*Swoosh*
Aang found himself stranded in the sky. A recurring dream of his. As expected, the boy soon heard the fierce sound of flapping wings with the buzz of electricity and soon, a dragon's phantom was upon him, breathing a pillar of ghostly blue flames that filled his vision and bathed his body.
His vision changed once again. Sun set and the moon rose. The cycle continued until one opportune day when the light from the sun hit a particular temple upon the statue of a very familiar figure that Aang knew from within— Avatar Roku. The Firebending Avatar who disappeared and left the world when it needed him the most.
Yet, this wasn't all. As the pillar of flames ended, the sky darkened while the brilliance of the moon attracted Aang's eyes.
His grey eyes reflected the round moon within and suddenly, he heard the sound of waves beneath him almost speaking to him. But what exactly, that wasn't clear.
"What is it that you want?" While the Dragon's message was clear and not the first one, Aang looked at the sea. Still, all he heard was the sound of waves and felt a message was hidden that made him look towards the sky, his gaze instinctively set on the moon once again.
However, the 'moon' began to inch closer with its body suddenly set aflame—
*Bang*
"Aaagh!" Shouting, Aang suddenly sat up. His body was covered with cold sweat while others around him began to wake up slowly with tired yawns escaping their lips.
"Is it morning already? This is even worse than some of the roosters in my village," Suki groaned, rubbing her eyes. The water tribe had been harassed for quite a while every morning. It was as if Zhao was enjoying ticking the tribe with bombardments of the fleet. Thus, shifts began to take form, and even then, many people began to feel tired gradually.
Due to all this, the group actually slept together in the hall whenever they could find the time to rest their eyes. Currently, aside from Suki and Aang, there were Tom-Tom, Katara, and Sun.
"Spirits... I want to burn Zhao's ship myself now..." Sun clicked his tongue while Katara still slept, making Suki pat her cheek, "Hey, wake up... something's wrong. It still isn't the morning," She shook Katara while looking outside the window. Her words alerting Sun and Aang.
"Mmh... stop it... I told you we can have some fun once I've had a good nap..." Katara mewled as the door slammed open at this point, "We're in trouble!"
It was Yue. Huffing and frantic, she shouted, "We are under attack!"
Her shout finally woke Katara up as she replied sleepily, "We are always under attack..."
"No, the Fire Nation has infiltrated the tribe and soldiers are already attacking the empty region close to the walls! They have already taken over the prison!"
"But... it's nighttime," Suki frowned. Why would Zhao attack them when a waterbender's strength is at its peak?
"I'm sorry Sun... but I think Zhao wasn't going to keep his words from the beginning..." Aang looked at Sun whose face was shrouded with cold fury.
"Where's Nik? I need chunks of earth." He looked at Yue.
"I'm going to the meeting point. Come on quickly, Tom-Tom," Yue took the boy's hand. Although he felt reluctant, Tom-Tom let himself get dragged away while others followed Yue out. One look towards the tribe from the open verandah revealed flickers of flames at the very end of the tribe from the palace while the wall kept getting bombarded by the fleet of ships!
"Hey, Princess, will your guards be okay?" Sun instantly inquired yet Yue and others excluding Tom-Tom grew silent, intentionally keeping their quiet. Sun had been around the bunch for enough time to know something was up but that didn't change the fact they were under attack.
The group found Sokka, Mai, and Nik waiting near the entrance of the Palace. Without exchanging words, Nik smiled slightly and held Yue's hand, making her enter his personal space, and then looked at Aang, "Are you sure you don't want to get inside, too?"
"Yes," Aang nodded, "I think I am prepared... for this..."
His expression turned downcast the moment he ended it and heaved a deep sigh.
"Well, I hope you are. The minute I think it's dangerous, I'm gonna show a magic trick and disappear," Nik chuckled lightheartedly, "Of course, for the Princess' safety."
"Hit and run. That's the way," Sokka nodded, "But this time, I want to beat the living shit out of a few firebenders!"
Sokka, similar to Suki, had a face paint of grey and white. He clenched his spear tightly while his boomerang was slung over his back.
"Don't force yourself," Katara looked at her brother with a worried expression. She was worried about many things but Mai couldn't help and cut things short, "Are we supposed to stay here the whole time?"
"No... but..." Aang hesitated and looked towards a group of waterbenders rushing while giving him a curt nod. Their eyes were ablaze with unbridled ferocity.
"She is right," Suki nodded, "We should move."
Although Nik could empathize with Aang's nervousness, many things had changed since Nik's encounter with Koh. At the very least, Firebenders didn't intimidate him directly for they neither had Koh's craziness, its strange insect body, and lance-like limbs that could crush his joints.
So, giving the boy an encouraging glance of his own, Nik turned and left with Mai. Everyone had their own things to do but still, Nik looked back once again, grinning, "Not afraid to leave me with someone else again?"
Katara understood instantly what he meant. The first time they left Nik alone with Yue, he seduced the heck out of her with just words and impressions. The second time, he squirted the heck out of her.
"We are at war!" She hissed and then hesitated... "But be good."
"Listen to her," Suki chuckled, "Or you will have another war to return to."
Mai scoffed from the side, clearly displeased to be used as the subject of their short but comforting bicker.
"As long as I can return," Nik nodded, "Even a war is fine. Oh, and Sun, here, a bonus."
Nik waved his hand and with that, a large boulder was shot towards the group.
"Hey! Lookout!" Sokka hissed when the boulder came to stop. Sun stood beneath the boulder with one of his hands stretched up and clenched into a fist. His gloomy expression lightening somewhat with a cold grin soon stretching over his lips, "This is just fine. Thank."
As he said so, the boulder was pulled apart into equal halves and placed down beside him until he shoved his hands into the two portions of the boulder, now easily moving them.
Waving his hand, Nik left with Mai towards a particular location.
It was supposed to be one of the safe spots but Nik soon turned towards the entrance of the tribe with Mai frowning, "That's not the right location."
However, Nik kept his reasons to himself. It wasn't duty that propelled him or greed either. It was simply... the thought of not missing out on presented opportunities. It would hurt a lot of people, innocents most likely, but Nik had seen enough to steel his heart and reply nonetheless, "I want half of that fleet..."
"You're crazy."
"Why? Just because it sounds greedy?"
"No. Because how am I to follow you in the cold waters? If Zhao is defeated now, you can overtake the ships on Appa and plunder as you see fit..."
Nik gradually slowed down.
She was right.
The quicker Zhao is truly taken out of the commission, the better. Not only can he gain enough points just for the sake of it but he would also be free to visit other locations and find a way to heal himself.
"Do you think he would have fallen for Yoki's fake reports?"
"He attacked during the night... he seems pretty confident." Mai replied in her usual monotone.
"That doesn't answer my question," Nik rolled his eyes.
"Oh, good. You aren't dense in understanding that I'm not capable of knowing everything," Mai's retort served to silence Nik only for a few seconds as he questioned, "So... you did propose looking for Zhao. Where do you suppose we can find him?"
"Let's check... the spot Yoki weakened," Mai narrowed her eyes and stated with a stern expression.
"So, it's a full circle," He was right at that point.
---
Although the infiltration of the firebenders came as a surprise, what surprised the invaders was that their heavy placement at this spot was completely useless. The Prison was easily taken over and the area close to the walls, including the port, was cleared out. There were a few waterbenders on top of the walls and in the cavern-like tunnels within, yes, resisting the wall's fall but reaching them on foot was as much of a difficult task as the waterbenders defending the onslaught of his Armada.
He'd been had, Zhao understood this instantly. While he could play tricks on the enemy to cover his real intentions, the opponent can trick him, too. The Spy was most likely caught and his tricks were used to make Zhao believe that his harassment was working, making the defense tighter on top of the wall and leaving the few routes around the walls quite unfocused.
"Admiral, I recommend that we let the soldiers continue alone—" Before his direct subordinate could advise, Zhao raised his hand and walked forward.
"Leave it to my soldiers? No. There are some missions a man must fulfill with his own hands to leave a legacy. Men, all of you are at the cusp of achieving something far beyond your wildest imaginations!"
Zhao turned and looked at the soldiers with blazing intensity as steam visibly began to pervade the surroundings. Eyes flared, Zhao stated somberly, just loud enough for his troops to hear him, "Our hands are bloodied. We have the blood of those who will not be remembered. Today, I lead you to become Immortals!
We shall slay the being who will be remembered forever!
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Look at that!"
His voice turned louder and he pointed at the bright moon!
"That constellation brings hope to the Water Tribe. As long as the moon remains, the waterbenders remain!
Lord Sozin led us to this great era by annihilating the cumbersome pests that the air nomads were and today, I shall lead you to reduce the barbarians of the water and moon to dust and ashes!"
Every soldier within the troop had their blood pumping throughout their bodies. Their expressions turned bloodthirsty under their helmets as Zhao could feel their lust for glory ooze through their entirety.
They were waiting for it. As astounding and ludicrous Zhao's words seemed to imply, they waited for their admiral to awe them. If not the honest objective then just by the false bravado of it.
"Tonight, we shall slay the being that watches over this redundant civilization!
Tonight, I shall lead you to slay the moon!"
Battle cries that shocked the waterbenders on top of the wall resounded in that region of the tribe. Zhao was aware that they might be entering the trap laid out by the tribe but they were too far in to retreat and thus, he needed his men at their absolute mental peak. Keeping the satisfied smirk by turning around timely, Zhao called out coldly, "Move out. You know your destinations. We take no prisoners today."
With that, the troop split itself into three unequal portions that had completely different objectives, the attack on the Water Tribe from within began officially. As Zhao expected, what awaited the scouting troops was a trap, and similar to his intentions, the water tribe wasn't going to accept any prisoners.
The trap of icy spikes under a bed of snow was carefully laid with the help of the waterbenders in various regions as the hunters were left on the 'ground' to prevent any unnecessary bloodshed. Of course, while Zhao made the decision of removing the opponents permanently to deter them, the water tribe hunters didn't accept any prisoners because they no longer had any recourses to accommodate these expenses.
And with this attack, they would be in an even more economic tragedy.
Still, Zhao completely avoided the traps and didn't intend to tangle with any opponent as he made his way into the Tribe further and further. While the soldiers around him attracted attention, some dying and some prevailing over the enemy, his path was soon realized and found by three particular youths.
The very familiar young Avatar.
The only Lavabender in Zhao's known who had his fists penetrating two halves of a boulder... a boulder in the North... the thought of it would have baffled Zhao if not for Nik's existence.
And...
Frowning, the man looked at the youth with his face painted in the tribal ash and grey with his gloved hands tightly clenching on his spear whose craftsmanship was certainly... more civilized.
"Who are you supposed to be? The Brooding Hunter?" Zhao remarked as Sokka instantly fumed, "What? The Brooding Hunter... Actually, remember that name as I send you down to hell!"
Narrowing his eyes, Zhao gazed at Sun, "And you... am I to assume that you have given up on your village?"
"You attacked us!" Sun growled, the edges of the boulder already heating up to reveal a luminescent glow in the dark with an extraordinary gust of heat.
*Ssss*
A drop of magma dripped onto the glacial footings and instantly filtered out sizzling steam as Sun took a step forward, "I'll defeat you—"
"Boy, this war has nothing to do with your village. In fact, help me now and your friends will be safe.
As I promised, I want Nik for those prisoners but if you attack me, you better be damn sure in keeping me here because one mistake and your precious villagers will be fed to the sea creatures."
Zhao's words instantly settled in discord and placed pressure on Sun whose visible reaction caused the stop to the formation of Lava.
"Hey, don't lose your focus!" Sokka hissed while Aang silently looked at Zhao cautiously.
In fact, he was the one who found Zhao the earliest since he used his airbending to the maximum and rushed about, dealing with a few firebenders but ultimately finding Zhao whom Sokka was preying on. Unwilling to let Sokka deal with the situation alone, he reached out to him and Sun was in the area, too.
While Aang thought that Lavabending would assist greatly, Zhao's cunning surpassed the Avatar's expectations who had much to learn aside from bending.
He had yet to understand the hearts of men and the chaos within.
Surprising Aang, Sokka suddenly tilted his spear until the tip of it almost touched Sun's neck and warned coldly, "Don't move, Sun."
A victorious smirk was already on Zhao's face. Again, the man evaded the problem without fighting directly.
"Sun?" Aang looked to his side and found Sun's deeply conflicted expression only to be soon overcome with a profound sense of grief.
"If it's only Nik..." Sun whispered, "Sorry... none of this would have happened if he didn't release the prisoners and sauntered about."
*Ssssss*
Sokka and Aang were forced to move aside as dangerous steam instantly grew while the chunks of earth turned into fearsome lava.
"But... Warden Hara was always guilty about it. Meng was happy that they finally escaped and everything would have only gotten better after their escape if it wasn't for you!"
Sun's roar stunned Zhao but not long enough for him to face the wave of Lava as he jumped aside with a deep scowl.
"Unpredictable bastard," He hissed under his breath.
"Woah!" Sokka covered his nose due to the unsettling smell that began to pervade the surroundings due to the Lava and the steam while Aang twirled his staff and caused the steam to disappear at a quicker pace, revealing Zhao grouping with his men and facing Sun with a dignified expression.
"Anger? At this stage?" The Admiral sneered, "I suppose guilt does make way for helpless rage. I assume that the news of you abandoning the prisoners would be devastating to them."
"You both... go help others. I'll kill him myself," Sun suggested to the duo instead of replying to the taunt but if the bubbling Lava floating around Sun as if he was a waterbender was any indication then his rage wouldn't be easily quelled.
"There are eight of them," Sokka scoffed, "And we have suffered more against less. They are trained and efficient..."
"And deadly," Aang, too, walked forward. One end of the staff pointed in Zhao's direction when a blow of wind smacked the back of Zhao's head.
A technique Aang had used against Nik once. In fact, this technique was inspired by Sokka's boomerang and it rarely missed.
"Ugh," Zhao lost his footing for a moment when the trio instantly attacked.
Sun's punches shot globules of lava that went through the burst of flames unimpeded while Sokka slide down the icy floor and Aang, in tandem, used the steam from the reaction of ice and lava to attack one of the firebenders with hot steam.
"Foolish!"
The elite soldier scoffed as he twirled his body, surprisingly, bending the smoke!
The art itself stunned Aang but not long enough for Sokka to rush forward and gave a terrifying, crunching-sound-inducing whack with the butt of his spear on the soldier's back as he fell on the ground, spasming.
"Why would you show your back?" Sokka questioned sincerely but the frothing soldier who revealed the ability to bend the smoke couldn't speak with his consciousness lost.
On the other hand, Aang continued to move steam so that Sun could bend Lava without any restrictions to his vision but this time didn't redirect it towards the opponent. Aang had the suspicion that the heat within the smoke and steam was the catalyst that allowed the performing firebender to bend the different element. But he was too slow compared to a real airbender and ended up getting... well, fatally injured by a highly motivated Sokka.
---
"Can we be going any slower?" Mai frowned as she looked at Nik who walked at a brisk pace... something that should be avoided during a siege.
"Hey, the fights have already begun. There's a chance that someone might slip deeper into the tribe and cause destruction so I'm going slightly slow to prevent such an outcome."
"Miserable liar," Mai narrowed her eyes.
"Was that an insult or an observation?" Nik shrugged off the taunt, making Mai a bit frustrated at his lack of reaction.
***
A/N: Smokebending is canon so I thought why not? Besides, the man was flaunting in front of a real airbender so Sokka wouldn't let this chance slip by.
***
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