Burning Chapter 10: Bugging Out

It’d been a while since one of Azula’s friends had visited her, let alone at the palace... At least a few months, not that she was keeping count. Without Honō to act as the glue to their little group, they’d simply… Drifted apart. It probably would have been a little earlier if they hadn’t met him.

Ty Lee pulled away from her family and ended up running off. She’d sent a few letters, letting them know what she was up to, but even those became rare. Last Azula heard, she was traveling alongside some kind of circus… She hadn’t said too much on the matter.

As for Mai… While there wasn’t anything physically preventing her from visiting, Azula was aware that her father was pushing to become a governor and couldn’t afford any distractions. She’d obviously been told to keep her head down, lest she damage his image… It seemed that being friends with the Fire Nation princess wasn’t good enough for him.

That’s why it was so odd that Mai contacted her of her own accord. It was a mystery… One that Azula would take great interest in unraveling.

Stepping through the doorway that led into the garden, Azula put on a small smile as she walked up to a figure that stood in front of the pond. “Well this is certainly a surprise, it’s been a while since we last saw each other… Especially here of all places.”

“I thought a change of scenery was in order,” Mai shrugged. “It helps that there aren’t many places to hide.”

So it was privacy she was after... Interesting.

“So, what brings you here... Not that I’m not enjoying your company.”

“A few things,” She admitted. “I was recently visited by a few soldiers that were investigating the destruction of an offshore prison rig for Earthbenders, but before I get into that, can I ask something?”

So her family was under suspicion of sabotage then... That didn’t exactly explain why she was here though. Mai could easily handle that on her own... Unless her father was further complicating the matter by throwing a fit over it. Even if that was the case, Azula doubted Mai would come to her for help. She was the kind that liked to handle things on her own.

No, this was about something else entirely.

“Go ahead,” Azula nodded.

Glancing around, Mai took a short breath. “The last time we were all together, you were pretty insistent that Honō was still alive. Why exactly is that?"

So this was about Honō then, but why would she come here to talk about him, unless… Azula’s eyes widened as an excited smile slowly crept across her face. Mai knew something.

“Isn’t it obvious?” Azula asked, stepping around the small pond. “Let me ask you something instead. When have you ever known Honō to make something easy? When have you known him to give up? Whether it was pirates, the Earth Kingdom or spirits… There’d be more of a mess.”

Honō was many things, but the one thing he wasn’t was weak. Azula had seen to that personally.

Mai stared at her inquisitively. “Is that all? He didn’t tell you something before he left?”

Before he left? There had been a few things said between them, none of which she would ever repeat in front of Mai or anyone else for that matter.

“No... Can’t think of anything in particular,” Azula hummed, examining her fingernails. “If it helps, he was confident that he’d be well known, but I’m sure you knew that already.”

Mai twitched. “Of course... He just never told anyone how he would be known.”

Crossing her arms, Azula gave Mai a pointed look. “I believe I’ve humoured this whole thing for long enough. Care to share just what it is that you know?”

Sighing, Mai removed a scroll from her sleeve and tossed it over the pond. “Take a look at this and tell me what you think.”

Snatching it out of the air, Azula shot a curious glance towards Mai before opening the scroll. It seemed to just be a regular report, stating a few crimes Mai’s family was being accused of, only to see that name... Lee... But Honō wouldn’t do such a thing, right? Sure he skirted the line between genius and idiot, occasionally hopping between the two, but...

Looking a little further down the scroll, Azula felt her anger peak, lighting it on fire.

That... That... Utter BUFFOON.

“I take it you saw the picture?” Mai asked calmly, watching as the scroll smouldered in Azula’s grip before finally crumbling to ash.

“Who else knows about this?”

“Only those that were directly involved,” Mai replied, unaffected by Azula's anger. “I told the soldiers investigating this that it was probably the warden blaming others for his failure at keeping the Earthbenders in check.”

Good, she’d already laid the groundwork then. If Azula played her cards right, she’d be able to blame this entire mess on the wardens’ incompetence.

Commander Zhao was pretty tight lipped on the matter as well... He had a lot to lose if it ever got out how one of his own men was responsible for two whole ships going missing.

He was keeping this close to his chest to prevent further embarrassment, making him easy to control... Or kill if that’s what it came to.

Perfect.

“What are you planning to do?”

“What else?” Azula asked, dusting the ash off her hands. “I’m going to bring that idiot back here where we can keep an eye on him… And you’re going to help me.”

She’d need to move her schedule around, but she was sure her father would understand her wishes to take a more proactive stance in the war... Especially if she conquered a few villages along the way, Omashu seemed like a perfect first stop. After that, maybe she would take a look at conquering Ba Sing Se on their way back.

…Burning…

It was early the next morning that I found myself sitting in front of a fire alongside Aang, Katara, Sokka and their dad. The other Water Tribe’s men formed similar groups, sat along the rest of the beach, cooking an assortment of fish that they’d caught only hours ago.

Things were just the tiniest bit awkward… What with Hakoda mistaking us as Fire Nation and trying to take us out in the night, but luckily I didn’t have to deal with it on my own… Not when Sokka and Katara were right there to soak up the awkwardness for me.

“So let me get this straight,” Hakoda said, pointing an impaled fish at Aang. “You’re the Avatar and were just practicing your Firebending yesterday, while you…” He gestured towards me next. “Are a Fire Nation deserter who also happens to be some kind of fortune teller?”

“Sounds about right,” I said while Aang nodded along cheerfully.

That was pretty much what I’d told the gang.

“And you’re all travelling to the North Pole on the back of a flying bison so that you and... Aang here can learn Waterbending?” He asked, looking towards Katara.

Both Katara and Sokka chuckled awkwardly.

“Look, I know it sounds strange, but–“ Sokka began.

“It’s a little more than that... Between you and me, I feel like I’ve been drinking from Gran Gran’s secret gourd,” He admitted, rubbing the back of his head. “That being said, I’m proud of you two. You’ve really come a long way since I last saw you.”

“You’re not going to tell us to go home... Are you,” Katara asked cautiously.

Hakoda’s eyes softened. “No... I think I lost that right when I left you and Sokka alone in the South Pole. I trust your judgement... Besides, from what I saw last night, you’re obviously able to take care of yourselves, what with your Waterbending and quick reactions.” He nodded between the two. “And then there’s the Avatar and your Firebending friend who somehow uses blue fire.”

Humming, Sokka rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Hey, yeah... Didn’t you once tell us to run away if we ever saw blue fire? Suspicious... Wouldn’t you say?”

“It was pretty cool... Hey, do you think we could work on that next?” Aang asked pleadingly.

Looking between Sokka and Aang, I sighed. “It would be... If I was the only one capable of using blue fire,” I said, glancing at Sokka before looking over to Aang. “As it stands, I only really use it when I have to. It can be pretty dangerous.”

Blue fire was exceedingly hot after all. Even a glancing blow could cause serious damage. They were lucky no one took a direct hit last night... Then again, with how prepared they were, luck might not have had anything to do with it.

“Hakoda... Could we have a word,” An approaching Water Tribe’s man called out, glancing between the four of us before settling on Hakoda. “First light has long since passed and some of the men are growing restless.”

“I’ll be with you in a minute, Bato... I just need to talk to my kids first.”

“Of course,” Bato replied. “I’ll be waiting a little further up the beach.”

Nodding as Bato left, Hakoda turned towards Sokka and Katara with a strained look on his face. “Sorry about that, now where were we–“

“You’re leaving again, aren’t you?” Sokka interrupted, smiling sadly.

“Of course he isn’t,” Katara scoffed. “He wouldn’t leave again... Not after we just got back together. Tell him, dad.”

Wincing, Hakoda stared at the ground, unable to meet his daughter's gaze. “I’m sorry, Katara, it’s a little more complicated than that.”

“I don’t believe this. After everything we’ve been through... We travelled halfway across the world and you just...” Clenching her eyes shut, a single tear dripped down her face. “Fine, if that’s really how much we mean to you then I may as well make this easy.” Getting up, she stormed off towards Appa. “I never want to see you again.”

“Katara,” Sokka called out, chasing after her.

An uncomfortable silence descended on the campsite as Aang and I were left alone with Hakoda after Katara’s outburst.

I got where she was coming from... But I could also understand Hakoda’s position as well. It’s not like he didn’t want to spend time with his family, but this was a war and he was needed elsewhere.

“That could have gone better,” Hakoda muttered softly.

“Give her time. She just needs to cool off a little.”

“Heh, fire puns coming from a Firebender. That hits differently,” Hakoda chuckled softly. “Unfortunately, time is the one thing I don’t have right now. I’m already behind schedule, the Earth Kingdom’s eastern fleet is expecting our arrival by noon tomorrow.”

“It’s a pity that Appa isn’t bigger,” Aang commented. “That way I could have just flown you to where you’re supposed to be. It’s way quicker than sailing... Although, you’d need to leave your ships behind.”

Hakoda rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “No, we can’t leave our ships behind, but I think I may have an idea... If you’re willing to help.”

“Of course,” Aang chirped.

...Burning...

Bringing his leg down, a wall of fire followed, heating the ships’ deck while warming his immediate surroundings. Looking up, Zuko threw his hand forward and smirked as a jet flames shot forward, hitting the other side of the ship.

At last... He was finally making progress with the advanced set.

Maybe his uncle was onto something... About keeping a calm mind, not the tea, although that did help a little... Not that he’d ever say that out loud. Seeing Zhao stuck on a crumbling shipyard helped too.

“Hoh, not bad,” Iroh commented, standing a short distance away. “You’ve just about got it down. A little more practice and you’ll be able to move onto the other sets.”

Standing from his crouched position, Zuko nodded, a little out of breath. “I’ll start the set again.”

“Or, perhaps, after a break,” Iroh suggested. “If you continue while exhausted, the likelihood of you making mistakes will increase. You don’t want to learn any bad habits.” Patting the chair next to him, Iroh smiled. “Sit with me for a while. We can go over how you may improve your form while you rest.”

He had been practicing for a number of hours now. A short five minute break couldn’t hurt–

“Sir, I have news,” The ship’s captain, Lieutenant Jee reported. “A fleet of Southern Water Tribe ships was spotted. They’re sailing away from the location we believe the Avatar to be.”

Southern Water Tribe ships? But why would... Of course, how could he be so stupid?! He’d just thought it was a coincidence that they were travelling along the coast, but it was all so clear now. They were looking for a Waterbending master... One that could not only teach the Avatar, but that Water Tribe girl that travelled with him.

“So I take it that’s a no on the rest?” Iroh hummed. “What a pity, I have this special blend of tea that I was hoping you would try... I guess we’ll just have to wait until afterwards.”

“Lieutenant, alert the helmsman to a change in direction and tell him to be quick about it,” Zuko barked out his order. “I want this ship moving at double speed.”

At last. This was his chance to capture the Avatar... Before he got too powerful. He didn’t know what that traitorous Firebender was teaching him, but he was certain it wouldn’t be enough... Not with all the effort he’d been putting into his own training.

...Burning...

“Hey Honō, you mind if I ask you something?” Aang asked, juggling several fireballs above his head. “Why are we doing this? Don’t get me wrong, it is pretty fun, but I thought we’d be doing something else.”

He did have a point, but there was more to Firebending than some fancy footwork. Fire could be expressed in other ways as well... Like the Sun warriors who used it for their rituals and celebrations.

It also served as a way to keep Aang busy while Hakoda spent time with Sokka and Katara... Not that the latter was especially happy to be around him.

He’d come to a compromise and sent his fleet with Bato in charge while he stayed behind... Choosing to spend a little more time with his kids before meeting Bato sometime tomorrow.

“I suppose we can move onto the leaf exercise if you want,” I hummed, watching as Aang stuck his tongue out as he split his focus to listen while juggling. “You’ll need to stare at a leaf for hours on end while keeping it from burning... It’s a great opportunity to work on your breathing, come to think of it.”

Aang shivered. “No thanks, I’m happy doing this instead.”

That’s what I thought.

It wasn’t necessarily a bad exercise, but it definitely wasn’t a fit for someone like Aang who learned by doing.

Forming a small burst of electricity on my hand, I threw my hand forward, sending it towards Aang. “Think fast.”

Yelping when the electricity hit his hand, he ducked, covering his head as the fire he’d just been juggling came raining down. Waiting a few moments, he patted himself down, making sure he wasn’t on fire before shooting an annoyed look my way.

“What was that for?”

“Just keeping you on your toes,” I grinned. “Never forget to keep an eye on your surroundings. You never know when you might be attacked.” I’d learnt that lesson the hard way with Azula. It was nice not being on the receiving end for once.

Shifting my attention to the flames Aang had dropped, most of them had burnt out while lingered a little longer, having set some nearby reeds on fire, a few of them having already turned black.

Exhaling slowly, I extinguished the flames only to blink as one of the charred reeds was pulled underground. That was odd.

“Hey, what’s that?” Aang asked, staring off towards the ocean. “That kind of looks like one of the Water Tribe’s ships.”

He was right, that was a Water Tribe ship, but what was it doing back here?

Hearing the wind whistle, a flaming rock smashed into the water’s surface, narrowly missing the Water Tribe ship while a familiar Fire Nation ship sailed into view.

Shifting its sails to the side, the Water Tribe ship changed direction, circling around the much larger Fire Nation ship, narrowly avoiding flaming ballista’s. All it would take to sink them was one direct hit. Their ship wasn’t suited for direct combat.

“We need to help them,” Aang decided.

“Wait, Aang–”

Grabbing his glider, he took to the skies, flying over to the Water Tribe ship, only to veer off course as a fireball shot into the sky from a spot far closer than the Fire Nation ship.

It didn’t take long before a second, smaller Fire Nation ship sailed into view, creeping around the rock formation that sat on the water before hitting land a little further up the beach. Stepping onto the sandy shores, Zuko was accompanied by his uncle and a number of Fire Nation soldiers.

Spotting Sokka and Hakoda stealthily making their way around a nearby sand mound while Katara moving towards the ocean, I walked towards the approaching group.

“Zuzu... It’s been far too long. How are you doing?”

“Don’t call me that!” Zuko snarled.

“Call you what?” I asked innocently. “Zuzu? That’s your name, isn’t it?”

“It’s Zuko... And this isn’t going to be as easy as last time,” He growled. “I know all your tricks now. Once I’ve captured the Avatar, I’ll make you tell me what Azula’s up to.”

Humming, I tapped a finger to my chin. “Zuzu.” Getting a frustrated growl for my efforts. He really was too easy to rile up.

With an angry yell, he lashed out with a kick, unleashing a wall of fire and heat that scorched the sand below as it rushed towards where I was standing.

Waiting calmly, an orange blur suddenly appeared in front of me, splitting the flames right down the middle.

“Finally here,” Zuko muttered. “You’ve learned some Firebending, I see, but it pales in comparison to what I know.”

“You want me?” Aang called out, staff in hand. “Come get me.”

Taking to the sky once more, Zuko sprinted after him, not willing to let his target escape this time. Intending on following the duo, a wall of fire suddenly sprung up in front of me, before circling around a portion of the beach.

“I think it will be better if we let them handle things on their own,” Iroh commented. Stepping forward as his flames circled around him. “Zuko’s not quite ready to take on someone of your skills. Given time, I have no doubt he will match you, but until then, I will be your opponent.”

A fight with Iroh. This was bound to be interesting.

“If that’s what you want,” I hummed.

Bringing my arm down, a thin stream of fire cut through the air, only for it to be slapped to the side. Sending a few more his way, Iroh batted them away with a practiced ease, going so far as to side step a few, allowing them to harmlessly pass by.

Seeing that I wasn’t getting anywhere, I abandoned precision and instead went for power. Breathing deeply, fire sparked in my hand as I threw it forward, unleashing a wave of fire that washed over the beach, blackening the sand.

Not seeming all that bothered, Iroh brought his hands together, drawing on the flames that circled around us before unleashing them all at once.

Clashing, for a moment we seemed evenly matched before I found myself sliding backwards as his fire grew ever nearer. Increasing the temperature of my own flames, they began to flicker and change colour.

Breaking through his attack, I rushed forward, closing the distance between us and threw a punch. Blocking it with his own, our forearms collided as twin jets of blue and orange fire shot off into the sky.

“This is quite the surprise,” Iroh commented. “I never thought I’d see another capable of using those flames. It is strange, though. I never expected my brother to allow someone outside of our family to learn such a technique, you must have left quite the impression on him.”

“I doubt that.” Throwing a quick jab towards Iroh’s open chest, he managed to catch my wrist before I was able to hit a pressure point. “I’ve never met the man.”

“That only raises further questions,” Iroh admitted. “Tell me, how well versed are you with Pai Sho?”

Oh, so that’s what he was getting at. “I was always curious about it, but I never found someone to teach me... I think I would have been interested in learning the White Lotus gambit… I did become pretty good friends with your niece though, so everything worked out in the end.”

Iroh blinked, looking genuinely thrown off. “How curious.” Within an instant, Iroh’s face hardened into a mask of determination. Releasing his hold, he threw his fist forward, narrowly missing my face as he sent a blast of fire that hit something behind me. “It would seem that we’ll have to pick this up some other time.”

Feeling the ground shift beneath my feet, I stepped past Iroh, bringing my hand down as a spindly black, chitin coated lim broke free from the sand, only to pull back when my flames sliced through it. Watching as a few more shot out of the ground I hacked through them as well while Iroh handled things on his side.

This wasn’t just by us either. The same thing was happening to everyone else as well. Standing near the ocean, Katara used her Waterbending to slash through the attacking limbs while Sokka and Hakoda worked together to keep each other safe.

The Fire Nation soldiers were also fending off the attack. Seeing one stop when he found Katara’s back turned to him, I was about to yell out a warning, only for one of the limbs to catch him off guard, dragging him under the sand, leaving no trace behind.

Glancing at Iroh, we shared a nod. We were both in agreement. We needed to leave, now. Whatever this thing was, it was big... Big enough to stretch across the entire beach. Fire seemed to keep it at bay for a time, but we couldn’t keep this up forever.

Charging up a bolt of lightning, Iroh worked to keep the spindly limbs off me. Pointing two of my fingers at the nearest limbs, the ground shook beneath me and I suddenly found myself flung high into the air. It was almost like this thing sensed what I was planning on doing.

Looking down at Iroh, I found him being overwhelmed as dozens of limbs latched onto him. I could still take my shot, but there was a pretty big chance I’d hit Iroh as well. Even if I didn’t, he’d probably still be electrocuted... Unless he was the one with the lightning.

“IROH... CATCH!”

A loud crack washed over the beach as lightning shot from my fingertips to Iroh’s. Gripping one of the limbs with his free hand, he allowed the volatile energy to flow through his body directly into the creature beneath the sand.

A pained shriek sounded from underneath the ground, the limbs flailed around violently before going limp. Releasing Iroh, they slowly retreated back into the ground.

A little further up, I could see Sokka making a sprint for Appa, weaving his way through the mess of limbs.

Landing heavily on the sandy shores, I waited for a few moments before letting out a short breath when nothing tried to grab me.

“That seems to have stopped it for now,” Iroh murmured.

But what about later?

Spotting Katara and Hakoda making their way closer, I began looking for Aang, only for him to literally drop in a moment later with a scowling Zuko gripping the glider tightly... Having hitched a ride. The rest of the soldiers they’d brought with were nowhere to be seen.

Getting up, he dusted himself off, before being forced to defend himself when his uncle tried to pull him into a hug.

“So, did anyone else have to deal with a bunch of creepy bug legs or was it just us?” Aang asked, getting a deadpan in response. “Hey, where’s Sokka?”

“He went to fetch Appa,” Katara replied. “It’s probably best if we don't stick around for too long... All things considered.”

Clenching his hand shut, Zuko swept one leg behind him, taking a more solid stance. “I don’t think so. Until I capture the Avatar, none of you… Are… Leaving… Until…” Pausing, he looked at the ground cautiously as it began to tremble.

It was almost unnoticeable at first, but as the seconds ticked by, the ground began to shake violently… Almost to the point where it felt like it was vibrating.

Landing only a few feet away, Appa was a giant fuzzy lifeboat in a raging sea of sand.

“Everyone get on!” Sokka called out. “We’re leaving.”

Not needing to be told twice, I grabbed onto Appa’s saddle and pulled myself up as everyone else followed suit.

Helping the others up, there was a brief moment of weightlessness as the ground caved in on itself, revealing an inky void where the beach should have been.

“Yip-Yip… Yip-Yip,” Sokka chanted, cracking the reins.

Flying up, gravity once more took a hold, pulling us down into the saddle. Grabbing onto the edge, I breathed a sigh of relief as we flew higher, leaving the beach behind.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Sokka leaned back on Appa’s head. “For a second there, I didn’t think we’d make it.” Glancing at Hakoda, he blinked and rubbed his eyes. “Dad… What’s that on your back?”

Looking over his shoulder, Hakoda was suddenly pulled off Appa’s back, knocking Zuko off along with him.

Taking control of Appa, Sokka steered him downward, hoping to catch his dad as he fell through the inky void, only to pull up when the beach suddenly reappeared. Leaving no trace of the duo.

“DAD!”

“ZUKO!”

“SHIT!”