Avatar: Lightning Strikes (IC)

[Mephistophelily]

He had gone quiet.

Toph wasn't sure what to think of that.

Bad memories, she suddenly realized. She had brought up a sore subject, something that she should have known better than to talk about...

"Sokka, I didn't mean to-," She started softly, actually glad when he interrupted and wanted to go for a walk through the castle. She frowned slightly as he brought up all the wonderful 'sights' available, though chuckled as he quickly corrected himself.

"Yeah, sure. Let me just grab a last..." She stopped as her hand skitted about the table, a surprised look coming to her face as she found the dishes to be empty. "Woah. I, uhhh, guess we WERE hungry, huh?" Slipping off the chair, she nodded in his direction. "A walk sounds like a great idea. I mean, I can't see everything like you do, but they have enough interesting construction around here to catch my attention too." She wriggled her toes beneath the simple fabric covering of her 'fake shoes', smirking again.

"Come on. I want your opinion on something I did yesterday. At least I know you'll be honest about it." She started from the dining hall, walking the corridors of the castle as if she had been here all her life. "I could feel how big a mess it was out there... The ground felt so burnt and damaged, rocks and holes everywhere... I had to do something. So... I fixed it. I think."

 

[Mister J]

Sokka listened as she explained about the way the ground had felt after the battle. He frowned slightly because he had passed out from his wounds before the battle was over. Sokka knew what she meant though from the little he had seen when he was actually awake and fighting. During their adventures though they had seen many different battlefields, all of which looked horrible after a huge assault.

Toph had grown impressively, and not just physically. She was very confident in herself and her abilities, which had grown as well. She was pacing the castle as if she had always lived here, knowing every twist and turn before they got there. Sokka was actually having trouble keeping up with the blind girl given his bad limp, as bad as that sounded.

"Hey Toph! Slow down a bit will ya?!"

He stopped to lean on his sword for just a moment or two before he grabbed her hand and started to walk again.

"Here, this way I'm not trying to keep up with you."

The two of them continued down the great halls of the Fire Nation palace until they finally made it to the courtyard. Sokka's eyes went wide at what he saw.

"W... Wow..."

 

[Mephistophelily]

"Come ON, Meathead!," Toph huffed in a fake annoyed voice, stopping in her steps to wait for him. His hand suddenly clutching hers was unexpected, though his reasoning behind it brought a smirk to her face.

"I dunno, Sokka... Startin' to think you're the one wanting MY attention now," She teased, leading him back towards her project of the previous evening. "I showed it to one of the guards, but I'm not sure if I trust his opinion. Iroh told the guy to pretty much agree with everything I said to him... so how do I know he's honest?"

She lightly jabbed her elbow into his side, trying to be as delicate as she could manage. The guy was still in pain; obvious from his cautious steps and the way his weight relied on his sword as a stabilizer. "You're an entirely different story. Though if you tell me it looks like crap, you'd better be able to run still."

She was smiling.

As they arrived in the courtyard, she grinned a bit more at his reaction. The rock garden formation still felt right to her, though her 'vision' of it was much better on the same ground level. "Take it you like it. Good. I was afraid they'd have fallen over by now."

She gave a nod towards the short staircase leading to the semi-grassy area. "C'mon, I want a better view myself. They should have had time to settle and-"

She paused as her foot connected with the actual ground, a confused look coming to her face. "You're.... still behind me, right?" A hesitant hand raised, pointing out into the distance. "I feel someone running. Fast. Their feet are barely touching the ground, but I can feel the lingering vibrations... Why would someone be running away from like the safest place to be right now?"

 

[Mister J]

Sokka was still staring at the rock garden when Toph mentioned something about someone running away from the palace, and pretty fast at that. He turned in the direction she was facing, but unfortunately a high wall blocked his view. He couldn't see what Toph could. The irony in that caused a smirk to creep across his face.

"I'm not sure, but might be worth checking out."

He started back towards the palace halls, talking as he moved, albeit slowly.

"Go check it out Toph, I'll get some of the guards to follow behind you."

He wanted to go with her, but knew that in his condition he'd only slow her down and if someone was trying to make a break for it, someone who would have reason to be running from them, he might be the difference in catching them or not.

 

[Ahren1]

The funeral had passed, and people were returning to their business. Except for the lone Fire Lord, who continued to stand alone on the shore. Was this it? Were things supposed to just along like nothing had happened? Azula was comatose, along with Aang. Who knew how long they'd stay that way, but as long as it was like this, there was no retribution to seek. No one to vent his frustrations upon. Sure, he could talk to Iroh, Ty Lee, Katara.. any number of people and get their advice, but it just all felt like it didn't matter at this point. Ty Lee... He did wish to talk with her some. She'd be one of the only people to reminisce about good memories of Mai. That's really what he could use right now, but apparently she had to meet with her fiance. Zuko had already forgotten the man's name, and for some reason just thinking about him was causing him even more irritation?

Why should Ty Lee be forced to marry someone she didn't even know? But it wasn't his place to question other people's customs or traditions... was it? In the end, he cared more about his childhood friend's happiness. Was she happy with this arrangement? It was so surreal to question Ty Lee's happiness. Normally she was her optimistic, bubbly self, but that part of her hadn't appeared since she arrived and for good reason. Zuko and Ty Lee were the lone survivors of once a group of friends. Azula lived, technically, but even if she were awake, she'd never go back to the way she was on the beach that day. When she showed at least some vulnerability and humanity. He had hoped so much she'd see the light. That she'd actually become his sister, but it only got worse. Now he had no sister. No father, no mother. Just his uncle and his friends. Without Mai, it would be tough, but he was the Fire Lord. Leader of the Fire Nation. He had to stay strong, if not for himself then for his people. He could let them see mourning but he couldn't let them see weakness. His strength was one of the reasons they followed him so intently.

For a moment he looked up to the sun, squinting his eyes. Mai was now in a better place. Or so he hoped. Now he had to hope for Aang as well.

--

General Kurzen had been given some rest time after the funeral, even though he tried to reject it, Fire Lord Zuko insisted. Nonetheless, he laid up in his bed nearly the whole time wondering about what would change now. Would they reinforce the military because of this surprise attack, or would that be seen as possible hostility by other nations? It was a delicate procedure, but if it weren't for the Avatar and his friends, it was possible they could have lost the temple and the Fire Lord. It made Kurzen a bit sick to think he could have failed so much.

He wasn't just going to rest any longer. As he exited his chambers, he asked a nearby guard for the status on the room where Azula and Aang had been kept. The tired guard replied that he hadn't had a report lately, and was about to check himself. As the two soldiers followed the corridors leading to the room, there was a sudden foul stench of burning flesh. The auburn-haired general's eyes widened as he rushed to the scene to find a pair of charred guards and Avatar Aang on the floor. The guards were dead for sure, but the Avatar looked unharmed for the most part. Kurzen quickly looked to the other guard who was now wide awake in horror and sternly ordered "Alert every troop and sound every alarm possible! Azula may have already escaped! And get me a healer!" With that, the guard dashed off as quickly as posssible.

"I'm fine..." Aang's voice hoarsely muttered as he pushed himself up and to his feet, wobbling a bit only to be helped steady by Kurzen. "Just weak... Strange, I've never felt this weak after coming out of such a state before. Apparently Azula wasn't affected as much... This could be a side effect of the energybend being interrupted..."

Kurzen frowned slightly. If they had woken at the same time and both been at normal strength, Azula wouldn't have stood a chance. "I should still take you to the infirm-"

"I'm fine." Aang reiterated with more strength in his voice this time. "And don't think about putting some sort of protective detail on me either. I'm not her target. If I was, I'd be dead already... Knowing Azula, she may be insane but she's not foolish. She's probably trying to escape right now and as stealthfully as possible. There's no way she'd be able to handle everyone in this palace on her own..."

Aang took a few steps forward as his fists tightened. "She'll get more followers. Anyone anywhere who hates the world as it is. She's seductive and hypnotic in her words. She already managed to form one army. If we lose her, it's possible she could come back with another. One much larger. We'll have to inform every nation of her escape but it likely won't matter. She knows how not to get caught...

There's a dark spirit out there. Ancient. Waiting for its time to strike. Azula is likely its perfect pawn. If it were just Azula I might not be so worried, but the power of this spirit is immense.

A new war may be starting..." Aang glanced back to Kurzen, his eyes narrowed. "And my powers may have been weakened too much to stop the looming darkness ahead... I can barely bend the air around me, and I'm not sure how long it will last... maybe forever..."

Kurzen couldn't really speak up. This was fairly major. He was a general but the "war" had been over before he was promoted that high. He was a strategist and a fighter which few could compare to, but dark spirits...? Without the Avatar at full strength, what were they going to do?

"Where's Katara?"

"I.. last saw her in the infirmary with her brother, but that was not recently..."

"Guess I'll be going there after all. Please make sure that the palace is on proper alert..."

"Yes, Avatar Aang." Kurzen bowed, moving off into the palace a a quick pace. Aang went the opposite direction. He continued to move faster as his strength returned, but even the Last Airbender nearly found himself tripping at times. What would Toph think? Nonetheless, he needed to see Katara. The last thing he remembered was seeing the spirit consume her before he blacked out. Given everything he knew, she was all right, but he had to see her nonetheless. The fear was suddenly growing inside him that just maybe Azula decided to extract her vengeance right now rather than later, as risky as it might be.

Finally, he reached the infirmary door where guards still stood, but even so he very nearly broke the door down rushing inside. There were still injured soldiers, so hopefully she was still in here helping out. "Katara?" He called out hopefully.

--

Kurzen had been rushing around to various posts until finally he passed by the courtyard, noticing Toph and Sokka observing the rock garden. "Queen Toph, Sir Sokka... Please be alert... Azula has escaped and her whereabouts are currently unknown." He voiced with a sense of guilt and anger. It was about then that the bells and horns of high alert began to sound... He hadn't wanted to put everyone into a panic, but it was imperative that they caught her. They couldn't risk her just leaving... not when they had her right there...

 

[Mephistophelily]

"I'm not catching up to that," Toph stated flatly, having dropped from her standing pose to rest on her knee, a hand presed to the ground. "They're moving far too quickly. Like they're scared or something. I don't know; maybe another of Azula's men or something? Someone who managed to survive all that?"

She frowned, trying to focus on the movements. No, it wasn't fear. They weren't running in a stagger or a stumble... Fear usually caused footing to be lost when letting it control your movements. This was focused, intent on its destination and heading for a set direction. This person ran with a purpose.

Her head raised as Kurzen called out to them, her frown growing before turning her attention back in Sokka's direction. "Well, I think we just figured out who our mystery runner is..."

As the alarms sounded, she stood back up, pointing off in the distance once again. "So, um.. I realize there's a wall there... but someone's HAULING. Like, fast. And from what you just said, I can only guess on who it is." She shook her head, sighing. "I could try to bend a barrier, but from this distance, it'll be like an anthill. She-he-whoever is making good time."

-----

Azula ran.

Her feet were sore, aching from the bare soles hitting the rocky ground beneath them.
But she ran.

She needed to distance herself, to be clear of the castle's sights before attempting the firebending her father had shown her; the flames to propel herself upward and into the skies. It was only a few moments of flight, but enough to gain a greater distance between herself and her brother.

She still had allies.
Pawns, as she preferred to reference them.
Foolish little creatures willing to let her do anything, to do anything for her.

The coastline was barely in sight, ships with unfurling sails like specks on the horizon. With a shriek of frustration and pain from her endless flight on foot, she summoned up a great flame with her palms....

A far, far greater flame than she had ever created before.

It didn't burn red and orange, nor the hues of blue that she had come to know before her imprisonment.

These flames burned white; a searing, blistering heat that did not harm her.

They allowed her to take to the skies, the shrill laugh that left her more like a child's amused cackle than the demented tone of the fallen princess. The piers were no longer such a distance away, her approach seeming only a few seconds' journey before she dropped onto the deck of one of the boats. Her knee pressed against the wood, her head lowered as she braced her hand against the grain. More laughter. Ohh, this was glorious. Beautiful. What FUN!

"What do you think you're doing?!," The captain bellowed, infuriated at the sudden arrival of his plain-sight stowaway. "This ain't your ship!"

"Oh, it is now. And you won't argue with me on it." She stood up then, smiling at him as the fires still burned their overwhelming white hues from her clenched fists. "Either take me where I wish to go... Or I will kill every member of your crew, one at a time, until you cooperate."

The man nodded slowly, realizing who his 'guest' was. "And where might we be sailing, Princess?," He replied in a hoarse voice.

 

[UnseenMaiden]

Smellerbee

Her gaze was careful, intent, as Longshot raised his hand up and dutifully reassessed the damage to his hand. Pain bloomed in his features. Ok, so it wasn’t so obvious that any idiot could tell. Even most of their friends would probably have been fooled by the show of bravado he’d plastered on, but she sure as hell wasn’t. As confused as she’d been in reading him last night, she was still completely sure she knew him better than anyone else alive, which meant him trying to cover up his discomfort was useless. Not that, if she was in his position, she wouldn’t do the same stupid thing. She had before and she’d do it again. Probably within the hour, a sudden twinge of pain along her jaw reminded her, though it wasn’t enough to make her react to it. Still, he looked like he could shoot an arrow straight if he needed to and she was exceedingly glad of that. His eyes met her own then, asking her in his usual way not to give his injuries too much thought, like him asking her to would be enough to stop her from it. His own confidence for now gave her some relief, at least. He’d been injured enough to know his own body and what he could handle.

"I remember. Whenever we were injured during training or after a mission, Jet would often give talks about girls being into guys with battle scars in order to lighten the mood. We can consider this a new addition to my silent charm."

The hints of a fond smile graced her lips at the memories. Everyone would be so tired and hurting that they could barely stand it, but then Jet would appear, call them all ‘men’ and ramble on about how the day would come where they could just waltz into town and have the girls swoon. Most of the boys had cheered up after that, but some of the younger ones, she remembered, would make faces at the mere thought of girls acting all lovesick around them. It had been so hard not to laugh, even though she couldn’t have stood the thought any better than them. She also remembered how Jet would avoid her gaze during those talks, back when only he and Longshot knew that this little peptalk would never count for her. Somehow, it was only now that she wondered if they knew that, in her case, it would probably be the opposite. Not that she would’ve cared then, or even did that much now. The fashionable thing for girls may be beautiful, perfect skin. But, even if she hadn’t already carried so many scars before the Freedom Fighters, she still would have fought as fiercely as ever.

Thanks to her little trip down memory lane, Smellerbee had missed Longshot’s none-so-subtle reassessment of her own maimed self. If she had noticed, she wouldn’t have liked it. Embarrassment wasn’t exactly an emotion she was used to having and neither was that little fluttering bit of nerves she’d had earlier, so chances were she’d have snapped at her friend and stomped away in some random direction without thinking of where she was headed. That was, if she had noticed, but she hadn’t. Instead, she was mildly startled to find the tall man’s arm around her shoulders all of a sudden and annoyed with how centered she was on that small action and his closeness. The fact that her mind was pointing out that her being centered on him wasn’t so very new or unusual, only that she was just now noticing that she was, was not helping in the least. It was also perhaps fortunate that Smellerbee had never bothered to listen to closely or join in the idle chit chat of girls her age years ago in Ba Sing Se. If she had, she would now find disturbing similarities and a conclusion that she would both find impossible and have her fighting her friend off of her. As it was, she hadn’t and so didn’t, and was so centered on trying to convince herself not to care that an action as simple as placing an arm around her shoulders had her quite a bit confused that she didn’t notice Longshot was leading her anywhere until they were almost at their destination. When she did notice, she scowled and chided herself for daydreaming again. It really was becoming a nasty little habit.

Breakfast was breakfast. Not much happened that didn’t happen at any other meal. Of course there were differences. Like, she didn’t talk as much as she would’ve normally liked, though she was getting better at ignoring the pain in her jaw, enough that she could say almost a whole sentence at a time even. Longshot talked more than usual, though he’d been doing that since last night, this breakfast alone still held more words than she could remember him saying outloud in the past year. The food was also a bit too spicy for her tastes, but there were more berries and fruits then she knew the names of and those suited her plain palate a lot better. Then there was the feeling that the dining hall was empty. Which it nearly was when they’d first entered, but then the place had quickly filled up with people, and only glimpsed two that she recognized, though they seemed to be together. Even as dense as she was with that sort of thing, Smellerbee could tell something was up by the little coy smiles Xia and Ryota kept trading. Still, the dining hall was huge and everyone had plenty of room to themselves, and she found herself missing the crowding and noise and heat and smells of the meals in the forest more than she thought she ever would. It was that sudden feeling of homesickness that prompted her next words, followed by a faint wince as she’d said them without thinking of her injuries first.

“I wish they were right about this thing with the princess being over. It doesn’t feel like it. You can tell too! I know you can, but still I wish it was. I want us to go home.”

Ty Lee and Tatsuo

She was beautiful, although her face was marred with dark streaks of ash. He’d forgotten exactly how beautiful she was since their first meeting. He’d never been the type of man inclined to composing love songs. The gift of poetry was well beyond him and he was certain to trip over his tongue if he tried. Nor had any one lady ever caught his fancy for more than a scant moment. Seeing Ty Lee again made him wish he was different though. He wanted to find the words to tell her how, identical though they were, her sisters paled in comparison. He wanted to know the right thing to say that would take that empty look from her eyes. Yet, standing here at the funeral of the Fire Lady Mai, a woman he’d only seen twice and only on affairs of state, and all that had fallen in the attack just yesterday, he knew that even if he was as versed as any bard in the four nations, he would never be able to find the words that could erase the pain his betrothed felt for the lose of her friend. When it came his turn to extend his condolences to the Fire Lord, his tongue felt as heavy as iron in his mouth and his throat as dry as sand, so miserable he was. Yet, he found it in him to speak, and if they were not the sweet words he wished to say, they were honest ones.

“My deepest regrets for your loss, Fire Lord Zuko, General Iroh. ..Lady Yu.. Ty Lee, I know this isn’t the best timing, but could I speak with you privately… afterwards?”

She looked at him then at first in surprise, but without malice, for which he was grateful, so much had he feared that perhaps she hated him. He was well aware that when she was in the capital, she had no wish to ever lay eyes on him. It had been his secret horror that his unfortunate blunder at their engagement would ever go unforgiven. Then her eyes changed, the light in their brown depths was extinguished, and his blood ran cold. She seemed as a woman utterly defeated as she respectfully bowed to him. His fear of her hating him now lay forgotten. Its’ replacement was a fear that she somehow had come to fear him somehow. When he was a soldier, he had rarely seen prisoners, as his assignments never led him to them, but when he had, he had hated the looked of complacency in their eyes. It was as if they were only bidding their time until the call of the Spirit World came for them. To see the one he had agreed to marry wear such a look, it was everything he could do to keep from picking her up and begging her to tell him what to do to have her look at him in any other way.

“Of course, Lord Koizumi.”

He was a man dumbfounded at her simple agreement. From the reports from his men, the scant times he’d found a reason to send one of his merchant vessel to Kyoshi Island. Ty Lee was not a woman given to anger or sharp words of any kind. He knew not to expect her to directly fight him, but had thought that she would avoid him, as she had done so artfully these past couple of years. Or that, if she had agreed to meet him, she would be the sweet woman that had been described to him in each report he had ever received. Her words had been delivered calmly though, softly, as if they were small pebbles being dropped into a puddle and holding just as much emotion behind them. The crowd pushed him on and he let his feet take him away from his betrothed’s side, yet, his eyes lingered on her long after he was only one in the sea of mourners, firelight from the pyres dancing across her tear streaked face. His resolve had only been tenuous at best before coming here this morning. Now, his face settled into a stern frown that many a member of his family would have exclaimed at, being the only time he seemed to look like his father. He was determined now to say what needed saying once he talked to his betrothed again.

As she had come when the soldiers were building the pyres, Ty Lee stayed on the beach until the embers of them no longer smoldered. Tomoaki had been allowed, with insistence from those far more powerful than his schoolmaster, to stay a few nights at the royal palace. The poor boy had fallen asleep in her arms after crying so long and had remained that way when a trusted servant had carried him away to his chamber. She doubted there were many ashes left on her face now. What her tears had not washed away, she was sure Mai’s brother’s had. She didn’t care though. It wasn’t in her anymore to care. Instead, the lie she’d been telling herself all day, that she felt nothing, was sounding more and more like the truth to her. It was a dangerous feeling, this emptiness, but for now she held it to her as a strange sort of comfort, just as she held the sound of the waves lapping against the shore. The mourners had long gone, filing off bit by bit until there was only her and Zuko left.

The sun was well within the sky now, though not so high as to be near noon. He’d meandered some ways away from her, thinking his own thoughts. As had so often been her habit in the past, though not so much in the past few years, she studied him. Zuko, no doubt, was rallying his strength to perform his duties as Fire Lord. If it had been a decade earlier, she would have worried for him. He’d been so headstrong then and proud that he would have never asked for help, no matter what, but now she knew he would. Stubborn as he was, he knew better than to suffer that sort of responsibility alone and she knew his Uncle would be there to help him. If he had asked her, she would’ve helped too, but in all the years she had known him, he had never asked her for help. Giving a small sigh, she left her friend to his thoughts and made her meandering way back to the palace. She had a meeting to prepare for and a duty she could no longer shirk.

 

[Mephistophelily]

As it has a way of doing, time came to pass.

Word of Azula's escape initially caused panic among the Four Nations; fear that the Demented Princess would create the same havoc of her father, attempts to create the horrific vision that the two had shared. Fear slowly faded as days became weeks, Azula's intentions still left unclear... Nothing had been seen of the former Fire Lord, no attempt of actions on her part.

This worried Toph.
The Queen of Omashu sat in the gardens of the Fire Nation castle, her eyes closed as they served her no true purpose. Instead, she let the vision in her mind and in her touch guide her thoughts and plans, trying to understand the curious events that had taken place in the last month.

Azula's silence had worried all of the Nations Council. The idea of her being out there, staying so hidden- it was quite unlike the Firebending woman. With her current state of mind, it could mean many things; Azula's insanity had finally reached its peak, snapping her into a lost world created by her own mind... Or the worse option- driving her to believe that she could acchieve anything, and the words of an insane mind fueled by this to entice an army to follow her.

This could not be allowed. She had to be found, she had to be stopped. It was painfully obvious that she had other allies throughout the Four Nations, people that she could turn to in her current state for assistance. They needed to be found, they needed to be stopped. The Council came to the decision of sending out their own enforcements on this task, leaders chosen from the highest of ranks or most trusted of groups. This left them with gaps in their own Council seating, but they did what had to be done.

"At least things are growing again..." Toph smiled slightly as she let her toes dance against the grass, happy to find at least one comforting thing in these confusing times. Her rock garden present to Zuko had started to receive blossoming flowers, the little mounds made by the buds noticable to Toph's passing touch against the ground. The destruction caused by his sister was slowly being covered with a mask of nature. She could only imagine what the sight of such a thing previously had been like... Simply feeling the scars upon the earth left her downhearted.

She stood up slowly, taking another moment to enjoy the 'view' around her before heading back inside. More meetings to attend... Hopefully word had been received from some of the scouts sent out for the last month. Any word on Azula or her companions' whereabouts would be helpful at this point...

 

[Eazy]

Longshot

“I wish they were right about this thing with the princess being over. It doesn’t feel like it. You can tell too! I know you can, but still I wish it was. I want us to go home.”

Her words were correct. His suspicions were justified. The young Freedom Fighter wished for a peaceful resolution to their remaining dilemmas, that the Avatar would awake fully recovered and they could begin rebuilding after that days events. But the former Fire Nation Princess proved herself even more cunning then in the various second hand stories and first hand accounts he'd been told during the years following the wars conclusion. As he gazed out into the cloud filled sky while enjoying a rare moment of peace in the courtyard, Longshot reflected upon the events which led up to where they stood.

The young marksman had hoped they could return home by now, with the tragic events of the four nations meeting having since been placed behind them; another 'exciting' memory amongst many in their eventful lives. He remembered trying to provide some comfort afterward, knowing they couldn't leave just yet, but reminding her that they at least had each other and stating a hope that they could return home soon enough. Instead, both Smellerbee and himself remained, a months time later, as guests in the Fire Nation. It was a temporary arrangement for an undetermined amount of time, as the loss of many lives in Azula's attack had left the capital depleted of ideal manpower.

Manpower which the two of them were able to assist in compensating for, particularly after the Freedom Fighters responded to his message by sending a few of their older members to assist the pair in case of emergency. Pipsqueek had stayed behind, understandably, as their home couldn't afford to lose him along with their leader and her second. A bit of a shame, as they could really use his strength and experience if matters took a turn for the worst.

"Hey! Longshot! Can I talk to you for a second?"

On the other hand, the veteran Freedom Fighter was grateful there was at least one other of Jet's old crew amongst them; despite how the younger man he turned to face could complain about the one subject Longshot doubted many other heterosexual males would worry about.

As The Duke approached his friend in the courtyard, holding a familiar looking old helmet at his side, Longshot could already tell what was on his mind before he opened his mouth to speak. It was one of the supposed perks from knowing a person for the majority of their life.

"Look, I can understand why we need to stay here for now, and I don't even mind taking orders from the locals to set an example for the others." The late teens Freedom Fighter stated as he stared at his friend, a slight look of embarrassment on his features as he gestured behind him with a nod of his head, "But are you sure there isn't anything that can be done about...that?"

Tilting his head a little in order to look behind his young friend, Longshot could see a trio of Fire Nation handmaidens whom were staring toward the pair in while gossiping amongst themselves. More specifically, they were staring at The Duke, adoration evident in their features as they admired the tall young man. It wasn't too surprising, really. Since hitting adolescence, the once shortest member of their band of rebels had sprouted up into a handsome, well built male. Even Longshot could be surprised by it at times, particularly after the groups reformation and how his growth spurt had already started kicking in by then.

Returning his full attention to the younger male, the silent archer gave an amused smile, raising a curious eyebrow at the teen which caused him to grow slightly flustered.

"Of course I like girls!" The Duke quickly corrected, his voice picking up a little louder then he wanted, but catching it as he returned to a more normal tone, "It just...sorta creeps me out when they keep staring at me like that. It's even worse when they try making small talk with me. I mean, what am I supposed to talk about?"

Giving a light shrug of his shoulders, Longshot placed a reassuring hand on the eighteen year old's shoulder; conveying the notion of simply relaxing and being himself like in any other situation.

"Pft, sure, that's easy for you to say..." Was the only thing he could say in response, letting out a brief sigh as he rubbed at his head; glancing back while musing on how simpler it was to deal with people in the Fire Nation when they were trying to kill him.

It wasn't so hard to understand why the young man wasn't terribly comfortable with the attention he received from the girls since arriving in the Fire Nation. After all, he'd spent the majority of his young life amongst a band of refugees which, for whatever reasons, tended to skewer the male side when it came to members. It probably didn't help that he often had his features partially covered by that old helmet of his whenever they journeyed into the villages near home.

"I guess I'll try and get used to it while we're here." The younger male relented as he returned the helmet to his head; completing his look for what remained of the shift as he walked off while muttering below his breath, "At least sooner or later we'll be able to return home, where things are normal."

Letting out an amused 'hmph' as he watched The Duke head off, Longshot mused on his friends words for a moment. Like many things in life, normal was relevant, and there were few in this world who would consider how they lived to be anything resembling normality. But he adjusted, like always, in whatever way was needed for himself and others to have a relatively happy life.

Still, there were a few near constants in his life since joining the Freedom Fighters. One of which, and perhaps the most dear, was his friendship with Smellerbee. And although they had more or less put his words from that night behind them, Longshot couldn't keep from feeling that there was a subtle change in their relationship since then. One that had been nagging, growing persistently harder for him to brush off despite a good start at the time.

Of course, it could just be his imagination. And it was with a deep breath that he once more pushed those thoughts and feelings aside as little more then that; a hand moving to straighten out his old hat as he decided to get out of the sun by heading into the Palace. Besides, there would be better times for the young man to deal with any delusions on his part. For now there was an ugly reality of the world which they needed to keep on their toes about. A ugliness for which it seemed they were stuck within the calm before the storm.

 

[ChasNicollette]

Xia and Iroh.

It was hard to say what was the worst part of all this.

For one thing, the Air was thin, here. The altitudes. She'd thought the highest point of Ba Sing Se had been the ultimate high point. And then, the volcano in which The Fire Lord had made his home. But this...

The Air was thin. Every time her slave driver drill sergeant mentor sent her out for a run up stone steps and through winding passages and straight up sheer rock faces, every time he sent her out for a run in this place, it was as exhausting as that shatterneck sprint she'd done along the monorail track.

Even running thirty feet, she thought she was going to wheeze up a lung. And then Iroh had made her run the same distance again.

With weights strapped to her arms and legs. For Spirits' sake.

Iroh had explained to her that the very greatest Firebenders went to the mountains to develop their breath. Long-distance runners, athletes, all of them, came to the great peaks to train their bodies to maximise the use of Air.

So, too, must have Airbenders. Why else would they have built their temples in the most out of the way places...?

Which brought her to the second thing.

The temple itself was unnerving.

These dreams half-remembered that slipped through her fingers upon waking, those dreams of death and the scent of fire, they had... they had pagodas upside-down, growing from the underside of the cliff like stalactites. They dripped, engraved, chisled from stone.

They speared down from her dreams.

She had stood in this place. At the intersection of wu-wei and deja vu, she had stood here before and made a terrible last stand. Some impossible thing. Before she had been born, more than a hundred years ago, she had stood here and been struck down.

And it chilled her. It chilled her bitterly, deeper than the marrow of her bones.

Deeper than the wind that moaned and carved its way through the inverted edifices.

She remembered lightning.

That damned soothsayer-woman had told her her future would be in the skies, but she hadn't said word one about her past being in the same place.

She hadn't told Xia that she would remember her guts ensnarled by lightning.

A baby wailing in her arms.

There was serenity here, she was told, but it was hard for her to find that serenity past the wall of past-life baggage. And try as she might, she couldn't remember all that much of the past-life's past life. All she could remember, burned behind her eyes while dreaming like the afterimage, well, of lightning, was her past death.

Kind of made serenity difficult to come by.

Which brought her to the third thing.

Meditation. Was infuriating.

She saw Iroh and Aang both slip in and out of meditation like they were putting on gloves. Well-worn, long-loved gloves. But so far the ability had eluded her.

How long had they been up here? Days, weeks, months? She'd lost track.

And every day, for hours at a time, Iroh had sent her up to the upper side of the cliff to meditate.

Za-zen fled from her faster even than she could flee from a fight.

It danced away from her fingertips even more elusively than did her dreams of a century gone past.

It is written: 'In studying the way, realising it is hard; once you have realised it, preserving it is hard. When you can preserve it, putting it into practice is hard.'

...yeah.

No shit.

But for every snippet of wisdom she could quote at Iroh to claim that this way was not for her, that as much as she would love the ability to disconnect, this wasn't her style and he should work around that? Iroh had, like a dozen comebacks that were twelve times as wise coming from him than her rote recitations.

'Is it not also written? "Sitting quietly, doing nothing, spring comes, and the grass grows by itself."'

'Is it not also written? "The obstacle is the path."'

'Is it not also written? "The Great Way is not difficult for those who have no preferences."'

And so she sat. For hours on end. And, unable to lapse into that otherness into which Aang moved between one breath and the next, into which Iroh could move simply by shifting the way he stood, she fumed and she tried to think of new ways to flummox Iroh's indefatigably impenetrable wisdom.

Oh, and speaking of impenetrable?

Iroh's rejoinders weren't nearly as bewildering as his ripostes.

Which brought her to the fourth thing.

Combat training.

She had thought she'd known a thing or three about duking it out. She'd survived The Lower Ring, she'd survived the impossible screaming melee in the courtyard.

But Iroh...

She started to think that "Uncle" wasn't so much a family relationship for him but what everyone eventually said to him when they met him in battle. This was greeting Iroh, there was a secret comma between the "uncle" and his name, people were skipping straight to the surrender rather than go through the ridiculousness of trying to fight him.

It wasn't "Uncle Iroh." It was "Uncle, Iroh, uncle!"

She had sort of thought that Aang would handle this part. As, well, the last living Air Nomad, he would be the only one who could teach the style in an authentic manner? But instead, Iroh was the go-between, always Iroh. When Xia went off to fail at za-zen, Iroh would sit at Aang's feet and talk with the resting Avatar.

Iroh had studied scraps of Airbending Scripture as a young man. But the praxis of it, the actual practical application of it, of course this could only be taught by a Master.

There were 36 tiers to Airbending, of which Iroh had passing familiarity with only a few. Aang himself had mastered 35, and then skipped to the end by creating a brand-new technique.

Xia hadn't the foggiest idea how many tiers she'd ascended. It felt like she'd been climbing forever, and that she hadn't even made it past tier one.

But always she came down from the mountain and Iroh had something new to teach her. And always always always she would struggle and flail and fail and she would wind up on her ass-end, breathing hard, while Iroh would smile that fucking reprehensible smile and hold out a hand to help her up.

'You try to stand your ground,' he would say, 'but standing your ground is just like keeping your root in Firebending, and I have been breaking roots since before you were born.'

'Yeah,' Xia would harrumph back, and accept that hand, only to be hauled to her feet to start over, 'since before I was born this time.'

'Far more unbreakable than the strongest root, for you,' Iroh would remind her, 'will be the circle. Keep moving. Round and round. Do not let me break the circle!'

But he would always break the circle. And Xia would always wind up on her ass-end, accepting Iroh's hand back up.

Uncle. Uncle, already.

She supposed it was unrealistic for her to expect that she should take to this stuff like a turtle-duck to Water. Not everyone could be a twelve-year-old prodigy Master.

Instinct only went so far, it seemed.

It boggled her mind to learn that Aang Himself had learned three Bending styles in what had been, essentially, the space of a few seasons.

True, he was the fucking incarnation of the fucking planet, but good gods damn, that sort of... ability, instinct and inevitability converted into real actual fact...

He was so good at everything. Or had been, before That Bitch had done a number on him.

Xia wasn't even good at the thing she was supposed to be good at.

She'd spent her whole life waiting to find herself. To understand the reason for an Airbender being born in an Earth Kingdom body.

But there had been no moment of epiphany. No funny story about flying pies or lemurs or bison or Air-Ball, oh my, which transformed her from an uneducated charlatan into a reborn creature of promise. No spiritual spark that had leaped from her old life into this one.

Which brought her to the fifth thing.

Waiting. Waiting and not knowing.

Xia was waiting to change and she was waiting to learn and neither of these things had happened.

Xia was waiting to hear back about That Bitch and her unholy machinations, and there had been no word.

Xia was waiting... to hear back about... him.

He was out there somewhere. And she hadn't heard from him.

And, what, really? They'd had a nice time in that theater. Such a nice time.

He'd blown her mind. Like, for serious. And then, sleep, and breakfast, and then the shit hit the fan with That Bitch making tracks and their talk had been interrupted and...

There hadn't been much time to talk after that.

She imagined he'd moved on, more than a little, in the time he'd been away, that howeverlong of which she'd lost track. She was probably barking up the way wrong tree. But it might do her good to hear from him, instead of just waiting. Waiting and not knowing.

What he did was his business. It wasn't like he owed her anything. He'd given her solace when she'd needed solace. But it had been nice. That's all. Just... nice.

She liked the presence of him better than she liked the lack of him.

She liked him. And she liked liking him.

And thus she sat, as The Sun climbed the sky, on the top of the cliff above The Western Air Temple. She sat cross-legged with Aang's staff across her lap-- that was the sixth thing, they'd taken away her swords --and struggled to attain a za-zen state with a brain that seemed full steam against clarity and purity.

The wind whipped her hair about, and she scowled at the endless canyon walls across from her.

But then her ears pricked up, she heard a sound that rang from one canyon wall to the other.

The cry of a hawk.

Messenger-hawk.

She shot to her feet, twirling the staff into a standby stance behind her as she rose, and her dark dark eyes searched the sky...

And there it was, a tiny patch of brown circling The Sun, glinting crimson and gold off of its helmet, and then it dove, it dove, it dove, down into the canyon.

Word from the outside world.

Fucking finally.

She took off at a run, sprinting, so much faster than she used to be, so much faster...

She sprinted, and she dove off the edge of the cliff without even thinking, and the staff became a glider. She grabbed the handles and accidentally dumped out the last of the snacks but she shook that off and she chased the hawk into its dive...

Wheeling about, she struggled, she fought to read the Air currents, the wind-shear, the cross-breezes, the thermals, she fought to read them the way that The Earth Queen of Omashu read the surface and the deeps of The Earth.

And for a moment, for one glorious moment, she flew.

But she couldn't catch the hawk.

By the time she landed, the hawk was already flapping away again. Having left its message with Iroh, the cannister on its back was empty.

It seemed to glance at her as its wings beat its path into the sky. Seemed to glance at her and chuckle. And then it was gone.

Iroh stood in the fountain room with the mural of the bison, this having been mostly rebuilt by kind Earthbender pilgrims since Azula's last "family visit." (Mostly. There were still piles of rubble in places.) Behind him, the campfire was burning nicely, and an assortment of miniature teapots sat above the flames.

The glider was again a staff as she trudged up to Iroh, trying not to seem overtly curious. Trying to seem like she hadn't just jumped off a cliff to try and get the mail.

"So, uh," she coughed. "Anything for me?"

Iroh tucked the rolled up parchment into his robe. "No, I am afraid this message was not for you. It bore blue ribbon, and the emblem of the necklace of The Avatar's Lady Consort, and thus is for his eyes only. I shall take this to him in a moment."

An odd kind of spasm occurred in Xia's stomach.

Still no word. From, uh, from him.

She looked away, and tucked a forelock of hair back behind her ear. "Yeah, I figured not. Still. Shouldn't hurt to ask."

Iroh regarded her quietly for a moment, gazing at the back of her head, she felt his eyes resting on her.

"No, you are... quite right," Iroh murmured, a little sad smile of understanding quirking at his lips. "It shouldn't."

Xia grasped Aang's glider-staff and gazed sombrely out the way she had come, back out at those canyon walls. "So what now? You're going to break my circle some more? Or maybe we'll do summore glider training, with you using hot air rising to make, what did you call it--?"

"'Turbulence,'" Iroh reminded her. "But no. Now? Now, it is time for your tea regimen."

That was the seventh thing. The tea. Always with the tea.

"Right," Xia nodded, blowing Air out through her lips. "Tea."

Turning swiftly, determinedly, Iroh fetched a tray and arrayed four teacups upon the tray. Tutting and murmuring to himself, a skilled practitioner of the art, he poured out the small teapots each into one of those teacups.

"Drink them swiftly," Iroh instructed firmly, as he always did, holding up the tray for her consideration, "and in order."

Xia glowered at him. She took the cup to her far left, and downed it, hissing at the heat of it. This one was, he'd told her, for stamina, efficiency of breath.

She downed the second, oh, so very bitter, and not just her, it tasted terrible. This one was for quickness of the mind and body, enhancement of reflexes. Down the hatch.

The third, this one wasn't so bad, a chi-stimulant, she always felt so exhausted after training sessions, this stuff at least made the process survivable.

And the fourth. He'd never explicitly said what this stuff was. But he seemed to tout its virtue most of all, like it was the king of teas.

'Very important to have in your system where you're going,' he'd always say.

And smile a knowing smile.

The same knowing smile he smiled at her now, as she pelted back the fourth tea and set this back on the tray.

"Well done," Iroh nodded firmly.

"Now for the turbulence?" Xia arched an eyebrow.

Iroh patted her on the shoulder. "Now? I have a message to deliver. You can take a break if you want."

Xia blinked. "But. I never get a break."

Iroh shook his head, chuckling low and warm. "Then just this once should not hurt, yes? Just have yourself a seat, wait a few minutes. I shouldn't be long."

And off he went.

Xia blinked again, staring at his back. "'Wait.'"

She sank to sit cross-legged on the stony floor of the fountain room, the staff again across her lap.

"I hate waiting," she muttered petulantly.

Yeah.

Waiting was the worst part of all this.

********​

Iroh trudged quietly through the temple, his thoughts his own, extracting the scroll from his robe as he walked. Approaching the Echo Chamber, he stood still for a moment, listening to the all-day echoes of The Avatar's breathing.

And then he moved into the doorway, bowing respectfully as he entered.

"Avatar Aang," he murmured gently, and even his gentle murmur joined the undulating sea of echoes. "I am. Sorry to disturb you."

 

[ChasNicollette]

Katara and Sokka. (with apologies to Soru)

The village was a small one, but lovely enough. The sandstone structure at the center of it blossomed up into the blue of the sky, and the shadow cast by the great hilltop edifice was cool against the sun.

Katara stood at the bottom of that hill, looking up at the sky. Her messenger hawk was long gone, but all the same, she imagined she could still see the curve of its shadow, two arches joined in the middle, the way birds were calligraphed in the distance of sunset paintings.

She could hear the forked rivers running in the distance, comforting Watery noise, villagers calling back and forth to each other about weather conditions and fishing catches. This town was a fairly important centrepiece of local trading, and busy shopkeepers haggled with enquiring customers.

How quickly everyone goes back to normal.

But then again, what choice do they have?

Houses made of bamboo and plaster with roofs of thatch, if Azula's... whatever she's calling them, if they chose to struck here, this town wouldn't have a chance.

Are they just going to hide, heads down, cowering under wooden tables, waiting to get struck by lightning?

No. Better to go about their lives. Until we know more.

Not that 'knowing more' has been at all easy to come by.

She glanced up at the sky, again. They'd be long gone long before Aang could send her a reply, she knew that.

That was the plan, at least. It had been a good plan. Well, relatively speaking.

Appa dropped them off here for a day, gave them a chance to get the lay of the land, while Appa himself went to visit other scouting groups in the relative vicinity. And then Appa would come back to pick them up here, the three Water Tribesfolk, usher them on to the next location.

(Provided they could all get back to the rendezvous on time.)

Where are those boys?

But, hey, speak of the oni. One of them, anyway.

Eyes half-lidded, completely distracted, Sokka wandered up the path towards the base of the hill, eating from a little bowl with a pair of chopsticks.

On top of his head, covering his fun and perky wolf-tail, the strap dangling loosely down 'round the back of his head, was a mask of a very familiar blue.

Katara arched an eyebrow, and planted one fist on her cocked hip.

"I see you've made good use of your time," she intoned with dour righteous irritation.

Sokka stared at her like she'd just sprouted a second head, and the second head was a rat-viper.

"What?" he enquired, not unreasonably, talking with his mouth full.

She sniffed at the air, at the bowl Sokka carried, blinked cerulean eyes. "Hot-cakes and sweet cream?"

Sokka swallowed audibly, clearing his mouth, and wiped his mouth on the back of his hand. "There's a contingent of Fire Nationals here, like a cultural exchange thingy. I think they used to be colonists, or something? Anyway, one of them was having a birthday."

Katara said nothing. Her eyebrows bunched ominously.

Sokka blinked. "Ingratiating myself socially wasn't part of the thing? I distinctly remember that from the meetings about the thing! That was my favourite part of the thing! I improv'd a couple of haiku, they made me a special guest of honour, it was sweet."

Katara crossed her arms over her stomach.

Sokka perked. "Also! I found this cool mask, there was this merchant with a whole cart of them!"

He pulled the mask down over his face, and threw his arms wide in a showmanly "tah-dah" sort of gesture. "I remind you of anyone?"

"Yeah, that's a pretty good resemblance," Katara harrumphed. "While you were out picking up birthday goodies and nostalgic souvenirs, did you happen to remember why we are here?"

Pushing the mask back up atop his head, Sokka half-lidded his eyes at her. "Actually. Yes. Oh ye of little humour. While I was at it, having ingratiated myself socially, I did happen to remember to ask the village folks if they'd seen anything suspiciously Azula-y."

"Well, thank goodness for that, at least," Katara chuckled faintly, exasperatedly. "Had they?"

Sokka took another mouthful. "Not as such. But one of the guys mentioned there's caves and stuff 'roundabout the outskirts? A sufficiently well-prepared insurgent fighting fraternity could theoretically hole away for ages in those caves, and multinational peacekeeping task forces would never find 'em. We should probably have one of the other scout teams take a peek, but in the meantime I say we make with the exit strategy."

Katara quirked both brows, now. "You don't think we should have a look ourselves?"

Sokka shook his head. "Nah. This place is clean. Call it... an instinct."

"'Instinct,'" Katara repeated softly, shaking her head, unable to hold back a smirk.

It was Sokka's turn to look at her dubiously, rolling his eyes somewhat. "Yeah, that old Leechi Nut. 'Instinct.' I dunno, I've put my Badgermole ear to the ground, my Canyon Crawler-senses aren't tingling, whatever you wanna call it. I think we should keep looking."

"Noted," Katara nodded, understandingly enough. "I hadn't found much, either. Except that the fishing's good this time of year."

She glanced around. "You didn't happen to see our Northern cousin in your travels, did you? Only he's running even later than you were, and that's not like him."

Squinting up at the sky, Sokka held his bowl of half-finished dessert in one hand and scratched absent-mindedly at his mid-section as he gauged the height of The Sun in the sky.

(The wound was faded, now, just a scar, healing Water had done its work. But still he scritched at it, like a nuisance, a briar in his flesh.)

"Nah," Sokka mused, then shrugged, with a sort of I dunno noise in his throat. "Ry's got a few yet. Besides, I don't think he's technically late until after Appa shows back up."

"I suppose not," Katara acknowledged, crouching, and then sitting by the side of the path. "Still. I can't help but feel we could be doing this more efficiently."

"Guy's got a lot on his mind," Sokka reminded his sister, sitting down beside her and tucking into what was left of the hot-cakes and sweet cream.

"Yeah," Katara murmured, crossing her arms over her knees and resting her chin on the cross of her arms. "Don't we all."

 

[Mephistophelily]

The clothing of the Fire Nation was never seen as a humble hue. The deep crimson tones gave an air of grandeur, a tone of command and a regal edge with the golden tones found so subtley placed upon its edges. When Ozai had been at the peak of his reign, the colors seemed to hold a deeper shade, a more brilliant tone. It reflected his quest for power, the iron flaming fist that he wielded.

Perhaps that was why the colors that rested upon her form now seemed so faded to her eyes. They were still a deep red, but not the deepest of the hue. In her eyes, it was supposed to match the blood of her enemies. The gold; the embers that flew into the night sky with every conquering blow. Instead, what she saw now where the colors of a faded dream. A disgrace.

"Pardon me, miss." A man bumped her, but her feet didn't falter. She glared back at him, her head hidden beneath the shawl thrown over her hair. Another annoyance, an added fuel to her fury. She had to remain hidden even in her own Nation. This city, retaking its former name of North Chung-Ling, was once one of her father's greatest accheivements. She should be able to proudly walk its streets, her head held high and proclaiming her royal right to retake it.

But they were still looking for her. As much as she wanted to simply face them, to burn those who stood before her to simple ash, she still needed to learn more about what had happened.

That glorious accident. The shock in his eyes, the power she felt. At first she didn't understand... but now- Now it all made sense.

The gift she was given.
The wishes of the spirit that had spoken to her.
The Glory of the Fire Nation.

She knew the strength resided in her now, the desire she had buried inside being the fuel. What she needed was an army to follow her, those willing to retake what was rightfully hers- to return the Fire Nation to what it once was. What it was supposed to be. Her brother had made it into the place of her nightmares; another place of peace, another simple land with its simple ways. No glory. No motivation. Nothing to inspire its people.

Pathetic.

She continued her trek across the city square, her attention set on the remains of the fallen statue in the center of the city. It pained her to see it in such a state. Someday it would be returned to its proper stance, but with some alterations in its decor...

Instead of Fire Lord Ozai, it would be a monument to the great Fire Queen Azula.

 

[Eazy]

Ryota

Well this was looking to be another in a series of disappointing dead ends. The young Waterbender had made fair use of his day; speaking with a few locals, spying on a couple who came off as slightly seedy in his desperate attempt at a lead, and even putting his tracking knowledge to use by checking the surrounding woods. Anything to find a lead or, perhaps more accurately, anything to keep busy until it was time to leave. Thankfully, most of the locals were fairly cooperative, if unfortunately unhelpful in actually finding anything of use to their scouting party.

When you got down to it, compared against the fierce power of an Earthbender and the ferocious reputation of the Firebenders, those of the Water Tribe were easily the least intimidating for the average person. Well, he supposed Airbenders would be even less of an intimidation, if the scarcity of them wasn't enough to cause one alarm if they did somehow come across one by whatever miracle. Much like the miraculous series of circumstances which brought him face-to-face with one just one month earlier, followed by the events which led to more then a simple friendly encounter; the memory of which caused the young man to give pause as he let out a light sigh.

Great, now he was starting to grow distracted, depressing himself yet again. None of them could afford to let their minds wander away from the task at hand, and, despite not being of as great importance as a member of royalty or one of the heroes of war, he wasn't an exception. As he stood by a small merchants shop which he'd just finished speaking with about any suspicious customers passing through town, Ryota let his eyes settle on watching a few kids running along the road, playing soldier as his own mind muse over his dilemma.

Wasn't this the reality? That when the time came, she would have to find a place for herself after, ideally, reaching an inner peace with her peculiar bending abilities. That he would have to return, alongside his fellow tribesmen, to the glacial land they were proud to call home. It hadn't dawned on him when they first departed, but Ryota came to realize how, amongst other things, this was a taste of what the future held. Well, a future in which he could assume former Princess Azula hadn't set the world on fire to remold it in her own twisted vision.

"Hey, kid, you going to buy anything? If not, then move along. You're blocking the view of my merchandise."

The gruff, older voice stirred the young bender out of his day dreaming; causing him to turn and give an embarrassed smile to the short, bearded man sitting behind the stand, "Oh! Sorry, sorry. Guess I've been walking around in the sun too long."

Letting that pitiful excuse for an excuse pass as his parting words, Ryota started walking off as the older man shook his head while muttering something on the young having their heads filled with nothing but air. Huh, air. He supposed that wasn't so far removed from the truth.

"Ugh, get your head in the game!" The young warrior quickly scolded himself; speaking under his breath as he walked down the busy road, trying to focus his attention on the many passerby's as he added, "You're letting your thoughts hop around like an Arctic Hen with his head chopped off."

As he tried refocusing is full attention on what remained of the task at hand, his eyes did finally drift toward the sky, noticing from where the sun hung overhead roughly how much time had passed, "Oh….crud."

Pushing everything else aside for now, Ryota quickly made his way down the street, moving at a brisk pace as he occasionally glanced up for any sign of a certain flying bison. It wasn't like him to let his mind wander so much as to be running late, but the longer they were out here, the less likely it seemed they'd find a solid lead, and thus the less amount of stress for focusing on the important tasks at hand. Not exactly a good reason for slacking off, but it was a reason. One which he hoped wouldn't lead to him holding up the others as he steadily neared the predetermined meeting place.

Sure enough, the famous Water Tribe siblings eventually came into view, causing Ryota to both feel relieved at not having arrived after Appa and slightly apprehensive of what they may say. Provided the Avatar's Sky Bison hadn't arrived and nothing of importance came up, he doubted Sokka would really care about his running a little behind schedule. His sister, on the other hand, was perhaps less likely to be as dismissive of the technically late appearance.

Perhaps not surprisingly, Sokka was the first to speak as they saw him making his way along the path; an amused expression on his face at noticing the Waterbenders labored breathing as he slowed while nearing them, "Well, look who decided to show up fashionably late. Minus the fashionably part."

"Sorry about making you wait! I…I sort of lost track of the time…back there." The young man stated quickly, stopping finally as he stood before the pair, his words coming between breaths as he still showed signs of being winded after the sudden race nearly halfway across the small village.

"Looks like this turned out to be another dead end, though." He explained while regaining control of his breathing; offering up information which, he assumed, would more or less match up with what they found in their own searches, "Nobody's seen or heard anything relating to Azula and whoever's been helping to keep her hidden. On the bright side? I did cross a small stand which offers up a tasty Egg Custard Tart."

Ryota offered up a slight smile after that last light hearted comment, as he evidently felt a fair amount of shame over running late as he looked at the pair; his eyes eventually falling upon a particular item of interest, "Neat mask, Sokka."

--------------------------

Kazuo

There were times where he still couldn't believe their good fortune. It'd been weeks since they finally caught up with the Fire Nation Princess after her cunning escape from the clutches of her traitorous brother and his allies. The young man wasn't certain if she'd agree in allowing them to assist in hiding the Princess from her enemies when they did find her, but Kazuo remained persistent, driven in his quest to locate the true heir to the throne. And when he did finally meet her, the Firebender was amazed at how magnificently regal and commanding a presence she wielded; even despite everything the false Fire Lord had put her through.

"We can do this." He whispered to himself, remarking on the renewed feeling of confidence and passion for their cause which the Princess brought to him.

"What was that, sir?" Came the voice of a slightly older man who stood before the young bender; a small assortment of scrolls delivered by messenger hawks tucked neatly in his arms as he watched Kazuo curiously.

Glancing up from his seat at the large table, the rebel 'general' and at times de facto leader shook his head to brush the comment aside; instead demanding they focus on what his associate came here for, "Nothing. Now, you were saying about our reconnaissance teams?"

Clearing his throat, the lower ranked member of this growing group knew better then to press the issue; instead placing the parchments upon the large mahogany surface as he summarized, "From what we've gathered, the scouting groups sent out by the Four Nations have been avoiding this area thus far. As such, unless there's a sudden change in their movement patterns, we shouldn't have any problems keeping to our schedule."

A faint smile spread across Kazuo's features as he continued to prop his chin upon his folded hands; elbows planted against the tables surface as he briefly weighed the situation, yet having already known what he wanted, "Excellent. It looks like our fears of potentially inviting the enemy to our front door were unfounded."

This was an understandable fear when they took in the Fire Nation Princess; one voiced by several key members of the resistance group. Some even went so far to as suggest it may be best to cut their ties with the girl. However, as Kazuo and a few others had pointed out, the fact that she was on the run would mean scouting parties regardless of what actions they took. The risk of being found out by one of them would be almost as great even if they hadn't offered any assistance to Azula in the first place. The only other 'option' would have been turning her in when they found her, which was an idea that brought about the near death of the fool who dared suggest such treason to him.

Pushing the chair back as he began to stand from his seat, the dark-haired bender gazed across at the other man; his golden eyes calm yet demanding as he explained, "Nevertheless, I want to go through with our earlier plans of stepping up production on weaponry. I don't want us to be caught unprepared on the slim chance anything goes wrong in the coming days."

The other male showed little resistance to this notion as he was dismissed; leaving the young Firebender to consider the situation as he gazed out upon the fairly large, well furnished room where he often occupied his time in mulling over matters related to their cause. They were allowed such luxuries, as a majority of their proud industrious city shared a similar interest in restoring the old order. Enough where they could make fine use of the otherwise wasted material during peace time for their own needs. If anything, they would prove better prepared then the group of madmen lady Azula had to rely on during her first attempt at exacting revenge.

Speaking of which, it dawned on Kazuo that it'd been a while since he last saw the Fire Nation Princess. Granted, it hadn't been the busiest of days when it came to new developments, but he liked keeping the mistress up to date on anything which may be of interest for her. As such, the young man headed out of the room in search of their future Queen. Nobody else within the moderately sized structure, one of many where they could meet within the city, had an idea of where she might be. But he had a good idea, as he walked out into the busy streets, intending to locate the fugitive Princess near the center of the city.

Despite many of the inhabitants sharing their feelings toward the current regime, it wasn't a unanimous feeling amongst the city dwellers. Not only that, but there was a frequent stream of travelers, merchants and even the occasional military personal who would visit for various reasons. Because of this, they had to keep to the shadows with their activities, which also meant that certain members with less then desired reputations (at least in the eye of this new era of 'peace') had to conceal themselves in public.

As he reached the center, Kazuo knew what to look out for, which meant it wasn't too difficult for him to spot the Princess in spite of her keeping hidden. Of course, despite having searched her out, there was a slight hesitation before moving to approach the cloaked figure. There was always that bit of awe when it came to the famous Firebending prodigy; one which he couldn't see fully fading for himself as he moved to stand at her side.

"I had a feeling you might be here, my lady." The dark-haired male stated in a low tone; his eyes taking a quick glance about to make certain there wasn't anyone near as the young rebel added, "Our intelligence shows your brother's allies have yet to begin searching this region. I doubt that will stay the same for long, but unless there's an immediate change in their patterns we should be prepared before they catch wind of our location."

His golden eyes then turned toward the rubble which had captured her attention when he arrived; having a general understanding of what she may be feeling, just like many of those amongst their resistance group had felt for years.

"Feeling nostalgic?" He asked with a hint of concern while returning his attention to the cloaked young woman, knowing how difficult this existence must be for her, but also trusting she would prove herself capable of adapting and persevering.

 

[ChasNicollette]

Perhaps not surprisingly, Sokka was the first to speak as they saw him making his way along the path; an amused expression on his face at noticing the Waterbenders labored breathing as he slowed while nearing them, "Well, look who decided to show up fashionably late. Minus the fashionably part."

"Sorry about making you wait! I…I sort of lost track of the time…back there." The young man stated quickly, stopping finally as he stood before the pair, his words coming between breaths as he still showed signs of being winded after the sudden race nearly halfway across the small village.

Katara's expression, half-hidden as it was behind her two hands laced together, was mixed, gently contorted. She didn't look... happy. But neither did she look outraged.

If Ryota had arrived a few moments sooner, before Sokka had reminded her of the pressure everyone was under, particularly those separated from people that they... cared about? If Ryota had arrived before Sokka had reminded her, directly or indirectly, intentionally or unintentionally, that she had someone she loved very much who was hundreds of miles away, someone she'd heard neither hide nor hair of for a month...

...and that Ryota might or might not have someone like that, too...

...all this on top of the unbelievable pressure to recover Azula and cram her back into the deepest darkest dankest oubliette in all of The Four Nations before she spilled innocent blood by the submarine-full.

They had a lot on their minds, didn't they all?

Katara might well have launched into a diatribe about eternal vigilance and letting down guards. Once upon a time, it would have been Sokka snarking about timetables, but perhaps his own recent near-death experience had lent him a certain... Zen.

"It's fine," she nodded quietly, attempting to be reassuring despite her lingering misgivings. "Really. Appa's a little behind, it's fine. (We weren't going to leave without you.) What did you manage to find out, if anything?"

"Looks like this turned out to be another dead end, though." He explained while regaining control of his breathing; offering up information which, he assumed, would more or less match up with what they found in their own searches, "Nobody's seen or heard anything relating to Azula and whoever's been helping to keep her hidden. On the bright side? I did cross a small stand which offers up a tasty Egg Custard Tart."

Katara appeared doubly rueful. "You found. Food. (Of course you did.)"

Sokka appeared doubly delighted. "Egg Custard? Seriously? Jackpot! What kind of eggs?"

Katara blinked, and glanced pointedly at the now-empty bowl Sokka still cradled in his lap, her eyes narrowed.

Sokka arched an eyebrow at her, feigning offense. "Never let it be said that Water Tribesmen fail to be excellent foragers even in unfamiliar terrain."

Ryota offered up a slight smile after that last light hearted comment, as he evidently felt a fair amount of shame over running late as he looked at the pair; his eyes eventually falling upon a particular item of interest, "Neat mask, Sokka."

Sokka squinted one eye and pointed a finger at Ryota in what might or might not have been a passable impression of a certain Freedom Fighter, replete with gritted teeth that could have held a grass-blade betwixt. "See? That's what I'm talkin' 'bout. Fashionable."

Katara sighed, and then let out a chuckle, despite herself. Boys.

"Yeah, no," she gestured dismissively. "We heard a rumour about some caves we're going to earmark for follow-up, but no sightings, and no direct leads. Best we can do is move on to the next town."

A shadow flashed across the zenith-high sun, and Katara and Sokka both glanced skyward almost reflexively, almost expectantly.

"Speaking of which," Katara mused, rising to her feet in a single graceful motion, dusting at herself absently.

The great furry beast loomed for a moment, great round eyes gazing at them intently, and then, wheeling about, he lowered himself vertically to The Earth with a soft thooooom.

"Hello, boys!" Sokka grinned, standing himself up.

Appa thrummmmbled in reply.

Out of a spot on the saddle in which he'd evidently been sunning himself, Momo sat up, and straightened, and streeeeeeeeeeetched lazily. Licking his muzzle, the lemur blinked half-awake at the three humans, and then bounded down to the arrow on the top of Appa's head, his tail arcing a trail behind him as he moved.

Momo bobbled, and chittered, and nattered at Sokka, and Sokka tossed Momo the bowl. Momo snagged it out of the air, cupping it easily with nimble fingers, and then proceeded to duck his head into the bowl, ears tucked back, cheerfully lapping at what was left of the cream.

The striped tip of Momo's tail danced expressively as he ate.

"Also never let it be said, my esteemed brother-in-arms," Sokka pointed out, putting one arm around Ryota's shoulder and indicating the happy lemur proudly, "that our ability to forage goes unappreciated."

Katara rolled her eyes, and climbed up Appa's side, clambering into the saddle. "We should probably go now."

 

[UnseenMaiden]

Ty Lee

The third of seven combs made their way through hair, pulling apart knots the previous comb’s larger teeth had missed. When it had made its’ way through all of the long strands, the fourth comb replaced it and the process of eliminating tangles from her mahogany tresses started all over again. Ty Lee waited patiently as the handmaiden attended to her grooming. She could have easily done this herself and would have, if she didn’t already know from experience that her mother would certainly find out and protest vehemently. Spirits forbid her mother’s child ever do any task a servant could just as easily perform. Still a small sigh escaped her lips as the fifth comb came to take the fourth’s place. Three weeks she had endured this lifestyle of rules and expectations, everything she’d ran away from all those years ago, since her engagement to Lord Koizumi was officially announced.

Well, her family life had not been the only reason she’d ran off to join the circus, but Zuko’s exile was now a thing of the past, even if his sister’s cruelty was not. So much had changed between then and now, and so much of that change was recent that, if she was truthful with herself, she was still experiencing a form of shock. There wasn’t a day she didn’t miss her dear friend and time did not seem to lessen the pain she felt, yet, more and more she found herself turning to her brief stay in the Spirit World for comfort. Those moments had felt as shifting and insubstantial as dream, but Ty Lee could clearly remember Mai’s piercing words and the look in those golden eyes. They echoed around in her head clear as a bell even now.Selfishly, she wished Iroh had not gone with Aang and Xia, the girl with the curious title of an Earth Kingdom airbender, so that she could confide in him of all that she had seen that day. She’d thought of telling Zuko, buit could hardly bring herself to breathe Mai’s name around him anymore, and mentioning that horrible blackness to anyone simply terrified her. She’d see it in her sleep some nights, causing her to wake up in a cold sweat with her heart pounding so hard it made her chest hurt.

“Mistress? I know it’s, perhaps, not proper for me to ask, but, in the palace, you’ve met all of the travelers from the other nations I bet, and I’ve heard whispers from a friend who works there, and…well… I wonder…”

Ty Lee blinked, as her thoughts were pulled back into the present. She hadn’t realized that her hair had already been loosely bound and a small silver lotus blossom pinned above her left ear. Tatsuo had made it for her as a gift and it was beautiful, but her heart sunk every time she felt the weight of the metal against her skin. Her betrothed was kind and honest and deserved so much more than an arranged loveless marriage, but when she’d spoken of this to him, he’d only assured her that she would grow to love him in time. Turning around, she looked at the servant girl before her now and raised an eyebrow at her anxious face. Atsuko was wringing her hands in a fit of nerves that, try as she might, Ty Lee had not quite convinced her to abandon yet. The servants in this household had always been very proper as was their duty. This break from decorum was a very rare sight indeed and she waited patiently, softly smiling, for Atsuko to find the courage to finish her question.

“Have you met The Duke?! Is he as handsome as they say he is? Could you find a reason to invite him over, please Ty Lee? I want to meet him so so much!”

Which, she did soon enough and in such a rush of words that Ty Lee had to take a moment to gather their meaning. A giggle escaped the older woman’s lips, and then it turned into more of a fit of giggles, until tears were streaming down her face. It was the first time she’d laughed since Mai’s death and it caught her fully by surprise, by both the laughter itself and having the ability to laugh after all this time, hence the tears. Eventually she did sober enough to answer Atsuko’s question. She did know who the servant girl was talking about and wasn’t really surprised that there were rumors flying around about him. She was constantly catching others staring at the Freedom Fighter for other obvious reasons besides being a new and foreign face about the palace. Pretending to think, she tapped a finger against her lips for a few moments before grinning.

“Yes, he’s very cute.”

 

[UnseenMaiden]

Smellerbee

They weren’t supposed to be here this long, but they were and she probably wasn’t going to see home for a while yet. It was pissing her off. Even she could tell her irritability was growing with every day she spent in this place. If it wasn’t for needing to represent the Freedom Fighters politically, she would’ve just grabbed Longshot and headed back to the forest weeks ago. Well, that wasn’t strictly true. That was just frustration talking. There were close to a dozen Freedom Fighters here pronouncing that plan a lie. Granted the soldiers from Omashu that Queen Toph had elected brought over, combined with some warriors from the Water Tribe, made a more impressive gesture of support, but those few from their small band that had come were just as ready and willing to keep Ms. Crazypants from pulling off a second attack on the palace. It’d been Longshot’s idea and it was a good one. Despite her wanting to get the hell out of there as quickly as possible, she’d backed it up.

Red, dark and swirling, tainted the water in the bowl in front of her as she went about washing the excess dye from her hands and face. The lines on her cheeks had been fading more than she’d let them since her days on the prison ship. It had got to the point where she could almost see her own skin under the color, because she’d been too stupid to have the forethought to pack some of her own henna for this trip. Then she’d just put off talking to any of the servants until she couldn’t take looking at herself any longer. They didn’t really like her here, the handmaidens or whatever they called them, mostly because she hadn’t took too kindly to being ‘looked after’. She could wash her own self just fine and all that ‘tutting’ and ‘tsking’ over her hair and face and nails and everything like she couldn’t hear them perfectly well. The woman hadn’t earned any brownie points by threatening them for doing their job, but at least she’d been having her baths in peace ever since. Still, looking at herself now, paint in place, Smellerbee felt so much better than she had of late.

-----

"At least sooner or later we'll be able to return home, where things are normal."

A mumbling The Duke greeted her eyes as she went into the courtyard. Well, one of many courtyards. The Royal Palace was so full of courtyards and passageways and rooms that entered into other rooms, even with all the time they’d been spending here, she knew very well she’d only seen half of the layout. Her friend’s words made her raise her eyebrows, but she didn’t bother to comment. Her jaw was healed for the most part. The swelling was gone and the bruises that were left were a nice healthy yellow. She could even open her mouth without pain shooting through her if she went at it wrong, but the muscles were still kind of stiff and the weeks of stinted speech had done a toll on her. If she’d bothered to think about it, Smellerbee would’ve hated how easily she reverted to the comparatively quiet thing she’d been when she was young, but she never let her thoughts linger on that lifetime, no matter how many times she’d awoke this month with her mother’s voice in her ear. That’s what she told herself.

So The Duke went on his way without a word from his normally very outspoken leader and she kept walking ahead towards Longshot. He was a topic she’d been avoiding of late, despite seeing him everyday, which was just as hard as it sounded. Just like her mother waited for her when she fell asleep, so did Jet and Granny, who said her name was Mizuko, and their favorite thing seemed to be her tall companion over there. At least, from what she remembered. They were just stupid dreams and they faded away almost as soon as she woke up, but that didn’t keep her from noticing things, like noticing she was noticing things about him in the first place. Because, now that she was paying attention, she thought she tended to watch Longshot a lot or found a reason to be near him. Maybe it was paranoia creeping in, but everytime she caught herself at it she made damn sure she stopped and did the opposite. Her thoughts made her irritated with herself all over again, so much so that when she was close enough that her fellow Freedom Fighter finally looked at her, the question that was on her tongue came out more surly than she’d meant it to.

“What’s eating at The Duke? Something happen?”

Longshot’s gaze filled her in, more or less, on what was bugging the guy. She may not be talking as much as she used to, but he seemed to be talking normally once more. Part of her whispered that she missed his voice, but she brushed that away. Smellerbee had never pushed him to verbalize his words before and she wasn’t about to start. An eyebrow raised at the mention of The Duke’s apparent fans and her eyes flitted over to the girls in question. They seemed normal enough to her, even carefree, as they chatted with each other. Not that she was quite the expert on normal female behavior. The wives of some of the guys back home were nice and she liked talking to them, but she always felt like an intruder and their talks with her were brief ones. She’d as sooner be able to say what was in a mooselion’s head than what those servant girls were giggling about. One was looking at them now, making a muscle in her jaw twitch as she faintly wondered what the bright eyed, blushing face on the Fire Nation woman was for.

“….I can’t make heads or tails of it either. He’s got eyes, ears, a nose, and a mouth just like everybody else.”

 

[Mephistophelily]

They walked right on by.

As if it didn't exist. As if it never existed.

It infuriated her, the blood in her veins boiling with an added fire. It was what she needed, really; another reason to fight. Another reason to restore the Fire Nation's glory.

This statue needed to rise once again, but with a different face upon its shoulders.... A new flame flooding from its palms. This fire wouldn't burn with a red hue. It would devour in blue. It would demolish in white.

It would be fueled by her fire, driven by her rage. It would be a part of her... and they would never, EVER, walk by like they did now.

Azula restrained herself as best she could as the faceless people walked past her, the cloth over her head shielding her from prying eyes as she stared at the ground. She had come here to be reminded of the accomplishments of her father- and instead, was shown the fleeting attention of those around her. Like moths. Simple little insects that chose to follow the flame. They simply needed something brighter to attract them. Let them get too close if they wished; they would singe their wings and simply fall to the ground, where she would happily end their miserable agony with the force of her heel.

Someone was approaching her.

Her fist tightened, assuming it at first to be someone that was trying to get too close; the possibilities of being noticed, recognized, returned all swirling in her head. The golden hue of her eyes held a slightly reddened hue to them as she glanced up from beneath her cloaked hiding. Lack of sleep, or the adamant will that drove her... Call it what they wanted. All she knew was that she would be damned if anyone tried to take her back to her brother, and those who tried would be needing far more help than they realized to even attempt such a feat.

The voice that spoke to her was firm yet friendly, one that held a tone of knowing. Ah. Kazuo. Her hand relaxed, a soft puff coming from between her lips as she reset herself. No need to be that on guard... but a slightly wary ear was still kept to their surroundings. At the mention of Zuko's search parties, her lip curled slightly, though she was relieved to hear they had yet to arrive in the city.

"They shouldn't treat it this way. They never know who they might offend with such behavior...," she growled, her gaze never leaving her hands. "They'll regret it, in time. I'll see to that...."

She cleared her throat after a moment, glancing at him with what could be called a smile. "As for my brother and his little beardogs... Let them sniff and dig, but they won't find us. I'll make certain of that as well." She paused, taking a moment to look him over before continuing. "And I have faith in you, as well as your men, Kazuo. The most they may find is a dead fire left to taunt them." She stretched with that, slipping off the small stone wall and folding her arms before her. "I'm thirsty. Let's find somewhere for a drink."

 

[ChasNicollette]

Zhuang.

He did not have weapons with him.

That would be poor manners; to wear weapons when one was a guest in another's domicile, in another's town. That would be ingracious to their hospitality.

Wearing them while he travelled under his own power, that was one thing. Whilst he was staying in inns and so forth, that was one thing.

But to be invited under the roof of an esteemed warrior, to share in the resource of his town, and then to walk around armed, this would be grave offence, and undeserved.

His sword. His hammers. He wore these not.

Though at his side he still wore the waterskin that held not Water but sand.

This was, perhaps, an exception to the rule? In any case, this was as much artistic medium for him as it was a form of armament.

In any case, this did not leave his side.

He wore Fire Nation garb; no sense sticking out like a sore thumb. Around his waist, though, he wore an obi of his signature grey. This, like the sandskin, was a compromise, but a necessary one. The keeping of ritual was important, nearly religiously significant, if one strayed from one's own rituals, then how could one serve to others' ignorance as an example of discipline?

Zhuang was. Displeased.

He moved through the square. The fountain, the fountain of flames was shattered.

He supposed this was a natural reaction; the populace had been deluded into thinking that The Phoenix King had been an enemy all along, and as his rule was removed from them, they rose up and obliterated all signs of his former grasp upon their lives.

Sic semper tyrannis, and all that.

Still.

As a child, even through the misinformation and the disinformation manufactured by The Dai Li during the century-long War, he had heard of the magnificence of The Fountain of Fire. As a child, a budding artist, a future sculptor, a genius with the detail work of the various terrestrial forms, he had held this statue in awe.

He was an artist.

This was... desecration. This was... vandalism.

These people were vandals.

So it was when the people were given freedom to practically rule themselves; they reverted to the lowest common denominator. Only a firm hand could guide the people in the way they should go. The people were incapable of self-rule, of self-guidance.

They didn't know what to do with a good thing when they had it.

Hnnfh.

Not good.

For example. This statue of Phoenix King Ozai.

And the lordly rulership of Fire Lord Azula herself.

Zhuang and Kayna had not joined with Azula on the day of her escape.

But they had seen her depart, and this had been it, this had been the omen for which Zhuang had been waiting. And thus, led by voices in the night and by rumours amongst the people, spread to those who knew what to listen for, the sculptor and the oread had followed in Azula's footsteps.

And thus they had joined with her here.

Each for their own reasons.

He moved there through the moment, in the tumult of the crowds, and then paused, momentarily, a simple standalone edifice regarding the shattered echoes of a fallen regime, of defaced splendour.

He glanced up, for a moment, and saw across the square from him, across the pedestal, a woman whose face was kept low, was kept hidden, was kept in shadow. And from the lines of her shoulders, the placement of her feet, from the direction of her eyes, she, too, regarded the statue's current state with displeasure.

Ah. So one other here examines this and sees it for what it truly was.

Perhaps the people are not as hopeless after all.

Good.

But then a man he recognised approached; Kazuo, he whose hospitality Zhuang honoured by walking unarmed. Approached the woman with... familiarity.

Zhuang's eyebrow arched.

This was, he suddenly realised, no ordinary citizen.

How unobservant of me.

I shall demonstrate more attentiveness in future.

It is to her credit that she can move, Unseen, surrounded by her former vassals, their queen rightwise born.

My awareness is less than optimal. But her stealth is...

Good.

He saw that they moved to depart.

His eyes flickered down once more to the statue.

When the Time is right, I will come back. And I will rebuild you, Fire-Fountain, a pebble at a time if I have to.

You will rise again. As would The Phoenix.

Arms crossed behind himself, he navigated the square and fell into step with The True Fire Lord, beautiful woman of portent, and her new lieutenant.

Were they to react to his presence, he would simply reply with humble nods to each of them.

"This one would not intrude," he would explain, "but this one would also seek the honour of your company. Might this one join you?"

 

[Ahren1]

It seemed that even in the darkest of times, The Universe strove for a balance. At least, this was how Aang chose to look at the current situation. Lives had been lost, families torn apart... Even his own powers waned due to the dark spirit's interference, so what balance could there be?

A new Airbender. Something the world had been without for over a century. Many believed it would never happen. Even Aang was convinced that he would forever be The Last. This was no longer the case. The young girl Xia had approached him and displayed her abilities. Weak as they were, it was unmistakably Airbending. A sign that his people had not vanished forever. Even in his weakened state, Aang agreed to train her. Iroh, being forever wise in all aspects of life, agreed to help.

The Avatar had told her right off that he would not go easy on her. He would utilize all styles of the training he had gone through, and there was no ignoring Sifu Toph's tough love variant. Still, as much as he would have liked to oversee every moment of Xia's training, he had to meditate. He had to reconnect with his lost Firebending ability. Or else...


"Avatar Aang," That familiar aged voice called out, causing the Avatar's eyes to slowly crack open. "I am. Sorry to disturb you."[/QUOTE]

Iroh was never one to disturb arbitrarily, so his apology wasn't necessary, however his kindly manner knew no other way. Aang smiled lightly, glancing over to the wise old Firebender. "Actually I'd wish you'd disturb me more often. Gets a bit stuffy in here..."

Aang's eyes fixated on the scroll held in Iroh's hand. The blue ribbon catching his attention immediately. Katara... Perhaps the most difficult part of all of this was not being with her as she went to hunt for Azula. He wanted to be there with her. To protect her. Then again, Aang knew better than anyone else that Katara was quite capable of handling herself. In fact, she had already beaten Azula once before, so it only made sense for her to go. She had the best chance of beating her... Nonetheless, he didn't like being apart from his love... Who did? He couldn't even imagine how Zuko felt...

"It's about tea time if I'm not wrong... How is she doing?" Aang added, clearly referring to their new Airbending apprentice.

---

Zuko sat in his chambers as he simply stared at various parchments sprawled across his desk. Being the Fire Lord was not simply sitting on a throne surrounded by flames all day. You had to lead your people... and deal with an enormous amount of paperwork. It was hard to visualize his father doing this sort of thing, and even harder to imagine Azula doing it.

The scarred man's fists tightened just thinking the name of his sister. No, she wasn't his sister any longer. He would never refer to her that way again. She had lost her mind, and with it, any part of her that shared blood with their mother. She was now their enemy, and he had told General Kurzen's scouting party to show no mercy. He should have killed her when he had the chance... Aang would say otherwise. Likely Uncle Iroh would as well. They'd say he didn't finish her because he was better than that. He wasn't like her.... but now she had escaped and if anyone else were to die, it would be as if he had killed them himself.

Sometimes people deserved to die. Mai didn't deserve it, yet she had been struck down anyway. Azula did, and she was still alive. This was not justice.

He wouldn't make the same mistake again.

But he had a nation to lead. Leaving it to hunt down Azula would be a noble cause, but it wasn't the realistic one when so many other people depended on him. This... paperwork depended on him.

Sighing, Zuko stood up from his chair and exited his room. He needed a break... As he slowly wandered the halls of the palace, he attempted to collect his thoughts. He couldn't talk to his Uncle as the old man had left to assist Aang in training the newfound Airbender. Katara, Sokka, and Kurzen were hunting Azula, and Ty Lee...

Ty Lee?

Almost as if his thoughts had summoned her, he saw his last remaining childhood friend walking the halls in a similar manner. They hadn't spoken much since Mai's funeral. She was getting married soon. An arranged marriage... Something Zuko just couldn't understand. In fact it infuriated him and he could not find the wording as to why. He figured telling her would only upset her, so in an immature manner, he avoided her. Now he was regretting it. He didn't want to lose her as well.

"Miss Atsuko has been treating you well it seems. You look... lovely today..." Zuko spoke up as he reached her. It was true, though she always had been beautiful. It was hard to look at her that way before, mainly because of how he felt about Mai and how her cheerful attitude was so unlike his own. "Are you hungry by any chance?" He added, feeling that maybe they both needed to take their minds off of things for a bit.

 

[ChasNicollette]

Iroh.

Aang smiled lightly, glancing over to the wise old Firebender. "Actually I'd wish you'd disturb me more often. Gets a bit stuffy in here..."

How things change. Iroh smiled ever-so-faintly, remembering a story Katara once had told him in The Jasmine Dragon, one of Aang's first adventures into The Spirit World. That he had been somewhat furious with one Princess Yue and with Katara herself for interrupting his concentration.

But then again, there is such a thing as concentrating too hard.

Distraction and disturbance could themselves be a blessing.

If one were to stare too long at the reflections on the surface of a placid, pristine pond, one could forget about the rest of the beauty of the scene. But perhaps a stone dropped through that membrane into the water beyond would cause ripples, and the ripples would catch one's eye, and one might follow those ripples with one's gaze out to the edges, and remember that there was more to the picture.

"In that case," Iroh inclined his head to The Avatar, such a bemused chuckle in his voice, "I withdraw my apology."

Aang's eyes fixated on the scroll held in Iroh's hand. The blue ribbon catching his attention immediately.

For instance? That was a ripple and a half.

The promise of word from his ladylove.

But his holiness played it cool.

"It's about tea time if I'm not wrong... How is she doing?" Aang added, clearly referring to their new Airbending apprentice.

Clearly, clearly, he was referring to the Earth-girl Airbender.

But Iroh had not outgrown a certain childishness in his advanced age, and he played the ignoramus for a moment, glancing pointedly down at that selfsame scroll.

"I'm afraid I don't know, Avatar," he replied, with eyes half-lidded and an infinitesimal smirk lurking at the corner of his lip. "I do not make it a custom to snoop in the correspondence of my friends or charges. Once, I had a look in Lu Ten's journal, and never did I hear the end of it. Or did you mean...?"

The smirk grew, and he shook his head. "She is impetuous, and set in her ways, and is possessed of the disposition of a boar-q-pine when she is displeased. She speaks many words of wisdom, but she skips across the surface of them rather like your miraculous technique of running upon Water.

"Her athleticism, ever her strong suit, has improved a great deal, and she has stumbled upon the exotica of Soundbending, but the actual meat of Airbending eludes her, the structure and the flow and the... art of it."

Iroh shrugged. "She has come further than she thinks she has. But she has far to go."

He held out his free hand to Aang, offering to help the ancient younger man to his feet. "In the meantime, you are not wrong. It is time for tea."

 

[Eazy]

Ryota

Katara appeared doubly rueful. "You found. Food. (Of course you did.)"

Sokka appeared doubly delighted. "Egg Custard? Seriously? Jackpot! What kind of eggs?"

Katara blinked, and glanced pointedly at the now-empty bowl Sokka still cradled in his lap, her eyes narrowed.

Sokka arched an eyebrow at her, feigning offense. "Never let it be said that Water Tribesmen fail to be excellent foragers even in unfamiliar terrain."

Ryota gave an almost apologetic half-smile at Katara's response, only to turn his attention toward her brother's comments and change his expression into a somewhat proud one, "You know, I really didn't think to ask about the eggs." The young Tribesman responded to the questions with a thoughtful look; taking a second to run his tongue along a few teeth, as if trying to find some trace of tasty evidence before making a lip smacking sound, "Ostrich Horse, if I'm not mistaken."

From there he more or less watched in amusement as the top of Sokka's choice in souvenirs was touched upon. The possible impression pretty much flew over the dark-haired bender's head, but the way he went about it did succeed in providing the younger male some levity from his earlier concerns. That was one thing he came to admire about the skilled war hero. Not only was he brilliant in the fields of strategics and swordplay, but how he kept a person from wallowing for too long in their misery; whether it was always intended or not.

When the topic returned to matters concerning Azula, however, the Water Bender was able to temporarily push aside both fun and matters of the heart; listening with great interest as his fellow bender explained their own findings, "I see. This is getting a little frustrating, but you're right, Katara. About all we can do at this point is continue looking until something shows up."

Letting out a light sigh, his train of thought was interrupted as a shadow overhead caught their attention; bringing with it a welcomed and (for most people) rare sight. Ryota had seen a flying bison a few times in the past, but rarely as up close and personal as he'd been able to during the past few weeks. It was because of this that he hesitated a moment to take in the sight while his companions treated the arrival like that of any other cherished old friend.

And, of course, there was the small lemur of the Avatar's; who wasted little time in searching out a meal from Sokka. The chattering little creature knew the young man all too well during their many travels together, and was properly rewarded for his knowledge and efforts as it ate what was offered.

"Also never let it be said, my esteemed brother-in-arms," Sokka pointed out, putting one arm around Ryota's shoulder and indicating the happy lemur proudly, "that our ability to forage goes unappreciated."

Blinking his eyes a few times as he stared up at the hungry fuzzball, the young man let out an amused noise before speaking, "Sorry, Momo. I'll remember to try bringing you back something the next time I find a place with good eats."

The little lemur briefly poked its head up to gaze wide-eyed in his direction, as if letting the newcomer know that he'd heard and would remember that promise, before burying its head into the bowl once more to finish licking it clean.

Katara rolled her eyes, and climbed up Appa's side, clambering into the saddle. "We should probably go now."

Glancing up at the female bender, both of the Water Tribe males nodded in agreement before following suit; taking along and storing any supplies or trinkets they had along with them. Although Sokka briefly mused on the possibility of wearing his newly acquired mask while they were in the air. At least until Ryota pointed out how it might fly off his head if they hit a strong enough wind along the way. Quite a shame, too. Blue spirit, the sky, it sort of matched in a strange manner of thinking.

"All right! Is everybody ready?" Sokka turned his head and called out as he found a comfortable spot toward the front of Appa; waiting a few seconds for everyone's confirmation, gripping at the bison's reins in order to stir him toward their next destination as he faced forward and gave the command, "Yip yip."

With that, the mighty beast raised its mammoth tail, smacking it with surprising grace upon the dirt surface as it bended it's way off the ground and started soaring into the air. As this was happening, Ryota made sure to maintain a particularly firm grip onto the side of Appa's large saddle. His jaw was clenched as the tension came, like it often did, when being lifted off the ground by such an unorthodox means as a living animal without wings. Fortunately, in a matter of moments, as the wind blew through his hair and his eyes diverted from the passing trees below, the young bender was able to settle into the setting and go with the flow.

"I don't think I'll ever get the hang of this…" The Northern Water Tribe native admitted to Katara as he finally settled back into his seat; leaning against the corner of the large saddle while he tucked his wolf's tail into his shirt to keep it from flapping too much in the wind.

Turning toward the sky, Ryota watched as the various greens on the ground and clouds in the sky came to pass them by. Frightening as it may be at times, the sensation of flying so directly with the nature, even through secondary means such as this, was indeed quite exhilarating. Growing up with the occasional tales of Air Nomads and past Avatar's, the Water Bender often wondered what it would be like to trade in his own abilities, if just for one day, to enjoy the skies like those long passed. Well, believed to be long passed, as the events of the past eight years had taught them.

For not the first time, the young man wondered what it was like to have that long lost style of bending. He wondered how it felt for the Avatar. Also, he wondered if she had reached that level yet. A level where one could free themselves of the ground in a way that none other could hope to achieve. That must be an exciting, yet intimidating experience for one in her position. He wondered how she was fairing, and hope that she was well.

"I wonder," He started to speak without thinking, hesitating in his words as he glanced toward his Water Tribe cousin; recognizing how she almost certainly had someone on her own mind as he rephrased the question, "I wonder how things are going for the Avatar's group?"

--------------------------------------

Longshot

The silent marksman wasn't sure what else he could do as he started for inside. There hadn't been much in terms of actual development for the scouting parties, which left them standing around and surprisingly on edge for having little in terms of immediate concerns outside of past rebuilding efforts. It seemed that whenever one even thought of letting themselves relax, they would catch wind of a rumor concerning the disgraced former Fire Nation Princess and how she was responsible for anything from random fires to missing person reports. For some, she was practically becoming the Four Nation's version of the proverbial monster hiding under your bed.

As such, it was a mixed, but mostly positive surprise when he saw Smellerbee come out from where The Duke had vanished. After all, despite whatever remaining weirdness there was which stood as a thin barrier between them, she was still one of his dearest friends. Easily the closest he'd ever had, alongside Jet, which the young man realized would perhaps seem an unfortunate choice in companions to any outsiders. Also, he could tell how hard their time here had been on the female Freedom Fighter. It'd been hard on both of them, but she seemed to be taking it the hardest of the pair. But despite this, she stuck it out, and even listened to his suggestion and bringing in their own people to assist during this period. It was hard to not love the girl after that. Platonically speaking, of course.

"What's eating at The Duke? Something happen?"

His eyes said about all which needed saying, but he did smirk at the question as he remembered how their young friend reacted earlier. He could only imagine how the teen must have looked as he walked in to get away of the girls fixated upon him. For that matter, Longshot did turn his head briefly, glancing toward the young ladies whom remained in sight but were slowly moving away now that their object of desire was gone. Returning his gaze to his leader and fellow Freedom Fighter, the dark-haired male simply shrugged his shoulders over it; not being sure how to explain the fixation upon their mutual companion over any of the other new arrivals to the Palace.

"….I can't make heads or tails of it either. He's got eyes, ears, a nose, and a mouth just like everybody else."

Despite being confused on how The Duke in particular became so popular, Longshot couldn't help but raise an eyebrow over the comment. The expression on his face seemed to question Smellerbee, almost teasingly, but also with some interest on whether or not she ever spotted a guy who caught her own interest in a 'romantic' way. He recalled the two of them attending an Earthbending Tournament once, many years ago, and how she seemed a little TOO excited over a certain combatant. What was his name again? The Pebble? The Rock? The Boulder? That last one sounded about right, but it had been a long time ago.

Of course, there were other types of attraction, but they weren't the type the two of them were talking about. Ones dealing with generally deeper concerns related to a persons heart, their personality, intelligence. Longshot himself had come across many girls that he found cute, yet the vast majority of them were passing fancies which he rarely gave a second thought toward in such a manner once they were out of sight. No, his interests relied on aspects which were deeper, even if they showed themselves through outward displays. And there was only one person he ever truly felt about in that way. But that was for naught, it would seem, and he was willing to accept it.

Shaking his head slightly as he found himself in the middle of day dreaming, the silent Earth Kingdom native returned his full attention to the young woman in front of him. She hadn't quite been her usual 'cheery' self during the past month, and Longshot had to wonder how much of it was general homesickness, concern over Azula, or something else. Gazing over at Smellerbee, he reached a hand out and placed it on her shoulder for a moment; asking without words how she was holding up on her end. As it were, he was having the occasional strange, vivid dream involving their old leader since they'd been here. He assumed it had to deal with his own questions of how Jet would deal with this situation, which left Longshot curious on how their current leader was doing; although the dreams part was kept to himself for various reasons.

--------------------------------

Kazuo

There were times in which the young Fire Bender worried about the rightful heir to the Fire Nation throne. While Kazuo often despised weakness in others, he wouldn't blame anyone, even a prodigy such as Azula, if they allowed the weight of the world as it was crush her spirit. He supposed that's what happened during the final great conflict of their nation's war with the other nations. But then a newly ignited flame grew within her during the past eight years, and there was a concern that it too would be quenched after the failed attempt at burning her brothers Palace to the ground. However, as he listened to her speak, watched that fire in her eyes, those nagging fears were once more assuaged as he gladly took in every word and nuance there was to the woman.

Even when keeping hidden in plain sight, restrained for fear of revealing herself, there was a certain air to the Princess in the manner of which she spoke. She's terrifying and inspirational all at the same time. It's hard to explain, but while you're in her presence, you can just feel it in the way she addressed the matters at hand. Others in their ranks felt it to varying degrees, but all united under the belief that she was the one destined to rule over their once proud home nation. For the glory of the Fire Nation, for its future, for her, he would follow this woman into the fires of hell itself.

As she hopped off her small perch and inquired about drinks, the young man was all too happy to oblige in her command; nodding slowly as he offered up a few suggestions, "We have some fine teas prepared at our meeting hall, along with a few stronger beverages if you felt so inclined. There are other fine establishments, of course, but it's ideal if you'd prefer to enjoy your drink without having to stay hidden under a hood."

Due to the rather seedy clientele which this city attracted during its height of military industry, it was just as easy to find a place serving up fine fire water as it was a spot of tea. Perhaps even easier, depending on where you started your search. As they walked, however, his attention was diverted toward another presence which he nearly missed as he remained so focused upon the Princess.

His body tensed up for a second as he paused in his steps, until recognizing the male who started matching their pace, "Zhuang? Is something the matter?"

"This one would not intrude," he would explain, "but this one would also seek the honour of your company. Might this one join you?"

Finally, his body relaxed, letting the state of alert which often came when one of their own approached him in the streets. It was a force of habit, always assuming a need for his assistance when one of his own would approach him in the streets. And despite not being a Fire Nation citizen, Kazuo was gradually coming to accept the man as one of them. When they first met the Earthbender and his female companion, it was with a great reluctance that they agreed to allow them entry into this rebellion. Allowing new members from their own nation proved a difficult enough task, as they needed to both prove themselves loyal to the old order and trustworthy enough to not be a hindrance in their plans.

In comparison, allowing an Earth and Waterbender into their steadily growing circle was nearly unheard of. Even afterward, a few of their people remained somewhat skeptical of the pair, but neither had given Kazuo any reasons outside of their nationality for causing immediate concern. Thus far, at least. Besides, Zuko and The Avatar had allies from other nations assisting them along the way to defeating Fire Lord Ozai, so perhaps their presence could be taken as a positive omen.

Gazing at the older male for a few seconds, Kazuo gave a nod before returning his attention to the near chaotic traffic of people passing them by; calmly stating his own stance on the man's desire, "Provided our lady hasn't any objections, then I see no reason for denying your request."

 

[Mephistophelily]

"Privacy is best," Azula agreed, glancing to her companion as they walked among the city's wandering people. Her mind strayed for a moment, as well as her eyes, to take in some of those who passed them. She wondered what thoughts stayed in their minds. If they had any concerns, any fears or desires when it came to the future of their Nation. Would they simply stand back and be led like mindless cattle? Things could be far, far simpler if people only accepted their fates. If they learned that the world around them was intended to reach different levels, and that it took great actions to make these levels be reached.

There were casualties. There would always be casualties. But such was the price of life. People would always die, people would always be born. People had a natural order in the world, as did the Elements around them. Fire was simply known as one of the more life-altering Elements, as were the people who controlled it. Azula couldn't help if she was one with a far greater talent in that aspect... or that she had such a fascination with life, death, and the limits of the human body.

Ahhh, and that was another thing.
The body's limits.
The human form was capable of so many things. So many intricate parts that worked to create so many wonderful emotions, feelings. Pain and pleasure. Sometimes the two were one.

Even with Kazou at her side, Azula's guard still remained highly raised. The approaching young man brought about the same tightened fist that her current companion's arrival had activated, though loosened slightly as he was recognized as one of their own.

Such a confusing state things could be in during times of war; people that one would never think to associate with suddenly becoming allies, even being trusted to take ranks that normally Azula would have left to only highly trusted firebenders.

But Kazou had stated his trust in these ones, that they had shown their loyalty to the Fire Lord and the impending resurrection of the Phoenix Queen. Doubtful eyes had fallen upon them during Azula' initial meeting with them, but those doubts were beginning to fade. The best way to fight fire was with fire, but what of rock and water? These people would have their uses.

Now, if only that damned Avatar wasn't the last of his kind.

"If you think you can handle drinking with me." A hint of humor from the Fire Princess, followed by a split-second smirk. "The strongest drink, in the largest glass. Strong fuel to stoke the flames..."

 

[ChasNicollette]

Zhuang.

"Privacy is best," Azula agreed, glancing to her companion as they walked among the city's wandering people.

Even with Kazou at her side, Azula's guard still remained highly raised. The approaching young man brought about the same tightened fist that her current companion's arrival had activated, though loosened slightly as he was recognized as one of their own.

His body tensed up for a second as he paused in his steps, until recognizing the male who started matching their pace, "Zhuang? Is something the matter?"

"This one would not intrude," he would explain, "but this one would also seek the honour of your company. Might this one join you?"

Gazing at the older male for a few seconds, Kazuo gave a nod before returning his attention to the near chaotic traffic of people passing them by; calmly stating his own stance on the man's desire, "Provided our lady hasn't any objections, then I see no reason for denying your request."

The lieutenant was a strong man, and a leader. He had been leading his troops for quite some time now against a world seemingly stacked against him, and he had not lost faith.

And now, in the face of faith rewarded, he was no longer first and foremost; he had had to give up his top spot to the woman who would ere too much longer rule the world. Yet he did so without flinching.

He led and he served with equal facility, with strength and with wisdom and with deference where appropriate.

Good.

Zhuang nodded back to Kazuo, grateful, because although the man had looked again away, his permission merited a nod of gratitude. It was only polite.

But then his eyes flickered to Azula, she of whom the voices of the night had spoken to Zhuang. Dark dreams in his University dormitory, dreams of golden eyes and pale skin and a merciless smirk. The promises of the tengu had led him here.

And she was everything that Spirit had promised him.

He only hoped he could live up to his promises to her.

He had killed for her before he had ever seen her face. Before he had even known the name of she whom he served. He would kill for her again in the beat of a heart.

Only from within the grasp of her relentless fist would The World rise from its own ashes; only from under her rule would The World ascend to its greatest purity and promise.

He understood that he was not of her Nation, and was thus... inferior in her eyes. He understood that he was betraying his own Kingdom for her, and this made his loyalties immediately suspect.

But he lived to serve. And he would live to serve whether she liked him or not; this was her prerogative, this was his calling.

And thus, he waited, watching her with attentive eyes, fully expecting her to deny his little piddling request and to send him on his way.

"If you think you can handle drinking with me." A hint of humor from the Fire Princess, followed by a split-second smirk. "The strongest drink, in the largest glass. Strong fuel to stoke the flames..."

He arched an eyebrow.

Such a... tribute? Such a... dare? Did not immediately sit well with him.

He believed that one's clarity should be paramount. How could one perceive the architecture of The World if one's vision were muddled? How could one be ever ready for the ever-present threat of battle if one's reflexes were dulled?

Had this been any lesser woman, he would have dismissed the suggestion out of hand.

But this was Azula.

She who would burn the world to shattered glass.

"A test of... stamina?" he mulled this over, "evaluating my resistance to chemical attack, my ability to remain effective even under less-than-ideal circumstances?"

He ran his tongue around amongst his teeth.

And smiled a small, deferent smile, and inclined his head in a small, deferent nod.

"This one will, as ever," he intoned with all due gratitude, "do this one's best to keep up."

Good.

 

[ChasNicollette]

Katara.

"All right! Is everybody ready?" Sokka turned his head and called out as he found a comfortable spot toward the front of Appa; waiting a few seconds for everyone's confirmation, gripping at the bison's reins in order to stir him toward their next destination as he faced forward and gave the command, "Yip yip."

With that, the mighty beast raised its mammoth tail, smacking it with surprising grace upon the dirt surface as it bended it's way off the ground and started soaring into the air. As this was happening, Ryota made sure to maintain a particularly firm grip onto the side of Appa's large saddle. His jaw was clenched as the tension came, like it often did, when being lifted off the ground by such an unorthodox means as a living animal without wings. Fortunately, in a matter of moments, as the wind blew through his hair and his eyes diverted from the passing trees below, the young bender was able to settle into the setting and go with the flow.

"I don't think I'll ever get the hang of this…" The Northern Water Tribe native admitted to Katara as he finally settled back into his seat; leaning against the corner of the large saddle while he tucked his wolf's tail into his shirt to keep it from flapping too much in the wind.

She smiled softly at him: one might have expected tolerance, even patronising, from one such as her to an admission such as that, but instead there was understanding.

"It's pretty unnerving, really," she confessed. "For all the times I've been up here, for all the times I've considered myself grateful for Appa's talents--" at this she reached over the side of the saddle and patted the bison's fur "--I've still occasionally found myself wanting to curl up in a ball and clench my eyes shut. It still Bends my mind: defying, I dunno, 'Lā,' not, you know, The Ocean, but the literal translation: 'pull.'"

She shook her head. "Sokka insists on calling it 'gravity.'"

Sokka held up an index finger from the front of Appa without turning around: "Not apologising for foraging, also not apologising for my precise articulation of scientific concepts!"

Momo, having perched on Sokka's shoulder, displayed solidarity with a nod of his head.

Katara grunted, and chuckled, shaking her head at the back of Sokka's before glancing back at Ryota.

"We practically used to live up here," Katara smiled softly. "And still it freaks me out sometimes."

Turning toward the sky, Ryota watched as the various greens on the ground and clouds in the sky came to pass them by.

Katara watched him watch the scenery rush past. Watched him quietly for a moment.

And then leaned back her head and closed her eyes, and thought of the beautiful impossible man to whom she had just sent a messenger hawk. The only one ever at home up here was you.

She smiled faintly.

"I wonder," He started to speak without thinking, hesitating in his words as he glanced toward his Water Tribe cousin; recognizing how she almost certainly had someone on her own mind as he rephrased the question, "I wonder how things are going for the Avatar's group?"

Her faint smile broadened for a moment before she opened one eye.

She looked at him with that eye like she was looking right through him.

I see you, Waterbender.

Both eyes open, she regarded him quietly.

"By which you mean," she mused, but didn't finish the sentence, because Ryota had a lot on his mind, and now that Sokka had reminded her of that, it was clear to her what was on his mind.

She glanced up ahead at her brother. "Sokka," she called over the rising winds.

Sokka half-glanced back over his shoulder, making a sort of half-interested hmmmmn? sound.

Katara's warning was simple: "Angst."

Sokka held up an okay! hand-sign, and then glanced at the lemur on his shoulder.

"Quickly, Momo!" he instructed. "The angst-mufflers!"

Momo blinked at Sokka for a moment, and then dropped from Sokka's shoulder, fetching fistfuls of Appa's fur, and then handing two of these to Sokka. Sokka promptly placed these like cotton in his ears. Momo followed suit, the tufts of fluff sticking out of his elongated ears, and both of them returned their attention to Appa's flight-path, cheerfully oblivious.

Katara rolled her eyes again, but this time gratefully, this time not quite so dubiously.

But then her eyes returned to Ryota. "We're searching for a target, something outside of ourselves. We're 'on the hunt.'

"But my... Aang," she mused, choosing her words carefully, "and your--" she didn't know what Xia was to Ryota at this point, and at this point, she suspected, neither did Ryota "--friend, they're searching for... they're searching for themselves."

Hugging her knees up to her chest and again resting her chin on arms crossed atop those knees, she gazed at Ryota quietly with blue blue eyes. "It can be a difficult quest, searching for yourself. Searching your Spirit for something... missing. It can be a hundred times more dangerous and frustrating and fruitless than this, well, wild dragon-goose chase."

She pursed her lips, and then smiled again, sadly, understandingly. "You're worried about her."

"I can empathise."

 

[UnseenMaiden]

*whispers* I think Bee is PMSing

Smellerbee

Thankfully, those women were leaving now. If she’d had to endure them staring for one moment longer, she wasn’t too sure what she would’ve done, especially now that she thought about it. The fact that her irritation with them felt out of place only annoyed her even more. People stared all the time, or at least every time she ventured from the forest and the surrounding neighborhood of Gaipan. Just that sort of stare, that sort of look with the fawning and the blushing and the fluttering eyes, it hadn’t been for The Duke this time, not when he was long out of sight. Heaving a sigh, she rolled her shoulders, fidgeting in her own way, before looking over at her friend. Then her thoughts had to do a quick turn when she saw the inquiry in Longshot’s eyes.

Her blood had already been thrumming with restless annoyance. Now, all of a sudden, she was fuming and she didn’t know why, which only made it ten times worse. Her mouth opened and closed several times to respond, making her look like a fish as she searched for any words to throw at him in the angry buzzing that filled her head. It wasn’t really much of an answer, turning away from him like that, but in the end she didn’t know what to say. No? It was true that she’d never been like those girls, like most girls, like any girl that wasn’t her. She’d never looked at some boy, thought of him as pretty, and then find herself all blushing and fumbling like a moron. There had always been more important things on her mind. No, that wasn’t true. Even when there was nothing that needed addressing, she didn’t want to think about liking someone. It would’ve been nothing but trouble and end in more pain than she could afford. She was the ‘Hidden Girl’ after all, as General Iroh had called her so many weeks ago, so hidden that she couldn’t even find the girl herself half the time. It would be stupid for her to expect it from anyone else.

But, Longshot had said he’d liked her like that when they were years younger. The memory of his lips on her cheek still made her skin burn and she unconsciously rubbed at the paint-stained area as her previous ire faded. When the heat of her anger was gone, something like pain remained in its’ place. Maybe that was what her problem was. He’d asked her so casually about liking someone, like it was common, nothing important, and for some reason that had hurt. The irritation that crept over now was one she was a bit more used to, a confusion that had plagued her almost the entire time they’d been refugees in Ba Sing Se. Guang, she hadn’t really thought about him since Jet’s death, but it occurred to her, almost a decade too late, that if he’d asked her to the festival, instead of trying to set her up with someone, she would’ve gladly said yes. Was that a sign of liking someone like that? Smellerbee supposed it was as close as she was ever gonna get to having a crush. Sighing, she chuckled a little and turned to face her friend once more.

“There was this one boy, but it didn’t work out.”

She almost asked him what girls he had liked, or possibly even did like, but then she realized, she didn’t want to know, that the answer would probably piss her off more than his question had. Plus, she realized, as she looked him in the eye, that her friend wasn’t paying a bit of attention. His gaze was so far off in the clouds that he probably was only dimly aware of her presence. A scoffing noise came from her at that, a reaction she didn’t think through, one that was just working to cover up the anger she could already feel building up again, because taking the topic of their conversation, the taller man was probably thinking about those girls she hadn’t wanted to ask him about. Her imagination was conjuring up all sorts of images of sweet, shy looking girls and then women that had probably caught his eye. Her hands curled themselves into fists before she realized that she was being a complete idiot. So he’d had crushes or maybe something more for all she knew, he had been missing from her life for three years once. He was human and male, and actually looked like what he was, unlike her, and he was bound to look and find some feminine curves to attract him. He was handsome too, now that she looked at him, ignoring the blood that crept into her cheeks. Women were bound to look back at him. So she really needed to stop being a bloody idiot and get over it already. It wasn’t any of her business.

The small shake of his head caught her eye then. He was finally coming out of his sweet little daydreams. Scowling at herself a little for the venom in her thoughts, Bee sighed and did her best to brush away this weird mood that’d been trying its’ best to settle over her these past weeks. She was sure Longshot had noticed. Hell, by the question he was asking her now and the obvious concern in his face, she knew very well he had. Even some of the more oblivious of the Freedom Fighters that had volunteered to come were probably what was wrong with their leader. When she knew what that was exactly, she’d let them know, but until then she shrugged, careful not to jostle her friend’s hand from her shoulder, and motioned to the, once again vibrant and bold, red stripes on her cheeks.

“Got my color back in full force. I’ll live. Have to agree with The Duke though. I can’t wait until everything is normal again.”


Ty Lee

“The Kyoshi Warriors are formidable women and far better trained than those Freedom Fighting bumpkins the Fire Lord has allowed to gather in our palace these past weeks. I say we send the amateurs back to where they come from and request a contingent of proper soldiers to hold the Royal Palace secure.“

A group of men and women sat around red-lacquered table in the throne room. It was long enough to seat twice as many that were present, but those absences meant little compared to the absence of the empty chair that sat upon a raised dais some feet away from the table’s head. The Fire Lord was busy, and, truthfully, had little need to be present during these meetings. All final decisions were made through him no matter what, despite how vehement the debates eventually became.

“Why bring over any foreigners at all?! The former princess is of Fire Nation blood and has committed her treason only on Fire Nation soil. There is no reason to involve others as we hunt Azula down!”

Ty Lee did her best to discretely stifle a grimace. She’d been kneeling on the embroidered silk cushion for the past two hours. While her side was well on its’ way to being fully mended, a credit to Katara’s healing abilities in her opinion, staying in such a position with such stiff posture for so long was seriously beginning to hurt. She was sure it was only because she’d kept up with her stretches everyday, much to her mother’s continued disappointment, that she’d been able to make it this long without begging to be excused.

“Yes, but should Azula remain hidden it will effect more than our nation alone. All of the world must take arms against her. Besides, the fact remains, others ARE involved. It is too late to change that now.”

This council was a relatively new and old thing at the same time. There was an ordinance that predated even Fire Lord Sozin that stated that, during times of crisis, the nobility would gather and seek to ease the reign monarch’s burdens. It was unheard of in the past century of the Fire Nation’s ‘golden age’ and, truthfully, she had a hard time picturing Fire Lord Ozai ever condoning this sort of meeting.

“The Kyoshi Warriors are helping in their own way. If any sign of Azula turns up during their patrols, they’ll let us know. The Fire Nation isn’t an empire anymore. This ‘Us against Them’ mentality has to go.”

At first, she had attended the council because Zuko had asked it of her and she wanted to help. Now, she came because, as much as these nobles bickered, there were times they’d teetered dreadfully close to treason. It wasn’t out of malice, she knew that, could read it easily from their auras. The older men and women around her were only afraid and uncertain of which path was the right one. Not even a decade during Zuko’s reign and already suck a catastrophe had fallen upon them.

“Lady Yuen, with all due respect, you know nothing of how these affairs are organized. Your continued presence is appreciated, I’m sure, but is hardly needed.”

Sucking in a breath, Ty Lee stood up and pretended to be occupied with brushing the non-existent wrinkles out of her robes. Her side was killing her, pulsing near constantly in protest with sitting still for as long as she had, but they didn’t know that and, for the moment, all eyes were on here, uncertain of her next move. She didn’t know how Mai had dealt with these sorts of things, ruling along with Zuko. These nobles generally squabbled like unruly children and then they’d insult her on top of everything. After weeks of it, even her patience was growing thin. In a way, she was trying to make Mai proud. How often she’d once run away when life became too serious or cruel for her, but Mai had always stayed and confronted grim reality. She didn’t have Mai’s strength, but she was trying to stay and not run, for the sake of her friend’s memory. So, after some moments, she looked up at those sitting around the table and kept her face stern and her voice calm.

“With all due respect, Lord Gao, my family’s house is still numbered among the members of the ancient council and I see no other representatives of my clan present. Besides, I think I’ve picked up a thing or two during these proceedings.”

---

Thankfully, the meeting ended no more than half an hour after that and Ty Lee breathed a sigh of relief as she was finally able to put the doors of the throne room behind her. Scrolls rustled softly in the pouch she held, documents for Zuko to reject or give approval as he saw fit. She’d offered to deliver them to the Fire Lord herself, as she’d offered the same several times in the past week. It was easy to say that this was because she wanted to make sure the important papers didn’t end up in the wrong hands, but there was also the fact that she wanted to see her friend.

At first, after her betrothal had been announced, she’d avoided Zuko whenever she could, afraid of what he would or wouldn’t say about her decision. Then she realized he was avoiding her for whatever reason and she had let him. Whenever she saw him or heard his name, she thought of Mai and the new ache of her lose settled firmly with another old ache that bore their names. She knew her own face probably hurt him in much the same way, so many memories of the trio together over their lives. It was Mai’s whispering words, the ones given to her in the Spirit World, which had finally given her enough courage to go after Zuko herself.

The effort had failed so far. Every time she’d come to deliver whatever documents she had on hand, Zuko was just steps ahead of her. She couldn’t help but feel a sense of desperation creep upon her as she made her way down the familiar palace halls. Time was running out. In a couple months, she would be a married woman and would no longer have the freedom to go where she liked. She’d have to wait for an invitation to visit her friend, or hope that he would accept one of her own. The longer he avoided her, the more she feared he wouldn’t accept those invitations. Tears threatened to well up in her eyes at the thought of losing both of her dear friends, especially in one fell blow like this. Catching the curious stare of a wandering guard, she wiped the moisture away and shook her head. She was tired of crying and now wasn’t really the time to indulge in her own personal sorrows anyways. Suddenly a familiar form caught her eye. Just the man she was looking for and for a few seconds she watched him unabashedly until he realized she was there. Surprisingly, he didn’t seem to be avoiding her today, instead his steps sped up only slightly and came to a stop as their paths met.

"Miss Atsuko has been treating you well it seems. You look... lovely today..."

Her eyes widened faintly at his compliment, and she blinked a couple of times as the brunette tried to figure how to take that. Compliments on her beauty she’d known more times than she could count and for far longer than she could remember. Even, as recent as the day before, her betrothed had clumsily stumbled over his own attempts at poetry about her appearance, in an attempt to properly woo her. Yet, from Zuko, a man she had known since she was a child, Ty Lee would be almost ready to swear that she’d never heard such words about appearance from him in her life. There had been a time, when they were quite small, that she’d tried to win such attentions from him, as she had almost everyone then, but not even once had he fallen for it. Most of the time he’d only grown irritated with her constant attention and ran off to find Lu Ten to play with. To hear him call her ‘lovely’ now. She wasn’t too sure how she felt about that, yet she could feel a faint warmth pool in her cheeks even without her consent. Lowering her head, she vainly hoped her thick hair would do something to hide her inappropriate reaction. A cool weight pressed against her left ear, and her hand flew up to the lotus she’d so quickly forgotten about in the past few moments. Lifting her head back up, she smiled at her friend, a calm, pleasant smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.

“Thank you. It would probably make her day to hear you enjoy her work.”

"Are you hungry by any chance?"

Her confusion was evident as she looked her childhood friend in the eye, trying to judge the reason behind the sudden invitation. She supposed, now that he wasn’t trying to keep from her sight, that he had something he wished to say to her. Nodding, she smiled again, this time it was something a bit more genuine.

“I could eat.”

For some minutes, they walked down the halls together in silence. Usually so talkative, Ty Lee wasn’t sure what to say. She didn’t have it in her to fill the air with idle chatter at the moment and the topics the lay on the tip of her tongue; Mai, the Spirit World, Tatsuo, they felt almost taboo to mention to him. Then she remembered that there was more than just her wanting to see her friend that had brought her to seek him out. Lifting the satchel in her hand, she offered Zuko the bag and the official scrolls it contained.

“Oh, these are for you. Though I’m sure more paperwork is the last thing you want to see right now.”