Ashes of Devotion [ATLA - Azula x OC]

[Rotceh]

Awesome.

You mean Aang? He never went into the Avatar State yet in my story. He never saw Monk Gyatso's corpse, and he wasn't caught by Zuko and fell of the ship to the icy water. So far, no one besides Zuko and the people who see Aang know about him. There would be rumors, mainly because in the show we see fishermen or people in Kyoshi island talk about the Avatar being there, but they would mostly be dismissed in the Fire Nation at the moment.

Click to shrink...

Wow, I wonder how long that will last.

 

[Lucernello]

AN: It's not Friday. I know. I failed. But, because it's holiday today, I figured I could give you two chapters and the discord server I mentioned:

Discord

Chapter 1 of 2 uploaded today. Just in case.

Enjoy,
Luce.
​

---

99 A.G

Aang had thought being followed by the children of Kyoshi Island would be fun, and for a while it had been.

Once one of them had gathered enough courage to ask if he could really fly, the rest had surrounded him with questions. They wanted to see airbending tricks, then Momo, then Appa, then more airbending tricks, and every time Aang tried to excuse himself, another kid asked for just one more.

By the time he slipped behind one of the houses near the edge of the village, he was more tired than he expected. Momo landed on the roof above him with a stolen fruit in his paws, and Aang raised a finger to his lips.

The flying lemur stared at him, took a bite, and somehow the children rushing down the nearby road still failed to notice them. When their voices faded, Aang stepped out again and went looking for Katara.

The news Suki had given him had given him a lot to think about but he had delayed thinking much on it with the kids. Now though, he had to focus back on it. Omashu had fallen to the Fire Nation. So traveling there didn't seem like a good plan anymore.

He did not know much about what the city was like now, but he didn't think it would be very welcoming. He had wanted to stop there before going north, because it was familiar, and he had happy memories of the place.

He found Katara near the water, practicing with a wooden bowl she had filled from the shore. A thin stream rose between her hands, trembled for a few seconds, then splashed back down before she could shape it properly.

"You almost had it." Aang said.

Katara turned, then sighed when some of the water spilled over the rim. "Are you finally done playing around?"

"I guess so..."

Momo chattered from his shoulder, and Katara smiled gently. "I'm sorry, I just don't think we should stay in one place for very long. Getting comfortable like this doesn't feel right." she said.

Aang nodded. "Speaking about that… we cannot go to Omashu anymore.."

"Why?"

"Suki told me the Fire Nation controls the city, flying in on Appa would be a bad idea." Aang looked down at the bowl, watching the water settle. "I thought we could get some rest there, maybe hear what was happening in the Earth Kingdom, but if the city is indeed occupied, we need another plan."

Katara lowered her hands. "Then we find another place."

"That sounds easier when you say it."

"Well, the Earth Kingdom is quite huge. I'm sure we will find somewhere else the Fire Nation hasn't touched yet. We still have to go north." She said.

Aang nodded but he had no alternative yet really. Much like himself, Katara also needed a waterbending master, and the North Pole was still the only clear place they knew to find one.

They went to find Sokka and discovered him at the training ground, dressed in the green robes of the Kyoshi Warriors with his face painted white and red. He held a pair of fans while Suki corrected the angle of his arms, and he was trying so hard to look serious that Aang started laughing before he could stop himself.

Sokka turned toward them. "Don't."

Katara pressed her lips together. "We didn't say anything."

"You don't need to!"

"You look nice, brother."

"That is worse!"

Suki adjusted his stance with a calm expression. "Your knees are too high again."

"My knees are doing their best…" Sokka complained, lowering himself with a grimace. "Everything hurts. My arms hurt, my legs hurt, and I think my back is angry at me. This is the most intense training I have ever seen!"

Aang smiled, but he remembered why they had come quickly enough. "Sokka, we need to talk about Omashu."

Sokka's expression changed despite the paint. "Suki told me. I was going to bring it up after training."

"So you agree?" Katara asked.

"That we shouldn't fly into a Fire Nation occupied city? Yes, I agree with that." Sokka closed one of the fans. "We still need to plan where to stop to rest at times, and we still need a route north, but Omashu is definitely out."

Aang looked toward the village road. "Then we need another plan."

Shouting rose from the far side of the village before anyone could answer. The warriors stopped training at once, and several villagers ran past the open space with frightened faces. The elder arrived moments later, breathing hard.

"Fire Nation soldiers are marching toward the village, we need you out there." he said.

Suki looked at Aang immediately. "You need to hide."

"I can help." Aang said, quickly.

"If they came looking for you, showing yourself will make this worse." Suki said. "Let us speak to them first."

The elder nodded. "We will buy you time if we must, you have to leave, they cannot capture the Avatar now that he is back!"

"Wait, please… I… I want to apologize before I stop having the chance to do so. You are a great warrior, I'm sorry I saw you as just a girl." Sokka said to Suki, looking down.

"Sokka, I'm a warrior, but I'm also a girl. Thank you." Suki said, giving him a light peck on his cheek, then rushing out.

Aang did not like it, but Katara had already reached for his sleeve pulling him towards safety, and Sokka followed while still wearing the Kyoshi Warrior robes. They crouched behind a low wall near the storage buildings, close enough to hear the road and see part of the village entrance between the houses.

The Fire Nation soldiers entered atop Komodo Rhinos. At their front rode the burned teenager from the sanctuary, the same one who had chased Momo and seen Aang's arrow before they escaped.

He stopped before the elder and the Kyoshi Warriors. "I am Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation. I know you are hiding the Avatar. Give it to me and no one gets hurt."

Katara's hand tightened on Aang's sleeve.

The elder stood firm. "Kyoshi Island is neutral. We trade with the Fire Nation, we are partners, you cannot demand anything of us like this."

"You are protecting an enemy of my nation." roared Zuko

"There is no enemy here, he is already gone." Suki said.

Zuko's face tightened. "I know he is here."

"I assure you, he is already gone." Suki answered. "You have no reason to threaten this village."

For a few seconds, the road went quiet. Then Zuko raised his hand and sent a blast of fire toward the ground near the elder's feet. One of the warriors quickly grabbed him, taking him to a safe place in one of the houses.

The rest of the Kyoshi Warriors moved to engage them as they dismounted from their rhinos. Suki struck first, opening her fans as she forced one soldier back, blocking the fire and closing the distance.

The others followed her, quick and disciplined, meeting fire with steel fans, and sweeping strikes. The Fire Nation soldiers answered with flames, and the road filled with smoke and shouts as villagers fled toward the houses.

Aang watched from behind the wall, angry and guilty at the same time. A blast of fire caught the side of a house, and flames began climbing along the wood beneath the roof.

"We need to get to Appa, quickly!" Sokka whispered.

Katara pulled Aang's sleeve. "Come on."

They ran through the side paths toward the field where Appa waited. Momo clung to Aang's shoulder, and Sokka nearly tripped twice over the warrior robes before they reached the saddle.

"Yip yip!" Aang shouted.

Appa rose above the village. From the air, Aang could see the Kyoshi Warriors forcing the Fire Nation soldiers back toward the shore. They were holding them off, but some of the warriors were limping, and smoke rose from more than one roof.

Near the road, Zuko looked up and met Aang's eyes. Then he turned toward his soldiers, shouting for them to retreat and follow.

"Oh good, they are going to follow us then." Sokka said.

Aang kept looking at the burning houses, then at the water around the island where the Unagi moved beneath the surface.

"I can put out the fires before we leave."

Sokka stared at him. "Please tell me that does not involve something crazy."

Aang jumped from Appa above the sea, he vaguely heard Sokka say something about madness. As he went deeper he saw the giant creature swimming quickly his way. With the help of his air control he quickly evaded him, and Aang caught one of its long whiskers with both hands.

The Unagi burst from the water with a roar, thrashing beneath him, dragging him across the waves, but he used the wind to keep his grip and his feet guided its head back toward the village. The Unagi released a massive spray of water, trying to get him, and covered over the houses.

The rain from its spray drowned the flames beneath. The worst fires disappeared, leaving soaked wood and thin traces of smoke behind.

The Unagi twisted hard, and Aang let the movement throw him upward, back toward Appa, who promptly caught him, landing wet and breathless in the saddle while Katara grabbed the back of his shirt to keep him from sliding.

Sokka stared at him with smeared face paint. "Well, you really did get to ride a giant monster."

Aang smiled at him, although internally, he felt guilty. The village had come to danger because of him. It was clear to him that Katara was right, they couldn't stay in one place for very long.

The village was damaged, and he could see a Fire Nation ship close to the shore; he hoped they would just leave them alone and follow him. Aang stayed facing the island until the houses grew small behind them.
​

---

Chin City was really progressing to become one of the biggest cities in the south of the continent, rivaling Gaoling and New Ozai eventually. Having contacted her brother Raizo, she had begun immigration plans from the other colonies, and expansion was rapidly taking place.

At the same time, her campaign toward Ba Sing Se was progressing here as well. The trains were ready, the supply logistical plans had been checked, and the next stop would be New Ozai, where the rest of the convoy would assemble before moving toward the front.

The occupied mountain city was already serving as a stronger anchor for the campaign than most of the officers had expected, although Lin suspected that said more about their lack of imagination than about the value of New Ozai itself.

Now she was facing another issue altogether. The problem was how to keep the food for a long campaign in the front. There were no problems with production, there was too much of it at the moment, and too many people were treating that as good news. The problem was how to keep the front supplied, especially when they moved inside the first ring of Ba Sing Se.

Lin had spent the morning reviewing storehouse reports, harvest projections, rail capacity, and expected consumption for the next months. The numbers looked favorable only if one ignored the seasonal change ahead.

Production would drop once the weather changed on the other side of the continent, and the army was too big at the moment to suffer food shortages. If they celebrated the current surplus without preparing for the later fall, they would create a shortage out of their own success.

It was an irritating sort of problem as it was something solved so easily in her past life. Salt preserved meat, but it was not enough. Drying and smoking helped, but both required time, space, and labor that would be needed elsewhere once the campaign widened.

Grain could be stored more easily, but vegetables, fish, and fresh meat spoiled too quickly near the rail lines, so she needed to find a way to create cold storage. A fridge was something that had come years before she was born already, and she didn't know exactly how it worked.

Her family engineers had received her notes on vapor-compressor refrigeration weeks ago, and the latest report had been honest enough to be disappointing. They couldn't find a way to make it small enough, and so far all of the experiments had failed in terms of cost and how well they operated.

The pressure changes damaged the piping faster than expected. Even when they managed to keep the machine running. Although the Fire Nation had managed to discover electricity and even now invented a small dynamo that could act as an electrical generator, it was still not good enough yet.

They had attached to the test engine a unit of the dynamo but it could not provide enough power for pressure and heat needed. The other issue is that she had no idea what her world had used to replace natural magnets. She was sure they were no longer being used by the time a fridge was sold commercially worldwide, but she had no clear idea.

Lin understood the concept well enough to explain what the machine was supposed to do, but not well enough to build one herself. Compress a working fluid, move heat away, allow expansion, draw heat from the storage space, then repeat the cycle.

The question was how to do that precisely and with the tools they had available. The dynamos were still too weak so it was another challenge as they had to then adapt a working prototype to a train.

The engineers were working on a solution but having only a concept was challenging for them. Besides, she was not that good in chemistry and physics, so she had no idea how to help at all. When the report began repeating the word promising, Lin folded it and put it away. They were probably years away then from a working solution for the front.

Thankfully she received a distraction to tackle that particular detail later. Toph came barreling down her office in her usual energetic way.

"Hey Metalsticks! You promised we would spend the day together today." she said.

Lin chuckled but nodded. "I suppose we can go for a walk first, I need a bit of air." she admitted.

"Oh that much I know, and I'm blind!"

"Dear me, it's that evident?" Lin asked.

"Yeah, it's in your voice. It gives tired Lin vibes."

"Alright, let's go."

The girl followed her toward the outskirts of the city. Lin liked this part of Chin, it had a lot of green and the air felt nice and cold. As they approached one of the gates, she saluted some of the guards and carried on.

"You know…" Toph said, walking beside her with both hands behind her head, "most people spend time together by doing something fun."

"Well, I think I needed a bit of relaxing first before doing something fun."

"That is not fun."

"You are right, what do you have in mind?"

"We could challenge those gamblers again."

Lin looked down at her. "You constantly cheat them of their money, Toph. I believe they don't want to play with you anymore."

"They are a bunch of crybabies, they couldn't prove anything." Toph said, irritated. "Besides I buy nice food for them with that money."

"I guess we could play just the two of us."

Toph scowled. "You crushed the dice we had last time."

"I felt them move on their own, I was surprised."

Toph made a face. "I didn't move them."

Lin did not answer, mostly because Toph would treat any answer as permission to continue arguing. The blind girl walked with her usual careless confidence, bare feet finding every change in the road before it could trouble her.

She had been restless since the beach, and although she would not say she had felt excluded, she had complained about being left behind, and had to be pacified with the promise of having fun the two of them alone, to get back at Azula.

The princess did not mind it of course, she wanted to visit Mai now that she had arrived at New Ozai, so it fit perfectly, and she had gone ahead to wait for them there and catch up with her stoic friend.

They approached one of the village gates, where two soldiers were checking travel papers beside a low guard post. Beyond the gate, the road bent toward the fields and the smaller paths used by traders coming from the coast. Lin was about to continue past when she noticed three teenagers standing near the checkpoint.

They wore travel packs and Water Tribe blue outfits. The oldest boy's hand hovered near the weapon at his side, it looked like a club, the girl beside him was nervous and was anxiously angling her body to the side for some reason.

The youngest wore a hood over his head, and held a staff in both hands. It was him that had found her staring first. His face turned to that of fear, something that Lin was used to by now, there were so many rumors going around about her, that a few people who came to visit would flee randomly upon seeing her.

For a moment, Lin simply studied them. Three Water Tribe teenagers had walked into Chin City at the same time she was trying to solve a supply problem that would be easier with access to southern ice and maybe, if she played her cards right, their labor.

They looked too young to be soldiers, too poorly prepared to be spies, and too frightened to have come here expecting her. 'This looks like a miracle sent just for me.' she thought.

Toph tilted her head. "Is something wrong?."

"Toph…There are three Water Tribe civilians at the gate."

Toph turned toward them with sudden interest. "Water Tribe? Here?"

"Yes."

"Awesome, new people, what's so special about that?"

"We have never seen Water Tribe citizens before, this is a great opportunity!"

"For what?"

"Something that will make me very happy if it works."

"Uhm, why?"

Lin started toward the gate before the soldiers could decide to handle the matter themselves. She needed to accommodate as best as possible. The guards at the gate would just scare them more.

"Toph." Lin said, keeping her voice low. "Hurry up and follow me."

"I'm already following you."

"Stay close."

She kept her pace steady, almost rushing to meet them, watching how the three teenagers reacted as she approached. The boy with the hood tightened his grip on the staff, and the Water Tribe girl's eyes followed Lin's metal arms for a second before her face showed how scared she was.

'Damn my body is a PR nightmare it seems.' she thought.​

 

[Lucernello]

AN: Chapter 2 of 2 uploaded today. Just in case.

Discord

Enjoy,
Luce
​

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99 A.G

Aang had thought Chin City would be safer than Omashu. That had been the whole reason for stopping there. They had left Kyoshi Island too quickly to gather enough food, and some of what they had packed before had been lost during the chase.

Sokka had insisted they could not keep flying north with empty bags and hoped to find friendly villages by luck alone. Katara had agreed, and Aang had not argued because Appa needed a bit of rest as much as they needed supplies.

He had expected nervous traders, maybe Fire Nation patrols, being asked what they were doing so far away from the South Pole maybe, to explain their situation as they were just simply traveling around, looking for adventure. That was something believable for a bunch of teenagers after all.

He had not expected Lin Renshi, the foe so great even a dedicated warrior like Suki feared her so much, to be walking near the gate. For a moment, none of them moved, and Aang wondered if they should make a run for it.

Aang knew her from a distance, from stories, from Suki's warnings. It was really difficult to miss her metal arms and legs. The Kyoshi Warriors said she was likely in Omashu after having captured it, but they were clearly wrong.

That had been part of why they wanted to avoid the mountain city. Seeing her here, close enough that he could hear the faint sound of metal when she walked, made his thoughts scatter. He saw Sokka's hand reach toward his boomerang and club, and Katara to uncork her waterskin, ready to fight their way out of here.

Aang tightened his grip on his staff and felt the air gather around his fingers before he could stop himself. One strong blast might throw the evil spirit back far enough for them to run, maybe; if he caught her by surprise, and if she did not recover too quickly, if the soldiers at the gate did not attack before they reached Appa.

Then he saw the small girl following behind her, having to run to keep up with Lin's hurried stride. She was clearly younger than them, with dark hair, bare feet, and a careless expression.

'Oh no, is she kidnapping children? If so, I can't just leave her at the mercy of a monster.' he thought.

Aang realized then that the small girl was blind as well, that explained why she was following her then, she didn't know what she was.

Still, she was too close, if Aang attacked, she could be hurt before anyone understood what was happening. In his mind, Suki's voice returned to him from Kyoshi Island: 'Talk to her first, if you can.'

Lin stopped several steps away, close enough to speak without raising her voice. Her eyes moved over them once, then settled on Katara's clothes.

"You are people from the Southern Water Tribe! Aren't you?" she said.

Sokka swallowed. "And what if we are?"

"You are the first citizens to come from the South Pole. This is a great opportunity."

"Uhm…right, sure. For what?"

Katara gave him a look before turning back to Lin. "We are just passing through. We don't want trouble."

"Good, law-abiding citizens are welcomed from everywhere here." Lin said. "Trouble would be inconvenient."

Aang blinked. 'Is she threatening us? This is so awkward.' Aang thought.

The blind girl tilted her head toward him. "Well, they did not lie on the trouble part, but one of them is shaking."

"I am not shaking!" Sokka said quickly.

"I didn't mean you, big dummy." the small girl snorted. Aang stiffened, how could the small girl see? And he worried that if Sokka got mad it could end up with him saying something stupid again.

Lin glanced down at the girl. "Toph."

"What? He is."

"It's rude to point it out, it's normal for people to have fears, especially because they look like they just left the South Pole for the first time in their lives, please don't antagonize them." Lin said, sighing.

Aang gripped his staff harder. "What do you want?"

"Well, I actually want to talk with you, but we can do that inside the city." Lin said. "I actually am the governor whenever I'm here, although I have a team that helps me manage."

"I'm not sure we want to enter the city now." Katara said.

"Mmm, I know I can be a bit scary, but rest assured you will be treated fairly everywhere and if you don't want to hear me out, then I will respect that."

"We are not afraid." Sokka said.

Aang did not know what to do here, she seemed civil enough but the air was very tense. Katara seemed just as uncertain, but she recovered first. "What do you want from us? We can discuss it here first."

"Mm, you sure? I could invite you to a cup of tea first." Lin said.

"We are sure." Aang said.

"Very well… Your tribe has access to ice, people accustomed to southern conditions, and knowledge of waters my people do not know well." Lin said. "I have supply problems that may be easier to solve with cooperation between each other. I can provide food, maybe even some of our merchant ships, and tools for various needs. I'm aware I don't know much about the South Pole or its people so I may not know what exactly you need but I'm willing to offer plenty of different things and we can negotiate."

Sokka stared at her. "You want to trade?"

"Yes, obviously. The South Pole is very rough to travel to, logistically it's a nightmare and we don't know which ice can be taken and which would be dangerous to do so. We don't want to battle the weather, angering your population and causing raids. We could discuss the details to make it ideal for both sides."

"After the atrocities you have all done to our people you think we want anything to do with you?!" Katara said angrily, almost screaming.

"I was a kid when the Southern Water Tribe was invaded, I was not really privy as to why we did, or what was the goal or even what happened as I admit some of it was heavily guarded, not even my family could get ahold of the records. It must have been brutal for you to have that reaction, and for that I'm sorry you had to live through that. At some point though, your people would want to rebuild, I'm just offering to help you and once our trade is no longer useful I will leave your tribe alone."

The worst part, Aang thought, was that she was probably telling the truth.

"I feel a heavy animal trying to eat from a tree."

Lin's eyes shifted past them toward the fields. "Really? How big exactly?"

"Maybe bigger than a Rhino, do you want to capture it? It could be fun."

Aang froze again. "Uhm, it might be ours. Why would you want to capture it?"

"If you arrived with a large animal and left it outside the village, someone may be hurt if they consider it a threat, and we usually tame animals to help in different tasks, they are nice companions as well."

Sokka looked at Aang, then Katara, then back at Lin. "And if we tell you that it won't be a threat even if left alone?"

"Then I would say it would still be irresponsible, what if someone walks by and tries to capture it even if we don't?"

"Err… good point." Sokka conceded.

"Toph can help make a pen for your friend, she will show you how later. I'm curious as to what you have in the South Pole as well. Now that I think about it… you didn't arrive at the docks, so you didn't sail here. I'm assuming your mount can swim?" she asked, surprised.

"Oh yeah, Appa can swim, even in deep cold waters." Katara said quickly.

"That's so cool, I want to meet him." Toph said.

They guided her to the place where Appa waited beyond the road, partly hidden near a low rise. Aang walked stiffly the whole way, ready to move if Lin so much as raised her hand.

"Ah I see now, that's an impressive sight." Lin said.

Appa made a soft grunt and approached him slowly, wary of the girl with metal arms. If there was something Aang could trust, it is Appa's instincts.

"Haha, I like him. I can smell him from here." Toph said.

"It isn't that bad…" Sokka commented. "Wait until he sneezes on you."

Toph snorted. "How did you let that happen to you?"

"Who said anything about it happening to me?" Sokka said, indignantly.

The girl just laughed at him. "Toph, can you please make a pen for the big guy?" Lin asked.

"Sure."

Aang didn't know why Lin was asking a blind girl to build something but the confusion was cleared fast as the blind girl stepped forward, touched her foot to the ground, and bent the earth into a low stone wall around them and Appa with quick, confident movements.

Appa grumbled but did not seem offended.

"There." Toph said. "It is big enough for him to roam a bit."

Aang was surprised, the blind girl was actually an earthbender. Not only that, but she seemed a capable one at that. He wondered how she came to be friends with that monster in the first place.

Lin approached Appa slowly and looked up at him. For the first time, her face softened by a small amount. "Beautiful. What is it?"

"It's a s- a bison." Aang said, almost making a mistake.

"A bison.. With six legs, a Beaver tail and as big as at least three of the bisons I know about. This world…" He heard her mutter.

Aang simply stared at her, confused.

"What does he eat?" Lin asked.

Aang blinked stunned for a bit, before answering. "Mostly hay, tall grass. Fruit. Vegetables. Anything vegetarian."

"It must have been tough feeding him in the South Pole. I will have something brought for him."

Aang did not understand how the conversation had become this, but he nodded anyway. "Thank you."

It was obvious to him now that there was more to her than being an evil spirit as the rumors said, but he was still very wary of her.

Toph turned toward Lin. "You still owe me a spar."

"Well, I was talking with our guests… it can be later."

"You always say later."

"Alright, alright. I guess we can leave them so that they think about it."

Lin looked back at the three of them. "Consider my offer. I will be at the train station in the evening, or you can ask around for me to one of the guards, they will guide you to me. Until then, you may use Chin's hospitality, provided you do not create a scene."

She left with Toph walking beside her, already talking about where to fight. Aang watched them go, still holding his staff.

"Who would want to spar with her?" he asked.
​

---

After exploring the market from Chin city and speaking with a few of the locals, Aang, Sokka and Katara realized that they didn't have money to buy supplies. The Fire Nation used a coin named ban, divided in copper pieces, silver pieces or gold pieces. Of which they had none of.

They gathered away from prying eyes to discuss the offer so that they could leave the city with enough supplies for their trip north.

"We cannot trust her, what if she invades our village?" Katara was saying.

"Katara, let's be reasonable. If they wanted to invade us again they already could do so, without telling us anything." Sokka reasoned.

"I admit she was terrifying at first, but she isn't really what I was expecting." Aang voiced his opinion.

"I think we should take the deal. No, wait, hear me out, Katara. Our village could use the help. They were trading with Kyoshi Island as well, you saw how much it helped them." Sokka said.

"Yet they still came down to burn the village down." Katara replied.

"But it wasn't Lin's fault. It was Zuko who did that." Aang said.

"Yeah, that crazy guy clearly has it for us. Besides, we really do need supplies, and we have no money to buy them. Do you want us to starve or something?" Sokka asked.

"It would be better than to help the Fire Nation. I cannot believe this, you know what they are, Sokka. They are murderers."

"Look, all I'm saying is that we could use the help. Earthbenders are clearly working with the Fire Nation and the civilians living in this city are mostly from the Earth Kingdom. They didn't antagonize us even though they could have arrested us for not being Fire Nation. Instead they just left us alone and offered us a great deal. I think we need to see the benefits, it doesn't mean we won't fight them when we need to. You also have to consider that Aang will need a firebending teacher at some point as well, so we have to work with someone from the Fire Nation anyway in the future."

"Alright, alright! Let's hope I don't have to say 'I told you so'." Katara relented.

"Great, we will negotiate a deal with them then. Let's think about what would be best for our village." Sokka said, seriously.
​

---

The Water Tribe teenagers came to the train station as she was checking the progress of her trains with Toph. Lin had not expected them to accept so quickly, but she was pleased that they had.

The oldest boy had watched every soldier in the station like he expected one of them to attack them at any moment, and the girl had stayed close to the younger one while trying to look less worried than she was.

In hindsight she should have questioned why they were frightened, or suspicious, and poorly prepared for their travel. But in that moment, she only saw a bunch of kids looking for adventure without knowing that the world was a much larger beast than they knew about.

They had negotiated with her and explained what they needed and that they intended to keep traveling north later in the day.

To Lin, them being nervous and frightened made a lot of sense. She of course knew about the southern raids years back, they must have hit pretty hard, but they still braved the sea to get to know their world, it was pretty brave of them at their young age.

That they were still wary, for Lin, made them sensible and smart. One could never be too careful when traveling, and she hoped they didn't encounter a lot of trouble. Lin gave them supplies from the station stores.

Dried meat, vegetables and fruit that they asked for. She also let their bison eat from their haystacks. After securing them in Appa, she gave them waterskins, blankets, and enough travel food to keep them moving for several days if they rationed it properly.

She also gave them a written notice with her seal, informing settlements under her control that the three travelers were allowed food, water, and temporary shelter if they arrived without causing disturbances.

The older boy read the notice twice. "You're just giving us this?" he asked.

"I am exchanging it for that letter I mentioned."

"That still feels uneven." he commented.

"It is not for me, I will use the ice to make our food reserves last a long time, the people here will thank you a lot for it."

He did not seem reassured, but he took the brush when she placed it before him. His writing was slower than hers, he clearly knew the letters but his handwriting was atrocious really. He addressed the message to his tribe and signed it with his name and lineage.

Sokka, son of Chief Hakoda of Wolf Cove.

Lin kept her expression steady when she read it. She really was lucky. To have encountered the son of a small tribe chieftain by coincidence was really almost a miracle. Now she would help the tribe progress and in turn they would help her gather ice and actually have a base in the South Pole. It was a great boon.

"There is one more thing. I have a waterbending scroll that you may want to keep. We don't really need it and you might find it more valuable than us." Lin said, taking out the scroll she had already picked up earlier after the spar with Toph.

"What?! A waterbending scroll?" The water tribe girl asked, bewildered. "Why do you have one?"

"We took it off from some pirates we sank a few months back, near a mining village we control. It was something they believed was valuable, so we took it along with the rest of their things before sinking their ship." Lin said.

Lin could see the girl really wanted to have it, and she couldn't really blame her. The fact that they hadn't seen or heard any rumors about waterbenders this close to the South Pole meant that the campaign against the Southern Water Tribe had been even extremely successful and brutal indeed.

"You can have it as well, preserving your culture and history is important." Lin said.

"Thank you." the girl said, in what was the first time she spoke without seemingly being angry at her.

She did not need the Water Tribe to like her really, but it did help. She needed access, maybe a bit of labor, and a place where ships could dock without issues. Stealing ice from the south would be possible, but expensive and stupid. Fighting there would be worse. Fire Nation crews would hate the cold, hate the dark, and hate every task that involved being there suffering the cold.

She still was aware that the tribes didn't have men in the south anymore, they had all committed to fight in their navy. If her reports were right though, the Fire Nation had already dealt with them so they were probably not coming back.

If they could come in and encourage their help and cooperation, they could also maybe form new bonds, eventually repopulate and their colonization efforts would be easier. A dock built with local consent would solve more problems than a raid. It was definitely worth more than a few crates of food and supplies for three teenagers and a useless scroll.

"Have a nice trip. Take care now." Lin said, finally.

When the three left the station, Toph followed them with her face turned toward the door.

"They didn't want to make the trade at all, you know?" she said.

"I am aware, but I think they were thinking about their tribe first before their own needs. Which is why I gave them more supplies for their trip."

Toph snorted. "They still think you might eat them."

"I guess the rumors out there have spread far and wide..."

"It's a wonder that they left the South Pole at all, they are brave to travel the world like that. I think I want to travel as well."

"Well, in a week's time we will be traveling deep into the Earth Kingdom actually. And I was thinking that we could make a few trips to see the most interesting parts. I hear there is a pass between the east and west continent called the serpent's pass."

"That sounds cool…"

They left the station back toward her office. Inside Lin returned to the maps laid out across the table, marking a note beside Wolf Cove before she folded Sokka's letter and sealed it inside a small case.

She had no interest in explaining to some court official why she had opened communication with a Water Tribe settlement without first asking permission, so she would have to keep it undisclosed only for the people she had in mind that would handle this.

Captain Aiku entered suddenly.

"General." he said, saluting. "Prince Zuko has arrived at the dock."

Lin looked up. "Oh, does he need anything?"

"He is requesting assistance with one member of his crew who has been taken captive. He says the Kyoshi Warriors took him prisoner on their island."

Toph's head lifted. "The fan girls?"

Lin ignored that. "Bring him in."

Zuko arrived followed by his uncle, general Iroh. Lin saluted them both and offered them to step in and have a cup of tea. Iroh accepted but Zuko remained standing.

"Commander." he said. "I need to take command of a few soldiers. The Kyoshi Warriors are holding one of my men."

"My prince. It's general now. And why did they capture one of your crew?"

"Right, general. Congratulations. As I was saying, they got in the way of my research."

Lin just waited, so far he was not making a lot of sense.

Zuko's mouth tightened. "They defied me."

"That does not explain why they took a prisoner."

"Err….They attacked my crew." Zuko said.

Lin turned to Iroh who just nodded along, saying nothing.

"I have visited the island a few times. They wouldn't have attacked your men, especially after I made it clear that they had to talk to anyone first before they did anything stupid." Lin replied.

He remained silent, clearly not expecting that answer. Lin felt her irritation flare. Kyoshi Island had already proven to be a good trade partner. Their hardwood was being used heavily to construct railway tracks that could handle the weight of the artillery guns. Their meat was a delicacy many in her controlled territories enjoyed.

It seemed the prince couldn't control his temper if he had attacked a neutral village, with only a few warriors to defend itself.

"You attacked Kyoshi Island, for what reason?" Lin asked.

"I was investigating a possible lead on the avatar."

It was true that Kyoshi Island worshiped the old Avatar, but if he had attacked only for that reason, it was beyond stupid. Toph's face turned slightly toward her, listening.

"He is lying." Toph said.

Lin kept her voice level. "So you dare lie to my face about what you were doing there."

"I am not! Are you going to trust some earthbender over your prince?"

"That earthbender could bury you anytime you want, prince grumpy." Toph replied back.

Zuko stepped forward, ready to argue with the small girl when Lin stopped him. "Toph here was responsible for Omashu's surrender… So far, she has contributed far more to the war effort of your nation than you, Prince Zuko. I advise you to be respectful now or you will find no allies in my territories."

He backed off quickly when General Iroh stepped in as well to defuse the situation.

"My nephew didn't mean that, we are just a bit stressed, we did find a lead and we want to follow it, but in the chaos as we were leaving, already moving our ship, we realized one of our own was missing."

"I need him back now." Zuko said.

"Then I will negotiate his release." Lin said finally.

His eyes narrowed. "Negotiate?"

"We are not invading a neutral territory we trade with, I'm not giving you command of any of my men." Lin began gathering the papers she needed from the table. "I can go personally by glider and reach the island faster than any ship anyway."

"I will go with you." Zuko said.

"No."

"He is my crewman."

"You have done enough. You will wait for him here and do nothing more."

"You cannot talk to me like that! And you cannot order me-."

"I can, I even have the authority to arrest you and your entire crew if I so wished, Prince Zuko. You were banished and have no real authority over me. So better choose your next words very carefully."

"We will of course, hear counsel, General. Sorry for the inconvenience and we will appreciate the help in bringing him back." Iroh said.

Lin fastened the case to her belt and looked at Zuko directly. "You've embarrassed yourself, you've embarrassed your family. But most importantly, you've somewhat inconvenienced me. Reflect on that."

"What?" Zuko's face flushed darker, but she didn't let him say anything else, turning to Aiku.

"Prepare the glider. Lieutenant Toma will fly with me. We will have a seat empty to bring him back. Bring a few men from the garrison, I want you to watch over the Prince and his crew."

Aiku saluted. "Yes, General."

"But-" Zuko began to say, but was cut off again.

"Toph, will you help Aiku and keep watch on him as well? I know you don't like flying and if we only take one glider the better.

Toph grinned from beside the table. "I can keep Broody Boy company."

"Great, I'm counting on you."

"Stop!" Zuko said.

"I allow you to rough him up a bit if you need to as well, Toph." Lin said, already preparing to leave, as Aiku summoned more of the city's guards to them.

"You are being unreasonable!" Zuko complained, but he didn't seem keen on fighting everyone now.

Lin left before he could say anything else. Outside, the dock was already active with orders being relayed toward the aircraft platform. Lieutenant Toma waited near the glider, already wearing the vest they used to strap into the aircraft's frame, while two mechanics secured the last restraints on the wings.

Lin climbed into the forward seat, still angry about the whole situation.

"Toma." she said.

The lieutenant settled into position behind her. "Ready, General."

"Take us to the skies, Lieutenant, we are heading for Kyoshi's island."

The glider lurched forward, as Toma began firebending. The cold wind hit her face, calming her down.
​

---

Kyoshi Island received her with less warmth than usual. That was fair, Lin supposed. Their village had been attacked by a banished prince who still wore Fire Nation colors, and now another Fire Nation officer was arriving shortly after.

Lieutenant Toma had stayed near the glider and Lin approached the village alone. The Kyoshi Warriors stood in a line near her, fans in hand, while several villagers worked on damaged roofs behind them. Some of the wood was soaked, and the road still carried puddles from whatever had put the worst of the fires out.

Lin saw the elder she was used to talking to and stopped before him, bowing her head.

"I apologize for this attack on you. It was not authorized by me, and it was not authorized by anyone in my command."

Suki, the warrior's leader, stepped forward, clearly angry. "He said he was acting in the name of the Fire Nation."

"It is a lie. He is banished from the home islands. He commands his own ship and crew, not anyone else." Lin looked toward the damaged houses. "That does not repair what he burned, but I'm here to try and rectify what happened."

"While it is true it doesn't undo the attack, no one died luckily. We appreciate you coming here so quickly." the elder said.

"Of course, elder. I will cover the repairs and replace what was lost. If any of your people were injured, I can send word for medical supplies to arrive with the next shipment of supplies."

A few villagers muttered among themselves. Lin could hear anger in it, but also relief, which mattered more. The loss of a useful trade partner over Zuko's temper would have pissed her off greatly.

Suki stared at her for a bit, then finally lowered her stance. "We captured one of his men."

"Yes, I actually came to retrieve him." Lin kept her voice even. "If it is okay with you, I will take him off your hands. I don't fault you for defending yourselves."

The elder studied her for a long moment before looking to Suki. She nodded once, still wary, and two warriors brought the prisoner from one of the nearby buildings. He was bruised, embarrassed, and trying too hard to stand straight once he saw her.

"Commander Lin" he said.

Lin looked him over. "It's general now, ensign. Can you walk?"

"Yes, General."

"Good. You will apologize to them."

His face twitched. "General?"

"Now."

The crewman swallowed and turned toward the elder. "I apologize for the damage caused by our actions."

It was stiff and awkward, but the elder accepted it with a small nod.

"I will send the first repair payment within three days," she said. "If Prince Zuko or his crew return here you have my permission to apprehend them immediately."

Suki's eyes narrowed slightly. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, then you can send word to Chin City and we will handle him if he tries anything else."

That earned a brief amused look from her, although it disappeared quickly. Lin turned away with the prisoner walking beside her. Only once they were far enough from the elder did she speak again.

"What truly happened here?"

The crewman hesitated. "I don't think I can say, General. The prince would get angry at me."

"Ensign, if you don't tell me I will just say you died in captivity and throw you off my plane. I think you should really think about who you want to anger here. Me or the prince."

The young man paled. "I… we were following the Avatar."

"The Avatar is actually alive? How?" Lin asked.

"We believe the late Avatar was hiding in the Water Tribes, then he passed away and now the new avatar was reborn as a Southern Water Tribe kid."

'I had it in front of me…' Lin thought grimly.

"And this new Avatar came here?"

"Yes, General. Prince Zuko saw him. He is traveling with two other Water Tribe teenagers." The crewman glanced toward her, uneasy now. "We pursued them, but the village interfered."

"Thank you for your honesty, Ensign. Talk about what you just told me and you are dead." Lin threatened him.

"R-right, I won't say a word!"

Lin continued walking toward the glider, the ensign following behind her. She was lost in thought. She had fed them, issued them safe passage, given them a sealed notice, and accepted a letter that now sat in her case.

Zuko had known enough to pursue them to Kyoshi Island, yet when he came to her, he had hidden that detail. He lied to her face, when she had tried her best to help him on his quest. More importantly, that she had aided them was a problem.

If this reached the wrong people, it could become useful to anyone looking for weakness in her career. A Fire Nation general had aided the Avatar, even unknowingly. The accusation alone could cause problems.

Right now, only Toph and Aiku knew the details of the trade. The soldiers at the station had seen supplies move, but not why. The route south could still be pursued, quietly, with fewer names written down and fewer people invited to participate on the mission.

Lin climbed into the glider and gestured for the crewman to take the empty seat.

Lieutenant Toma looked back at her. "General."

"We return to Chin, Lieutenant."

As the glider lifted from Kyoshi Island with the crewman secured behind her, Lin watched the village shrink below, its wet roofs catching the afternoon light.

Zuko had lied to their only ally in the region and upset perhaps the only help he could receive. Lin was glad he wasn't the crown Prince anymore. Azula was by far the better choice.​

 

[Rotceh]

Well, Lin gets hurt for being nice, but at least the gang gets the point that it's not so bad.

 

[Sharker117]

Big oof, Zuko attacking Kyoshi island has definitely lost him Lin's support, though she will likely still support Iroh to an extent.
Just one really bad decision due to impatience, attacking without a real reason rather than talking to the neutral trade partner.
Bet Azula's gonna be ecstatic when she hears about it.

 

[Lucernello]

Big oof, Zuko attacking Kyoshi island has definitely lost him Lin's support, though she will likely still support Iroh to an extent.
Just one really bad decision due to impatience, attacking without a real reason rather than talking to the neutral trade partner.
Bet Azula's gonna be ecstatic when she hears about it.

Click to shrink...

Haha, how do you see Azula reacting? Or maybe another interesting question, what happens if Zuko finds out before leaving Chin that Lin aided the Avatar? How would he react?

 

[Sharker117]

Haha, how do you see Azula reacting? Or maybe another interesting question, what happens if Zuko finds out before leaving Chin that Lin aided the Avatar? How would he react?

Click to shrink...

She would be pissed that Lin had been helping him, but happy that he managed to blunder it bad enough to openly annoy her.

Zuko would be beyond pissed and have a loud hissyfit, but Iroh and everyone else would recognise that Zuko hiding the avatar's return and chasing the gaang instead of sending a message is the cause.

 

[Rotceh]

Haha, how do you see Azula reacting? Or maybe another interesting question, what happens if Zuko finds out before leaving Chin that Lin aided the Avatar? How would he react?

Click to shrink...

Hmm, seeing how things are going, it's most likely that when Lin tells Azula, she'll react more angrily to Zuko than to her. And if she has to report this, she'll say something like, "While one of them was negotiating the trade, the other two stole what Lin gave them," to protect Lin's reputation.

And Zuko will throw a tantrum.

 

[Lucernello]

AN: Hello, we are close to Ba Sing Se arc, are you ready? Also sorry for the long chapter, I see now that I've planned this set of chapters wrongly, they are too long. Anyway, i will revise my plan for next one.

Luce
​

---

99 A.G

Once Chin City was far behind them, they returned to the sky. Aang had felt better after they left, though not completely. General Lin had given them food, water, blankets, hay for Appa, and even a waterbending scroll, which should have made the stop feel like a success.

Instead, he kept looking over his shoulder for a long while, half expecting someone to realize they had made a terrible mistake letting him go. No soldiers followed them, and Appa flew north without trouble until Chin became only a pale mark behind the hills.

It took two days before Omashu came into sight, although they spotted the railway tracks first. From high above, the tracks looked like a thin dark snake cutting through the land toward the mountain city. Aang had never seen anything like it the last time he visited.

The old roads had followed the shape of the hills, twisting and climbing with them, but the Fire Nation had simplified it by going into a straight line almost. They crossed open ground, cut through stone, directly toward two massive bridges, one entering the city from the south, then exiting from the north in the same direction.

Omashu had turned darker in color, there was a lot of metal now surrounding the top of the city and for Aang, it had lost its distinctive beige color. There were pillars of smoke rising to the skies. Back in the day you would never see a cloud on top of Omashu, now you could hardly see the sky.

Sokka leaned over the side of the saddle, squinting down. "Pheeew, that's a lot of metal, that's the Fire Nation alright."

Katara pulled him back by the collar of his coat before he leaned too far. "We can see that without you falling."

"I was fine, Katara."

"Whatever. Now what?" Katara asked.

Aang was about to reply when he saw those Fire Nation flying machines on the horizon. He had to quickly climb twice into the clouds and wait while they passed below them. The machines didn't look that maneuverable, but they were still faster than Aang liked, with metal frames, canvas wings, and leaving a trail of fire behind them.

Once they knew it was clear they descended again putting a bit of distance from the city to avoid being detected in the air. Aang scouted for a place to land safely and leave Appa where he wouldn't be discovered.

It didn't take long and by afternoon, they had already landed in the perfect spot far away from prying eyes, near a small patch of water. The pond they found sat between low hills, surrounded by tall grass and enough trees to hide Appa from the road. It was quiet, and they didn't see anyone close by.

Appa settled in the middle of the pond, splashing the water with a tired groan, and Momo began investigating the branches above them. As they settled, they checked their supplies were secured after getting them from Appa's saddle.

As he watched the water, an idea came to Aang's head. "Hey, Katara. Can you teach me some of the waterbending moves you have learned so far?"

"Hey, Katara. Can you teach me some of the waterbending moves you have learned so far?"

"Oh, sure Aang. Let's see if I can teach you something." she replied, excited.

"Fancy splashing here we go." Sokka commented.

Katara ignored him and took Aang's hand, moving them closer to the water.

"Alright, this is a pretty basic move, but it still took me months to perfect. So don't be frustrated if you don't get it right away."

Katara got into a forward stance and raised both hands in front of her. "Just push and pull the water like this. The key is getting the wrist movement right."

Aang quickly got into stance as well, copying her movements. "Like this?"

"That's almost right. If you keep practicing I'm sure eventual-"

Aang was so focused on the feel of the water that when he saw it move the way he wanted he practically shouted in excitement. "Hey I'm bending it already!"

"Wow, I can't believe you got that so quickly. It took me two months to learn that move." Katara said, a bit dejected.

"Well, you had to learn it on your own, I'm lucky enough to have a great teacher." Aang said, trying to cheer her up.

"Thanks." Katara said, now smiling.

"So what's next?"

"This is a more difficult move, I call it 'streaming the water'."

She moved her arms in a flowing motion, picking a stream of water from the pond to manipulate as if it were a snake. Aang quickly followed her motions and successfully controlled one stream of his own.

"It's harder than it looks, so don't be disappointed if…"

But Aang was too amazed at the ease at how he could bend another element, and started playing with the stream of water, adding flair and movement to it happily, finally returning the stream to the pond without splashing water around.

"Nice work, though the over-the-head flair was unnecessary." Katara said, looking annoyed.

"Sorry. Well, don't stop them now. Keep 'em coming." Aang said, ready to learn more.

"Maybe we can take a look at the scroll next, I also want to learn new things." Katara commented.

She then brought out the waterbending scroll and placed it in a rock near the water. "I can't wait to try some of these moves." she said.

Aang sat with her near the pond while she unrolled it carefully across a flat stone. The drawings showed stances, hand positions, and flowing movements. It was real after all, and Aang felt a bit ashamed that he had thought so little of the gift Lin had given them.

He was having issues with what he was told and what he had seen so far from the Fire Nation. Still, they were clearly occupying territory that isn't theirs and they massacred a lot of people. But not all of the atrocities they say the Fire Nation did were true. Aang couldn't see Lin as this evil spirit or monster. It was clearly an exaggeration based on her looks.

While he was lost in thought, Katara studied each figure and was determined to try the one that seemed the easiest to start with; the single water whip. Katara's face lit up, and Aang could see her excitement written on her face.

"The single water whip. Looks doable."

'She is really pretty.' he thought. Then he chastised himself, as it wasn't the time to be thinking about those things.

She tried one of the forms by drawing water from the pond in a slow arc, and the water followed her for a moment before losing shape and splashing across her face when she tried the final move.

"That was close." Aang said quickly, but Sokka just laughed at her.

Katara pushed wet hair away from her cheek. "What's so funny?"

"I'm sorry, it was funny! It's like watching someone trip or fall. Nothing personal." Sokka said.

"You will regret that when I learn it." Katara said.

"Why don't you let Aang try it?" Sokka asked.

"I just want to get this move done first and then it's all yours. Aang will get its turn once I figure out the water whip." she replied.

Again she tried replicating the moves, but now trying it faster than earlier and it went the other way, hitting Momo instead, who cried indignantly.

"Ugh, why can't I get this stupid move?" Katara said, getting more frustrated.

Aang looked down at the scroll again carefully. "You'll get it." He encouraged her, moving close to the water to practice himself.

"I think your movement is just a bit stiff. You just have to shift your weight through the stances." Aang said, remembering his many lessons learning airbending.

Without much effort, he grabbed a stream of water from the pond, even though he had never done so before, following the movements in the scroll felt natural to him. He completed the whip in the direction he wanted and he was satisfied he had been able to do so quickly.

"There, see? The key to bending is-"

Katara's expression tightened and she interrupted him before he could continue giving advice. "Will you please shut your air hole? Believe it or not, your infinite wisdom gets a little old sometimes!" Katara's voice rose before she seemed to notice it.

Aang stopped, stunned. "I was just trying to help." he said, quietly.

"Why don't we just throw the scroll away, since you're so naturally gifted?!" she finished, almost screaming at his face.

Aang lowered his hands, feeling that painful heaviness in his chest, something he hadn't expected out of these lessons. He blinked hard before the tears could form properly. Even if he knew that Katara was frustrated and that she never had a master in the South Pole, that did not make the words hurt less.

Katara's anger faded almost as soon as she saw his face.

"Oh my gosh, Aang." she said, softer now. "I'm so sorry. I don't know what came over me."

He rubbed his sleeve across his eyes quickly and tried to smile. "It's okay."

"No, it isn't. You were helping me, and I got mad because I was embarrassed." She looked down at the scroll. "It is just hard watching you learn something I have wanted my whole life."

Aang sat back down beside her. "I don't want to make it harder."

"You didn't." Katara took a breath. "I did."

Sokka cleared his throat from the other side of the camp. "What about Momo? He is the real victim here."

"I'm sorry Momo." Katara said, petting him.

"Good, now let's eat some breakfast before heading to Omashu, you will feel better after eating something, I think Katara is just hungry."

"Hey!" Katara exclaimed without real protest.

They chuckled, and the tightness between them eased enough that Aang could breathe normally again. They put the scroll away after that, Sokka was right after all, Omashu awaited and they should head there while they still had daylight.

After eating, they left Appa and Momo there to rest, promising to return before night if they could. It took them almost an hour to get to Omashu walking. Aang kept the hood of one of the Water Tribe coats pulled low over his head as they approached the city on foot. The closer they came, the stranger Omashu looked.

At the main entrance, the old wall had been replaced with an actual gate, made of metal and golden decorations. Fire Nation guards stood beside Earth Kingdom soldiers in green and brown, both groups watching travelers with the same bored suspicion. Aang kept his head down while Sokka presented the notice Lin had given them.

One of the guards checked the seal, then looked at them more carefully.

"This is General Lin's seal." he said.

Sokka gave a nervous smile. "Err, yes, she gave that to us herself."

The guard folded the notice and handed it back. "Some people are lucky, wait here. We will send word to the governor."

As they were led inside to wait for an escort, Aang took a moment to gaze inside the city. It was the same mountain, and the city still rose from it in layers to the top, but the Fire Nation had changed too much of it. There were so many metal structures and new buildings being built. The train tracks they had seen entering the city now towered the landscape.

Aang couldn't help but grow sad with the view.
​

---

The guards made them wait near the gate until another soldier came to guide them through the city. It was a big city and it would take time to reach the top, where the palace was. Aang kept the hood low over his head and tried not to look too long at anyone, although most people just seem to be keeping to themselves.

The Fire Nation had added metal walkways, banners, rail platforms and weird tube placements that were looking up for some reason. He wanted to walk away from the guards and explore on their own.

He wanted to find the places he remembered, to see if the old market was still there, or if the cart tracks still ran the same way. He really was fond of the delivery system since his friend Bumi showed him how to ride them.

But none of them wanted trouble, and the paper General Lin had given them seemed to be the only reason they had been allowed in without being searched more carefully, so for now, Aang kept walking.

"This is a lot more normal than I expected." Sokka whispered after a while.

Katara looked at him. "Normal?"

"You know what I mean. People are still working. Shops are open. No one is being dragged around by soldiers."

"That doesn't make this good."

"I didn't say it was good. I'm saying it's weird."

Aang understood what he meant. The city was occupied, and there were Fire Nation banners hanging from the walls, but most people were still doing ordinary things.

He saw a man argue with a fruit seller over prices, two children chasing each other between people until their mother scolded them. Earth Kingdom workers carried stone up a ramp while Fire Nation soldiers patrolled, yet they didn't intervene on anyone.

It was really confusing to him. On one hand they conducted genocide on a brutal scale, on the other they treated their occupation lightly? It was still wrong, but it was harder to understand than the simple cruelty he had been expecting.

After everything Katara and Sokka had said about the raids in the south, he had expected Omashu to look crushed beneath the Fire Nation. Instead, it looked changed of course, but still full of life.

The guard led them up toward the palace, where the old stone entrance had been decorated with red banners and polished metal lamps. There were guards at every important doorway, some in red armor and some in Earth Kingdom green.

Sokka leaned closer to him. "Free food, maybe a bed, and then we leave before anyone asks too many questions."

"That would be ideal." Katara whispered.

"It is the best plan."

Aang almost laughed, but the sound died before it came out when they entered a large hall. Several people sat around a long table, eating and talking comfortably. Servants moved between them with trays, and the smell of warm rice, roasted vegetables, meat, and tea reached Aang all at once.

A man in his forties rose from his seat as they approached. He had long black hair tied in a topknot, and a neatly trimmed Van Dyke beard. He wore layered red and brown robes and had broad shoulders.

"Welcome to New Ozai." he said. "I am Governor Ukano."

"New Ozai?" Aang asked.

"Well, yes, we renamed the city as we did in the colonies." Ukano answered.

"Err, right, thank you." Aang said, bowing at him.

Sokka and Katara copied him.

"General Lin's notice said you were to be treated as guests if you passed through our city so feel free to ask anything from us.," Ukano continued. "We will be pleased to honor her seal."

The trio nodded. Ukano gestured toward the table. "For now, join us for lunch. Allow me to make some introductions. Of course, first, this is Crown Princess Azula. Then my wife, Michi. My daughter, Mai, and my son, TomTom."

Aang focused on the princess first, she looked about their age, maybe a little older than Aang, with golden eyes, dark hair arranged perfectly, and a calm expression. But her appearance reminded him a bit of the angry teenager that is burning villages looking for him.

Katara had gone very still beside him. Sokka's smile froze in place. "Crown Princess. Right… we didn't know we would have royalty receive us." Azula looked at him for a few seconds, unsure what to say.

Mai, sitting beside her with a blank expression, looked at Sokka's coat, then at his face. "They seem harmless."

"Thank you?" Sokka said, clearly unsure if it had been an insult.

Ukano cleared his throat. "Please, sit. You must be hungry after traveling."

Katara placed a hand lightly on Aang's sleeve. "Thank you, Governor. We appreciate it." Aang said, still unsure. If the princess was anything like prince Zuko they would have to make a run for it, in a city full of Fire Nation soldiers.

They sat near the lower end of the table. Food was placed before them almost immediately, and Sokka's caution fought a brief but visible battle against the smell of the meal. The food won after a few seconds.

Ukano smiled politely. "May I ask your names?"

Aang hesitated, then kept his answer simple. "I'm Aang. This is Katara and Sokka."

"Travelers from the Southern Water Tribe, as the scroll said." Ukano said, glancing at their clothes.

Sokka swallowed quickly. "That's right. We're heading north."

Azula tilted her head slightly. "What for?"

"Well… we had never left our village before, we would like to visit our sister tribe, although we are unsure if we are able to get there at all." Katara said.

Mai looked down at her cup. "Sounds better than being stuck here to be honest."

Azula's mouth curved faintly, while Aang focused on his bowl and tried not to look like he wanted to run from the table.
​

---

Aang didn't know what to think about Princess Azula. She seemed alright, although it didn't make him feel safe. At one point she seemed to have lost interest in them luckily, while they talked with the governor about how they liked New Ozai or the colonies south so far.

Mai was sitting beside her with a blank expression, looking bored enough that Aang wondered if she even cared if they were there.

"So…" Azula said, looking at Sokka. "You've met, Lin."

Sokka looked down at it. "Err…Yes?"

"What do you think about her?" Azula asked.

"She was not what I was expecting." Sokka said.

"Oh? Why were you expecting something at all?" the princess asked.

"We heard rumors before meeting her." Katara said, hesitantly.

"Ahh, right, I understand. My favorite one is the one they call her spirit blessed while at the same time saying she is an evil spirit." Azula said, smirking.

"Certainly. You can never trust rumors." Michi commented.

"Well, what we can say is that she was nice enough to even give us a gift with the deal we made. It was a very thoughtful one." Aang said.

Azula's interest sharpened at once. "What did she give away?"

Katara held the scroll a little closer. "This waterbending scroll, it preserves a bit of our culture. I hadn't seen one before actually."

"I don't suppose you had, no." Azula said. "I'm surprised she had one. Did she say where she got it?"

"Pirates." Sokka said.

Azula's mouth curved slightly. "I remember, we sunk their primitive ship. The captain was skilled with the sword if I remember correctly. He didn't live to tell the tale obviously, he met a quick death sadly."

Aang shifted in his seat. "Uhm…You know General Lin well?" he asked, trying to switch topics and ignore the casual way the young princess talked about their death.

"She trained me, and together we have taken the south from the Earth Kingdom." Azula said.

"You are quite the duo, Azula." Mai said, taking a small sip of her cup, and a knowing smile on her face.

"Of course we are."

"She was nice to us, although I admit it was a bit intimidating." Aang said, honestly.

"I know. She is. Lin's great, isn't she?" Azula said.

The question made Aang pause. Katara looked at him, and Sokka suddenly became very interested in his food.

"I suppose so." Aang said carefully.

Mai's mouth twitched. "That wounded her."

"It did not." Azula protested.

"She expects everyone to say she is amazing." Mai retorted.

"No, no. I wanted an honest assessment, this was good enough."

"What about her appearance?" Mai asked Aang suddenly.

Azula gave Mai a cold look. "Do you want to eat outside?"

Mai shrugged. "It might be less boring."

Ukano cleared his throat. "My daughter, please behave."

Azula leaned back, still looking at them. "What was the deal about?"

Sokka swallowed. "Ice mostly, in exchange of supplies."

"Ice? I guess there is ice everywhere in the south." Azula asked.

Katara's expression tightened. "Yes, she wanted our people to guide her on where to set up camp and which zones would be less dangerous to gather it."

Azula seemed pleased by that. "Ah, I remember why, that's nice, smart." Aang glanced at Sokka, but they remained silent after that.

Mai rested her cheek on her hand. "She is great, isn't she?"

Azula looked at her again, then smirked. "Of course. You don't have to repeat my words so much."

"Don't you want to tell them more about her as you have been telling me for the past days?" Mai said, smirking.

Azula's face tightened, and for the first time since they had entered the hall, she looked closer to her age. "You are being tedious."

Mai gave a small chuckle. "I'm just saying, you love to do that."

"I just spend a lot of time with her."

"I don't know… you didn't talk about this Toph girl that much, and you also spend a lot of time with her as well."

Sokka stared between them, clearly fascinated. Katara nudged him under the table before he could say anything.

Michi looked embarrassed and set her cup down. "Mai, Princess, perhaps you should continue this elsewhere."

Azula stood first. "Gladly."

Mai rose more slowly. "Still grumpy, she will arrive in a few days, no need to be like that."

"I am not grumpy."

"You sound grumpy."

They left still arguing, and Aang watched them go with relief. Princess Azula had not acted like Zuko, but the way she spoke about certain things made him feel a bit uncomfortable. At least there hadn't been any problems.

Ukano apologized and let them leave soon after.
​

---

As they stepped into the palace corridor, two guards near the entrance were speaking quietly.

"I visited the late King Bumi this morning, I'm sorry, I couldn't make him see reason." one said. "He laughed the whole time."

Aang stopped. "Did you say Bumi?"

The guards looked at him.

"Err, yes." one answered. "The late king."

"Wait, you don't mean your friend, Bumi, right? There is no way." Sokka said, with little subtlety.

"How old is he?" Aang asked, trying to sound nonchalant.

The guard frowned. "Over a hundred now. Why? Now that I think about it, maybe he is just too old to think clearly."

Aang looked at Katara and Sokka, barely able to believe it. "He's alive…" he muttered.

"Of course, it's the age. I told you that already." the other guard said. "He wouldn't have lost the duel if it happened a few years back."

Sokka leaned closer. "What duel?"

"The duel for the city. From your clothes you must be foreigners. Almost an entire moon cycle back, our King battled Toph Beifong." the guard said. "The blind earthbender won and took the city with that monster general from the Fire Nation. They say the small girl bent lava that day, I wasn't there to see it."

The other guard lowered his voice. "It is the evil spirit's fault. Being close to her is said to corrupt others, like a disease."

Aang ignored that part. "Can we see King Bumi?"

"Well… I guess. He is not imprisoned actually." the first guard said. "Though many people turned their backs on him because he indeed walks free. They think he made a deal before the duel, to live comfortably while the rest of us are under their control."

Katara frowned. "Did he?"

"I was a captain before the city fell." the man said. "My general and I wanted him to fight back. He just laughed and said there was no need. Suspicious."

Aang tightened his hands around the edge of his coat. "Could you give us directions to him?"
​

---

The guards gave them directions to the place where Bumi lived now. They left the palace through one of the side exits and followed an older road carved into the mountain. It curved downward instead of up, away from the busy halls and the metal additions the Fire Nation had built around the palace.

The farther they walked, the quieter Omashu became. Or New Ozai as it was now called. The sound of workers, soldiers, and carts faded behind them until only their footsteps remained. Aang kept his hood low, though it was harder now.

Part of him wanted to run ahead. He kept remembering Bumi as he had been a hundred years ago, laughing too loudly, being goofy, and somehow turning every bad idea into a better one. He was a mad genius.

It was hard to imagine him as an old king who had lost his city, and even harder to imagine him letting people think he had betrayed them.

The place they found had a huge stone facade built into the side of the mountain. The front was wide and decorated with old Earth Kingdom carvings, though some of the lamps near the entrance had been replaced with Fire Nation metalwork.

From the outside, it looked large, but the road continued inward and downward, so Aang guessed most of it was buried deep inside the mountain. Two Fire Nation soldiers guarded the entrance.

Sokka slowed down. "Of course there are guards."

Katara looked at the doors. "The other guards said he wasn't imprisoned."

"Let's hope he isn't in a cell."

Aang stepped forward before either of them could change their minds. One of the soldiers stopped them with a hand.

"Halt. State your business."

"We are here to visit King Bumi, we are friends of General Lin." Aang said, trying not to sound too eager.

The soldier looked over the three of them, narrowing his eyes. Sokka pulled out General Lin's notice and held it up. "We were told this would help."

The soldier read it, then checked the seal more carefully. His expression changed a little when he recognized it. He handed the notice back after a moment and stepped aside.

"I'm not surprised, it seems the general just wants to collect people from every nation. You may enter."

Sokka blinked. "That easy…" he whispered

The second soldier opened the doors for them. They walked inside through a long corridor, the air was cooler there, and the walls carried the old smell of earth and dust. Somewhere deeper inside, something grunted, followed by the scrape of claws against stone.

Sokka moved closer to Katara. "I don't like how that sounds."

Aang smiled despite his nerves. "I'm sure it will be fine, guys."

The corridor opened into a wide chamber carved into the mountain. In the middle of the chamber sat an old man in loose green robes, calmly petting a goat gorilla under the chin.

"Who's a good boy, yes you are Flopsie, yes you are!"

The man was much older than the boy in his memories, but the grin he gave them when he turned was unmistakable.

"Bumi!" Aang said.

"Well, hello." Bumi said. "Who might you be?"

"Bumi, it's me, Aang." Aang froze. 'Oh no, maybe he is too old to remember me.'

"Mmm, are you really?" Bumi said, giving him a wild look. "Prove it." he said all of a sudden, launching a rock in his direction.
​

---

Two days earlier.

Lin had returned to Chin City with the missing crewman. Prince Zuko was still there, surrounded by her soldiers and clearly hating every second of it. General Iroh stood a few steps behind him, looking calmer, although Lin could see the tension in his shoulders. Aiku had done as ordered.

The prince's crew had not been allowed to leave their ship, and several guards from the city garrison watched the dock with their hands near their weapons.

As Lin entered her office, she saw Toph sat on her desk, swinging her legs with a grin that told Lin she had enjoyed the assignment, in her own way.

"Brought your crewman alive." Lin said to the scarred prince.

The ensign hurried toward his prince and bowed, offering his apologies. Zuko looked relieved for half a second before he calmed himself.

"Good, you have my thanks. I will leave as soon as possible." he asked.

"You are not going anywhere until you explain yourself."

Zuko stiffened, as if slapped in the face. Lin walked toward him, stopping only a mere meter in front of him. The office quieted around them, her own soldiers along with Toph preparing for anything.

"I was told the Avatar was on Kyoshi Island." Lin said.

Zuko's jaw tightened. "He was."

"And you knew this before attacking the village."

"I'm a prince, I don't need to-."

"You told me the Kyoshi Warriors took one of your men because they interfered with your investigation." Lin said. "You did not say the Avatar had been sighted, and had you. You lied to me."

"I discovered him!"

"You purposely withheld crucial information that we could have used to capture the Avatar already. Not only that, but you did so in territory already under my control, while asking for my assistance after attacking a trade partner. That is bordering on treason."

Several soldiers shifted around them, but none spoke.

"I am the one hunting the Avatar." Zuko said. "I will be the one to capture him."

"That is irrelevant."

"Capturing him will restore my honor."

Lin stared at him for a moment, she couldn't believe how childish that sounded.

"Your honor…" She said, "You had so many chances to gain honor and did nothing."

Zuko's face darkened. "You don't understand."

"I suppose I don't." Lin kept her voice controlled, although the metal in her hands clicked softly as her fingers curled. "You could have had it captured by now if you had said anything. Every resource I had could have been used to capture him the moment he stepped foot on the mainland, we still had plenty of time, now the campaign to Ba Sing Se is more important as the deadline is almost upon us. Instead you have nothing."

"But I must be the one who captures him, not you."

"So we must leave the weapon everyone agrees can become the most powerful foe against the Fire Nation in the hands of a child who lies to his people? Who attacks innocent civilians without a care in the world? Who doesn't notice a crew member is missing, when you only have ten people to command?!"

Zuko looked away for a second, then back at her. "The rumors are that you don't care for honor, that you are using my sister to elevate your rank. So I say again, you don't understand, General."

Aiku's hand moved closer to his sword, and Toph's grin disappeared. Lin raised one hand slightly, and her soldiers remained where they were.

"Is that what you think of me?" she asked.

Iroh moved a little closer to his nephew. "Prince Zuko, perhaps we should continue this discussion in private."

"I don't care." Zuko said, not looking at him.

Lin took one slow breath. "If you wanted honor, Prince Zuko, you could have joined the army. You could have fought in any of the campaigns that took place in the south. You could have marched with your soldiers, taken a city, protected men under your command, bled for something larger than yourself."

Zuko's fists clenched.

"Instead…" Lin continued, "You sail looking for lost clues, and then hunt for a child who had no waterbending master to even learn from, and you still were not able to capture him. If you had found the actual master of the elements you were looking for, I have no doubt the Avatar would have wiped the floor with you. I don't believe you are even strong enough to grab the kid now."

Zuko's face changed, anger pushing past whatever caution remained.

"You know nothing about me."

"I know enough."

"You think you can speak to me however you want?"

"Yes."

Toph snorted from the desk, yet no one else laughed.

Zuko turned toward the soldiers, then back to Lin. "You will regret that."

"Prince Zuko, that's enough. Forgive him, emotions are high, I'm sure we can resolve this peacefully." Iroh said.

Zuko ignored him. "Once I deliver the Avatar to my father, he will welcome me home with honor, and restore my rightful place in the throne. You won't be able to talk then."

"If your father really wanted you home, he would have let you return by now. But right now, in his eyes, Crown Princess Azula keeps bringing glory to the Fire Nation, while you fail and disgrace your nation." Lin said.

"Agni Kai." he said.

The office went quiet enough that you could hear Lin's mechanical parts working inside her body. Iroh placed a hand on his shoulder. "Nephew, listen to me."

"Do not interfere, Uncle."

Lin looked around, her soldiers were angry. Some tried to hide it, others did not bother. To refuse now would turn their anger into indignation, they don't want me to do that. Colonel Zhou pushed through the line of soldiers, his expression sharp with concern. Having been promoted recently, he could now speak for the rest of them.

"General." he said quietly. "You do not have to entertain this."

"Look around you, colonel." Lin said.

"He is our prince." Zhou continued.

Lin looked back at Zuko. The prince stood rigid, breathing hard, his anger too visible. It wouldn't even be a challenge to face him like that.

"Very well, Prince Zuko. I accept, at sunset outside the airfield." Lin said.

Zhou looked troubled now. "General."

"Prepare the grounds, Colonel."

He stepped back after a moment, although he clearly disliked it. Lin could see General Iroh's face tightened with worry. Zuko's expression on the other hand looked determined. They left without saying another word.

Toph leaned toward Aiku and whispered loudly enough for half the dock to hear. "This is going to be a stomping, isn't it?"

"Yes, total humiliation." Aiku replied, smirking.
​

---

"Prince Zuko, have you forgotten the last time you dueled a master?" Iroh said, with sadness and worry in his voice.

"I will never forget." he answered.

"Then stop this madness. It is said not even your sister could win against her." begged Iroh.

"Rumors, uncle. You can never trust them." Zuko said. "I've been training nonstop since we departed from the Fire Nation, I won't lose."

'Let's hope these rumors are false then. I don't think my brother would have let Princess Azula have an idle moment in her life.' Iroh thought sadly.
​

---

Next Chapter: The Fallen King
Discord

 

[Rotceh]

Well, that was quick... You know, it's funny that Aang can actually pass himself off as a waterbender, and Zuko's going to get a beating.

 

[Lucernello]

Well, that was quick... You know, it's funny that Aang can actually pass himself off as a waterbender, and Zuko's going to get a beating.

Click to shrink...

But at least it will be an honorable duel. He is always trying to find his honor after all, something positive, heh

 

[hctiv]

Of course the enemy of progress and champion of stagnation hates seeing the industrial revolution brought to New Ozai

 

[Lucernello]

Of course the enemy of progress and champion of stagnation hates seeing the industrial revolution brought to New Ozai

Click to shrink...

The Avatar, "noble" champion of balance, bravely defends the ancient right of every village to remain poor, isolated, and terrified of plumbing. Truly, nothing threatens world harmony more than factories, streetlights, and people having jobs. He means to leave people in mud huts while the rest of the world moves forward!