"What do you mean if Azula leaves then you'll leave too?" Aang asked in angry confusion.
"It's exactly what I mean."
"Nephew, have you forgotten our talk about thinking things through?" Iroh said calmly.
Zuko shook his head, equally calm, "I thought about this a lot. I really took what you said about destiny to heart. I really did. And it made me realize that Azula and I are connected in our destinies. I remembered my life for the past three years and what you did for me, and how you supported me through and through."
"Zuko, your sister is manipulative and a little crazy," Mai explained, "you could be in over your head."
"Yeah," Ty Lee added, "she manipulated me to think my destiny changed when she persuaded me by threatening my life while I was performing for the circus…"
"You make it sound like it was a great achievement," Azula said with melodramatic sarcasm.
Ty Lee bristled but remained silent.
"I'm sorry to hear that Ty Lee." Zuko said, "but no I'm not being manipulated by her."
"Are you sure about that Zuzu?"
Zuko gave her a glance that, he hoped, gave her the message to remain silent, "Anyway, I realized Azula is going down the same path I did when I was banished. Except she lost her friends and she doesn't have the same support I had. All I'm trying to do is give her that support you gave me when I was down Uncle."
"That's disgustingly sweet of you Zuko but I'd like to throw up and die now."
"Remember what Master Pakku said to us Azula?" the ex-Prince said a little excitedly and looked at the group, "He said 'Admiral Zhao gives you his regards from the ice sheets.' I think it has to do with balance. Zhao was killed because he disrupted the balance of the world by killing the Moon Spirit."
"Get to the point," Sokka said a little heatedly.
"Sorry," Zuko looked a little ashamed, "There is a balance of good and evil within every person. Uncle's been telling me that all year, but now I finally understand it. There's a duality between Azula and I, my mom and Dad, good and evil. It's all about balance, and I learned the hard way that I want good and peace for this world, and I want to stop my father at all costs…But I also discovered I am not the only person who can change like this."
Katara quickly thought of Jet's face sadly as Zuko continued, "I have a hunch my sister is changing for the better, and I want to support her. Sokka's your name right?" The Fire Prince said pointing to a nodded Water Tribe Warrior.
Zuko nodded, "Despite what my sister has done to me and everyone else, I still love her. Not the things she's done but her. I can see it's the same for you and Katara. You'd do anything to protect your little sister right?"
Sokka nodded determinedly.
Zuko sighed, "That's exactly how I feel."
Iroh smiled and his nephew's immense growth spurt in maturity. Aang took the information in deeply and said, "I…I believe you. I'm wary and I don't want to believe you, but I do…Everyone deserves a second chance." Sokka sighed, "I don't trust this situation much, but I trust your decision Aang. All I want is to end this war. If you think bringing Azula on our side will turn the tides of the war then we'll bring her to our side I guess."
Aang nodded gratefully. The Avatar gazed at his friends and the newcomers and understood the final decision was solely up to him. "Sokka's right. We don't have much time. We still need an invasion force and we're not even in the Fire Nation yet."
"Invasion force?" Azula said, "you mean for the eclipse in a week?"
Aang hesitantly nodded.
Azula made a noise and non-chalatntly replied "oh please! We've known about that ever since I conquered Ba Sing Se."
The non-Fire Nation kids deflated. Aang sighed, "Great. Just great!"
"Aang," Katara said softly, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder, "It'll be okay. We'll think of something different. It's not the end of the world."
"Well it feels like it is!…but…I guess you're right. But we still need to get into the Fire Nation. How are we going to get through the blockade?"
Zuko perked at the question. "Um…" he said sheepishly, still cautious with the group around him, "I think I have an idea…"
"All set?" a man, a Captain, spoke to his First Mate.
The Fire Nation man nodded to his superior.
"Then set a course for the Fire Nation. We have a shipment of those dirty, mud-frolicking swine from the Earth Kingdom. I really don't see why the Fire Lord is doing this. I thought he hated the Earth Kingdom."
"Permission to speak before I carry out your orders sir?"
The Captain nodded, and the First Mate continued, "If my memory serves me, the Fire Lord is following the old traditions of conquest the Fire Nation established centuries ago. I think Fire Lord Ozai is trying to negotiate with the Earth Kingdom to peacefully surrender to the Fire Nation, and if the Earth Kingdom does not submit, which we all know they won't, then we get to slaughter them. But while we're slaughtering them, they are going through a guilt trip. Some will question the enemy, really it's a tactic to divide the enemy and conquer."
The Captain stroked his beard thoughtfully, "Very well done. Did you attend the Military History classes when you were a child as well?"
"Um…no," the subordinate responded sheepishly, "I…"
The First Mate was interrupted by one of the helmsmen. He saluted silently and apologized for his interruption, "One of the Earth filth is getting antsy and she is beginning to question why we have not left yet."
"Do you know her name helmsman?"
"Her name is Jin, sir. She is a peasant from Ba Sing Se."
"Trust a lowly peasant to start trouble," the Captain muttered, annoyed, "But, as much as I hate to say this, she is right. Let us be on our way. Oh…and by the way…" The Captain responded as the Helmsman had bowed and was walking away, "Can you do me a favor and ask Sanji to fire-lash her a good twenty or something beautiful whenever convenient?"
The Helmsman smiled, "Of course sir. May I say wonderful choice with Sanji. If the cur were Fire Nation I'd say Sanji would be too cruel a punishment. Since she's not, would you like to watch?"
"That sounds splendid. Why not make a night of it – the others must not know…We'll do it when we get into port."
The three men chuckled heartily; each of them expecting a great show in the upcoming days.
Zuko paused, "Um…"
Seven pairs of eyes, and a lemur's eyes, blinked his way on Appa. The group traveled low along the ocean. The declining moon shifted serenely across the speckled sky and dark sea.
Zuko, feeling out of his element in the dead of night, gulped with concern. "You're sure you want me to lead? I mean…I understand if you don't trust me…"
Azula scoffed almost cutely, "quit whining and tell them the plan already Zuzu."
Zuko's yellows eyes, in stark contrast with the calm night, glared at his sister. He sighed, "My plan is that we use Appa to go underneath the blockade. The Avatar and…"
"Katara," the Water Tribe girl said dangerously.
"Katara…can bend the water around us and Appa while Appa uses his Airbending to swim."
Sokka thought for a moment, "I like it!"
Zuko smiled, "Thanks…"
"But I still think you're a jerk."
Zuko's smile faded, "oh…thanks."
Azula snorted with laughter.
Fire Lord Ozai sipped his morning tea with a hint of pleasure. He found the tea to be extra good today, perhaps because his appointment would start any minute. He reflected his plans and thought them to be satisfying, but he was troubled to a certain extent.
Ozai thought back to Admiral Zhao's seige on the North Pole, What a diasater that was…We lost a great soldier that day. The Water Tribes seems impenetrable at this point. Although when the Comet arrives…but perhaps an offensive would be the most beneficial way to handle those manatee- slugs. Hmm…did not one of the Royal Scientists mention something about the coal from our ships being harmful to…hmm, I think I have an idea.
Ozai gazed towards one of his Royal Guards, "Fetch me a servant if you will."
The Guard nodded, bowed deeply, opened the door to the main hall and disappeared for a second. Yanking a rushing servant, the guard reappeared and tossed the hapless servant in front of the Fire Lord. The servant cowered in his bow, "Y-yes my liege?"
"What do you know about our science team and their studies on coal?"
"Nothing much sire," the servant shook, knowing very well he was unable to even lie well to Ozai. He started to think of his girlfriend and morbidly wondered how he was going to be executed.
Ozai sighed, bored, "I am in a good mood today so consider your life spared."
"T-thank you my…"
"Shut up! You dare disrespect me by interrupting with your babble?"
The servant bowed as low as possible, "I apologize my lord. Please have mercy."
Ozai scoffed. "Mercy?" he said chidingly, and then he chuckled, "That's a good one. Me have mercy…do you not know your own Fire Lord?"
"I..I…"
Ozai shrugged, ""Well I have a task for you. Are you going to save your life and do what I ask you or are you going to continue defecating in your trousers in my throne room? I'll have you know your fellow servants just cleaned this room yesterday. It would be a shame for you to dirty it up and for me to make them clean the room up for three days straight. I can only imagine what vengeful servants would do to you."
The servant squirmed, and the Royal Guards held subtle smiles. Ozai chuckled, "In fact. I think I'd like to watch. What do you guards say? Would you love to see this lowly peasant beaten to a pulp by his colleagues?"
"Permission to speak sir."
Ozai nodded at one of the guards. The guard in turn said, "We humbly ask that we may join in the beating."
Ozai howled with mirth, "This is why you're my personal guards. You know tasteful entertainment when you see it." Ozai glanced back at the motionless servant, "Well don't just cower there, fearing your own death sentence. Go tell the royal scientists to investigate the effects of coal burning in the air. And tell the next servant you see to bring more tea."
With that Ozai flung his remaining cup of hot liquid on the servant's back. The man hissed in pain but knew better than to scream. The servant bowed and quickly rushed out the door.
Ozai sighed to his guards and shaking his head in disappointment, "Servants these days…"
A clanking interrupted his thoughts, and a force slammed the throne door open. Ozai smiled, "Oh good. You're here…"
"Are we under them yet?" Toph sighed, bored out of her mind. Mai's eyes squinted - through a wall of water, swirling and flowing in a perfect circle, and she could barely see small ripples of wake on the surface of the ocean.
"Almost," the projectiles expert replied, annoyed at Ty Lee's antics of scaring fish by sticking her arms into the water occasionally.
Azula slapped her forehead as Ty Lee people to join her in her mission to catch a fish.
Zuko watched the wake from the blockades as well, and then his gaze shifted to Katara's waterbending and Aang's airbending on Appa's neck and head. Katara took the position upon Appa's head to maintain an air bubble around Appa's head as well as the passengers.
Aang, as Zuko had instructed, extracted air from the water surrounding the group and kept the air in the bubble circulating. Zuko waited a few more seconds, "Okay, let's slowly climb up towards the surface. If we time it right, it'll be morning and there's always a mist on these waters at dawn. We can use the mist as cloud cover to fly to the nearest island."
Azula smirked and said playfully, "Wow Zuzu. It seems like you thought of everything…That's so unlike you. I guess our fuddy-duddy Uncle said something right for once."
Zuko chose not to comment, knowing he'd be adding fuel to the fire. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Ty Lee and Mai roll their eyes at Azula. They've changed so much from the last time I saw them…I wonder what happened. Did Azula really manipulate Ty Lee into joining Azula…but what about Mai? She was unusually angry…"Level off for a few minutes please."
Sokka, at the reins of Appa, replied, "sure thing jerkbender."
Zuko seethed and Toph got a kick out of he joke, "Wow! Sokka said something that was actually funny!"
Sokka's face went from proud to hurt in a split-second, and mos of the group laughed. Zuko tried to smile, knowing that Sokka wasn't as vindictive as he was yesterday. The banished prince truthfully just worried about Katara when it came to his acceptance in the group.
"It's good to see you again," Ozai muttered nonchalantly, "it's a shame you lost your arm and leg."
Silence.
"Don't you ever talk?"
A grunt came from the man.
Silence.
Ozai shrugged, "I suppose that will suffice. Anyway, I have a mission for you, my friend. Please, sit."
Ozai's assassin sat cross-legged, waiting patiently for his assignment, "I am asking you to search for my children. You are known for your tracking skills, so this should not be too hard. When you find them I want you to analyze the situation. I know you may not be the smartest person in the…"
The man inhaled through his nose, Ozai glared. "Now now. We can take a joke, can't we? Otherwise, I think I'll use that tattoo on your forehead as target practice. My lightning skills need a little sharpening…"
The man exhaled, a little angrier. Ozai smiled, figuring the man had a constant scowl so a little more anger could never hurt. "If my children are with the Avatar, kill them immediately. Do not even bother with the Avatar unless he is in the way. Then, I want you to kill the blind earthbender second. Then kill the Avatar. The Avatar has yet to master fire, and the earthbending child is a prodigy who can see through the ground's vibrations."
The man waited for Ozai to continue after a brief pause. He let the information absorb, "If my children are not with the Avatar, then threaten them. Let them know that I am not joking around with their mission. If they fail, I can assure they will die by my own hand."
The man nodded.
Ozai smiled maliciously, "Good. Do enjoy yourself when you slaughter the Avatar and his friends."
On the ocean, miles away from the blockade, with a light dash of morning mist, a small head peeked out of the surface. Gazing around quickly in all directions, its sight landed upon a small island out in the distance.
The a hand broke the surface next to the head, a signal for something to rise. The head slowly rose, inch by inch, and Zuko kept a vigilant eye on his surroundings.
He was tense, nervous in the morning fog because he feared any ship could haphazardly sail onto their location as Appa slowly rose out of the water.
A foghorn blasted in the morning air and Zuko nearly panicked. He searched desperately in the thick fog, barely seeing the silhouette of a Fire Nation ship off to his right. He motioned immediately for Appa to sink, and so the bison did.
Zuko kept afloat, patiently watching the ship steam past his location off in the near distance towards the nearest island. The banished prince rolled his, trust things to get more complicated…
When the ship sailed at approximately a mile away, Zuko lifted his hands once again, and Appa rose to the surface quicker. Silently, the bison surfaced and the group immediately gauged their surroundings.
Aang was the first to point to the island Zuko saw earlier, "That's the island you were talking about?"
"Yes," the prince replied.
"Do you know this island Ty Lee?" Mai asked her friend.
"No, sorry. The circus never came out this far east. We were about to…" a scathing glance at Azula, "But it didn't happen."
"This island is the one with he Ming Xu Academy," Azula replied, ignoring Ty Lee's look, "the school is a very prestigious academy in the Fire Nation. Families basically live on this island just so the children can attend this school. There's not much of a market or trade; the island mainly imports."
"So it's like an island-sized residential neighborhood," Sokka asked Azula. She confirmed and he smiled, "Perfect!"
Several people shushed him, and a blush crept on his cheeks. "Sorry." He said softer, "If it's residential then it means that it's probably not densely populated if the population there is just for the school. We could try to find a cave or something…"
"I know of one," Zuko said, "It's huge. I saw it when I left the Fire Nation three years ago."
"Don't you mean when Daddy kicked you out of the Fire Nation?" Azula said snidely. Zuko breathed in and out, trying to control his anger. It worked for the most part.
"Um…Zuko," Ty Lee said, "Is it just me or are you smoking?"
Zuko blinked, and said tightly, "Just you."
"Oh okay," the acrobat chirped, "But…then why do I still see smoke?"
A knock on Jin's quarters startled the exhausted girl. She wearily opened the door, plagued by nightmares of the Fire Nation torturing her for acting out. She had not seen anything yet, but she noticed some of the leery looks she had received all along the voyage over to the Fire Nation. She had a very bad feeling something was going to happen to her when they landed.
She rose from her sheets, and asked, "Yes?"
"The Captain has asked that all tourists please report to the main deck. We are about to land, and the tours will begin today."
"Okay, I'll be out there in a minute."
Jin shuddered. Something is very wrong with this situation. I need to escape the first chance I get.
Sighing Jin attempted to prepare herself for anything and failed miserably. She opened a rusted door and walked out to the main deck.
She observed the Captain reading a scroll, a majestic messenger hawk on his shoulder, and she became a little curious. The Captain seemed oblivious to her as the First Mate came to him, whispered a few things she couldn't understand, and the Captain grimly shook his head.
The Captain rolled the scroll up and both men seethed with irritation. Jin made a mental note to avoid them as much as possible. The Captain was handed a small horn-like object; a recent Fire Nation invention Jin imagined.
"If I may have your attention please, wondrous guests?" the Captain spoke in an amplified voice, "We have arrived at our destination. Please give us a few moments to dock, and we will ask you to please line up in a single file on the port side. Admiral Chan of the First Armada of the Fire Navy will be waiting for you down below. As Captain, the crew and I would like to thank you for sailing with us and we hope you have a wonderful time in our nation."
"Smoke?" Zuko asked, and turned around – nothing, "Ty Lee what are you talking…oh…" A Fire Nation ship slowly docked in the distance, barely noticeable from the group's current postion in the fog.
A horn blared and echoed across the shore that Appa steathily swam torwards.
Aang squinted his eyes, thinking he saw something, and smiled. He pulled on Appa's reins a little, "Let's go to that cove over there boy."
Appa made a low grumble in the water, and the cove came into view.
The cove was a monstrous cave that extended far into the island with a mouth large enough for three sky bison to easily fit. The cove had its own miniature beach with several large rocks piled up that smoothed out to stable ground. Aang's grin widened, "Perfect."
Appa lazily walked onto the cavernous shore and Aang pet him, "I promise we'll get you a feast as soon as we make camp buddy."
Appa let out a pleased grumble as the group hopped off the bison.
As Toph landed on the ground in the cavern she felt an immense and deep network of tunnels, but one in particular stuck out to her. While most of the tunnels decreased in size significantly this particular one still could fit Appa's bulk as well as give the group ample space to set up camp.
Toph stomped on the ground, finding the tunnel was much longer than she expected. None the less, a small grin appeared on the blind girl's mouth when she found the tunnel opened up right to a beach with the town and academy a short distance away. Sweet.
"Hey guys," she called, "I found a tunnel that goes right to the town. Let's camp there."
"Okay…" Aang whispered out to his comrades in crime, his eyes peering over a small hill, "There's no one around, but should we really be doing this? I mean these clothes belong to…."
Katara sprinted a little happily, "I call the silk robe!"
Aang shrugged, "But in this case, I call the suit!"
Aang, Sokka, and Toph followed suit, each running towards a long line of drying clothes, each person snatching an outfit to their liking.
Aang paused for a moment longer, checking out slightly larger sizes.
"Hey Twinkletoes, hurry up will you? I swear, you shop like Sokka sometimes. I feel some people coming, and they'll be here in a few minutes," Toph replied calmly.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Sorry," Aang replied, "I just figured I'd grab some things for Zuko in case something happens."
Katara sighed, "As much as I hate to do this I guess I should get Azula something too, just in case."
Sokka put his arms in the air in exasperation, "Why not get some clothes for Mai and Ty Lee too? Or General Iroh..or, or…how about the Fire Nation…"
"Quiet Sokka," Toph jabbed in, "there's someone coming."
"We should split up for about ten minutes, and drop these clothes off at the cave," Sokka replied.
"Okay, I'll just head back to the cave," Toph said, "Give me the clothes. I'll be back in no time."
With clothes in hand, Toph departed, and the Water siblings left in the opposite direction. Aang left in another possible direction, quickly ran to a safe area, donned the suit, and calmly walked out again.
He decided, since there was an hour of free time, to check out the town and make his rounds. Feeling great at having previous knowledge in dealing with Fire Nation people, Aang whistled as he passed through an alley.
A hand caught him from the side; Aang gasped and turned. Before him was an imposing Fire Nation Officer. "I've got you."
"Who me?"
The Officer blinked, "What. Do you think I'm some kind of moron?"
"Er, no."
"That's good. Although you might want to go back to school sometime and learn some more, you really need it. It's so obvious that you don't belong here."
Aang gulped.
Author's Note: I'm really sorry that took so long. I had a very bad case of writer's block and an overall lack of motivation to write over the winter break. I apologize for that and hope this chapter will suffice temporarily. I hope you like this installment of Dissolution. Thanks for your patience!