Ashes of Devotion [ATLA - Azula x OC]

Time1135 · Aug 17, 2026

Makes you wonder what history books in another 100 or so years will look like if things start to get declassified/people start compiling old war stories.

Rotceh · Aug 17, 2026

Well...it's time for war and massacre.

...Honestly, no matter what anyone says, Ang doesn't need a master who has mastered the practical side of earthbending; he needs someone to guide his mindset. Once he achieves that, his soul will allow him to learn everything. That's why it makes sense.

Lucernello · Aug 17, 2026

Time1135 said:
Makes you wonder what history books in another 100 or so years will look like if things start to get declassified/people start compiling old war stories.

A lot of facts have been revealed decades later, it is very interesting. I don't know why you mention that in regards with the story in particular, but I have been following a series from the Korean War and a lot of things have changed from what was known by the public those days.

Rotceh said:
Honestly, no matter what anyone says, Ang doesn't need a master who has mastered the practical side of earthbending; he needs someone to guide his mindset. Once he achieves that, his soul will allow him to learn everything. That's why it makes sense.

Aang will sadly have to do with what he has, but I agree that he needed his mentality challenged to learn the element

Lucernello · Aug 22, 2026

AN: Hello, it was fun to write this chapter.

Art done by Innocent_Mochi.
It honestly surprised me to have so much fanart made. I love them.

Anyway, enjoy
Luce

99 A.G

Lin realized that, if the battle continued to head in the same direction as it currently was, the Fire Nation would not win it. There was no way around it.

The conclusion came from the numbers in the last reports her officers had compiled. Their advance had reached four kilometers into the agrarian zone, which would have been considered impressive in almost every way; heavily outnumbered and on the offensive.

They had managed to keep moving forward, even if only little by little, against waves and waves of enemy soldiers. None of that changed the fact that the army was already exhausted, and that Ba Sing Se had more men to spend still.

Supplies were holding well enough at least. The supply trains were still bringing ammunition, food, medicine, spare parts, fuel, and replacement equipment from the colonies non-stop. Her engineers had repaired damaged track sections faster than expected, and the earthbenders had prepared the land around the breaches well enough to bring the trains inside the walls.

In theory, everything was going great, but the casualty reports showed the true weakness of their current situation. 7,421 of her soldiers were taken off the front lines wounded, 3,387 were killed. That meant that they had suffered more than 10,000 casualties in twelve days of fighting, and while some of the wounded would return to service eventually, many would not.

Several types of wounds, both physical and mental, were removing his soldiers from active combat. They didn't have enough to replenish her frontline at that pace. The estimates from her strategists placed Earth Kingdom casualties above 130,000 since they had breached the walls.

Dead, wounded, and missing buried in tunnels or liquid fire amounted to that estimate. A twelve to one exchange sounded like victory until it was measured against the huge reserves that Ba Sing Se still had.

If the same pace continued for a month, the Earth Kingdom could still keep feeding soldiers into the battle while the Fire Nation would be forced back simply because there would not be enough men left to hold the line.

Lin stood over the map table inside the forward command tent, listening to the heavy guns outside and the messengers moving through the entrance behind her. The officers around her were tired, but alert enough to know they needed a change of plans.

"Alright, it's time to switch tactics. All attacks are to stop immediately." Lin said.

Colonel Zhou raised his head to look at her in surprise. "All attacks, General?"

"Yes. No more counterattacks for now, we will focus on inflicting as many casualties as we can instead of moving forward. Tighten the defenses, rotate the worst-hit companies where possible, and have the engineers reinforce every position we currently hold confidently. Also, since the front is not going to move forward anymore, it's time to use the railway guns again."

Aiku wrote quickly. "What should I tell them?"

"They will begin firing periodically into no man's land at random intervals and in different sections. It will keep them guessing. I want the enemy to be afraid to gather men there, even when they think our line is resting."

"Is there a reason why we were not doing that already?" General Shinu asked.

"The larger caliber guns have been silent since the advance, General. We held them back because we didn't know when they would attack, as you know, we were using their attacks to prepare a counterattack once we repelled the offensive. The distance between us would make coordinating between our attack and their bombardment difficult and risky." Lin replied.

"Makes sense." he muttered back.

"That means that we currently have plenty of ammunition to use now." Lin replied. "Have them start tonight. Keep them constantly dropping them and making adjustments as soon as the scout gliders spot enemy movement."

Captain Aiku saluted and marked the order. Lin studied their position once more, the one that had been able to keep pushing forward had suffered the most against their night attacks, something they had employed well these last couple of days.

Their commanders had realized that the Fire Nation soldiers were desperate for sleep, and that firebenders were weaker after sunset. They were using darkness, tunnels, and fatigue to keep her army from recovering, and the tactic had worked well enough to inflict casualties.

Lin was confident that they wouldn't attack during the day again today. It was time to break their streak, and force them to reconsider attacking at night.

"Colonel Zhou." Lin said.

"Yes, General?"

"Take Aiku's order to the rear. Besides the railway guns' new objectives, I want Toph to be brought to my line by sunrise tomorrow."

Zhou hesitated for a moment, though not long enough to be disobedient. "Yes, General."

"I know what you are thinking, but don't worry, I won't make her fight. You may go." Lin said.

Zhou departed with his orders.

"Captain Kaida, order the entire riflemen company to rest today. I will need them well rested for tonight. Prepare the central section for another night assault, we will prepare an ambush this time, and I also want you to request spare boards we use for the railway tracks."

Kaida raised an eyebrow at the unusual order. "Boards, ma'am?"

"Yes, I have a plan in mind."

"How many should they bring?"

"As many as can be spared, now that the railway guns are in range again I'm sure we will have some we can use. I also want the last prisoners that have not been executed yet brought with them."

The tent grew more tense around her, but captain Kaida was not fazed at all. Shinu and his officers' faces hardened on the other hand. It was the main reason she had sent the good colonel away, he would oppose the plan.

"Are you planning on using them as a meat shield?" Kaida asked.

"No, although the idea has merit, captain."

Shinu exchanged looks with the other officers warily. "May I ask what the prisoners and railway tracks boards are for, General?"

Lin wondered if explaining her plan would affect the morale of her own troops. If she kept the Red Battalion only aware of what tactics she was going to use, she was sure they wouldn't make a fuss about it. Strategically though, if her plan worked, then it would have to be used in different sections of the front lines anyway.

"We are going to play a bit of psychological warfare." Lin said. "I will use the rumor of being an evil spirit to our advantage."

'It's time to get creative. After all, they don't know what crucifixion is in this world yet.'

Major Ban had finally stopped the enemy advance in the center, although it had cost far more than what he expected. His divisions had been reinforced twice already, and even then he was not certain they could survive another couple of days of this kind of fighting before it would have to be replaced entirely for another ones.

The Fire Nation's weapons were truly terrible. Explosives and death machines had taken out so many of them. On the bright side, the night attacks had helped. Keeping most of the troops underground had helped even more, exactly as Major Lee had said it would.

And although the enemy was using metal to reinforce their defenses and they couldn't just ambush them from below, it had served well to prevent the enemy from using their superior weapons to decimate them.

Nightfall was approaching, and Ban stood inside the central bunker while officers moved around him coordinating his troops. The bunker had been carved deeper underground and connected to several exits that could be opened near the front.

Earthbenders had strengthened the walls throughout the day, widening passages to pull wounded soldiers out quickly while leaving enough room for soldiers to keep reinforcing the attack. They had also marked the walls with raised symbols so the soldiers could navigate them even in darkness.

The attack would begin soon, his soldiers were ready for another gruesome night of close quarters combat. The first groups were already moving toward the exits, waiting for the order to surge out to attack the Fire Nation positions along the front.

Usually the enemy tried to hide as well. They kept flames low, covered lanterns, and only attacked when the Earth Kingdom soldiers came close enough for the fight to become crowded and confused.

That was where Ban wanted them. Fire Nation machines were less useful when the enemy was too close to use them freely, and close quarters favored earthbenders. At least whenever they didn't encounter Agni's Wrath.

Tonight, though, something was different from the very beginning. One of the officers standing near the tunnel entrance pointed ahead.

"Major, there is light coming in from the exits we just opened."

Ban gazed toward where the officer was pointing and indeed, at the far end of one of the connected passages, an orange glow trembled against the walls. It was too bright to be a covered lantern and too steady to be firebenders already ambushing them.

More light could be seen from the other passages that the earthbenders were opening one by one, flickering from beyond what he could see, and only shadows of the soldiers moving to attack could be seen from his position.

"Is the enemy using something to illuminate the battlefield?" Ban asked.

"It appears so, Major."

Well, they would be seen coming then, but Ban didn't think it would be so much different than if they ambushed them at the last possible moment. Still, he was uneasy, they had clearly switched tactics and that could mean anything at this point. Ban sent the attack anyway, they would recollect information regardless.

If he delayed too long, the men already near the exits would lose nerve. He didn't need more reckless soldiers running to their deaths. He was going to wait in the bunker and coordinate with the rest of the Lieutenants using messengers.

But that plan was shattered when instead of running messengers, frightened soldiers came running back from the exit tunnels. They looked terrible and trembling. Major Ban couldn't believe there were already deserters this early in the attack.

He was contemplating what to do with them when more frightened soldiers followed from another tunnel, faces pale and their lips shaky. Their panic spread fast and people around him in the bunker were as perplexed as he was. Ban needed to take control of the situation.

"Stop them!" Ban yelled. "Hold them here!"

Two guards grabbed one soldier by the arms, and Ban stepped in front of him. "Get it together, soldier! Report. What happened?"

The man's mouth opened twice before sound came out. "They are offering soldiers to the evil spirits, I don't want to be next."

Ban stared at him. "What?"

"Death rituals, oh the horror…" another soldier said, shaking badly enough that the words broke apart. "They will put us up there as well. They are calling evil spirits against us."

"Enough." Ban grabbed the first soldier by the front of his armor. "Where are your officers?"

The soldier looked back toward the tunnel with terror in his eyes. "Still there, some are fighting. Please, Major, I don't want to go back. Don't make me go back!"

Ban shoved him toward the guards and took a torch from the nearest wall bracket. Soldiers deserting through the tunnels would abandon the rest of their comrades near the exits, and if the Fire Nation had done something to break the attack before it began, he needed to see it himself before ordering a retreat.

"Hold this bunker." Ban said to the nearest captain. "Do not let panic spread to the other routes."

He entered the western tunnel with six men behind him. The light grew stronger as they advanced, filling the passage with orange and red until the torch in his hand became useless. Heat moved through the tunnel mouth, carrying the smell of burning wood, oil, and something foul and rotten.

When Ban came out of the tunnel, the brightness blinded him for a moment. He raised one arm over his eyes and forced himself forward until the battlefield was clear for him. A huge pyre had been built in the form of a ring across the open ground, bright enough to illuminate the place of attack.

He could hear small explosions going off and it was clear that some were still fighting. At first his mind tried to understand it as a wall of fire, some barrier meant to stop the attack, but then he saw the wooden beams standing upright one after another along the line.

They were huge crosses. Earth Kingdom prisoners had been nailed to them and the base on them had been set on fire.

Some of the prisoners were already dead, hanging blackened and motionless against the burning wood. Others were still screaming, their voices mixed with the roar of the fire, the shouting of soldiers, and the panic spreading across his own men as they stumbled out of the tunnels into the light.

Ban's stomach turned so violently that he bent over and vomited into the dirt. He tried to breathe, but the air was full of smoke and burned flesh, it was suffocating and he began sweating uncontrollably.

For a few moments, Ban could not move properly. His chest tightened, his hands went numb, and the sheer horror of seeing soldiers nailed and burning in mass paralyzed him. It had happened to him before after seeing soldiers with torn limbs from explosions.

A captain shook his shoulder. "Major! Major, orders!"

Ban forced air into his lungs and looked around. The attack had already started to fail. Some of his men were fighting near the exits, trying to form ranks despite the firelight and horror before them.

Others had frozen where they stood, and some were running back into the tunnels. Fire Nation soldiers were waiting beyond the burning ring, firing their death sticks into the confusion while their firebenders sent flames through gaps in the smoke.

Earth Kingdom officers shouted themselves hoarse trying to restore order, but the sight had broken too many men before the battle had even begun. Ban wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and swallowed against the bile in his throat.

"Retreat!" he screamed. "Back through the tunnels! Get them out!"

The order spread unevenly, but it spread. Officers began dragging men away from the battlefield, earthbenders raised barriers to cover the withdrawal, and those who could still think helped pull the wounded back underground.

Ban remained near the entrance long enough to make sure the closest groups were moving, then stumbled back into the tunnel with the others. The screams followed him down to the bunker.

Toph arrived near the central line shortly after nightfall, walking beside Azula with visible irritation on her face. Lin had ordered the forward trench cleared of unnecessary personnel before she arrived. She didn't think that Toph should be seeing the horrors of war yet.

The engineers had already dragged the boards down, and the bodies had been piled and burned to ashes. The attack had failed, and the scare tactics had worked even better than she expected. Now she needed to hurt them even more, and she had a great idea in mind.

Toph stopped near Lin and crossed her arms. "Well, I'm finally here and nothing exciting is happening."

"I think we have enough excitement as it is, Toph." Lin chuckled. "I brought you here for two things, can you find the tunnel exits near this area?"

"Sure, I can do that." Toph tapped one foot against the packed earth, then turned her head toward the field. Her expression changed after a moment, becoming more focused. "There are quite a few of them."

"Oh good, the more the better, how many?"

Toph remained still, probably sensing the entire field around her. "Twenty-four. Some are close and the rest are further back. A few are connected to each other, but most lead deeper underground."

"That's good enough for me, let's walk toward each of them and we will have someone assigned to that tunnel."

Toph moved forward and pointed them out one by one. As she did, Lin gave the task to three firebenders per tunnel to stay close. She was going to need them soon enough. They worked as quickly as they could.

The enemy had prepared for a wide night attack, probably hoping that coming across so many points at once would force the Fire Nation to respond in confusion. If they had launched the attack an hour earlier, it might have caused heavy damage.

Now, the tunnels would become a trap.

"I need you to create a lava pool here," Lin said, pointing to the space between the nearest fire line and the forward trench. "Wide enough for the firebenders to work with."

Toph turned her head toward her. "Lava? You dragged me here to make lava?"

"Yes."

"That better not be for melting people."

"It is for the tunnels."

Toph frowned. "That sounds like melting people with extra steps."

Lin kept her voice even. "Firebenders can bend heat. In this case, we can redirect heated air and smoke from the lava into the tunnel mouths. If the enemy is planning to attack again tonight they would be forced to abandon that plan and retreat back to the other side."

Toph tilted her head. "You can bend smoke?"

"Not the smoke itself. Heat, pressure, and the movement of hot air. It is not difficult for trained firebenders, but it is rarely useful in direct combat. It takes too much focus, moves too slowly, and leaves the bender open to an attack. I had never thought it would actually be useful."

Toph seemed to consider that. She was not foolish, and Lin knew better than to explain too much. If Lin lingered on the wrong details, Toph would ask better questions.

"So I just make the lava and leave?" Toph asked.

"Yes. You create it, then Azula takes you back to a safe distance. The firebenders handle the rest."

"Why can't I stay and watch?"

"While I wouldn't mind that, I'm afraid of them attacking while we are doing this and then you would be forced to fight. I don't want that for you."

Toph stood there for a few more seconds before giving a reluctant nod. "Fine. But you will make it up to me somehow."

"Oh no, what a nightmare." Lin mocked her and Toph just laughed. Azula looked amused, but said nothing.

Toph moved to the marked position with two guards behind her. She planted her feet, raised both hands, and pulled at the earth in a few swift movements. Lin was always impressed with her control, it didn't even look like it was hard for the young earthbender.

The ground cracked open, stone softened, and heat began to rise as the surface folded inward on itself. Within seconds, a pool of molten rock glowed in front of the trench, red and orange light moving across its surface while the soldiers nearby stepped back from the heat.

She continued along the way making it large enough until Lin gave her a nod.

"Well done."

Toph wiped her forehead with the back of her hand. "Yeah, yeah. Don't sound too impressed, Metalsticks."

"I am impressed." Lin replied, honestly.

"Ugh, so corny."

Azula took Toph by the shoulder and guided her back toward the protected trench line. "Come on. We haven't seen each other for a few days, let's catch up."

"Sure princess. Although, you could use a bath. Being blind means my other senses are better and you stink!" Toph complained.

"While you are stepping over the line and I would normally burn you for saying something like that, a bath sounds wonderful right now."

Once they were far enough away, Lin raised one hand and signaled the firebenders forward. The first group began feeding controlled flames into the lava, keeping the heat high and stable. The second group, the ones assigned to each tunnel mouth, put on their cloth masks, and began spreading their stances and moving their arms in careful rhythm as the heated air gathered and was pushed inside the tunnels.

Lin also helped feed flames and heat into the molten rock. Bending its heat away would solidify it quickly. The air became heavy, bitter, and difficult to breathe even at a distance. The fumes rising from the molten earth, as the different components in the rock were freed by the extreme heat and pressure.

What she didn't mention to Toph, was that the fumes were highly toxic. It was better if she believed the enemy would flee the tunnels because of heat and maybe difficulty breathing normally, which was true enough for the purpose of gaining her cooperation.

Depending on how much they breathed before escaping however, many of the soldiers below would die even if no flame touched them. The firebenders worked together, forcing the heated air downward through each opening.

When one group began to tire, another took its place. When Lin herself was replaced to feed more flames into the pool of lava, she moved along the trench with Aiku beside her, checking that the tunnels were tended to and that the earthbenders were ready to seal the exits on command.

They didn't hear anything coming from the tunnels but if she was correct then they would feel the effect soon and the tunnels would become death corridors.

After an hour, Lin gave the order to the earthbenders, who stepped forward and sealed the tunnel mouths one by one. Stone closed over the exits, packed tighter by her request until no open gap remained.

Lin turned to the communication officer waiting behind her. "As we planned, give the order for our artillery to open fire." she said.

"Yes, General."

Scouts had found the bunker's outer exit a few kilometers beyond the front, and if the guns hit that area hard enough, the enemy would have no easy escape. They could try to dig new exits, but in darkness, with smoke and heated air moving through their tunnels, they would have very little time to do it.

The artillery pieces fired, and Lin watched the impacts bloom in the distance. She hoped this new approach would help around. Even if at times the human mind seemed fickle, Lin had seen soldiers eventually adapt to scare tactics and keep fighting.

She hoped they could break the line before that happened. The crucifixions had worked wonderfully, and she knew that executing the prisoners this way would create panic for the enemy soldiers. Although she didn't expect to see them flee just upon seeing it.

She would order other sections to repeat the display over the next few nights, not constantly obviously, it took time to set up and they could attack in the day ruining the preparations, but at least enough to break the pattern of night assaults.

For the first time in days, Lin felt satisfied with the direction of the battle.

Major Lee's morning attack had been repelled, and the retreat through the tunnels was crowded with wounded men, tired officers, and earthbenders sealing the passages behind them. They had tried to strike just before sunrise, hoping the Fire Nation line would still be disorganized after the night assault, but the enemy had been ready.

Their defenses were tighter than before, and every approach had been punished by their machines, and explosions before Lee's soldiers could force a closer fight. When they emerged near the defensive trenches, Lee saw Fire Nation flying machines overhead, lower than usual.

"Down! Everyone down!" he shouted.

Men dropped behind earth barriers or pressed themselves against the trench walls, waiting for bombs to fall. Lee held his breath for a few seconds, expecting the blast to tear through the packed line, but the machines passed over them and he heard no explosions.

He was almost relieved, thinking they were only scouting the tunnels or marking targets for later, until the screams began spreading farther down the trench.

Lee forced his way toward the noise while shouting for the soldiers to keep moving. Another flying machine passed above them, and this time he saw something fall. It struck the side of the trench and rolled through the mud until one soldier stumbled back from it, pale and shaking.

"It's…It's a severed head!" he screamed.

Lee was shocked, the Fire Nation was throwing the heads of fallen Earth Kingdom soldiers from the sky. Some still had broken helmets attached, others were burned or bloodied beyond recognition.

Rage rose in Lee's chest so strongly that for a moment he could barely think. These honorless brutes had taken soldiers who had died defending their home and turned them into weapons of terror. He wanted to order every man forward again, to make the Fire Nation pay immediately, but the men around him were horrified, and many could barely keep moving.

"Keep going!" Lee shouted. "Do not stop here!"

By the time he reached the defensive line, the Fire Nation bombardment had begun again. Explosions struck the earthworks ahead, forcing everyone into cover while earthbenders reinforced the bunkers and reshaped the entrances to protect against the liquid fire the enemy had begun dropping at random.

Lee could see soldiers staring at the sky, some with hatred in their eyes, they would fight harder, others shaking so badly they had to be pulled along by their comrades. He dreaded how many would desert after this, and how many would stay in the trenches but be unable to move when the next order came.

The Fire Nation had clearly switched tactics, and Lee knew with growing hatred that it was working. They just didn't have enough experienced soldiers that could handle this.

'They will pay for this.' he thought bitterly.

lemonfrogs · Aug 23, 2026

Lin is really out there creating new war crimes for the Elemental Nations and I'm pretty sure that's what seduced Azula.

Sharker117 · Aug 23, 2026

Geneva checklist go!

No show of the result from gassing the tunnels yet, that should be plenty horrifying, especially when survivors just drop dead later.

Rotceh · Aug 23, 2026

Ah ah....I wonder if the idea of Heat Bending, now that Azula tries to learn how to use it to gain an advantage over Toph, hahaha I love this

Lucernello · Sep 4, 2026

AN: Hello, two chapters today. Chapter 1 of 2, just in case.

Art by Aurora.
Enjoy, Luce

99 A.G

Day 16 - Ba Sing Se Operations

Fire Nation casualties.

Killed: 3,987
Wounded: 8,521
Missing: 463
Total: 12,971

The army has lost 19% of its fighting force. Our Inventory and supplies are stable, and equipment is being replenished faster than we can use it.

Estimated Earth Kingdom casualties by account of spies.

Killed: ~88,000
Wounded: ~106,000
Missing: ~7,000
Total estimated casualties: ~201,000

40% of their forces have been neutralized, but more reserves are coming in. Our generals warned that we need to break through as soon as possible or our army would be forced to retreat.

Quartermaster's field ledger.

Aang and his friends reached Hew Sin before noon, following the coastline until the houses and docks came into view. The city was larger than the villages they had passed during the last few days.

Many of the windows were closed, and the people in the streets kept their attention on their own work. Even when Appa landed outside the city limits, no one stopped too long to stare at them. A few turned to look at them for a few seconds, especially at their Water Tribe clothing, but no one shouted for guards and they were quick to move away.

Most people treated them like travelers they did not want to deal with. Most just ignored them when they tried to talk to them. Children stared at Appa from behind a fence until their mother pulled them inside and closed the door.

"They are friendly." Sokka muttered.

"Something is wrong here." Katara said.

Haru glanced around the street. "Everyone seems tired."

"Let's try and talk to someone who listens, maybe we can figure out what's going on." Aang said.

The harbor was busier than the rest of the town. Fishing boats moved in and out, workers carried baskets of shellfish, and a few larger ships sat farther from the docks under Fire Nation inspection.

Soldiers were present, but they did not stop everyone who passed. They stood near the road and the warehouses, checking papers, counting crates, and talking among themselves while the town continued working around them.

The first few people they tried to talk to ignored them or moved away. At least one of them gave them information that a storm was likely hitting the town at night by how the wind was blowing, so they best try and find a place to take shelter.

Near the harbor they saw a crowd gathered, reading from an announcement board. Aang and his friends stopped there as well when they heard Ba Sing Se mentioned. There was a man reading to a few others who clearly didn't know how to read.

"The outer wall has been breached." the man said, voice carrying over the dock. "Fire Nation forces under General Lin and Crown Princess Azula have entered the agrarian zone and are battling Earth Kingdom forces. Official reports state that the liberation campaign continues successfully, and that once Ba Sing Se falls, no large organized opposition will remain on the continent."

Katara's face went pale. "They breached the wall?"

Sokka stepped closer to the crowd. "That can't be right. Ba Sing Se's wall is enormous."

The man reading continued, and his tone made it sound like he had already repeated the announcement several times that morning. "General Renshi's forces continue to advance and they have inflicted heavy losses to the enemy. The Crown Princess is said to be fighting alongside the general, bringing honor to the royal family and courage to the soldiers who will end the war."

A few people near the announcement murmured to one another.

"At least it might be over soon." one fisherman said.

"Finally. My brother decided to join the earthbenders in the army." another man replied. "If the city surrenders, maybe he comes home alive."

"If the Fire Nation wins there, then we might be able to sell our fish to the rest of the kingdom." a woman carrying a basket said. "It would bring more coins for us."

Katara turned toward them, horrified. "How can you talk like that? They are invading your people's capital."

The woman scoffed and looked at her with a tired expression. "My people are right here, not hiding behind big walls. Besides… if they fail, the war keeps going."

Katara opened her mouth, but Sokka touched her arm before she answered too quickly. Aang could see she was angry enough to say something that would only make everyone turn against them. It was better not to draw that kind of attention.

Aang looked back at the announcement, where Lin and Azula's names were painted in bold red characters beneath a Fire Nation seal. It was a big dilemma he would have to face eventually. Especially if he wanted to help the world as the Avatar and keep the nations balanced.

Lin had given them food, safe passage, hay for Appa, and the waterbending scroll. She had been helpful to them, almost kind in her own way, but now her army was inside Ba Sing Se, and the poster spoke of her like she was a hero bringing peace by breaking the last great Earth Kingdom city.

He would have to go against her at some point if his duty demanded him to fight the Fire Nation. If they didn't relinquish their conquered territories the world would be out of balance, something the Avatar was meant to correct.

On the other hand, he wanted the war to end too. It was clear that everyone did. The problem was that more and more people seemed willing to accept the Fire Nation ending it their way, as long as it meant they could live their lives normally, without fear.

Aang did not know how to argue with that without sounding like he was asking them to keep suffering until he figured out what to do. Bumi's words returned to him again, once more, they were difficult to ignore.

He gripped his staff and forced himself to breathe. Whatever the Fire Nation did, and whatever people were willing to believe because they were tired, he still had to master the elements. He needed to learn waterbending, earthbending, and firebending as fast as possible.

Even if the world was back in peace and they accepted a Fire Nation victory, being a master of all elements and a strong Avatar could help him when the nations began talking things through. His people had prepared him for diplomacy after all, and he was sure that being the Avatar could give him a voice in peace negotiations.

They moved away from the crowd and continued along the docks, trying to find someone willing to speak to them without acting suspicious, although he could admit he needed to work better himself. After several refusals, they found an old man sitting near a fishing boat, repairing a net with hands that moved carefully despite the deep lines in his fingers.

He glanced up when Sokka approached. "You kids lost?"

"Not lost." Sokka said. "Just looking for a place to rest for a night."

The old man's eyes moved from Sokka to Katara, then to Aang and Haru. "Water Tribe kids this far north, and traveling with an Earth Kingdom boy. That is new."

"We are traveling to the North Pole, to our sister tribe." Katara said, softly.

"Pheew. Certainly a long way yet to go, but you have indeed come far already."

"We know…" Sokka said. "That is why a place to rest would help, some people mentioned there was a storm coming."

The old man gave a dry laugh. "Bah, what do they know about storms…Well, there is only one local inn in the harbor, and it stopped renting out rooms, so you won't have any luck finding a place unless you head deeper into the city."

Aang eyes him carefully. "Why did they stop? Did something happen?"

"Well, it's clear you are outsiders and quite young so you don't know what this harbor has become. Hew Sin and Daxia Harbor are known as a safe haven for criminals the Fire Nation doesn't want, but are either too dangerous to imprison or kill. The inn owner, Nomi, decided she didn't want any trouble."

Katara frowned. "So everyone here is a dangerous criminal?"

Aang was not liking this city at all.

"Well… I assume not everyone, but most of them. Recently some of them left, they received pardons and joined the Fire Nation military once they started accepting earthbenders in their forces." The man said.

"So not only they are horrible people but also traitors." Haru said with venom in his voice.

"Ha! You have spirit, kid." he replied, laughing. "I would be careful to say things like that in the open though. The Fire Nation is still guarding this city and port, even if they ignore criminal activity. They have let you travel so far, I would try and keep it that way if I were you."

"We are not here because the Fire Nation is letting us travel." Sokka said.

The old man stopped moving the net for a moment, then looked at him again. "Boy, there is no way they don't know you are here."

Sokka just stared at him.

"They watch the roads, the docks, the ships, and the markets. They count crates better than tax men ever did. If you arrived with Water Tribe clothes, and a giant animal, someone surely noticed." The old man pointed with his chin toward the soldiers posted close by. "If they have done nothing to stop you, then they don't mind you traveling, or they just decided you are not interesting enough, which in my opinion is a good thing."

Sokka didn't seem to like that, and if he was honest, Aang did not like it either. However, he remembered Lin's sealed document and how easily guards had let them pass when they showed the scroll.

Maybe the old man was right and the Fire Nation had been allowing them to move because Lin wanted them to. It was a terrifying thought though, if she was planning something for them, Aang didn't want to find out what exactly.

The old man tied off a knot in the net and sighed. "I'm going fishing. If a couple of you want to work the boat for the day, I can pay with food and a place to stay until morning. Nothing fancy, but it will save you from getting wet."

Sokka straightened at once. "I can help."

Haru stepped forward too. "Me too."

The old man looked between them and grinned. "Good. Strong backs are always needed and I'm not getting any younger. The rest of you can wait near the house, you cannot miss it, you go straight down that path to the right, follow the wooden planks then up the small hill. You should be able to use the shed where I store my boat for your big friend. Unless he eats fish by the barrel he is welcomed."

Aang glanced toward Appa, who was sniffing at a stack of empty crates.

"He is a vegetarian, he likes hay the most."

"Oh good, then. At least he will give less trouble than some men I've hired. Rude the lot of 'em." the old man said, standing with a pleased grunt. "Come on, boys. Tide won't wait for nobody."

Azula found Lin's exasperation satisfying, especially because she was trying very hard not to show too much of it in front of the other officers. The princess also found that it was an entertaining pastime.

They were gathered around the command table inside one of the forward bunkers the earthbenders had made for them, which was easier to set up than setting up the tent over and over again.

Outside, the battle continued, and the artillery was making dust fall from the ceiling every time they fired, now closer to the front to hit their rear. Messengers moved in and out of the room, bringing updates from the scouts, the tank crews and the frontline officers.

The newest scout report had changed the plan for the day, their gliders had located the enemy headquarters and Lin had quickly called for a meeting with all the lead officers. They had discussed the news to come up with a plan and how best to hit the enemy.

Their headquarters was hidden behind several defensive lines, farther south than expected, connected to trenches and tunnels that allowed the Earth Kingdom commanders to send orders without exposing themselves too often.

Lin had suspected that the enemy was using a central command position instead of separate field posts, because their counterattacks had become too coordinated to be improvised by isolated officers. Now they had confirmation and she was eager to eliminate them and push the lines.

Lin had already prepared a plan of attack even before Azula arrived. The Fire Nation would concentrate tanks, rhinos, infantry, and field guns along the central and southern sections. With a coordinated attack, the tanks would break through the pressured line while the rhinos and infantry followed to widen the gap.

Having taken their headquarters out, their officers wouldn't be able to respond in time to reinforce key positions in the line. After that, the armored units would turn south, circle the enemy position, and destroy half of their line before the Earth Kingdom could reorganize.

If it worked, the rest of their defenses would either collapse or be overwhelmed by the next push. Azula could admit it was a good plan. It was aggressive, efficient, and most of all aimed at destroying their forces instead of just gaining ground.

The problem was that Lin had not included her in the small strike team that would be sent to para-drop from the gliders and attack the headquarters directly. And Azula wanted to be part of it desperately.

"No." Lin said once more.

Azula raised an eyebrow. "Why not?"

"You leading the strike team is out of the question, princess."

"I said I wanted to be part of it, I don't need to lead it."

"That is the same thing, you outrank anyone in any team."

Azula smiled at her. "It's good you understand it then."

Lin rested both metal hands on the table. "The headquarters is deep behind their lines. We do not know how many guards they have, how many tunnels connect to it, or how quickly their reserves can react. The mission is risky even with experienced soldiers."

"Then it is fortunate that I am not inexperienced."

"You are also the Crown Princess."

"I know."

"That means I am expected to keep you alive."

"And yet, no one here can stop me from going if I decide to go."

The officers around the table were looking everywhere but at them. Azula enjoyed that as well. General Shinu stood across from them with the face of a man who wished he had been ordered somewhere else or to bolt away back to the frontlines.

Lin gave her a tired expression. "Azula, please see reason."

The use of her name instead of her title made something warm pass through her chest, but she kept her face composed. "Lin, I can do this."

"Why do you want to do this so badly?"

"It would be a great boost to our soldiers morale."

"You want to throw yourself at the most dangerous operation yet for a morale boost?"

Azula's smile thinned a little. "Do not insult me. I understand risk better than most of the officers in this room, and I also understand what my presence means. If I strike the enemy command directly while our army breaks their line, every soldier here will hear of it before nightfall. So will every soldier in the city. The Fire Nation's victory would be all but assured if we succeed."

"But we could win either way without endangering our crown princess."

"Probably."

Lin remained silent for a moment, and Azula could see that she had no more arguments. Lin trusted her in battle, trained her, and praised her in combat multiple times. There was no doubt in her mind that she would come around.

"The mission will be prepared with me in mind. I'm going, and that's an order." Azula said at last.

Lin's jaw tightened. "Is there no way you will let us handle it?"

"No."

Shinu stared at Azula, then at Lin, and seemed to regret both choices immediately. Lin held Azula's gaze for several seconds before releasing a slow breath through her nose.

"Fine." Lin said, between her teeth. Azula almost smiled.

"Then I am going with you." Lin continued.

That was even better than what Azula had wanted, although she had enough sense not to say so in front of the entire command staff.

"Oh good, they have no chance then."

"Right." Lin sighed.

She turned toward Major General Shinu, who seemed so stunned by the change in command that for a moment he did not react at all. His mouth opened once before he closed it again. Watching grown officers lose their composure never truly got old.

"General Shinu." Lin said. "You will take command of the main assault while the princess and I eliminate the head of the enemy."

Shinu straightened quickly. "A-are you certain?"

"I would not be handing you command if I was not."

Lin took a folded paper from the table and handed it to him. "These are your orders for the next twenty-four hours. If there are any changes in the schedule of our attack I will send a messenger. There are reports of our reserves, artillery ammunition, tanks' combat readiness, fallback points, and what to do if we are not able to return. Do not improvise unless the situation forces you. If communication is lost, follow the written plan."

Shinu accepted the paper with both hands. "Understood, General."

It was funny to Azula how even if they were both the same rank, Lin could just order Shinu around. A year back maybe that wouldn't have happened, but her reputation had skyrocketed since then. The rumors about her being an evil spirit frightened even a few on their own side.

"You will be in command of both armies, I'm trusting my men to you. Do not waste their lives. Captain Aiku will remain with the forward staff to assist you. Colonel Zhou keeps the central line stable at this moment. If breaking their lines succeeds, you push immediately before the Earth Kingdom can recover."

"Yes, ma'am!"

Azula could see the concern in the room, but no one challenged her. Having the power to order Lin around felt enticing. The princess was also eager to hunt General Sung and the rest of the Earth Kingdom officers. It all made her feel giddy inside.

Lin gathered her things and ordered a corporal to gather the selected soldiers for the strike, giving him a list. Then she glanced at Azula with resignation, Azula finally allowed herself to smirk.

"We will crush them, we'll be fine." Azula said.

"You enjoy making my work difficult, don't you?" Lin sighed.

"Admit it, you admire initiative."

"If only your initiative wouldn't risk your life."

"What's life without a little danger?"

Lin laughed. 'Mission accomplished.'

The storm hit Daxia harbor before Sokka and Haru returned from fishing. At first, Aang tried not to worry. The old fisherman had seemed experienced enough, and Sokka had been excited to prove that Water Tribe people obviously understood boats better than anyone else.

Haru had been less confident, but he had agreed to help anyway, mostly because the old man had promised he could cook great food for all of them if the work went well. Then the rain began falling harder, and the wind from the sea pushed against the harbor hard enough that several people started tying down crates and pulling nets away from the docks.

Katara stood near the old man's house with her arms crossed, her attention fixed on the water.

"Do you think they are alright? Maybe we should check if they are in trouble."

Aang nodded, trying to see through the rain. "I'll go check."

Katara turned toward him at once. "Be careful."

"I will. I'll just look from above."

He climbed onto Appa and guided him toward the harbor before the rain worsened. The waves were already higher than Aang liked, and the boats near the docks were hitting the water hard as their ropes pulled tight. It took him several minutes to find the fishing boat through the rain, and when he finally spotted it, he could see that something was not right.

The boat was still floating, but it was moving poorly. Sokka was trying to control one of the ropes near the front while Haru held onto the side, both of them drenched and shouting over the wind. The old man was down near the center of the boat, unmoving beside the mast.

Aang brought Appa lower. "Sokka!"

Sokka's head snapped up. "Aang! Great timing! The mast hit him and now he is out, and I am starting to think these boats are more complicated than I said!"

"We need to return to land, we don't know how hurt he is!" Haru shouted.

"Right!"

Aang lowered Appa carefully until he could drop onto the boat. The waves made the landing difficult, and he had to use airbending to keep himself from falling over the side. The old man was breathing, which made Aang feel better, but he did not wake when Haru slapped him gently. There was a red mark on the side of his head where part of the mast had struck him.

"We need to find a way to move it to shore then." Aang said.

He tied a rope from the fishing boat to Appa's saddle while Sokka helped secure the old man in place so he would not roll with the movement of the waves. Haru used earthbending on the few stones they had carried as weights, trying to help balance the boat, while Aang climbed back onto Appa and told him to pull.

"Yip yip, come on, buddy!"

Appa groaned and flew forward with effort, dragging the boat through the waves while Aang used airbending to push water away whenever it rose too high. It was messy and frightening, and more than once the rope pulled so hard that Aang thought it might snap, but they finally reached the harbor.

They managed to secure the boat into the wooden docks, when they yelled for help people didn't even look in their direction, each securing their things without caring about the rest of the world. It was a sad sight for Aang.

Still, they needed to take shelter, so they tied it down as best they could and Aang helped Haru and Sokka to carry the old man back. By the time they got the old man back to his house, Katara had already prepared blankets and warm water.

They cleaned his injury and waited until he woke up, while the storm raged outside. Katara also helped the Sokka and Haru dry up. Aang had already used his airbending to do that.

With a grunt the old man finally got up. "How… how did we get to safety?"

"Ah well… you could say teamwork and a bit of luck." Sokka lied, quickly.

"My boat?" he asked, fearful.

"It's safe, we left it safely tucked in the harbor." Haru answered.

He breathed in relief and he laid down again.

"Are you feeling alright, sir?" Aang asked.

"Just a headache, I'll be fine, kid. You both have my thanks for bringing me back, even if we didn't end up bringing fish as I wanted to, you are welcome to stay the night."

"We do have some food prepared, we can share." Katara said softly.

"I think I just want some tea, but thanks for the offer." he said simply.

The next morning, they left after thanking him, and heading northeast instead of flying directly north. The old man had warned them that in that direction they would find Pohuai, a Fire Nation military base and prison, and none of them wanted to fly close to a place like that.

They did not get far before Sokka started coughing and feeling down. At first, he insisted he was fine, and Haru tried to say the same when his own voice became rough. By midday, both of them were shaking under their blankets in Appa's saddle, their faces flushed and sweaty despite the cool air.

Katara checked them again and again, but her worry only grew.

"We need to stop and have them rest." she said.

Aang nodded and he began searching for anywhere to go down. They landed near ruins of what he believed had once been Taku. The city looked like it had been destroyed a long time ago, and even from above, there was not much else than ruins and collapsed stone.

They found a place in the ruins that still had enough roof left to block the wind, and Katara made Sokka and Haru lie down while Aang gathered water and tried to make them comfortable. As the hours passed, they only got worse.

Sokka mumbled nonsense about fishing warriors and giant soup bowls, while Haru kept calling for his father even though he knew his father was not there. Their skin felt too hot, and both of them were sweating through their clothes. Katara tried to stay calm, but Aang could see her hands trembling a bit.

"We need to do something, you are starting with the coughing now, they are not getting better either, even if you said some rest would be all they needed." Aang said.

"Yes, maybe you can go and find some ginger root, it's a medicinal herb and it will help make tea that will help us."

Katara then gave him a description of the plant she needed.

"Alright, I will fly around and see if I can find it."

"I'll look after them." Katara said, weakly.

Aang did not want to leave her, but he knew waiting would not help. He took his glider and searched through the ruins of Taku, flying low over broken streets, and buildings that had been left to rot.

He did not find the herbs Katara had described. What he did find, after landing near a cracked stone noticeboard, was an old map of the city with several important buildings marked on it. One of them was a medical institute.

Aang pulled the map free as carefully as he could and flew back to tell the others. He was already planning the fastest route through the ruins when he landed near the broken house they had chosen for shelter.

The words died in his throat before he could call Katara's name. A huge man was standing near his friends, looking over them. They were all bundled together over Appa who surprisingly hadn't made a move even with the man there. Even Momo was just randomly playing with a crown he no doubt found in the ruins, ignoring him.

He was broad, tall, and intimidating, with a face that did not look friendly at all and metal prosthetics that reminded Aang of Lin's arms and legs. The man turned his head when Aang entered, and Aang tightened his grip on his staff, swallowing hard while failing at not showing how scared he suddenly felt.

Aang was ready to defend himself and move to protect his friends. Katara was the only fully awake one and she was breathing heavily. Aang was not sure he would be able to get to them before the man made a move, he might end up hurting his friends if he moved too fast.

"Stay away from them!" Aang said, trying to sound braver than he felt.

The man turned fully toward him, and Aang raised his staff. But to his surprise the man spoke with gentle words.

"Calm down, young Avatar. I'm here to help you." he said.

"You are?" Aang said, now hopeful.

"Yes, and I should warn you that flying off like you did is careless. You are lucky that most of the zone was abandoned to lend support to Ba Sing Se's invasion. Otherwise you would have angry archers after you already." The man said.

"Er.. sorry?"

"Either way, your friends will be fine. There is a valley nearby with almost freezing water. Inside there are these frozen frogs that will help in this situation."

"How can frozen frogs help?"

"They hibernate that way. That thin layer that freezes has many nutrients that keeps them alive, it can be used to cure this sickness. You just have to let them melt that layer in a cup and have them drink it. You could also suck on them but the taste is horrible, I don't recommend it." the man explained.

"How do you know this?" Aang asked.

"The mother of my child, Zy, runs an apothecary. She has been healing people in Hew Sin for years now. You learn a thing or two."

"Oh…err, great!" he answered, awkwardly.

The man threw a satchel at him and he almost didn't catch it. "Go fetch them, without flying this time. I will be here when you come back to help you prepare the medicine."

"Alright, thanks!" Aang said, bolting toward the valley at full speed, relieved that they had found another friendly face, even in the ruins of a forgotten town.

Once back with the frozen frogs, he handed them to the man who was now sitting down and had started a small fire. He expertly extracted the liquid from the frozen frogs, carefully placing them back in the satchel.

"Once we are done you can take them back, they will just freeze right back in a couple of hours, they won't mind." he said.

Aang nodded. The man prepared the tea and with his help, they carefully helped their friends drink it down. It calmed his heart to see their faces regain normal color and their breathing even out. They relaxed almost straight away.

"It worked!"

"Of course, for what reason would I lie?" the man asked.

"Well… you do look a bit intimidating." Aang said, sheepishly.

"Ah, I can't argue with that." he said neutrally.

"Who- who are you?" Katara asked.

"My name is Raizo."

"Did they ever tell you that you look just like a certain Fire Nation General?" Sokka said, still not fully recovered.

Aang saw the man's face turn sad instantly.

"That would be my sister."

'Oh no…'

Lucernello · Sep 4, 2026

Chapter 2 of 2 today. I have a sidestory that I will post later in the day, it still needs revision.

Enjoy,
Luce

99 A.G

Major Lee returned to headquarters battered, filthy, and so exhausted that it took him a lot of effort to step down into the bunker where they were supposed to meet. The fighting had continued through most of the night, and the morning had brought no victory for his section of the line.

His soldiers had attacked through the tunnels, and broken trenches, as was usual now. They had tried to take advantage of the movements they had seen along the Fire Nation position, but the enemy defenses had held.

Even after they had pulled some troops away from the front Lee was assaulting, the remaining soldiers and firebenders had been enough to stop them from gaining ground at all. It frustrated him to no end.

The only comfort was that the Fire Nation had been forced to move those troops somewhere else. That meant one of the other fronts had done better than his, or that the enemy had been forced to strengthen positions behind their line before they had to retreat.

Either answer meant they were hurting them. The Fire Nation did not have enough soldiers to keep this going forever, no matter how many machines they had brought, and Lee had spent the last few days holding to that belief with renewed energy.

He wiped mud from his face with the back of his sleeve and entered the main chamber of the headquarters bunker. Most of the officers were already there; General Sung stood at the far end of the table, speaking with two messengers while several captains and majors argued over what to do next.

There were strategies being passed around, as well as reports from the different officers assigned to each portion of the frontline. The air inside the bunker was damp and sour from too many men breathing in the same enclosed space for too many hours.

Lanterns hung from beams reinforced by earthbending, casting uneven light over faces scarred by the brutal war that had raged for weeks now. Lee frowned when he noticed the empty space usually occupied by Ban.

"Where is Major Ban?" he asked.

The argument around the table went quiet at once. Several officers glanced toward one another, and Lee knew Ban was as good as dead. A captain from the central line lowered the report he had been holding and swallowed before speaking.

"He is dead, Major."

Lee stared at him for a moment, and he felt every bit of exhaustion he had entered the bunker with.

"What happened?"

The captain rubbed both hands together, leaving dark marks of dirt across his knuckles.

"The counterattack in the center failed. The Fire Nation had prepared something during the night. They used prisoners, fire, and some kind of smoke that moved into the tunnels. The soldiers who escaped said it felt like an evil spirit's aura had filled the passages."

"Did they employ a new weapon?" Lee said, anger rising through the exhaustion. "How many did we lose?"

"We still don't know. The first estimate is nearly ten thousand across the connected tunnels."

Lee had read terrible reports already, and this was the worst news he could receive. Ten thousand men in a single night was a horrible occurrence. If the Fire Nation had a new weapon that could reach every tunnel then they were as good as dead.

'Why haven't they used it before?' he wondered.

It also meant the center line could collapse at any moment, and the only reason why it hadn't yet was because the Fire Nation maybe didn't know how much that hurt them.

The captain continued, voice lower now. "Ban was found alive with his men. They were dug out from one of the blocked passages near dawn. They had no cuts, no burns, no crushed bones that the healers could see, but they could barely breathe. Ban kept trying to speak and could not manage more than a few words before coughing blood. He agonized for hours before he died. The same thing happened to the rest of his men."

Lee couldn't understand how they had managed to procure such terror weapons; men dying with no visible wounds by a smoke they could barely see, it was terrible in any way you looked at it. It was not something they could strike against.

He did not believe the Fire Nation had summoned spirits, but he believed they had found some horrible method to make men die beneath the earth without leaving marks a healer could treat. He hoped it was something they couldn't use all the time and the main reason why they hadn't seen it before.

The general was speaking too loudly again, demanding that the center be reinforced and that the next assault continue before the Fire Nation could recover. He clearly had no idea of how slow that process would be having lost so many men in one night.

Lee then came into a realization that made his knees grow weak. If the Fire Nation knew the damage they had done, then that meant they had not moved troops away from Lee's front to retreat or defend some distant problem.

They had moved them to strike through the center while the Earth Kingdom tried to understand what had happened overnight. If the center broke, then they could surround either the north or the south portion of the line and destroy them. There would not be a comeback after that.

"Send runners to the central reserves, now!" Lee said, turning toward the nearest messenger. "Tell Colonel Ren to move all of the reserve groups toward the center and prepare for a breakthrough attempt."

General Sung turned to him. "What are you doing?"

Lee did not have time for this. "They are not pulling back. They are concentrating for the center."

Sung's face tightened. "You do not know that."

"They killed Ban's force inside the tunnels, and now they are pulling soldiers from the other fronts. That is not retreat. They are concentrating their forces to push us back now that we are weak. We have to move now!"

"We cannot make a hasty decision in the middle of a crisis!" Sung argued while the messenger stayed frozen in place.

"If I'm right the enemy will break through and then we are done for. They could turn either north or south and kill off half of our forces against our own walls, this is no time for caution."

Sung slammed one hand on the table. "You will not countermand my orders because you are frightened by rumors of spirits."

Lee turned to the messengers again, deciding that if Sung wanted to argue, he could do it after the orders were already moving. "Go! Now!"

"Major! Wha-"

The bunker entrance exploded before the runners could take more than a few steps. The blast threw the guards inward and knocked several men off their feet. Dust, broken earth, smoke, and splintered wood filled the chamber at once, and Lee hit the side of the table hard enough that pain ran through his ribs.

For several seconds he could hear almost nothing except ringing and the panicked movement of officers trying to understand where the attack had come from. He forced himself upright, blinking through the dust.

Someone entered through the ruined doorway. Lee recognized her immediately and panic flooded his senses. The demon herself walked into the bunker with her face empty of anger, satisfaction, or fear.

Her metal limbs caught the lantern light as she stepped over one of the fallen guards, and behind her came Fire Nation soldiers in darkened armor with weird compact metal contraptions raised in both hands. What could only be Princess Azula followed close behind, a pleased expression spreading across her face.

General Sung backed away from the table. "You…"

Agni's wrath did not even look at him first. Her eyes moved across the officers, messengers, and the rest of the officers gathered with calmness.

"Kill all of them except the general." she said, simply. "I will handle him."

Fire Nation soldiers fired making him flinch hard. Officers fell around the table, messengers stumbled against the walls without knowing what had hit them. Lee raised his arm to bend a wall to protect himself, but cold burning pain caught him in the chest before he finished the movement.

He fell backward against the floor, unable to draw breath. Princess Azula was the last thing he saw, two of her fingers smoking, and her face lit by blue light and twisted with a grin that looked far too pleased for the slaughter around her.

Lin left the headquarters bunker with General Sung over her shoulder leaving only dead officers behind her.

The strike had gone as well as she could have expected. The explosion at the entrance had stunned most of the command staff, and the first seconds after that had decided the fight before the Earth Kingdom officers understood what was happening.

Azula and the strike team had killed the officers, messengers, guards, and aides who had tried to resist, while Lin had crossed the chamber and taken Sung out before he managed to recover enough sense to bend his way out.

She had chi blocked him and locked his wrists and ankles with metal shackles. The general had then tried threats, insults, and demands that he be released, but Lin ignored most of them while carrying him out of the bunker.

"General, we have placed the booby traps in the bodies." Captain Kaida said.

"Good we are waiting for their response and moving away from here as fast as we can."

The first messengers who rushed back toward headquarters had died in the tunnels before they saw the bodies inside. After that, more soldiers began arriving from nearby reserve positions, confused by the explosion and the sudden silence from their command.

Lin's unit fought through them quickly, firing into the closest groups while Azula burned through the ones who tried to block the passage. The Earth Kingdom soldiers were frightened and disorganized, but there were still too many of them to waste time fighting in place.

"Move left, we move further south." Lin ordered. "Come on, move quickly."

The soldiers obeyed at once. Kaida led three men through a side passage, and Azula followed close behind Lin while Sung twisted uselessly over her shoulder. They arrived at the site where they had para-dropped onto, then quickly did a head count and she was happy that no one was missing.

The general was heavier than he looked, but her prosthetics carried the weight without much issue. What bothered her more was the noise, so she promptly ripped part of the cloth from the parachutes to tie it to his open mouth.

They didn't need more pursuers on their tail just because the general kept insulting them. They lost them after cutting through the remains of an old supply corridor and more trenches that stretched through the land.

One of her own earthbenders collapsed some of them so that they wouldn't find them easily, giving room for the unit to gather their breath and check their weapons. Lin dropped Sung onto the ground.

He hit the earth hard enough to grunt, then glared up at her with hatred that would have been more impressive if he could move. The metal shackles held his limbs in place, and he couldn't say anything with the cloth in his mouth.

"Captain Kaida." Lin said.

Kaida stepped forward at once. She had a messenger hawk strapped carefully to her back inside a leather carrier, the animal restless after the fighting but still alive and alert. Lin was the first to admit the Fire Nation hawks were amazing messengers.

"Unstrap it."

Kaida knelt and loosened the carrier while Lin pulled a prepared strip of paper from inside her coat. She wrote quickly, keeping the message short, so that it was easier to secure to the hawk's leg.

Headquarters neutralized. Send confirmation and report progress of the main assault. No delay.

She tied the order in place herself, checked the knot, then released the bird. They had trained him to know where to go with the same gliders that had surveyed the area beforehand. The bird launched itself out into the air with a beating of wings and disappeared into the sky.

Now they had to wait for the news. While Lin disliked waiting, this looked like the correct place for it at least. Their part of the operation had been completed. Sung had been taken, his headquarters had been gutted, and the Earth Kingdom command structure had been thrown into confusion at the exact moment Shinu was supposed to attack.

If he followed her orders properly, her army would already be pushing through the weakened center, destroying as many enemy formations as possible before they could shore up defenses to repel the attack.

Azula came to stand beside her.

"I didn't know you could chi-block. I only know one other who knows how to, Ty Lee."

"My mother taught me the skill. Although it was hard to accomplish with my metal fingers, I managed. The only difference is that I leave bruises behind while my mother leaves no evidence behind. I'm not as nimble and fast to use it always, I just thought it was the best way to handle him. I could have also punched him hard enough but I didn't want to risk breaking his ribs and causing his death prematurely." Lin explained.

"Ah, makes sense." Azula chuckled.

Lin took one of the smaller maps from Kaida's pack and unfolded it on a flat piece of broken floor. The glider scouts had done good work. The drawn routes were not perfect, but they showed enough of the trenches, ruins, tunnel exits, and supply roads for her to judge their position.

They were a bit deeper in enemy lines than she had expected by their surroundings but it wouldn't matter if they broke through either way. Now depending on the news, they would strike the rear of the southern line and rejoin their own forces as the enemy collapsed.

That would be the best outcome. If general Shinu failed, or if the attack stalled, then they would need to improvise a route back through the weakest section of the line, which was risky.

'We do have something that could help in that situation either way.' she thought looking back at General Sung.

The captured general had gone silent, but his eyes were still moving. He was listening, and looking around in fear.

"I know the perfect thing to pass the time while we wait for the hawk to come back." Lin said.

"Oh? Sounds promising, I'm all ears." Azula said, with a grin on her face.

Lin folded the map halfway and looked down at the general on the ground.

"What do you say we have a little fun with the General here, Azula?"

Lin saw him flinch hard and that brought a smile to her face.

General Shinu was nervous, and he thought any sane man in his position would be. The command tent had been reinforced with earth and timber, but it still trembled whenever the Fire Nation guns fired from behind the line.

Messengers came and went with reports from the tanks, rhino units, infantry companies, and his own Yuyan archers, who were fighting in the frontlines. With this one attack, the Fire Nation could finally break the Earth Kingdom after a century of war, and it all sat on his very shoulders.

He had been given command of both armies for the next twenty-four hours. Shinu had agreed, of course. Refusing would have been cowardice, and he was not a coward, but he had spent the first hour after her departure reading the orders over and over again, afraid that he would miss some important detail.

He began his attack at the time that had been written down. Tanks pushed first through the center, supported by firebenders, riflemen, and earthbenders clearing the broken terrain. The rhinos followed wherever the ground allowed them to pass, carrying men and supplies forward while the infantry widened the gap.

The Yuyan archers moved in selected groups, taking positions along raised sections and their own moving tanks, picking off earthbenders who tried to rally the retreating defenders or ambush them through the trenches.

The Earth Kingdom resisted with everything they still had. Earthbenders raised walls in front of the tanks, opened trenches beneath infantry lines, and tried to crush as many soldiers as they could with their boulders.

Shinu bit at one of his nails while he listened to the reports. The army was leaving waves of bodies behind while it was advancing.

"The third tank group has passed the second line of their defense."

"Mongke's unit is catching up to them soon."

"Enemy reserves are said to be moving from the south."

He has been monitoring the first phase for now, but he was growing anxious. If the headquarters had fallen, he would commit the reserves and push without delay. If the strike failed, he would tighten the advance, secure the center, and avoid overextending into a trap.

A hawk cry cut through the noise outside the tent. Major Han rushed out and returned moments later with the message tied to the bird's leg. Shinu took it with hands that he was relieved to find steady enough. The message was short, written in General Lin's direct style.

Shinu released a long breath. The princess and Agni's blessed general had succeeded, and now the weight of victory had been placed fully in his hands. He could feel the fear still there, but he was not general for nothing.

"Major Han. Send word to the princess that we are pushing through the center. Tell her the attack continues according to General Lin's plan." Shinu said, folding the message.

"Yes, General."

"And send the reserves forward now. All of them assigned to the central assault. No waiting."

Han saluted and ran to carry the orders. Shinu turned to the armor stand beside the table, where his helmet waited with its polished crest. His armor was more ornate than what Lin wore, gold-trimmed and made to be seen, he was a general after all.

He had wondered before if it made him seem vain, but now he thought it might serve a purpose. If the men saw him at the front, they would know their commander had not stayed behind while they fought.

He put on the helmet and stepped out of the tent. A platoon of his best Yuyan archers followed him, their captain giving a quick signal as the men formed around him with bows ready. Lin had trusted him with her men, and he would not waste their lives hiding behind the lines while the battle was being decided.

"Any enemy in sight is to be killed." Shinu ordered. "If they try to rally, you cut down the officer. If an earthbender moves to block us, you take him first. We are not stopping until the center collapses."

The archers answered with disciplined salutes, and Shinu and his group mounted their mongoose lizards and rode toward the front. They passed supply crews, wounded men being carried back, and engineers dragging tools toward the newly opened path.

The closer Shinu came to the fighting, the more he believed they could win. The earth had been torn open by tank tracks and explosions. Smoke moved between broken earthworks, and Fire Nation soldiers were pressing forward.

When Shinu reached the frontline, he saw that the enemy was beginning to fold. The tanks were pushing over the trenches, crushing barriers and men beneath their weight while the crews fired into groups trying to retreat.

Firebenders moved behind them, throwing flames into their backs and forcing earthbenders away from their positions. The rhinos carried infantry into the breach, and the soldiers jumped down almost before the animals had fully stopped, firing fireballs, shouting, and advancing as officers waved them forward.

Shinu felt the fear leave him as he raised his fist into the air.

"Forward!" he roared. "Give no quarter!"

The soldiers around him answered with a cheer that spread faster than he expected. Men who had been moving carefully began pushing harder, and officers repeated his order down the line. Shinu joined the advance himself, sending wide arcs of fire toward enemy groups from atop his mount.

His archers moved with him, loosing arrows at any soldier who came too close and any earthbender who tried to raise cover around the retreat. For the first time since the battle began, Shinu felt powerful, not merely important because of his rank.

He inspired the men forward and they were winning with him at the head of the battle. The center had broken. The Earth Kingdom was retreating in confusion, no doubt waiting for orders that would never arrive.

After what felt like hours of constant movement, Shinu called the closest officers and pointed toward the southern line.

"We turn now. The tanks continue forward enough to keep them running, then bend south. Infantry follows in sections. We trap the rest of their forces from behind and crush them against our line."

One officer blinked sweat from his eyes. "We are already far enough, General?"

"Yes. We close in on them. No time to wait!"

The order passed quickly. Units that had been advancing straight ahead began turning toward the rest of the enemy position, and Shinu could already see Lin's plan giving them their victory. If they moved fast enough, half the Earth Kingdom line would find the Fire Nation in front and behind them before they could escape.

His arms ached, and his throat burned from shouting, so he pulled one of the ration bars from his pouch. The Fourth Army had distributed them before the attack, bitter leaves crushed into hard rectangles and wrapped in paper.

Soldiers from Lin's army had said they helped with fatigue, unpleasant but effective. Shinu bit into it and forced himself to swallow. The taste was awful, dry and bitter enough to make his face twist, but the effect came faster than he expected.

Warmth spread through him, followed by a rush of energy that made his exhaustion feel distant. His heartbeat quickened, his hands steadied, and the battlefield seemed clearer. He raised his fist once again into the air, laughing louder than he meant to.

"Advance!" he roared. "For the Fire Nation!"

The men followed him south, and Shinu drove them toward victory with the strength of ten men burning in his chest.

Long Feng kept his face composed as he listened to his Dai Li agent's report, even as his anger grew with every word. The Earth Kingdom army was in full retreat. The center had broken, and the rest of the line began falling apart faster than his agents had believed possible.

Soldiers were abandoning trenches, reserves would arrive too late, and the commanders who should have restored order were dead or missing. He couldn't believe that things had gone so badly.

He had given the army every advantage he could provide. Refugees had been converted into soldiers, trained enough to hold weapons, and prepared by the Dai Li to march without fear of death.

Ba Sing Se had numbers the Fire Nation could never match, and yet those numbers had been burned away so fast that the army didn't have time to recover. Moreover the weapons employed by the Fire Nation had surprised him and he had no answer to them at all.

General Sung was missing. General How had taken command but he was not in the frontlines yet. The officers in the central headquarters had vanished after the Fire Nation strike, and the Dai Li agents sent to recover Sung had not returned either.

Long Feng accepted the obvious conclusion. They were dead, captured, or useless to him now. He dismissed his agent and focused on what he could still do. He needed to find a way to bring back the population under his control.

They already knew too much; at first, rumors had been contained, but the battle was too close now. People could hear the explosions, see the smoke, and watch wounded men dragged through the gates.

Fear was spreading through the rings, and fear inside a city this large could become more dangerous than the enemy outside the walls. The Earth King had also become a problem. Kuei had wanted to know what was going on, meetings with generals, and the chance to speak to the people.

Long Feng had ended that nonsense by confining him to his chambers under the excuse of security. No one would see the King without Dai Li approval, and no order would leave the palace unless Long Feng allowed it.

The Upper Ring was already secured. Storehouses had been sealed, with rations for the upper district in Dai Li's control, and noble families warned that hoarding would be treated as treason. If necessary, the Middle and Lower Rings would serve as a shield.

The Fire Nation wanted to conquer Ba Sing Se and for that, they would have to go through millions of people before they could capture the upper district. Long Feng knew the Fire Nation didn't have the men to do such a feat.

At the same time, he would lose control of the whole city if his people started dying en masse. Which is why he wanted the shield to be there in the first place. He could go into the negotiating table with clear terms.

The Fire Nation could take the walls and raise their banners wherever they wished, but ruling Ba Sing Se would require hands already inside its throat, and he could offer the surrender of the city while keeping control of it himself. Or they could have the blood of millions in their hands.

"Seal the inner checkpoints from the Upper district." Long Feng ordered. "No movement between rings without Dai Li approval. Any officer coming from the front is to be questioned. Any soldier spreading panic is to be detained."

One agent bowed. "And the refugees?"

"Keep them in the lower districts."

"If the Fire Nation reaches them, they may riot."

"It won't come down to that, I have a plan."

The agent bowed again and left. The generals had failed, the army was collapsing, and the King was a buffoon either way, no one would negotiate with him. But he would try and keep his position, by any means necessary.

LordCommand679 · Sep 4, 2026

Ohoho the brother is here! And from the picture of menacingly Lin I am guessing...she is NOT gonna react well about the Dai Li.

Lucernello · Sep 5, 2026

LordCommand679 said:
Ohoho the brother is here! And from the picture of menacingly Lin I am guessing...she is NOT gonna react well about the Dai Li.

Combustion man joins the gaang. Heh

BxHero · Sep 5, 2026

Wait a min. Azula can't fool me that was just an excuse to go on a date. My god she knows how to play Lin now. Welp they are all fucked now. The world had a good run but the game was rigged from the start.

Rotceh · Sep 5, 2026

Good work I love this fic es

LordCommand679 · Sep 5, 2026

Now I can't help but imagine that beginning scene of Knightfall Part 1 where Azrael brutally killed human traffickers with his fire blades and here it is Lin who goes berserk on the Dai Li once melting the flesh from the skull of a Dai Li and menacingly walk toward Long Feng she snarls "Defiler...evil...your cult of personality must be punished!"

Lucernello · Sunday at 7:17 PM

AN: Hi. Sorry about the delay for a few days. I made a mistake while exhausted with my google drive. I basically deleted my drafts file because my drive was full and I was not paying enough attention. It was not letting me restore it either, mainly because it was full but I didn't realize that for some time.

Anyway, it was dumb and you can call me that if you want, it was silly. Two chapters time! Enjoy,
Luce

Art by Mochi_the_innocent and Aurora:

99 A.G

Lin and Azula had taken over one of the bunkers that had previously belonged to the Earth Kingdom reserves. They luckily didn't have to fight anyone so far, and they only saw a few scattered groups of soldiers retreating as fast as they could, without paying any attention to them.

Lin was happy that they had enough time with General Sung to get everything they needed from him. He was currently tied to a chair near the opposite side of the bunker, exhausted and barely conscious after everything Azula and her had done to him.

They had gotten from him reserve positions, supply locations, and anything else that could help their army finish destroying the remaining defenders. Sung had resisted for some time, while Lin softened him up, but resistance became null once Azula added lightning to the mix.

They had obtained enough useful information and had corresponded with her soldiers via hawk a couple of times. It seemed the attack was a success and they expected to be able to encircle the enemy directly east of their position, and Lin was waiting on that to move on.

What bothered her was the refugee situation. According to Sung, tens of thousands of them had been pulled into the army as emergency reserves, and while it was understandable as Ba Sing Se became more desperate, what did not make sense was their behavior.

Sung had told them that all the people the Dai Li had sent their way, wouldn't retreat in any situation, and that even some of his soldiers feared them as they had a blank expression on their faces, as if they felt nothing at all.

Although refugees were not soldiers, for them to disobey orders unless the orders themselves were to charge the enemy was extremely odd. Even desperate people usually wanted to survive, especially people with families waiting behind them.

They might fight if their only place left to live was in danger, or if they were under threat of punishment, but throwing themselves forward without any concern for their own survival was different. There had to be some explanation that she was missing here.

There was a possibility that the Dai Li were threatening their families. That would make sense, especially if the secret police controlled the records of where refugees had been settled. A man might charge into a hopeless battle if that gave his wife or children a chance to live.

Money was another possibility. The Earth Kingdom could have offered compensation to families for every enemy killed or for the death of the volunteer himself. People who had lost their homes might accept terrible bargains if they believed their deaths could secure food or shelter for the people they loved.

Lin had seen desperate people make worse choices through her short years alive, and knew firsthand how dark it could turn for most people living through a war. The problem was that desperation did not make thousands of individuals behave almost exactly the same way.

Some would have fled, others would have frozen, surely some would have surrendered once officers died or communication broke down. Instead, she had already spotted the same behavior from her time in the front and the reports from her own frontline: No refugees surrendered.

There was an easy way to identify them as well, they were not wearing armor like the rest of the army. With Sung confirming that they were the ones delivering those people to the army, now she knew that the Dai Li were involved somehow. It was concerning.

Lin would have to investigate it once they reached the inner city. If they had found a way to coerce so many people into marching mindlessly against the enemy, getting through the lower rings of the city would be problematic and bloody.

Obviously they could just bombard the city until there was nothing left, but that was not the goal of the campaign.

"What are you thinking about so intensely?" Azula's voice interrupted her thoughts.

Lin turned and found the princess leaning against the wall with a pleased expression. She had rinsed the blood from her hands, though there were still dark stains on her sleeves.

"I'm thinking about the refugee situation." Lin replied. "Their behavior does not make sense."

"Mmm, but they are useless, why would it be a concern?" Azula asked.

"Well… if they have a method to make people charge at us mindlessly, they could use the lower rings of the city to resist us for a long time, depending on how much food they have. Or it could be an absolute bloodbath and we could end up with a dead city in our hands. It goes against our objective here. We want to be able to use the city after we conquer it." Lin replied.

"Peasants do not concern me, but I don't like delays, I can see how it would be problematic." Azula acknowledged.

Lin nodded then glanced toward the tortured general. "You think we have everything out of him?"

"Yes, he sang beautifully." Azula said with a smug smile. "I think that was all he had to say."

"Great, we are done with him then. He is not useful anymore." Lin said, then quickly pulled her knife out of her armor, and swiftly ended his life. Once he went limp, she moved away and packed her tools.

"I would say I performed exceptionally well." Azula said seductively, approaching her gently.

"You did." Lin nodded

Azula's smile widened. "Then I think I deserve a reward."

Lin raised an eyebrow. "What kind of reward do you want from me?"

The confidence on Azula's face remained, although Lin noticed that she took a moment before answering.

"A kiss."

Lin stared at her for a moment, prompting Azula to cross her arms. "What?"

"That was simply not what I expected you to ask for."

"It's been a long time since the last one." Azula stepped closer. "I want more experience with you."

Lin felt her own face warming slightly. The princess looked delighted with herself now, so much so that Lin considered refusing for a moment, though she could not find much reason beyond her own embarrassment.

They had already spoken enough about where their relationship might eventually go, and Azula was clearly asking rather than simply assuming Lin would agree so it was a step in the right direction.

"Fine, you deserve it." Lin said.

Azula's smug expression weakened once Lin actually moved closer. She leaned down and kissed her gently, keeping it brief at first. When Azula relaxed, Lin rested one hand lightly against the side of her neck and kissed her again with more confidence.

When Lin pulled away, Azula remained close, looking considerably less smug than she had a few seconds earlier.

Lin smiled at her reaction. "Satisfied with your reward?"

Azula cleared her throat and recovered some of her composure. "Yes, that felt different than last time, I'm content."

"That's good to hear." Lin said, cheerful.

"For now at least." Azula threatened jokingly.

Lin chuckled and returned her attention to the task at hand, preparing everything to depart soon. Azula remained beside her looking much happier than before. She had successfully stopped her from worrying about anything for a moment.

The messenger hawk returned while Lin was fastening the last pieces of equipment to her armor. Captain Kaida caught it when it landed near the bunker entrance and carefully removed the note tied to its leg before handing it over.

Lin unfolded the paper and immediately smiled, for the attack had succeeded and they could now move back to base. With the collapse of the center and the following operation to encircle the enemy, the Earth Kingdom forces were retreating across most of the front, and the southern push had advanced far enough that their units were beginning to close around what remained of the defenders.

Shinu estimated that they would control the area directly east of Lin's position soon, giving the strike team a safe route back without having to cross enemy territory again. Lin felt herself relax for the first time since they had jumped from the gliders.

"Finally, we can head back. We've won." she announced.

The soldiers around the bunker immediately turned toward her.

"This is it gentlemen, we are going back east of our position, we estimate we will reach friendly forces instead of the enemy."

A few of the soldiers cheered, while Kaida grinned and hit one of the men beside her on the shoulder.

"It was only possible because of us." Azula said proudly. "I'm glad the good general didn't mess things up."

Lin folded the message. "I had a little more faith in him than you apparently did."

"While I had faith in your plan, Shinu was a questionable part."

"I had full confidence in him, sometimes you just have to trust your fellow comrades in arms."

"He succeeded, so now I can pretend I believed in him all along." Azula replied, undeterred.

Lin laughed and motioned for everyone to start moving. They had spent long enough behind enemy lines, and now that their army had opened a route, there was no reason to remain there and risk stumbling into retreating units.

They moved east through trenches and abandoned defensive positions, keeping their weapons ready in case they encountered resistance. Most of what they found suggested the Earth Kingdom had left in a hurry.

Spears, shields, discarded packs, food, and pieces of armor had been abandoned along the path they took. A few wounded soldiers were scattered among the ruins, but none tried to stop them.

After almost two hours of moving carefully, Kaida raised her fist and pointed ahead. Fire Nation banners were visible through the smoke. Lin initially thought they had reached an isolated advance unit, but as they continued forward, she realized there were far too many soldiers for that.

Tanks had already crossed the area, their tracks leaving evidence all over the place, infantry companies were occupying the old Earth Kingdom trenches, and firebenders that clearly had just rotated out of the lines were resting all over the place.

"This was faster than I expected." Lin admitted. "We will need to plan what to do with the amount of prisoners we will take with this maneuver."

"Why would you let them live?" asked Azula.

"The second army is not trained mentally to kill all of them off, just the reports of crucifixion operation was enough for some of them to desert. Besides, earthbenders were very handy to have in our army. It would only be in our best interest if we offered them a way out." Lin replied.

"How generous of you." Azula smirked.

Their group was noticed before reaching the first occupied trench. Someone shouted Lin's rank, then another soldier recognized Azula beside her. Within moments, soldiers were gathering along the sides of the route as the strike team passed. The first cheers were scattered, but they quickly spread through the units nearby.

"General Renshi!"

"Princess Azula!"

Lin raised one hand in acknowledgment while continuing forward. Azula seemed far more pleased by the attention, straightening beside her as the soldiers began chanting both their names.

News of the headquarters strike had clearly traveled quickly, probably exaggerated several times already by the time it reached these units. Lin expected the story to become ridiculous by tomorrow, probably something to do with spirits.

It took them another few hours to return to the main camp. The battle was still continuing in isolated areas, but the situation was controlled and the Fire Nation was now advancing on all fronts.

Officers were reorganizing units rather than preparing desperate defenses, and engineers were already discussing where the railway could be extended next. The Earth Kingdom army would lose most of the agrarian zone.

Reports arriving throughout the evening confirmed that organized resistance in the south part of the front they had split in two had nearly disappeared. Most regular soldiers had fled toward the inner city or surrendered once the encirclement was completed.

The refugees they found in the way had indeed been killed off. Almost none surrendered, and those trapped in the southern pocket continued attacking until they were killed. That only increased Lin's concern about what Sung had told her.

For now, however, the army had room to breathe and reorganize. Their next objective would be securing the entire agrarian zone and surrounding the inner city of Ba Sing Se before deciding how to proceed.

Military police units were already being requested from across the colonies, along with administrators, laborers, engineers, and agricultural workers from both the colonies and the Fire Isles.

Someone would have to guard prisoners, restore roads, repair irrigation systems, and work the enormous fields. Conquering territory was easy compared to using it to their advantage, which is why Lin believed they should move fast.

When Lin reached the center camp, General Shinu was waiting for her outside the main tent. His golden armor was filthy, one side of his helmet was dented, and he looked far too energetic for someone who had apparently spent hours leading an assault personally.

Lin stopped in front of him. "I hear you did well, General. I commend you."

Shinu immediately straightened. "Thank you, General! But without you taking out their commanders I'm sure it would have been very different."

"Each of us have their own task, General. You did excellent work and is appreciated. I was expecting to have to fight our way through the enemy back to our lines."

His expression brightened enough that Lin almost regretted praising him so openly.

"Thank you, General. The men fought magnificently."

"They did. Make sure they know I said so."

"Yes, ma'am!"

Lin glanced briefly toward her team still following her around, especially Azula who looked tired even if she tried her best to hide it. The others looked ready to collapse right there.

"Good. I need you to remain in charge for a little longer. With the southern pocket dealt with, we continue as we planned. Send most prisoners to our facilities far away from here by train. Then I need you to reorganize the units to turn our forces to the north front, it should be collapsing as well. Let's move to secure the agrarian zone and siege the inner city." Lin said

Shinu saluted again. "Understood."

Lin turned toward the strike team.

"You are all dismissed. Eat, wash, sleep, and report tomorrow unless someone is bleeding badly enough to require the hospital first. You earned the rest."

The soldiers saluted before dispersing toward the camp, all except Azula, who remained beside her. Lin looked at her and gestured toward her tent. "Want to come rest with me?"

"Oh, sure." Azula seemed happy enough with that suggestion and followed her without complaint. At the entrance, Lin stopped the two royal guards that were following them from a distance.

"You will guard the door. No one comes inside unless it is General Shinu himself. If anyone else has a problem, they can give it to him."

One guard hesitated. "Only him, General? What about the princess attendants?"

"We don't need them at this moment. Do not let anyone else enter unless it's the general, that's an order."

"Yes ma'am!"

Lin entered the tent with the princess following close behind. She then locked the cloth door, something that made Azula raise her eyebrows at her.

"No one will enter today, the General wouldn't disturb us." She explained "I will take care of you."

Azula was too prideful to show how tired she really was, but with their relationship developing, maybe it was time to see if she could help her relax in her presence at least.

"Oh, that sounds nice." The princess said with a smile on her face.

Lin had never been intimate with another person before. Azula wanting her to kiss her made her realize that, so far, the princess had been the one to initiate any form of affection, and that didn't look fair in her eyes.

For any relationship to work, she believed that both should put in the effort. Besides, her tired mind figured that if the princess was already of age to torture and kill people, she was already an adult in this twisted world.

'Besides, the kiss felt quite good.' She mused.

Azula did not think much of Lin inviting her into the tent to rest. They had spent more hours awake than she cared to count, so she did feel exhausted. Being somewhere private with Lin sounded wonderful after everything they've done.

She expected food, sleep, and perhaps another kiss if she was lucky. What she did not expect was for Lin to return carrying a bucket of warm water, two cloths, soap, and a pair of bowls balanced against one metal arm and for her to start undressing without a care in the world.

"I thought we were resting." Azula said warily, trying to look somewhere else once the heavier parts of her armor came off.

"We are." Lin said slowly. "But we both smell terrible."

Azula frowned. "How romantic."

Lin laughed and began removing the lighter pieces of her armor without any embarrassment. She had already taken off her coat and weapons, and now she worked through the straps holding the remaining clothing around her body as casually as if Azula were not there only a few steps away.

She had seen Lin's naked back but it had only been briefly while getting her a bikini to wear at the beach. It felt so much different in this situation. They were alone now, and there was nowhere to hide.

Lin then removed her prosthetics arms and replaced them with her black ones, leaving the worn ones aside. Lin noticed her watching and raised an eyebrow.

"Are you alright?"

Azula recovered quickly. "Yes, it's just that I usually wait for my servants to help me."

"We can help each other."

Azula stared at her. "You want us to wash together?"

"Yes, it will be faster, and then we can get into the same bedroll to rest."

Lin said it with such complete calmness that Azula almost became offended by how little embarrassment she showed. Azula narrowed her eyes at her but said nothing, while she felt her inner fire hotter than ever. Although the princess tried not to stare at her naked body, she found herself ogling her out from top to bottom.

Lin came closer once the last piece of clothing was folded away, and motioned for her to turn around, reaching toward the straps of her armor.

"Come on, let me help." Lin said.

Azula obeyed, although the first touch of metal fingers against the fastenings near her back immediately made her more aware of how close Lin was standing. The armor came away piece by piece, and Lin placed each section aside with care. Then she undid her under aketon, leaving her skin exposed to the cold air.

Azula turned and found Lin still standing close. She then grabbed a clean cloth and carefully guided her to sit in a small wooden stool. She stared at the walls of the tent as Lin carefully rubbed her back first with the wet cloth, pausing at times to sink the cloth back in the bucket.

She then got closer and rubbed the front of her body from the back, and Azula could hear her beating heart in her ears. Still, it felt nice after the initial awkwardness and slowly felt herself relax after focusing on her breathing.

"Better?" Lin asked after a few minutes.

"Much." Azula admitted, her muscles finally relaxed.

Lin looked her over for a moment, and this time Azula was certain the attention lingered longer than necessary. That helped. If she was going to spend the entire situation embarrassed, she at least wanted Lin to suffer with her.

"Your turn." Azula said.

Lin nodded. "Alright"

She then helped her up and sat in the same stool, letting Azula grab the piece of cloth. Azula took her time cleaning her body, partly because the mechanisms around Lin's prosthetics got in the way and partly because having an excuse to run her fingers along Lin's body was considerably more enjoyable than she wanted to admit.

Lin glanced back at her once. "You are doing a nice job, that feels great, Azula."

"Well duh, I may not have done it before but I am a prodigy, you know."

"Of course."

Azula smiled behind her running her hands through her firm and strong back, feeling her well worked muscles through her fingers. When Lin motioned toward her front, however, Azula's confidence began disappearing again.

Lin seemed amused by her hesitation.

"What?" Azula asked defensively.

"Nothing, amused to see you nervous about this."

"I am not."

"It's okay if you are, I have to admit I am a bit nervous myself."

"Really?"

"Yes." Lin said gently, then turned around grabbed her hands into hers, then gently placed a kiss on her lips.

Azula felt heat rise into her face. "I have never done this with anyone."

"Neither have I, at least not like this."

Azula looked at her more carefully. "That's good to hear, I would hate to hunt down the one you had done this with before."

Lin laughed and shook her head amused. Still, that made Azula feel better. Lin was older and usually seemed to have an answer for everything, so knowing that they were both inexperienced made the situation feel less strange. Knowing there was no one else that had seen her like that as well made her happy.

Lin then let her proceed with washing away soot, dried blood, and dirt accumulated through hours of combat off her body, guiding Azula's hands through her body. For the princess, however, the closeness changed the atmosphere between them regardless of how ordinary Lin tried to make it.

After leaving the cloth behind, Lin then washed her hair gently with a brush while humming a song Azula didn't recognize.

"Now, wait a second in the bedroll while I wash my hair quickly. Using a brush would make it fall and it is not something I want at the moment." Lin explained, once she was done.

The awkwardness and shyness returned for the princess as she still felt exposed sitting there naked. Lin quickly washed her hair while Azula tried to regain a semblance of calmness by breathing deeply and slowly.

She was wondering what Lin had planned now. 'Does she intend for us to sleep together?'

The answer was quick to arrive as Lin came back having put together the cleaning tools. She sat next to her in the bedroll, then gently guided her down onto the bed.

'Oh, spirits! She really does.'

Azula's mind was racing, wondering if Lin would take it further. The princess didn't know what to do exactly, or what was expected of her, and although it hurt her to admit it, she was internally panicking at the unfamiliar situation she found herself in.

Lin then calmly positioned herself behind her, cuddling her. Then she carefully caressed her arm and started humming again, soothing her gently. She could feel Lin's breathing in her neck and she had never felt this warm inside before.

Slowly though, she was able to relax, closing her eyes and enjoying the sensation. Although she couldn't really explain what she was feeling, for the first time in her life, Azula felt that she understood a little better what being loved meant.

For some reason her eyes teared up under her eyelids and they stung but she paid it no mind. It was a testament to how exhausted the princess was that she managed to fall asleep shortly after.

Lucernello · Sunday at 7:19 PM

AN: Chapter 2 of 2 today.

99 A.G

Toph had discovered that teaching earthbending was actually fun. She had expected to hate it at first. Toph had never considered herself particularly patient, and some people could be difficult to work with if they didn't like her methods.

On the bright side, working with earthbenders was not as difficult as she expected. They already understood the most important part of her style, standing your ground and actually facing a rock head on. She was also teaching them how to feel the earth by blindfolding them, and they were learning that ability quickly.

Lava bending had been more complicated. Most earthbenders didn't like the heat at all and having to find it to push it to their earthbending was not something that would come easy to them. Which was why Toph had started making them train beside firebenders.

Feeling how firebenders manipulated heat helped them understand what she was trying to explain, even if the first few attempts usually ended with angry shouting from both sides. Toph just laughed it up.

She had prepared another exercise that morning, dividing the trainees into pairs. One earthbender would try to feel the heat and soften a section of stone while the firebender beside them would melt it with continuous flames, forcing both of them to pay attention to what the other person was doing. Once it turned into liquid the earthbender had to be able to keep control of it.

"Come on, I don't see you sweating!" Toph shouted from where she stood between the groups. "You're supposed to melt the rock, not complain about how hot it is!"

One of the firebending instructors beside her chuckled. "You are really in your zone with this. They are getting better."

"They better be. I don't want to listen to them whine all day."

The instructors Lin had assigned to help her were surprisingly good. They respected Toph despite her age and never treated her like some child playing at being a teacher. Better yet, they actually cared about teaching, and when someone failed, they explained why patiently.

They would correct stances and help keep the firebenders that were training with her earthbenders in line. They also referred to her as instructor Toph, which she really liked. It forced the firebenders to respect her too, which had taken some getting used to.

A few had been skeptical when she first started ordering them around, but that disappeared soon once they saw how every instructor present would treat her. Not that she needed that, she could have thrown them against a wall or something to get the message going without their help, but she was glad she didn't have to in the end.

Training was not the only thing her earthbenders had been doing either. They had spent several days clearing debris from the destroyed wall, opening paths wide enough for the trains and people to go through them easily.

The best news for Toph was when the artillery had moved farther inland with the rest of the army. The constant explosions had been giving her headaches, especially because she felt every impact through the earth. It wasn't like she could turn her earthsense off.

With the larger guns further away, everything around the training camp felt much calmer, and she was actually having a nice time. Teaching, building things, bossing adults around, and eating spicy food whenever she wanted was turning out to be a pretty good arrangement.

Toph was supervising another batch of rookies when she felt familiar footsteps approaching along the train platform. She couldn't help but grin before the person could even reach her.

"Metalsticks!"

Toph didn't give her time to answer and walked forward and bumped her fist against Lin's shoulder. Toph immediately winced, however, and remembered why she shouldn't do that with her friend.

"Ow. Still harder than rock." Toph whined, rubbing her knuckles gently.

"You are the one who decided to hit me." Lin laughed.

"I was saying hello."

"Curious way of doing it. Hello to you too, Toph. How have you been?"

Toph crossed her arms proudly. "Great. These guys aren't terrible students, and apparently I'm really good at teaching."

"I never doubted you would do well, instructor Wenxin had high praise for you."

"Wenxin is a nice friend. But I thought I'd hate it."

Toph turned toward the training field when one of the earthbenders finally managed to finally take control of the now liquid stone beneath his feet and push it forward slightly. The firebender beside him shouted in celebration, and Toph could feel several others gathering around them.

"I like it, to be honest." she admitted. "It's fun when people actually listen, and I get to yell at them when they don't."

"That does sound perfect for you."

Toph grinned. "Exactly."

Lin watched the trainees for a moment. "Maybe after the war we could build you an academy."

Toph turned toward her so quickly that Lin chuckled again.

"My academy…?"

"Yes, all yours. You could teach earthbending properly and lava bending as well to whoever you wanted."

Toph tried not to sound too excited and failed completely. "I could make the rules?"

"Of course, that's the point of it being yours." Lin said, amused.

"And throw people out if they annoy me?"

"Especially if they annoy you."

"That sounds great!"

Lin shook her head, smiling. Toph could already imagine it; a huge training yard, earthbenders from everywhere coming to learn from her. She pictured leading an elite class for lava bending that would be known throughout the entire world.

"That sounds awesome, Lin." Toph said. "We're doing that."

"Then it's settled, I will help you set it up when we can."

Dreaming about the future had to stop at some point though, Toph knew that Lin had not come all the way back to the trains just to ask whether she was enjoying herself.

"So why are you actually here? Or did you just miss me that much?"

"I did miss you." Lin didn't even hesitate to reply.

"Ha! Knew it." Toph said, grinning.

"But I also need your help, and it was a perfect reason to catch up."

"Fair, what do you need?"

"We had our spies report to us that refugees had been seen close to Lake Laogai, and we have traced movement of people toward the body of water itself. We believe the Dai Li have a base somewhere in the lake or close to it, but we haven't been able to find it with our gliders."

"Oh, you are actually taking me on an adventure to find hidden people."

"Adventure…? Actually, that sounds about right. We are moving into the area to sweep it properly, and I was hoping that you could come with us and help us find it, it could be underground which is how we missed it." Lin said.

"Sounds easy enough."

"I was hoping you would say that."

Toph turned toward the instructors. "You guys can survive without me for a day, right?"

One of them sighed. "We will try our best."

"Thank you, Sergeant. See to it that they don't melt themselves." Lin said.

"Yes ma'am!"

"Come on, Lin. Let's go already." Toph said, smiling. Teaching was fun and all, but adventuring with her friends was still better in her eyes.

Lin was relieved that things had not become terribly awkward between her and Azula during the days that followed. She had not expected them to, exactly, but she could admit that she had pushed their relationship forward faster than she had planned, and she could only blame herself.

Falling asleep beside the princess after washing and resting together had felt quite intimate, but waking up with Azula curled against her while both of them were still completely naked had still made Lin pause for several seconds while her tired mind caught up with what had happened.

Azula at least seemed to be happy with what happened. In fact, the following night she had asked if they could sleep together again, and Lin had agreed before thinking too much about it. After that, the situation had somehow become normal between them.

Lin had found that she enjoyed the affection. It was nice, and she was glad she could finally experience them for the first time in both her lives.

The war had not given her much time to think about relationships in either life, and having someone who simply wanted to be close to her made her feel warm and content, even if it was a bit unfamiliar to her.

She was learning to accept it without searching for some hidden reason behind the shows of affection or love. It also helped that the following days had blurred together, with Lin barely needed at the front that week.

The Earth Kingdom had continued retreating toward the inner city, abandoning the agrarian zone piece by piece while the Fire Nation secured what remained behind them. There were still isolated pockets of resistance and scattered groups that refused to surrender, but nothing comparable to the fighting they had endured so far.

Military police had arrived by train, followed by workers, farmers, engineers, administrators, and supplies from across the colonies and the Fire Isles. Roads were being constructed, irrigation channels repaired, fields inspected, and prisoners transported away from the front.

The railway continued advancing, connecting captured territory together. They could also already point their guns toward the inner city. They wouldn't use them obviously but they were ready to bring the inner walls down if necessary. The agrarian zone was effectively theirs.

Lin had sent the news back to the Fire Nation and according to the messages returning from home, celebrations had spread through the Fire Isles almost immediately. Bells had been rung in several cities, soldiers had received public praise, and the newspapers were apparently describing the campaign as the greatest victory of the war so far.

Lin thought that was premature, considering Ba Sing Se itself still stood and there could be anywhere around 3 to 4 million people to go through yet. For now, however, she had another problem to solve.

Lake Laogai stretched ahead of them under the afternoon sun while Lin walked beside Toph along the shore. Azula followed close behind with the rest of their group, accompanied by a platoon of Lin's best soldiers and several Yuyan archers Shinu had lent her for the operation.

The archers had protested very little about being reassigned; since their success at striking at their headquarters, being close to her and Azula was the highest honor one could get according to her troops.

Their spies had traced refugee movements toward the lake several times, and reports from captured officers suggested that the Dai Li maintained facilities most officers didn't know about. If Sung had been telling the truth about the strange behavior of the refugee formations, then Lin wanted to know what was happening to them before approaching the inner city.

Toph stopped abruptly beside her, causing everyone to halt their march.

"There is an underground base, but no entrances here. I think we need to move to the center of the lake, are there any small islands there?"

Lin scanned the surface of the lake and indeed there was.

"Yes there are, but how could the refugees be seen walking out of here if they had to cross the lake?"

"I think the water is quite shallow here actually." Toph said, scanning the area again. "I think they just create a bridge using earthbending each time to cross it."

"Alright, create it for us then, we are moving in. " Lin said.

"Sure, metalsticks. No biggie." Toph said, raising a platform from the water itself, creating a path for them.

They moved further toward the only island in the center of the lake. Once there, Toph found the entrance quickly.

"Are you sure this is it?" Azula asked behind them.

Toph gave her an offended expression. "Of course I am sure."

"Well sorry for being skeptical, it doesn't look like much." The princess scoffed.

"Well done. Let's move in then." Lin said, simply, ignoring both of them and approached the entrance.

"It feels pretty big underneath my feet, but we should be able to move in." Toph commented.

"You will be our guide then." Lin told Toph. "I want everyone else to have their eyes peeled, you will protect her at all costs." She told the rest of them.

"Follow me dunderheads." Toph laughed.

Lin smiled and drew her sidearm. "Be ready for anything."

They entered the tunnel carefully, leaving a couple of soldiers behind to secure the entrance. The passage descended farther, into a series of tunnels. Lanterns along the walls confirmed that the facility was still being used.

Toph walked near the front, with Aiku, Toma and Kaida walking ahead being her shield in case anyone attacked them. Her expression became more serious the deeper they went.

"There are people ahead." she whispered. "Around a dozen of them."

"How far?"

"Past the next turn."

Lin raised her fist, stopping the column. The Yuyan archers moved forward quietly while the firebenders spread themselves along the tunnel. Azula got into a fighting stance, looking almost pleased that the base had not turned out to be abandoned.

Stone scraped against stone ahead of them, followed by echoing rapid footsteps.

"They know we are here, prepare yourselves!" Lin warned.

The first agent came around the corner with both hands already moving. Stone gloves shot toward them, but the nearest Yuyan archer released his arrow before the attack reached them. The agent dropped, and two more immediately appeared behind him.

Lin raised her pistol and fired quickly. "Attack! Push forward!"

The deeper they moved into the base, the more disturbed Lin became by what they were finding. The first section was already unsettling once they reached a long corridor with cells built along both sides, each containing refugees in different conditions.

Some immediately reacted when the Fire Nation soldiers entered. They moved away from the bars, called for help, or just shook in their place. Most looked malnourished and exhausted, with dirty clothing and signs that they had been imprisoned for weeks, but they were coherent enough to answer questions once Lin ordered her men to open the cells.

Their interrogations were concerning, most had arrived in Ba Sing Se as refugees from territories lost during the war. Some remembered being arrested after refusing assignments from officials, while others had been taken directly from shelters and transported here without being told why.

Farther inside the facility, the prisoners behaved differently. Several remained seated even after their cells were opened. One woman followed the instructions of a Kaida immediately but showed almost no concern about who the soldiers were or why they had released her.

Another man repeatedly spoke about charging Ba Sing Se's invaders whenever anyone asked him a question, regardless of what he had actually been asked. There were bruises around the heads and necks of several prisoners, while others seemed dazed enough that they barely understood where they were.

"This is horrible." Toph said. She had been very quiet now, and hearing her distressed voice made Lin turn to face her.

"Yes, it is. I know it's hard so please continue to guide us, we will help them out." Lin told her.

"There are their own people…"

"I know."

Lin already had an idea of what they had found before they reached the rooms used for the actual process. There were chairs fixed directly into the floor with restraints for the arms, legs and head. A ring with a lamp would surround each one of them.

Looking though a few of the records they kept there was haunting. The terminology varied, but the purpose became obvious quickly. The Dai Li had developed a method to break down a person mentally and condition them to respond to commands in a specific way.

'This is a conversion camp, I cannot believe it.'

Some records mentioned removing unwanted memories, reinforcing loyalty, suppressing resistance and repeating sessions until the subject reacted correctly without hesitation. Lin felt her hands begin to tremble while she continued reading.

She tightened her grip on the documents and forced herself to concentrate on the mission. Tens of thousands of refugees had reached Ba Sing Se throughout the war, and if this facility had processed even a fraction of them, there was no telling how many more had already been conditioned and sent somewhere else.

The thought of millions of civilians living inside the inner city became much more concerning. If the Dai Li had more facilities like this one and enough time to continue their work, the Fire Nation could eventually find itself fighting through entire districts filled with people who had been stripped of their free will.

They wouldn't surrender until death, and it would be one of the bloodiest battles yet. Lin lowered the documents and continued forward with the rest of the group. Her concentration became harder to maintain as they went deeper.

It was hitting her hard and her mind was panicking internally while trying to continue forward. Soldiers wearing Chinese uniforms appeared where Dai Li agents should have been, moving through openings that disappeared once she focused on them. She breathed deeply and kept moving. She had worked through these visions before, she could ignore them.

"Are you alright?" Toph asked, worried.

"Yes, I'll be fine." Lin replied automatically. Azula looked at her with concern as well, but said nothing.

The Yuyan archers made the advance considerably easier. Once Toph identified movement beyond walls or around corners, the archers prepared before the Dai Li could attack properly. Their accuracy in the narrow tunnels gave the agents very little opportunity to surprise the group, while the firebenders and Azula protected Toph whenever the fighting became close.

Lin continued mapping the facility until Toph confirmed that the deeper passages either returned toward areas they had already cleared or ended beneath the lake. There did not seem to be a hidden route connecting directly with the inner city, which meant they could evacuate the prisoners without worrying that another Dai Li force would arrive behind them.

"Alright, let's get all of these prisoners out and evaluate how they are. If they present a risk to us we will have to leave them here."

"R-right away, ma'am."

While the evacuation continued, she returned to the rooms where the conditioning had taken place.

Seeing the restraints again made her stomach turn. There were personal belongings stored in boxes, instructions for future sessions and evidence that this had been happening for a long time. Lin wanted the entire facility destroyed once the prisoners they could help were outside.

They had not brought enough blasting jelly for a structure this large, and asking Toph to collapse an underground complex beneath a lake would put her directly in danger. Lin refused to risk her life that way.

'I cannot let this base stand though, it needs to be erased from existence.'

Azula knew something was wrong with Lin, but like her, she decided to focus on the mission. The last refugees were already being moved toward the entrance, escorted by soldiers while Toph guided them through the tunnels they had mapped earlier.

All of the Dai Li agents had been killed, and Lin had not allowed them to surrender. She had said she didn't want them as prisoners and executed them as they encountered them. Now they were gathered together to move out.

"I want everyone outside." Lin ordered. "Take the prisoners, wounded, and anything useful we recovered. I'm staying behind."

Azula frowned immediately. "Why?"

"I'm destroying the base."

"With what? We didn't bring enough explosives."

Lin glanced toward the ceiling. "The base is beneath the lake. If I bring down enough sections, the water will do the rest."

Azula wanted to argue further, but Lin's expression stopped her. She studied her more carefully. Although Lin's orders had barely changed since they discovered what the Dai Li were doing, Azula knew her well enough now to notice when something was wrong.

Everything sounded like usual, but her eyes looked empty and glazed over, as if enchanted by a spirit. Azula realized soon that she had seen that expression on her before, back then she had never felt fear of death before.

Years ago, during one of their training sessions, Azula had ordered cannons fired in the distance while they sparred, thinking there was a weakness to be exploited out of the loud noise, and hoping to finally win against Lin.

It had backfired immediately, and for several terrifying seconds Lin had stopped behaving like herself. She had nearly killed Azula before recovering enough to understand where she was. Azula remembered those eyes clearly, and she did not like seeing them again. If Lin lost control again here, she could kill someone before she came back to herself.

Azula turned toward the others. "We are in danger. Get everyone out, right now!" The soldiers did not question her, rushing out.

"Toph, with me, we are leaving." The princess said, grabbing her by her hand and began running.

"Wait, hold on, why?" Toph protested, but kept pace with her anyway.

"She is destroying the base." Azula explained while guiding her toward the entrance.

"How?"

"I don't know, but trust me, you don't want to be close to her when she is like that."

"You are scaring me, is something wrong with her?" Toph said, breathing hard now while they ran.

Azula didn't answer. Once they made their way out however, she stood by the entrance refusing to move further away.

"Is she going to be alright?" Toph asked.

"Yes, she will be back to normal after a bit, at least last time it was just a few minutes. But she almost killed me before she could." Azula commented.

"WHAT!?" Toph shouted. "How did that happen? And how come you never told me about it?!"

"It never came up." Azula shrugged.

They waited in silence now and, for a while, nothing happened. Then Azula heard a peculiar popping sound from deep underground. It was followed by an explosion muffled by layers of earth.

Toph immediately turned toward the entrance. "What was that?"

"I have no idea."

Another series followed several minutes later. They heard a series of cracks and snaps followed by another explosion, this one loud enough that Azula could feel the earth tremble beneath her boots.

The soldiers around them began backing farther away. Toph planted her feet firmly and frowned. "Something is collapsing down there."

The pattern continued, each set of sounds coming closer than the previous one. Several pops echoed beneath them before another explosion shook the ground, sending pebbles rolling from the entrance and making the refugees cry out behind the soldiers.

Azula's concern grew and she hoped that Lin was coherent enough not to get trapped under rubble. Another explosion followed, much louder than the last. A section of earth near the lake sank inward, and water began rushing into cracks that had opened along the shore.

Toph moved her feet apart immediately, ready to bend if the terrain collapsed beneath them.

"How is she doing this…?" Toph muttered.

Azula had already identified what technique Lin was using, but she didn't know she was capable of doing it. The only known user in this era was her brother after all.

A rapid series of pops echoed through the passage, followed by a violent explosion that sent a cloud of dust outward. Soldiers raised their arms to shield their faces, and Azula stepped forward despite the debris blowing against her clothes.

Lin stumbled out of the entrance, coughing and covered in dirt, then immediately turned back toward the tunnel instead of continuing away from it. Azula was about to shout at her when Lin planted both feet firmly and took a deep breath.

A visible smoke trail shot from her forehead so fast it rippled through the air creating those pop sounds, traveling all the way through the entrance she just left. The explosion that followed made it collapse inward violently.

Azula was stunned for a few seconds, she had never seen combustion bending before. Her first thought was that she wanted to learn it, she wanted that power. The thought disappeared almost immediately though when Lin turned toward them.

Her face was pale beneath the dirt, and her eyes did not seem properly focused. She stood there breathing heavily with the same distant expression.

"Lin?" Azula said, approaching her carefully.

Azula stopped directly in front of her, trying to keep her panic under control. "Are you alright?"

"멸공!"

Rotceh · Monday at 6:22 AM

Wow, Lin is in the middle of a severe TPD attack... and wow, she knows how to use combustion control... I wonder why she doesn't use it more often.

Good work I love this fic

Ashes of Devotion [ATLA - Azula x OC]

speed reading smut like it's a competition

I LOVE Pan-Pan

This world has too many villains.

This world has too many villains.

Getting out there.

Getting sticky.

I LOVE Pan-Pan

This world has too many villains.

This world has too many villains.

Versed in the lewd.

This world has too many villains.

Mecha enjoyer and Waifu enthusiast

I LOVE Pan-Pan

Versed in the lewd.

This world has too many villains.

This world has too many villains.

I LOVE Pan-Pan

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