to be travelling with the Dragon of the West (Her parents kept her isolated, but even they couldn’t hide the siege from her), but he seemed cool. He tried to ease the tension between herself and Katara’s pushy need to get her to prove she could help them, but was still kinda siding with her. It was… Weird. Whatever, it wasn’t important. “Elite Mercenaries who take jobs for the Firelord. I’m surprised we haven’t seen them before.”

Ty Lee pulled out her knife, flicking it around before grabbing it in a chisel grip. “They’ve probably been hunting Azula.”

“We’re outnumbered,” Katara said, backing up slightly while her heart raced. The others were the same, save for Iroh, who was surprisingly calm. Again, whatever. Not important.

“Like that’s gonna stop me,” Toph growled, pushing forward. Pillars of stone shot out of the ground, smashing into at least three of their attackers. She even got fading feet with one, only for him to suddenly fully disappear. She blinked, wondering what exactly happened, when–

“Look out!” Aang yelled, using his airbending to pull her away. Just as she left the spot she was standing, she felt a pair of swords jab into the dirt. Her body tingled, especially when he stood up and she got a good look at him. She didn’t sense much, but that flickering feeling he gave off and the two swords meant that when they turned to run, Toph was not opposed.

Just before they reached Appa, however, Katara froze solid. “Katara!” Ty Lee called, disappearing off of Appa’s back and reappearing next to Katara. She threw something, cutting off the movement that she hadn’t even realized Mr. Creepy was making. That gave them just enough time to board Appa and take off.

As they landed next time, Toph felt the sun beginning to rise, toasting her skin. She grumbled as she slid off again, stumbling for a few steps as she tried to pull herself together. Ty Lee did the same, eventually stumbling and falling on her face. “Uh…” she groaned. “Ok. Can we just fall asleep here?”

“I guess,” Katara said. Even without her seismic sense, she could feel Katara glaring at her. “Especially since Toph won’t help get camp set up!”

“What is your fucking problem!?” Toph yelled, finally fed up. Toph had been handling her tasks herself, doing everything that needed to get done for herself. She didn’t need any help, so why couldn’t they take care of things themselves?

“Now now,” Iroh said, once again stepping between the two of them. “I know that everyone is stressed out and tired. Things will not get better by arguing, and–”

“Tell that to her!” Toph yelled. “She’s been on my ass all night!”

“She’s not blaming you!” Aang said.

Katara snorted, a noise that would’ve been amusing for Missy Prissy if it weren’t getting on her nerves. “No, I am blaming her,” she said. Toph stood up, her exhaustion temporarily forgotten as she did her best to meet the water tribe girls glare. “If she had helped out, maybe we could’ve gotten camp set up earlier and gotten some sleep. Heck, maybe we wouldn’t be in this mess in the first place!”

“Oh ho ho ho!” Toph laughed darkly. “You seriously are blaming me! I’ve carried my own weight! If anyone’s to blame, it’s the sheddy over there!”

Ty Lee gasped, rising up onto her knees and holding her hands in front of her mouth. “You take that back!” Great, now Twinkle-Toes was upset. “Appa’s been the one carrying you all this way!”

“And he’s how they’ve been following us!” she countered, grabbing a clump of hair from the ground. It wasn’t much, but ever since they touched down, it had gotten everwhere; there was probably more that she couldn’t sense.

“Yeah, but he’s been carrying YOU!” Aang said, his voice hoarse from yelling.

“Enough!” Iroh interrupted, drawing all eyes to him. The old man took a deep breath, trying to exude calm even though he was obviously as exhausted as they were. “As I said, we are all – *YAWN* – tired, but that is not the time to turn on one another. Now, let me make you all some–”

And that was the wrong thing to say. She had given up everything to help them, and now they were acting like she couldn’t do anything. “I don’t want–!” She brought up her hands, rubbing her eyes and growling. “You know what? Fuck this. I’m leaving.”

Most of the group was apparently too stunned to respond, allowing her to turn on her feet and march away from them. The only one who moved was Ty Lee, who finally stood up and moved to stand in front of her. “Toph, wait–” Toph was, frankly, not in the mood. She stamped her foot on the ground, causing the ground beneath her to separate and send her tumbling back to the ground while Toph moved past her. She walked out of the small clearing they had landed in, marching into the towering trees around her, further and further away from her… new companions by the second. 

XXXXX

Iroh sighed, bowing his head as the Beifong girl stalked off. He hadn’t acted fast enough, yet again, to avert disaster. First he had lost his son, then his nephew, and now maybe he had cost the Avatar their earthbending instructor. He watched as she disappeared into the treeline, and turned back to the others.

The rage that colored the faces of the Avatar and Katara disappeared, replaced by dawning horror. Rage and fear had controlled them, and they were now regretting it. “I… I… What did I do? I can’t believe I just yelled at my Earthbending teacher.”

“Yeah,” Katara said, her voice so soft that Iroh had to strain to hear them. “I drove her away. I was so mean to her.”

“You weren’t listening to her,” Ty Lee said. “You… You… Sorry, I’m-I’m ok.” She yawned, clearly barely able to stay awake. She stood back up, stumbling over to Katara and putting a hand on her shoulder. “Just… When we go find her, apologize. Make it right.”

“I will,” Katara affirmed, reaching up to squeeze Ty Lee’s hand. 

“Indeed we shall,” Iroh said. “But first, we must lose the Rough Rhinos and Colonel Kuzon. Now, we must think carefully.”

Aang nodded before turning to look at Appa. The flying bison was still clearly bleary with exhaustion, but all of the yelling appeared to have woken him up. “I’ve got an idea.”

It took a good deal of effort, but they managed to coax the flying bison into the river. Lying down in the rapidly flowing water, some of its rapidly shedding hair was already being washed away. Pulling brushes from the saddle, the four of them went to work on the bison’s shaggy hide, pulling out loose clumps that quickly flowed downriver. The whole process took several minutes, but when Appa emerged, its obviously much shorter coat gleamed with water.

“There,” Aang said. “Now they won’t be able to follow us.” He grabbed some of the hair caught on a log, tucking it into a satchel. “I’ll use some of the hair to lead them away from you guys, then meet up with you nearby.”

“Are you sure that is wise?” Iroh asked. “They are going to be after you.”

“We’re close to meeting up with Sokka and Azula,” Aang said. Iroh bit his tongue, remembering his upcoming reunion. “Besides, I’m the only one who can make it convincing.” He unfolded his glider for emphasis, and Iroh had to concede defeat. “Go on. I’ll meet you soon!” He took off before Iroh could even think of arguing further. 

“Come on!” Katara called, and Iroh sighed. He clambered back aboard the back of Appa, and took off over the treetops. In the distance, he could see the Avatar sail over those same trees, a thin trail of hair falling behind him. Further away than that, he saw the forest end, opening up into the desert badlands just south of the Si Wong desert. 

He only hoped that this would work. And that, when the time came, he could set things right. With Toph… and with Azula.

Chapter Text

Ty Lee really, really, really hoped that Aang’s plan would work. He had taken off with a bundle of Appa’s fur, hoping to lead their pursuers away. Meanwhile, the rest of them had boarded a scrubbed-down Appa, flying in a wide arc. The plan was to meet up at a later time after Aang managed to lose them. 

They flew as fast and as far as they could, but like all of them, Appa was bone tired. They’d run all through the night and well into the morning. Soon, he was dipping below the trees, yawning and groaning with strain. Katara tried to encourage him while guiding him with the reins, but it was ultimately fruitless.

“We need to find a good place to land,” Ty Lee said. “Somewhere we can camp out for a little bit at least, so Appa can get his strength back.”

“Somewhere over the river, at least,” Iroh said. “It is wide, and fording it will take the Rough Rhinos time.” 

“What about Kuzon?” Ty Lee asked. “He can just waterbend them a path!”

Iroh grimaced, rubbing his chin in contemplation. Appa rumbled beneath them, and his aura was tinged with the choppy outline of exhaustion. Katara looked over her shoulder, her tired features bolstered by determination. “It’s the best chance we’ve got!”

Unfortunately, Appa just didn’t have enough in him. As they approached a curve in the river, the sky bison’s descent grew faster and faster. The math just didn’t work out, and he came to a stop on the riverbank. He fell on his side, nearly throwing them all from the saddle. 

Ty Lee scrambled off of the back, flipping around his head to stand before Appa’s head. She rubbed the base of his chin, the gentle giant rumbling instinctively at the contact. The choppiness of his aura faded some, but he was still in no position to move. “That’s not good,” Iroh said. “We’re still in a position–”

“To be caught?” Ty Lee turned, falling into a sloppy fighting stance as the Rough Rhinos emerged from the trees. They formed a loose circle around them, weapons or flames beared and savage grins on any exposed face. Behind them came the speaker, the disfigured Fire Sage apparently named Gyuki, if Iroh’s assessment was correct. He was exiled a long time ago for something involving spirits; he’d been kinda vague about it.

There was no sign of Colonel Kuzon.

Ty Lee didn’t know whether to be relieved or scared. On one hand, she didn’t like fighting him. Beyond him being a tough opponent, there was something off about his aura that freaked her out. Before, it had been a raging, stormy bluish-purple, kinda like Azula’s fire. Now, it was eerily blank, almost flat, and a deeper shade of blue that bordered on black. She didn’t know why, and she didn’t want to know. On the other hand, if she couldn’t see him, that didn’t mean he couldn’t see her. He could be anywhere or nowhere; combined with her overriding desire to sleep, it made a dangerous combination.

Gyuki smiled widely, his posture unbothered at the three of them preparing to fight. “You are, true. Now, there’s no need for violence, so if you–” Katara snarled, spinning in place and throwing a stream of water pulled from the river at him. The whip shot past Gyuki as he sidestepped it, but the spray still soaked his clothes. He frowned, his scar pulled in a way that made his face appear skeletal. “There is a need for violence.”

As if waiting for that cue, the Rough Rhinos bellowed and charged. Ty Lee somersaulted out of the way as one attempted to crush her with a hammer. She darted around the follow-up swing, her sluggish movements barely able to keep ahead of his deceptively fast swings. She leaned into one attack, lunging to get in close to try and disable her target–

– Only for an arrow to come out of nowhere. She ducked to the side so that the arrow dug into her clothes, pinning her to a tree, instead of slamming into her chest. The Rough Rhino took advantage, rushing forward and pressing the haft of his hammer against her, holding her in place.

Looking past her attacker, she saw that the others weren’t faring any better. Katara had been forced onto her knees, an armored Rider wrenching her arms behind her back. Iroh was wobbling on his feet, trapped with his back to Appa between Colonel Mongke and two more Riders.

Gyuki, meanwhile, just stood there, arms folded behind his back. “Now, was all that necessary?” He stepped forward, walking around Mongke to glare at Iroh. “All that power… Between all of you!” he said, swinging his arms around to encompass all three of them. “Wasted. What a waste, what a waste. Now, come quietly from here-on-out, and I will–”

A loud rumble came from behind Iroh, and Appa rose up onto two of his hind legs. He roared, the sound splitting the air and causing many of the Rough Rhinos to step back. Ty Lee hadn’t even realized that the fight had forced them across the bank into an angle where the Rough Rhinos had their backs to the river until Appa slammed the ground. Most of them, including Gyuki, were thrown off their feet, tumbling off the bank and into the river behind them. The current swept them away, while the one pinning her in place was the last left standing.

That didn’t last, however. His shock forced him to slacken his hold, and she jabbed out with two fingers. The blow struck in the throat, followed by another quick jab to the collarbone. He went slack, tumbling to the ground, completely paralyzed. Ty Lee tore the arrow out, before heading over to Appa as he slumped back onto the ground. “Good job, boy,” she said as she gave him soft, slow pats across his muzzle. 

“Come,” Iroh said, pulling Katara to her feet as his gaze swept over the forest. “If they came for us, and not Kuzon–”

Ty Lee put two and two together and gasped. “He must’ve gone for Aang!”

XXXXX

Jee sighed, rolling his shoulders as he trudged along the slowly fading dirt path that snaked through the hills. Normally, he would have been on the Komodo-Rhino, letting the saddle designed for only one person dig into his back. Unfortunately, his glorious leader and her water tribe friend raced off with the damn beast. Apparently, as the village they were going to meet the Avatar came into view, they saw him racing into it alone and figured something was wrong.

The assessment was sound. Unfortunately, Jee wasn’t on the beast at the time, and they raced off. Sokka tried to wait for him, but the Princess had been impatient. So, now? He was left walking the rest of the way. At least it wasn’t too far.

He was once again grumbling about how this was totally outside of his frame of reference when a giant boulder shot out of the ground! He didn’t have any time to avoid it, being flung up into the air and landing on his stomach. The air was thrown from his lungs, and he lay there for several long moments, groaning.

“Uh, sorry,” a young voice called to him. He rolled up onto his back, looking around for his attacker. His gaze fell on a young girl, looking at him with a mix of worry and lingering frustration. “Are you ok?”

“Was that you?” Jee asked. The girl nodded. Good; he didn’t want to yell at a little girl unnecessarily. “Then no! I’m not! You just threw the damn ground out from underneath me!”

Her expression soured, and she folded her arms. “Well, you startled me!”

“How could you even see me?” Jee asked. He certainly hadn’t seen her. “Know what? Doesn’t matter.” He stood up, brushing off his clothes, muttering to himself. 

The girl cocked her head, flashing the scariest grin Jee had ever seen. “Damn. And I thought Xin Fu had a mouth on him. You don’t mind if I use that one, do you?”

Jee blinked, staring at this girl who… “Just… who the hell are you?”

“Name’s Toph,” she said. “The best Earthbender you’re ever going to meet.” Considering Jee had only met six before this, and two had been prisoners, that wasn’t exactly a stiff competition. “So, what’re you doing out here?”

“What?” she asked, smile gone and suddenly replaced with one of the angriest faces Jee had ever seen. Zhao could do better, but this was a close second. “Don’t think the little blind girl can protect herself?”

“You’re blind?” he asked. Now that he looked closer, he could definitely see the pale film over her eyes and the fact that she wasn’t looking directly at him. He had seen similar reactions from sailors blinded after being too close to an explosion. “Right. Well… Not relevant. You attacked me out of nowhere. I think I should get to know why.”

She growled, and Jee was genuinely worried she would attack him again. But then, at the last minute, she let loose a heavy yawn and sighed, before shrugging. “Alright.” She hummed, before shrugging again. “I got into a fight with my… travelling companions. I’m just… blowing off steam, I guess.”

That… Jee slammed his palm into his face, wondering what he did to anger Agni that he was stuck interacting with a bunch of emotionally constipated children. Even if the conversation was somewhat dull, he would’ve taken Colonel Kuzon. At least he was marginally sane. “Right.”

She once again glared at him, or at least close enough to be uncomfortable. “Look. Like I said, I can handle myself. I don’t need anyone to–”

“Kid,” Jee said, rolling his eyes. “I really don’t care. Obviously, you can take care of yourself. But… I mean… Is that why you got into a fight? Because… they thought you couldn’t?” He kinda wanted to meet this girl's travelling companions, if that was the case. People that idiotic could be entertaining, and Jee needed that at the moment. 

“Yeah!” she said, slumping against a rock. “Kept asking me to pull my own weight and just… Ugh!”

Was… Was she serious? “What do you mean? Pulling your own weight?”

“They wanted me to get involved in stuff, even though I already did my stuff,” she said. “I didn’t need their help, so why should they need mine?”

Jee sighed, rubbing his forehead. Seriously, did he set a shrine on fire or something in a past life? “Ok. Obviously, you’re both working with different definitions here.”

“Different definitions?” 

Jee nodded, kneeling down to get closer to her level. “Yeah. You know what a knot is, right?”

“Yeah,” Toph said. “Those little rope tie thingies, right?”

“Close enough,” Jee said. “Anyway, there’s another kind of knot. It’s a measurement of speed on boats. Now, if someone was talking about knots and two people had different ideas of what a knot was – based on those two definitions – it would cause some friction. You following?” She nodded. “Right. Well, the same thing here. You think that you pulling your weight is taking care of your own affairs. They think its helping. See the disconnect?”

“But I don’t need any help, so why should they–”

“And when you do?” That got her to shut up. “Because, as much as you want to deny it, it will happen at some point. You’ll slip up, or be in a situation where your, admittedly very impressive, earthbending can’t help you. If you’re part of a group, sometimes, you have to pitch in and work together.”

She nodded, staring at the ground between her legs. Or, well, he supposed she wasn’t staring at anything, was she? “You… got a point.” She stood up, cracking her neck. “Alright. Thanks for that. I’ve got to go find my friends.” She turned away, muttering to herself, “I just hope Katara isn’t that upset.”

Katara? He swore he had heard that name before from someone, though he couldn’t– The water tribe idiot! That was his sister! Which means– “You… You wouldn’t happen to be travelling with the Avatar, would you?”

She froze, her foot shifting while she remained otherwise perfectly still. “What’s it to you?” Jee swallowed, keenly aware of how, literally, out of his element he was.

Still, he wasn’t going to waste an opportunity for a faster method of getting to the Princess and her friend. Even if she couldn’t move them, this girl was at least marginally entertaining. “Nothing much.” He looked over her shoulder at the distant village, now glowing softly in the midday sun. “I just happen to know where he is.”

XXXXX

The Avatar was just… sitting there. He was sitting in the middle of the ruined town, propped up on his staff, staring straight ahead. With the sun at his back, Zuko wasn’t even sure he could see him approach, but decided against stealth. He had the Mongoose-Lizard tied off nearby, and the Avatar didn’t look like he was in a position to run. As simple as it would be to get the drop on him, Zuko wanted to kill this… this…

He shook his head, fighting off the stray thoughts that came to him. The Avatar was a boy, only a little bit younger than his sister; so bloody what? He… He had a duty… To the Firelord, to the Fire Nation… To his men. His head swam, and he stopped for a moment to let the ache subside. The Avatar gave no indication he even noticed when Zuko resumed his advanced, eyes still looking straight at him with the dead, worn look of exhaustion. Zuko knew that look, seen it– STOP! Stop trying to connect to him. The Avatar had to die. For the Firelord.

Zuko came to a stop about fifteen paces from the seated Avatar, meeting his gaze. The Avatar’s eyes, grey as koala-sheep wool, looked strange being so… angry? Was that the right word? Zuko’s own eyes seemed to itch, and he could swear that he felt heat radiating off of them. It hurt– But it didn’t matter.

“So,” the Avatar said. “It’s just you.” Zuko, not being able to– Being unwilling to speak to him, gave a simple nod. The Avatar’s frown deepened, his head cocking to the side. “You… Please, you don’t have to do this.” Zuko shook his head. “Why? You were there in Gaoling. You saw what the Fire Nation did. How can you justify what happened?”

He couldn’t, but… But he hated it, but… But it didn’t matter. What he felt had never mattered. He was a tool of the Firelord; it was… All he was good at. As a nonbender, he was useless. As a waterbender, he was useful. As the Blue Spirit… He… It didn’t matter. Nothing mattered. He shrugged, and the Avatar sagged even more against his staff.

“So… What?” the Avatar asked. “You’re just going to chase me to the ends of the earth? For what? Orders?”

Zuko had been feeling… Nothing. Like the cool, murky water that was left over after washing rice. Opaque, featureless, and cold. Now, though? Something roiled in him. Not a fire; he wasn’t able to feel the flames that defined his country. No, this was a storm. A summer typhoon, relentless and raging. 

“K̶̘̹̒͛i̸̜͝l̴̰̔͝l̴͒̔͜e̷̹̺͛̋d̵̥͓̏͗…̶͖̈́ ̷̧̛̹M̶̲̑̆y̶̳̓ ̴͚͖̋͆M̸̥̓ē̶̮̲̌n̵̻̔͂…̷͚͎͑̌ ̸͎͎̾A̵͍̤̽̇l̷̮̽͘ļ̷̯͒ ̵̗̕̚ọ̴͋͝f̵͎̺̂ ̷̣̤͝t̷̺͙͆̌ḥ̷͗̀e̶̙̿̈́m̸̛̪͛…̸̤͓͐̍”

The Avatar blinked, rising to his knees and squinting at him. Zuko continued to rage under his gaze, his hands balling into fists. “What did you say?” He blinked behind his mask. Had… Had he spoken? … Whatever. Not important. Now, though, the storm in Zuko’s gut grew in power, and he had to say something.

With one hand, Zuko tore off his helmet, exposing his face to the afternoon sun. His face scrunched up into a snarl, his hair partially falling out of its topknot to frame his face. He didn’t care. “YOU KILLED MY MEN!”

The Avatar startled, falling back and looking at Zuko as if he had just sprouted horns. But Zuko wasn’t done, the whirlwind unleashed as he advanced on the Avatar. “All of them! Every last fucking one!”

Fear shown on the Avatar’s face, his grey eyes wide with shock. “Wh-what? Wh-”

He didn’t– The audacity made the insult even worse, and Zuko pointed at him. “At the North Pole! I saw you! You looked at me when you killed my men right in front of me! Ukuyo, Chomao, Ru… All of them.” He sucked in a deep breath, fighting the urge to gag. The Avatar looked like he was fighting the same impulse, his face slack with horror. “That’s why I’m here,” he said, his voice raspy and head pounding. “I’m going to kill you. I’m going to kill you and I’m going to enjoy it.” 

The Avatar’s expression shifted, the horror in his eyes falling into seeming acceptance. He lowered his staff, pointing it at him like a spear. “I’m sorry. But I–”

“Save it,” Zuko said. “I don’t care.”

Then, out of nowhere, came a familiar voice. “Well, that’s certainly a first.” No. No no no no no no no no. She couldn’t be here. If she was here, that meant she really had– But she was here. Coming out of a gap between two half-collapsed buildings, accompanied by the water tribe Firebender, came Azula. 

XXXXX

If she were being kind, her brother looked terrible. He’d always been somewhat pale, but now his face was a disconcerting shade of off-white. His eyes were bloodshot and rimmed by bags, making him look like he hadn’t slept in days. Hair spilled out of a topknot, making him appear wild and manic.

And, of course, there was his scar. Azula hadn’t had a chance to see it before; Agni’s Four Hells, she hadn’t even seen it bandaged up. It was large, the red, wrinkly skin sticking out against the pale flesh. It covered the whole upper-left side of his face, forcing his eye into a permanent glare and disappearing into his hairline. 

He looked at her, and his face went slack, the fire of his rage snuffed out. “Azula…” he said, barely audible at the distance. “You… You can’t be here.”

“Well, I am,” she said. She shot Sokka a look, who nodded and backed away. She approached him, slowly. “And what about you, huh? Why are you here?”

“I… The Avatar has to die,” he said, averting his gaze to stare down at his boots. The rice fibers of his poncho crinkled in the wind. As she got closer, he took an abrupt step back, his grip on his helmet turning bone-white. “You… They say y-you’re a traitor.”

“Treason is a matter of perspective, Zuzu,” she said.

She’d meant it to be quiet, something private, just between them. A reminder that there was something beyond blind service to someone that didn’t care. But, apparently, the Avatar’s hearing was better than she thought, as she heard him suppress a giggle. “Zuzu?”

She shot a glare over her shoulder at him, watching him wither under the intense glare. But when she turned back, Zuko was gone. Oh, he had barely moved a muscle, but in that split second, he had thrown on his helmet, and he didn’t look like Zuko anymore. His posture was all wrong, loose and flowing in a way that Zuko’s never was. It was more like a puppet, pulled along by thick strings, than anything that resembled her brother. She blinked, and then he truly was gone.

Sokka bellowed in alarm as he darted forward, blades flashing. Sokka backpedaled, throwing out a fireball and trying to parry the onslaught with his boomerang. The Avatar called out and rushed forward, swinging with his staff. Zuko moved like a relentless tide, not slowing down and only piling on the attacks. He wove around a burst of wind, twisting a wrist and sending a stream of ice that tripped the Avatar. Knocking Sokka to the ground with the pommels of his swords, he dove at the Avatar. Azula didn’t want to fight him, but had no choice. She fell into a fighting stance, and sent a bolt of fire at him. 

He twisted out of the way at the last second, but it was enough to keep the Avatar from being skewered. The snarl of his mask served as a warning, but she was committed now. She could talk sense into him later, when he wasn’t threatening her best chance at killing her father. She moved like a blur, blue flames coalescing into daggers, as she rushed at her brother.

He finally started giving ground, backing away while sending ice spikes or water whips at her. He’d gotten a lot better, but so had she. She got in close, hoping to stay out of range of his blades, but close enough to render much of his waterbending ineffective. She kicked and spun, small spurts of fire flashing around his joints or the eye slits of his mask. He, in turn, suddenly went on the offensive, rushing her and trying to knock her aside with the flats of his swords. The blades sang through the air, and she just managed to leap back, twisting on the spot to slam her foot into the ground and shoot out a burst of fire.

But, as he flipped back into the shadow of one of the ruined buildings, he disappeared. Not blending into the darkness, but full-on disappeared. Azula stared, eyes wide, when the Avatar called, “Look out!” She looked up just in time for Zuko to slam into her from above, forcing her onto the ground. Water flowed from his hands onto hers, freezing solid and locking her in place. He sprang off her, rushing the Avatar and Sokka.

She growled, yanking on the ice but unable to experience even the lightest of give. The ice had been formed across her hands in such a way that she couldn’t effectively call a flame to her, leaving her, for the moment, stuck. She tilted her head, watching as Zuko tore into Sokka and the Avatar, shrugging off attacks that should’ve knocked him down, at the very least, and keeping up a relentless attack.

Suddenly, a shadow fell over her. A lithe shadow with a long braid flapping behind it, which materialized into Ty Lee as she somersaulted over to her. She drew Azula’s knife, jabbing it down like an icepick into the cuff on her right wrist. The ice cracked, giving Azula enough leeway to wrench her hand free. A burst of heat over the left cuff was all it took to free her other hand, and she darted into a sitting position.

Azula barely had time to breathe before Ty Lee pulled her into an unbreakable hug, squeeing like a schoolgirl. “Azula!” she said. “It's so good to see you!”

“Now isn’t the time, Ty Lee,” she said, clambering to her feet. Ty Lee, looking over her shoulder at the skirmish, nodded. Still, she pulled the dagger's scabbard out of her boot, handing it to Azula. She took it, along with the offered blade, and sheathed them on her belt. “Thanks.”

With that, the two rushed towards Zuko. He backed away under the sudden influx of reinforcements, Katara and… Iroh, rushing in from the sides to cut off his assault on the Avatar. Flames and water forced him back, once again resuming a defensive posture as he ducked around an ever-increasing volume of attacks. He kept just ahead of them, however, twisting like a snake as he sent out whips or attacked with his blades when they got too close. 

Azula rejoined the fight, kicking out a fireball as he attempted to skewer who she presumed to be Katara. At the same time, Sokka sent a fan of flames out at him, forcing him to divert water to shield himself from the blow. He turned the resultant mist into chunks of ice, sending them shooting out in all directions. As they all shielded themselves from the attack, he lunged towards the Avatar, blades held high–

–Only for the ground beneath him to writhe and crack, forcing him to flip out of the way just before it caved in where he was standing. Standing down a side street, Jee at her back, was… a little girl. Azula removed any lingering confusion as she stomped her feet, sending spikes out that Zuko was only barely able to avoid. Another prodigy, and likely the Avatar’s Earthbending teacher. How… interesting.

All of them combined hemmed Zuko in, sheer weight of numbers making up for any deficiency in skill or ferocity. He was finally forced into a corner, the last of the water in his canteens swirling around his blades. Azula kept her eyes locked on her brother, pleading silently for him to do the smart thing and surrender. If he noticed, he didn’t say anything. For that matter, since putting it back on, she hadn’t heard him make a single noise.

“You’re beaten,” the Avatar said. “Surrender.”

Zuko, seemingly, acquiesced. The water fell to the ground, splashing into mud beneath his boots. At the same time, his blades were put back into the scabbard at his side, while his hands were slowly raised into the air. The others seemingly let their guard down, but Azula didn’t waver. She knew Zuko, and if there was one thing about him, it was that he didn’t give up without a fight.

That fight came when his hands clenched into fists and yanked down. Azula felt something in her chest clench, like a hand was gripping the pathways leading to her heart. She reached for her chest, rasping for breath as she fell to her knees. The others were all doing the same, gaping like beached fish as they clutched at chests or throats. She felt something beneath her skin shift and bend, like the blood inside her veins was clotting and blocking the flow of blood. Her skin burned, while everything else began to feel eerily cold.

She looked up, just managing to catch the gaze of the demonic mask over her brother’s face. He gazed back, and perhaps it was the lack of oxygen going to her brain, but she swore she saw something flicker behind the eyes of that mask. Suddenly, the pressure abated, and she sucked in a full, deep breath. She sat there, along with the others, panting for fresh air for several long moments. When she looked up, Zuko was gone.

“Is everyone ok?” Sokka asked, being the first to rise to his feet. He clutched his head, still clearly woozy.

Katara was the next, staggering slightly as she righted herself. “Yeah, I’m– Sokka?”

“Katara!” Sokka cried, and the two embraced. They cheered and giggled, giddy at their reunion as they twisted on the spot. Azula smiled slightly, only for the smile to fade. Their reunion had certainly gone better than hers.

A look to her left made her realize that the family reunion would only get worse. For kneeling there, staring back at her, was her uncle. His face was blank, but she could feel the contempt radiating off of him. “Azula.”

She stared back, not bothering to hide her own. “Uncle.”