Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Adolescents are not monsters. They are just people trying to learn how to make it among the adults in the world, who are probably not so sure themselves.

-Virginia Satir

We make our own monsters, then fear them for what they show us about ourselves.

- Mike Carrey

Monsters are tragic beings. They are born too tall, too strong, too heavy. They are not evil by choice. That is their tragedy. They do not attack people because they want to, but because of their size and strength, mankind has no other choice but to defend himself. After several stories such as this, people end up having a kind of affection for the monsters. They end up caring about them.

- Ishirō Honda

Aboard Fire Nation Prisoner Transport Ship

Somewhere in the sea separating the Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom

A deep moan through the hull of the ship awoke Azula.

It was low, muffled by the thick steel of her cell. Ordinarily, she would’ve dismissed it as a rogue wave or the roar of the engine as it was filled with more coal. But she’d been chained up here long enough to recognize if they’d hit rough waters. Or when the engine was fueled up to keep the fires powering this forsaken vessel her dear brother had shoved her into afloat.

…or maybe it was the engine. And her mind was playing tricks on her.

Again.

Almost on cue, she saw the red robes and sad face of her mother watching her from the darkened corner of her cell. My love. I…I never wanted this to happen .

Azula would’ve blasted the phantom if her hands were free instead of bound by chains. “Don’t give me that,” she hissed. “I bet you were laughing your heart out when that peasant tied me down in chains and when your dear Zuzu locked me away in an asylum while he stole a crown he never deserved.”

I wasn’t laughing, Azula. If there was anything I could’ve done to prevent this from happening, I would’ve done it a long time ago .

“More like made sure I was out of the picture so the traitor gets the throne,” the girl muttered under her breath. She wondered if Mother would be saying these things if she knew that the oh-so-benevolent Fire Lord was in the process of gutting his own country and groveling before the Avatar to keep the crown.

All those lives (including their own cousin’s) sacrificed to see their destiny through…now made worthless cause the weak link was in charge.

And who’s the one who LET the weak link take the throne I entrusted to you?

Azula went pale, now seeing the ghostly image of her father in the other corner, all done up in the resplendent robes of the Phoenix King. He has been appearing more and more ever since her shameful performance during the Comet. A constant reminder of her absolute failure and why she was the one in chains.

Losing to the failure AND a peasant. Now being carted off to the Earth Kingdom to be judged along with how many of her countrymen. This was a just punishment for being worthless.

Her lack of response only served to fuel her father’s anger. Even now, you STILL won’t defend yourself?! Even when you know the traitor is going to ruin everything we have strived for?!? Pathetic.

Pathetic. That was the only word Azula had for herself.

You can still escape, you know. Run when the time is right. The guards can’t keep their eyes on you forever.

And then there were…those voices. Azula thought it was her brother at first. Or maybe Ty Lee or Mai. Yet she never saw them manifest like Father or Mother did. And they almost always said the same thing. Three voices speaking with the mind of one. Sometimes at the same time like Lo and Li did sometimes. Great. Her mind was fragmenting so much that voices of her past were beginning to mix.

“What’s the point?” she asked them. “I couldn’t even beat Zuko. And he has the Avatar on his side.”

But you beat them before once. Didn’t you? Mai’s voice answered. You can beat them again. No one is invincible. You just need to tear them apart , the sing-song tone of Ty Lee joined almost cheerfully.

“Shu…shut up.”

Or you can just sit here to rot. Your choice , Zuko’s newfound word of authority declared. The three began to say the same things they always did. Escape. Fight. Punish those that put her there. Azula tried to block them out, rightfully knowing that these were the words of madness. And yet…she couldn’t ignore them completely. Not when they seemed like the only things keeping her soul alive.

Another moan silenced them all though, bringing Azula back into the coldness of reality.

Her senses were brought to bear. This time it didn’t sound like an engine.

It sounded louder.

And almost…alive…

Before her mind could betray her further with some nightmare lurking in the depths, the world suddenly lurched. Azula’s stomach almost hurled the prison-grade food up, though the groaning of the metal would have drowned out any sick noises she ordinarily would’ve made. Quite frankly the only thing keeping her on two feet was the chains holding her arms and legs to the steel wall behind her.

Through the walls, she could hear the intercom crackle to life as the ship’s captain barked out, “Alert! We are under attack! All personnel are to man their battle stations!”

Almost on cue, she heard a stampede of armored boots race past her cell door. Her mind raced as fast as they did, trying to figure out what was going on. An attack? From whom? The prison ship was being guarded by a squadron of battleships armed to the teeth. Granted she had heard rumors of whole groups of the army threatening to go rogue due to the new Fire Lord’s policies, but she never imagined they’d be bold enough to launch an attack like this. Especially if they risked the wrath of the Avatar and his cronies.

Quite frankly though, it didn’t matter. As the voice said, her time had come.

Already she brought up a thin blade of blue fire to her palm, eating away at the metal. Ironically, Zuko had rejected the use of needles to block her chi points or any sort of medicine to keep her “subdued”. Said that it wouldn’t be humane or necessary given her worn-out demeanor ever since the Agni Kai. Azula inwardly called him an idiot, since he of all people should’ve known when she was putting up an act. Or at least played up what she truly was feeling at the time…

She also wondered what part of shipping her off to the territory of their enemy was considered “humane” to begin with. Typical. All talk. No willingness to back it up.

Azula decided to focus on getting herself free without the heated metal burning her hands first. There’d always be time to tear Zuko’s “era of love and peace” rhetoric apart with what she had seen.

She managed to get the first of the bonds free, putting just enough power into her palm to blast the metal away before it could scorch her skin. Right now she was in the process of wrenching her arm free and working on the second chain before she heard a voice from outside. “You two stay here and check on the prisoner. Make sure she stays put.”

Right then. No time for finesse. She thrust out her fingers, letting forth a concentrated blue fireball blast into the chain restraining her other arm. The bindings melted, releasing her second arm, but the chain still dangled off her wrist. Quite frankly she was just glad her aim hadn’t deteriorated with her mind.

Before she could move on to her legs though, the door burst open, and the armored forms of the two elite firebenders assigned to watch her came rushing in. Seeing she was loose, the first one thrust out his fist and let out a blast of orange flame right at her. Instincts kicked in seeing her element charging at her, drawing out both of her arms and redirecting the fire to smash into the chains restraining her right leg.

Cinders and flame separated her from the guards, giving her cover to thrust out her palm and free her last leg with one more burst of blue flame.

“SHE’S FREE!!!” one of them yelled, causing the both of them to let out a pair of fire bursts at once. Azula jumped up against the wall and above the flames, letting her body hang there for the only second the steel would allow her. Not wanting to let Ty Lee’s training go to waste, she pushed herself off the wall and tackled the first guard to the ground.

Before the second could let out a cry, Azula used the momentum of her leap, rolling herself back up and maneuvering behind the guard. Turns out that wearing prison garb meant you were a lot more agile than heavy armor. Something she took full advantage of as she wrapped the remains of her chain around the guard’s neck and pulled.

Adrenaline and survival ruled her senses. A teenager weakened from imprisonment wouldn’t be able to strangle the life from a full-grown man after all. But that wasn’t the point as the first guard wobbled to his feet. Azula jumped up again and kicked out, letting blue fire out from her feet to smash the second guard into the first.

The two were crumpled down and trying to untangle themselves when Azula made a break for it into the hallways, slicing away the last remnants of her restraints.

Her break for it didn’t last long though as she came face to face with a whole line of soldiers rushing down the hallway. They all stopped to gawk at the escaped prisoner for a moment or two before somebody shouted “GRAB HER!” , prompting them all to either bring up their weapons or get into their stances.

Azula got into her own stance. Looks like she was going to fight her way out.

A blue light illuminated the hallway as…

-wait a minute.

Azula blinked. She hadn’t released any fire yet. Something that dawned on the soldiers as they looked just as dumbstruck as she was. Her eyes were drawn to the portholes lining the length of the hallway. All she saw was stormy skies and rough seas, yet the light certainly didn’t seem like any kind of lightning…

What she did see, or rather feel, was a massive wave crashing into the side of the ship. Her whole world turned sideways as the ship was pushed sideways, the sudden movement taking everyone off guard and scrambling for balance.

Azula found hers a bit quicker. Just one more testament to her discipline. The soldiers on the other hand weren’t as elegant. Their heavy armor and forward momentum caused them to stumble, some just barely managing to avoid tumbling on their face.

Well, time to show them the difference between guarding prisoners and being the Phoenix King’s chosen successor. Using the tilted ship to her advantage, Azula lept and ran along the wall. She couldn’t help but smirk as she breezed past the clumsy guards. Zuzu honestly should’ve stationed better help if he wanted her to stay in her cell.

Pushing herself off the wall, she twirled in the air and kicked out an arc of flame at the cluttered mess behind her to keep them off balance. Nodding to herself, she turned to make a beeline toward where the exit should be-

-only to swing her fist around to bat aside a fire blast from a firebender in elite armor standing in front of her. The first of a whole squad.

Azula snarled as she took a defensive stance. Behind her, the guards were scrambling onto their feet while the squad in front of her began to get in position. To her frustration, she also felt her legs wobble a little. A testament to how out of practice she’d gotten in that cursed asylum.

No matter. She’d fight her way out or die trying. Azula wouldn’t give her brother the pleasure to serve her up to the Earth Kingdom on a silver platter.

Before anyone could throw the first fireball though, something slammed into the ship once more with a loud clang. It was followed by a metallic tearing noise. The Princess turned her head in the direction of the sound. Maybe they hit a coral reef or something.

Her thoughts were dashed when she saw the soldiers coming right at her. Or rather away from whatever that awful sound was with fear overcoming any need to apprehend her.

Once she saw the hull of the ship being torn through, Azula promptly started running too.

Any illusions of sides or order were gone as she sprinted down the hallway. It wasn’t like any of the firebenders were going to stop her. Once they saw the chaos coming their way, they started running too. The screams of the soldiers behind her only quickened her pace, bobbing and weaving between the armored bodies in a mad dash to the stairway. She could see it! Just ahead! Not too much farther.

So close in fact that she made the mistake of looking behind her to see the bodies being flung by what looked like gigantic hooks, tearing right through their armor. And hear the screams of horror were joined by screams of agony.

She jerked away, just getting to the staircase in time. Azula climbed the first few steps before she felt somebody run up after her. Looking behind, she saw one of the elite firebenders with their helmet off clambering after her. The elite was a woman, something that was pretty rare. Rather than trying to catch her though, the soldier thrust out her hand trying to reach for Azula’s. “HELP ME! PLEASE!” she yelled.

And for a moment…Azula paused. This woman would’ve locked her up just a few days prior. A thousand scenarios passed through her mind. Was this a trap? Was it worth it? If she reached out her hand, would she find herself being flung in the way of the oncoming chaos? That couldn’t be right. The soldier was clearly terrified, and she felt a nagging need to take that hand.

Unfortunately, a moment was all it took until the woman was carried off by the oncoming hooks. Her screams for help were replaced with terror, joining the din of tearing metal and chaos.

Azula could barely hold herself up, before adrenaline kicked in and propelled her up the stairs. There was one thing that was etched in her mind though.

Those massive hooks didn’t look like metal. Metal wasn’t ivory white.

The closest thing her mind could conjure up was claws.

And that moaning sound through the metal above her was sounding less like the hull being battered by waves and more like the sounds of-

She didn’t want to think about it. There was a time to run and there was a time to think. And right now she needed to run.

Up and up she climbed through the levels of the ship. Everywhere she looked, chaos reigned. Soldiers were either running to their stations or just running. Some prisoners like her had managed to break free and were making a break for it. A few guards took shots at her, but panic ruled the majority. No more metal was torn nor did more claws pierce the ship, but she did hear and feel something tossing the ship around. Not enough to capsize, but enough to rock a military-class transport ship.

What little she could see from outside didn’t help matters. She saw orange flashes of fireballs and catapults being fired at…something through the stormy outside. And she saw more of those blue flashes, followed by what sounded like explosions and the ship being thrown about. Not enough for her to make any clear image in her mind of what was going on.

A time to think, a time to run , her mind kept repeating to her.

After…she didn’t know how many levels, Azula could finally see the stairway that led to the deck of the ship. Climbing up the stairs, her hands gripping the railing, she kicked the door open to the outside. The first thing she was hit by was the wind and the rain, the deck of the ship being drenched in a torrent. The second thing was who she suspected was the captain, barking orders to the crew up top. A catapult was flinging its payload into the stormy night, but Azula didn’t bother to see what they were aiming at. What she was most concerned about was trying to find a lifeboat.

Quite frankly, the need to get off a boat under attack by who knows what was a more pressing matter than what IT was. She’d have time to figure out a plan once she got out to sea.

“THERE’S THE PRINCESS! APPREHEND HER!!!”

Scratch that. The first imperative was not getting herself killed. By instinct, Azula lunged towards a crewman who had his back to her, just about to turn around before she kicked his calf to bring him to his knees. Before he could shout, she wrapped an arm around his chest and brought up a dagger of blue fire to his neck.

“NOBODY MOVE OR HE GETS IT!” The captain and crew stopped dead in their tracks, seeing her take the hostage. Inwardly her stomach churned. The man at her mercy, no matter who his allegiance was to at the moment, was still Fire Nation. Wasn’t his fault their current Fire Lord was a weakling and a traitor. Hopefully, she got the message across the raging tempest and the crew wouldn’t bring harm to one of their own.

Azula dragged her hostage up, hoisting him in front of her as she began to look for the lifeboats.

“Azula! I have orders from your brother to bring you to the Earth Kingdom to stand trial, and I mean to honor them!” the captain shouted. Great. So he must’ve bought into the stories about her so-called “crimes”.

“This is stupid! You’re gonna try and capture me when the ship is under attack?!?” Zuzu must’ve put this idiot in charge. Made sense. They both have the same amount of self-preservation.

Said idiot and his men were taking up their stances regardless of her threat, trying to maneuver their way into a flanking position. Azula backed up, hostage in hand, making sure her dagger of blue flame was visible to all. Her eyes were torn between trying to look for a lifeboat and keeping her would-be assailants in check. “Just point me to the lifeboats and nobody has to get hurt!” she demanded, deciding to kill two birds with one stone.

The guard she held was breathing rapidly. She grimaced, realizing who she held may be an older teen. Probably got assigned here as some favor to one of the clan heads. Certainly wasn’t for experience given how fidgety he was. “Captain! Please-!” he choked out.

“It’s okay son. Just…hold still and don’t do anything rash,” the captain consoled. His fist on the other hand began to heat up, heralding a blast of flame. Azula paled. He couldn’t risk a strike without harming his subordinate. Granted she understood that sometimes sacrifices needed to be made, but for the love of- THE SHIP WAS UNDER ATTACK! Was capturing her their biggest priority at the moment?

Didn’t help that her hostage was getting more panicked, begging the captain to not do anything stupid. The regretful look on the older man’s face though was enough for Azula to realize that duty was more important to him than common sense.

Behind the captain, the catapult’s crew launched their bombardment into the night. And she decided she wasn’t going to wait for somebody else to screw up. She kicked the teen to the ground and dove out of the way of a fireball. Rolling up on the rain battered onto her feet, she brought her fist up to launch another blast of fire in retaliation.

She didn’t need to though. A set of massive claws smashed into the catapult, crushing both it and the crew and almost causing everyone to lose their balance. Another set of claws emerged from the stormy darkness, gripping the bridge of the ship.

Azula stopped, seeing the great powerful arms clad in gray scales that the claws belonged…and looked up. She couldn’t see much in the tempest, but she could just make out a powerful chest with tons of seawater pouring down the reptilian-looking hide.

She heard its breathing and a contemptuous snarl.

She saw a blue glow faintly come to life from behind the…the thing…

And fear took over.

Without thinking, she sprinted to the side of the ship. Nobody tried to stop her. They were focused on throwing pitiful-looking blasts of fire against the rocky skin. She didn’t look back, not when the glow kept getting brighter. And certainly not when she leaped over the side.

Azula quickly straightened herself as she plummeted, feet held directly to the surface of the water. She pierced the surface like a missile, her body coming under assault by the sheer cold of the seawater. As bad as it was, at least she could move her arms and legs around rather than being encased in ice.

The cold suddenly didn’t become a problem when a muffled explosion along with a burst of blue light behind her heated her back. Looking around, she saw the huge ship, clad in hardened Fire Nation steel sink into the depths in flames.

So spellbound was she that she almost didn’t notice her body beginning to be sucked down along with what was once her prison. Panic gave way to control, an inner determination to not die here. A Princess of the Fire Nation would not drown at sea. Azula brought forth every last ounce of strength to her fists and feet, channeling a furious amount of blue flame to propel her through the water. It took everything to escape the ship’s pull.

The effort needed for such a maneuver though was taxing. Along with everything else that had transpired, Azula could feel her consciousness fade, her vision blurred just as she was about to reach the surface.

No…she…she couldn’t…

Father…Mother…somebody…please…

Just as her strength failed her, she saw the ghostly image of her mother hovering above the water, looking at her with sadness in her eyes.

…no…no! She wouldn’t die here!

Calling upon the last of her reserves, Azula burst herself through the surface of the water, coughing and gasping for air. Her arms and legs worked overtime to keep her afloat, while her head swiveled in all directions to find something, anything to grab onto.

All she found was a torn sheet of metal. Wasn’t much, but it would have to do.

Weakly, Azula swam herself over to the piece of debris and latched onto it as if it were the only thing between life and death. She breathed a sigh of life as it remained buoyant. Exhausted, she coughed up sea water as she clung to the metal in the stormy sea. Thankfully it seemed to be calming down, but it felt like the whole world was spinning.

It didn’t matter though. Azula was alive. Every breath she took was a testament to that.

And more importantly, she was free.

A fact that calmed her strained mind as her eyes drooped, fatigue beginning to set in.

The great tail rising from the water and slamming down opened them back up.

Azula’s attention was drawn to the carnage surrounding her, and reality began to set in. Burning wreckages of what were once Fire Nation ships dotted the sea. Charred corpses coughing out the last bits of blackened air before being claimed by the dark water, their fires being smothered by the rain.

Not too far away from her was where the massive prison ship was. All that was left was the ruined hulk of the wreckage.

As well as the mountain rising from the sea.

One of the things Father had taught her was that she was a monster. It surprised her at first, but in some way it gave her…she wouldn’t say comfort, but stability. She’d describe it as one of the great truths of her life. A fact as cold and hard as her lightning. That there were people out there who naturally brought fear. The only three she knew of to be truly monstrous were herself, Father, and the Avatar.

This…this thing on the other hand…its titanic body soared high up into the angry heavens above, with charcoal scales covering a powerful torso and covering powerful arms. A row of great dorsal spines ran down its back, each one resembled a raging inferno captured in a sheath of bone. And at the top rested a saurian face, growling at the devastation it had wrought.

Those eyes though…they almost seemed to be reflecting the fires the beast had caused.

Reflecting nothing but rage.

Azula thought she knew monsters. For she was one herself. But the great reptile standing amidst the dying storm had just rewritten the definition.

A fact made clear to her as lightning struck and danced along its dorsal spines while the monster reared back and let out the same sound she had heard in her cell. Now erupting into the violent air as if announcing its arrival to the surface. What was once a moan had now become a roar. A promise that this was only the beginning.

SKEEEEEEEROOOOOOOOONK!!!!!!!!!!!

Chapter Text

???

…

“…she’s breathing. She’s still…”

…

“...what are we gonna do? If we try to…”

…

“Shut up! I think she’s coming!”

The sudden steadiness of the sea and the voice of a stranger was what fished Azula up from the realm of unconsciousness. She blinked her eyes from the harsh sun, smelling the stench of seawater upon her skin. A groan left her lips, feeling the ache of her body. How…how long was she out for? Didn’t feel like a long time.

The first thing her eyes saw once they’d adjusted themselves to the sun was the girl looming over her.

Panic shot through her veins, but there wasn’t a whole lot her exhausted body could do about it. All she was able to manage was to quicken her breath and at least try to move her limbs in some pitiful attempt to escape. Clearly, she was making her distress known though, for the girl gently placed her arms on the Princess’s shoulders. “Hey! Relax! You’re not in any danger. You’re safe.”

Azula sized up the girl trying to console her. She didn’t seem much older than the dazed Princess. Short black hair made her think of Mai, but it was a bit frazzled and unkempt. Only a single small braid on the left side of her face was the only evidence it was cared for. The pale skin and soft amber eyes made Azula realize she was Fire Nation in descent. At least she hadn’t been picked up by any Water Tribe savages or those snakes from the Earth Kingdom.

Everything else though was less reassuring. Her rather loose simple garments of red and gold didn’t exactly seem to resemble anything near the home islands. Given how her shoulders and arms were bare, she’d almost wager the girl was a native of one of the outlying islands dotting the farthest edges of the Fire Nation. The tattoos under her eyes were especially odd. Three under each eye in the shape of lightning bolts; each one colored either red, black, or gold.

Then there was that medallion around her neck. It was simple, looking like a bit of stone. Yet the symbol…a cross with what looked like rays emanating from it…she wasn’t sure why, but it seemed to stand out more than it should.

“I…where am I?! Who are you?!”

“Relax. My name’s Maina and we’re nearing Odo Island,” the girl reassured, though how that was supposed to calm Azula’s fears was anyone’s guess. Maina? What kind of name was that?! It certainly didn’t sound like anything from the Capital or the surrounding islands! And where was Odo Island?!

Hang on. Odo Island…why did that name sound familiar?

“Speaking of which, we need to figure out what we’re gonna do with her,” another voice said. Looking over across the small boat, she saw two young men rowing the boat. “She’s the Princess, and the soldiers aren’t just gonna let us take her into the village.”

Azula felt her skin go cold at the peasant’s assessment. They knew who she was. Who wouldn’t know the Mad Princess by this point? Of course, they were going to turn her in. Surely, the news of the prison ship sinking would’ve reached her brother by now, and he would’ve put out a nice fat bounty for whoever captured the mad princess. If she knew lowlives like him, they’d be frothing for the chance for some easy riches.

“We can’t just hand her over to the guards either! She’s not much older than I am!” Maina spoke out.

…Azula blinked, her anxiety about the whole thing not going away. Why would somebody stick up for her?

“Not like we have much of a choice!” the second peasant said, a bit shorter and scrawnier than the other. They began to argue with one another, Azula just sitting there trying to figure it out. The two men obviously wanted her gone to be praised by the Fire Lord himself or something. This Maina on the other hand. What did the girl gain by having somebody like her around? It couldn’t be a status thing since nobody would want anything to do with a disgraced failure like her. Could it be that she wanted the glory to bring the monster in chains herself? Why?!

She could hear her father laughing right next to her. Oh, this is rich! I entrusted the throne to you, and now you’re letting these vultures fight over you! As if you couldn’t sink even further…

Her mother on the other hand had other words. Don’t listen to him, Azula. You don’t even know who this girl is! She could be trying to help!

“Shut…shut up!” she snarled, covering her ears to try and block out the voices in her head. Azula couldn’t take it. It was too loud. Too many voices between all the shouting and the yelling and the screaming…

The screaming…

Maina looked over and saw the haunted look on her face. Great. Now she was exposing her broken self to strangers. Felt like all she could do was screw up these days.

“Princess…could I ask you a question?”

Azula looked up, surprised at hearing her title for the first time since…she couldn’t recall. Numbly, she nodded her head.

The strange girl took a deep breath. “Did you see what sank those ships?”

What sank those ships. Flashes of lightning and an earth-shattering roar flashed through Azula’s mind.

“...yes. I couldn’t forget it.”

Silence descended upon the boat. Maina and the two other peasants exchanged looks, no one daring to say a word. It was an aura that Azula was all too familiar with. Dread. Dread of something they knew all too well.

They knew what was out there.

“We need to get her to Elder Yamane in the Dragon’s Cave. He needs to know what’s going on out here.”

“Wouldn’t that just bring attention to ourselves? I mean, we already have a sign from the debris she came in on,” the taller man responded to Maina, pointing to a bucket in the boat. Azula’s mind was brought down to earth and away from the nightmare. Old instincts kicked in as she tried to figure out the situation. What was the “Dragon’s Cave”? It didn’t sound like something they wanted to draw attention to. Smugglers maybe?

Maina held her ground though. “Look, she’s the only survivor that’s been brought in who’s seen what’s caused this that isn’t delirious or scorched half to death. If what we think is true, she’s our best shot of confirming it!” So this was a rescue boat. And apparently, other survivors had been rescued. That didn’t ease Azula’s mind at all. Were they holding any prisoners captive so they could get paid in royal gold? Surely whoever secured the sacrifices to the Earth Kingdom would be paid handsomely.

“Besides, do either of you really want to ship off a teenager like me to be tried for war crimes?” the strange girl finished, giving both of the men a glare as if daring them to respond.

Both of the other peasants paused and looked at each other. “...no. No, we don’t,” the shorter one said. The taller one sighed and punched his partner in the arm, muttering something about “Don’t come crying to me when the Fire Lord comes knocking”.

Maina smirked with satisfaction before returning to the stunned Azula. “You’re gonna be okay. Yamane and I aren’t gonna let you fall into custody again.”

“I…” Azula wasn’t sure what to say. She tried listening for the lie, the telltale hint, but she never got it. All she got was the other girl placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. Why? Why was this peasant helping her?

Probably wasn’t wise to question it now though. It was either this Maina or the guards, and at least the other teen didn’t seem interested in turning her in just yet. Her best interest would be to play along until she knew what was going on. The smart thing would be to play dumb and wait for an opening to get away if nothing else.

With that in mind, Azula turned to the sea, planning how she was going to get out of this one.

…the planning didn’t last long before she stared into the dark depths of the ocean, wondering just what it had unleashed last night upon the world.

“Hey, Sokka! How close are we to the site?!”

“According to the map that communications officer gave us…we should be coming up on it very shortly!?

Aang strained his eyes, trying to find the exact portion of ocean designated out of the…endless ocean Appa was currently flying over. “Uh…any particular landmarks?”

“It’s in the middle of the ocean! What kind of ‘landmarks’ would be out in the middle of an ocean?!” the brains of Team Avatar exclaimed exasperatedly. “Just keep an eye out for debris or something. Anything that looks like survivors could be clinging onto.” Sokka proceeded to fish out a telescope and began to scan the waters.

“Boomerang, you do know that they probably rescued whoever was down there already, right? I mean you did say it didn’t happen too far off the island.”

“Well, better safe than sorry. No harm in doing a quick scan in case anybody’s left out there,” Katara told Toph, a bit annoyed that the blind earthbender wasn’t taking what was essentially a rescue mission all too seriously.

“Okay. I just don’t understand why I have to come along with you guys instead of dropping me off at Odo Island. It’s not like I can be much help if Azula’s out here since…you know, can’t exactly bend a whole lot of earth out here,” the little girl pointed out.

“You still got that meteorite fragment?” Sokka asked.

“Yeah. Duh!”

“Then bend that! Besides, if we do find Azula, we’re gonna need all the help we can get.”

Aang’s eyebrows furrowed. When they heard of the transport ship sinking from Zuko, the first thing they thought of was Azula escaping. Quite frankly, none of them wanted to deal with her on the loose. As for why the ships sank in the first place was anybody’s guess. Zuko’s advisors believed it could’ve been one of those renegade military groups that went rogue following his coronation 4 months ago that tried to spring the former Princess out of custody.

So far though, nobody’s seen any Fire Nation ships in the area outside of those assigned to Odo Island. Nor had there been any sightings of ships coming in or out during the time following the raid, so chances were Azula was still in the area. Best the team could do for the moment was to confirm whether or not Azula was among the survivors, or sunk down with the rest of the ship.

The Avatar wasn’t sure what bothered him more. The possibility of Azula hiding among survivors and escaping, or her drowning in the depths of the sea. He knew what it was like to be forced under the waves, and he couldn’t wish that fate on anyone. Not even somebody who shot lightning through him.

“I hope she’s still alive…” Aang muttered.

Toph on the other hand had a very different reaction. “Me too! I’ve been wanting to go another round with her ever since the eclipse!”

“I just hope we can take her in before anyone gets hurt,” Katara responded with a somewhat distant look, gazing out over the sea. Aang understood. She told him about what happened after she chained Azula up. It…wasn’t pretty.

And Aang dreaded what the firebender’s state was following 4 months in an asylum. Zuko told them it was for her own good, but if the Avatar knew a thing or two about Fire Nation captivity, it wasn’t the most pleasant thing in the world. He just hoped her brother made sure she was safe.

“Hey! Down there! Survivors!” Sokka shouted looking through his telescope, pointing to a spot down below. Aang followed where Sokka was pointing and nodded, steering Appa down to the blue waters of the sea. The metal hull of the debris stood out, the three sailors hollering, cheering, and letting out flames of fire to mark where they were.

Aang let out a sigh of relief, gently lowering the flying bison down to the sailors’ impromptu liferaft. Looked like they stumbled across some survivors after all-

-an explosion of water erupted, throwing the metal and survivors into the air. Before anyone could react, a large crocodilian head snapped down on one of the sailors and dragged him screaming back into the sea.

Appa bellowed with surprise at the newcomer, getting sprayed as water was sprayed from its retreat back to the depths. Everyone just sat there gobsmacked before one of the sailors hollered, “HELP US OUT OF HERE BEFORE HE COMES BACK!!!”

“What’s going on down there?! Is it Azula?!?” Toph yelled, unable to see what was going on, but was able to hear both the screaming and feel Appa rapidly pulling up.

Sokka shook his head. “No! Some kind of sea monster! Aang! See if you can lure him away! I’ll take Appa and get them out of the water! Katara! Hold back till we can get them out so they don’t get caught in the crossfire!” Aang and Katara nodded, both prepping themselves as Sokka took command like he usually did.

Already the airbender could see a shadow begin to ascend through the depths, aiming right at one of the sailors. Standing up, he got the wings out of the glider Teo had gifted him and lept off Appa. He used the momentum from the leap and aimed his trajectory right at the sailor, hoping to get the timing right.

At the last moment, he snapped up his glider and swooshed a gust of air that got the sailor out of harm’s way, before swinging it around and pushing another gust to propel him away from the water.

Just in time too as the water exploded and a sleek, reptilian body jumped out with its maw wide open. His first thoughts were an Unagi from the streamlined frame and dark body. But the neck was far too short, and its head looked less like an eel and more like some kind of lizard. It wasn’t nearly as big either, along with having four paddle-like fins against its body.

Whatever it was, its eyes were trained on him as it snapped its jaw shut and plummeted back to the water below.

Well, the good news was that it had its attention on him. Aang opened his air glider once more and flew off away from Appa and the others, keeping himself low to the surface so the predator wouldn’t lose interest. Sure enough, he heard a burst of water from behind, prompting him to turn his glider in the nick of time to avoid getting devoured by the hungry maw crashing back into the sea. Nobody could say he didn’t know how to get out of the trouble he found himself in.

He sped up by bending air behind him, hoping to put at least a little bit of distance between whatever this thing was and himself. Aang looked behind to make sure that he was being followed, only to see the calm waters of the sea surrounding him. Far behind, Sokka was throwing down the ropes off of Appa to haul the sailors out of the water. The thing was, he didn’t see any shadows or disturbances that betrayed the reptile possibly moving in that direction.

So on the one hand, the predator wasn’t interested in his friends. On the other, where was it? Didn’t seem too likely for a carnivore of that size to just give up easily.

Aang slowed down to get his bearings when he saw the bubbles and foam right in front of him. He snapped his glider shut and pushed some air to cut off his momentum, just as the hunter burst out of the water once more.

This time though, the beast’s body was angled in such a way that it was gonna fall right on top of him. Panicking, Aang dove to the side to avoid getting crushed. Yet before he could snap his staff open to save himself, the water was pushed upwards as the beast hit the surface and crashed over his body. On instinct, Aang bent a sphere of air around him as he was forced under the water.

The old lessons about controlling one’s breath took over, bringing a sense of calm over Aang to wash over the panic. That and to maintain the bubble of air that separated the waters of the ocean from him.

A low growl penetrated the shield and brought his attention to the great monster before him. Getting a better look, Aang saw that its torso was a lot bulkier than he imagined. Its whole body seemed to be powered by rippling muscles just underneath the scaly hide. Despite having him at a temporary disadvantage, the predator held back, carefully circling the boy and eyeing him. It wasn’t used to prey that could bend air around itself underwater.

Now, Aang knew animals. He knew sea animals. After all, he did enjoy riding Elephant Koi, managed to handle an Unagi the one time, and even defeated a sea serpent. So he could confidently say that he had no idea just what this particular animal was. All he did know was that it was some kind of reptile, and it was really hungry.

Hopefully, his being able to bend air beneath the surface would surprise it enough for it to back off. The rule of thumb was that predators didn’t like to be startled by an unknown factor and might have second thoughts if presented with one.

Which seemed to have given this predator some thought as it turned away, probably to head back out to sea. Aang let out a sigh of relief.

Before going right back to panicking as it snapped its long paddle-like tail against his air shield. The hunter sprung into action, with its lithe body coiling and rushing right at the surprised airbender with its toothy maw.

A good thing then that Aang didn’t just have air at his disposal.

Reaching out into the sea surrounding him with his fingers, he froze the immediate water around the air shield to form a thick icy encasing. The monster’s jaws snapped against the ice, but it was thick enough to hold the rather sharp-looking teeth at bay.

For the moment anyway with the ice cracking and the teeth beginning to sink in. Not wanting to give the beast a chance, Aang brought his limbs together and prepared to let out a burst of air and got ready to shatter the ice to throw his assailant off of him. That was the plan before the predator suddenly lurched down and threw itself out of the water with the encasing still in its jaw.

One did have to admire the reptile in one respect. It certainly was smarter than it looked to recognize it could smash the encasing against the surface of the sea with little effort. Aang probably could appreciate it more if he weren’t currently trapped in its jaws.

Not for long though. Aang pushed out, bursting the sphere of ice outward and pushing out with a massive burst of air. The beast grunted in surprise as its jaw was forcibly pried open, allowing Aang to open his glider and fly to safety.

Or tried to as the predator tried to snap its jaws shut again. At least it would’ve, if a massive wave from nowhere had swept the reptile aside, forcing it down back into the sea.

Luckily for the boy, he had a powerful waterbender for a friend.

“Come on Aang! We got the survivors!” Katara shouted from Appa’s back. Aang didn’t need to be told twice, gliding over to safety and landing on the bison’s back. He suddenly found himself being embraced as Katara gave him a massive hug.

“Don’t do anything stupid like that again. Okay?” she ordered with a lot of worry.

“It’s okay, Katara. Thanks for saving me out there,” Aang said, embracing her back, and giving her a quick kiss on the cheek. He was cutting it close back there. At least he knew he had people to watch his back.

Somebody else was considerably less understanding. Momo landed on his shoulder and started chittering angrily like somehow he could put his fury into words. Aang just chuckled nervously, patting his pet lemur on the head reassuredly that he WON’T try to bait a huge sea monster like that again.

Speaking of which.

Aang looked out to see and saw the retreating form of the predator swimming back to the depths. Guess it didn’t want to try its luck any further. Good. He wouldn’t want to get on Katara’s bad side either.

“Hey, lovebirds! Mind telling me just what was out there?!?” Toph snapped out. Both Katara and Aang let go of their embrace, a little embarrassed they got caught in the act.

Before either of them could answer, one of the survivors answered. “I’m telling you, it’s a mosasaur! Just like the one I read about from that scroll back home!”

“Oh for the love of-we’re just happy you rescued us from that thing Avatar,” the other soldier interrupted, no doubt wanting to stop his comrade from embarrassing himself. Something that didn’t escape Toph’s notice, her brow furrowing in a moment of deep thought. Now Toph and “deep thought” normally went together as well as Aang and meat, so it caught the airbender’s attention almost immediately.

“Sorry about your friend back there,” Sokka apologized, not seeing Toph’s change in demeanor due to currently flying Appa. “Are there any other survivors we might need to pick up in case that thing comes back?”

“No. We’re the last two. Boats from the nearby island took the rest, and somebody was supposed to come back for us. That… thing and others like it were picking us off all night once the boats sunk.”

Katara leaned in and got the duo’s attention. “Listen. Was Azula among the survivors that were taken?”

The first sailor rubbed his chin. “I…don’t think we saw her. I mean there were a few of us, but I’d think we’d notice if the Princess was among them.”

Aang felt his spirits dim a bit. Don’t get him wrong, he didn’t like the girl who almost killed him and conquered Ba Sing Se. Yet it didn’t seem right to wish for her death either. After all, what separated her from the countless soldiers who’d tried to kill them over the last year? These soldiers sitting across from him. They would’ve been enemies if they had met just a few months sooner.

He guessed the only difference was that Azula succeeded where so many failed. Admittedly, that would paint a target on anybody’s back regardless of what else she did.

“I wouldn’t count her out yet though,” the second sailor warned. “I once heard she managed to survive being thrown off her own sloop by the Dragon of the West. If anybody could survive whatever attacked us, she could.”

Everyone remained silent, letting the implications sink in. Azula could still be alive. There were…a lot of conflicted feelings floating about. Aang and Katara shared a look. Neither of them wanted somebody about as old as them to die, but they didn’t exactly want the Princess of the Fire Nation running around loose either. Toph didn’t say a word, probably still mulling over what the first sailor said about the monster. Sokka…everyone knew his thoughts on the matter. He went with whatever Aang and Katara thought but also made it clear he didn’t think the main attack dog of the old Fire Lord should be given too much leniency.

Things were complicated these days. Sure Aang was happy that not everyone in the Fire Nation was actively trying to kill them anymore. Now it was a matter of who was going to be punished. Sure there were a lot of higher-ups and warmongers that needed to be dealt with at the summit. Yet the other nations were practically begging the entire Fire Nation army to be disbanded and put behind bars.

Aang understood that part. But looking at the men before him, it made him wonder who was truly heinous amongst them, and who were just caught up in the war machine…

“Look, could you tell us what happened last night?”

Both sailors looked at each other a bit nervously at Aang’s question. “Well…we didn’t exactly see who we were fighting. It was too stormy and the ship sunk before we could even get up to the deck.”

“Just tell me what you remember then,” the Avatar reassured, leaning forward and hoping to catch as much detail as possible. It was gonna take them a while to get to Odo Island and speak to the rest of the survivors, so he figured they’d make do with what they had.

Sokka probably would say they hit a reef or something and the prisoners made a break for it, causing the ships to sink in the confusion due to misfire under the mistaken belief they were under attack. Aang and Katara reserved judgment as they heard the sailor’s story. Chances were, the worst they’d have to deal with was Azula again. And they dealt with her in the past.

In short, nothing they hadn’t handled before.

Odo Island

They pulled into a small harbor hidden by huge, jagged shards of stone jutting out from the water. The cave itself was nestled beneath a rocky outcropping, with the harbor and wooden docks connected to a small landing. Further back, Azula could see tunnels reaching back into the walls, lit by torches.

The smell was the first thing that hit her when she took her first uneasy steps onto dry land. Air-drying fish had that unmistakable stench. She had to cover her nose to not take the foul aroma in.

Maina and the two other peasants didn’t seem too affected by it. Figures. You grow up in filth, you get used to filth. The two men stayed behind to check their boat while Maina picked up the bucket and a wooden staff to lead Azula into the so-called “Dragon’s Cave”. What exactly made this poor establishment worthy of the name was a mystery. All around her, she saw smelly-looking fishermen unloading their catches, peasants cleaning and hanging up their catches to fill the whole space with their stench…

Ugh, it almost made her want to hurl. So much so that she stumbled a bit on the steady earth.

The bruises and injection points she saw on her arms though told her the real reason. Her once milky white skin was riddled where they drugged her up and where the restraints for the damned straitjacket were fastened. It made her sick to her stomach. The one good thing about the ship was that the drugs and jacket were gone. Probably because her dear brother probably didn’t want anyone asking questions about why she looked this way and thus tarnish his new squeaky clean image.

Even still, she could feel the remnants of her drugs and the straitjacket gnaw at her legs, causing her to wobble around. The adrenaline from her escape was gone, now replaced by the sadly familiar sense of vertigo. Gravity did the rest, bringing her to her knees on the cold hard ground.

“Woah! You okay?” Maina asked, leaning down to help, but Azula brushed her away.

“I don’t need your help, peasant. I can get up just fine.” She did it before, after all. Yet when she tried to muster the strength to pick herself up…

Maina knelt to her level. “Look. I can find you a doctor if you-”

“No doctors,” she growled. The last thing she needed was for more so-called care workers to say how they were here to help before lashing her restraints on.

The other girl gave a frustrated sigh. “Listen. I don’t know what they taught you in the Capital, but I’m not gonna chop you to pieces and serve you for dinner.”

“That’s oddly specific.”

“A lot of people think that of us. But that’s not the point! Like it or not, I’m your best shot right now. And trust me, I’d rather not have to deal with somebody like you any longer than I should.”

“Then why not turn me in then?” Azula snapped back. Here it was. The same speech she’d heard for the last few months. She was a horrible person. A monster. Basically, everything she knew to be true was thrown back in her face. What did this girl have that she hadn’t heard before?

“Because I DO care about whether or not a girl like me is gonna be okay and not get herself sick from just walking.”

Maina sighed, collecting herself. “I know you don’t trust me. I get it. But you have to trust me when I say I want to help. Where I’m from, we’ve never been known to turn a cold shoulder to somebody in need.”

Azula’s eyes met hers, looking for the lie. All she saw was honesty. Nothing about the girl screamed a warning sign. And deep down, Azula wanted to believe her. When everyone seemed to have a fist full of fire to your face, she needed any sort of ally the world would throw at her.

…yet the memories of daggers and paralysis also told her that she didn’t know people as well as she wanted to believe. 

“...alright. Just…give me a minute though.” Maina stood back, allowing Azula to slowly get back on her shaky legs. It pained her to show even a single moment of weakness to who was effectively a stranger, but she couldn’t rely entirely on trust alone right now. It’s like Father said: sometimes the only person you can rely on is yourself.

She took one uneasy step. Another step. She felt her feet steady themselves, keeping her legs stable. Satisfied that she was back in control, she nodded to Maina, allowing the girl to lead her further into the cave. Taking a moment to look around her, she noticed that it didn’t seem entirely like a natural carving. It kind of reminded her of the emergency tunnels beneath the Royal Palace, only a lot smoother.

It made her wonder what they were built for. Smuggling perhaps. They seemed to be hoarding a lot of supplies down here. Fish in particular, though how exactly that qualified as something valuable to be sold off was anyone’s guess.

Eventually, they came across an old man in rather drab-looking clothes giving out orders to a group of peasants carrying crates of supplies. Despite his age and his rather earthly looks, he carried out an aura of authority that practically announced himself as the elder they were looking for. Didn’t compare to anyone from the military or even Fire Nation leadership, but it was respectable enough as far as Azula was concerned.

“Elder Yamane,” Maina greeted while giving a polite bow, elbowing the Princess to do the same. Naturally, bowing down before a peasant of all people almost made her throw up (or was it the lingering drugs?), but quite frankly her pride has been smashed to pieces as of late. Besides, she hadn’t been drilled to be impolite.

The old man turned and gave a bow in return with a smile. “Maina! It’s so good to see you! I’ve heard that the Hōnengyo have been prowling the waters, and I was afraid-”

“Don’t worry. We didn’t run into any on the way back. Though, I did find a bit more than what we bargained for out there.” She stepped aside, showing Azula to the village elder.

“The…the Princess Azula!” Elder Yamane gasped, before looking rather surprised at Maina. “Why did you bring her here? She could put us all-”

“She was barely awake when we found her and she’s in no condition to go to the guards,” the native girl clarified. “Besides…we’re already in enough danger as it is.”

With that, she passed the bucket she was holding to the elder, inviting him to look inside. Yamane obliged, and his face almost whitened to ash. Curious, Azula peeked inside to see what there was so much fuss about.

It was…an odd-looking crustacean. The first thing Azula thought of was a horseshoe crab, an ancient sort of sea creature she read about in a scroll once. This thing on the other hand was something else. For one, the thorax was a bit longer and segmented. And the head seemed oddly shaped as well. More like the crescent of the moon than a helmet.

“A…trilobite…a Herald from the Deep,” Yamane whispered, looking Maina dead in the eye. “Where did you find it?”

“I found it clinging to the piece of metal Princess Azula was floating on.”

“...wait, that thing was with me the whole time?”

“With all due respect, trilobites are one of the most harmless things in the world. You’ve got better chances of getting pecked to death by a messenger hawk,” Maina snarked to the now freaked-out Princess. Indeed, looking inside the bucket, Azula saw that the “trilobite” was just placidly milling about.

Feeling that she had gotten freaked out over what effectively was a harmless animal, her mind caught up to her. She remembered that in a visit to a General’s estate, he showed off his collection of trophies he had won from his campaign in the Earth Kingdom. Among them were fossils, the remains of ancient creatures that had long died out which were studied abroad. One thing stuck out to her though…

“Aren’t these things supposed to be extinct?” she asked. The more she looked at it, this felt like the equivalent of finding a living dragon.

The elder’s gaze seemed to go distant, his words coming to life as if dragged out of a daze. “Well…yes. But there are places in the world where ancient species like these survive. The shores off of Odo are one of them. Yet trilobites are different. They only live in the deepest recesses of the ocean, where the sun cannot reach. There’s no way this one could’ve crawled from the depths. It had to have hitched a ride on…something…”

Yamane looked Azula in the eye, with an intensity that seemed unreal for one of his background. “Princess. What did you see out there?”

…

She sighed and told her story. Of her imprisonment, about her escape.

And the…monster she had seen. Looking back, she thought the beast was another hallucination. One more sign of her fracturing mind brought upon by adrenaline and stress. There was no way a creature like that could possibly exist after all.

When she finished her story, she expected them to look at her and think her mad. They all did.

What she saw were faces of horror. All around them, the bustle of work seemed to stop, the peasants slowing to hear her account. Dread descended upon the cave, her words echoing in the space.

Her skin chilled with understanding.

They believed her.

Shaking out of his stupor, Yamane grabbed one of the peasants and started giving orders, and all at once, the work began again with renewed vigor. He talked to a few more workers before turning to them both. “Princess, Maina. Come with me. I need to show you something.”

“Wait…you believe me?” Azula managed to choke out.

“Let’s just say there’s a reason these tunnels were dug out in the first place,” Yamane said, beginning to lead them out of the caves.

Surprised at the revelation, Azula followed both him and the girl beside her. She threw caution into the wind as something else urged her on. That thing, that monster…it was no hallucination. It was real. And now she wanted answers.

Even still, deep down…a part of her was nervous about what she was going to find.

“Hang on…you’re telling me those things are supposed to be extinct ?!?”

Toph shrugged. “Hey. I’m just telling you what I heard from my parents, Twinkletoes.” They were standing outside of the common building that was being repurposed as a temporary field hospital on the island they had just arrived on. Practically all of the survivors weren’t in any condition to talk, either being in too much pain or just too out of it to tell them what had happened. The blind girl took the opportunity to tell Aang what was on her mind.

According to her, she heard the name “mosasaur” from a visit her family had made to a friend of theirs. A scholar to be precise. And he had a collection of fossils that he had a habit of showing off to visitors. Among them were the bones of a great marine lizard that was called a mosasaur by the circles of scientific minds who studied such remains. He described it as the apex predator of a long-lost ecosystem.

Not long-lost though considering they just ran into one offshore. “Well, maybe some of them managed to survive being hunted by the Fire Nation,” Aang reasoned. It wasn’t like extinct species didn’t have a habit of not being extinct after all. Appa and Momo were examples of that. Ran and Shaw were examples of that. Technically, Aang himself was an example of that.

The earthbender just shook her head. “We’re not talking about being hunted into extinction. The rock layers some of these fossils were found were millions of years old! Probably even far older than we’ve been around! How could something manage to survive for that long?”

“Well, if they’re sea creatures, maybe they just adapted to live in the deep sea,” Sokka reasoned. Aang and Toph looked at him a little funny, causing the warrior to shrug. “Hey, Suki knows a little about sea monsters.

“If that’s the case, what I want to know is what exactly forced them up to the surface? Animals don’t just leave their habitat unless they’ve got a really good reason,” Aang wondered aloud, his mind already trying to put the clues together. They figured pretty early on that the mosasaurs couldn’t have been responsible for the sinkings. Vicious as they were, they didn’t seem big enough like a sea serpent to destroy Fire Nation ships. At best, they were following in the wake of something to pick off whatever scraps it left behind.

The question now is what exactly were they following?

“You think it might be an angry spirit, Aang?” Sokka asked, noticing the airbender’s concentrating face.

“Could be. Wouldn’t be the first time a spirit got angry and attacked the Fire Nation.” He shuddered, knowing the full extent of how wrathful an enraged being could be when pushed too far. The question is, what exactly is making it upset? Usually environmental damage was enough to set a spirit off, but the area of Odo Island looked pretty serene. Sure there was a naval base on the island, but it wasn’t polluting the waters like the factory at the Jang Hui River.

They’d have to do some more digging. And that meant asking questions. The best way to do that was by asking those who saw it firsthand.

Speaking of, Katara stuck her head out of the hospital door. “Hey. Someone’s coming but…they’re not gonna last much longer.”

Everyone looked at each other, with grave expressions painted on all. They knew this was a possibility. Some of the state the sailors were in was…well, it wasn’t good. A fact clear as day when they followed Katara into the field hospital.

All around them were wounded men and women. Nurses did what they could to replace bandages, apply medicines, and make them as comfortable as possible. The burns though…they weren't pretty severe. They made Zuko’s scar look pleasant by comparison.

Luckily the worst of them were covered up by bandages, but from what little they could see…it would be a miracle if the most hurt could pull through.

“I know Azula’s messed up…but this is insane,” Sokka murmured. Aang had to agree. Being one of the most powerful firebenders alive, they all figured only she would be capable of something like this.

The only one who didn’t seem so sure was Katara, but even she couldn’t deny the evidence around them. There weren’t just injuries from a shipwreck. Somebody had burned them badly. And there was a single name that floated in everyone’s minds.

They came to the man that Katara had mentioned. Heavily bandaged, but alive. For now at least. The waterbender unhooked her sealskin container and began applying the healing waters to the covered areas, letting them seep beneath the fabrics and to the flesh beneath. The sailor sighed, content for now at least. “I’m doing my best to keep him comfortable. I’ve been trying to get him to talk, but he seems out of it.”

Aang sighed. This man’s last moments on earth would’ve been an interrogation. At least they were trying their best to make him relaxed. Besides, they just needed to ask the one. Looking at him though was discouraging. His eyes were unfocused, his mouth repeating the same phrase over and over again.

“...fire…blue…blue fire…it…it got us…monster…”

Monster. Blue fire. To the team, that meant only one thing.

Azula.

Still, they needed confirmation, but Aang wasn’t sure how to reach him. It was then that Sokka elbowed him. “Hey. Try to see if you can do something to help him focus,” he whispered.

His words sparked something in Aang’s mind. This sailor was from the Fire Nation. Fire was their element.

Gently reaching out his hand, he conjured to life a small flicker of flame, not unlike something you’d find on a candle. At once, the sailor’s eyes focused, drawn to both it and the boy behind it. “The…the Avatar…” he whispered in awe.

It felt odd that the element Aang most feared now brought him the reverence of one. Gently, he knelt by the man’s side, making sure the flame was visible.

“Who did this to you?” he asked. And mentally he knew the answer.

The answer that was visible on the man’s face, stricken by an all too familiar fear. His lips parted, and everyone waited to hear that all-too-familiar name.

“...Gojira…”

…Team Avatar looked at themselves, not sure what to make of what they just heard. He spoke clearly, but the name was foreign to their ears.

At least…most of them…

A feeling of dread washed over Aang. As if somehow, he heard the name before.

And it brought something resembling as sheer a terror in his heart as it was in the man’s last words.

“Gojira…he’s coming…he won’t forgive us…Gojira…won’t forgive…”

Gojira.

That was the name that was given to Azula. The name they gave to the one lurking offshore. A beast the natives were familiar with ever since they were children. Something straight from their nightmares, a being they used to tell kids to fear if they misbehaved but never imagined would exist.

Until now.

It had come all so fast, that she was still processing what she was hearing. She asked so many questions as she followed Elder Yamane and Maina through the jungle to the beast’s shrine. Though the way they referred to it, it seemed more like some mere beast.

“Is it a spirit or-?”

“He’s no spirit, Princess. No spirit has dared to infringe on his territory for more than an age. Gojira hunts trespassing spirits.”

“Well, what is he then? You make it sound like he’s a god or something.”

“Gojira practically is a god,” Maina elaborated, picking up for the elder. “He’s a God of Chaos, Destruction, and War. Guardian and destroyer. King of the Monsters. He’s a lot of things, but above all, he’s not someone you should cross.”

King of the Monsters . There was that familiarity again, just like Odo Island. She was remembering something, the pieces beginning to fall into place. Somehow, she’d heard of this before.

Perhaps the answers were just ahead at the end of the path. Stepping out into a clearing, Azula could see a rather small and conservative-looking building. The age was evident, the paint of the wood having long been faded. Honestly, she had to blink twice to think it was some kind of shrine. It looked nothing at all like the elaborate shrines to Agni back in the Capital.

She did notice the dragons though. Two ran down the railings of the stairway to the shrine’s entrance, and small carvings appeared everywhere along the fringes of the temple. Whether they be along the rooftops or engraved on the wall, dragon imagery was everywhere.

Azula couldn’t help but be drawn to one of the dragon statues on the railing. Ever since her traitorous Uncle slaughtered the last one, this was the closest she could ever get to seeing a real one. A fact she still bitterly held whenever she thought of his smiling face. Oh, what she would’ve given to be born in another time when the original firebenders were still alive and thriving. Filling the earth with their vitality. The knowledge she could’ve learned…

Course she would’ve had to trade her father and the march of progress in exchange for such a chance. And that was something she couldn’t fathom. Sacrifices had to be made in all things after all.

Looking at the dragon before her though, she…couldn’t help but sense a feeling of familiarity. It lacked wings, and the scales were charcoal in color. And the spikes were elongated, with the blue paint on them faded.

“It’s him,” she muttered. “But…he’s not-”

“Actually according to legend, dragons belong to the same family as Gojira. Not closely related, but certainly enough for him to consider them kindred,” a strange feminine voice said.

Azula was a bit startled to see a young woman with long black hair in rather elaborate red and white clothes standing before her. Chuckling, the stranger gave a respectful bow. “Forgive me, Princess. I am Nami, the priestess of this shrine.”

…wait. Priestess? Her mind was screaming that Fire Lord Sozin outlawed any religious practices that weren’t overseen by the Fire Sages. Looking around, she realized she was standing in what was effectively a spit in the face of the Fire Lord’s authority. And why wouldn’t it be here? They were on the fringes of Fire Nation society as a whole. Who knew what kind of fringe religions were still practiced undetected?

Thankfully, she managed to keep her shock down. She’d be willing to overlook this affront if it meant she got answers.

Not noticing her forced attempt at being calm, Nami turned to Yamane. “Do you want me to begin the preparations for the exorcism ceremony tonight?”

And there came the vertigo again. An exorcism ceremony ? How long has this been going on?

“Relax Princess. It’s not like we’re gonna be sacrificing a virgin or anything,” Maina playfully said.

Her words managed to get something through to Azula, who nodded to herself. Great. She was overreacting to some backwater ritual. Didn’t realize how paranoid her mind had become these past few months.

Shaking her head, Azula listened attentively as Nami and Yamene approached them both. “I already have the altar prepared if you wish to see it, Princess Azula,” the priestess informed her.

Taking a deep breath to collect herself, the firebender gave a nod, following the priestess as she led them inside the shrine. Stepping out from the sunlight into the warm interior, Azula took a moment to look around her. Candles were lit all around the interior, illuminating the walls around them.

And the creatures upon them.

Some of them looked familiar. Fishermen going about their day’s work. Huge fish that Azula knew to be Elephant Koi. Undoubtedly this was a depiction of the seas around Odo Island.

Then there were others. Huge animals she couldn’t identify. Most of them were reptilian in appearance. Some of them had long necks with small heads filled with teeth with the bodies of seals. Others seemed like a cross between a crocodile and a serpent, slithering through the water. Fishermen seemed to fear these monsters the most, evident as some of them were depicted devouring men and smashing boats.

“What…are they?”

“These are the Hōnengyo. Ancient species that have dwelled in these waters far longer than man has lived on the earth,” Nami informed her. “They come from the same world Gojira had come from, one that’s been preserved in only a few places on our world.”

“I actually come from one of them myself,” Maina added. “Creatures like the Hōnengyo are connected with Gojira. They’re a sign of his presence. Like the trilobite I found with you.”

“Thing is, we’ve been seeing a lot of Hōnengyo lately. Particularly ever since those Fire Nation ships were sunk this year.”

Azula’s ears perked as the final pieces of the puzzle were given to her by the Elder. She looked with understanding.

“Admiral Koga…they were sent to investigate patrol boats disappearing. None of his group returned. Was…was-”

“Godzilla responsible? Yes.”

“...Godzilla?”

“That’s another name for Gojira. I hear those near the mainland call him by that name,” Nami clarified as she began to open a pair of doors near the back of the room. 

This must’ve been the altar she was talking about , Azula realized. She watched as the priestess opened the doors with reverence.

“If…he’s been around for so long, why’s he only now appearing?”

“I cannot say,” Nami admitted. “But if I were to guess…I suspect the Avatar’s return had something to do with it.”

“...the Avatar?”

“Yes. You see, Gojira is the guardian of these waters, but he brings great destruction and death wherever he goes. It’s why he only rises from the depths when he is needed most. Ever since the Avatar took the duties of the world on their shoulders, he had only risen a few times since then.”

Azula watched the doors open as the priestess spoke, seeing the candle flames flicker on the images behind.

“He must’ve waited a long time for the Avatar to return the balance. But with all the violence in the world having accumulated over a century, and with the return of Sozin’s Comet…I fear his patience has been pushed to its limit.”

The Princess felt her skin chill at the mention of that day. It was supposed to be the day the Earth Kingdom fell. Her finest hour when she ascended the throne. Where…everything had gone wrong.

Nami stepped back, allowing Azula a full view of the painting. “I fear that if his rage is not quelled, more destruction than what we have seen will engulf us all.”

Maina and Yamane stepped back, allowing Azula to approach the painting in full. Her eyes took in every detail. Things were different. The style of the Earth Kingdom ships seemed to fit more with the time of Fire Lord Zoryu than the war.

But the great tail causing ships to splinter and waves to drown men. The charcoal mountain rising from the depths with water spilling all over its thick hide. Dorsal fins like fire framing the destruction of all around it. The reptilian face snarling and roaring to the heavens.

It was him.

Gojira. Godzilla. It didn’t matter the name. It was him again in all his terrible glory.

What leapt from his maw was what caught Azula’s attention the most.

She brought up her hand, allowing a small flame to appear in her palm. Looking back and forth from her hand to the maw, her eyes took it all in.

Fire spewed from Godzilla’s maw, incinerating all in his path.

…and it was blue. Just like hers.

Chapter Text

Odo Island

"So…Azula and Godzilla."

Team Avatar convened outside of the shrine they were directed towards after the wounded sailor died. The island Elder told them everything about the name "Gojira". It turned out it was the name of a sea monster that called the waters around the island home, with the title "Godzilla" being a more commonly used version that was used to describe the same creature.

Whatever its name was, now they knew the identity of the shipwrecker. The problem was that now they had two problems running around.

"How do we know Azula is even on the island?" Katara threw out, furrowing her brow to try and put the pieces together. "You'd figure somebody would've told us about a member of the Royal Family hiding amongst villagers."

"Technically, the Elder already did."

Aang, Sokka, and Katara quizzically looked towards Toph. "Remember when we asked the Elder if he saw Azula? He was lying when he said he didn't see her."

"Wait a minute, how can-ooooooh…right." Sokka resisted the urge to slap his senses back. Sometimes he forgot they had a living lie detector on the team.

"I don't get it. Why would he lie to us though?" Aang wondered. It didn't seem right. Azula was one of Ozai's most loyal supporters. They'd all seen how the Fire Nation treated its citizens, particularly those at the bottom rung of society. Granted he did get how some nobles could still respect her (Spirits knows the amount of hardliners he had to deal with in Fire Nation court these days), but the peasants?

"It's like you said about those kids at the school, Twinkletoes," Toph nonchalantly stated. "Ozai probably taught everyone that he was the next thing to the Avatar and how practically everyone revolved around him. Chances are that everyone in the Fire Nation thinks that way about nobles like him.

"...what? It's like how my parents handled things back home," she added feeling the rather conspicuous silence towards her insight on how nobility operated.

Katara sighed. "Guess that makes our job harder if she's weaseled her way among them. Maybe we should focus on solving our sea monster problem then. At least wait for her to make some kind of mistake."

"Actually, I think Azula's our biggest concern right now."

Aang looked at Sokka like he grew a second head, prompting the Water Tribe boy to launch into his reasoning. "Look, it sounds to me like this Godzilla is just an animal. Chances are that the ships crossed into his territory, and he reacted accordingly. Not saying we shouldn't deal with him eventually, but at least we can just let Zuko know not to send any more ships into this area. That should keep Godzilla happy until we can get to him.

"Azula on the other hand…we all know what she's like. The longer she walks free, the more time she has to get to one of those rogue army groups, and then we'll have even more problems. Plus we know she's not right in the head, so tracking and taking her in won't be too hard with all of us on board."

"Yeah, but what if Godzilla's attacks start affecting the islanders in some way?" Katara asked.

Her brother just shrugged. "Again. I think he's just another sea monster. We've faced those before. And the only way I see him causing any more problems is if he just started walking on land and smashing stuff. Considering how that would probably cause him to be crushed under his own body weight, I'm not betting he's gonna be an issue right now."

His logic was pretty sound. Aang did notice that the largest animals they encountered were sea creatures like the Unagi, the Sea Serpent, and especially the Lion Turtle. Personally, he didn't like leaving a problem like this feature, but it's not like he could be everywhere at once.

"So, we go after Zuko's crazy sister, then we go monster hunting? Sounds like a plan to me," Toph summed up. Katara wasn't exactly amused by the "crazy" comment nor was she entirely convinced, but she also knew her brother was the mind behind the Black Sun Invasion. If anybody could assess the bigger threat, it was him.

"Alright. I'm gonna go send a message to Zuko to stop ships from entering this area. You guys find the commander in charge of things around here and talk with him. I'll meet up with you later?"

"Sure thing Sokka!" Aang cheerfully said as they set out on their tasks. Momo glided from a nearby tree to hitch a ride on Sokka's head, eliciting a rather frustrated sigh from the brains of the group.

Beneath all the cheeriness though, they were all on guard. Azula wasn't exactly one you should have your guard down around, and knowing her, she could be anywhere on the island. Hopefully, they could drag her out of her hole before she was able to poison the whole island against them.

Azula wished that she could personally poison whoever thought digging the hole she was hiding in counted as some kind of cave.

Besides, it's not like they would've helped to hide her from the Avatar. She tried to tell Elder Yamane that they had an earthbender that could sense underground features like a painfully obvious tunnel system. This would be the first place they'd look. Or barring that, the Avatar could bring down the tunnel system on top of them, burying them alive. Probably would chalk it up as rooting out a smuggler's den.

Too bad the only thing being stored here was the amount of fish they were harboring which reeks. Either that or it was the remnants of seawater that had dried out. Maina had graciously given her some replacement clothes to get herself out of. It was a simple red and salmon-colored traveler's robe. A far cry from what she was used to, but at least it wasn't prison garb.

She also offered to do the Princess's hair into her signature topknot, but Azula wouldn't let her lay a finger on it. As much as it pained her to walk around with her hair all disheveled as it was during the Comet, she didn't trust the stranger enough to handle her looks.

Not that she looked like much anyway. Without the topknot or her lipstick, she looked like every other peasant walking through these tunnels. It pained her. Made her feel weak. And the last thing you wanted to feel when being hunted was weak.

The best she could do was busy herself by scoping the area out. Not much more to look at though. None of the peasants struck her as too out of the ordinary and all they were harboring was racks of fish…

"What's with all the fish?" she wondered out loud to nobody in particular. It didn't seem like they were suffering from a famine.

"Commander Maoso's stealing all the fish we've been catching. Or what little's out there nowadays. Keeps saying 'We need to stock up for the reinforcements that are coming.' Easy for him to say. So we've been stockpiling food so we don't starve. Especially if things are about to get real bad," an older man told her, cleaning what looked like a rather toothy herring.

Azula looked at him rather quizzically. "Reinforcements? Why's the island being reinforced when the war's over?"

All she got was an exasperated shrug. "I don't know. Something's going down with the colonies or whatever. All I know is I'm staying out of it. Had enough fill of bloodshed during my service." He chopped the herring's head off as he said this, causing juice to spurt out.

He looked a bit sheepishly at Azula. "Eh, sorry if it's not a pretty sight."

Azula didn't respond. Conflict? Involving the Fire Nation's colonies in the Earth Kingdom? A pit opened up in her stomach. Several of the major clans had put a lot of their wealth and resources into the colonies. If something was happening there…

…hang on a minute.

"You served in the Fire Nation army?" she asked, not exactly looking impressed by his rather laidback demeanor. Nothing screamed "I was a proud member of the strongest military force in the world" at her with his hunched shoulders and weathered apron.

"Yeah. I'm…not exactly the picture of manliness aren't I?" he jokingly said. "See…my leg was crippled during a push towards Omashu. Higher-ups said I wasn't fit for duty and just sent me home. Heh. So much for being the soldier the Fire Lord wanted me to be."

You only get pride once you've earned it, Ozai bitterly spat out. Azula couldn't agree more. You were supposed to lay down your life for your country and people. Not just get sent back home because you broke your leg. And what was that nonsense about having "enough fill of bloodshed"? The way he talked, it sounded like he enjoyed being dishonorably discharged.

He was lucky Azula, her mother's voice told her. Lu Ten and those on the boat weren't.

For once, Ursa's words snapped her back to reality. It was then she noticed the crutches by the man's feet. Guess she must've missed those. Still, she wanted to say something about how…content he seemed having his destiny taken from him. How could he be so…so…

Her mind flashed with screaming and an outreached hand…and all at once Azula wondered if he'd been just a bit unluckier, they wouldn't be having this conversation.

…

She walked away, unable to look him in the eye. He was a mediocre man. Plain and simple. She didn't need luck. She never needed luck. Everything she was, she accomplished on her own. Nobody could argue otherwise.

Still…looking around her, she wondered just how many of these men were amongst these people. How many duties left unfinished because of fate? Now doomed to live like everyone else because of their failure? Left to rot and be abandoned?

Just like you? the three voices that were not her parents asked.

"...no." Azula knew her duty, and right now it was to find out what was going on. Now with purpose in her mind, she walked towards the exit of the caves, where she exited with the old man and Maina to visit the temple.

Speaking of, she felt a hand on her shoulder and a voice in her ear. "Look, if you're gonna go out, take this."

Turning around, Azula saw a heavy dark red cloak being offered by the native girl. Quizzically, she took the robe and fastened it on her shoulders, letting the cape fall to the earth. The weight was…comfortable. It didn't compare to her royal armor, but it was a start.

All she had to ask though is, "...aren't you gonna stop me?"

Maina shrugged. "If I did, I wouldn't be able to. But I'm not letting you walk out in broad daylight alone." She lifted her staff on her shoulders as if it were some kind of weapon.

Azula coyly smirked. "You know, for somebody who doesn't like me, you're doing a lot to keep me out of trouble."

"Let's just say it's an old saying back on my island. Now come on. I'll take you to the harbor. Chances are the Commander's down there like he always is trying to take these people's fish."

Realizing she wasn't going to get rid of her newfound "friend" any time soon and not really in the mood for an argument, Azula followed Maina out of the caves. Having someone who knew these islands could be useful after all.

Odo Island was…rather appealing. Of course, it didn't compare to the beauty of Ember Island or any of the abodes doting the waters around Caldera's influence, but the Princess supposed it was pretty for an offbeat, underdeveloped locale. The village was quaint, populated by wooden huts surrounded by dense jungles and sparkling sapphire waters. Too bad there wasn't a beach here, though she supposed the natives could just leap off the docks and cool off in the waters of the shore.

Quite frankly, the only thing telling her this was Fire Nation was the naval yard towards the other side of the island. In the distance, she could see the imposing fort, with the frames of large ships being docked in the military-controlled portion of the bay. Drifts of smoke climbed into the air, marking where no doubt the local foundry was producing steel. Probably just enough to patch up the ships as opposed to one of the more industrialized shipyards back toward the capital. It stood out in contrast with the rustic feel of the village, blackened steel interrupting the jungle landscape.

Azula did vaguely recall that her father ordered a small base be constructed here. Officially it was to bolster their defenses to repel a probable counterattack from the savages of the North following Zhao's disastrous siege. Unofficially, given what she'd seen, she began to wonder if they were also here to keep an eye on more…local threats.

The garrison here wasn't afraid of throwing their weight around, that's for sure. Azula and Maina had to bob and weave from dirt road to dirt road, dodging frequent guard patrols. Naturally, her mind wondered if they were looking for her, but that didn't make too much sense. After all, she only just got here and nobody aside from those in the Dragon's Caves knew she was here. Still, she wasn't ready to judge just how much of her uncle's lies these men and women were willing to buy up.

She snarled. As much as she despised her brother currently, it wouldn't surprise her if her dear beloved Uncle Fatso had something more to do with her being shoved into an asylum for…how long has it been? 4, 5 months maybe? Long enough for her to become a bit skinnier than she remembered going in, something she was painfully aware of when trying to keep up with a concerned Maina.

The all-too-familiar aching in her muscles didn't exactly help matters either. Guess it was going to take them a little bit of time to get used to freedom.

Maina at least was a little help in that regard, always stopping and going slow to make sure the Princess could keep up. If only Zuko could see her skulking around in the alleys being outpaced by a peasant. She'd never be able to live that down. Add it to the pile of indignities she's had to suffer this year.

Didn't make it any less painful when they arrived at the docks. Or rather, Maina pulled Azula out of the sunshine and the two crept behind in the shadows of some of the stalls amidst the now thoroughly aggravating stench of fish. Granted it was to avoid the crowd of commoners and soldiers making their way amidst the food stalls, but still.

They stopped at the corner of a stall, looking around the corner to see a…well Azula wouldn't say well-to-do but certainly less dirty-looking than the other fisherman. Must've been the harbormaster. The other though had the unmistakable armor of a commander surrounded by a few firebenders and what she guessed was a lieutenant. This must've been this Commander Maoso she had heard about.

"You're short on your quota. Again," he threatened, a bit of a growl in his voice. He did seem especially tall with an impatient weathered face. Azula pegged him as a longtime veteran. Made her wonder why somebody like him was doing here.

The harbormaster shrugged. "And again, there's not enough fish in the sea! Something down there's either scaring them off or eating them! I can't exactly give you any more fish without causing our people to starve!" he fired back, shaking a fish net that wasn't particularly full to get the point across.

Course anybody who spent any time with the military knew it was a phenomenally stupid idea to talk back to an official. Especially one backed up by a whole squadron of firebenders. Something that Maoso understood completely as he stalked forward, practically pushing the harbormaster to the wall of the stall. "We have a lot more issues than a few people going hungry. We're standing on the brink of war with the Earth Kingdom AND we have rebel armies patrolling these waters. Do you want protection? You better start coughing up the fish. Otherwise…well I can't exactly station more troops here without the food to support them."

He let out a small flicker of flame from his knuckles to illustrate the point, before nodding to his forces to let the harbormaster go. The native scowled, but didn't challenge his better in the face of violence, only muttering under his breath, "Armies are the least of your problems right now…"

Azula wasn't impressed by Maoso's display. If she were in his shoes, she would've pointed out how the harbormaster wasn't exactly in a position to bargain, maybe casually saying something about feeding him to whatever's down there so it could chew on him and not the fish. Not wave fire around his face. Often it was the more implicit threat of violence that worked wonders. That way once you started throwing fire around when you needed to, that would terrify people since they weren't used to it.

Though to be honest, the idea of throwing the harbormaster to the sea monster was…not particularly pleasant at the moment.

Her face darkened. People died all the time in the war. Why was she so hung up about some guards dying in front of her eyes then? She almost killed the Avatar, so what was the difference?

"Commander Maoso?"

Speaking of…

Azula and Maina ducked behind the stall when she heard the infuriatingly cheerful greeting that could've come from the Avatar. Suddenly the Commander's demeanor changed in an instant, going from dark to something approaching pleasant. He gave an order to his lieutenant, a Kazuma from the sound of things, to continue his patrol around the village. Not wanting to stick around any longer, both the girls nodded to one another and made a stealthy retreat out of the docks.

Well, THIS complicates things, Azula silently mused to herself. She didn't expect the Avatar and his friends to arrive so quickly. No doubt sent by her brother to chain her back up again. Her mind still shivered with the memories, as well as her body from the sheer cold she felt that moment and the lack of air from being frozen…

"You okay?" Maina whispered.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Let's…let's just head back," Azula responded, not wanting to stay around too much longer, following her lead and slinking back into the alleys.

"It's the Avatar, isn't it?" the other girl correctly deduced.

"Yeah, I'd rather not deal with them right now." And that was true. Azula didn't tell Maina that she wasn't confident she could take them in a fight. She wasn't exactly at her 100%, and she wasn't exactly allowed to practice at the asylum. A fight with the whole team would put her at a huge disadvantage. Right now she needed to get away, maybe bide her time and figure out her next move.

Maina on the other hand, looked her straight in the eye and gravely asked, "Do you really believe that? With…you know…him out there?"

Azula…couldn't answer that. On the one hand, she knew the Avatar and what he and his friends were capable of. Stripping a man of his bending, exploiting their enemies' weakness, stooping to any low to get an advantage. They were capable of a lot.

…she wondered though how much that would compare to what something like Godzilla was capable of.

Aang had relocated with the Commander to a nearby hut used to store netting and boat supplies to explain their concerns. Or rather, Sokka who had just arrived from the rookery to prevent him from blurting out how they think the crazy princess was on the island for practically everyone in the dock to hear relocated them. He also muttered something about "I turn my back for one minute," while herding them into the small shed.

Good thing then that the rest of Team Avatar spent some time asking at the fort about where Commander Maoso was. Otherwise, they'd fall into that old trap of doing stuff without thinking it through.

As for Maoso himself, he seemed a little annoyed about having effectively been shoved around. Even gave Sokka a death glare as the tribesman shoved him into a rickety building.

Annoyance gave way to concern though when Aang and the others told their story. "So…the Princess could be on the island," he mused, furrowing his brow into deep thought. "And how can you be so sure she's here and not out in the ocean."

"Well…we just figured if she was still alive, she'd end up here. We can't say for certain, but at the very least you should be made aware of the possibility."

The Commander closed his eyes to process the information a bit. Nervously, Aang and Katara shared a bit of a glance. They hadn't seen his face before, but by now everyone knew his type. And indeed, it did feel a little surreal being…while not casual with him, but at the very least in a conversation with him without the fear of getting captured or killed.

"Alright. I'll let my troops know to keep an eye out," Maoso concluded. "If it's anything, we've been having a bit of a supply issue around here. I don't think the villagers are being especially truthful about a few things, and I aim to get to the bottom of it. I'll let you know if I find anything."

"Sure thing Commander Maoso," Aang said. They exchanged bows with the Fire Nation leader before stepping aside to let him out of the admittedly rather crowded shed.

As his armored footsteps faded, Toph coughed. "Okay. I didn't even need to check your heart rate to tell you were keeping something, Twinkletoes."

Aang chuckled a little nervously. "Look Toph. We managed to get him on board so-"

"Why not tell him what the Elder told us about Azula? You know, that way if she's using these people as a shield we can just get Maoso to force them to cough her up."

"Toph, think about what you're saying," Katara carefully said. "I've been looking around and those soldiers don't seem like the ones we should sic on the villagers. We do that, and we could just be making things worse."

"Plus, I…don't think he's somebody we should trust. I mean, what are the chances he served under Ozai? Or how he's different from every other Fire Nation army leader we've faced in the past?" Aang pointed out.

"I hate to be that guy, but Zuko's in charge now. I don't think this Maoso would pull anything without him hearing about it. I mean he did promise to restructure the military so a lot of old warmongerers get booted out."

Sokka…did have a point admittedly. The whole point of Zuko being Fire Lord was to make sure the Fire Nation could change for the better.

"Well…yeah. But I don't exactly want to put the villagers on the spot just because Azula's using them. There's got to be another way."

The blind girl just sighed. "Look Twinkletoes. You can't make everyone happy. These guys are harboring Zuko's crazy sister and I don't think they're gonna give her up without a fight. Remember what I said about standing your ground and what you believe in? Well, this is one of those times."

A creeping realization crept up Aang's back. Toph, blunt as she was, wasn't entirely wrong either. Either they make the villagers unhappy, or they let Azula walk free. And the latter was just too big of a threat to leave unattended for long.

It's just…going up against villagers? They were the ones the Avatar was supposed to protect. Not give the Fire Nation a go-ahead to begin checking their houses for fugitives. Stuff like that was supposed to end with the war.

"Well, how about we go to that exorcism ritual Elder Yamane mentioned?" Katara suggested, catching everyone's attention. "I mean maybe if we make an appearance and get to know the people, they'll be able to trust us a bit better. Maybe they'll give us a hint to where she's hiding so we can take her on our own. She just got here so it's not like she's gotten to them too deeply already."

"That's…a good idea actually," Sokka admitted, feeling more than a little embarrassed that his sister just came up with a better plan than he had at the moment. Toph shrugged, which was about as much approval as you could get from her.

Aang was just thankful that the waterbender was able to bail him out like that. Though he also knew what was on her mind. The last thing Katara wanted was for Fire Nation soldiers to begin stomping around the village looking for somebody. Nobody should have to go through that. Not again…

He made a point to talk to her when they had the time. Right now though, Team Avatar made their way out of the shack. Off in the distance, the sun was inching closer to the west, casting its golden rays on the horizon.

Night was coming soon, and everyone needed to be ready. There's no telling what Azula was up to being left to her own devices.

The sun was beginning to descend from the sky as Azula and Maina returned to the Dragon's Cave deep within a patch of jungle, hidden from the rest of the village. Thick trees and brush obscured the cave entrance, which itself would probably look like any other natural tunnel that sometimes dotted remote islands such as Oda.

Of course, any other ordinary tunnel wouldn't have a few people milling about the entrance, no doubt keeping an eye on the trail for any incoming soldiers. Azula saw a few men lounging about, their stances and semi-professional demeanor reminding her of what you would've expected from the military. Probably more disgraces that carry themselves like they were something since why were they here instead of the military?

Then there was Elder Yamane talking to a man in Fire Nation armor-

Azula ducked to the side and grabbed Maina, hoping the guard hadn't noticed them come up. Peeking out from the side, she could see that he was alone. Chances were he was just a stray patrol that noticed the people surrounding the cave entrance. Great. Now her hiding spot was compromised since a guard here only meant-

"Relax, Princess. He's one of us," Maina gently said, managing to slip her way rather easily out of Azula's grip and walking right up to the guard. For a moment Azula got Ty Lee flashbacks given how slippery she proved to be, but she just chalked it up to her weakened muscles making life more difficult for her.

Before she could yank the native from revealing her position, Maina politely bowed before the soldier. Azula noticed that he was the lieutenant from the docks, a young man from the looks of things. Maybe barely out of his teens. Not old enough to have seen any action. Probably got stationed here as a favor from whatever noble house he came from. What was his name again? Kazuma?

"Nice to see you again Maina," he greeted cheerfully, giving a respectful bow in return. This honestly astounded Azula since any self-respecting soldier knew you shouldn't make yourself look as weak as the commoners you were supposed to protect and rule over. Otherwise, how were you going to be respected by those who were your lessers? "I was just bringing some people here who wanted to take shelter. Patrols are getting more intense so I figured I'd escort them so old Maoso wouldn't expect anything else but an interrogation."

Indeed, Azula's attention was drawn to a group of peasants who were making their way inside the cave. Admittedly the lieutenant's cover was…well she wouldn't say clever since what was the point of hiding out in a cave when the local commander was already dressing people down for supposedly stealing fish? Still, it was a respectable effort.

"Ah! Greetings Princess Azula! Elder Yamane told me about you!"

…and she needed to relearn how to be a bit more discreet when you're taking notice of the situation.

Maina and Kazuma gave each other one more bow before the former wandered off into the brush, probably going to do whatever commoners did whenever they had too much free time on their hands. As for Azula, she cautiously emerged from her hiding space, giving the nearby Yamane a bit of a death glare. "I had to, Your Highness. Kazuma here is a liaison between us and the garrison. He's probably the only higher-up there that treats us with any sort of respect."

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Princess," Kazuma greeted, giving a formal bow to her presence. Azula just stared. She inwardly admitted that at least these people were consistently giving her some respect as befitting of a member of the Royal Family. Guess the news about her…"incident" hadn't reached the ears this far out into Fire Nation territory.

Still, the opportunity allowed her to fall into her usual routine. "Lieutenant. How come these people want to hide out inside these caves?" Wasn't sure how much authority she truly had nowadays, but that didn't mean she wasn't going to demand some form of respect.

Kazuma looked a little sheepishly, obviously not knowing how to respond. "Well you see…they're all concerned about Godzilla, Your Highness. Word travels fast around here and a lot of people have been wanting to get to safety. I've been doing what I can to help them out."

There was that name again. Godzilla. Given the use of the more common form, Azula pegged him as not being from the island, but he did seem familiar with the beast. Makes sense. A monster like anything that she had seen probably would have more than a few legends about it throughout the islands.

Still, Azula had to ask. "Why? It's a sea monster. Surely it wouldn't be able to crawl onto land." Sure it was terrifying, but anyone with a cursory knowledge of how marine animals operated should know it would be difficult for a creature of that size to be able to transition onto land.

Yamane and Kazuma exchanged glances before the older man spoke. "Trust us. Gojira is not one you should underestimate. The old legends say that once he's chased the fish and evildoers from the sea, he will follow them on land to finish the job. Nobody wants to be in his way when that happens."

"Well, in that case, the garrison should be able to take care of him. Shouldn't they?" Azula wasn't sure if she was asking them this, or herself. As terrible as the carnage from the previous night was, that was just a naval patrol. Surely a garrison would be able to subdue any animal that could come on to land.

At least she hoped she sounded convincing to herself. Given what she saw though…she wasn't sure.

Elder Yamane though had seen right through her. "I think we both know the answer to that Princess Azula. If I were you, I'd make shelter here in the caves with us."

Honestly, she did want to argue that no matter who they followed right now, the Fire Nation military was unstoppable. They were the strongest military might in the world.

She couldn't though. Something in her gut prevented her from launching into a defense of what she knew. And when her emotions superseded what she knew to be right…that never sat well with her.

Nodding to herself, she turned away from the cave entrance and away from Yamane and Kazuma, who went about the business of getting the newcomers settled into their current abode for the foreseeable future. She needed to clear her head. Maybe get some alone time or a bit of space to calm her racing thoughts. It was bad enough that the Avatar was on the island looking for her. Bad enough that somehow she needed to get off this island and get back out there. Possibly try to take back the throne that was stolen from her so that things couldn't get much worse.

Then there was this monster thrown into the mix of things. Great. Just one more thing to worry about.

Not much she could do now though aside from strolling a bit in the nearby trees. She felt her cape snag on a bush or two, but at least it kept her focused on something that wasn't her mind. It…admittedly wasn't too bad out here. Apart from the distant bustle of the peasants back at the entrance of the Dragon's Cave, there wasn't a whole lot of noise. Just the chirping of birds and the buzzing of insects.

Then she heard a girl's voice. More importantly, she heard the words dancing in the air.

"Of forgotten kindness

And ruined spirits

We pray for the people's spirit"

She didn't catch the rest of it, but it sounded almost like a prayer. Coming out of the brush, she saw Maina kneeling under the branches of a tree resting on a hill. Down below, you could see the distant huts of the village and the steely walls of the fortress. Farther out to sea, the sun was sinking further into the sea.

Azula also saw lights at the shrine high up on the hills of the island. That's where they must've been preparing the exorcism ceremony. Admittedly, a part of her was a bit curious as to how such a ritual would be played out, but she also knew that the Avatar and his cronies would probably be there looking for her. Maybe if she watched from a distance, she would get the gist of it…

Speaking of rituals, her attention was drawn to the swaying branches above Maina's head. The native girl had her eyes closed, her hands clasped around that strange stony amulet that hung around her neck. She almost seemed to be in a trance. And if Azula didn't know any better, it almost seemed like a soft breeze was swirling around her. Could've just been the light playing tricks on her though.

"You know, prayers aren't going to be much help out here," Azula stated rather bluntly.

Maina sighed a bit from being rudely interrupted. "Maybe if you tried praying, you wouldn't be looking over your shoulder again and again."

"Hey, if it keeps me safe, that's what I'm gonna do," the Princess replied, sitting right next to the girl and staring out into the sunset. Quite frankly, her muscles needed the rest and a good view would be a nice bonus.

They sat in silence a bit, neither one not knowing how to speak. When…when was the last time Azula just sat with somebody? Not a doctor or a guard or anything. Just…something a bit more casual. Or approaching casual if nothing else. The native certainly had every opportunity to expose her to the Avatar or betray her to the guards. Neither was she particularly intimidated by the Princess if she was brave enough to bite back like that.

It didn't calm her nerves either way. Mai was like that, and look how well that ended up.

Maybe it's not a question of when she'll betray you and more of IF she'll betray you. It was only a matter of time before Mai and Ty Lee wouldn't take how you treated them after all, Mother said.

"No…not again…not ever again…"

"What was that?"

"Nothing!" Azula quickly snapped. Not that it helped since she could feel Maina's worried expression judging the threat level. Great. Now she knew she was crazy as well.

"...look, if you need to talk, I'm a-"

"I can take care of myself, thank you," she lied. The last thing she needed was for some peasant to start pitying her. No. Pity led to sympathy and sympathy led to letting your guard down and letting your guard down…

"Alright. Jeeze. Just…if you need to talk, I'm right here," Maina offered.

Right. Like you need any advice from some backwater native, Father sneered. And he was right. If Azula was going to figure things out, she was gonna have to do it on her own. Like she always had. Otherwise, that meant putting your trust in others. And the more you put faith in the goodness of others, the more you were asking to be betrayed.

Still…

"...what was that prayer?" she asked curiously. She didn't care too much about what it was about, but at least if she could feign interest she could get some kind of positivity out of this.

Maina seemed a little surprised but didn't hesitate to answer. "It's a prayer of peace from my island. They say that whenever there is to be a battle or a conflict, we should pray for both ourselves and our enemies. So when the fighting ended, we can search for understanding and hope that things would never come to pass that way again."

Sentimentality. Perfect. She and the Avatar would be best friends. Chances are wherever this island was, it must've been pretty sheltered from the war to believe that drivel.

Not like you. You know what it means to fight, Ty Lee snickered.

She might as well lay down and die right now. Let's see her talk all about peace once the fighting reaches her island, Mai mused.

You either die for peace or survive to fight another day. That's how the world works. Isn't that right, Sister? Zuko commented, using a title she hadn't heard in so long.

As much as it pained her though, they were right. Maina was too weak to believe in that sort of nonsense. Weak enough to believe that peace was possible. Azula knew the truth though. Just beyond the horizon in the Earth Kingdom, she could just imagine that Earth King marching his armies right up to the colonies, waiting to undo everything so many had died to achieve.

Still…she didn't say anything outside of, "That's awfully optimistic of you."

Maina shrugged. "Well, I'm an optimistic person. There's good in everyone after all."

Azula almost snickered. The fool wouldn't be saying that if she knew the Princess at all.

She kept her thoughts to herself though. Honestly, she was too tired to argue anymore. She just watched the sunset, already making plans to go see the ritual from a distance.

All the while, Maina resumed her prayer.

"If we were to call for help

Over time

Over sea

Like a wave

You'd come

Our guardian angel"

It was right before the ceremony was to start that Aang peeled away from the team with Katara. They found a spot secluded among the trees, hidden from peering eyes. Now that they were alone, they had some time to talk.

"Aang…are we doing the right thing with?" Katara asked, her voice hushed so nobody could hear.

"I mean, we can't exactly let Azula walk free."

"That's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about working with this Maoso guy and the military. Are we really going to let them push the villagers around if she's hiding amongst them?"

A sigh left Aang's lips. "Well, I don't like it either but…"

"...but what?"

"I don't know. All I know is that the world needs a moment or two to catch its breath, and it can't do that when people like Azula walk free," Aang told both his partner and himself.

Katara didn't seem entirely convinced, and he understood why. After all, it wasn't the first time they were faced with the possibility of the Fire Nation marching through the streets and threatening to set everything on fire…

"We'll handle it ourselves," Aang said firmly. "We're gonna have to hand her over to Maoso eventually, but we'll try to do it ourselves first."

"No, I mean, what about us?"

Her blue eyes captured the Avatar's focus, filled with what he knew was worry. "I get Zuko's in charge now and he's changed, but that doesn't mean everyone in the Fire Nation has changed too. How many generals are we going to have to work with who did who knows what during the war? We can't just let them do whatever they want now that the war's over."

"And we won't. We're going to give the territory they stole back to the Earth Kingdom, and Zuko's going to restructure the army. It's not like we're letting them act like they won."

"Yet the peace talks with Kuei and the others keep falling into fighting. Arnook won't even talk with Zuko in charge before these trials, and…I knew things weren't going to be easy. But it feels like everywhere we look, there's going to be more fighting. I just…"

She looked away. "I just don't know if I can forgive them. If they won't change, then what's the point of trying to make peace?"

Realization dawned on him, causing him to wrap an arm around her shoulders. "It's okay. Just…trust me on this. I don't think either of us wants to be fighting the Fire Nation for the rest of our lives. The monks always told me that seeing the good in our enemies is one of the toughest challenges in the world. Sometimes it doesn't necessarily mean forgiveness. It just means when you know when to stop fighting."

"Heh. I'll take your word for it. I think I'm just a little worn out from everything. Honestly, I'm just a bit eager for some more alone time between just us, you know?" she said with a flirtatious smirk, causing Aang to blush.

Turns out that saving the world made you a bit more fortunate for those who cared that deeply about you. And made those private moments all the more sweeter when they got away from everything. "Don't worry. The whole world's not enough to keep us apart." He kissed her on the cheek to drive the point home, much to her enjoyment.

"HEY LOVEBIRDS! If you two are done, we've got a ceremony you want to see. Which I might add, you two wanted to see."

And with that, their romantic moment was interrupted by the blind girl who they swore made it a profession to keep them from going too lovey-dovey. Mind you, they didn't try to be obnoxious about it, but they swore Toph had some kind of secret sense she was keeping from them that let her know when they were getting close. Katara had to remind Sokka one of these days to keep the earthbender in check. Not that it would do any good since chances were her brother was encouraging this sort of behavior.

Regardless, Aang and Katara sheepishly followed Toph into the gathering crowd outside of the temple. Torches ringed the outside of the courtyard, all awaiting eyes being drawn towards the doors. There was a sizable…thing that somebody had wheeled at the footsteps of the stairs, but it was draped over with leather. Must've been some kind of figurine for an occasion like this. Before it were two braziers, each with some kind of special powder.

The two lovers and Toph joined Sokka where he was sitting among a few villagers close to the front. He gave his sister an annoyed look, but Katara just shrugged nonchalantly. Who was going to stop her from having a moment for herself and her boyfriend?

Aang was just relieved to be sitting amongst the villagers who didn't seem too bothered that the most important person in the world was amongst them. Granted there WAS a bit of formality when they first arrived, but when word spread about what was going on in the seas, everyone started to loosen up and relax around him a bit. Looking around, nobody seemed to do a double take seeing the arrow on his forehead. Suited him just fine to be part of the crowd for once. Honestly, he wished he had more opportunities like this.

Leaning back, he watched as the doors opened, the shrine maiden Nami walking forward and standing in front of the covered figure.

"People of Odo Island," she began. "I come forward before you today for a solemn occasion. The great beast, Gojira, has awoken from his slumber once more."

A silent hush fell upon the crowd. Team Avatar felt a cold chill run down their spines. That name. Every time they heard it, it seemed as though the world stopped turning, almost afraid to move forward to avoid some terrible fate. There were a few names that they knew of that held this sort of power. Ozai and Azula were two. Now there was this Gojira that almost seemed to rule this island from the mere mention of its name alone.

Gojira. Godzilla. How many names did he have? Aang felt certain he knew of at least a few. The names Gigantis or Koshira came to mind, but he didn't know how he knew them. Well no, he was certain that he heard them in one of his past lives thanks to the Avatar Cycle. What he did know was that every time it was uttered, it carried with it the weight of familiarity. He made a note to remind himself to try and speak with Roku or the other Avatars about what they knew about them.

"In times past, the people of Odo performed this sacred exorcism ceremony to quell his anger and bring safety to our people." As she said this, a group of robed men wearing masks of stylized human faces walked onto the courtyard and took their positions.

Nami raised her arms and looked to the sky, speaking to some unseen deity high in the heavens. "Oh, Gojira, Last of the Dragons. God of Destruction. Wielder of the Sapphire Flame. We hope that in humbling ourselves before you and showing our respect for the old ways that many have forgotten, you may stay your wrath and spare our people. Let us be joined in prayer, in hopes that out of the darkness, a new and brighter world for all will arise from the chaos."

As she said this, one of the men removed the robes and unveiled the figurine. It was made of straw and a little crude. But its image was unmistakable. Especially as another man lifted his arms and lit the braziers with firebending.

Aang, Katara, and Sokka flinched as blue fires roared to life, the memories of the mad Princess resurfacing. The powders must've made the fire blue, illuminating the straw figure. It stood on two legs, with a tapering tail trailing behind it. Sharpened stones ran down its back and tipped its arms and feet, creating dorsal spines and claws.

It was him.

Gojira.

Godzilla.

And so the ceremony began. Natives with instruments began playing a ritualistic song as the robed men danced both in silence and in synchrony. The blue flames caused the shadows to dance off of the figurine's body, making it almost seem alive.

Team Avatar couldn't help but exchange glances. They knew Azula was the reason they were here…but this spirit…no, this god made its presence unmistakable.

Hopefully, they can find her quickly so they can return and lay this legend to rest.

From the trees, Azula watched the almost hypnotic dance. She saw the villagers watch. There were so many as if the whole village were here. Made her wonder if this ceremony served as a cover for the rest to evacuate to the caves without Maoso noticing.

She spotted the Avatar and his friends of course. Probably came here looking for her.

More importantly, she saw the straw Godzilla, bathed in blue fire.

Her fire.

"Don't see anything like this back home, don't you?" Maina silently commented, watching the ritual play out. The Princess couldn't argue against this. Rituals like this were supposed to be outlawed, particularly if they weren't sanctioned by the Fire Sages. To think these peasants held just as much stock in a beast as they did the Fire Lord almost seemed blasphemous.

Then again, what she saw was more than worthy of respect.

She was going to say that they shouldn't rely on prayers alone. Only Fire Nation steel could stop this beast. And yet, she remembered the screaming. The carnage…

Her mind began to weigh the odds. There was a garrison here to be sure, but things were coming back to her now. Odo Island. Didn't Father say he was going to set up an observation base here following the disappearance of Admiral Koga? And if this Godzilla was responsible for Koga's death, then that meant Maoso likely was here for it as well as secure their borders. Or at least to figure out what was going on here.

A thought occurred to her, seeing the snarling visage of the monster down below. A naval battle group couldn't stop it…

…so what chance did a garrison have?

At once, Azula nodded and turned back, making her way back into the trees. "Princess? What are you doing?" Maina harshly whispered, trying to keep up with Azula's newfound stride.

"I need to warn Maoso. Get him to pull his forces back to the interior. If what you said was true, there's no way they can stop it," Azula bluntly said.

Suddenly, she felt herself being yanked around and staring into the concerned eyes of Maina. "Hang on! You go to the fort, you're going to get arrested! The Avatar will know you're here and-"

"You didn't see him. I did," Azula shot back. "So if you'll excuse me, I'm going to prevent this commander from making a huge mistake." She wrenched herself free, falling back into her stride as she marched into the woods.

"And do you honestly believe that they're going to listen to you? You're not exactly on the Fire Nation's most respected list anymore if you haven't noticed!"

"So what's your idea? Hide out cowering in a cave waiting for the monster at the door to go away? No. That's not how we do things. In case you haven't noticed, I don't wait for the problem to show up. If you want to hide amongst smelly peasants, that's fine with me. It suits you. I on the other hand am a Princess. And I'm going to do what Father trained me to do. If people want to stop me? Fine. Let them try."

With that, Azula stomped off, not listening anymore to Maina's protests. Forget whatever this ignorant peasant tried to tell her. She didn't know what it meant to lead. And right now, she needed to warn the Commander, even if it killed her.

Her purpose was clear, and it filled her with long-lost strength. She marched forward into the empty village and towards the fort. These soldiers wanted her so bad? Fine. They were going to get her.

Hopefully, they had enough sense to see that there was something a lot bigger on the horizon than just a girl like her.

Momo yawned from his usual spot on top of Appa's head. Ever since Aang had let them down on the cliff overlooking the sea this morning, there wasn't much to do except eat fruit, lounge about, or maybe kill some time air surfing the waves down below.

Not that he minded though. Honestly, he felt both he and the Sky Bison deserved a break from that little stunt the airbender pulled today with the…whatever that thing in the water was. Seriously. Would it kill him not to be a hero every waking second? It felt like they were babysitting him at this point.

Course Appa was a bit more relaxed than he was with the whole ordeal. Figures. You end up in an iceberg and spend an extended period by yourself and suddenly you realize that danger and your partner go hand in hand. Guess that's what you get when you were practically grown up together.

The lemur looked out to see and away from the island. Maybe if he just watched the waves and not thought about the boy who kept trying to get himself killed, he could doze off. Yeah…watching the waves was-

A sudden jerk from Appa ruined Momo's concentration and any chance of an easy night's sleep. The lemur was about to jitter in annoyance, maybe screeching into the bison's ear to make him how it feels to not sleep for once when he heard a panicked bellow erupt from the larger animal's maw.

The first thought Momo had was Azula. He knew the female that his friends had so much trouble with was on the island. But when he smelt the air, looking for her awfully familiar scent, he didn't smell anything.

Well, no. He did smell something, but it most assuredly wasn't the Princess.

It was…old. Drenched in seawater, yet the lingering scents seemed to mix up together. It almost smelled like an island. Almost like…like the Lion Turtle! That's it.

But…far older…

And…there was power behind it…

Looking out to sea, Momo got a feeling of dread. And he wasn't alone either. Flocks of birds were disturbed from the roosts, and Appa couldn't settle down.

Something was coming.

Something…big.

Mosasaurs, like all sea animals, had an innate understanding of the waters of the ocean. Probably far better than most humans. So when the old buck found a relatively slow area of water to rest for the night, he was more than happy to let himself drift in the still, peaceful gloom.

Course it wasn't true sleep. He had to keep a little bit of himself awake of course. Yet his eyes were unfocused, his muscles relaxed. It was as close to sleep as a mosasaur could get. He floated close to the surface so he could just pop his head up and get a gulp of air before resuming his rest. The dark waters below stretched out, but he wasn't worried. Experience told him the only things down there could easily make for a nice meal. And if another predator entered the area…well there was a reason an animal like him got old.

For now, though, he was happy to rest and let his belly digest the meal from today. Inwardly he wondered when he would have to move on with the others. He had to follow his primary source of food in the plesiosaurs. But the recent influx of food from the wreckage meant he was more than happy to just lounge around and let himself rest for a bit. Maybe in the morning, he would make the trip.

Silently, his eyes drifted off into the gloom, the sea reptile allowing himself to relax…

…the mountain peaks drifting through the water though caused his muscles to work into overdrive. His powerful tail propelled him through the sea, and away from what he knew to be the true apex predator of these waters. To challenge it would be suicide.

Not that the apex was interested in him of course. Like all sea animals, the giant had an innate understanding of the waters of the ocean. Probably far better than most humans. So when it sensed the ashes of a nearby foundry, it got its attention.

Its attention was further piqued the more it swam closer to the source. And with it…his anger grew.

He knew the smell. He knew the signs of disturbed waters of Fire Nation boats. And he knew they were in the area. Once more he had to expand his patrol area, not wanting to take one more chance. The last time he allowed himself to relax, the moon nearly died and the world with it.

Not this time.

The Comet came and went, yet the remnants of huge ships plowing through the waters still remained. It only meant the Fire Nation still was here in force. And if they were here in force, then the Avatar failed in his duty.

At the surface, the tips of his dorsal fins breached the surface, before diving back as he saw the approaching island.

A rage that was once kept in check for a hundred years began to boil over. Humanity had failed to keep the balance.

So it was up to the King of the Monsters to return and enact the wrath of a scarred world.

Chapter Text

Odo Island

They shoved her roughly into the office, her arms bound behind her back in chains to prevent any form of resistance. Chained once more. It almost made her want to throw up.

Not that she had expected anything less when she arrived at the island fort, demanding to speak to the one in charge. Proper Fire Nation protocol demanded that any threat be neutralized by any means necessary before even thinking of negotiations. She knew that going in right down to her bones, so at least the dent to her pride was a depressingly familiar pain.

As such, she let two of the three guards kick her legs, forcing her to kneel before the desk of Commander Maoso, who didn't even deign to give her a glance from the other side of his war table.

"So…the runaway princess has decided to turn herself in…" he drawled, overlooking what she guessed was a map of the whole region. "And here I was thinking I'd have to burn down a few huts to smoke you out."

Typical. A thug after all. His type Azula knew how to handle. One of the misfortunes of being a part of her father's inner circle was running into a depressing amount of these thickheads. Must have been one of the things that was carried over despite the regime change.

"Very well. If you don't want to know what's coming, then who am I to stop you all from marching to your deaths." A pair of weathered eyes looked up from the table right at her. Good. It had taken a while to get the voice of casual disinterest down perfectly.

Rising to his full height, Maoso folded his arms across his armored torso. "You were on the prison boat last night, weren't you?"

"I was."

"That means you can tell me what's running around my waters."

"I can."

The Commander walked around the table, never breaking eye contact. He stopped right in front of the kneeling Princess, looking down at her humbled state. "Very well. Let's hear it."

Azula looked back at him directly in the eye. Just because she was beaten didn't mean she was going to sacrifice her last ounce of dignity to someone who got posted here because they couldn't cut it on the front. He had a weathered look but that seemed mostly from age Maoso was middle-aged, but had no scars or any signs of having seen combat. Made himself look big and threatening when in reality he probably was so low on the totem pole that Father probably wouldn't have known his name.

Yeah. Azula knew his type well. So she spoke of what she saw that night. Of things far beyond his comprehension and control.

Of something far bigger and meaner than he ever could hope to be.

And looking at him, she wondered if she got to him. That threat of an overwhelming force you couldn't hope to fight. It was a fear they all knew as soon as they were enrolled into whatever academy you proved worthy of. Something that was cemented every time they looked upon a statue of Phoenix King Ozai or any of the Fire Lords of old.

"You can't fight this on your own. Your only chance of survival, your only way is to retreat. Pull out your forces from Odo Island so you can kill it with the entire Fire Nation army at your back."

Azula let the words hang in the air, challenging the Commander to prove her wrong. The people of Odo could survive in their caves. If the military was going to fight this monster, they'd do it as their forefathers would've wanted.

"...you don't think I don't know anything about this Godzilla?"

Her ears perked up. He knew?

"Yes I know," he said, reading her mind. "That thing's the reason I got assigned to this rock. I know all about the legend. Godzilla is just an animal that the locals were so intimidated by that they decided to make up legends about him. There's nothing special or unique about it, it's just one of those backwater myths they embellished."

"But I saw-"

"You were locked away in an asylum. How exactly am I supposed to trust the judgment of a woman who lost her mind?"

Maoso leaned down to glare at her right in the eye. "You're not Ozai's favorite pet anymore. And I'm not risking this critical position just for some delusions those natives decided to form into reality. Even if it decided to crawl out of the sea right now, we'll show it why we're known as dragonslayers.

"As for you…"

With a single gesture, he motioned the guards to drag Azula into the middle of the room, her mind stunned at how she had lost control so quickly. The Commander began to walk out of the room but stopped right as he was about to leave.

"I believe your brother sent the Avatar here to fetch you. He'll be pleased to know that you're in my custody. And if you get any funny ideas of escape…"

He made a cutting motion with his neck, signaling for the third guard to draw his sword and hold it precariously close to Azula's exposed throat. With that, Maoso strolled out of the room as two more guards shut the door behind him.

Azula sighed. She had a feeling this would happen but didn't realize that the Commander was so stupid as to regard what she saw as just another delusion. No matter. She took a controlled breath, eyeing the guards around her.

It would take some time for the Avatar to get here. Plenty to formulate a plan of escape. She just hoped she had enough time to get a headstart before the chase began in earnest.

Aang took a steady breath, feeling the weight of the staff on his shoulders. They were hot on the trail. When the ritual ended, they started asking around, getting to know several of the villagers. Yet when asked if they saw anybody strange in the area, they just said "Not counting the ones we fished out of the sea, no".

Good thing then that they had a pretty skilled lie detector on their team. Toph had a pretty smug look on her face once she told them she'd sensed quite a number of liars amongst those they'd asked. This meant that there was a stranger unaccounted for on the island. And chances were, that stranger was a certain firebender they'd been looking for.

Now the question was where exactly she was hiding. Sokka had it figured out seeing the crowd of people heading away from the village. It was a good portion of the village, including many families, children, and the wounded that were able to survive the morning. He guessed from the shrine maiden's invitation to a place called "The Dragon's Cave", that there was some kind of shelter that the military base wasn't aware of. A perfect hiding place.

The Avatar didn't like it. Azula had used hostages in the past, and there was no telling what someone like her would pull when cornered. Particularly in the mental state she was in, if Katara's warnings were any indication.

They were all prepped up for an ugly fight ahead. So when they heard rapid footsteps behind them, everyone turned, with weapons and elements at the ready.

"WOAH! I'M JUST A MESSENGER!"

Seeing the…rather panicked-looking lieutenant, everyone relaxed. Straightening himself up and taking as dignified a posture as he could, the young man bowed respectfully. "Commander Maoso has just apprehended Azula and is keeping her in the fort as we speak."

Everyone stood gobsmacked. "She's…she's caught?" Sokka mouthed, flabbergasted.

"Yes. She came to us with a message and that's when we captured her."

All eyes turned towards Katara. "Hey, don't look at me. I didn't think she'd be crazy enough to do something that stupid."

Toph shrugged. "Hey, it makes our job a bit easier."

Her optimism didn't ease Aang's anxiety as he snapped his glider open. "I'm going to go scout ahead and figure out what's going on. I'll let you guys know if it's some kind of trap."

"And we'll follow you from a distance in case you get ambushed," Sokka added before turning to the lieutenant. "Do you know anything about what the message was?"

The young man thought for a moment. "She said something about warning the Commander to recall the forces here because she thought Godzilla was coming. I didn't catch the whole of it though."

"She must be getting them to abandon this island so one of those rogue army groups can take over!"

"Well, she won't get the chance!" Aang declared to Katara as he leaped into the air and bent a gust of wind to push him toward the army base. The rest of Team Avatar followed in pursuit, not willing to give the Princess any breathing room.

They left Lieutenant Kazuma in the dust, running after them, yelling frantically. "WAIT! I THINK SHE'S TELLING THE TRUTH! HE'S COMING!"

Okay, this was taking a little longer than Azula thought. There were three guards in the room and at least two more outside the door. While she was confident she could take a few of them, there was no way she could fight her way through a whole base.

She looked out the window. The building wasn't exactly that high up from the ground. Maybe she could jump out, run along the rooftops, then jet her way over the fort walls. Would keep her…well, not safe from the guards, but would at least let her avoid the majority of them.

Course now the problem was getting out of this predicament. All eyes were on her, waiting for the slightest twitch of movement. She also felt the sharp edge of the blade against her neck. If she was going to do something, she'd have to make it snappy.

Still, she found it odd. Zuzu wanted her alive, and now they stood ready to slit her throat at the first sign of trouble. If only he could see what his precious new future looked like right now.

CRASH!

Her thoughts were interrupted when a huge gust of wind smashed through the window, knocking everyone down to the ground. Azula hit the floor hard, causing her to see white.

When she came to though, she saw Maina knocking the dropped sword away from a downed guard with one end of her staff and smashing the other end right into his face. She proceeded to bring the staff around and swipe the guard off his feet before slamming it right down onto his armored chest.

It was then that another guard got back up onto his feet, a fist of fire aiming right at the distracted native. Instinct kicked in, and Azula breathed a blast of blue fire from her mouth, cutting the guard off from her would-be savior. She then sprung from her kneeling position and slammed the guard right into the wall.

The final guard came at her with a fire blade, most likely not wanting to hit his companion. As he slashed down though, Azula arched her back in such a way that-

SNAP!

She felt heat graze past her now free hands as the blade sliced through her chains.

Her assailant probably had about half a second to realize her mistake before Azula performed a roundhouse kick to the side of his head. As he spun around from the impact, she quickly turned and fired a small blast of blue fire into his back, sending him plummeting to the wooden floor. Without even needing to think about it, she turned once more and kneed the last guard in the groin.

Azula didn't give him any pity as he leaned against the wall in agony before she slammed another kick into his helmet, causing him to join the rest of his group in both shock and pain.

Maina proceeded to thrust her staff under the war table and knocked against the door, Azula quickly shoving it to keep the entrance barred and the guards outside. She…did find it odd that a girl was able to flip a heavy piece of furniture like that so easily.

What she found even more odd is why on earth she was here in the first place. The Princess looked at Maina, unable to put the pieces together. "Why did you-?"

"Cause even a filthy peasant knows you shouldn't do something as stupid as walking into a military camp. Now come on!"

The native didn't give her a moment to rest, but for once Azula wasn't complaining. She promptly followed her savior out of the room and into the cool night.

They ran along the rooftops, keeping out of sight of the guards below. Azula had to admit that her agility was…impressive. She lept easily from rooftop to rooftop, almost reminding her of Ty Lee. The thought alone almost made her send a blade of fire toward Maina's legs. After all, you didn't just break a high-value prisoner out of a military base unless you were going to get something pretty good from it. Maybe the girl wanted the glory of handing the Princess to her brother herself.

Well, it was either somebody who might hand her over to Zuko or the guards who would hand her over to Zuko. For the moment, she was comfortable with the former.

The two of them made good progress across the base, only stopping in a large area in front of the wall. This must've been the mustering area, and it was too big for them to just leap across. Azula would have to jet both herself and Maina across. Hopefully, her muscles were up to the task. They were already starting to ache from the sudden burst of energy. Oh well. She could complain about the bad shape she was in once they were safely away from this island.

She was about to take Maina in her arms when she spotted something in the sky. An awfully familiar winged figure who just closed his glider and sent a blade of air right towards her.

Before Azula could bring up her own hands to return fire though, she felt herself being shoved to the side by Maina. The girl whirled her staff in an arc and slammed on the rooftop, causing a wave of wind to come from nowhere and collide with the blade, smashing through and sending the Avatar spiraling. He managed to regain his focus though and summoned an airball beneath him, letting him land gently on the other side of the rooftop.

Azula's eyes went wide though.

Maina had summoned air.

"You're…you're an-"

"We'll talk about it later! I'll hold him off!" the stranger and stranger-seeming girl cut off, bringing her staff up to face the Avatar. Coming to her senses, Azula nodded and leaped off the rooftop to jet her way across the expanse. The airbender…the airbender she'd known about just stood there just as shocked as she was.

It was impossible! The Air Nomads were extinct! How could an airbender other than the Avatar possibly still be alive?! True, she didn't look like an Air Nomad, but Azula's ancestors had made sure to take every possible measure to wipe out every last airbender off the face of the earth, Air Nomad or not.

What was going on?!

Aang stood gobsmacked, gawking at the strange girl across the rooftop.

Another airbender.

"But…how?"

The girl just took a stance and glared back. "Let's just say the one I serve wouldn't allow her people to be wiped out."

Her people? She wasn't an Air Nomad, and her stance didn't look like any of the traditional airbending styles. Of course, Aang knew there were other airbenders aside from his people, but nothing he knew of indicated that any were still alive.

He had so many questions. The first one being, "Why…why are you helping Azula?!"

She shrugged. "I'm not exactly one to stand by and let someone who's unwell be taken by the Fire Lord."

The Avatar was going to snap back, saying that Zuko was different. About how he was going to restore the Fire Nation's honor. There were so many things that might get her to stand down from a confrontation. Whoever she was, Aang wasn't going to fight the first airbender he had seen since before he went into the glacier.

There were so many things he could've said, but a familiar shriek interrupted him before he did.. From above their heads swooped the familiar form of Momo, who landed on Aang's shoulder, chittering hysterically.

"I know! Azula's here and there's another airbender, but we're not gonna let her stop us!" he told the frantic animal. It didn't do too much good as Momo kept panicking, jerking his head towards the ocean again and again. No matter what Aang said, though, the lemur wouldn't calm down. He'd never seen Momo this freaked out before.

"He's not panicking about Azula…"

Aang could almost hear the color draining from the strange girl's face. Indeed, she looked positively afraid after hearing the lemur's shrieks. "I think he's sensing something else coming."

Now that the Avatar thought about it, Momo's panicking did seem at least a little familiar. He knew animals, and the frantic pitch of the lemur's screams suggested that he sensed some kind of predator on the prowl…

Before the realization could hit him, he heard the familiar sound of an earthen wall being bent from the ground. Looking towards the village, he saw the ongoing chase and snapped open his glider to join in. He took to the air, telling Momo to go hide in the jungle till this was all over. The lemur willingly obliged.

Leaving behind the other airbender in his wake.

…another airbender…

Azula's mind was torn in two directions. The first, seeking an answer to the burning question, "How in the hell had an airbender managed to survive Sozin's hunts?" It was unreal. Sure, the Avatar managed to survive, but he was the Avatar. Being the most powerful person on the entire planet meant that unless you found their body, you never could quite count out the possibility of them surviving.

The second direction was putting as much distance between her and the fort as possible. She felt a strange pain about leaving Maina behind to face whatever the Avatar had planned, but it wasn't like either one of them could take him on. Especially not with Azula in her current weakened state.

For now, the best chance she had was running. Perfect. This must've been what Zuzu felt when he was on the run in the Earth Kingdom. At least she was going to build up her strength and recover from whatever that asylum did to her, instead of cowering with her tail between her legs. Every humiliation she endured, she'd pay back tenfold.

She'd make them pay. She'd make everyone pay…

Her thoughts ran as fast as her legs carried her through the streets, turning from corner to corner. The village was virtually empty, with signs of evacuation all over the place. Typical peasants. First sign of trouble and they head for the hills.

Almost as if in response to her thoughts, a massive wall of earth shot up from the street in front of her, cutting off her escape route. Snarling, she blasted a jet of flame behind her, launching herself just clear of the rocky formation. Seemed the rest of the Avatar's cronies had caught up with her.

Once she landed on the other side, she cut through a side alley, hoping to shake her pursuers. That didn't work too well for her either; her sharp ears picked up the sound of something being unsheathed. Instinct caused her to jump in mid-air and perform a fiery kick, knocking the incoming boomerang back toward its wielder, beaning him on the head.

Azula couldn't help but smirk a little as she turned the corner. At least her precision hadn't dulled in her time locked up.

Naturally, fate decided to wipe that smirk off her face. he was about to hit the docks, when she saw a huge wave of seawater rise to meet her. Not wanting to deal with getting frozen again, she thrust out her arm and sent forth an enlarged fire blast to rip the wave apart.

Azula then dug in her heels and wheeled around to kick a blade of fire through the air and at her assailants, causing her pursuers to stop and backpedal lest they avoid getting scorched. Taking a defensive stance, she counted three: the blind earthbender, that Water Tribe boy who was the brains of the group, and the waterbending girl.

Three. Where was-?

Almost on cue, a fireball came right at her from the sky, forcing her to bat it away and return a blast of fire of her own at the airborne Avatar. The momentary distraction allowed the earthbender (Toph if she remembered correctly) to launch a boulder at her, forcing her to duck to the side.

Rolling up to her feet, she was about to launch into another assault before that boomerang and some sharpened ice came right at her feet, forcing her back. She glanced behind her and She kicked herself for not seeing the trap she'd fallen into. There was a whole bay of water behind her, plenty for the waterbending peasant (Katara, that name she knew) to freeze her solid. A chill went down her spine at the memory of the chill and inescapable grasp of those smothering tentacles.

To make matters worse, a Fire Nation cruiser had blocked the only way out of the harbor and off the island. Honestly, now that she thought about it, she didn't have much of a plan outside of "escape the fort".

"Give it up Azula! You're surrounded!" Boomerang Boy hollered out; the others along with the now-landed Avatar began to close in. Azula could feel her options slip away from her as well as her stance. She felt her legs and arms begin to shake from all the exertion, the dull pain from where she was restrained making her body feel heavier and heavier.

No. She wasn't going back in chains. And if she couldn't fight her way out, at least she could take some of them down with her.

Defiantly, she thrust out her arm, only for Katara to bring up one of those water tentacles that nearly had her back in Ba Sing Se. Unfortunately, exhaustion and lack of practice had dulled Azula's reflexes; the tendril lashed out faster than she could summon up her fire.

Suddenly, a blade of air cut the water tentacle in two, before a gale of wind knocked everyone back. Into the melee rushed Maina, who got in between both parties and faced the Avatar with her staff out. "I am Maina. High Priestess of Infant Island, and the Princess of the Fire Nation is under my protection. Come no further or suffer the consequences," she demanded in a steely voice.

"...High Priestess…anything else I need to know about you?"

"What part of 'can we discuss this later' do you not get?" Once more, Azula was half-tempted to put a fire-blade to the girl's neck. First, she was an airbender. Now she was some kind of priestess from…wherever this "Infant Island" was. What's next? She'd reveal that she's some spirit incarnate? At this point, she wouldn't be too surprised if she was some assassin her mother had hired to kill her. And what did she mean under her protection?

Thankfully Boomerang Boy (or Sokka or whatever) began to ask the questions first. "Hang on! You're an airbender?!"

"Yes, I am. It's a long story but-"

The heavy rumble of tank treads rumbling their way through the village cut their conversation short. Each tank was accompanied by a squadron of soldiers, all of them converging on the docks and reinforcing the Avatar. No doubt they, along with the ship out in the harbor, were mobilized by Commander Maoso. Azula did recall a group of them having mobilized already when she came forward to the base. Guess they really were expecting some kind of attack from hostile forces.

Well, there goes our last escape route, Azula bitterly noted. Even with someone else at her side, there was no way the two of them could possibly win against such overwhelming force.

Maina didn't seem too bothered. "Look. I understand the Princess has done some pretty bad things-"

"That's the understatement of the century," Katara spat out.

"But you're taking this too far! I mean, she can barely walk or fight for spirits' sake!"

"Well, it's not like we can just let her go free either! What's your big idea then?" Sokka snapped. Maina though stood her ground.

"I'll take her with me to Infant Island. She won't harm anyone and-"

"THAT'S IT!"

Everyone looked surprised at Azula's outburst, even herself for that matter. But between all that had been going on, she'd had it up to here with this so-called "friend" of hers. "You've been keeping a lot of secrets from me, and now you're saying you're going to take me to some island I've never heard of? Forget it. I've put up with you for a while now, but this is where I draw the line," Azula spat at Maina, the rest of Team Avatar forgotten.

"Look, you have to trust me on this," Maina stammered out. "I can help-"

"I don't want your help. Why would I want help from somebody who I can't trust? You keep dangling my condition over my head like I'm some kind of lost pet that can't take care of herself. I know how you see me. Like I'm something broken that needs fixing. Well, I have had enough of people trying to fix me." Azula let all the stress of the last day spill out in a stream of bitterness, caustic and burning hot as any fire breath.

"And I've had enough of people treating me like I'm some animal that needs to be chained up or tossed in a hole or whatever you're planning on doing with me!" she continued, directing her ire towards the Avatar and his cronies. "I'm done. I'd rather die on my feet than groveling before you and your flunkies. And if this is where I'm to die, then so be it."

With that, she brought her fingers together and went through the motions to split the positive and negative energies within her body. Feeling the charge generate and spark to life, waiting to be born. Her very last nightmare she had to offer the world. She was…oddly at peace. For once, she was in control. For here was her final stand. And that gave her a shred of comfort. That and the panicked expressions on everyone's faces at seeing her determination to meet her end.

Finally. People feared her again.

But at that exact moment, she heard an enormous explosion.

The ship's captain looked through his spyglass at the commotion at the docks. Honestly, he wasn't sure why he and his crew were needed since it wasn't like the mad princess could get too far out to sea without going even madder from starvation and dehydration.

"Seems like the Avatar has everything under control," his first mate mused. "Glad thing he's on our side." Inwardly, the captain was a little relieved. Quite frankly, the last thing anyone wanted to deal with was Ozai's daughter. Especially if any of the stories were true.

"...sir?"

Lowering the scope for a moment, he turned toward the man who wanted his attention. "What is it, Private?"

His crewman didn't say anything. He just pointed out to the dark seas.

At the huge swell in the water heading straight for the fort.

Honed training kicked in as he gave the order. "Trebuchet crew! Aim for that rogue wave before it swamps our ships!" He wasn't exactly sure what it was, but wave or not, something of that size could easily scuttle or damage the ships they had in the harbor. And he knew well enough that a well-placed shot could disperse or at least weaken it.

His crew got to work, quickly lowering the trebuchet, loading it with a boulder covered in oil, and the attached firebender setting it alight. And with the snap of a rope, the weapon fired, flinging its fiery payload right into the path of the swell.

A cheer erupted from everyone as the boulder hit its mark right on the money. The captain was a bit reserved because he knew he had to face the commander to address why they had just fired into the sea for no reason. But at least his men had something to do other than man the fort all day.

The cheers stopped when the swell suddenly changed direction, barreling right towards them. Behind it, the captain could just make the shape of something lashing out of the water and generating waves as it did.

He swiftly ordered his men to ready another shot, but the swell that he wasn't even sure was a swell was coming too fast. Some of the crew knew this and started to blast bursts of fire at the incoming wave.

Any hope that this was a wave though vanished as the tops of jagged formations began to jut out from the water, aiming right at them.

Frozen in fear, the captain faced the oncoming doom with an awful realization. One that was crystalized when he heard an awful moaning sound coming from beneath the waters.

The lightning died before it could leave her fingertips. Turning behind, she saw the Fire Nation ship go up in flames. Azula watched as the vessel, its silhouette the same one she'd seen countless times as an enduring symbol of her nation's pride, was cleaved in two.

All at once, the color drained from her face. Flashes of screaming and death raced through her mind. And for a moment…she couldn't move.

Especially not when the swell charged from the wreckage, its emerging spines cutting through the water as it headed straight for the harbor.

Her frozen state was shattered when the tanks from behind fired their ordinance, all aiming at the incoming mass. She could hear the boulders detonate upon hitting their target, each one powerful enough to set a whole village ablaze.

But not one of them did anything except illuminate the huge mass charging right towards them. In fact, it almost seemed to quicken in pace as its thrashing propelled it faster and faster.

All with that all-too-familiar moaning.

The next one to spring into action was Sokka. "IT'S GONNA BEACH ITSELF! AANG! KATARA! FREEZE IT IN THE HARBOR!"

Coming out of their own stupor, Aang and Katara rushed to the docks and began to get to work. The thing was big and fast, and one bender alone probably wouldn't be able to generate enough ice to freeze it in place. Two benders on the other hand…

Both of them went through the motions in sync, feeling the power of the moon strengthen their connection to the harbor. At once, a thick sheet of ice began to spread from the docks and started to encompass the surrounding waters. The spines, though, just kept coming, practically slamming into the ice sheet and cutting their way through. Aang and Katara strained with all their might, focusing all of their energies on not only freezing the waters surrounding the thing but thickening it so it was trapped. Sweat formed on their brows, but they didn't stop. They couldn't stop. Too many lives were at stake.

Just when they thought they couldn't hold the thing back anymore, the approach of the spines began to slow down. The ice surrounding them began to solidify, making it more difficult for the charging being to continue. Eventually, its progress stopped entirely, with Aang and Katara solidifying the ice around it.

The two let out a breath of both exhaustion and relief. Another second, and the…whatever it was, it would've beached itself and crushed both it and everyone under its weight.

"Sokka…it was close enough with Azula…" Katara panted out.

Aang on the other hand shot a cheeky smile. "Hey, it worked. Didn't it?" He flinched a little when the waterbender shot him an annoyed look, but it wasn't like he was wrong either.

"Well, that's one problem dealt with. Time for the other," Toph declared, turning towards Azula and Maina. The rest of Team Avatar once more got into positions, remembering just why they were there.

CRACK!

Everyone stopped as they heard the ice behind the spines began to split apart.

And their hearts dropped when a massive gray tail rose from its frozen prison high into the air. It hung there thrashing for a moment, before plummeting back down into the ice sheet. The impact caused great fractures in the ice to form, each one with a bone-chillingly loud crack.

In the center, the jagged spines wretched themselves back and forth, splitting apart their confinements as they, too rose high into the air.

Higher.

And higher.

The full body of the beast arose inexorably from the vaunted trap with great chunks of ice clinging to its back. It was everything Azula remembered. Tons of seawater spilled over charcoal grey scales. Great arms and claws slashed themselves free.

With great effort, the monster brought its leg up clear of the water…

Maina tackled the dumbstruck Azula to the side and out of the way. Team Avatar followed suit, but even they couldn't stay on their legs as the reptilian foot came slamming down. The giant foot pressed down, cracking the earth and splintering the docks. The very force of its impact caused the houses in the nearby village to collapse into shattered piles of rubble.

For a moment, everything remained still.

Then it lifted its other foot, slamming it to the ground and forcing everyone once again to fall to their knees before its awesome might.

Slowly…very slowly…Azula looked up at the mountain shaking its back, sending huge chunks of ice to falling into the village below.

She looked around. Maina. The Avatar. His friends. Everyone. They all saw it. This was no delusion.

This was real.

They all watched as the titan reared its head back, throwing off the last chunk of ice and revealing a saurian face twisted with fury.

With a sound that could only be described as pure, primal rage, Godzilla roared to the heavens, announcing his return.

SKEEEEEEEROOOOOOOOONK!

Everyone had to cover their ears and crouch. That roar was practically a wall of solid sound, buffeting their senses. Azula had to fight the primal instinct to curl up into a ball, to do anything that would keep that sound from ringing in her skull and rendering her deaf.

It seemed to last an agonizingly long time, but eventually, another sound joined it. The more familiar roar of Fire Nation fury.

The tanks unleashed a disciplined wave of projectiles slamming missile after missile into his rocky hide. Shakily pulling herself back up to her feet, Azula watched the bombardment. Her only exposure to the crescendo that brought terror and awe to all the world had been through stories her father and uncle told her. By the time she joined the war, it was practically over and she preferred to fight behind the lines. So the sight of flaming projectiles sailing through the air was…it was something else.

Her awe of the display crashed along with the bombardment as it did absolutely nothing. The charcoal scales remained unscathed, the smoke and embers falling harmlessly as all they accomplished was to create an ostentatious but useless show for any hapless onlookers.

High above, Godzilla snarled in contempt and lifted its massive foot once more. The closest tank and squadron had maybe a few seconds to return fire in some last-ditch effort at resistance before the monster brought it down. Steel and men were crushed under its massive weight as effortlessly as a man steps on a twig.

The screams…Azula froze as she heard the screams and…how quickly they were silenced…

They didn't stand a chance…

Something that wasn't made clear to the other tanks when they began to hurriedly backpedal, yet still kept firing all the same. It could've been considered admirable if they had an actual chance of doing something substantial. But all they succeeded in doing was drawing the ire of the monster, who snorted at the pitiful act of defiance.

It lunged forward, far faster than Azula would've imagined an animal of its size to move. Far faster than one of the tank crews expected before their war machine was seized in Godzilla's powerful jaws. It moved that huge mouth to trap the tank comfortably in its jaws, before crunching down. Fire Nation steel turned out to be little defense against powerful fangs each the size of a person.

It wouldn't be long, though, before the wreckage of the tank was virtually flung into the air with a quick jerk of Godzilla's head. The sight of a Fire Nation tank being tossed around like a toy was almost surreal, even more so when it collided with another tank. Such a collision caused the two of them to disappear in a fiery explosion, ignited by the onboard munitions suddenly being smashed against one another. A plume of flame incinerated all that stood near it, men and buildings alike.

In a matter of mere moments, the tank force was gutted and the docks were reduced to rubble. The last two tanks began to retreat into the village, firing as they pulled back. This in turn further enraged the great reptile, its heavy feet forming craters, and trampling huts with every step in its charge. Behind, its gigantic tail smashed apart any wooden structures still standing, and kicking up plumes of dust and fire in its wake.

Azula, Maina, and Team Avatar staggered to their feet amidst the rubble, standing in awe at the sheer amount of destruction. Amidst the wreckage, they could see the bodies of both soldiers and a few villagers who were brave enough to stay behind. Nobody wanted to imagine the state they were in.

Now, the Princess was no stranger to death and destruction. She killed the Avatar. She knew that sometimes you needed to tear something down to build something better. Yet this…this was something else. This was death on an unimaginable scale. And Azula could just barely keep herself up under the sheer weight of it.

Someone else though managed to bounce back with a surprising amount of authority. "Katara! See what you can do to put out those fires!" The waterbender leaped to action from her brother's leadership, already moving to get into position to try and douse the fires with seawater. "Aang! Get those soldiers out of there! Toph, see if you can slow that thing down!" The Avatar and his earthbending master nodded, already running to their objectives.

She wasn't sure what came over her, but Azula started running after the Avatar towards the two remaining tank crews. Granted she fell a bit behind both due to the amount of rubble and the aching in her muscles. But something seemed to suppress it, as if somehow she had gotten her second wind.

And she wasn't alone either. Maina had joined Katara, trying to keep the fires from spreading with her airbending. From a distance, Azula could tell it wasn't quite up to par from what she saw from the Avatar, but the native certainly knew enough to at least redirect the air to prevent it from fueling the flames.

Katara for her part wasn't too bothered with the strange girl's appearance. She just gave orders on where the fire should be directed while bending large amounts of water from the harbor and onto the burning ruins. Just because she was winded didn't mean she didn't have enough strength to stem the tide of destruction.

As for Toph, she was having significantly less luck trying to slow down a multi-metric ton giant. Finding it with her earthbending was easy enough. And her usual method of sinking the earth around its feet was a tried-and-true maneuver. Every time she tried to entrap those feet though, the monster just crashed right on through. She broke out into a sweat from the sheer force she needed to even put any form of resistance against it. Stopping that drill back at Ba Sing Se was hardly any effort when compared to just trying to slow this thing down.

Up on the roofs, Azula and Aang were running as hard as they could to the nearest tank crew. Agni bless them, they were still firing, but a part of Azula wanted to scream at them to just stop since all they were doing was making Godzilla angrier and angrier.

Not that it would do her any good as the monster swiped its clawed hand at the tank, cleaving it in two with a single strike. She and the Avatar stopped, watching the surviving crew scramble for cover, as the cloven wreckage was thrown into a wooden hut.

That left one tank and squadron left. Luckily for them, they were farther away than the others and had realized the real fact that they may as well have been throwing pebbles rather than bombarding the beast with explosives.

Aang and Azula looked at one another, before nodding and racing towards the final tank. Enemies they may have been, but both understood that those men needed their help. As they ran, they started shouting, "GET OUT OF THE TANK AND OFF THE STREETS!" The squadron seemed to get the message as the tank stopped, everyone scrambling to get the crew outside as fast as possible.

Behind them, Godzilla glared down as it brought its body and massive tail around, trailing debris as it did.

The two unlikely allies used their respective elements to boost forward towards the crew. Aang with his air, Azula with her fire. Rapidly, they closed the distance just as the last of the crew abandoned the tank. Aang swung his staff forward and created a gentle push of air to get one-half of the crew away. Azula broke into a sprint and grabbed a soldier who had fallen while barking out "Move like you've got a purpose!" to the others, which did wonders in getting them to run as fast as possible.

She and Aang had just gotten a good distance away from the tank when the great tail came crashing down, utterly flattening both the machine and everything around it from the impact.

Azula grunted with effort to get the soldier back up on his feet. "I…thank you…Princess…" he stammered.

"Don't thank me! Just get out of here!" she urged, pushing him towards his squadmates who promptly took their comrade and ran. Her chest heaved from effort, trying to regain her breath. It almost felt like she was going to collapse from all the strain.

Heavy footsteps from behind shattered any respite she might have had as Godzilla thundered past, trampling everything in its path under a cloud of dust and flame. Azula looked ahead at where his path of destruction would take him and had her breath snatched away from her. Up ahead was the fort, all decked out in the flag and regalia of the Fire Nation. She could see that it was manned, no doubt the commander standing on the battlements in some futile show of bravado.

A whole lot that did when the rampaging giant monster was charging straight for you.

"I…thanks Azula…" she heard the Avatar say when he landed right next to her.

Before she could give some snarky reply about how they weren't through the woods yet, Toph ran straight up to the Avatar's side. "I can't slow him down on my own. I'm gonna need you to help me out with this one Aang!"

Aang wiped some of the dirt off his face, racing alongside Toph in the air as she surfed on a ridge of earth to get in front of Godzilla's way. Up ahead, fiery boulders and missiles raced through the sky, slamming into the monster's hide. A roar erupted in response, for the beast's new target had just made themselves known.

It charged forward, bringing with it the wave of destruction that had come to consume the entire village. For anyone else, it would've been suicidal to get in its way. For Aang and the world's self-proclaimed strongest earthbender, it was a job only they were cut out for.

Both of them stomped the earth in a horse stance, feeling the very rock and soil bend before their will. The ground in front of the charging monster opened forth a crack, deep enough to easily swallow even its gigantic foot. Godzilla bellowed with surprise as he stepped into the crevice. Not wasting a moment, Toph and Aang thrust out their arms and closed the crevice around the foot, trapping the monster in its place.

With the great beast immobilized, Aang snapped his glider open. This monster was unlike anything he'd ever seen, wading through bombardment after bombardment like it was nothing.

Bitter memories of La bubbled up in his mind as he looked upon the raging beast. Would…he need to go into the Avatar State? It wasn't like the situation could get any worse than it already was.

A crack interrupted his thoughts as Godzilla smashed his foot through the earth, freeing himself from imprisonment and continuing his charge. Aang and Toph were right in his path.

It wasn't long though before a familiar bellow reverberated through the sky, and the form of Appa flew in front of them both. Aang promptly grabbed Toph by the arm and bent a gust of air beneath them to get on the Flying Bison's back. Just in time too as Godzilla thundered right where they were standing.

Aang let out a sigh of relief right before he felt a weight on his shoulders and Momo frantically nuzzling his face. "Hey, it's okay buddy! I'm alright!" he reassured. Honestly, he was just grateful to see a friendly face.

Relief turned to panic though as a mighty crash could be heard. Turning around, Aang saw that Godzilla had smashed his way through into the fort, crushing all in its path. Screams of terror were drowned out by his furious roars. All semblance of order and cohesion were lost as soldiers were either buried under falling debris or trampled in its wake.

Those who still had enough sense fled to the boats, hoping to escape the wrath of the monster. Within the fort, fires and smoke raged out of control as Godzilla smashed the foundry, the castle that housed the officers, and anything that was standing. Those furious roars echoed all over the island, the ghostly image of the feared god standing amidst the smoldering ruins and rubble of the Fire Nation's hold on the island.

Down below, Azula ran through the crashed gates, seeing far too many bodies all along the way. No doubt Maoso was among them, but she didn't have the stomach to look.

Rather, her focus was on the great monster in front of her, trampling everything to the ground. This…this wasn't an animal acting out of instinct. The look in its eyes…there was an intelligence behind it.

Godzilla bellowed with anger, almost as if even this destruction would not sate its fury. It turned its head, towards the boats beginning to leave the dock, and sneered. Claws flexed, for its new target had been found.

Azula watched the monster begin to move…and her hands seemed to move on their own.

She'd seen too much death…too much devastation…she couldn't take it anymore.

So she wouldn't allow it to continue.

At peace with her purpose and her fate, she split the negative and positive energies within herself and brought lightning to her fingertips. Getting into the familiar stance, she shot a bolt of lightning right at the dorsal spines of the monster. An expression of her precision, and focus.

All it did was spark futilely against the towering dragon. So insignificant, that Godzilla didn't even turn to notice.

Something in Azula snapped. Who was she to defy a god its quarry? It was as if fate decided to take the choice away from her. To make her watch more death being thrown in her face.

She…she couldn't take it.

Azula ran behind the monster, just out of the range of its thrashing tail…and screamed.

A brilliant blue breath of fire erupted from her mouth and high into the air. Any sense of restraint and control was lost. The only thing she wanted right now was for the thing to look at her.

…and suddenly, it stopped.

"COME ON! WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!" she screamed, breathing every last ounce of power into her fiery breath.

Slowly…very slowly…Godzilla turned and looked right at her.

Her heart was pounded, her energy nearly spent, and yet…she couldn't turn away from the beast. It stood there. Almost as if sizing her up.

A realization came to her as she thrust her fist in the air and let out a plume of blue fire.

High above, Godzilla watched her generate the blue fire. What was going on in that mind of it, she couldn't tell. By all regards, she felt like prey. She was being examined by the largest thing she had ever seen. And yet…she couldn't turn away. Not now.

Defiantly, she glared back into the eyes of the beast.

Godzilla growled...and his back dorsal spines seemed to flash with blue light.

Azula's skin crawled, watching the display. Inwardly, she felt as though a great fire was being exerted from the monster's breath. A display of power not unlike her own.

The blue light flashed several times…before dimming entirely. Godzilla almost seemed to nod, as if satisfied before turning back the way it came.

Azula stood there amidst the rubble and bodies of the fort, seeing the beast trudge back to the sea through the ruined remains of what was once the village of Odo Island. She fell to her knees, in awe of the power. All of this destruction it had caused almost effortlessly. And nothing, nobody had anything that could stand against it.

Above, she saw the Avatar and the friends he picked up on the Flying Bison observe as Godzilla made its way to the bay.

She heard a shuffling as Maina staggered to her side, spent and barely able to keep herself up.

All anyone could do was watch Godzilla dove into the harbor, its great mass sinking beneath the waves as it swam out to the ocean beyond.

Seeing the great dorsal spines disappear beneath the dark waters, Azula only had one thought.

This wasn't the end. Not by a long shot.

Chapter Text

  Odo Island

Gone…it was all gone.

Odo Island. A quaint little village, spared the worst the war had to offer…was trampled in under an hour.

Villagers milled around the ruins of what was their homes, digging through the rubble. Salvaging whatever they had to leave behind. Hoping beyond hope that their loved ones or friends who stayed behind wouldn’t be…

It was too much. Aang’s legs buckled from all the weight. Try as he might, he couldn’t help but let a few tears fall. On one shoulder, Momo meekly tried to lick his face dry. On the other, he felt another weight press down as Katara rested her head.

Ordinarily, it would’ve been comforting. Knowing that he wasn’t alone and that there was something in this world that kept him grounded. A steady rock against the ever-changing tides.

Yet tears fell from her eyes too. The smoldering wreckages and distant cries were all too distressingly familiar.

“...we couldn’t even slow it down…” Sokka muttered. Toph tried to put a reassuring hand on his shoulder, but even that was half-hearted. What else was there to say? What could even be said?

Other than that they failed.

They failed to apprehend Azula. They failed to stop Godzilla. They failed these people. Everyone was counting on him yet again, and again he-

“Aang? You okay?”

Her voice brought him down to earth, making him aware of the dirt between his fingers. Slowly, he felt the air coming in and out of his lungs, centering him back to reality. In…out. In…out.

“Ye-...no. No, I’m not,” he said in a hollow voice. He couldn’t lie to himself, or anybody else. It wouldn’t change anything. All he could do was wrap his arm around Katara so they could both support one another.

The crunching of armored boots almost caused Aang to try and dust himself off, to make himself a little presentable. Sokka on the other hand wouldn’t have any of it, stepping in front of the Fire Nation soldier without hesitation. “He…needs a moment. You can talk with me.”

A man who looked to be in his mid-thirties, this soldier was the most senior officer following Maoso’s death. Nobody tried to think too much about what remained of his body. “We’re…we’re too undermanned to rebuild or even man the fort. Our casualties were…far too many.” He took a moment to collect himself, before steeling himself with a salute. “The rest of us will ship out with the boats. Not much we can do.”

Sokka let his hands fall to his hips in exhaustion and disbelief. His father told him that the Fire Nation’s brutality was matched only by the bravery of their warriors. When one tells you they’ve given up, you know that things have truly gone bad.

“That will not be necessary,” an aged voice spoke up. All eyes turned to Elder Yamane with the shrine maiden Nami at his side, both almost ethereal specters amidst the ruins. “We…have a place you can rest and station yourselves. It’s well dug in, and we’ve already stockpiled enough food for the foreseeable future.”

If the newly-minted officer gave any sign that he recognized this clear tip-off as to the identities of the “smugglers” Maoso had been after, it was masked by a look of relief and a grateful bow. However, anyone who had gone through the night they had endured could easily be forgiven for not remembering what was truly important in the moment.

Hearing the elder’s voice brought Aang up to his feet, using his staff to drag himself from the dirt. Katara was naturally at his side, but the Avatar took a few steady strides towards the one he’d failed. “Are you sure you don’t need any help from us?” he asked, taking the reins from Sokka and letting the warrior take his own rest beside Toph. Momo glided over to the boy, letting Aang face the leaders by himself.

“We’ll be okay. It’ll take some time to rebuild, but we’ve prepared for something like this for months now. You worry about yourselves, you hear?” Yamane reassured, giving a weary smile to the tired boy.

Not that it was much comfort. The islanders knew who the real threat was, but all they were doing was hunting Azula. If they focused on Godzilla from the start, maybe they could’ve stopped this from happening. Maybe they could’ve…

Aang sighed, knowing that dwelling on might-have-beens wouldn’t help now. “I’ll let Fire Lord Zuko know what’s going on so he can send support. I’ll make things right. I promise.”

To that, Nami placed a hand on his shoulder and looked him in the eye. “It’s okay. Gojira has not been seen for ages. Nobody could’ve known he would emerge.”

He knew she was trying to comfort him, but it didn’t make it any less painful how badly he’d misjudged this whole thing. Right now though, his mind was set on what needed to be done.

Aang gave a respectful bow to both of Odo’s leaders before turning towards a waiting Appa a good distance away, with the rest of the team falling in behind his newfound purpose. “Where to, Twinkletoes?” Toph asked.

They all knew the answer before the Avatar even said it. “The colonies. We need to warn Zuko before anybody else dies.”

  Fire Nation Ship Cargo Hold

Deep within the dark hold of a Fire Nation ship, Azula stared at the impossible girl across from her.

Lieutenant Kazuma’s offer to smuggle them to the colonies to warn the Fire Lord was an obvious choice. It gave them some breathing room away from the Avatar and some time to plan out their next move. Or rather, time for Azula to dissuade herself from the absolutely stupid idea she did have.

That wasn’t happening right now, so perhaps she figured she’d get some much-needed answers when she had a chance.

To that end, she rose to her full height, and crossed her arms. Her eyes were blazing, practically pinning Maina to the hull of the ship. The image would’ve been more powerful if she were in full armor, but she’d have to make do with the robes and cloak she had.

“Start talking. How many of you are there?”

“Not too many of us. We’re just a small tribe with a few settlements, but we rarely leave our island. I’m the first in…well since the war started I think.”

“And how exactly did a small tribe of airbenders manage to escape one of the largest operations in military history?”

Maina sighed, slumping herself down to the dirty floor. She offered Azula an open spot beside her, but the Princess just leaned on a crate behind her. If they were going to be here a while, she wanted to make it clear who was in charge here.

“None of us had any idea of what Sozin was going to do at the time of the Comet. I mean, all of us knew that the Fire Nation was becoming more radicalized and were looking for the Avatar, and we knew he had been born to the Air Nomads. We just didn’t know who he was at the time. Nobody did. And…nobody imagined what lengths the Fire Lord would go to get him out of the picture.”

“You mean make a pre-emptive strike on the Air Nomads’ forces before they had a chance to unleash their army and the Avatar on us, right?”

“What the- They were monks! Why would they have an army, of all things?!?” The outburst didn’t have too much effect on Azula. She supposed growing up listening to the lies of this girl’s ancestors would blind her to the truth. Couldn’t exactly blame her for that.

Maina took a deep breath, collecting herself. “They didn’t have an army…so when the Fire Nation wiped them all out, they couldn’t do much to defend themselves. Neither could we. It all happened so fast. When we learned about what had happened, it was too late for any of us to help.

“The Fire Nation was pretty efficient in hunting down the last Nomads. And one of the things they did was rob them of places to hide. They knew we were allies and could easily harbor refugees, so they came after us next. Had a whole fleet and a squadron of dragon riders to wipe us out just so not a single Nomad survived. Who…who does that? Who wipes out an entire culture?”

Sometimes sacrifices need to be made for the greater good , Azula told herself. It was war. War didn’t care about morality or what was lost. It only cared about who was left standing. Especially if the enemy would stoop to any low to kill them all. Either us or them. Plain and simple.

“Then how did you survive when no one else did?” Azula asked.

“...Mothra saved us.”

“Mothra?”

“Yes. She’s the Goddess I pray to,” Maina elaborated, holding up the stone necklace with an engraved cross. “And this is her symbol. She’s a deity of peace, love, life, and harmony.”

“Sounds like she and the Avatar would get along just fine then,” Azula snarked.

“Yeah. The Fire Nation underestimated her then too. But she’s real. Just like Godzilla is real. And when the navy came for us, she whipped the winds into an impassable hurricane. Ships were sunk. The dragons went mad and threw their riders off their backs. Within an hour, the whole force was sent to the abyss of the sea. And with her strength, she kept the storms raging for many decades until she had spent the last of her power. Even then, nobody came after us since no one was sure if Mothra was alive or not.”

“...so…Mothra is dead?”

“Sort of. She’s a Goddess of life but also of death. Think of it as an unbreakable cycle. One dies but can be reborn in a new life. That’s what Mothra’s like. Right now, she’s dormant. But I don’t doubt she’ll awaken soon enough. She always does.”

“Sounds a bit like the Avatar.”

“Something like that,” Maina conceded.

“...is she a monster like Godzilla then?” Azula hesitantly asked. The parallels seemed a bit too similar for it to be a coincidence. Armies and soldiers being sent to their graves by some kind of unassailable force akin to a god. A pattern she’d been picking up as of late.

“Kaiju. That’s what we call her, Godzilla, and others like them. We don’t call them monsters, and especially not Mothra. Sure, there are some bad ones out there, but they’re not all like that.”

“...others…”

“I mean. That’s what I’ve heard,” Maina quickly added, but it was enough for Azula to push herself off the crate and walk a bit in a daze.

There were others.

She didn’t know if it was the ship rocking or the revelation, but she needed to lean on a crate for support once she had walked out of sight. Kaiju. Monsters. It didn’t matter what you called them. The possibility of there being more of those things out there almost brought bile to her throat.

We’ll overcome these threats. Just as we’ve always done , the ghost of the Phoenix King told her.

“Just like at Odo Island then, Father?” she hissed. Whatever strength she had fled her, causing her to slump down to the floor with her back against the crate. Even talking back to an image of her father was enough for her to flinch. How else could she possibly react? Honestly, she expected a sharp scolding from him whenever she spoke out like that.

Instead, she got the aggravatingly soothing voice of her mother. My love, maybe it is not as bad as we thought. This Mothra does not sound so horrible. Maybe this Maina could help you understand them.

“Her? Mother, I didn’t even know she could bend air and she wanted to take me to a place I never even heard of. How could I possibly trust her?”

I suppose you’re right. After all, you can’t trust people these days. Too many unknowns. It’s good for you to stay on your toes.

So why stick your neck out for those who are so unworthy?

Zuko, Mai, and Ty Lee’s voices sounded so fake, that Azula almost laughed. That was rich coming from them. No. She needed to look out for herself. And if this Maina had any ill intent-

“Everything okay?”

Azula snapped out of her musings when Maina rounded the corner, looking at her with concern.

“I’m fine ,” she said, biting her lip, hoping she made herself sound convincing.

Maina just looked at her in that aggravatingly concerned way and sat across from her. “It’s just, I heard you talking and…” She trailed off, not wanting to push it any further already. “Look, I’m sorry I kept things from you. It’s just when you’re far from home, you…don’t want people to know who you are.”

Azula drily chuckled. “Finally. Something we can both agree on.”

“But the offer still stands. Infant Island can help. It’s a place of healing and wisdom. If anyone can help, it’s Mothra.”

And that sounded too good for Azula to believe. Why would anyone help a monster like her out? She was insane. She talked to people who weren’t there and banished her friends and servants on a whim. Who would ever give her the time of day?

“She doesn’t know me then,” she spat out.

To her surprise, Maina leaned over and gave her a reassuring pat on her shoulder. “When I said Mothra is a Goddess of Life and Death, I don’t just mean the physical way. She’s the embodiment of renewal and new beginnings. That anyone can begin to change their ways if they’re brave enough to take those first few steps.”

…

“...it’s too late for me then.”

Maina looked at her as if she had grown a second head, before leaning back and letting the silence descend on them both. Good. It left Azula some time to think of her next move. Which distressingly was the same as the first idea she thought of.

But how exactly do you warn your brother against doing something stupid when he hates your guts?

Yu Dao

From high above, on Appa’s back, Yu Dao looked like any other Fire Nation settlement. Situated comfortably along the seaside, the roofline was dominated by the typical crimson pagodas and towers. Great naval ships docked in the harbor, with the proud flame of their nation fluttering in the breeze on red flags everywhere.

You’d have to be told that this settlement was sitting on what, centuries before, had been Earth Kingdom territory. 

Outside the city was the thing that caught everyone’s attention. A large military camp had been set up, with massive war balloons and tanks lined up to be deployed at a moment’s notice. It was enough to house a sizable army. 

Aang, Toph, Katara, and Sokka were silent. They all knew that talks with King Kuei about the oldest colonies were breaking down. They knew he was arriving with his own army for the next summit. Zuko assured them that the armed forces here were a deterrent or a precaution for a worst-case scenario should fighting break out. Nobody was in the mood for restarting the whole war all over again.

They just hoped that this wasn’t a dry field waiting for a single spark to set it all ablaze.

Appa groaned as he descended, not having gotten quite used to landing in a war camp full of Fire Nation soldiers. The soldiers standing at attention didn’t help his nerves much. Regardless, Aang gently patted his oldest friend on the head in reassurance. They weren’t being fired at this time, so that was a start.

His other animal partner wasn’t so keen on taking him at his word. Momo proceeded to curl up underneath one of Sokka’s blankets, his green eyes peeking out from the fabric.

Well, not like that was going to stop him. Aang and his friends leaped down to the dusty earth below. Right away, the few closest Fire Nation soldiers exchanged nervous glances before bowing in respect. “Avatar Aang! We…weren’t expecting you. If we had known you were coming-”

“We’re here to speak with Fire Lord Zuko. It’s an urgent matter,” Aang interrupted.

“Ah…yes. See, the Fire Lord is currently in the middle of a meeting with his advisors-”

“And will cut some time out so he can see his friends.”

That voice got the soldiers to jump and immediately part ways, giving a respectful bow to the young man striding through their ranks. Aang on the other hand had about as much respect as you could expect a kid of his age. None. He practically zoomed forward on the wind and gave Zuko a big hug with a huge smile plastered on his face.

Zuko, to his credit, took the breach of protocol in stride and hugged his friend back. “Oh thank Agni you’re here,” he said. “If I had to hear another advisor talking my ear off, I thought I was going to lose it.”

“Good to see you again too buddy. You look great!” Indeed, Zuko was decked out in the resplendent crimson, gold, and black robes befitting of the young Fire Lord. A cape cascaded down from his shoulder plates while the crown he had fought for sat rightfully on his topknot.

“Thanks. I, uh, wish we could’ve met under better circumstances.”

“Doesn’t mean we can’t make the best of a bad situation though,” a much older voice chimed in. From behind, the familiar stout figure of Iroh strode in amidst the reunion. This brought a smile to the faces of Team Avatar at seeing Zuko’s old uncle…and a little confusion.

“Wait, what are you doing here instead of the Jasmine Dragon?” Toph asked.

Iroh just gave a cheeky grin. “Well my nephew here wanted my help regarding the situation with the colonies, and it’s not like I could say no to that. Why don’t you come join us for some tea? I’ve got the kettle on.”

Figuring they could take the tea master at his word, Aang, Zuko, and the rest followed Iroh through the camp. All around, they could see soldiers training, cleaning their gear, and making sure all was in tip-top shape. It was almost surreal that they weren’t being chased by everyone present this time around. Then again, six months since the war ended was a pretty long time.

They all followed Iroh into Zuko’s tent, a regal abode guarded by elite firebenders outside, and furnished with all the ornate trappings of home inside. The smell of tea wafted in the air, prompting them to take their seats and allow Iroh to serve their drinks.

“Now then. Let’s get down to business.” Almost instantly, the tension in the room rose as Zuko looked Aang dead in the eye. “Tell me about what happened on Odo Island.”

And so the Avatar did. He told him everything. Every detail they could remember. While the tea was warm and delicious, it didn’t quite drown out the grizzly images from the night before. The others piped in now and again to tell the Fire Lord and the Grand Lotus some detail Aang might’ve missed.

Especially about Godzilla.

Zuko soaked it in, letting the others talk. When they were done, he took a sip of his tea and closed his eyes while taking a breath.

“What about Azula?”

A chill descended on the air. Everyone looked at each other before Katara said, “She got away. We couldn’t find her among the dead or the survivors.”

The Fire Lord took another deep breath. “So she’s still out there running loose…”

“No offense Zuko, but we’ve got bigger problems than Azula,” Sokka sheepishly said. “This Godzilla just took out an entire village and almost wiped out a whole garrison. We all know Azula’s a problem, but I think this monster should be our biggest priority.”

“And what do you believe we should do then?” Iroh asked.

Aang fidgeted a little bit, not sure if he was going to like the response. “Godzilla’s tough. Nothing we had was even able to put a scratch on it.”

“Do you even know why it attacked in the first place?” Zuko asked.

“...not exactly. But I think it was angered by the Fire Nation prison ships moving through its territory.”

“Godzilla seems to have some kind of beef with anything Fire Nation,” Sokka picked up. “Once it got finished out at sea, it made a beeline to the fort on Odo Island. Maybe it figured that’s where the ships came from and decided to attack the source.”

“It also seems to go after anything that attacks it in retaliation. Once those tanks fired on it, Godzilla went crazy and practically tore them to shreds. We guess that whatever it sees as a threat, it goes after, ” Katara finished up. It still amazed Team Avatar how anything could rip solid steel to shreds. Aside from Toph of course, but even she had to invent metalbending to do that.

Aang straightened himself up to make himself clear. “I’m going to commune with the past Avatar spirits to see if I can’t find out more, but until then, I’d recommend you stay away from the waters around Odo Island. The last thing we need is to give him any more reasons to go on a rampage.”

Whatever cordiality was there had been replaced by the gravity of their news. They all waited a bit nervously for Zuko’s assessment. These were his people after all, and there was no telling what anyone would do when faced with such a threat. After all, Team Avatar didn’t initially believe that the monster would be more than some local sea beast before it rose and destroyed Odo.

“...my sister’s escaped her trial, Kuei’s breathing down my neck, and now this ‘Godzilla’ is going around threatening my nation…”

“I…know it sounds bad, but all we can do about Azula is wait for her to make her move-”

“No, that’s exactly why this is so bad!” Zuko snapped at Aang. It took him a moment for him to register what he did before he slowed his breathing. “Sorry. It’s just…between all the stuff I’ve been dealing with in regards to Kuei and this…I know my sister. She’s going to take advantage of this somehow.”

“And put the peace we’ve all fought so hard for in jeopardy,” Iroh mused gravely.

“Uh, hello? We just told you about a huge lizard that destroyed a village and you think that Princess Sparky’s our biggest problem?!”

Everyone just stared at Toph for a moment. “What? Princess Sparky? For her lightning?”

“...okay, that’s kind of amusing,” Iroh admitted, chuckling to himself.

“That’s beside the point. Didn’t you say that Godzilla could be pacified by avoiding his territory?” Zuko asked.

Aang rubbed the back of his head. “I didn’t say that. I just said to avoid those waters for now and avoid engaging him. We still don’t know what angered him, which is why I’m consulting the past Avatars. That way I can find a way to actually calm him down.

“Zuko, we know that Azula’s a problem, but there’s not a whole lot we can do about her right now. We’ll get to her, but right now our biggest concern is this Godzilla. What’s going to be more of a threat? Azula, who everyone knows, will be on the lookout for, and is someone we’ve beaten before? Or something we weren’t able to hurt and seems to hate the Fire Nation?”

“...Uncle. What do you think?”

Iroh furrowed his brow. “Azula is a problem. But this monster, this ‘Godzilla’...sometimes you need to save one problem for another time when a crisis of this magnitude is staring us in the face.”

The old man proceeded to shrug. “Who knows? Often solving one problem will lead to the solution of another.”

“Alright, I’ll need to talk with my advisors to get them on board,” Zuko declared. “There’s an old shrine nearby that I think you’ll be able to pray at, Aang. That should help you get the information you need.”

“I’ll work with the other White Lotus members to see if there’s anything we can dig up about this ‘Godzilla’,” Iroh added, already moving to grab a parchment and a quill to contact his “Pai Sho buddies”.

“Thanks Zuko. And don’t worry about Azula. We’ll find her eventually.” Aang bowed in respect as he said this. He wouldn’t let the young monarch down. Not this time.

Zuko bowed in return. “I know you will,” he said. Yet…Katara couldn’t help but notice a look of concern on his face. Something was hidden beneath the surface but still visible if you had known the Fire Lord long enough. She had known him for a while. After all, she was the first one he opened up to back in Ba Sing Se.

So when she saw Zuko being worried and him talking about Azula, it didn’t take too much thinking to put two and two together.

“Okay, so walk me through your thinking process here. You want to warn the guy who put you in an asylum about Godzilla?”

“Yes.”

“Yet you also know that the Avatar and his friends probably beat us to him, so they probably already warned him about Godzilla.”

“Yes.”

“So…why exactly are we still trying to warn him? Especially what happened after the last time you tried to warn somebody about Godzilla?”

“Ugh. For the love of- you stow away on a boat and try to think up a better idea next time, okay?” Azula exasperatedly said. Honestly, this Maina was just as pushy as Mai was.

They wandered through the crowded streets of Yu Dao, Azula wearing a cowl to obscure her face. Maina didn’t have the entire Fire Nation army looking for her, so she could at least blend in easily with the crowd. Honestly, it might’ve been safer to find someplace for Azula to hide out and let her…she wouldn’t say “friend”, but perhaps her “acquaintance” scout the city out.

But that would also mean putting her safety in the hands of a stranger AND being cooped up in yet another hideout for the time being. No, she wanted to stretch her legs. Besides, with so many people around, it would be easier for her to disappear than on an island.

Even if it did mean having to walk amongst more peasants.

“Hey, I do have a plan. Go to Infant Island like I said,” Maina snarked. The Princess did have to admit, being stuck with somebody who could stand up to her was a refreshing change of pace. 

“Look, I know what I’m doing. Sometimes, the best course of action is to see your surroundings and make use of what is given to you. Often the way forward will present itself. It’s how I conquered Ba Sing Se after all,” Azula confidently said. She made a note to write that down somewhere. Iroh wasn’t the only one with “wise” remarks after all. Of course, hers were better since they actually worked.

And almost on cue, the two of them heard the shouting of a crowd ahead. Azula gave a smarmy smirk before leading a rather annoyed Maina to what she guessed was the entrance to the noble distract.

They snaked their way into the crowd seeing a…rather confused mixture of what looked to be Fire Nation citizens and…Earth Kingdom peasants protesting together? Azula raised an eyebrow at all of this. She hadn’t spent much time in the colonies herself, but she definitely knew that these two groups did not mix.

Up ahead were a few annoyed Fire Nation guards who had the unlucky fortune of being assigned to “keep the peace”. So far, none in the crowd made a move, but it wasn’t like things were calming down anytime soon.

Intrigued, Azula turned to a teenage girl with brown hair who wore the garb of Fire Nation nobility in amongst the crowd. “Excuse me. What exactly is going on here?” she asked.

The girl took a break from chanting “YOU DON’T BELONG HERE!” to answer Azula’s question. “What’s it look like we’re doing? We’re protesting against the war profiteers that our ‘oh-so-benevolent’ Fire Lord is letting stay here!”

Azula and Maina looked at each other. “Uh…we just arrived so we’re kind of out of the loop here. Who’s profiteering from whom?”

“Oh. OH!” The protestor’s demeanor changed in an instant. “Forgive my attitude. I didn’t realize you weren’t from around here.”

The Princess looked the stranger up and down. Her stance and shift in mood betrayed a drilled-in sense of politeness and poise. Things you needed when growing up with a noble background. Particularly a Fire Nation one. “What’s your name?”

“I am Kori Morishita.”

Morishita…she recognized that name. Morishita was the name of the mayor assigned to Yu Dao. Father taught her that when she learned all of the important names in the colonies. This Kori then must’ve been his daughter.

That made her wonder why the mayor’s daughter was here amongst this rabble and not in the mayor’s house. Did somebody just decide that the whole world was to lose its mind instead of just her?

The answer decided to make itself known when one of the guards fired a short burst of flame in front of the crowd. “Citizens of Yu Dao, this is your last warning,” he commanded. “Go back to your homes, or we’ll be forced to start arrests for civil disobedience.” Whatever fire the crowd had was snuffed out by the threat of being scorched, their chantings extinguished with it. The Earth Kingdom citizens seemed to shrink away the most, much to the few staunch members trying to rally them all back.

Azula furrowed her eyebrows. A threat was one thing. Sometimes you need to frighten those you ruled to instill order. But there was a difference between dangling a grisly fate over one who you were pretty certain was a collaborator and would be more deserving of such punishment and threatening a whole crowd of citizens who got swept up in the hysteria. You couldn’t just start arresting people left and right after all, lest you be left with nobody. A lesson she was…all too familiar with.

Didn’t seem the grunts got the obvious message though. They started advancing with fire in their hands and weapons drawn. The Princess’s ire was raised, almost stepping forward to prevent what she saw was an incoming slaughter. Kori, on the other hand, put an arm out to stop her. “Don’t. You’re just going to make things worse. Let me handle this.”

Turning around, the noble girl proceeded to spread the word amongst the rabble, saying “It’s not worth getting killed over” and “We did what we could” to a few people. She simply told a few people, who in turn started talking to others. It wasn’t long before the message got across to everyone, even the few more fervent members. In time, the crowd dispersed. With just a few words, they backed down faster than what the grunts would’ve been able to make them with violence.

Kori sighed. “This…happens all the time. We get a crowd, they start throwing fire around,” she said while gesturing to the grunts who stood down, “and we disperse 'cause we can’t fight against something like that.”

“...so you’re hoping to get yourself loud enough so people who can stand against those grunts listen and back you up?”

“Yeah, something like that,” Kori replied to the Princess. “...that’s…actually on point. How did you-?”

Her eyes went wide once she saw who exactly was under the hood. “You’re-!”

“A friend!” Maina hurriedly said with a nervous smile. “A bit confused, a little lost, and she can be a pain, but she’s a friend. And definitely someone who doesn’t deserve to be thrown away to rot like some people would want to do with her. Trust me on this.” Azula gave a bit of a glare at the “lost” description, but she wasn’t in the mood to get into an argument right now.

It helped that Kori seemed to calm down a bit, trusting in the stranger’s judgment and…giving the Princess another one of those maddeningly sympathetic looks she’s been getting a lot recently.

“Then…what are you doing here? I heard you were lost out at sea near Odo Island.”

“It’s…a long story. Just know that I need to warn my brother against doing something stupid that could kill us all.”

“Or we could be on our way to a certain island right now…” Azula elbowed Maina in the arm, not really in the mood to get lectured about how she needed “help” at that particular moment.

Thankfully the priest’s little aside went right over Kori’s head. “Trust me. Your brother is causing enough problems as it is.”

“What do you mean? Fire Lord Zuko said he was going to bring honor back to the Fire Nation, didn’t he?”

“Look, it…probably would be better if I just showed you,” Kori told Maina, waving for them both to follow her. The two girls exchanged a confused look before falling in step.

The noble teen led them through what looked like the marketplace, with business owners and customers mulling about. “Notice anything off?” Kori asked. Azula’s eyes took a moment to spot what she was talking about. Granted it was hard to spot, but once she noticed the first signs, she started seeing it everywhere.

Shops that were owned and manned by Fire Nation merchants were more ornate and flashy when put next to their Earth Kingdom counterparts. Sure the former wasn’t entirely new for Azula. She’d seen plenty of business owners flaunting their wealth back at Caldera. Yet the contrast was stark between those shops and the less well-kept stores manned by Earth Kingdom citizens.

It wasn’t just in store decor either. All around, she saw the typical crimson and flowing robes of Fire Nation nobles, symbols of wealth and success. Yet compared to the more drab and subdued Earth Kingdom shoppers, the gap was hard to ignore. Sure there were quite a few Fire Nation peasants who looked a bit on the poor side, but Earth Kingdom nobles were nonexistent.

Looking all around, Azula almost stopped when she saw a shoe-shining booth where an Earth Kingdom worker was shining the shoes of a Fire Nation noble. The noble’s grey hair meant he had probably lived here awhile. Could’ve easily had ties with some of the old blood that conquered these lands.

Azula blinked. It wasn’t the dynamics here at work that gave her pause. It made sense that the Fire Nation would be on top since they had succeeded in taking the land. Obviously, the Earth Kingdom didn’t deserve it since they couldn’t defend their land and citizens properly.

What got her though was…Zuko promised that things were going to get better. That there would be peace and understanding and no more conflict. So…why was somebody who got here through conquest still on top?

“Yeah. I thought he was telling the truth as well. The thing is, they’re kicking all of the Fire Nation nobles out of the other colonies, but not here. I’m hearing it’s the same story with the other old territories,” Kori bitterly explained.

A thought just occurred to Azula. “Hang on. You’re a noble. Why’s it you’re protesting your father being here?”

“My father’s Fire Nation. My mother’s Earth Kingdom. I’ve…got roots in both places.”

Ah. A mixed marriage , Azula thought to herself. It wasn’t unheard of out here in the colonies for the two to mix, but it wasn’t exactly smiled upon back home. Sometimes they did it for political reasons to keep the peace with the natives. Sometimes it was for love. While she didn’t understand it herself, she wasn’t exactly one to look down on those who made such choices. It was an unavoidable consequence when cultures interact.

“Okay. I get that part. But why would you side with those who’d want you and your father gone? He’s the reason you have a decent upbringing instead of being with the rabble after all,” Azula pointed out. Turning against one’s father was downright alien to her. After all, they were the ones who shed their blood for the Fire Nation. It was their duty to uphold their honor.

She would know. Father was the reason she was such a great firebender, and made a name for herself.

Kori on the other hand had a different opinion. “I’d rather side with rabble than those who have the guards in their pockets. And I’d rather call here home than go back to a country that almost killed us all during Sozin’s Comet,” she bitterly spat out. Azula’s ears picked out how…rehearsed this was. Clearly, it wasn’t the first time she’d given this speech.

Thought it was what she also said that got Azula’s attention. “Hang on. Sozin’s Comet?! Why would the Phoenix King want you dead? You were loyal!”

Both Maina and Kori stopped dead in their tracks and looked her in the eye. “You…you don’t know?” Maina asked.

“Well…I wasn’t with the fleet. I had…issues of my own. But I do know that the plan was to position the ships in the areas with the most resistance and put on a display of force to burn any hope they had to the ground.” She should know. It was her idea after all. She even detailed the areas where they could make the most impact within the time given to them with the least amount of effort.

Kori and Maina exchanged glances. “You really don’t know?” Kori asked.

“I…admittedly wasn’t in a position to hear.”

…

“Come with me, you need to see something.” With that, Kori walked on, leaving Azula befuddled. The Princess looked to Maina for some explanation, but she just shrugged before following the rebel. However, there was something in her eyes that told Azula that she knew something she didn’t.

Curious, Azula fell in behind both. A part of her felt like she needed to see what they knew.

Outside of Yu Dao

It was a bit of a hike, but they got to where Kori wanted to bring her during the early afternoon.

Azula stopped in her tracks and gawked at the scorched earth before her.

There were burnt trees and the hollowed husks of housings as far as the eye could see. Where there were fields were just dead fields of burnt ash. Nothing seemed to be living out here.

“What…how…this…Father did this?” Azula asked no one in particular. Maina and Kori just gave solemn nods in response. “We…we were supposed to burn down the Earth Kingdom’s hope…”

“Did he say ‘hope’ or just ‘burn down the Earth Kingdom’?” Kori pointedly asked.

Azula felt…uneasy. Yes. He did say that. And she didn’t think much of it at the time. Even if he was serious, there had to have been some reason to escalate to this level. Sure it meant scorching loyal citizens but…

For some reason, her mind flashbacked to the destruction of Odo Island, seeing an entire village reduced to rubble and good Fire Nation men and women getting crushed. Now it occurred to her that her father wanted to do the exact same thing, but now to an entire continent .

It made her feel…uneasy.

“I can’t go back to that legacy. And I don’t care what the new Fire Lord said. He decided to take the mantle of Fire Lord, so he gets the legacy behind that title. Wouldn’t be the first time his line decided to butcher everyone around here after all.”

Yes. The initial invasion into the Earth Kingdom territories spearheaded by Fire Lord Sozin himself. Azula knew the history. She still didn’t understand why Kori would place her mother’s country before of her father’s…but she did understand why she wouldn’t be fond of her brother. Odd that they’d find common ground in that fact.

And it made her more uneasy when she realized that there was a chance that this could happen again.

“Well, there’s a chance he might get everyone killed here,” Azula murmured.

Now it was Kori’s turn to ask, “What are you talking about?”

Looking at each other, Maina and Azula told Kori everything that had transpired at Odo Island. The pain, the amount of death. And of the great beast responsible for it all.

“Godzilla? …I thought he was just a legend.”

“So did a lot of others,” Maina sadly mused. What caught Azula’s attention though was Kori’s apparent familiarity with the name given how casually she said it.

Her look of confusion was caught by the rebel. “There’s a depiction of him at our local temple. Did you want to see it?”

“Yes.” Azula let the local lead the way. That name. Her mind kept saying it over and over again. It wasn’t just the chaos from Odo that was practically painted in her head, thought that had a lot to do with it. For some reason, she felt like she needed to know more. More about something that seemed to defy any known logic and threw everything she knew about the world upside down.

And the blue fire…she couldn’t forget what she saw both in the shrine and during the monster’s rampage. What did they mean by the “Wielder of the Sapphire Flame”? She had a lot of questions. And when Princess Azula wanted answers, she got them. Sooner or later.

Chapter Text

Outside of Yu Dao

All that remained of the shrine was a simple stone monument sitting on top of a cliff, overlooking the turbulent oceans below. There had to have been more to it once upon a time, but scorch marks on the stone told Aang that whatever was there had been burned to the ground.

What was legible among the fractures and chipped stone on the monument read:

Here reigns the old beings and spirits of the earth and sea.

May their memory be honored forever.

Obviously, the ones who carved it never accounted for what 100 years of war could do to a people.

Aang took a deep breath, knowing all too well what was lost to time. Sure, some things had managed to endure its ravages The spirits themselves, for example, would always be linked to the world. Even if they weren't there in person, it didn't mean they were any less intrinsic to the fabric of reality. Still…he'd give anything for those blissful times back.

He exhaled, feeling the air leave his body and making him light. He couldn't turn back the clock and pretend things didn't happen. What he could do now was move forward. And for that, he needed the advice of the past.

Sitting down amongst the grass and feeling the breeze bring about the salt from the sea, Aang could feel the spiritual power here. His isolation made it all the easier to recognize them. The rest of his friends knew that, and were waiting back at the Fire Nation camp for his return. Hopefully, he wouldn't have to linger here too long. All he was looking for was advice after all.

Closing his eyes, he sent his mind into the past, feeling the constant elements of the world that were there before and would be here long after he had joined the cycle. And with him, he asked his past lives a single question.

Does anyone know anything about Godzilla?

It didn't take long for him to get an answer.

He opened his eyes, seeing the tall woman sitting in front of the monument facing him. The earthy emerald and golden robes. The distinctive makeup. Aang knew her well.

Kyoshi opened her eyes, gazing upon her reincarnation. "You want to know about this Godzilla?"

The airbender blinked, not expecting her to appear. "Uh, I just want to say I'm sorry for-"

His past life just held up her hand and chuckled warmly. "Don't worry about Ozai, Aang. You managed to defeat him and bring him to proper justice. Removing his bending was the best way to do that. The world's seen enough bloodshed as it is, and you can't exactly usher in a world of peace with one more body. Trust me. I know from experience."

Aang let out a sigh of relief. Honestly, a lot of people wondered why on earth he let Ozai live after what he did. Zuko and a lot of the Fire Nation amongst them. It did feel good for a past Avatar to see his point of view though. "Thanks. I mean it.

"But back to my question…"

"Right. You want to know about Godzilla," Kyoshi reiterated. "It happened during Chin's conquest of the Earth Kingdom. His lust for power was insatiable and didn't stop at the Kingdom's borders alone. He saw the Fire Nation across the sea and saw Fire Lord Zoryu's ascension to power and sundering of the clans as a sign of weakness. So he sent a fleet to take a few of the islands within Fire Nation territory, to gauge their strength.

"They never came back. I wasn't able to respond at the time because I was taking care of refugees and doing what I could to stem Chin's advance so I only learned about what happened after Chin died. I found out from Zoryu, who was a little miffed I couldn't be in two places at once. Can't say I blame him.

"Anyways, he wanted me to find out what happened to the fleet since they never gained a foothold on any Fire Nation island. He did know where the fleet disappeared."

"Odo Island," Aang realized.

Kyoshi nodded. "Yes. That's where they told me about the legend of Godzilla."

Aang's vision flashed to an image of Avatar Kyoshi standing on top of a great pillar of stone that jutted out from the raging waters below. Her steely gaze was fixed on the dark waters below, watching as a massive swell came rushing towards her.

"Like you, I assumed he was some kind of monster that needed to be dealt with. So I challenged him directly, figuring he wouldn't ignore another being infringing on his territory."

That great form arose from the sea, blotting out the sun and casting Kyoshi's pillar in shadow. Despite this, she stood stalwart, gazing up at the titan almost asking for it to make the first move.

"Thing was…I was wrong."

To Aang's surprise, Godzilla did not attack. He just leaned down and locked eyes with Kyoshi, the two of them sizing each other up. Moments passed, and somehow…Aang felt the tension in the air ease up. Kyoshi's muscles relaxed as she gazed into the eyes of the dragon.

"He didn't attack. And looking into his eyes…I understood. I wasn't dealing with some rampaging animal. This was an intelligent being. Chin drew his rage because his forces dared to ransack and pillage through his dominion. As such, it was something he couldn't allow."

The last image Aang saw coming back to reality was Kyoshi watching as Godzilla descended back into the waves, its great tail thrashing in the surf.

"Godzilla knew I was the Avatar, and I knew that if it weren't for him, more people would've suffered. So we parted ways as equals."

As reality came back into focus, Aang began to understand what Kyoshi wanted to show him. "Here's my advice to you. Godzilla can be destructive, but he's an inhabitant of this world just like you and I. And I think he and kaiju like him play a vital role in maintaining the balance. After all, the Avatar can't be everywhere at once. And like the Avatar, he can be both a menace and a protector. You just need to find that common ground between you both."

A question still nagged at the back of his mind though. "Wait. If Godzilla is a guardian…how come he's going berserk now and not when the war started?"

"I…can't answer that. There might be something bigger going on that neither one of us fully understands. My best guess is that the war was something beyond what a single being like him could stop. It's like what you were so worried about. You can't end a war by simply adding to the piles of bodies. There needs to be common ground. An Avatar could find that common ground, but a kaiju might not be able to.

"As for why he's going berserk now…I'm guessing the Fire Nation hasn't changed enough for him to be satisfied."

"But the Fire Nation IS changing! …isn't it?" Aang wasn't sure himself. He knew that Zuko was having a lot of problems in court with the other nobles and the various clans that ruled the home islands. And he also knew that there were problems with the Fire Lord relinquishing the colonies. Everyone knew that it wasn't going to be easy to change overnight.

Then again, he could understand what usually followed when Fire Nation ships sailed through your waters…

That left with him only a single option. It was crazy, maybe even suicidal. But if the alternative was that kaiju (is that what Kyoshi called it?) going on another rampage, it was a risk he needed to take. "Alright. I'll talk to Zuko to see if I can't get him to let me try to calm Godzilla down myself."

"Good luck," Kyoshi said, her image beginning to fade. "Uh…one last thing. About Azula."

The Princess's name caught Aang off guard. "What about her?"

"...she reminds me of somebody I knew when I was still alive. And…I don't think she's unreachable. I know it's a lot to ask, but could you please make sure she doesn't end up rotting in some cell somewhere?"

He wasn't sure what to say. Sure he didn't have anything against the daughter of Fire Lord Ozai, but he didn't particularly LIKE the girl who almost killed him. Going off of what Zuko and Iroh said seemed more appropriate since they knew her better. So maybe they'd know how to handle her better.

Yet the way Kyoshi talked about this somebody… gave Aang pause. There was a sort of regret and concern in that voice. And for some reason, an image of a young Earth Kingdom man flashed through his mind. Someone vaguely familiar…

"...I'll try," Aang promised.

"Thank you, Aang," Kyoshi said with a smile, her image beginning to fade from reality as the world began to come back into focus. All at once, the Avatar felt the presence of his past life vanish, leaving him alone on the cliffside.

Though not without leaving him with a sense of purpose. Now he just needed to convince Zuko of his insane idea of trying and reasoning with a giant rampaging monster. He was going to have his work cut out for him.

Yu Dao

Once Kori had confirmed that there was nobody in the temple aside from them, Azula threw off her hood and strode through the empty halls.

It was a modest building, the light of the setting sun beginning to cast long shadows against the walls and pillars. Up ahead was the typical shrine dedicated to the glory of the Fire Nation, the great flame emblazoned on the tapestry overlooking the altar. At the foot were candles surrounding a small statue made in the likeness of her grandfather, Fire Lord Sozin. It made sense to her that he who tamed these lands would be honored among the oldest of his colonies.

Yet her attention was drawn to the walls of the shrine. More specifically, the skulls mounted on them.

They certainly weren't dragon skulls, but they were certainly reptilian in appearance. Almost crocodilian in appearance, each one was about a meter in length. To anyone who wasn't part of the nobility, they would've looked ferocious and strange. To Azula, they were merely a reminder of the time she had seen one back home as a small child when visiting a returning general's house. A war trophy, he'd called it.

These were mosasaur skulls. And if you had asked her earlier this year, she would've told you they were extinct. Yet these same creatures were depicted in the shrine amongst various other sea animals dedicated to Godzilla. Certainly, none of these resembled fossils…

"They used to be common around here," Kori explained. "Young men who wanted to prove themselves would hunt them for glory and prestige."

"Guess they were the closest thing to dragons…" Azula mused. Each one had a plaque, commemorating the slayer and how it was conquered. Here was one dedicated to a Yozom, who speared a mosasaur through the heart. Over there was a skull taken by Rimo, who drove a sword through the monster's brain. Sometimes there was a small tapestry illustrating how the young men killed the beast, often shown in grisly detail.

This shrine wasn't just dedicated to the Fire Nation. It was dedicated to slaughter. Something that…didn't sit well with Azula. If there was one thing she wasn't proud of, it was dragon slaying. And these beasts, with their depictions stylized to include small whiskers and horns, painted an uncomfortably familiar image.

Their deaths were not the only ones to be depicted around the temple of course. All around, there were engravings, tapestries, and paintings dedicated to those early days of the war. Most of them were recognizable as feats performed by Sozin. Azula gazed upon one that depicted a story she and all other Fire Nation girls grew up learning about in the academy. Sozin and his armies descending onto the shores of the Earth Kingdom with his soldiers in an assault from the sea, fists unleashing a wave of flames against the endless barbarous hordes.

She remembered the lessons well. About how he moved swiftly and established the beachhead for the rest of the war. It wasn't meant to be overly aggressive, just enough to set up some forts and even some settlements so the rest of their forces could roll into the rest of the continent unmolested. Helped that those forts and settlements proved to be more than resilient against the first counterattacks from the Earth King.

"This is nothing but butchery and lies," Maina muttered, looking at a tapestry. Azula could see that it depicted an army of dragon riders descending on one of the Air Nomad temples with Sozin's Comet high in the sky. Arrows flew out to meet the riders, with Air Nomads carrying hook swords readying to rip the brave warriors to shreds. All of which didn't stand a chance against the blazing inferno of the dragons.

Seeing the great winged beasts, Azula felt a pang of remorse. She knew the reasons for the hunt of course. They went mad shortly after Sozin's Comet and attacked anything Fire Nation. Sozin's own dragon turned on her master when the war began and was butchered for her defiance. That's when the hunts started. If the dragons would not give their fire for the cause, at least they could surrender their flame to their conquerors.

Yet…she felt grief and rage when Iroh slew the last one. She never forgave him for what he did. A world without those magnificent reptiles, the very sources of fire, just wasn't the same.

Azula wondered if this was what Maina felt about the Air Nomads being killed off. For that, Azula couldn't blame her. Still, one couldn't live under one's delusions forever…

"Here! I found it!"

Azula and Maina followed the sound of Kori's voice and found her standing in front of a large painting. Here, Azula saw the familiar image of Sozin standing triumphantly upon his flagship, his fingers pointing as he directed his forces at sea.

What they were directed at was the familiar giant, rising out of the sea and blotting out the sun with blue flames erupting from its maw. Sure, it wasn't a complete resemblance. His maw was redrawn to look more draconic and had the familiar horns and whiskers of the dragon. Likely they were some artistic flourishes to make the kaiju resemble the more familiar dragons back home.

And all around its body were massive flaming chains. They were wrapped around its arms and back, digging into its flesh. Several were wrapped around its maw, as if they were trying to silence the azure fire erupting from its maw in a roar of defiance.

Faintly she felt the chains around her arms, being hogtied down to that grate. Azula…had to turn away. It was…too much.

Maina on the other hand had another reaction. "Hang on. Sozin never attacked Godzilla. If he did, I'm pretty certain there would've been something about it back on Odo Island."

To this, Kori looked in surprise. "Really? Cause my father always told me about how Sozin conquered the great sea beast and freed the Earth Kingdom of its tyranny."

"You're shocked that Sozin would just make something up to make himself look good to the natives?"

"...no. I guess not," the rebel whispered. Their discussion though didn't go unnoticed. Dragging her mind back to the walls of the temple, Azula was going to snap about how Sozin wouldn't lie about this. And she probably would've, if she hadn't seen Godzilla in the flesh and didn't know full well what he was capable of.

Even still…Sozin lying about something this big? Sure she lied to Father about Zuko killing the Avatar, but even that was something that was plausible. This, on the other hand, would be the equivalent of her claiming she tamed a hurricane. Not to mention that this story didn't appear anywhere in the history books back home. And she doubted he would've been capable of forging great chains before Azulon had perfected the method of using metal chains to capture escaping Water Tribe boats. Even if he did, that still wouldn't be enough to "conquer" the kaiju.

So if he lied about that…

"Can…I have a moment to meditate? Alone?"

The answer to her was silence, with Kori and Maina thinking for a moment before stepping out through the entrance of the temple. Leaving Azula alone for the first time since…well, she couldn't recall. Alone with the flickering candles and the fading sunlight filtering in through an opening in the ceiling right in front of the altar.

It was here that she took her place, kneeling in front of the idol of Fire Lord Sozin. For even in death, his achievements commanded respect. Taking a meditative pose, she closed her eyes, reaching out to feel the flickering candles illuminating this place of glory. Their warmth filled her heart, the embers coursing through her very veins. This was a practice she had leaned on ever since she was a child. A way for her to see her purpose, her true path through her toughest times.

Everyone lied, but not the flames.

And yet, as she took that dignified posture, that poise that came so naturally to her…she felt her breath catch. Her muscles beginning to seize up from paralysis. Her hair loose and tangled from the lack of upkeep. She almost felt the flames being smothered, the aches of chains and a straitjacket around her limbs. The dull pain of where they injected her with medicine began to ache.

All at once, the memories came flooding back. She was humiliated by her brother and a mere peasant. Her weakness and failings were laid bare for all to see. And she could almost feel the icy chill and the tears streaming down her face on that awful day.

Her eyes snapped open, unable to take it anymore. Azula felt drained and cold. That had never happened to her before. Desperate for some meaning or comfort, she looked upon the scowling face of Fire Lord Sozin, trying to figure out where she went wrong.

Yet her eyes wandered to the painting of the chained-up Godzilla, howling and thrashing against the burning restraints.

She gazed upon the skulls and trophies of slain mosasaurs, whose only crime was being reptilian enough to resemble dragons.

And she thought of the dragons, who her nation slew to become men…

It was then that Azula knew that the Fire Nation had not changed. If it had, why would those who conquered this place still be on top despite her brother promising that things would change? And if they hadn't changed, then that meant that at their core, the Fire Nation were still dragonslayers.

And if they were still dragonslayers…oh Agni.

Last of the Dragons. One of the titles Nami gave to Godzilla during the ritual.

Your brother's going to die, the three voices in her head gleefully taunted in perfect unison, so much so she couldn't tell Ty Lee apart from Mai or Zuko. Worst of all, Azula knew they were right.

Zuko was going to get himself killed, and there was nothing she could do to stop him. He wouldn't even listen to her.

…but maybe somebody else could get him to…

Azula and Maina crouched down behind the rocks overlooking Zuko's camp down below. Night had fallen, and they could see the fires of the various guards patrolling up and down the city of tents. They could see behind them, the tanks and war balloons standing at the ready for any sort of violence about to break out.

"I don't know, Azula. We're taking a pretty big risk asking the Avatar to help us out," the airbending girl observed. "We don't know what tent he's in and we definitely don't know when we'll be able to get that message you wrote to him."

She was referring to the message Azula had written by candlelight, asking for the Avatar to meet her outside of the camp in parley. "Good thing then that we're going to be up bright and early for when he does move out. You seriously think I wouldn't have thought this out?"

"The least you can do is be a little less smug about it."

"When you conquer Ba Sing Se from the inside out-"

"Yadda yadda yadda. Next thing you'll tell me is that you knocked the Southern Water Tribe out of the war when you were a toddler."

"No, that would be stupid. Toddlers can't lead armies. Besides, we all know my grandfather took care of them." Most of them at least. Others could say what they will, but you had to admire the will of their chieftain and his children for continuing to fight against the odds. Despite her experiences with Katara, she did admit her waterbending counterpart was a talented bender in her own right. Not that she'd ever say it out loud of course.

"So when we know where he's staying and when he'll be there, I'll sneak this message into his tent while you cover me. It's foolproof."

"Alright. What's my job then?"

Both girls looked behind them and saw Kori striding up to them garbed up in black, snug clothing with a quiver of arrows on her back and a bow in her hand.

"...what? I wanted to be a hunter once I graduated from the academy."

Azula composed herself a little, not quite expecting the noble girl to be experienced in some form of combat. "Alright. I guess you could cover me as well."

Instead of nodding and understanding her role though, Kori lowered herself to the ground and crawled up to the cliff overlooking the camp. "I could probably sneak in there myself and shoot your message into the tent or something. Would mean less ground to cover for me."

"Alright. Since when were you an expert in stealth?"

"Well, you can't just walk out of your home under your father's watch with the intent to help out with the 'rabble'. Right, Your Highness?" Azula felt her respect for her fellow noble grow more and more. She understood the need to know your home inside and out so you could sneak into places you weren't supposed to be. Now if only Kori could put those talents to good use instead of aiding a bunch of anarchist ruffians…

Whatever. Azula wouldn't turn down help when she needed it. Right now, she needed all the help she could get. With their plan in place, the trio of girls looked over the great army below them. The fact that this would've been the biggest Fire Nation military presence here since Ozai's fleet was not a fact lost on any of them. If they had been on better terms, Azula would've admired Zuko for putting his foot down and protecting their interests. There was no way the Earth King would let them just keep all the victories their country achieved over the years.

No. What bothered her was what her hotheaded brother would do with said army when there was a nearly indestructible monster on the loose. Who could say how many of these tents would be empty by the week's end? How many lanterns illuminating the inside of them would be snuffed out?

"Here's my question Kori: you hate Zuko, but now you want to save him?" she asked.

Kori just sneered. "I don't hate your brother. I just hate what he stands for. And I'm not trying to save him. I'm just saying if Zuko provokes Godzilla, that means Yu Dao is right in its path. I'd rather not have my home get trampled on by a monster."

"Hey, if it means saving people, that's alright in my book," Maina whispered, patting the new member of their "team" on the back. "Often saving others can mean saving yourself."

"You always do that? Spouting proverbs?"

"I mean, I am a priestess. It's kind of my job."

"Eh. Can't complain. We've got a bunch of slogans for our campaign so I get wanting to win people over with words. Feel free to pitch some if you think of any."

Azula let the two chit-chat, as long as they kept their voices down. It almost reminded her of when she, Ty Lee, and Mai-

…no. She couldn't go there. That bridge burned a long time ago. She didn't need any more reminders of how badly she ruined that relationship. Especially when she was bound to run into more than a few more facing her brother again.

"What about you Azula? How come you want to save your brother?"

"Not him specifically. If he engages Godzilla, he's going to get a lot of men killed who can help protect our colonies from the Earth King. That and help shore our defenses against anyone else who wants to take a swing at us," she lied to Kori. If she were honest, she would admit that she had no idea why she wanted to help Zuko, who made a habit of backstabbing her every time she helped. She gave him a ship and wanted him home, he stabbed her in the back, betrayed Father, and ruined her life. Why would she be charitable to her brother?

No, the more pragmatic reason was acceptable. Not that Kori seemed to care since she just sneered at the answer. She didn't like the cold hard truth? Fine. That's what life is, and the sooner you get on board, the better.

Besides, it's not like she was talking about letting everyone die again…

…

"You alright? You seem a bit quiet."

"I'm fine, Maina," Azula lied again, hoping everyone would stop talking so they wouldn't be caught because of all this chattering. She wouldn't let her emotions and guilt get the better of her this time.

Besides, it was going to be a long night. The Princess needed the peace of mind for what was to come. Or at least to try to get some peace of mind.

Aang yawned as he walked through the camp, a drowsy Momo on his shoulder trying to get a few more winks of sleep. It had been a restless night, with an aura of tension as though they were getting ready for battle. Even the late morning couldn't burn away sleeplessness. But that was natural, given who he was sharing this camp with. The army was going through their drills, making sure they were in top shape in case they were needed.

Especially since yesterday, Godzilla had been sighted late afternoon.

The scout war balloons that Zuko had deployed reported seeing the beast patrolling the waters of Odo Island. Sokka determined that it hadn't moved out of its territory, which was a good thing. Still, it didn't mean that they couldn't stand idle. While Aang had been busy communing with Kyoshi, Sokka had also been busy drawing up a battle plan with Zuko in case Godzilla decided to show up on the shore.

Naturally, Aang wasn't sure whether or not any plan would be good enough to stop a monster like what they had seen. Still, Zuko assured him that they needed some plan to ease the fears of the military leaders present. Made sense.

Walking through the tent with Katara and Toph, the Avatar met with Sokka, who had gotten up early, and was collaborating with Zuko and his generals over a battle map. "Morning Zuko. How goes the plan?"

"Good. The plan remains the same." It was something that the young Fire Lord had cooked up with some additions from Sokka. Their lighter tanks and airships led by Zuko himself would engage Godzilla once it made landfall, then rapidly pull back to the bulk of their forces. Naturally, the aggressive titan would chase after them as he went after anything that attacked him on Odo. Which was the point of course. He would be so enraged, that the rest of Zuko's forces would easily surround him at one of the ash fields left over from Ozai's attack. Then, all at once, he'd face the full might of the army of the Fire Nation.

A plan all laid out on the battle map, with models standing in for where the units would be positioned and would attack. Godzilla himself was represented by a small gold statue of a dragon.

"Any advice your past lives were able to give us?" Zuko asked. All eyes were on him, putting Aang on the spot. Particularly were the Fire Nation generals, sizing him up and likely wondering if this boy had anything to offer.

He did. "I spoke with Avatar Kyoshi and she told me that we shouldn't engage Godzilla directly unless we need to. If he's still in his territory, I might be able to confront him myself. It's…complicated. She said he's a part of this world just like all of us. And that he can be reasoned with. As for how I'll be able to calm down an angry monster, it sounds like he's a lot like Hei Bei. I'll just tell him that the Fire Nation is trying to change and that he doesn't need to be angry anymore. I just need you to give me some time and space for me to talk."

After all, you couldn't be angry all of your life. Aang understood that. If he could offer a way out, convince Godzilla that things weren't as bad as the monster thought, then maybe, just maybe, he'd stand down. He hoped.

Nobody said a word once he'd finished sharing his intentions. Some of the silent faces looked…rather familiar. One of them was the War Minister they had met during the Day of the Black Sun, standing right beside the Fire Lord. It surprised him to see one of Ozai's men being here.

The silence dragged on. Aang looked over to Iroh, who stood to the side, hoping to get some indication of what everyone was thinking. Oddly, the old man didn't look him in the face.

The voice of the War Minister spelled out why. "You said it wasn't a spirit."

"...yes?" Aang answered cautiously.

"So there's a chance it can be killed."

"I mean…I suppose. It would be difficult but…"

"...then the plan stays in motion. We'll be able to muster our forces by mid-afternoon, Fire Lord."

All at once, the Fire Nation generals clustered around the map, detailing how their plan would be seen to fruition. Aang stood there surprised, staring at Zuko for some kind of explanation. The young Fire Lord couldn't meet him in the eye, turning away right before he met his gaze

"Hang on! Aang just said he'd calm down Godzilla himself! There's no need for there to be a battle!" Katara exclaimed, waking Momo up. Aang didn't notice his lemur chittering with annoyance, feeling the air begin to tense up.

"Aang…" Zuko took a deep breath and looked upon the rest of Team Avatar with a steely gaze. "I ordered the scouts to fire upon Godzilla as soon they saw it. It's coming our way."

"WHAT?!"

"Hang on! We agreed that this would be a last resort!" Sokka yelled.

"I don't know if you've noticed, but this monster just wiped out an entire Fire Nation village and is threatening our people. We can't just let it rampage again."

"Uh, did everyone just fall asleep at the part of our story where an entire garrison wasn't able to even scorch it?!" Toph shot back at the general.

The War Minister just shook his head. "No. Yet there's a big difference between a garrison and an army. We have enough firepower to lay waste to multiple cities. One beast shouldn't be much of a challenge."

"Not to mention, we need to make a show of force if we are to maintain control of the Yu Dao and the oldest colonies. Once the Earth King has seen what we're capable of, he and his forces will back off. We'll avoid war, and we can maintain our economic stability here," another general explained.

…

"Zuko…we agreed that the colonies would return to the control of the Earth Kingdom," Aang quietly said.

"You will address him as Fire Lor-"

Zuko held up a hand, silencing his generals. "I know what I said Aang. And we are returning land to the Earth King. The problem is, the clans and a lot of our wealth are tied up in the economy and resources that the colonies offer. We're already facing a crisis given all the spending Father did during the tail end of the war with projects like the drill or the Comet fleet. Relinquishing control of the colonies would just make things worse for everyone.

"Besides, everything has been better here ever since the Fire Nations stepped in. That's one of the reasons why it's one of the richest cities in the world."

This raised Katara's ire as she stepped forward. "Zuko, I took a stroll through Yu Dao and it doesn't seem like the Fire Nation citizens and the Earth Kingdom citizens share equally in that wealth."

"It's not perfect, Katara, but all the city's people, including the Earth Kingdom people, are better off now than they were a hundred years ago."

"I think they'd be a bit better off if they weren't living under the people who conquered them in the first place," Katara snapped back.

Aang began to sweat a bit. This wasn't right! The Fire Nation couldn't stay here. Was this what this was all about?! They were trying to fight what basically amounted to a god just so they didn't have to give up their colonies?

"Look, what do you think the whole point of the tribunal was?!" Zuko fired, the air in the room suddenly becoming a lot hotter. "Those prisoners were supposed to be put on trial so Kuei would get off our back. But ever since Azula escaped and this Godzilla showed up, we need another way to legitimize our claim! Killing it is the best way we can do that!"

"That's assuming you can even do that without getting yourself killed!" Sokka shouted back. Suddenly, the generals around the table started to argue with the Avatar's companions, trying to justify why this needed to happen.

Aang didn't see it as he looked Zuko dead in the eye, stepping up in the role that was given to him. "Zuko, this isn't the way! The Fire Nation needs to move past this! And you're risking the lives of everyone here!"

For once, Zuko…paused. A flash of what could've only been regret crossed his face…before he slammed his fists down and shouted "ENOUGH!" The flames around the tent flared up, promptly silencing the din.

Rising to his full height, Fire Lord Zuko put on the mask and glared at the Avatar. "The decision has been made. I won't risk the interests of our nation and the safety of my people just for a chance this monster can be calmed down. I understand your concern, but the plan I've come up with was detailed to make sure as few of my men's lives are put at risk as possible.

"And if the Avatar and his companions have a problem with it, I have no choice but to request that they remain in their tent until the situation has been dealt with." He snapped his fingers as he said this, summoning a squadron of elite firebenders that surrounded the dumbfounded Team Avatar.

Before anyone could even contemplate a course of action, Aang raised his hands. "Alright. But Zuko…you're making a huge mistake." It pained him to say that, to take up the mantle of Avatar and treat the teen who had changed so much like this. When the alternative was certain death though, it was a sacrifice he had to make.

So the Avatar nodded to the others, causing them to stand down and let the soldiers escort them to their tent. Nobody said a word at the turn of events. Of how the whole world seemed to turn upside down.

No one noticed the grimace of anguish that flashed across Zuko's face.

Zuko let out the breath he had been holding during that entire meeting, feeling the weight of the crown and his robes heavy on his shoulders.

That had to have been one of the worst things he's done since taking office. The looks on his friends' faces when they were escorted out of the tent. They were going to haunt him for a good while.

He took a sip of Iroh's tea, letting himself sink into the cushions of his private tent. Anything to ease his nerves. Yet still he could see the looks of betrayal. It's not like he had much choice in the matter. The clans and rogue warlords were looking for any sign of weakness. Ever since they learned about the various circumstances surrounding his Agni Kai with Azula, there have been nonstop questions about his legitimacy. Whether or not he'd be strong enough to hold on to the crown his forefathers had sacrificed so much to keep.

Slaying a monster like this Godzilla would be more than enough to silence his rivals. Right?

Uncle sat across from him, not saying a word. He knew why Zuko had done it. Knew the pressures the young monarch was under. Didn't make it any easier when it happened, though. Hopefully, something could be salvaged from this once the day was through.

Finally, Zuko's nerves got to him. "Uncle…I'm doing the right thing by doing this. Yes?"

Iroh sighed, taking a sip from his tea. "Nephew, sometimes you need to do something less savory to maintain order and stability. It's the burden of the crown, and it's a choice that you're going to be faced with time and time again throughout your reign. Either to be good or to ensure peace by dirtying your hands."

"Yeah, but we're supposed to be restoring our honor. We can't do that through betrayal."

"It's not betrayal. Aang and his friends just need to see that sometimes you need to bear steep costs to maintain peace amongst all of our people. One can't exactly bring back harmony while letting a monster go around killing innocents. And you have restored your honor. You took the throne and became a man. The whole of the Fire Nation and the world couldn't be more grateful for what you did following the end of the Comet."

But I didn't defeat Azula. Katara did, Zuko thought to himself. Didn't matter if he was winning. He let his pride get to him and gave his sister an opening. Of course, she'd do something so underhanded! And because of that, he nearly died. How anyone could be proud of such behavior was unreal to him.

"You showed that you had stronger character and morals that day," Iroh said, almost reading his mind. "Your sister gave into her insanity and thus tore herself apart. You stood firm. That's the difference. I understand that it wasn't pleasant, but she had too much of her father in her. A woman like her shouldn't lead a country with her mind warped."

Then why couldn't Zuko believe in that? As much as he hated Azula, seeing her bawling her eyes out chained to that grate, the look as he condemned her to the asylum…

This Godzilla on the other hand. That was a monster. That was a remorseless killing machine. If he could overcome it, it would solidify in his mind that he had changed. That Fire Lord Zuko was somebody worth admiring. Then he would put his mind at rest, knowing he did something worthwhile. Finally, he would have a deed to his name worthy of honor..

"Could you talk to Aang and tell him what's really going on? Try to get him on board?" Zuko asked.

Iroh smiled and put a hand on his shoulder. "Of course, Nephew. Once he understands what needs to be done, he'll come around to our side." With that, the old soldier put down his tea and walked out of the tent with his purpose clear.

Leaving Zuko alone. The Fire Lord began his routine of breathing in and out, to control the breath and the fire within. He'd need it sooner than later. Reports said that Godzilla would be landing when the sun began to set this day.

When it did, he'd be ready.

Team Avatar had been returned to their tent, where the question on everyone's lips was, "When did Zuko completely lose his mind?"

"I don't know Toph," Katara said exasperatedly, pacing the carpeted floor as if that would somehow will the spirits to change Zuko's mind. "I mean, it's been a while since we've last seen him. We were busy escorting those Fire Nation nobles back to the ships from the newer settlements."

"The pressure from Kuei's gotta be immense. I don't think I could blame Zuko all that much for making sure the ports remain under Fire Nation control to discourage a counterattack from the Earth King. Making a bid to retain the colonies though? You might as well be asking for the whole war to restart!"

That was a bitter truth they were all exposed to when they restored the Earth King to his throne following the Liberation of Ba Sing Se. Kuei had told them all what he had seen in his travels among the common folk. About how deeply the Fire Nation had hurt them, the scarred veterans from the war, and all the graveyards that were filled by Fire Lord Ozai's hands. When he heard that Ozai's son would ascend the throne, he promised that he'd give him a chance, but he wouldn't forget Zuko's role in the fall of his kingdom.

The tensions had been immense on both sides, with armed forces from both countries reluctantly cooperating to get the Fire Nation nobles out of the Kingdom. When it came to places like Yu Dao though, it seemed certain that there would be conflict. Even so, nobody could've imagined that Kuei would escalate things to the point of marching his army to Zuko's doorstep.

"Yeah, but Zuko just showed up with an entire army instead of letting us talk it out!" Toph argued back, nursing her head so she could keep track of those stupid arguments the Fire Nation generals made. "I bet you 5 gold pieces that those generals got to him! He's not much older than us so it's not like he fully knows what he's doing! That's a prime opportunity for them to get their claws into him!"

"I don't think so, Toph. I mean, I saw what it was like back at the academy. They practically worshipped military might. Chances are they probably are doing what they think is right. The thing is, they just got taught that the right way is through a show of force."

"You'd be correct in that assumption, Avatar."

The seasoned voice of Iroh calmed everyone's tempers. He made a respectful bow before walking amongst them. "I'm sorry for my nephew's attitude, but unfortunately…this is something he needs to do. His position on the throne is precarious as it is. The clans have been whispering about his legitimacy given the circumstances of the Agni Kai with Azula. If nothing is done, we could have a coup on our hands, or perhaps a full-blown civil war."

"Civil war". That was a term that everyone in the tent was familiar with, but could never conceive. Countrymen turning on one another was something unheard of when your allegiance was to your nation on pain of certain death. Just the idea of such a conflict within the Fire Nation's borders was enough to give one pause. Particularly since the breakout of civil war could delay the reparations Zuko would make for Ozai's war by years. Nobody wanted to wait that long.

"In times like this, a leader must show his strength to his people. To assure that he is right where he belongs. Zuko must do this here with Godzilla. This is not some wayward warlord. This is a rampaging monster that kills without reason. Letting it kill any more people would be a sign of weakness on the Fire Lord's part."

So what about me? Aang asked himself. He fused with La and wiped out a whole fleet out of rage. Did…that make him a monster? Of course not. They were threatening the Northern Water Tribe. He understood it. Katara understood it. Yet it was something that still ate at him.

Still. "Iroh. We can't underestimate Godzilla and put our needs first. If Zuko won't let me talk to him, at least let me fight with him. I know I haven't used the Avatar State since Sozin's Comet, but it's better than letting Zuko face this monster alone."

"Aang…" Iroh put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "As the Grand Lotus, it is my duty to advise you on the best course of action. And Zuko needs to face this alone so he can prove his worth to the rest of the Fire Nation. I understand how badly you want things to change, but we need to accept things for what they are now. And right now, they respect strength. You need to give him that chance to show he is strong."

Grand Lotus. That title furrowed Aang's brow, but he knew better than to speak his problems with the ones who were supposed to have helped him out loud. Sure the reveal of the White Lotus was a pleasant surprise to everyone when they needed them the most, but he'd talked to his friends and they all privately admitted that they weren't sure they could trust an organization that worked from the shadows. Especially since they had passed up so many opportunities to reveal themselves before now, for their own inscrutable reasons.

"Besides. The Avatar State can cause a lot of damage in itself. No one in the Fire Nation has forgotten that. It might be best if you hold back on it lest you burn through what trust is left."

Katara narrowed her eyes at Iroh's assessment of the Avatar State, but it wasn't not like he was wrong. Especially for Aang, since he knew full well how destructive the state could be when tossed around without a care.

"...alright," Aang declared firmly. "But the moment Zuko gets into trouble-"

"Then you can help. I want a lot of things, but my nephew being put in unnecessary danger is not one of them."

The warmth in his voice put everyone at ease. If there was anyone who could point out the light in things, it was Iroh. "I'll brew some tea for all of you once he's finished."

"I guess we'll hold you to that," Toph teased, hoping to break the ice a bit further.

Iroh chuckled. "Well, I wouldn't want to displease my most favorite guests after all."

With that, the old master left the tent, saying hello to the guards out front as he did. Aang tried to let himself relax a little. If Uncle Iroh said that things would be okay, then maybe they would. After all, it wasn't like he had much of an argument against what had just been told.

It's like the monks said: sometimes you need to listen to a more seasoned voice to guide you through the tempest.

"I…still don't like it," Katara muttered. "Something about this feels wrong. Since when did Zuko listen to his generals instead of us?"

"Katara…we're not exactly officials here. Maybe we should let them do the talking for once."

"You mean let a bunch of Fire Nation generals do what they've been doing for the last hundred years?"

For once, Sokka didn't have an answer for that. Nobody did. And they all sat in silence unsure of what they should do.

That was until they heard something fly through the open window of their tent and lodge itself into the ground before them. Everyone cried out with surprise, causing the two guards to charge in to see what the alarm was about. "You kids alright?" one of them asked.

"I-somebody just fired an arrow in here! What do you think?!" Sokka yelled.

Aang bent down towards the embedded arrow, seeing something attached to the shaft. It was a scroll wrapped with a piece of string. Curious, he undid the string and unfurled the scroll, holding it up for the rest of his friends to see.

It was a letter. Elegantly handwritten and penned with immaculate precision. The signed name was what gave everyone pause.

"...guards. Could you escort us to the foot of the hill overlooking the camp?"

Confused, the guards decided that if it were something to get the Avatar's attention, it probably warranted a quick trip. Stepping aside, they let Aang and his friends file out of the tent and began to escort them out of the camp.

One thing was on Team Avatar's mind: what did Princess Azula want with them?

Azula and Maina watched as the guards escorted the Avatar and his friends to the base of the hill. This was it. They either were able to get through to them, or they could fight with their hands. The Princess wasn't exactly sure if this would be a fight they could win if it came to that, but she certainly had a few tricks up her sleeves if worse came to worst. Never go into a confrontation with your enemies expecting things to work out.

Behind them, they heard Kori scrambling up the cliff, panting and trying to catch their breath. "They…got the message…whew…"

"Are…you okay?"

"I'm fine, Maina. Just…don't get as out as…I should."

"Look, you need to not exert yourself all in one go. Try to space out your energy next so you don't get worn out."

"Duly noted…Your Worshipfulness…"

Azula let the nickname go. Kori did her role and she did it admirably. That's all that was asked of her. She made a mental note to recommend her to one of those espionage guilds if she ever came across one. Talents like hers shouldn't go to waste.

Thankfully the noble straightened herself up as the Avatar came up the cliff with the waterbender right beside him. Down below, Azula could see that Sokka and the blind girl hung back. Probably didn't want to provoke a fight with their full team being there.

Azula crossed her arms, seeing the two of them stop a distance away from them. High above, the late afternoon sun shined down on them all, setting the stage. "Alright. We got your message. What do you want?" Aang demanded.

Good. Seemed like he was growing a bit of a spine. "Let me get straight to the point, Avatar. I want you to take me to my brother."

"Okay. And why on earth would we ever do that?" Katara asked, steel in her voice and water floating in her hands.

The Princess gave a well-timed shrug. "I don't know. Why would I? Why would I want to dissuade my dear brother from trying to attack a gigantic monster that we all know can single-handedly crush an entire village? You know, something you were unable to do."

Aang and Katara stood hilariously slack-jawed. "Wait, how did you-?"

"Lucky guess." She told the truth. Inwardly she knew that Zuko would've been stupid enough to try something like this. And she knew that his new friends wouldn't be able to sway him from something once he put his mind to it. Her on the other hand…

"Listen. I've known Zuko longer than any of you. If you can get me to him, I'll try to see if I can talk him down. That way you can have your puppet try to negotiate peace with the Earth King. If Zuko dies…well, I can't guarantee that the Earth King isn't going to try and raze Yu Dao to the ground.

"So what'll it be Avatar? You know as well as I do that Zuko isn't an easy person to dissuade. And it's not like you have any other options left."

The Avatar just stared back, telling her everything. No doubt he was wrestling inward about whether or not to trust her. Weighing his chances. He wondered if he could rush her right now and risk her capture at the cost of her being unable to warn his puppet. His choice.

After a moment, Aang sighed. "First off, Zuko is NOT a puppet. Second…" He looked towards Katara, the two nodding in unison. "We'll take you to him. But don't try anything, or we'll take you in. Got it?"

"Fully understood," Azula said, letting the two lead her on. She felt a spark come to life in her soul, especially from seeing Maina and Kori watch her do her magic. The trick was knowing that the Avatar was human, and any human would want to see their friend stay alive and their ambitions fulfilled.

Now if only Zuko had as much self-preservation…

It was late afternoon when they found him standing before his airship, letting his servants put his armor on. Azula almost got deja vu, seeing them lower the phoenix-styled helmet on his head. All of a sudden, she wasn't so sure if she was up to this. You couldn't just walk up to your estranged brother and try to convince him not to go fight a monster. Especially when he looked so much like…

Curiosity took over and drew her eyes over to the Avatar, who had the same nervous look on his face. Guess that was something they could both agree on.

One of the guards marched forward and gave the customary bow of respect. "My Lord. The Avatar has come with…well, see for yourself."

"Aang? What are you-" Zuko's surprised expression hardened into a stone-cold mask upon seeing her. "Azula."

The Princess figured that dripping contempt was all the proper greetings that she was going to get. "Zuko, listen. You can't-"

"No. I don't want to hear it."

"If you'll just-"

"I said that's enough," he snarled, his composure cracking for just a minute. "It's bad enough that I have a monster to deal with, and then you show up. Let me guess. You're here to watch me die?"

"I'm here to save your life!" Azula snapped. "Zuko, this isn't a fight you can win! This thing, it's nothing like you've ever seen!"

"Yeah, you've told me that all my life…"

"For the love of-this isn't about you for once! You attack that thing, you're putting your men and all of Yu Dao in danger!"

"Oh, now you care about other people?!" Zuko snapped. "Or, let me guess, this is just some scheme to let that thing kill more of my citizens so you can pin it on me! Wouldn't be the first time you played with the lives of an entire nation."

"I swear, I didn't know what Father was doing!"

"But would you have stopped him from burning the Earth Kingdom thanks to your idea?"

"..."

"...wait. Didn't you say it was Ozai's plan?" Aang asked the Fire Lord. Azula just stood silent, the last of the pieces falling into place. She…did suggest burning their land and their hope to the ground. The need to defend herself, to argue that that was before she knew full well just how bad the carnage got. What it was like to see countless people die.

Yet she couldn't. She just let Zuko wave off Aang's question. "Does it matter? This is just like her! She messes everything up, and tries to make things work out for her!"

"That's not fair!" Maina shouted. "I've been with her this whole time, and I know she's telling the truth!"

"You expect me to believe that?! After she's lied to me all my life? Well, not this time. Her luck's run out. And as soon as I get back, I'm going to make sure she gets dragged before the tribunal in chains."

The fires on the torches surrounding them grew as Zuko stalked over to Azula. "You won't get the satisfaction of watching me die," he hissed. "I'm going to do what you never could, and all you can do is watch. You won't get the last laugh this time. This time…I'm going to prove that I'm better than you."

Azula just glared back. "This is about more than your petty grudge, Zuko. Godzilla won't give a crap either way."

They both just stood there, glaring at the other to get one to back down. Then Zuko just turned and strode to his airship. His honor guard fell into step behind him.

Azula, Maina, Kori, and Team Avatar could just watch as the guards held them at bay. Watch as the airships began to take off and the tanks started their engines. Zuko stood at the bow of his flagship, his face unreadable. Deep down, he felt a tinge of regret for his words. About how he was handling this. Yet that was consumed by the fire that was his duty. For he knew destiny was calling.

All Azula could think of seeing her brother was that this could be the last time she ever saw him. And how badly she messed this up.

Somewhere off the shore of the Earth Kingdom, the waves swayed in the wind. High above, the scout ships were rushing back to the rendezvous point.

Down below, the great mass swam furiously through the water. Its focus was entirely on the flaming symbol of the Fire Nation.

They hadn't changed. They were still the same butchers that slaughtered its kindred all those years ago. And now…they'd pay.

All of them would pay.

Chapter Text

Outside of Yu Dao

Fire Lord Zuko felt the rays of the setting sun fill his body with strength and the winds of the skies blowing through his hair. Down below, the land descended into a gentle shoreline covered by a battalion of light tanks and artillery. Beyond the beach were the gentle dark waters of the ocean, concealing all that dwelled within.

The setting sun cast its light upon this ocean, the shining glare dancing upon the surface. Now the stage was set, and his destiny would soon be upon him.

Funny. Zuko thought fate would've been kind to him once he had defeated his crazy sister and ascended the throne, thus ending the war. Yet he'd faced setback after setback on the road to peace. Now the only thing that could bring an end to things was one more display of violence. The irony wasn't lost on him.

He kept the mask of regality on, but inwardly he was trembling. Wasn't he supposed to be different? To be better than his father? Then why did he just brush off his friends and muster a whole army here today?

It was because of that monster, he told himself. If everyone just stopped being so difficult, he wouldn't have had to do this. But his hand had been forced once more. First with Azula. Now Godzilla. Fine. Did they intend to push him to this? They were going to see he wouldn't let his throne and destiny slip away from him.

"Sujo," he asked the guard standing behind him on the bow of his ship. "You think this battle will bring about peace in this land?"

The royal guard turned and looked at the rest of the forward airships beside Zuko's flagship, waiting for the scouts to appear. "With you at the helm, I can't doubt it. We just need to see this through, Fire Lord."

"Good. Hope you're looking forward to returning home a hero." Zuko let himself smile a bit. It wouldn't be fitting for the new era if every one of his soldiers couldn't share in the glory.

His smile fell back into the stern mask as the scout ships came into view out of the glare of the shining sea. Everyone held their breath, to keep the simmering flames at the ready. As the airships approached, the Fire Lord let himself gaze down to the dark waters below, ready for any sort of disturbance on the surface.

He wasn't disappointed. A gigantic swell disgorged itself from the surface, charging straight for the shore at surprising speed. As it traveled, a row of what looked to be massive spines sliced through the waters. Zuko had to do a double take, making sure an island wasn't rising from the sea to collide with the mainland.

"Everyone hold their fire until it lands!" He ordered, hearing as his words were carried down the ship by his crew. No doubt they reached the comms man where they would be relayed to the rest of the advance group through radio. To ensure the message got across, firebenders at each side of the airship signaled to their counterparts on the other ships beside them. They, in turn, would signal the others both aside and below. In no time, everyone knew the Fire Lord's had commanded them to hold their ground and wait for it to get into range.

Something that became rather difficult to do when the spines rose from the sea, unveiling a massive form that almost blocked out the setting sun. Godzilla snarled, its tail thrashing behind it as it marched to shore.

Zuko held his face, even as he could feel his men begin to sweat a bit and their fires waver. Truth be to Agni, he was just as intimidated. It was massive. No words could've done it justice. The only thing he could find comparable was if the manifestation of La was encased in layers of scarred, charcoal scales and muscle.

Yet it was no La. It was of flesh and bone. That meant it could be killed. Zuko breathed deeply, feeling the gift of the dragons flow through his veins. He took down Azula. Put her in her place. If he could do that, then this monster would be put down as well.

He held his breath, watching as the monster stomped its way onto shore. Each step created craters in the sand with an impact as loud as an exploding bomb. It came to a halt, lifting its saurian head to glare directly at the Fire Lord standing at the end of the bow. Those reptilian eyes sized him up, waiting for Zuko to make the first move.

The young monarch wouldn't disappoint him. From his mouth, Zuko shouted and let out a massive burst of fire burst from his mouth. It was a technique that Iroh taught him. Dragon Breath. Said to be taught by Ran and Shaw themselves. A pure sign of how far he had come.

Zuko snorted the last of his breath through his nose, his eyes glaring right back at the monster.

Godzilla just stood there for a moment. Its face was unreadable for the briefest of moments. Then it twisted into an image of unbridled fury before a great roar erupted from its maw.

In the distance, Azula, Kori, Maina, and Team Avatar stood with the rest of the generals at the scene. The princess's heart nearly leaped into her throat seeing the great beast rise from the sea, staring her brother down.

"That's Godzilla?!" Kori exclaimed. "He's…a lot bigger than I imagined."

"Yeah. We thought the same thing when we first saw him," Sokka mused.

Then Zuko breathed a massive burst of fire from his mouth, eliciting a wave of awe and admiration from the generals and the troops defending the camp. She could almost feel Iroh beam with pride, seeing the same technique he used against her so grandly performed by his favored child.

"Oh no…"

Maina on the other hand seemed to be filled with dread. Enough to catch Azula's attention. "Maina. What's going on?"

The priestess turned with a practically drained face. "I know that technique. You can only learn that from dragons. And the only way to do that is…"

"...kill them…"

Azula looked in the distance with both fury and fear. Fury for learning that somehow, a dragon had survived the hunts. And Zuko…he slaughtered it just so he could gain its power to overcome her. She couldn't believe it. For his talk of honor, to think he'd sink so low to do something that unspeakably horrible. How much is your grudge worth, brother? she snarled silently.

Her fury though was replaced with fear at what she knew was coming. Something that was confirmed as Godzilla roared with undiluted rage. Even far away, she could feel its impact. What's more, this roar was deeper and fuller than any she had heard before.

Now everything made sense to her. Whether consciously or not, Zuko just declared he was a slayer of dragons.

To the last of their kind.

…her brother had just made himself a dead man walking.

Zuko broke his composure and had to cover his ears from the sheer force of the roar. His guards had even less grit and crouched in some vain attempt to block it out. Any fire that his soldiers had conjured was blown into the winds from their loss of focus, silenced by the sheer fury the monster had brought to bear.

And what a fury it was. The noise was indescribable and overpowering. It was a rage that seemed to drag itself out of the primordial abyss to show the entire world what the meaning of anger was. Anger was something Zuko understood deeply. He'd known it all his life. How all-consuming it was, twisting the soul into something it wasn't. If somebody were to ask him, the roar was both horrifying and distressingly familiar.

The roar seemed to last forever before it finally petered out. Replaced by earth-shattering stomps booming from Godzilla's enraged charge.

It certainly moved faster than what a beast of its size seemed capable of, but its charge was something Zuko counted on. "NOW!" he ordered, though it wasn't necessary as his men fired away. The forward cannons on his ships thundered to life, throwing bombs into the air. They were joined from below by the booming report of his artillery. A brilliant storm of explosive might all come crashing into the charging beast.

Godzilla, though, merely snarled as the projectiles exploded harmlessly against its hide. They only seemed to make it angrier, prompting it to charge faster towards the lines. Which was the whole point. As the missile launchers fell silent, they pulled back to let their tank counterparts behind them unleash their payload into the charging beast. The light tanks in turn would pull back once they fired, allowing their tanks to cover their retreat now that they have reloaded. All the while, the airships from above covered their retreat with cannon fire.

A line would fire, then retreat so the next line could cover them. They in turn would cover the ones in front once they reloaded. Given the light composition of their build, they were able to outpace the monster while still keeping in range. Zuko kept his composure, but inwardly he smiled. The plan was working, drawing Godzilla further onto land and to the edge of the ash field. He could see the bulk of his forces coming up on them, the trap about to close.

Of course, the risk of his forces being overrun increased the angrier the giant became. And it was indeed becoming angrier and angrier. Godzilla snarled, quickening its pace. The Fire Lord's eyes widened as he realized that his forward lines were suddenly in serious danger of that thing crushing its way right through him.

He wouldn't allow it. "Bring us close to its face to give it something to chase!" he ordered.

Sujo seemed to pause for a minute. "But my lord. That would bring us-"

"I'm not going to let men needlessly die on my watch. Do you understand?"

Zuko's steely voice snapped his bodyguard to action, spurring him to bark the orders to the rest of the ship. Before long, the airship lost altitude and began a countercharge right at the raging Godzilla.

Not a moment too soon either. Its gargantuan head seemed right in front of Zuko as those maws opened up, about to bear down on a retreating tank.

The Fire Lord thrust out his fist and unleashed a fire bomb right into the open maw of the beast. It wasn't anything like Ozai could've unleashed during Sozin's Comet, but it certainly got the job done. His bomb exploded right in the mouth of Godzilla, causing it to lean back up and flinch from the impact.

So it had a weak point after all. "Aim for the eyes and mouth and pull us back!" Zuko ordered, bending another fire bomb into the monster's open mouth. The cannons on his airship fired away at its head, and for once, the assault seemed to work. Godzilla slowed down its pace, growling at the defiant airship. Let's give you something a little faster to chase, Zuko taunted internally.

Back the airship pulled, but not too far away to lose Godzilla's interest. Soon they found themselves hovering over the ash fields where the main attack was to take place. It was working. Everything was falling into place!

Naturally, Godzilla decided that, at that moment, it didn't want to get blasted in the face by fire anymore. It lunged forward through the smoke, its mouth wide open to devour Zuko. He felt his skin crawl as its hot breath washed over him.

A crescendo of renewed fire smashed into the monster's face from below, lines of heavy tanks and artillery pieces unloading into Godzilla's eyes and mouth.

Godzilla bellowed with fury but was stopped entirely by all the fire directed at its face. With its head lowered trying to take down this airship, it left itself vulnerable to the full fury of a Fire Nation assault. The air reverberated as salvo after salvo slammed into the great dragon's head.

Zuko's airship decided not to take any more chances as it ascended from the assault to join the gathering airships up above.

But before it could do so, Godzilla lunged through the smoke, attempting to devour the Fire Lord one last time. Zuko just let forth another fire bomb into the monster's maw, causing it to flinch for just a second.

That second was all they needed before the ships above unleashed their payload of bombs, all dropping onto Godzilla's head and into his gaping jaws.

For the first time, the monster cried out in surprise, and was forced down from the assault. Zuko's ship took a position with the others as it too opened the bomb doors and unleashed its payload on Godzilla. With their fellow airships and comrades below, it was a thunderous display of pure might.

Zuko let himself smirk, confidence filling his heart. The plan worked. He knew that anger was could be power, but could also be a weakness that blinded one to danger. His sister had been consumed by it, and he had overcame it. Now he would do so again. Sure this beast was tough, but it was predictable.

And now it was being consumed in a hailstorm of fire and smoke.

It almost seemed to last forever, that assault. Eventually, though, Godzilla slowed to a halt, lowering its head and leaning down. The assault petered out, noticing its sluggish movements. A single question rippled through the assembled forces. Was it enough? They had brought more ammo to spare, but…had they inflicted a mortal wound?

"Bring us down close," Zuko ordered. Filled with bravado due to the display, the crew obliged. It seemed sensible enough. Somebody had to go down there and make sure it was hurt. And it didn't seem to be moving as much, so they could easily pull back up out of reach. If it were truly at death's door, Zuko had one last fire bomb to put it down.

They descended into the smoke, getting closer to its head. Zuko could feel it in his bones. The end was near. One last effort, and he'd have done it. He would've proved it to everyone. His destiny was the throne. The crown deserved to be on his head, and he'd done something no one else had done. Brought low a monster that threatened his people. This would be a story they would tell for generations.

…Too late, he saw the tail rising through the smoke.

And the blue light climbing up the spines from the tip of the tail.

It was an all too familiar blue, causing dread to creep up Zuko's spine. That dread only intensified as the light continued to travel up the jagged spines, and as the monster rose. Godzilla snorted in contempt, blowing the ash off his face. He then opened his maw and took a breath, sucking the ash and air in.

His maw opened, giving Zuko a good look into the deep throat, and the blue light traveling up it. The airship tried to pull back, but it was too late.

All this happened in a few seconds, but it felt like an eternity to Zuko. Enough for the realization to sink in that he just doomed them all.

And then, in a split second…the whole world went blue.

A great, thunderous burst of flame erupted from Godzilla's maw and smashed into the balloon of the airship. The fire caused the compressed air to explode, incinerating anyone who was standing anywhere nearby.

Zuko just stood there, taking it in. He felt the airship tilt down to the earth…

And he saw the great clawed hand rise from the smoke.

In an instant, he felt a shove behind him, and he was pushed into the air. The Fire Lord felt himself plummet, causing instinct to kick in as he desperately brought fire to his hands and feet in an attempt to slow himself down.

What little focus he had shattered when Godzilla clawed off the bow of the ship and smashed its other hand into the vessel. Another explosion occurred as it ruptured the fuel line, the impact of the force smashing into Zuko and cutting off his fire.

The last thing he saw before he hit the ground and blacked out was his flagship in flames. Admittedly, Zuko should've counted himself lucky. He managed to slow his descent to a point where he was certainly bruised and banged up, but still alive. Being clad in the armor of the Fire Lord certainly helped.

That's not what the rest of the army saw. They saw the flagship of the Fire Lord, Chosen of Agni Herself, be consumed by an azure inferno. They didn't see Zuko fall. Only what little of the ship that crashed into the earth could be seen.

And amidst the fiery wreckage, stood a mad god with its spines glowing blue once more.

Nobody said a word as they watched the airship go down. Who could? It all happened so fast that it took a moment to register what had happened.

Azula fell to her knees, seeing her brother being batted aside. This was something that…she'd be the first to admit, had wanted to see for a long time. Finally. After lording over her for so long, after shoving her into that asylum, after causing her so much pain, finally, he had that self-righteous attitude blow up in his face. Good. If he was still alive, he could watch as he saw everything taken from him. Just like he did to her, he'd see how it felt to lose everything. Let HIM know what it's like to be on the wrong side of fate.

…yet…she couldn't believe it. Her brother…just like that? She hadn't expected much, but still, she figured if anyone could go down swinging…

All around, she felt the same story play on everyone's faces. Iroh fell to his knees, barely keeping his tears in. She felt like shooting some snide remark about how he got another son killed but…she just didn't have the energy. Sweet Agni, what this was going to do to Mai when she found out. And the Avatar and his friends…she couldn't bear to look them in the eye.

That was one thing she felt. The other was astonishment at what she had seen. She heard the stories but...blue fire.

Godzilla breathed blue fire. Just like her. And the sheer power. She almost felt the need to look up into the sky to see if Sozin's Comet had made some miraculous return. What's more, she felt that fire. In some ways, it felt so familiar. Maybe the power behind it made it easier to read even from a distance.

The pain and anger that fueled it she knew deep in her bones.

…then she realized that the dorsal spines did not dim. For its rampage was not done.

In the distance, the army pulled back, their morale broken seeing their Fire Lord being swatted aside like a toy. Godzilla didn't care. He opened his maw and let out another burst of fire, swinging his head to bring the flames around in an arc, completely melting down everything they touched. Tanks, launchers. Screaming soldiers. As his fire breath passed, it left a wall of intense flame behind. Those vehicles that weren't able to pull out in time were suddenly cut off from their escape route.

Fortunately for them, but unfortunately for the airships above, the monster's attention changed targets. Godzilla's glare fell on them as he let forth another burst of fire. It streaked through the sky, blasting through a good portion of the airships and setting them ablaze. The crew didn't even have time to scream before a fiery inferno consumed them. What few airships were left began to rapidly pull back.

Azula could feel the fire change and become more focused and more precise. It wasn't quite as precise as, but it amazed her how the dragon could shift its fire to such a degree.

Beyond the flames, she could see the escaping tanks and launchers heading for the hills, wanting to be anywhere except in this nightmare. Godzilla just snorted, breathing deep and flexing his claws. On his back, the blue light reached an apex before he let forth one more stream of blue fire.

This concentrated blast carved its way through the flames and impacted the earth, pulverizing whatever it struck.

Then in the blink of an eye, the fires exploded, consuming everything that was within the blast radius.

It was so bright that everyone had to cove their eyes. Whoever was left standing was forced to their knees by the sheer kinetic force of the explosion. Even from this distance, everyone felt its weight.

Nervously, Azula lowered her hands.

The ash fields were the scene of an apocalypse. Wrecks of Fire Nation machinery were everywhere. Fires raged over the battlefield, the ashes being brought back to life. In the middle of it all was a huge mushroom cloud, reaching the heavens above.

Godzilla observed the ascending monument to his power and roared in fury. The blue light in his dorsal spines was gone, but his anger remained. It was as if he were declaring war against the heavens themselves.

For now, he had to settle for the survivors. Tanks, launchers, and men scrambled for whatever cover they could. His teeth barred, the monster lunged forward and charged into the chaos, crushing anyone in his path with foot and tail. Azula could only watch the shattering of the image of the indomitable Fire Nation. Brave warriors destined to rule the world, now reduced to ants to be crushed.

…she couldn't take it anymore.

Azula rushed forward, scrambling down the hillside and ignoring Maina's and Kori's pleas to stop. All her focus was on the burning remains of the airship. She made every effort to keep her eyes on that wreckage. Not the corpses or charred vehicles she rushed by. The air was filled with smoke and ash, forcing her to hold her breath when she plunged through especially bad patches.

In the distance, she saw the huge ghostly image of the kaiju rampaging and destroying his way through the remnants. Despite the heat, she felt herself go cold when she realized that Yu Dao would be next. There was no way a rage that burned this fiercely would be smothered by the ruins of an army.

The only thing she could do was push forward through a cloud of smoke and emerge in front of what remained of the burning airship. A small crater had formed around it where it impacted, the rim funneling the worst of the choking fumes up into the air.

Laying there unconscious,a short distance from the crater was Zuko, amidst a cloud of smoke and ash.

But closer to her was the glimmering shine of the crown.

The Princess felt her heart seize up. This was what she had been waiting for. Zuko had humiliated himself in front of his generals and the world. There would be a fallout from this. No doubt his enemies would be salivating to carve out pieces of his empire. The Fire Nation was…it was doomed.

…but not with her in charge.

Azula reached out for the crown. She could fix things. She'd draw a line in the sand. Build up the armed forces. Make another bid for the colonies so they would have a beachhead to restart-

She hesitated.

Finally, she saw the carnage around her. The bodies. The wreckage. She wondered how many voices were filling the air with their screams. It wasn't like she could hear them from the hill overlooking the fields. Was this a scene that was common during the war?

How many soldiers screamed for their lives? How many men returned crippled only to be discarded like her? How many had their lives and selves shattered by the true horror of war?

…she lowered her hand and turned towards Zuko. Away from the crown. She didn't know why, but her stomach churned at the idea of wearing it at the moment. Perhaps the odds were too high with the Avatar against her. Maybe what they needed was a leader that wasn't insane.

Maybe…she wasn't worthy of wearing it.

Yet. Maybe she could let Zuko wear it and humiliate himself more so that when she could make a play, her country would welcome her back with open arms. That's what she told herself at least.

First things first was dragging Zuko away from the choking air next to the airship. She held her breath and heaved, only to realize he was too heavy to drag. Bending down, Azula unhooked and discarded his Fire Lord armor and robes, leaving his simple tunic and robes underneath. That cape of his was so ragged that it practically burned away in the wind when she undid it.

Now that her brother wasn't buried under layer upon layer of armor and robes, Azula picked up his arms and dragged him back. Her back was still strained, but at least she could move him. Honestly, she hoped he'd appreciate the thing she was doing for him.

Once she had managed to get him out of the cloud of ash, Azula let out a gasp, her lungs breathing in clean air. She fell back from the effort, landing on her elbows on the charred ground. Her breath hacked and wheezed, trying to get itself clear of obstruction.

It wasn't long before her struggle for air roused her brother from his comatose state. Wearily he raised his head and coughed a little himself. Zuko looked up in astonishment at Azula, and the two siblings just sat there and stared. Neither knew what to say.

Suddenly Azula's eyes fell upon the crown which was about a foot away from her hand.

Oh no.

"Zuko! Wait it's not what you-"

She got cut off by a fist to the face and a kick to the gut. Instinct kicked in as she rolled with the blows, lashing out with her foot and knocking Zuko off his feet. Weakly she pulled herself up, feeling the agony of being out of shape and the smoke inhalation sapping her strength. Zuko on the other hand, while a bit bloodied from his fall, took a firebending stance in perfect poise.

"I don't believe it. Of all the things you've done to me, this is right on top of the list!"

"I WAS TRYING TO SAVE YOU-

"I DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT!"

Zuko lashed out with his fist and summoned a massive fireball to hurl at her. Azula hurriedly batted it aside and snap-fired a weak burst of blue fire from her palm right at her brother's feet. The Fire Lord just leaped forward and swung both of his arms in an arc, sending two blades of fire that ripped Azula's apart and sent her crashing into the ash.

He snarled as he brought forth more fire, the rage inside of his heart taking hold of his mind. So much so that it forgot something important.

That something turned from its rampage to look behind it at the dueling siblings.

Godzilla first sensed the usage of blue fire, something so rare that its mere appearance gave him pause. Enough to turn away from his rampage and gaze at what normally would've been a menial duel between two humans.

He recognized the girl's azure flame even through the smoke and ash. It couldn't possibly be hidden. And he could sense she was desperately trying to fend off an attacker. Her flame was weaker than usual, but he certainly admired an attempt at resistance.

What gave him pause was the other fire.

He knew that style. The Dancing Dragon. The one used by the Fire Lord.

The kin slayer.

Godzilla wheeled around, a growl leaving his maw before charging back the way he came and right at the duel. Luck had saved this spawn of the Fire Nation for just a few more minutes.

He'd ensure that all this murderous princeling had left on this earth was a few minutes.

Azula let out a desperate burst of fire before getting swept off her feet and sent crashing to the ground. Her arms and legs cried out in agony, and her lungs were desperately trying to keep the ash from her mouth. Try as she might, she wasn't in form and this Agni forsaken smoke wasn't helping any.

Still, she woozily got to her knees. "Look, I get you're upset, but you have to believe-"

"NO!"

She felt a rough hand grab her ankle and slam her back to the ground. Hard, which caused the taste of iron to flood her mouth.

"FROM THE DAY YOU WERE BORN, YOU PUT ME THROUGH SO MUCH!"

Before she could even respond, Zuko grabbed her by the collar and practically dragged her to the edge of the crater. She was too dazed from the impact and surprised to put up much resistance.

By the time her vision came back, she saw the glaring eyes of her brother trying to roast her alive with the power of the very sun itself.

"WHY, AZULA?! WHY DOES OUR RELATIONSHIP HAVE TO BE LIKE THIS?!"

Azula would've responded…if she hadn't noticed the flames licking at her feet. She then made the mistake of looking down and seeing the burning wreckage of the airship below.

Zuko was dangling her over a pile of burning wreckage.

"I…"

"What? No taunts now?! Well, guess what? Your little gambit failed. I'm still alive. And you know what?"

His free hand curled into a fist and brought forth fire dangerously close to her face.

"I'm going to do what I should've done back during Sozin's Comet."

Her eyes went wide. He…he was really going to do it.

And that face, so twisted with rage…

"...I'm…I'm so sorry Father…"

…her words caused Zuko's face to soften and his fist to unclench. The fire burning behind his eyes dimmed, causing him to see what he was doing.

"Azula…I…"

He was interrupted by the sounds of a massive foot smashing into what remained of the airship, knocking Zuko off his feet from the tremors and dropping Azula straight to the ground.

Both siblings looked up, hearing the growling of the titan high above. Godzilla leaned dangerously down, never taking his attention off the Fire Lord. Zuko felt himself go pale. Azula just lay there, looking into the blazing eyes of hatred.

Without thinking, Zuko let forth a fire bomb from his arm to smash uselessly into Godzilla's snout. Azula proceeded to grimace and cover her ears, practically seeing what was coming next.

Whatever composure the monster had was lost with that futile fireball. Godzilla roared with fury at the young monarch before bringing his fist down. Zuko quickly got out of the way of the incoming hand, but not without tumbling to the earth from the very impact. Instinct forced him back up to his feet in a roll, forcing him to gaze into those enraged eyes. All pretense of bravery was finally set aside for self-preservation, causing him to sprint away from the titan to get some breathing room.

Godzilla snarled as he stomped past Azula in pursuit. The Princess dove for cover, getting behind a tank as the massive tail dragged along the ground and kicking up a cloud of cinders. She began to hyperventilate, hoping beyond hope that she wouldn't hear those steps turn around.

Zuko on the other hand wasn't so lucky. He turned back to fire off a series of flame bursts, all of which were about as useful as one could've expected when taking on a giant monster one-on-one. Godzilla roared as he brought his foot down, causing the earth to crack under his stomp and practically causing a mini-earthquake that forced the Fire Lord from his feet. His fury refusing to let up, he swung his hand and dragged his claws through the earth.

Panic strained Zuko's legs as he got himself up and ran for his life. He didn't turn back. The awful sound of massive talons scraping the earth coming ever closer was enough to keep him moving just ahead of death. When he heard the claws being lifted, he ground to a halt and got back into a firebending position. If he was going to die, he was going to go out swinging.

He almost never got the chance when he saw the massive tail being lifted from the ash and hanging precariously over his head.

Zuko dove to the side, just barely avoiding being crushed by the several metric ton appendage. Before he could even entertain getting himself up though, the tail swept his direction and kicked up a huge wave of cinders and dirt. He didn't even need to get hit, the wave just flung him through the air.

Godzilla had turned by the time the Fire Lord landed in an unceremonious heap. The kaiju loomed over the downed monarch, snarling in sheer hatred.

Suddenly, Zuko pushed himself up from the dirt and raced right towards the titan. If there was one thing that Uncle taught him, it was never to go down without a fight.

And he wouldn't. Not when he slammed fireball after fireball into the foot of the beast. He poured everything he had. Passion. His drive. Knowing that to sit on the throne and to wear the crown was his destiny. Fury that this thing would stand in his way.

He was taught by the masters of Firebending. He was destined to bring about a new age for the Fire Nation. Nothing had stopped him so far. And he wasn't going to let this abomination decide when and where he was going to die.

…Still, his flames began to peter out when he saw that all his assault was lashing aimlessly against the dark hide.

Zuko snarled, yelling as he threw flame after flame, yet each result was the same. He got even more desperate when he felt his fire begin to peter out. No. This couldn't be right! He was better than this! He'd changed! Why was his fire dying?!

His ragged breathing told him the answer. Exhaustion and fatigue finally forced him to stumble back. He tried desperately to regain his focus, but the lack of any damage caused his vision to blur and his breath to catch. It didn't help that the air wasn't exactly getting better in all of the inferno.

The Fire Lord looked up. Godzilla had been staring at him throughout his assault, not even moving.

Something snapped as Zuko roared, a brilliant burst of fire coming from his mouth.

Godzilla just roared back, the very air his bellow forced out extinguishing the paltry fire and slamming Zuko into the ground.

For a moment…Zuko just lay there. He urged his muscles to drag himself up, but…he just couldn't do it.

It was then he began to notice himself. His royal robes were completely covered in soot and ash. The armor and cape that identified him as Fire Lord was gone. The crown? Gone. He looked and felt as though he were back in the Earth Kingdom begging for food.

And he just noticed all the carnage around him. The burning wrecks and bodies…

They'd followed him.

His plan.

He looked on the ridge where he knew his Uncle, his generals, and his friends were watching. Somewhere, he knew his sister was watching. Not that he could do much given the bridge he had just razed to the ground. Zuko…just let out a sigh of defeat, knowing he had let everyone down.

All that honor he wanted so badly was gone. This was his humiliation.

Zuko just stared lifelessly as Godzilla reared back up, the blue light dancing upon his dorsal spines and his maw beginning to spew fire once more. At this point, death would've been a mercy.

Just as Godzilla was about to fire, a gigantic boulder the size of a mountain peak slammed into his face with a loud crack.

The boulder shattered into a thousand pieces upon smashing against the great beast. For the first time since landing, Godzilla stumbled to the side from the force that was literally hurled at him. He shook his head and forced the fire down to face the interloper who wanted the upstart monarch to live just a bit longer.

Said interloper slammed into his chest, bringing with him the four elements and all the power of the Avatar State had to bear. Comparatively, Aang was still tiny compared to the kaiju. Yet his eyes glowed with an ancient power passed down from generation to generation, and the elements swirled around him at his command. He forced the massive reptile back through the sheer power he had at his disposal, the elements pushing Godzilla away from Zuko step by step.

Naturally moving a twenty thousand ton monster was not an easy feat. Godzilla managed to regain his stability after just a few steps, but the intent was clear. Aang rose in the air to meetthose raging eyes face to face. His glider hung over his shoulder, not needed as the air lifted him higher and higher. Godzilla hinged his dislocated jaw back into place, a bloody tooth falling from his mouth.

Yet for a moment…he hesitated. Monster and Avatar just stared at one another, neither giving an inch. Down below, Zuko took the chance and scrambled as far away as he could. He had his shot. Now it was time for the savior of the world to try.

"Godzilla," Aang spoke with the voice of his past lives. "You have just slaughtered thousands and now threaten the people of Yu Dao. Stand down and return to the sea, or I'll have no choice but to put you down."

Up on the ridge, Sokka was cheering and hollering at the sight of his friend tapping into the power that ended the war.

"WOOOOO! GO AANG! SHOW THAT LIZARD YOU MEAN BUSINESS!"

Nobody wanted to stop him. Honestly after all the carnage, they needed some kind of stress relief.

"What do you think, Maina? Think the Avatar State will be enough to get him to stand down?" Katara asked. The priestess seemed to know more about Godzilla than anyone here. Certainly knew the danger far before any of them did. Now if it were up to Katara, she had no doubts. Time and again, Aang had come through for the world. She'd seen him calm down rampaging spirits and use his power to humble entire armies. Surely that would be enough.

"...I don't think so," Maina nervously said. "The legends said once Godzilla gets worked up…"

The kaiju took the words out of her mouth, his glower easily visible from a distance. He turned to face the Avatar at his full height and slammed his tail on the ground. A great roar erupted from his maw as his claws flexed out, issuing the challenge.

"...it's nearly impossible to take him down."

"So be it."

Aang rocketed through the air towards the kaiju, his natural element propelling him at breakneck speed. Godzilla lashed out his claws, but the airbender saw it coming a mile away. He dodged nimbly to the side and slashed at the outreached arm with a blade of air. The sharpened air did little aside from kicking up a layer of ash that settled on Godzilla's limb, but it certainly got his attention.

The great tail swung around to crush the irritant. Speed and maneuverability were second nature to the monk, letting him easily fly over the incoming mass of flesh. Having cleared the monster's reach, Aang landed on the earth and thrust his fists into the air. In front, he forced another massive boulder from the ground before punching it toward the giant.

Godzilla just slammed his tail into the projectile, not falling for that a second time. Roaring with fury, he stampeded forward with intent to crush the Avatar beneath his bulk. Aang, though, just stamped the ground and created great spears of jagged stone to get in the kaiju's way. The titan just charged right through them unimpeded.

His rage was so great that he failed to see what Aang's goal was. Adopting a looser stance, Aang summoned up the groundwater flowing deep beneath their feet through one of the cracks created by his earthbending. A tendril of water lashed onto Godzilla's shoulder, causing the kaiju to snarl in annoyance. The Avatar then used the momentary distraction to rocket back up into the earth and glide along the water that he further focused on the shoulder. Flexing his fingers, he froze the water, encasing the area in ice.

He then drew upon the final element. Taking a deep breath, Aang breathed a burst of fire from his mouth and bathed the ice in fire. The rapid exposure to sheer cold immediately followed by sheer heat caused the patch to practically explode with the mixture of elements. Godzilla snarled with pain, reaching over to cover the affected area to prevent any more damage from being done.

Aang strafed the beast, his eyes already on the thrashing tail for another dodge. So much so that he didn't see Godzilla jerk to the side before the mountain of charcoal hide and flesh was impossible to ignore. Stopping in mid-air, the monk created a cushion of air before him and pushed himself off it, rocketing away.

Right into the path of the incoming tail.

His eyes widened as he called upon the earth below, summoning a suit of rock and stone to encase him just as the tail made contact. He covered his body with his arms to absorb the worst, but even then Godzilla's massive appendage smashed his protection apart.

The Avatar saw stars from the force. It was…immeasurable. And he knew it was about to get worse as he saw a blue light beginning to hum to life…

Shaking his head clear, he bent air around his body and controlled his trajectory, flying high into the air. And not a moment before Godzilla unleashed his fiery breath in pursuit. Higher and higher Aang climbed, looking back to make sure the burst of blue flame was right behind him. At the last possible moment, Aang quickly changed direction groundward and slammed himself back onto the earth.

The impact was more than just avoiding the inferno. He forced the earth to come apart and create a massive crack that swallowed Godzilla's foot. Again, he called forth the deep ground waters to submerge the leg, and again he froze the water. The foot was effectively frozen in ice, immobilizing the giant. Godzilla fired out the remainder of his fire breath into the air before he began struggling to free himself.

It would not take long, but Aang would not pass up the opportunity he created for himself. Surrounding himself in a furious, swirling shield of the four elements, Aang charged through the air and slammed into Godzilla's chest. The power of the Avatar was unleashed upon impact, bathing the monster in near hurricane-speed winds, blazing streams of fire, great boulders, and the swirling waters of a tempest.

This time though, Godzilla braced himself and took the attack full force. Aang felt a bead of sweat as he pushed more and more, hoping to take as much energy out of the beast as possible. So focused was he that the great clawed hand came out of nowhere. His shield of elements protected him from the blow, but he still found himself being thrown to the ground.

Aang cried out as he hit the earth. He felt the air being knocked out of his lungs and his poise shattered. The rest of his senses, though, went into high alert when he heard Godzilla pry his foot free from the trap and raise it precariously over his head.

His sense of duty was overwhelmed by the need to survive. Reaching out to the earth beneath him, he tunneled himself deep below and brought together the rocks above him to create a massive shield. By all accounts, it should've been impenetrable. Such a defense from the Avatar State should've been enough to stop any assault.

Godzilla stomped on the earth and nearly shattered through the shield in a single blow.

The Avatar paused with fear at being buried under who knew how many tons of earth. He could feel the impact nearly crush his barrier and bring his defense crashing down on top of him. One more stomp and…

On the surface, Godzilla lifted his foot one more time…

Azula dragged herself across the ruined battlefield. She saw the shattered earth, the chunks of ice, and the burning fires. A wind had swept up, carrying embers and soot through the air. Admittedly the air quality had improved marginally. Which meant she could catch her breath for once.

She didn't know where Zuko was, and right now she didn't care. Azula just watched the titans clash. The Princess had heard stories of the power of the Avatar. Everyone had after the Siege of the North. Seeing it unfold was another experience. Watching him hurl the elements around like they were toys. It made her feel…small. Very small. And people wondered why she shot the so-called "Savior of the World" in the back when he was fully capable and willing to do this sort of damage.

For all practical purposes, the Avatar was an equal to the kaiju. Two forces of nature vying for supremacy.

Ultimately though it was the larger one that took the advantage. She watched as Godzilla pummeled the Avatar into the earth, crushing the rocky shield under his full weight. Seeing such a display was both gratifying and terrifying. Gratifying to see the Avatar get a taste of his own medicine. Terrifying in that she wouldn't wish for even her worst enemy to be thrown in the path of such a beast.

Azula felt the carnage surround her. If the Avatar died…this wasn't going to stop. The monster's rage would consume Yu Dao, and her nation would send army after army against it. Didn't matter who led them, the result would be the same. And every time, Godzilla's rage would increase, before it consumed all in his path.

Before her, she was looking at the doom of the Fire Nation. A nightmare of their own making. What the Avatar had failed to do, Godzilla would finish.

…and she couldn't let that happen.

Her purpose clear, she brought her mind into an almost surreal state of peace. She tore apart the positive and negative energies in herself before bringing lightning to her fingertips. Her body fell into the motions, letting the lightning discharge and snake through the air, striking the dorsal spines just as Godzilla was about to bring his foot down on the stricken Avatar.

As before, the impact was small against such a mountain. In his enraged state though, Godzilla did pause for a moment, bringing his foot down away from the battered shield. He turned and glared at Azula.

Tired and bruised, she ran forward and fired a blue burst of flame at the monster's foot. Seeing the fire shared between the two being used against him was the final straw. Godzilla bellowed in rage, smashing his fist onto the ground with all intent to crush the Princess. She dodged to the side, going prone as the cloud of ash washed over her.

Adrenaline forced her back up on her feet and raced her along the ruined earth. Azula leaped in the air and let out a jet of blue fire behind her, grabbing onto one of the kaiju's hand as it was being raised back into the air. She clambered onto the scaly knuckle, pulling herself up to her feet. Godzilla raised his hand to glare at the impudent teen who dared to challenge him.

Azula just glared back, thrusting her fist out and letting out a stream of flame right at the beast.

Godzilla snorted, raising his other hand to crush the Princess.

In the process, once more his attention was diverted. A crack from the earth was all the warning he got before Aang threw another huge boulder at the side of his head. Godzilla roared with surprise, forgetting the girl entirely to deal with the Avatar flying past him. He snapped his jaws in thin air, giving Azula enough time to clamber up the huge arm.

It was an effort climbing a thrashing colossus. Azula latched onto any scale or hold she could get, sometimes rocketing herself higher up. Naturally, Godzilla didn't ignore her for long, reaching over to crush her yet again under his hand. And again, Aang swooped by the monster's leg and slashed at it with flame and air. Godzilla cried out with surprise as he stumbled, before turning back towards the Avatar with fire in both his eyes and jaws. He let forth a burst of blue flame in pursuit, which scorched everything in its path in his mad pursuit of his quarry.

Azula straightened herself out as she jetted the last of the distance to the top of Godzilla's shoulder. As he craned his neck trying to incinerate the Avatar, she ran across the now-horizontal neck.

She stopped right as Godzilla turned to look at her, giving her an opening to stop and split her energies once more. Azula jabbed her fingertips and fired a lightning bolt right into Godzilla's eye. This elicited a shriek of pain as the kaiju reached over and covered his now wounded face.

This gave Azula the time she needed to boost herself the last of the distance and stopping right on top of his snout. Looking around, she saw to her surprise that there were several wounds and burnt patches from Zuko's aerial assault. They didn't look deep, but they were at least openings she could exploit.

The Princess grabbed on for dear life and started pouring as much fire as she could into one of the larger wounds. More and more she poured, doing her best to fry it open and torch the flesh. To her surprise though, it proved to be more difficult than merely trying to cut through tons of flesh and skin. It almost seemed as if the wounds were repairing themselves, the burns being replaced with scar tissue.

That just caused her to increase her assault, hoping to cause as much pain as possible.

And in that, she succeeded. Godzilla roared in madness as he thrashed around, trying to throw off the painful hitchhiker. As he did, he fired fire breath after fire breath, incinerating everything around him in a blaze Azula could scarcely begin to describe. It didn't seem like he was even aiming at anything anymore. This looked like he wanted to just burn the whole world.

A feeling she recognized all too easily.

The streams of fire breath only ended when, on either side of the beast, huge formations of earth that could best be described as mountains slammed together. Godzilla found himself effectively encased in a stony prison. Looking around madly, he spotted the perpetrator high above in the sky.

On his back, the spines began to glow brightly once more…

Hovering from above, Aang bent the elements around him before firing a huge wave of all the elements heading straight for the imprisoned kaiju. This combined assault, this huge demonstration of what the Avatar was capable of, was the same attack he used in his battle with Ozai. Before, he'd managed to cut it off before it took the Fire Lord's life. This time though…he was going to need all the force he could muster.

Godzilla on the other hand would not sit idle. Taking a deep breath, the monster roared before unleashing his powered-up fiery breath, meeting Aang's assault right in the air.

Upon impact, the kaiju's breath detonated, creating a huge explosion of light. Everyone felt the impact. Azula clung desperately for dear life, trying to avoid being flung off and plummeting to her doom. High above, Aang covered his eyes and felt himself be knocked from the air. Godzilla snarled as he took the attack full on, being bathed in the energy.

For a moment, amidst the chaos…all was still.

High above, Aang plummeted. His thoughts were of Katara and his friends, no doubt looking on in horror at what must've been his doom. He felt the power of the Avatar State fade, the glow from his eyes and arrow dimming.

Looking down though…Aang felt he wouldn't need it.

Reaching around, he grabbed his glider and snapped it open, allowing the wind to gently bring him lower to the earth.

Down below, Godzilla smashed his way through the mountains surrounding him, stumbling out from the confines. The light from his spines faded as he paused, his chest heaving in and out from exhaustion. Azula clambered to a notch right in front of his eye, her energy utterly spent.

Aang glided to land in front of the other eye, taking a moment to catch his breath as well. All three combatants just sat there, trying to compose themselves.

It was then that the Avatar exhaled before looking behind him into Godzilla's eye.

"You were waiting for me all that time. Weren't you?"

Godzilla just stared back at him, glaring at the boy with that familiar intensity. Yet he did not lash out. He only growled in response.

"Yeah. That's what I thought." Aang sighed as he looked down at his feet, the realization settling in. "Everyone was counting on me to stop the Fire Nation. And…you were waiting for me because you knew something like this would happen. Didn't you?"

Again, he got a growl in response. Though at least the monster wasn't trying to kill him. That was a start.

With that in mind, he looked out at the carnage surrounding them. The devastation was vast. It seemed inconceivable that any creature was capable of so much destruction. Even still, it was all too familiar. "I understand you. And I understand why you're upset. Believe me, I…I hated the Fire Nation for what they did. They killed my people when we didn't even have an army and I…wanted to make them pay for what they did. I know people say that La was the one in control but honestly…deep down I wanted them to suffer."

It pained him to say that, but it was the truth. Something that didn't escape Azula as she listened in. The Avatar…regretted what he did in the North? And he said his people didn't have an army? It was one thing for Maina to say such a thing believing in some lie, but it was another for somebody who was there during the Comet's first passing to turn her world upside down.

No. It couldn't be right. Her great-grandfather wouldn't lie about that.

My daughter. Lies run deep in our family. This wouldn't be the first time, her mother told her. Azula wanted to argue back but given what she had seen and learned, she just couldn't find the words.

Aang continued. "I wanted to end Ozai's life so. Badly. But…I couldn't. Because you can't end a war with even one more death. We need to draw the line somewhere.

"...I'm guessing you get that too? Don't you?" Godzilla snarled in response, glaring out around them at the ruined army.

"Trust me. I get it. The Fire Nation needs to change and they have a long way to go. But we can't do that if we go around killing every last one of them," Aang declared. He turned around and gazed right into Godzilla's eye. "I've seen good in them. All of them. Zuko. Iroh. Azula. They can change for the better. I have to believe in that if we truly want to bring peace. I understand you can't forgive them for what they did. I'm not asking you to. What I'm asking is that you give them a chance to learn. Trying to kill them won't do that. And if you do kill them, you'll deny them redemption. Do you really want that?"

Azula blinked as she heard the Avatar's words. He…believed she could change?

Godzilla on the other hand just stared silently. Aang didn't waver in his gaze. "Trust me, I know your anger. But I can't let you kill any more people. Cause it won't make things better for you or anyone else. And if you still don't believe me…then I won't let you take any more lives. Not today."

With that, Aang just sat there, waiting for the monster's response.

…his response came in the spines glowing blue.

Reflexively, both Aang and Azula leaped off the monster's face. The latter realized that unlike the former, she couldn't bend air. Her stomach almost plummeted seeing the drop beneath her.

The panic subsided though when she felt Aang grab her robes as he swooped over on his glider. "Nice catch, Avatar," she snarked exhaustedly.

"We need to stop meeting like this," Aang jokily replied.

He went quiet though as Godzilla reared his head back and fired a focused fire breath straight into the skies above. A roar of pure rage erupted from his maw, fueling his fury into the breath and pouring everything he had into the heavens above.

Azula could almost feel the chains on her arms and legs, seeing him rage in such a way. In some strange way, she felt a kinship with the monster. After all, she understood what it meant to have everything taken from you.

Beneath them, she saw the Avatar's bison fly up to them, letting Aang gently land both of them on his back. "Good boy Appa," he exhaustedly said, patting his old friend's head. Naturally, his other animal friend landed on his shoulder and began frantically licking his face and making sure he was okay. Aang chuckled, letting himself let the tension and energy out.

Azula just watched from Appa's back as Godzilla fired his blue inferno into the heavens, raging and roaring. Watched as the fire petered out and Godzilla's roars continued to echo upon the winds. Heard as each bellow became weaker and more exhausted, gradually replaced by the kaiju gasping for air and taking heavier and heavier breaths.

Eventually, he stopped roaring entirely, before he lowered his head and looked with tired eyes over the battlefield. For a moment…Azula felt like she truly understood him. That this was the true Godzilla, buried beneath all the rage and fury.

After gazing out over the ashfields for what seemed like an eternity…Godzilla slowly turned back towards the sea.

Zuko kneeled among the ashes, watching as his friends and Iroh approached. The first thing he did was hug his Uncle, desperately clinging to him with tears in his eyes, and saying he was sorry over and over.

The Dragon of the West embraced him back, ruffling his hair, telling him that he was just as much to blame. For he almost lost another son today.

Aang and the rest of Team Avatar stood by, letting the two have this moment. Nobody could say a thing. While Sokka had told them a few of the battalions had managed to escape, the carnage wrought by Godzilla was immeasurable. It seemed like a miracle that the young monarch was still alive.

What seemed less like a miracle was Zuko's generals approaching. All of them eyed the sobbing young man with disappointment. Katara just got between them and the Fire Lord with a stern "He's had enough for one day". None of them really wanted to challenge the master waterbender on those grounds.

Managing to collect himself for a moment, Zuko waved Sokka over. "I need you to send a message to the Earth King and the rest of the Tribunal leaders," he said. "I'm going to hold a summit…discussing the return of the colonies." The Water Tribe boy solemnly nodded, knowing that what happened here was going to have serious repercussions for the rest of the world.

For now, though, Aang knelt by Zuko's side and wrapped his arm around the monarch's shoulders. There would be a time and place for the consequences to play out. No one wanted to face them right now amidst the carnage.

Down by the coast, Azula, Maina, and Kori had slipped away from the rest to watch Godzilla trudge towards the sea. His head was held low, and his breathing was heavy. Seeing the titan in such a state was…something else.

"I never imagined he was real," Kori whispered, barely keeping herself together from the sheer level of death she had witnessed.

Maina gently held the noble's shoulder to calm her down. Then she knelt to the earth, inviting both of the other girls to join her in a prayer. Distraught, Kori knelt beside her, letting the words from Infant Island wash over them both. If nothing else, they could give the departed some comfort.

Azula, on the other hand, stood. She wasn't sure if she could give comfort to anyone. It had been…too much for her. She wrapped her arms around herself to keep her steady. The same question kept echoing through her head. One she was too afraid to speak.

Was…she like Godzilla? Capable of nothing but destruction? The beast's rage was too familiar, and if that were the case…who was she to deserve anyone's sympathy? After all, she only knew how to hurt people. How was that so different?

After all, they were both monsters.

She felt a gentle hand hold her shoulder. "Sometimes, beings like Godzilla show a window into our soul. That doesn't necessarily mean it's a bad thing. Sometimes we need to see the truth if we're to change."

Azula didn't know exactly what Maina meant though. How can one change their very nature? One can't change who they were simply by being told they were horrible. All the Princess knew was that what happened today would've happened during Sozin's Comet if her plan had succeeded. The thought made her sick.

All three girls were shaken out of their musings when Godzilla turned to look at them. Azula in particular. Girl and Kaiju looked at one another, wondering what the other was thinking. If nothing else, she did feel something knowing that there was another like her out there.

Seeing him turn towards the sea, beginning to wade in the shallows before making his way to the open ocean, she knew she had to chase him. For good or ill, her destiny would be tied to his. Whether that offered salvation or damnation though…that was yet to be decided.

On a distant hillside, overlooking the destruction and watching Godzilla wade to sea, a rather pale man in peasant's clothes saw everything.

And he was disappointed. He was hoping the Fire Lord and the Avatar would be slain, but he supposed some things did pan out well. The Fire Nation's army was gutted, and he knew there would be a reckoning everywhere. He could sense that Godzilla's awakening was only the beginning.

He knew the General was stirring from his slumber thanks to the Fire Nation's depredations, and that in turn would awaken the Guardian Beast. Deep below, he sensed the Lord of the Earth was stirring, something the Goddess couldn't ignore. Through it all, the Storm King would no doubt take advantage of this, hoping to rebuild his kingdom.

A mirthless chuckle from his lips carried on the wind. So much chaos was on the horizon. Something that made his deep blue eyes sparkle with anticipation. Too long he had waited for this. Too long he had watched the signs. And if there was any hope for them all, the world first needed to burn.

Ozai did get one thing right, he admitted. Sometimes you needed to build a new empire on the ruins of the old.

His though…his would last.

Chapter Text

Yu Dao, Mayor's House

"Uh, sorry if it's a bit dusty down here," Kori whispered.

Azula just rolled her eyes, blowing a cobweb out of her face to make her thoughts known. Still being cooped up in a crummy crawlspace was a lot better than just waiting what this summit was about. Everyone in the city knew that the heads of the three Nations were meeting today on neutral ground. Neither was it a secret about what the big issue was going to be discussed.

Now Azula was many things, but she wasn't someone who could stomach not being in the know about what could be one of the biggest meetings in these so-called "peace talks." So when Kori told them that she knew of a crawlspace she used frequently right under the meeting room, it was an opportunity she couldn't pass up.

Granted it was a little cramped with three girls smushed in there instead of one, but Azula could manage. Maina on the other hand…

"Stop jabbing your elbow into my gut, Kori!"

"Sorry," the noble dutifully said.

"I have to say, you keep impressing me minute by minute," Azula mused, hoping to bring her newfound companion's spirits up. "Does your father know about you sneaking in here?"

Kori just snorted. "Him? He's got his nose too far up the Fire Lord's butt to care. Besides, if he knew I was here to check on the weekly guard routes to find out where we can organize protests, he'd throw a fit."

"All these talents wasted for the most menial of causes…"

"Hey, at least I'm doing something about things here."

The Princess let the jab slide. Quite frankly, she was not in the mood to start an argument. That and if they started to get into one, they'd be caught sooner than she could come up with a good excuse of why they were eavesdropping on a big meeting like this. Right now the only ones she had were "Well Kori wanted to show us where she played when she was a child" or "Somebody's got to clean down here. Figured we'd give the servants a break for once".

…okay maybe not that last one. She didn't want to think about what happened to her servants after she banished them. Or anything regarding that awful day to begin with…

"Sush! It sounds like they're coming in!"

All three clammed up as they heard footsteps above them. Azula in particular kept still, her ears craning to hear anything from the other side. Inwardly she wondered how her brother would handle something like this. It wasn't like he was in the best state the last she saw him.

Good. Let him see what it's like to be a leader for once.

Aang adjusted his heavier ceremonial robes. To be perfectly honest, he felt he wasn't cut out for diplomatic appearances like this. But at least it was getting easier with each summit.

More so than he could say about his companion. Zuko had changed into the heavier garb that he wore during his coronation. Although he was the more ornately dressed of the two, he was the one who seemed to be the more nervous. "I feel like I'm getting ready for my execution," he murmured.

There wasn't much Aang could say that would dissuade him. On the other side of those doors were the leaders of the other nations and his generals. None of them were very fond of the one who helped bring down Ba Sing Se, raided the South looking for the Avatar, and spearheaded a military disaster that crippled the Fire Nation's holdings in the Earth Kingdom. The last one especially got to Zuko the hardest.

Fire Lord Zuko was supposed to be better, and he led so many men and women to their deaths. It was just like that minister back during that fateful war meeting that left him branded. Who was he to appear before so many with so much blood on his hands?

The Avatar just put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Look: Katara, Sokka, and Toph are going to be there right beside us. And we have Iroh and the rest of the White Lotus speaking on your behalf. You're not facing this alone."

"I just hope I don't drag you guys down with me," the older boy murmured. The look on his face screamed that he understood just how much he had screwed this whole thing up. Still, the only way for any of them was forward. There wasn't much they could do except face the storm together.

Taking a deep breath, both Avatar and Fire Lord walked through the doors and into the ornate meeting room.

Yu Dao's Mayor Morishita was delighted to have his estate chosen for the summit. Granted it wasn't due to any favoritism on the part of Zuko, but rather the city being as best a neutral ground as could be managed. And considering that this was contested territory, they figured it would be fitting to hold the meeting in the largest and most influential of the cities.

Neither Aang nor Zuko could see Morishita's so-called "neutrality"; the mayor was chatting amongst the Fire Nation generals, the War Minister, and some of the most influential nobles and family heads who had managed to secure invitations. Figures. They probably wanted to have their say in their financial futures.

Opposite to them across the huge table set up for this were the leaders of the other nations. King Kuei and his Council of Five were already en route to Yu Dao, so they were able to arrive here fairly quickly. The chiefs of the Water Tribes had been staying at the embassy established in the colonies shortly after the end of the war, so Chiefs Arnook and Hakoda managed to get here on time as well.

Sokka and Katara in particular were taking the opportunity to hug and greet their father. Seeing the Chieftain of the South embrace his children, Zuko gave a nod to Aang, allowing the Avatar to join his friends. "Aang! It's so good to see you again!" Hakoda greeted, placing a warm hand on the airbender's shoulder.

"Nice to see you too, Hakoda," Aang politely returned, resisting the tendency to give the mediator a big hug. Rough as it was, there needed to be some sense of order amidst nations that historically have never been on the best of terms. Especially since one waged a century-long war against the others. While Hakoda couldn't exactly be called a neutral party, he was the only one in the room who hadn't had as much experience with the newly-crowned Fire Lord before he became associated with the Avatar.

The only other option was the White Lotus, the secret allies of the Avatar who had revealed themselves during the Liberation of Ba Sing Se. Needless to say, no one was willing to entertain the opportunity of letting the Grand Lotus turn this into a blanket defense for his nephew like he usually did. Neither were they eager to let high-ranking members from throughout the world steer the discussions when they'd been out of the picture for so long.

This tension could easily be observed simply by looking across the table. Jeong Jeong and Piadao were near their representatives of their homeland, but neither they nor the Fire Nation representatives were mingling with each other. A similar story could be seen with Master Pakku regarding Chief Arnook, the latter of whom wasn't engaging with the former like you'd expect two old friends would. Only Iroh seemed to be the only one who was close to his Nation's leaders. And King Bumi…

"Eh let's not stand on ceremony here old buddy!" the "eccentric" king of Omashu greeted as he walked over and caught Aang in a bearhug that was far stronger than you'd expect an old man to be capable of. "Greet old friends when you know crap is about to hit the fan! That's what I always say!"

"Thanks…you can…let me down now…"

Bumi willingly obliged, setting Aang down so he could catch his breath. Course that didn't stop a certain blind earthbender from snickering.

"You sure you don't want to join us Toph? We can pull an extra seat for you," Katara snarked.

The little girl just shrugged. "Eh. I'm just here for the yelling."

Right. This…was going to get ugly, Aang thought to himself. He could almost feel the burning gazes that Zuko was getting from Arnook and Kuei from their respective places at the table. Out of everyone, they were the hardest to convince that Zuko had changed. Though given what had happened just a few days ago, he couldn't say he blamed them.

Still, Zuko was his friend. And he was going to stick by him as much as he reasonably could. Or try to anyway. Truth be told, even the monk felt a bit of trepidation about defending the Fire Lord right now. After all, there wasn't a lot he could do to make "not listening to the Avatar's advice and getting a whole army slaughtered" sound good.

Sensing the tension in the room, another Southern Water Tribe man who could've only been Bato leaned to his friend's ear and spelled out the obvious. "Alright. Since everyone is here, we should begin this summit meeting at once," Hakoda said in a loud voice. Everyone proceeded to settle down and get into their chairs, with Aang joined by Katara and Sokka.

Once everyone had gotten settled, Hakoda stood up. "Since Fire Lord Zuko was the one who called this meeting, I feel it would be wise for him to start." He then gave the go-ahead for the young monarch to begin before taking his own seat.

Zuko rose to his full height, feeling all eyes on him. "Thank you Chieftain Hakoda. I'd like to begin with an explanation for my actions. I know there have been some rumors, but I would like to confirm that…I was making a bid for the colonies. I felt that the economic stability they provided would've prevented civil unrest and better secured my position on the throne. And with a better position on the throne, I would've been able to better secure reparations for what my people did in the war. In the process though, I led thousands of men to their deaths and put Yu Dao in danger. I…played with the lives of countless people for my own glory, just as my forefathers did.

"So in the wake of my failure, I personally retract any and all claims I would have on the colonies and will continue to ensure that they return to the hands of Earth King Kuei and the people of the Earth Kingdom. Their rightful owners.

"Additionally, I'd also like to open the floor to any discussion in regards to the threat Godzilla poses to us all. While the Avatar has assured me that the kaiju will not pose a current threat, we both agree that there needs to be a counter-strategy if and when it appears again."

With that, the Fire Lord sat down back in his seat. Aang felt a little conflicted. He knew that any renewed hostility towards Godzilla would risk setting the whole mess in motion all over again, but he also knew that the people needed some response they could rely on in case the monster went back on the rampage. Especially since given the current state of the world, it did seem like a certainty.

Still, Zuko was able to deliver his opening without somebody pointing fingers and shouting. That was a step in the right direction. Across the table, Kuei lifted a hand, signifying that he wanted to speak. A chill ran down Team Avatar's spine. Now Kuei was a good man, and everyone knew that he did have the interests of his people in mind before all things. The problem was that…Zuko did help Azula in a coup d'etat against him, on top of the mess the young Fire Lord had created.

So this could go either very well, or very poorly. They just had to wait and see if Hakoda gave the go-ahead for Kuei to speak his peace. "I just want to say that I do appreciate Fire Lord Zuko's withdrawal from his bid on Yu Dao and the rest of the colonies. They are sitting on Earth Kingdom territory after all, and the Fire Nation retaining any gains made through the conquest of my people would render any and all attempts at peace pointless."

His comment ignited a few murmurs from Zuko's supporters, earning him a few nasty glances from the nobles. Zuko felt some of the heat being directed his way, particularly from Mayor Morishita. He just stared at them back. If they wanted to jeopardize the fragile peace and risk civil war, that was on them.

"However, I can't ignore that the Fire Lord only has offered to withdraw his troops after they were destroyed following the attack by Godzilla. This leads me to wonder if he would've been so understanding if the kaiju hadn't shown up. Or rather, it makes me wonder how I can be sure that the Fire Nation isn't just withdrawing so my forces will have to deal with a rampaging monster while the Fire Nation regroup and make another bid through superior military force." His glare across the table made it clear that he knew full well what he was saying and did not shy away from the implied accusation. The approving nods from the Council of Five made clear where he got this train of thought from.

Hakoda stood up. "King Kuei, the Avatar has ensured that as long as there's no hostile action taken towards Godzilla, it won't be a threat. I'd also like to remind the Earth King that the withdrawal of all Fire Nation forces AND the return of the contested territories were part of the initial peace talks."

"So were the upcoming trials," Kuei shot back, ignoring Hakoda entirely and glaring right at Zuko. "Yet I see before me that none of the individuals we had submitted to be put on trial are in custody. War Minister Qin is standing right there and he tried to burst a Drill through my city walls AND was a member of Ozai's inner circle!"

Before Hakoda could stop him, Fire Lord Zuko stood up and returned Kuei's glare. "You try dealing with the threat of civil war and convicting prominent clan members. Besides, the prisoners I sent on the prison ships were guilty of war crimes. Including my own sister! You know, the one who orchestrated your city's downfall?"

Kuei snorted. "Right. Last I checked, she wasn't on the list. If she were, you'd be on the list as well. And don't talk to me about setting up your own family to be tried. Your Uncle was on top of the list, and that butcher is right there sitting next to you!"

Aang got up, seeing that the situation was spiraling out of Hakoda's control. "Iroh's changed! We know he laid siege to your city-"

"Did you also know about the heads of our emissaries he delivered to us when we tried to negotiate a cease-fire to get food to our civilians? Which resulted in one of the worst famines our city had ever endured?" General How shot back.

…

Aang, Zuko, and the rest of Team Avatar slowly turned towards Iroh, the little tidbit having hit them harder than a charging Moose Lion. "Uncle…did you-?"

Iroh sagged a little bit. "There were a lot of things I didn't tell you, nephew. None of which I was especially proud of."

"With all due respect, Grand Lotus, there's a difference between shady dealings and decapitating ambassadors on a peace mission while drawing out a protracted siege that starved my people. Or am I to assume that all the people I talked to were making up the entirety of the 600 Days? Honestly, I was being merciful when I exiled you from my city instead of being held prisoner right off the bat," Kuei snarled.

"To be fair, we DID liberate Ba Sing Se during Sozin's Comet. That's got to earn us a little respect," Bumi pointed out.

"Right. When the Fire Lord could've so very easily recalled his troops once he was on the throne if that coup of yours worked, which would have definitely resulted in no loss of life at all. You know, attacking what could ostensibly be called a military objective by your own plan. Tell me, was the only reason you attacked and killed so many of our troops and YOUR countrymen just so you could burn down a flag?" Qin snapped sarcastically, pointing towards Iroh with that last quip.

Hakoda nursed a headache as things were spiraling out of control. "Gentlemen, the purpose of this meeting isn't to-"

"I guess robbing the enemy of a stronghold they could retreat to and putting civilians at risk doesn't count as a strategic maneuver in your mind? Or did we just have to assume that all your armies would magically stand down when Fire Lord Zuko ended the war you've been waging for how many years?!"

"My question is, how come none of the White Lotus did anything to de-escalate the war?!" Kuei said, cutting off a rather offended-looking Pakku. "Bumi, had it occurred to you to coordinate with your allies in the Fire Nation to check their advances? Or maybe call in support to relieve that siege?!"

"Right. Maybe I'll send support if-oh yeah! I did! Except the Dai Li intercepted them and claimed that they threatened the peace in Ba Sing Se!" the now-furious King of Omashu fired back.

"That still doesn't excuse the fact that you aided a known warmonger! Just like you, Pakku!" Arnook joined in, blindsiding the now surprised master waterbender. "Tell me, were you buddies with Iroh when he was helping coordinate the Siege of the North that resulted in the Moon Spirit dying? Give me one good reason why I shouldn't execute you as a traitor."

"Chief Arnook, my Uncle wasn't in charge of the Siege! That was Zhao!" Zuko roared.

"Oh right! So I'm just going to ignore your uncle not doing anything to stop that maniac when he was literally sipping tea on his ship? In fact, who are you to talk? If you didn't kidnap the Avatar and drag him halfway across the tundra, he could've been able to defend the Moon Spirit from Zhao and my daughter would be here right now!"

By now, the whole table was erupting in arguments, drowning out Hakoda's impassioned demands for order. This wasn't the first time the talks had degenerated into fighting, but never before had it reached this level. Accusations of "Oh NOW you care about the edges of your Kingdom," and "You just sat there and did nothing," were being tossed around. Aang and his friends got a little worried that soon those words would be joined by the elements.

Zuko just glared at Kuei for causing this whole meeting to degenerate into such an argument. "I just want to give the colonies back! Is that not enough for you?!"

"Well, maybe I wouldn't mind so much if ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE MONSTERS WASN'T RUNNING AROUND MY KINGDOM!"

With that, the whole room went silent. Team Avatar just stared gobsmacked at each other.

There was another?

King Kuei took a deep breath. "There have been sightings of a great reptilian beast in the jungles surrounding Cranefish Town. It hasn't become violent yet, but considering the damage wrought by Godzilla, I can't exactly dedicate my army to occupying Yu Dao and the surrounding provinces without stretching them too thin lest the worst come to pass."

The name "Cranefish Town" furrowed Toph's eyebrows a little. Something about that seemed familiar…

"I already have the Kyoshi Warriors keeping an eye on things, but I'd rather not risk abandoning it until the danger has passed. Until then, I'm open to any suggestions on how to prepare for an attack."

Aang stood up at the ready. "I'll head to Cranefish Town and see what I can do about it. Until then, don't have any of your troops attack it. I don't want a repeat of Yu Dao."

"As for the defense, the people of Odo Island seem to have experience with this sort of thing. They built a series of tunnels that let them withstand Godzilla's attack," Sokka chimed in. "As for actually hurting one of these things…I can't say for certain. At least we'll have some kind of defense though until we know more about them."

One of the generals from the Council of Five chimed in, the conversation moving in that direction and letting Aang rest a little. And let the gravity of the situation sink in. The first was Iroh. Looking across the table, he could see the old man looking pretty withdrawn with guilt written on his face. That was enough to take the breath out of the airbender. He knew Iroh was a famous general, but he certainly didn't expect that out of his ally.

The other was the news about the kaiju. There was another one out there. Which made him ask the chilling question: exactly how many of them were there?

"I don't know," Maina admitted. "I mean I know of a few, but it's not like we've kept tabs on every single one."

Kori sighed, taking a sip from her tea. For once, Azula understood her frustration. First, her home was threatened by one of these beasts. Then it turns out there could be another out there. It had to have been a lot to take in. Well, all of that meeting was a lot to take in. Which was why the noble had taken them to a teahouse she frequented.

It wasn't the most opulent of establishments, being a bit plain compared to the beautiful teahouses Azula was familiar with back in the capital. But it probably was a bit more comfortable for Kori, which the Princess couldn't judge her all that much for. It helped that there was a fairly even mix of Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom peasants milling about. They all seemed to be in the same class too, if you could believe it.

Guess all the wealth wasn't distributed evenly to those who were supposed to make the most of it, Azula mused to herself. Sure, she knew that not everyone was going to be the next major clan the moment they set foot here. It did make her wonder though about what promises these families were fed to come so far from home, only to find out there that not too many things changed in terms of status. It wasn't like she was unfamiliar with some of those lies herself, after all. All nobles, including the Royal Family, needed to tell a few lies if the peasants were to serve them properly.

"Well, do you know anything about this one?" she asked Maina, hoping for a bit of a distraction from her thoughts.

The priestess thought to herself for a moment. "I'm not exactly familiar with kaiju outside of the Fire Nation. But if this one's set up territory around the edge of the colonies…it sounds a bit like Anguirus. I'm hoping, at least."

Azula and Kori blinked a few times, wondering how one could hope a particular giant monster was in the area. Maina saw their glances and decided to explain herself. "Trust me. Anguirus isn't one of the violent ones. If the stories are true, he mostly keeps to himself. He only gets vicious if you throw the first punch."

"Like Godzilla," Kori pointed out.

"...okay, yeah. Trust me though. They call him the Guardian Beast for a reason. I haven't heard of him going on big rampages like Godzilla."

"So he's a bit more like Mothra then?"

"I mean, not exactly, but somewhere in that realm, yeah," Maina told the Princess.

Right. Her. Ever since they watched Godzilla submerge back to the depths of the ocean, the Priestess had told Azula over and over again that they needed to go to this "Infant Island". Something that still didn't exactly sit well with her. Maina kept saying that Mothra would be able to help, but help with what? Help her brother see sense, and realize that abandoning the colonies to the Earth King was a bad idea?

Zuzu's poor performance made her question again why on earth she even saved him in the first place. If she were in his shoes, she wouldn't rescind the claims. She'd make peace with those rogue army groups plaguing her borders so she could free up the reserve forces and draw a line in the sand. Of course, she wouldn't do something so stupid as antagonize Godzilla, but didn't her brother know that giving the colonies back meant opening themselves up for invasion?

All those questions kept repeating in her head as she asked herself again and again: why save him? She saw the same look in his eye when he dangled her over a burning wreckage during the Agni Kai. He was ready to kill her. So why? Why save him?

In fact, what did this Mothra even have to offer? The way Maina described her was of a Goddess that offered compassion and wisdom. Well, compassion had almost got Azula killed many times over. Every time she stuck her neck out for Zuko, he stabbed her in the back. This priestess didn't know what she was talking about. If she went to Infant Island right now, all she'd get is a lesson on how horrible she is and how she should be a good girl and meekly keep her neck steady when the executioner's axe fell.

Azula took a sip of her tea, hoping to calm her racing mind. Nothing was decided yet, but the boat that Maina claimed could be convinced to take them to the island was coming soon. She needed to make a decision now. Yet…how could she? Either stay here and risk getting killed now, or go to an island to prepare to be killed later. Both options ended up with her dead. It seemed a matter of choosing which way she was going to go out.

"Azula. You alright?"

"...he was going to kill me."

Her companions shared an annoying look of concern, but she didn't have the stomach to snip that she didn't need sympathy. "He was going to burn my face off and drop me like a piece of garbage. Who…what brother does that?" She would be the first to admit that she wasn't exactly the portrait of a dutiful sister like Uncle and Mother wanted her to be, and yeah she had tried to kill him a few times in the past.

She never recalled being so enraged that she was willing to mutilate Zuzu. Not even during her breakdown was she willing to do that. And especially not throw him to rot in an asylum and then drag her halfway across the world just so he could bail out Uncle Fatso. Who as it turns out, was NOT the wise old man act that he used to poison Zuko's mind.

"He was willing to put my neck on the block just so his Uncle could walk free. And…I knew a lot of those men on his council. They were all of Father's cronies. By Agni-I was betrothed to War Minister Qin and he was right there!" She didn't get it. Sure she'd be able to stomach putting up with some of those yellow-bellied yes-men if it meant stuff got done Father's power was maintained. But Zuko said he was going to be better than Father. So why was he cozying up with those people?

"You got betrothed…oh, I'm so sorry Azula," Kori tried to console her. "It's…I read somewhere that people change when they get so much power. Suddenly they don't care about people like us anymore. We just get reduced to tiles on a Pai Sho board."

Azula shot a nasty glare at her fellow noble, causing Kori to sheepishly back off. What did she know? She wasn't some "tile". Father said she was special. A prodigy meant for great things! Not something he could toss aside like-

YOU CAN'T TREAT ME LIKE ZUKO! she heard herself shout, remembering that last moment before it all fell apart. Before she severed the last and most important relationship she ever had. How badly she wanted to grovel and beg forgiveness. Even now, maybe if she kept her head. If she had been ruthless and arrested Zuko back at Ba Sing Se, maybe she'd be the one sitting on the throne.

…though…was that even something she wanted? Honestly, the thought never occurred to her before the day of the Comet. She was never meant for the throne, only to serve the crown. But now that crown just cut her loose while those with far more blood on their hands sat on his council. Is that what the crown does? Make one ruthless enough to betray their own family?

But if she didn't want the throne…what did she want…?

"Pardon me, Princess Azula. Do you mind if I join you?"

Azula's internal musings were rudely interrupted by a middle-aged man striding to their table. His robes were voluminous with a deep crimson. The garishness of his fashion choice made clear that, whoever he was, he certainly wasn't like the rest of the rabble here.

His face though was familiar both from the meeting turned shouting match and from memory. "Lord Jozain?"

The head of Clan Saowon nodded, giving a respectful bow to the Princess. His clan's stone camellia emblem was displayed with a small pin on his robes. Azula remembered the days when that accursed symbol would've been displayed proudly on banners instead of the flaming sigil of the Fire Nation. Clan Saowon, along with the rest of the once-powerful clans, was disgraced and sundered by Fire Lord Zoryu following the mess caused by the False Avatar to make way for an empowered Royal Family. Some of the clans did regain some of their prestige in the war through valor and devotion. Others, like Saowon, tied their wealth to the colonies and achieved fair amounts of riches and influence.

Still, none of them ever reached the heights they enjoyed during their heyday. Her forefathers made sure that whatever successes the clans enjoyed were on their terms. That way, when the Fire Lord wanted to throw his weight around or make abundantly clear who sat on the throne, no amount of riches or battlefield glories would give them the divine right to rule.

Still, there were two other people who this man just ignored. Azula glanced over to Kori and Maina who, after warily taking in the newcomer, gave their go-ahead. "Of course. We'd be honored to have you join us."

Jozain chuckled, taking a seat at the table. Since he decided to address her by her title, Azula shot him a bit of a nasty glare. Noble or not, he'd show proper respect towards her companions. If he didn't, this would be a very short conversation.

"I had heard you were in Yu Dao from your brother. It must've been terrifying facing down that monster all by yourself."

"Well, you can thank my father for that. He knew what it meant to face down incredible odds," Azula jabbed. Who was he saying she was scared? He was probably locked up in his mansion and making preparations to evacuate as soon as he heard Godzilla was on the way. It's not like this man had any experience in war or any idea of being in the court of Phoenix King Ozai.

Luckily it seemed like she wasn't the only one who wasn't impressed by this man. Kori kept a neutral face, but no doubt the rebellious youth was steaming about this cushy noble who was probably paying the guards to keep an iron fist on his investments. At least she had some restraint though compared to Maina who just scoffed and leaned back in her seat.

"Indeed. Forgive me. It's just with news of your…" He cleared his throat awkwardly when Azula just glared twin suns right at him. "And your brother's failure against that monster, there's not really a whole lot of faith in the Royal Family these days."

That and your brother wants to kick me out, Azula internally finished for him. "Look, let's cut to the chase. Is there a reason you wanted to see me?"

"Ah. A woman of action. That's what I always admired about you," Jozain complimented, trying to get on her good side. He failed. "I was…"

The head of Clan Saowon looked around nervously before leaning in. "I was sent here on behalf of Admiral Ryuui of the Fiery Raptors in regards to a plan he has about our monster problem."

"Admiral Ryuui?" Kori whispered back. "Last I checked, he was Commander of the Fiery Raptors."

"Not since he refused to recognize Zuko as Fire Lord. Said his fleet was the last remaining loyal servants of the Phoenix King on the seas."

Ah. So this "Admiral" Ryuui was the leader of one of those rebel armies that Azula had been hearing so much about. On the one hand, having an issue with her brother was something she could relate to. On the other, he certainly had a lot of nerve to call himself "admiral" without proper recognition from her father. And there was no way he could be the last naval force that swore fealty to the true Fire Nation.

"Okay. So what does this 'admiral' want with me?"

"Easy. He wants you on the throne, Princess Azula."

"...you're kidding. Right? In case you haven't noticed, my brother's got the Avatar on his side," Azula had to spell out. "And last I checked, I don't exactly have a whole lot of support."

"Actually, you do," Jozain said with a smile. "Maybe not amongst the nobles right now, but the peasantry and rebel armies? They want a strong Fire Lord who won't let her people be displaced by foreigners or slaughtered by monsters."

Now Azula just scoffed at that. "Right. And they want a 'mad princess' leading them back to glory. Listen, even if I wanted to, I can't exactly take the throne unless I win over the nobles. I'd have to do something pretty impressive to do that."

"Well, what if we knew of a way to kill Godzilla?"

A harsh laugh erupted from Azula's mouth at the ridiculousness of that. "Woah. Didn't realize you had a death wish. May I remind you that Zuko tried to do that and nearly got killed?"

"That's because he tried to kill this monster by himself. We know of another way. Godzilla has a rival."

The table went silent. "...what did you just say?" Maina asked.

Jozain shrugged something that Azula had to infuriatingly give credit for. "That's all I can say. Do you want to know more? The admiral has a mooring down on the shore. He can tell you more."

With that, the noble stood up, bowed in respect, and left. All three girls sat there in astonishment.

Another kaiju.

One that could kill Godzilla?

"Azula…I know how you feel but…remember that we need to go to Infant Island. Right?" Maina asked, a bit nervously.

The Princess, though, didn't hear Maina's advice. Her thoughts were whipped up into a storm. A path to the throne AND a possibility that they could rid themselves of Godzilla? It was something to consider. Whatever her thoughts were about the throne right now, somebody had to step up if her brother wouldn't. And if a noble was willing to risk treason, then things back home must've been worse than she feared.

She didn't want to say it, but the term "civil war" danced on her tongue. Violence was coming whether she liked it or not.

It seemed like she was going to have to choose where she was going to die after all.

"Well…that could've gone better," Sokka said not so tactfully.

For once, Aang couldn't help but agree. Following the nearly disastrous summit, Team Avatar decided that the best thing to do was just get away as far from the Mayor's house as fast as they could. In this case, that meant hanging out with Appa who was grazing on some grass on the rolling hills outside of Yu Dao. Zuko decided to tag along, needing a moment to let the news sink in.

Another one, Aang kept thinking to himself. He had met with Kuei in private to get the details. All the Earth King knew was that the monster hadn't shown any signs of aggression aside from lingering a bit too close to town, but considering what happened with Godzilla, he didn't want to take any chances.

He also apologized profusely for his being hard on the young Fire Lord. The argument he used and one Aang couldn't refute was "When he took the crown of his forefathers, he took their sins with him. Until he does something spectacular, I need to treat him as such."

After how Zuko handled Godzilla with…well landing a bunch of Fire Nation forces on Earth Kingdom shores and all the tact of his forefathers while having several Ozai's supporters on his council, Aang couldn't rush to his defense as he would've normally.

Seeing Zuko's crestfallen face as they rested beside Appa, the boy couldn't help but beat himself up. He let his friend down, and he wasn't sure how to pick him back up.

Hakoda put a reassuring hand on Aang's shoulder, having taken the opportunity to spend some much-needed time with his kids. Bato decided to take one for the team and stayed behind to wrap anything up that needed to be dealt with. "Things like this…they're going to take time," he consoled.

The Avatar wished that he could smile and say that Hakoda was right, which he was. It's just…well there was a lot to take in.

"I'm just concerned about this new monster of yours. You sure you two are up to this?" the Chieftain asked his two children.

"We'll be fine, Dad," Katara reassured, hugging her father. "Trust me. We've been able to take care of ourselves so far."

"Well I know, I just…" Hakoda sighed, seeing his children grow up right before his eyes. Katara and Sokka looked so much like Kya, it hurt a little inside seeing them go off into danger again. He'd go as well, but right now he needed to work with Arnook about getting relief down to the Southern Water Tribes.

"I just don't want to see either of you getting hurt."

"Don't worry. I'll keep Sokka out of trouble," Katara snidely said, causing her brother to cry out "HEY!"

Now, normally, this would've been followed by Toph's laughing breaking the peace. All everyone got was empty air. Instead, she was just lounging in the grass with her pale eyes looking up to the sky. Momo was right there picking out bugs from her hair and giving an occasional lick to make sure she was okay.

"You okay Toph?" Katara asked.

"Uh, yeah! I'm just…I swear I've heard 'Cranefish Town' somewhere before…" she murmured before going back to her thinking. The waterbender made a mental note to check up on her later on down the line.

"Ah! I thought I would've found you here!" a familiar voice greeted, heralding Iroh coming up the hill with a nervous chuckle. For once, nobody was willing to say hello.

Instead, Zuko took a deep breath and rose to his feet. Katara shifted a little uncomfortably, seeing the conflicting emotions boiling up inside the teen. He'd been silent ever since they'd left the meeting, and they'd known Zuko long enough to know that he didn't exactly have the best control of what he felt deep down.

Standing across from his uncle though, seeing the guilt written on the old man's face, he only had one question.

"Uncle…why didn't you tell me?"

Iroh broke their gaze. "Nephew…when I said you had more honor than most in the Fire Nation, I meant it. The problem is that…well, it's hard to be honorable and be a leader. Sometimes you do things that are difficult yet seem right, but in retrospect, they…come back to haunt you."

"With all due respect Iroh, there's a big difference between doing something difficult and lopping people's heads off while starving innocents," Sokka bluntly snipped. Aang wanted to pipe up and talk the warrior down, but his own shock at Iroh's crimes sapped the wind out of his voice. Toph put a knowing hand on the airbender's shoulder, realizing this was one fight he couldn't win.

"My son's right. A little blunt, but did you think we wouldn't figure out what you did?" Hakoda asked, leaving Iroh no room to maneuver. For once, the Dragon of the West seemed to sweat a little at having been cornered.

"I…I have no excuse. I knew what Zuko needed and he didn't need a butcher guiding him. And…I didn't want to lose another son."

"Maybe you should've thought of that before keeping me in the dark," Zuko bit, before taking another deep breath. "I get it. We did a lot of bad things, but I'd rather have learned about this in private instead of somebody dragging it out in the open."

"I know. And I'm sorry." Iroh gave an apologetic bow, yet it didn't quell the raging inferno inside Zuko's heart. Before he could snap again though, he turned and walked off a bit to blow off some steam. Appa looked a bit worriedly after the boy, yet understood that this was a lot to take in.

The bison and Momo's attention was then drawn to Aang, who got up and walked before Iroh. He took a deep breath, collecting himself. Momo silently glided over and perched on his shoulder, letting the boy know he wasn't alone in this. Giving his companion a reassuring scratch, Aang looked Iroh dead in the eye.

"Iroh. I need to know if there's anything else you've been keeping from us."

"I swear, that's the worst I did during my campaign-"

"No. I meant as Grand Lotus," Aang corrected. "I didn't know they existed before Sozin's Comet, and I can't exactly trust a group that's kept me in the dark. So I need to know: outside of Ba Sing Se, what have you done with them?"

"Not much. We were so lost without the Avatar and…I can't say it was our most admirable period," Iroh admitted in defeat, before wincing a little. He needed to tell the whole truth. "That and we were involved with selecting who was going to be put on trial. Including Azula."

The air died down. Nobody was neither surprised nor pleased. "Wait. So you're the one who wanted to try a bunch of grunts and not the officers who actually lead?" Sokka reiterated.

"You need to understand. Those on the list are prominent government members and clan heads. My nephew's position is tenuous as it is and we couldn't risk-"

"Civil war. Make everyone happy. Yadda yadda yadda. Did it ever occur to you that you couldn't make everyone happy?" Toph snapped, causing a wave of surprise to ripple throughout the group. "You can't exactly make a bunch of warmongers happy without starting the war all over again! Eventually, you need to decide who you're going to side with. A bunch of warmongers, or the people who got hurt the most by the war?"

It hurt her to say it, but it's not like she could sit by and let Iroh do something that stupid. Sometimes one needed to give a little tough love. So if it had to be her to give the harsh truth, then so be it.

"My question is why was Azula singled out? I mean she's not exactly a good person, but I can name a few people right off the bat who deserve to be put on the block more than she did," Katara asked.

"Because she's Ozai's loyal weapon! It's not my fault, she made her own choices!" Iroh fired back, grasping at this last line. "If she's allowed to walk free with her bending, who knows how many of those rogue army groups she could rally behind her! We need to set an example, and she's in the best position to be made an example of!"

"...hang on. What did you mean 'walk free with her bending'?" Aang asked. Momo fidgeted a little from his intensity. The Avatar walked right up to Iroh, who stared him straight in the eye back. "Iroh…answer me this. Would you have me remove Azula's bending?"

"...sometimes we need to do bad things for the right reasons. And since she abused her gift-"

SMACK!

His speech was interrupted when Katara smacked her hand across his cheek. Everyone just stood there in shock, both from the shock and from the sudden rage in the waterbender's eyes.

"Ozai's one thing. Azula's another," she snarled not bothering to hide her contempt. "Try removing your arms and see if you're the same person."

With that, the waterbender stomped off. No one tried to stop her. Aang least of all. He just looked at Iroh in horror. It was bad enough that he'd done it once, he didn't want to do it again if it wasn't justified.

And if the Grand Lotus thought that removing one's bending was acceptable for someone he admitted was a mere lieutenant, all for the sake of appearances.

Aang made a mental note to talk to a friend. He needed to know what the White Lotus was up to. Somehow he knew that Iroh wasn't telling the whole story.

Flagship of "Admiral" Ryuui

They had to travel a ways in order to reach Ryuui's ship. Obviously, the wanted rogue commander wouldn't want to make port anywhere near Yu Dao. Instead, he docked in an isolated cove flanked by large rocky cliffs that was only accessible via a rowboat at a nearby beach. Smart, Azula thought. Clearly this "Admiral" knew well enough to keep a low profile.

He was also smart enough to know that a noble from Yu Dao and a priestess from some far-flung island could pose a security risk. Azula vouched for both of them. They'd stuck with her so far, so she figured they deserved to stick with her for a little while longer. Though how long, she wasn't sure. Her father's voice reminded her that she would need to cut them off at some point. Less knives pointed at her back and all.

Seeing the Imperial-class battleship docked, she wondered with trepidation if that point was coming up sooner than she could've imagined.

Her attention was thankfully drawn to the side of the ship. Along the side was the painted image of a fiery bird. It was instantly recognizable as that of the Phoenix, the creature that her father had modeled himself after on that fateful day of the Comet. It brought her comfort, knowing that these men were loyal to the true leader of their nation, and trepidation from all the bad memories involved.

However, something about this Phoenix was…different. Why were its flight feathers pressed against each other instead of fully spread out in splendor? With its wings opened like that, it looked more like an albatross or seagull. Even the plumage was a bit off. Sure, the feathers were fiery, but they were restricted to the wings, the head, and the tail. The rest of its limbs were bare, almost like a dragon's.

Maina took a long look at it but didn't say anything.

When they were let on board, the soldiers bowed as she passed. Finally, some respect. Already these men had some manners. Jozain led them through the bowels of the ship before coming to the planning room. There, an older man with the armor of a commander was presiding over a stone tablet on the table.

"Greetings, Princess Azula. So good of you to meet with us," the so-called Admiral Ryuui said with a bow. His age and stylized greying hair spoke of experience. Azula did recall seeing him a few times at the war meetings she was allowed in, though always was referred to as Commander. She decided it would be in her best interests to refer to him as such.

Naturally, she decided to do the polite thing and bow. "The pleasure is all mine," Azula courteously greeted, looking back to make sure that her companions were doing the same. Once she saw that they indeed showed decorum in front of their superiors, she stood up straight. "Let's cut to the chase. Jozain over there said there was something out there that could kill Godzilla."

The naval leader promptly pushed the stone tablet in front of Azula. "Following Ozai's defeat on the day of the Comet, I went to the island of Kitamtasu on pilgrimage seeking…penance for our failure. The sages gifted me this tablet from their temple in exchange for protection from the Fire Lord. Anything on the stone seem familiar?"

Kitamatsu? Wasn't that the home of the Phoenix Cult? Azula knew that well. They were one of the religious offshoots of the mainland Fire Sage organization that were brought under the fold following Fire Lord Zoryu's reformations. In fact, they had a pretty strong influence in recognizing the Fire Lords as the rightful rulers of the earth. Their belief that the world was destined to be cleansed in fire aligned perfectly with their destiny of global domination. She also recalled her father talked a lot about the Cult in the days leading up to his coronation as Phoenix King. Didn't take a genius to put two and two together.

She also now knew that this Ryuui was indeed a zealous follower of Ozai. If he was devout enough to go on some kind of pilgrimage, then chances were they were on the same side. At least he wouldn't try anything stupid openly.

Having gotten a pretty good read on this "admiral", Azula looked down at the tablet.

Her breath nearly caught in her throat.

There, engraved in stone, was a stylized beast rising from the sea. There were the dorsal spines. The thrashing tail. And the flames erupting from his maw.

Godzilla.

The other though…that's what caught Azula's attention.

At first, she thought it was the Phoenix. It wasn't like anyone could blame her. A huge bird with flaming wings descending from the sun, the very incarnation of Agni herself? That was an image familiar to everyone. She remembered stories about the Phoenix. About how when it reached the end of its lifecycle, it burst into flames and fertilized the earth. Ensuring a bright future for them all before being reincarnated more powerful and beautiful than ever.

Well, there were the wings. The flames wreathing the bird. The outstretched claws and fires aimed right at the rising sea monster.

Except…there was something different. This Phoenix didn't have any feathers. Instead, the wings were depicted as being leathery in nature almost like a bat. The dual-crested feathers were replaced by a pair of dragon horns. She wasn't even sure if this was a bird or something else.

"This is the original Phoenix," Ryuui explained. "The one all the other images were derived from. What a lot of people don't know is, the natives gave it another name."

"Rodan."

"I…yes. Precisely."

"Forgive me, Admiral. Where I'm from, legends like these are pretty well known," Maina admitted. Knowing the priestess for long enough, Azula knew that she didn't say where she was from. Indeed, her companion didn't exactly look too fond of the commander.

"If what I heard was true, the One Born of Fire isn't to be trifled with."

"We don't have much of a choice. With this Godzilla on the loose, we need a solution. Neither the Fire Lord nor the Avatar are going to save us, so we need to think outside of the box. Now this tablet shows these two fighting. Fire of the Sky against the Fire of the Sea. Don't you see?"

"You plan on luring Godzilla to this island, waking Rodan up, and then getting the two to fight?" Azula said with a dawning realization.

Ryuui nodded. "That's the plan exactly. We'll provide support to tip the odds in Rodan's favor. He is the Phoenix after all. If we show fealty to him, we can redeem our failure during the Comet, and he will save us all."

The Princess wasn't sure of all that, but waking up one giant monster to kill another was better than any idea she had.

Looking at Jozain on the other hand, she had to ask. "Okay. We get Rodan to kill Godzilla. What do you need me for?"

"Easy. What better way to make a claim on the throne than by helping awaken the one who killed Godzilla?" Jozain explained in no uncertain terms.

…well there's an idea. Admittedly Azula felt like this was going to head in that direction inevitably, but now there was confirmation. Finally. A way to the throne! She could fix things! Keep Zuko from screwing things up even more than they already were!

And yet…the idea of going up against Godzilla once more…

She looked across the room. Ryuui and Jozain were certainly enthusiastic about the idea. Kori seemed neutral, or put on a mask of neutrality if nothing else. Maina couldn't even hide her doubts about the plan.

"I…I'm going to need some time to think about this. How about I give you my answer by this evening?" Azula admitted.

"No problem. The ship is free for you to explore if you need space to think," Ryuui offered. Right. Like she needed the authority of some wannabe leader to go where she pleased.

Still, it was good to know she wouldn't have to be escorted wherever she went. That was a step in the right direction. Azula bowed once more before leaving the room, Kori and Maina in tow. Right now, she needed to weigh the odds and…calm her thoughts.

And there was only one way to do that.

She felt the rays of the setting sun fill her veins, guiding her through her stances. Azula shifted from maneuver to maneuver, generating blue flames that danced across the deck of the ship. The guards had left her alone, leaving her some needed privacy to train and to think.

What she thought right now, what she agonized over was how sloppy she had gotten. Granted she wasn't stumbling over herself and falling flat on her face as she was before. But there still was a delay to her maneuvers. The crisp and fluid gestures were a bit sluggish. It might've been serviceable if she went up against bandits or grunts. Against her brother and the Avatar though? She wouldn't stand a chance.

You should've killed him when you had the chance, her Father's voice chastised, throwing off her focus. You could've eliminated one of your enemies, maybe even claimed the throne for yourself! And he nearly killed you when you spared him! Why did you do it?

"I don't know," Azula growled, trying to get her attention back on track. Her father's words, though, hung in the air, echoing with the sensation of fingers gripping her collar. Furiously she tried to regain her poise and flow back into her stances, but it wasn't working.

My love, give yourself a rest. Your strength will return to you in time, her mother's voice cooed, which only pricked Azula's evaporating patience.

"Don't pull that. Both you and I know you were practically rooting for Zuko to kill me."

No, I wasn't! she lied. Azula, why would I ever want to see my children trying to kill each other? And don't beat yourself up for saving him. You did the right thing.

"And I nearly died for it," Azula growled, having given up trying to train with the raging voices arguing over each other. "I've helped him how many times, and he's stabbed me in the back time and time again! I'm sorry, but I won't just let him kill me!"

Then you know what you need to do, the last three voices told her. Honestly, she couldn't tell one voice from another, or even who they were. Ty Lee? Mai? Zuzu? They seemed all the same and yet now she was hearing Iroh and Azulon in there as well. It was as if everyone she had ever known was telling her the same thing over and over again.

Ready yourself. Make your play for the throne. Kill your brother and scorch everyone in your path.

"SHUT UP!"

Azula practically roared from all the voices in her head, breathing a burst of blue fire from her mouth into the air above. Breathing in deep to compose herself, she snorted embers as the dying cinders from her breath gently landed on her face. Her fingers flexed, feeling the fury channeling through her veins.

She couldn't take it. Time and again, fate seemed to kick her down. As much as Father would've told her to control her emotions though, she couldn't help but feel rage towards…towards everything. Her family. The world. Azula couldn't deny it.

Nor could she deny the decision she had made. The only path her fracturing state had made clear.

"I know what you're going to say," she told the two pairs of eyes who had been silently staring at her poor performance.

Maina flinched a little from Azula's cold tone but didn't hesitate to step up. "Azula, you need help. This isn't healthy. Mothra can-"

"Why would Mothra want with someone like me?" the Princess snapped, cutting Maina off before she could go into another spiel. "It'll be the same thing again. I'll be told I'm horrible, that I'm a monster, and I deserve everything I had coming to me. Trust me, I've had enough of that."

"Hang on, nobody's calling you a monster-"

"But they DID cage me up like one Kori," she pointed out, not wanting to hear the whole spiel her doctors or her voices tried to tell her time and again. "Zuzu tried to kill me or send me off to die just so his butcher of an uncle could live. I've turned everyone away, I nearly suffocated in ice and got chained to a grate. That's not how a human is treated."

"Okay, that's enough!" Maina said, her own patience having run out. "First off, Mothra isn't going to condemn you or treat you like some monster. Especially since she's a kaiju herself! Second, take a good look at yourself. Do you honestly believe that going with this Ryuui will help you?"

"Maybe some time with him could do me some good. Hanging out with you two seems to have softened me far too much. I can't have that when the Fire Lord and his cronies come knocking."

"That's not the point! I'm trying to say that I care about you! I made a promise to your mothe-"

She stopped, but the damage was done. Azula just turned to her "friend" with a pale look on her face. "...what did you say?"

Maina fidgeted, realizing she had been found out. "Look. About 5 years ago, a Fire Nation noblewoman came to our island looking for shelter. She said she married into the Royal Family and…that her name was Ursa…"

Her words trailed off, but the damage was done. Azula glared daggers right into the priestess, intensifying as she stalked closer.

"My mother thought I was a monster. She took one look at everything I had accomplished, what my father taught me to be, and decided I would never be good enough. Whatever she told you was a lie. She never wanted me. All she cared about was her precious son. That's even assuming you aren't telling some lie."

"Azula-"

"Don't. I'm not going with you. In fact, I'm going to give you an out. Everyone I've known has stabbed me in the back or left me. I drove them off, but I'm going to let you leave. Free of obligation. You can go back to your island, you can go back to your colony. I can handle things by myself from now on. Got it?"

Her coldness and the steely calm in her voice were somehow more terrifying and paralyzing than any shouting she could've done. Maina and Kori didn't know what to say. Good. Azula didn't want any arguments. While it might've been somewhat pleasant to have companions by her side, it was clear they were beginning to wear out their welcome.

After all, where she was going, facing certain death…she didn't want to get them killed either.

Chapter Text

Chapter Text

Merchant Vessel

"Earth Kingdom silks?"

"Check."

"Tea?"

"Check."

"Porcelain?"

"Check. Looks like everything's here Captain," Kori stated, managing to go through everything on the checklist yet again. What was he expecting? It's not like some thief was going to pitch everything on the ship and leave smackdab in the middle of the night. She swore he was just keeping her and Maina cooped up in the stuffy cargo hold of the ironclad ship so nobody questioned why there were two teenage girls walking around as part of the crew.

The captain nodded, no doubt satisfied that he managed to keep them busy and out of sight for a few more hours. "Alright. You two stand by till I find something else for you to do." He then turned and left them behind to go bark orders to whatever poor sap happened to be strolling by.

That was most certainly fine by Kori, who took a breather and leaned on one of the crates. She swore she was going to see that cargo list in her nightmares. "This has to be the dullest 24 hours I've had to put myself through."

"Hang on, you throw yourself at Fire Nation guards and this is painful?"

"Hey, at least we were doing something productive…somewhat productive anyways," the rebel sheepishly added.

Maina wasn't exactly impressed, and gave her a blank stare while leaning on a crate across from her. "Look, chances are there's going to be some veterans or ex-soldiers on Aso! Maybe I could convince them to join our cause or spread the word around if nothing else. You know, so we don't get creamed in the demonstrations."

"I mean, fair enough I suppose. Though that can't be the only reason you're coming along, right?"

Having been cornered forced a sigh from Kori's lips. "What do you want me to say? You heard Azula. She was the one who came up with that plan to burn the Earth Kingdom and my home!"

"...and?"

"And she hasn't exactly been the most amicable person in the world-"

"And?"

"Hey! I'm just following your lead, alright? Honestly, the only reason I hadn't blown my top sooner is because you're the one who keeps giving her the benefit of the doubt! She doesn't want us around, and if she wants to go run off with a bunch of lunatics that's fine by me!"

She readjusted her quiver of arrows, feeling the weight settle down in a more comfortable spot. "Besides, what's bringing her to Infant Island going to do anyway? You heard her! Do you really think seeing a mother who didn't care about her is going to help matters?"

"First off, I made a promise in case I ever ran into either of Lady Ursa's kids. Second, she told me she loved Azula despite everything!"

"Uh-huh. She loves Azula, but do you think Azula knows it? I've been around noble kids long enough to know when one of them isn't exactly on good terms with their parents."

"I mean…fair," Maina admitted in defeat. She leaned on her staff, gripping it rather tensely.

Seeing that the priestess was not at all satisfied, Kori just crossed her arms. "Look, sometimes you need to draw a line in the sand. There's just no reasoning with some people. I mean her brother is the Fire Lord. Hardheadedness probably runs in the family."

"Says the person who's still organizing protests despite said Fire Lord withdrawing from the colonies," Maina said a little snidely.

Kori threw her arms up at this. "Look, I heard a lot of horror stories about what the Earth Kingdom does to Fire Nation folk once they get their hands on them. That and I can't imagine the Earth King is going to be too gentle if he thinks marching an army into the colonies was a good idea. There's got to be some people willing to push back if his thugs start getting bright ideas."

Her speech trailed off, letting the words die in the air between them. To take her mind off of things, she started examining the string on her bow, making sure it was in good condition. "It's just…somebody's got to do something. Yu Dao's my home, and I don't want to see any more soldiers messing things up."

"Fair. It couldn't have been easy growing up under Fire Lord Ozai."

"Oh, like you wouldn't believe. Always had to show up at parades with my father, seeing who I was supposed to be and admire. Couldn't say anything about the few you knew were pushing around your countrymen. My dad just saw the promise they brought, and ignored the people they trampled."

"Huh. Never thought I'd see a Fire Nation noble admit the war wasn't righteous," Maina commented.

"Well, I am born of two nations. No one talkd about how much you're torn between both when they're at war and you need to choose one. Especially when you grow up and things just aren't easy anymore."

Her words trailed off, remembering the fights her parents used to have all the time before they got divorced. Now that was a nightmare. Especially the tearful goodbye Kori had with her mother before she was cast out into the countryside.

"What about you? Azula's not going to want to go to Infant Island now even if we find her."

Maina just gave one of those magnetically genuine smiles. "Well everyone's got to have somebody looking out for them. Even if they can be a pain in the ass."

A chuckle erupted from Kori's lips. Satisfied, she pushed herself off the crate and began to make her rounds so they wouldn't be caught slacking off too much. She wondered if the priestess was talking about watching her back as much as she was watching the Princess's. It was refreshing to have somebody that honest. No lies or anything.

And it made her wonder why this goodwill was wasted on Azula of all people. Must've been a thing on Infant Island or something.

Aso Island

Princess Azula settled on the saddle of her Mongoose Dragon, graciously provided to her by Admiral Ryuui. The reptile was in great shape, with a few scars along her sides. Flame Runner was her name, and the Princess was told she was stalwart and dependable.

That was assuming that wasn't just another lie the "Admiral" told her. She eyed the back of his head as their group made their way through the jungle. He was riding a much less elegant Komodo Rhino, making himself appear less ornate than the Princess. His words from on the ship weren't wrong, but she couldn't get that meeting with Lord Jozain (who was riding behind them on an Ostrich Horse, no doubt a prize taken back in the Earth Kingdom) out of her head either. There were only so much goodwill that gifts like her armor and her mount could only buy him a bit of fleeting goodwill. True loyalty would not be so easily bought.

She looked around at their escort, wondering how loyal they were to him right now. They had their eyes on the jungle, looking for any threats. Not just disgruntled locals, mind you. From what the Admiral told her, there were far worse things than some rebels out here…

A flutter of feathers and a crunch drew her attention to a branch above. There sat what might've been the strangest bird she had ever seen, its toothed beak snapping and tearing apart a large insect. It had red feathers, but its tail was too long, and its clawed hands were not the talons of a bird. Even its wings weren't as large or powerful looking as you'd expect from a bird. They looked better suited to gliding than flying.

The bird looked back at Azula, cocking its head in curiosity at the newcomer.

This left it distracted as a truly massive dragonfly burst from nowhere, spearing the bird in the back and beginning to tear into its flesh.

Azula watched, not used to seeing a bird being on the receiving end of the usual predator-prey dynamic. What kind of place was this island if bugs devoured birds?

Her thoughts were turned towards more familiar matters when the forest gave way to farmland. In the distance awaited Aso Village, where the First Temple of the Firebird awaited. She could see the ornate flames from the distance, though it was nowhere near the opulence of the Great Temple back at Caldera.

Around the temple sprawled the small village, and from its outskirts the vast rice fields and terraces their escort marched through. Farmers soaked in sweat stood up and watched in awe at the procession. Most of the eyes were drawn towards her, reminding her of the position she once had. They bowed in reverence, no one batting an eye at her somewhat disheveled appearance.

Azula just looked back, not sure how genuine the sudden looks of awe and respect being directed her way truly were. From all appearances, though, either these people never heard about her downfall, or they didn't care. She wasn't sure what answer she wanted to hear.

The procession made their way through the rice fields and into the village proper. Around them were simple dwellings, but each had some motif of flame to them. Whether it was a simple wooden symbol or an engraving of a fiery bird on their door, the Phoenix's presence was everywhere.

So too were the posters. To Azula's surprise, they were propaganda posters from the war, all depicting both her AND her father leading their people under the watchful eyes of the fiery bird from the heavens. The posters with her stood out the most. There she stood on the familiar ringed walls of Ba Sing Se, clad in full armor and proudly holding the banner of her fatherland. Beneath her regal image was the following phrase in Fire Nation script.

Glory to those who do Agni's will!

May they live in our hearts for eternity!

"You really pulled out all the stops for me, didn't you? Not too many people have the guts to display my face with my brother in charge," she mused.

Admiral Ryuui shrugged. "We wanted a proper welcome for the true Fire Lord. Good thing we kept some of those posters from the war, eh?"

"The true Fire Lord." Azula settled in her saddle, the words setting something alight in her heart. Those were the last orders her father ever gave to her. To take the throne and become the Fire Lord. She was so stunned by this sudden turn of events, that she was blinded both by the weight of a country and the shock of abandonment by the Phoenix King. So much so that she failed when everyone needed her the most.

Neither did she tell anyone that she failed to take the crown again when it was lying in the ash in front of her. Maybe if she had taken the crown right then and there, and finished her brother off while she was at it, Aso wouldn't need to be dragged into this campaign against an unstoppable force.

And the people that came out in droves to meet her, cheering her name, calling her "Conqueror of Ba Sing Se"...they wouldn't have needed to worry about death. To think that she had come to save them all by awakening the one who slumbered in the distant volcano. The one they had lived with all their lives and whose adorned their buildings.

She tried not to think about how the fires surrounding the great wings of Rodan could so easily consume them once he was awakened.

The procession finally arrived in the shadows of the temple at the beating heart of Aso. Azula squinted her eyes, seeing the rays of the sun filter through the ornate flames and figures dancing along the rooftops. She recognized more than a few of the statues. Dragons. Qilin. Shishi.

Perched on every corner, with wings spread and flames spewing from its beak was the Phoenix. Or Rodan rather. She noted that they also carried the flaming feathers that the altered image carried. Certainly, they didn't resemble the strange bat-lizard bird…thing that Ryuui's tablet depicted. No doubt there were some "revisions" made to better fit what Fire Lord Sozin had envisioned the avatar of Agni to be.

Before the gates were the temple priests. They were garbed in the stuffy, overdone robes of the Fire Sages, with some additional flourishes resembling bird feathers. "Greetings, Princess Azula!" the head monk called out, giving an acknowledging bow to Azula's station. "We see that Admiral Ryuui was successful in his expedition to bring you here to our humble abode."

"The pleasure's all mine," Azula greeted politely, not exactly knowing what part of any of this te priests thought could be called 'humble'. She swung herself off of Flame Runner's back and let her armored boots hit the flagstones of the stone courtyard. Behind her, Admiral Ryuui motioned for a group of soldiers to march past with a crate.

"We've brought back your treasures, just as you've requested." The head monk smiled in gratitude, motioning for his servants to take the crate back into the temple. Azula had to admit that whatever he was in private, Ryuui certainly knew how to play to a person's preferences and disposition. No wonder he managed to get this far.

Turning around on his rhino, he looked out over the crowd that had followed them to the foot of the temple. It almost seemed like the entire village was crammed together to see the parade, and to see her in particular. Azula felt herself stiffen from all the eyes holding her in their gaze. She adopted the formal stance, swinging her arms behind her and looking regal and aloof. Letting them all know where they lay in the social order.

"My fellow countrymen!" Admiral Ryuui began. "Today is a great day for us! For Princess Azula, daughter of Phoenix King Ozai and heir to the throne has graced us all with her presence this day! At long last, a descendant of Fire Lord Sozin has come to your village in search of Rodan, the great Phoenix himself! Truly, we have been blessed by Agni herself!"

The peasants erupted in cheers. For her. Given all the indignities she had been subjected to, something even resembling admiration seemed straight out of a dream. At first, she wondered if this was some kind of hallucination, but the stones beneath her feet were real enough. The Admiral and priests were real enough. She let herself revel in it.

When the crowd died down, Ryuui stood back and beckoned the Princess to walk forward. Blinking, Azula walked forward and stared out over the crowd, seeing the stares of awe and wonder. She also looked to see the soldiers standing before the peasants, half of them looking back at her wondering what she was going to say.

A small smirk crept on her crimson lips. She already had her speech planned.

"People of Aso Village. I am honored that you would receive me as your humble guest. But I do not come here solely on pilgrimage. I am here on a mission that will determine the survival of us all. As you know, Godzilla, the 'Fire from the Depths' as you call him, has awakened and laid ruin to my brother's army. I've seen with my own eyes what this monster can do. It nearly killed not only my brother but myself and the Avatar. The very same Avatar that took down my father, the strongest firebender in the world, was almost crushed under its might.

"No mere man can stand up against this creature. Luckily, the Admiral Ryuui has introduced me to the true Phoenix. The very same bird that adorned my father's armor on the day of the Comet. According to legend, Rodan is very much Godzilla's equal, and did battle with him once in the past. If we are to have any chance of survival, any way out of this nightmare that is plaguing our Nation, I must awaken the 'Fire from the Sky' to do battle on our behalf. And only someone that has been chosen by Agni, one of royal blood, is capable of doing this. My brother is too weak-willed to do what needs to be done.

"I know that undertaking such an endeavor will not be easy for any of us. I've seen just what one kaiju is capable of. A battle between two of them has the potential to destroy us all. But this is a risk we must take. And one I will willingly face. For this is not the first time I've put my life on the line for the sake of our country. For I understand sacrifice. Something that our people have forgotten when they set the crown on my brother's head. As Rodan's priests have put it, there can be no salvation without sacrifice. And our sacrifice will be remembered for all time!"

Once more, the crowd cheered with ecstasy. Even more so than with the Admiral's speech. On some level, it both amused and disturbed her a little about how easily she was able to sway them. She wondered if Zuko said the same thing to convince his own men to die for his honor.

But the important bit was the looks on the soldiers' faces. She hit the right notes, seeing the faces of dread.

Azula let herself smirk once more at the crowd's adulations. Ryuui thought of himself as a player since he knows how to play a group of monks. She'll show him how to play a group of soldiers.

Cranefish Town

Aang stepped out of the rowboat, turning back to make sure that Toph was able to get off all right. She looked sick, though whether it was because she was on a piece of wood where she couldn't see or her little run-in with her father, he wasn't sure.

"I'm fine, Twinkle Toes!" she barked, showing that she was NOT in fact fine.

The airbender shared a knowing glance with Momo, who was sitting on his shoulder. This was basically the reason why he wanted her to come with them instead of surveying the refinery with Katara, Sokka, and Suki. Besides, Miana (or Imana, spirits he was going to have to get used to that) said that there was a temple on this island with depictions of Anguirus. That way he would know what he was dealing with.

Besides, everything about this place seemed…familiar. In fact, he thought he even knew which Avatar had visited this palace before him.

As they walked up the steps of the grassy hill towards the great statue, Aang had to ask. "Imana. Did Yangchen visit here?"

"As a matter of fact, yes," the priestess confirmed. "She was the last Avatar to have come in contact with Anguirus. They have quite the history with this place."

With that out of the way, Aang had to ask the obvious. "Are you an airbender too?! How many of you are there?! How did you survive-?!"

"Easy. One question at a time," Toph said, managing to rein him in a little.

Imana didn't really give any indication that she minded all the questions. "Yes. I am an airbender, though my skills are…pretty rudimentary. Outside of the tribe back home though, I haven't heard of any others…"

Aang swallowed, knowing that was a possibility. He guessed it was a miracle that one airbending society survived the purge.

With that, Imana told him the story of how they survived. Mainly how their deity saved them from destruction at the Fire Nation's hands. It left Aang with a little hope. Maybe…somehow…

That hope seemed to grow as they ascended the last of the steps. Aang felt his heart rate begin to soar. There, in front of the statue, was a group of men and women dressed in familiar robes. Momo cried out with surprise at the sight, causing their leader, a young girl, to turn towards them.

"Greetings Avatar Aang!" she said, bowing in respect. "I am Hei Wan, leader of the Air Acolytes!" The others joined her in a bow that resembled the Air Nomad way.

Aang just looked at Imana. "Are…are they…?"

His hopes were dashed when she looked, a bit apologetically. "I'm sorry Avatar. They…aren't descendants of Air Nomads. I know, I've talked with them myself."

Hei Wan straightened herself up. "Forgive me, Avatar. Ever since you've returned, we were inspired to take up the ways of your people. We've done everything we could to abide by your ways though! Avatar Yangchen wrote extensively on her people in the tomes stored in her temple!" she added cheerfully as if somehow that could make things a bit better.

For the last Air Nomad though, he felt himself go a bit lightheaded. He had hoped, prayed beyond hope that somehow some of his people had survived. All he found was another reminder.

He was the last Air Nomad.

"...Aang. You okay?"

"Yeah just…I'm honored to have made your acquaintance. Though your bows need a little work," Aang said to Toph. He swallowed down his disappointment a bit. It wasn't their fault that they weren't Air Nomads by blood. And these Acolytes looked like they genuinely wanted to adopt his people's ways. Even if they could use some work.

Not wanting to hover around such a touchy subject for too long, he turned his attention to the statue of the woman overlooking the bay. "Who's she?" he asked. It was a genuine question since nothing about the attire she was depicted wearing seemed to be from any of the Four Nations. They seemed pretty regal and whoever built this statue obviously held her in high regard.

The question did perk Hei Wan up. "This is a statue of Lady Tienhai. According to legend, she was once a spirit who helped set up a city not too far from here."

"A spirit?"

"Yes, though she took human form in order to live amongst us. Unfortunately…something happened. It's detailed in the temple proper. Follow us!"

Aang let Hei Wan and the acolytes lead them away from the statue. His mind wandered instantly to the refinery. A spirit used to reside here? Then this had to have been spirit territory long ago. Just like Jang Hui River as a matter of fact! Looking over Cranefish Town, he saw the ugly plumes of smoke drifting from the refinery. This was starting to sound more and more like a repeat.

They came to a grove of trees, where a small temple made of stone stood. Aang recognized it as Air Nomad masonry, though without the grandeur of the great Air Temples where he grew up. Their footsteps rang inside, the history of the place came rushing forward. Thick tree roots pushed through the stone, and small plants grew where sunlight beamed down from holes in the roof.

"How did this manage to survive for so long?" Aang wondered.

"We believe it's because it was so small that the Fire Nation overlooked it. Nobody really worshipped Lady Tienhai before Cranefish Town was erected either, so the statue was left alone," Hei Wan explained, coming to the first mural. Here, carved in stone was Lady Tienhai overlooking the construction of a city with a man by her side. A mortal human. Aang felt himself remember the Moon and Ocean Spirits, and how they took mortal forms in order to better interact with mankind. This spirit must've taken things to the next level.

"She must've loved humans," he wondered.

"Unfortunately, some humans didn't love her back," another acolyte explained. "They saw her as an aberration, never really one of us. And so, in the dead of night, they assassinated her for fear of what she was capable of."

Aang got a bad feeling as they moved on to the next mural on the opposite side, illuminated by sunlight. It showcased two massive figures standing over the ruins of a city.

"This act of violence enraged an old friend of Lady Tienhai. His name was General Old Iron, and he vowed to destroy the city and everyone who lived within it for their treachery," Hei Wan elaborated, pointing to the figure on the left. It was a gargantuan figure, clad in stony-looking armor befitting an ancient warrior, with his huge fists raised before him. He wore a scowling mask that covered his face, along with a large helmet.

"But he was not unopposed."

Imana's words drew him to the other figure on the mural. This one was far more beastial. At first he thought it was a dragon from its crocodilian maw and snarling fangs of a boar. Yet it lacked wings or the serpentine body of the ones he saw. Instead, its body was bulky, with what looked to be some kind of shell on its back lined with jagged spikes. A long tail thrashed behind it, also covered in thorny spikes. On the front, a large horn sat on its snout while a row of smaller ones sat on the crown of its head.

Aang knew at once what this thing was.

"This is Anguirus," Imana confirmed. "The Guardian Beast. Some have even called him the Dragon of the Earth. He arose from his slumber and challenged General Old Iron, hoping to buy the people enough time to evacuate."

"Wait…so we have one giant monster fighting another one?" Toph asked, suddenly now interested. Indeed, the mural depicted both figures facing one another, ready for battle.

"I wouldn't be too excited. While Anguirus was able to hold General Old Iron off, their out-of-control fighting threatened the civilians."

"Oh. I mean, yeah. I guess nobody's really safe when two really big guys go at it," the blind girl quickly added upon hearing Imana's words. Though Aang knew for a fact that Toph still would've given everything to be there to witness such a titanic battle, regardless of safety.

He understood the destruction such a conflict would've wrought. It was so easy for him to hurt people in the Avatar State alone. What would happen when two extremely powerful forces went at each other?

"There was hope, however," Hei Wan continued, going to the final mural at the back of the temple. Here was a very familiar figure with long flowing robes and a prominent arrow tattooed on her forehead.

"Yangchen."

"Indeed, Avatar. Your predecessor Yangchen arrived and succeeded in calming the warring titans down. They came to an agreement that the ruins of Tienhai's city were to be deemed the territory of the local spirits. It's said that the site of her grave still resides there to this day. According to legend, if this territory were to be disturbed by human influences, then General Old Iron would reawaken and wreak havoc once more on the countryside."

"And Anguirus would once more return to face him," Imana finished off for the acolyte. On the mural, Aang saw the one they called General Old Iron and Anguirus kneeling and bowing in reverence to Yangchen.

Aang stood spellbound, all the memories beginning to come rushing back. The refinery. Anguirus. This story about spirits. It all began to come back to him, but he needed to make sure.

He looked again upon Yangchen's visage. And he knew that he had to talk with her. "Could you guys stand outside for a second? I need a moment."

Imana and the Air Acolytes dutifully nodded and made their way out of the temple. Toph followed along with, though not before pausing. Aang understood, not even knowing that he didn't need to see the blind girl's face to know her concern. A lot had just been thrown in his face and honestly, he needed a little help trying to digest it all.

Maybe the previous Avatar of the Air Nomads could give him guidance.

Aso Island

The inside of the temple was just as grand and ornate as the outside. Okay, maybe "ornate" was a bit of a stretch since it still didn't compare to the majesty of the Great Temple back home, but it definitely was a step above what she would've expected from a bunch of island yokels.

Not that she'd say that of course. She just busied herself examining some of the tapestries and iconography around her. Over and over again, she saw Rodan's image engraved in the very foundation of this place. Emerging from a volcano in a painting. A gold statue of him overlooking the altar.

Yet it all felt fake. All images resembled the Phoenix she had grown up with, not the old tablet of what she knew had to have been the real deal. She wouldn't mind so much except everyone here seemed to revere it. Which was fair enough. The Phoenix was the embodiment of everything that a good citizen of the Fire Nation should aspire to be.

But at the planning table the monks had set up where Admiral Ryuui had a map spread out of the island? He wasn't talking about a symbol. He was talking about something that Azula knew was capable of wiping them all out. Didn't matter if it would kill Godzilla or not, it had the potential to eradicate everyone in its way. Did she really want to take a gamble that big?

Sometimes, sacrifices are necessary for the greater good, her father's voice whispered. She almost had to bite her own tongue to keep from asking whether she was one of those sacrifices.

Sighing to herself, she turned to meet with her "allies" at the impromptu war table. Ryuui was at the head of the table, obviously. By his side was Jozain overlooking the map, which was a bit interesting in itself. She never pegged him as somebody who'd be interested in the planning process. All around them were the Admiral's staff, the officers and the captains who kept the Fiery Raptors running.

Their attention was drawn to the map of Aso before them. On the area designated as the bay, somebody had put out several ship pieces surrounding a statuette of a dragon, which was supposed to be Godzilla. On the top of the volcano sat a Phoenix figure, a stand-in for Rodan.

"Alright, here's the plan," began Ryuui. "We already have several scout ships patrolling the waters between Odo Island and the shores of Yu Dao. Right now, we're waiting for a message via messenger hawk to confirm that they've made contact with Godzilla. Once we do, we're going to make our way up to the mountain where Rodan is roosting via a series of old abandoned mines while our scouts lure Godzilla to the bay. We already have a number of barrels full of explosives and black powder at the heart of the mine waiting to be detonated so the Phoenix will be awakened. Now we're going to have to time this right so we wake Rodan up just as Godzilla enters the bay, which is why we're waiting for the signal."

With a plotter rod, the admiral pushed the Phoenix towards the dragon in the bay. "Once he's awake, he's going to make a beeline for Godzilla. We'll have our ships on standby to provide any support and exploit any wounds inflicted. Princess, since you're the only one among us who's had any experience with this beast, we could use any advice you have to offer."

Azula stroked her chin, seeing the plan play out in her mind. Already she'd deduced some of the problems. "Well for starters, Godzilla's already going to be enraged. That means he's going to attack the closest thing that has a Fire Nation symbol on it. I've seen what this thing can do to ships firsthand, so we should hold our ships in reserve and only engage when Rodan has gotten his attention. And only aim for wounds when you're absolutely sure you can hit them. His hide's too thick and anyone who draws his ire is a dead man walking. So make every shot count.

"I'd also recommend luring Godzilla here." She picked up a rod before her and pushed the ships and Godzilla's figure toward the northwestern waters surrounding the island. "If you lure Godzilla too close to the village, Rodan's going to come right over us. Head sage, is it true that his wingbeats whip up winds as strong as a hurricane?"

"I…yes. Indeed," the sage said with a dawning realization. Good. He was starting to understand the magnitude of the forthcoming clash. Hopefully, some of the others around the table would begin to see what the Princess saw.

"If we lure Godzilla here in the northwest," Azula continued, "we can minimize the risk to the village. I'd also recommend setting up some shelters away from the village, because if things go south and Rodan loses, we can weather Godzilla's rampage and safeguard ourselves."

"That's a lot of concern for civilian life. Shouldn't we focus more on killing Godzilla?" one of the officers asked.

"Aso is going to be where we make our stand if Rodan loses and Godzilla's still strong enough to put up a fight. You can't face Godzilla head-to-head like my brother. It's best to keep your head down and wait till he leaves. Everyone knows you need a plan in case things go south," Azula explained, wondering if she was the only one who had bothered to envision what a worst-case scenario would be like. "Besides, I'd rather we end this thing with some troops rather than no troops at all."

"Good point, Princess Azula. If we're to recapture the throne, we're going to need as many men as we can spare." Azula blinked about Lord Jozain agreeing with her, but if she could get him on her side for now, then she could cover her backside on that front.

Ryuui, on the other hand, didn't seem so convinced. "Forgive me Princess, but we need to commit our forces if we have a chance. As you said, we need to be in range at all times to take advantage of any injuries. While I do respect your concern for the civilians, the best chance for them is if we take Godzilla down as fast as possible with all the fury we can muster."

His officers nodded in agreement. Azula didn't back down though. She just stared him right in the eye. "My brother said the same thing, and he nearly died. I don't know about you, but if we want to actually accomplish something, we need to be smart about this. When Zuko catches wind of what we're doing, he's going to come after us. And trust me, I know full well what his 'mercy' is like. This isn't just about one battle. It's about the one after that. Believe me, I know this is our best chance at taking Godzilla down. And everything we're gambling on is going to rely on our success here.

"But Godzilla isn't something you can just throw fire at. Admiral…don't make the same mistake my uncle and father did."

She looked straight at Ryuui, daring him to challenge her on this. That was her trump card. Azula dared him to learn from the mistakes of others and throw away everything that they were all taught back at the Academy about how to win a campaign. Was he daring enough to throw out the rulebook and risk everything for what could be his finest hour?

The admiral looked back…and sighed. "Very well. Your counsel is noted, Princess Azula. I'll see what I can do about sparing some men to put a few shelters up."

Azula smirked. She couldn't tell what the others were thinking, but she'd gotten both of her chief rivals to see her way. It almost made her want to gloat about how she was back after all this time.

However, she also remembered a key rule from Uncle as well. Never celebrate too early lest you squander it all. And seeing the unreadable faces of the officers around her, she was going to need to stay on top of things to get out ahead. Their underlings may have been easy, but could she influence his most fervent supporters?

That was a question she'd have to answer when the time came.

Temple of Yangchen

Time almost seemed to stop, and the world came to a halt as Aang sat in a meditative pose calling to the past.

The past responded. When he opened his eyes, he saw the humble yet elegant form of an Air Nomad sitting across from him, her body glowing a blue light.

"Avatar Yangchen. It's an honor to speak with you again," Aang greeted.

"The pleasure's all mine. And you can let go of the formalities Aang. I mean it's not like we haven't spoken with each other before," Yangchen said with a smile.

Aang felt his anxiety blow away from the breezy aura his predecessor possessed. "Thanks. I swear, I don't know how you managed to do the 'keep the delicate balance of the world' thing without going insane."

"It gets easier. Just make sure you leave some time to yourself. Besides, between you and me…I think some people could use a little bit of time to goof off every now and then." Both airbenders shared a small laugh, the pressures of the world a distant tempest here in this humble place.

"Though I'm guessing you haven't just come here to chat with an old Avatar, have you?"

With that, the brief respite was over. Aang took a deep breath. "It's just a lot has happened in the past few days. First another kaiju appears, then I find out that these…acolytes are trying to adopt our way of life. Then it turns out there's another spirit I have to worry about. In between all that, I found out there are other airbenders that managed to survive!"

"Yes. I could imagine that's a lot to take in."

"I was just…I was hopeful. You know? That some Air Nomads could've survived. But these acolytes, these other airbenders…they're not Nomads. I mean, I understand wanting to adopt our ways, but they didn't grow up with our ideals. And this tribe…"

"You got your hopes up. Just try not to be too hard on them. They're not Nomads, but that doesn't mean they can learn to be like us. What they need is guidance. And if you can teach a whole class of Fire Nation children to have fun, I think you can teach these acolytes. They're willing to learn, they just need a teacher."

"I know. I just hope I'm up to it," Aang admitted.

Yanghcen just placed a hand on his shoulder. "You will. Trust me. And I'll be here if you need any help."

"Thank you. Now then." Aang took a deep breath and felt the fresh air fill his lungs. "I need to know about what I'm walking into."

"Very well."

Images flashed before Aang, shifting the scenery. The temple had crumbled away to a burning city. Above them, two great figures battled amidst the flames. Their blows sounded like crumbling mountains, and their cries of rage were a storm.

"When I arrived in Tienhaishi, the city was in ruins. The screams of the innocent rang in the air, only drowned out by the roars of the titans. General Old Iron had come to wreak his vengeance, and Anguirus rose to meet him. Both threatened to ravage the land and the survivors."

Aang watched as Anguirus's tail lashed out, smashing through buildings and tearing up forests. General Old Iron met in kind, his great feet destroying the landscape and trampling all who got in his way. The spirit's destruction made sense; the Avatar knew just how monstrous spirits could be when they were enraged.

It was Anguirus's actions that shocked him most. "Hang on. Wasn't Anguirus trying to save the city's people?"

"He was, but Anguirus is also a being of great destruction. His very size threatens anyone who comes too close. Battles like these ravage the countryside, and it takes more than a kaiju to bring peace."

A familiar light appeared, and Aang bore witness to Yangchen floating between the two in the Avatar State. Both stared at her, neither one making a move.

"Together though, Anguirus and I were able to quell General Old Iron's wrath. He wore him down. I calmed his spirit. I told him that the ruins could remain in the domain of the spirits, for it was their land first and they should have a say in who lives there."

A wind shifted the scene, showing the armored spirit marching his way back into the territory of the spirits. Anguirus returned to the jungle, leaving Yangchen to watch as both of them returned to their rest.

"And so the conflict ended. As long as the boundaries of the spirits are respected, General Old Iron would return to his vigil. Anguirus would be the first to warn the people if something was done to disrespect the spirits. And I, or one of my future lives, would return to maintain the peace."

Around them, the temple was built up once more. "That is your duty, Aang," Yangchen advised. "Quell the coming chaos and restore the delicate balance between man, spirit, and beast. Only then will peace once again reign."

Aang nodded, feeling the present catch back up to him and Yangchen's visage faded back into the mural. When he opened his eyes and came out of his meditative state, he knew what must be done.

And he needed to talk to everyone about how insane his plan was.

Cranefish Town,

Earthen Fire Refinery

To say that Katara was initially unimpressed with Loban was the equivalent of saying water was wet. One knew it was an old proverb, but the result was so obvious, how could anyone expect differently? This was, after all, a guy who thought installing a refinery was a good thing for the populace.

Their tour of the refinery didn't exactly do a whole lot to calm her nerves. All around her, she could see various safety hazards and signs that screamed: "I'M POISONING THE ENVIRONMENT". Even if it was closed down thanks to the kaiju, she could still see improper ventilation there. Creaky catwalks and rusting steel frames there. And the mines where they harvested the raw material for the refinery looked like they were about to collapse with a single shift.

It depressed her to know what shoddy infrastructure looked like given that she practically became a master waterbender by tearing such shoddy edifices down. It stung even more to think that this was the best the people who nearly conquered the world could do. Well, nobody said that the Fire Nation was the best at keeping their people safe.

She wanted to talk with Suki about how in the world somebody like Lao Beifong could get roped into such a project, but the Kyoshi Warrior was busy talking with Sokka filling him in on the situation. Apparently right before the war ended, the patriarch of the Beifong family had indeed made an investment in the refinery in an attempt to curry favor with their newfound rulers. No wonder Toph was upset.

Especially since said patriarch was now strutting around with Loban up ahead, who was giving them a charming tour of the rickety mines. Like they were something to be shown off. "It's these mines which funnel wealth and opportunity to the people of Cranefish," he went on. "Every man who carries a pickaxe or carves out a tunnel with his earthbending comes out a richer man."

"It's impressive how much work you've put into this place," Katara breezily said. She didn't mean that, but honestly, it was taking all of her effort not to just storm. "I bet your workers must really look up to you."

"You'd think that, wouldn't you?" Loban erupted in laughter at his little jest. "But, everyone's a bit too concerned with that monster of yours to come back to work. I understand that you want to stay away from danger, but we have quotas to fill, and we're certainly not keeping what breathes life into this town flowing."

Before her patience ran out, Sokka thankfully ran in front of her and walked alongside Loban. "Actually, we were wondering about that. If this kaiju's been lurking around the refinery, maybe there's something it's doing that's causing it to get upset. Like, maybe a leaky pipeline or something."

"I've already had an inspection team look over the facility," Lao chipped in. "It follows all up-to-date safety standards and shouldn't pose an immediate threat to the surrounding areas. We wouldn't have people living here if we were spewing toxic waste into the bay, now would we?"

Katara had to hang back lest she explode from all this posturing. What did they know about health standards and caring about people? She saw what Cranefish was like. The people weren't living in filth but they weren't exactly the healthiest either. Some of them were far too pallid to be considered anything near healthy. And here they were talking about how they were above the bar.

Her frustration didn't go unnoticed. Sokka looked back at her with concern, but Suki waved him off to keep the two owners talking about what other "successes" they had under their belts. "You okay, Katara?" the Kyoshi Warrior asked.

"...no. I'm not."

"Look, I know it seems bad but-"

"Bad? Suki, I look around and I'm just seeing that factory all over again. How can they stand there and justify putting their own people through this nightmare? And we're supposed to be defending them?"

Her outburst left her feeling drained, and she slumped against the wall of the mine. "I don't get it. We used to blow up places like this during the war. Now we're taking tours through them like it's just another day."

Suki looked at her, watching as she took a few deep breaths to calm herself down. "I'm sorry. I just-"

"No. I get it," the warrior interrupted. "It's all happening so fast, and now we're just trying to catch up. To be perfectly honest, I came out here with the rest of the Kyoshi Warriors 'cause fighting Fire Nation and protecting people is what we know how to do best."

"Really?" Katara asked. She knew that Suki had been chasing after rogue army groups, but she didn't think this was the reason why.

The young leader just nodded her head. "Yeah. We're not really good with peace talks or whatever. So we do what we do best. And trust me, I got a little stir-crazy too having to work with Loban. But he's not as bad as he looks. I'd almost wager that Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation citizens are a bit more equal here in some places like Yu Dao."

Katara blinked. She did have to admit she hadn't noticed a real difference in terms of wealth between the two peoples here. Granted, neither really seemed to have much to begin with, but it was a stark difference when compared to Yu Dao.

"I've done everything I could to alleviate some of the issues the people have here." The voice of Loban interrupted their little conversation, who with Sokka and Lao Beifong had wheeled around to check up on them. His demeanor though was…different. His suddenly somber tone caught Katara off guard.

Loban sighed. "I know my refinery isn't the safest place to work. But the Fire Nation's standards during the war were low. Particularly if one were to work with earthbenders like I did. And they were already looking for reasons to get me out so somebody else could come in and exploit the workers in the name of better results'."

Katara almost expected him to spit on the ground just to get the word out of his mouth. Not that she blamed him. She knew what the Fire Nation considered to be 'better results'.

The owner continued. "Quite frankly, a lot of us didn't have much, and bought into the promises of a better life. It took us some time to realize that we weren't any richer than we were back home. I tried to make things work as best I could. Even if that meant supporting the war machine. If we stopped producing...well, none of us wanted to stop to find out."

A shiver ran down Katara's spine. She knew well what happened to earthbenders who were captured in Fire Nation lands.

"I understand if you don't forgive me for what I've done. I can't forgive myself. But please understand, I am trying to make things better. I just…I don't know how anymore," Loban completed with a forlorn look on his face.

Seeing that his partner was done, Lao stepped forward. "It's why I joined up with him. He had some sympathy for us, which is more than what I can say for some other Fire Nation nobles. Now if my daughter could understand…"

Both Water Tribe siblings exchanged a glance. Before either could say a thing, Suki stepped forward. "She's one of the bravest people I've ever met. And honestly, you should be proud of her."

"Proud?" Lao started. "This war turned her into a rebel is what it did. She used to be so sweet. Now, I don't even know her anymore. Do you know what that's like?!"

"Or maybe you never really got to know her in the first place," Katara said coldly. "And you know what? Despite everything, she still cares about you. Tell me, who sounds like the weaker one here?"

Lao just glared before turning away to continue on down the mines. "We should probably continue this at another time then," Loban stated, reading the room like an open book.

All three teens just stared at Lao, silently agreeing that maybe it was best to leave the tour aside. They had found what they were looking for. And a lot more.

Twinkle Toes had been silent ever since they returned from the island.

It wasn't like he had nothing to say. Toph could sense through her earthbending that his heart was racing and his steps were slow and methodical. Not exactly the happy-go-lucky goofball she knew him to be.

They were making their way through the streets of Cranefish. The sheer amount of footsteps and chatter told her that. She thought she heard some Fire Nation dialect intermixed with Earth Kingdom here and there, but it didn't really matter to her all that much. Not like she could actually see anyone. They were all just footsteps, voices, and heartbeats to her.

The two of them stopped by what she sensed to be a quiet corner. A woosh of wings and the chittering of Momo told her that he had perched himself on the roof. No doubt going to preen himself or something.

As for Toph, she flicked a pebble at the wall of a house with her foot. "I know what you're going to say. That I need to get along with my dad-"

"No. I get it."

She stopped in her tracks when she felt his hand pat her shoulder. "I…thanks Aang."

"No problem!" said the chipper voice. "It's just, I get the history between you two. And you're not alone in having a few unpleasant surprises being thrust on you."

"Right. The Air Acolytes."

"Yeah. I mean, I do understand what they're trying to do and I DO appreciate that some people want to adopt my culture."

"It's just you think they're treating it like a toy. Just like that Mechanist guy at the temple. Right?"

"Basically." Aang had told her all about what had happened at one of the temples of the Air Nomads. Now, she wasn't the spiritual type, and she wouldn't say she knew what it was like to have your home ravaged. That being said, she did understand what it was like to have someone disrespect who you were and where you came from.

"I don't think these people are like that, Twinkle Toes. Doesn't mean you're not wrong, but try not to be angry with them," she reassured.

A sigh was heard. "I know. I know. Heck, you've got more of a reason to be mad at your dad right now."

Toph snorted. "Ain't that the truth? It's like you barely know the guy. You think he can't stoop any lower, but then he does."

"Guess we BOTH have a lot on our plates right now."

"To be fair, what you're suggesting is probably the stupidest thing I've ever heard in my life."

She heard him slump against the wall of the house. "Well, somebody's got to go out there and find him. The problem is trying to convince everyone that talking to a giant spiky dragon is a good idea."

Toph couldn't argue against him with that. The blind earthbender just joined him leaning against the wall. Odd. Somehow even that idea didn't sound so bad as facing her father again. Then again, if somebody could face down the Fire Lord, armies, and a kaiju, then who's to say she couldn't face her own problems in the same way?

After all, she couldn't let the Avatar have the most guts on the team, now could she?

Aso Island

Breathe in. Breathe out.

Azula sat seated on the soft floor of the bedroom that was graciously lent to her in the mayor's house. Certainly a step up from sleeping on a creaking boat, that's for sure. It felt good knowing that she finally had a bed that wouldn't rock with the tides.

Or a bed at all.

Honestly, she should've felt content. Finally, after all this time, after being pushed around and treated like some kind of rabid animal, finally she had some respect. She had a foolproof plan in place that would guarantee that she didn't have to watch her back in the immediate future. And she was doing what she was born to do: serve her country.

Then…why couldn't she meditate in peace?

She breathed in and out, feeling the flame at her heart wax and wane. Yet still a question kept being asked to her over and over. One that she simply didn't have an answer for.

Is this what you truly want?

Azula sighed in defeat at her mother's voice. Looking up, she saw the tall and regal figure of Fire Lady Ursa standing before her. Only it wasn't her. The Princess knew that her real mother wouldn't have that look of pity in her eyes.

"I know what I'm doing. I'm not an idiot, Mother," she almost barked out, though she kept it to a low hiss so nobody would hear her and call her mad.

My love, I understand. But you know none of these men truly want to help you. Why else are you still wearing your armor this late? And are you really going to throw yourself into danger just to prove yourself?

"I'm not Zuzu, Mother. Of course I know what I'm getting into." If Father's spectre were here, he would've smiled with pride. For now though, he remained absent.

Her mother's eyes narrowed. Azula, I don't think you do. You know what just one of these things are capable of. It's what you've been telling everyone. Why don't you take your own advice and not go through with this?

"Oh, now you're concerned?" Azula snapped. "Last I checked, you just stood by and watched me lose my own mind! Why on earth should I listen to you when you just left me to rot?"

I couldn't do anything then. I…wasn't strong enough. And I'm sorry. But for once in your life, LISTEN to me. Don't throw your life away because of some duty. Nothing is worth that!

The flame within flared up, causing Azula to get up on her feet and return the iron gaze Ursa was giving her right now. "You were never there for me. Ever. You thought I was nothing but a monster, and you only had room in your heart for one child. The easy one. Well, guess what? If I'm going to die, I want you to watch, knowing that at the end of the day, you're just a spineless coward who wouldn't lift a finger to help either of her children when they needed you. That way when Zuzu bawls his eyes out at my death, you won't be there to comfort him. Because deep down, you'll know what a complete failure you've been."

That should've been enough to shut her up, to make her go away for good. Instead, Ursa just placed a hand on her cheek. No matter what happens, I just want you to know that I love you Azula. I always have and always will. And you have a lot more to offer this world than just your life.

Azula felt a tear roll down her cheek despite her best effort, overcome the desperate desire for that hand to be real. "I know. I just don't know how."

The strength in her legs failed her as she imagined her mother embracing her in a hug that would never come.

For the tears wouldn't stop…and neither would the other voices in her head saying the same thing over and over again.

At first they started out as "Glory to the Phoenix King and he who sits on the throne," in the voices of Ty Lee, Mai, and the voices she could identify as human.

Until they started degenerating into inhuman growls, with a chant that reeked of absolute hatred.

"Death to Godzilla. Death to Godzilla."

The Jungles Outside of Cranefish Town

They were huddled around a campfire as the sun fell, weapons at their sides and rhinos tied up on the trees surrounding them. The smell of cooked meat permeated through the air, making some of those assigned to keep watch turn their heads eagerly.

Colonel Mongke just shot them a glare as he distributed dinner to his officers, not really in the mood to get into yet another argument about food rations.

It was pitiful. Once the Rough Rhinos were feared warriors. Freelancers whose ties with the Fire Lords of old were well respected. The very name used to strike fear in the hearts of the Earth Kingdom. And their pockets were full of loot and plunder.

Now all they had left were a few coins. Ever since that boy Zuko took the throne, they were on the run. All attempts to hire themselves out for mercenary work fell short. Turns out that once you've burned down a number of villages, people see you as a bunch of murderous thugs. Right now, all they were focused on was trying to stay ahead of the Kyoshi Warriors for a few more days.

Well, they wouldn't be on the run for much longer. Already they could hear the snorting of a Komodo Rhino charging its way through the brush. The face paint of its rider marked him out as Vachir, their former Yuyan archer. "Report", Mongke barked out.

"Bad news, Colonel. I spotted the Avatar's Bison just outside of town." A wave of apprehension and frustration infected the group. Cranefish Town. One of the Fire Nation's key refineries during the war, it was said to be unguarded following the downsizing of the army. It would've been ripe for them to march on it, demand protection money, and set up shop there for the foreseeable future.

With the Avatar in town though, they had a big problem. They had run into him before, and they didn't want a repeat of Chin Village.

One of their newest members, Utor just threw up his hands and said, "Well, there goes that plan. Want me to get the rhinos ready so we can beat it?"

"Woah woah woah. Nobody said we're leaving just yet," Ogodei, one of Mongke's oldest members. "And besides, did you forget about that giant thing in the jungle you idiot?! I don't want to become monster food! Colonel's orders. We're staying put and waiting for that thing to go back to sleep."

"We can't just stay here either!" somebody pointed out. "The Avatar's gonna find us in no time and we can't outrun a bison!"

Mongke grimaced as he stood up, bringing the arguing in the camp to a crawl. "If we move now, they're certain to spot us. The best we can do now is hunker down and wait for this to blow over. I don't like it either, but we're trapped between a rock and a hard place."

"And what if someone were to tell you there was a way out of this predicament."

Everyone got up and drew their weapons while Mongke brought fire to his fist at the stranger who had just stepped out of the bushes. He gave a nasty glare to the lookout guards for managing to miss an intruder, but they just gave him a pathetic shrug. The Colonel made a mental note to give them a dressing down for managing to miss a cloaked figure when they had the most obvious routes of approach covered.

As for the cloaked figure, there was something…odd about him. He had pale skin, but it seemed a bit too pale even for Fire Nation. Especially not with those deep blue eyes of his. A hood obscured the rest of his features, but those blue eyes just stared at him.

"Okay, who are you and what exactly do you want with us?" He motioned for Ogodei and Kahchi to come behind him, readying their weapons for the slightest hint of treachery.

If the stranger gave any indication of being threatened, he certainly hid it well. "I am willing to offer you a chance to get your people to safety, Colonel Mongke. One that not only will deal with the Avatar, but also your little problem with the Guardian Beast."

Mongke stared at him, not sure of his angle. "Fine. Speak, but if you so much as suggest turning ourselves in-"

"That will not be necessary," the stranger assured. "Long story short, there is a grave at the heart of this jungle. It lies within an ancient city and is considered sacred territory by the spirits. If someone were to disturb this site, that would unleash its guardian upon the people of Cranefish Town and he would do battle with the Beast. Which, in turn, would open for you a way to escape."

The Rough Rhinos looked at each other, not sure whether or not to believe his words. They were willing to do a lot of things, but angering a spirit? Admiral Zhao did that, and look where it got him.

"And what's in it for you? Why help us out?" Mongke asked.

Those blue eyes just stared at him from beneath the hood. "We have a common enemy, Colonel. And I want to see him dead. Nothing more. Besides, you face death or imprisonment either way. What more do you have left to lose?"

Cautiously, Mongke motioned for his men to lower their weapons, but keep them to hand. He didn't like the aura around this guy, but neither did he have any ideas for a way out of their problem.

"Alright. What did you have in mind?"

Chapter Text

Yu Dao

Zuko watched as the soldiers paraded off the naval ship he requisitioned as the sun set in the west. The display was certainly impressive, but compared to the amount of troops they needed to replace those that were lost, it was a paltry force

Following the disastrous attack on Godzilla, the army camp was left practically vacant. The surviving troops were redeployed to the garrison who could handle the few troops they had. Hopefully, these new arrivals could bolster their forces and make the camp actually inhabited for once.

Not that he hadn’t been to the camp lately. All he saw were the vacant tents and smoldering campfires. It didn’t feel right for him to appear unscathed when he had sent so many to his deaths.

“It’s all we could afford to spare, Fire Lord. Until we get those rogue naval groups under control…”

“I understand. You did well,” he told the ship’s captain. Another headache. First, there were the few holdouts who didn’t get the message that the war was over, then the Earth King marched on the colonies. And then a giant monster showed up in the middle of all this turmoil. Could this get any worse?

“Hey, I wouldn't call ‘going through drills every day for raids’ grounds for a job well done. You figured we were going into battle or something.”

A rare smile crept on his face when he saw the most important passenger make her thoughts well known. She glided along the road, her milky white face an impassive mask with her hands in her sleeves. No doubt she was counting the number of knives she had up her wrists.

Zuko chuckled. “Sorry, Mai. At least you weren’t cooped up with them for 3 years.”

Mai didn’t look impressed at his attempt at a joke. Instead, she cut straight to the point as usual. “You. In private. Now.”

SLAP!

A sharp pain hit Zuko’s good side from Mai’s slap. He didn’t say anything though. All he said was, “Yeah. I deserved that.”

“You bet you did,” Mai snarled. “Do you have any idea what I’ve been through these past few days? I kept hearing that the Fire Lord died from my father. Then I found out you were stupid enough to take on a giant monster. I mean, you were there when La killed Zhao. Right?”

“In my defense, I didn’t think it would be anything like La,” Zuko retorted, though he didn’t have the stomach to raise his voice at his fiancee. 

Not that it made any difference as her usually passive face got even angrier. “Okay, let me rephrase the question: did you honestly believe that fighting something that the Avatar was concerned enough about to tell you to stay away from was a good idea?”

He felt something ignite, though he did what he could to keep it under control. “I’ve been sending too many letters to too many families! I know I screwed up! What do you want from me?!”

“Maybe stop risking your life so you don’t scare your girlfriend to death for once.”

…the Fire Lord felt his rage simmer down to guilt. He couldn’t look Mai in the eye, so he glanced around the room that the mayor had given him for his stay. It was certainly opulent, filled with iconography of the Fire Nation along with trophies of war from the Earth Kingdom. Though it couldn’t hide the desk where so many letters sat ready to be sent, and those he still needed to pen.

“I’m sorry Mai. I just-”

“It’s okay. I’m…I’m sorry for slapping you. What I need to know is what exactly was going through your head that day before it all went down?”

Zuko took a deep breath, knowing that this was something he needed to do. “I listened to what Iroh and my advisors suggested. I had to. Like, what else was I supposed to do given the circumstances? I had to prove myself.”

“Prove yourself to who?”

“To my Uncle? To the Fire Nation? Mai, we’re facing civil war. If you can’t accept that-”

“You’re doing it again.”

“Doing what?”

“Making your problem everyone else’s problem.” With that, the fire was taken out of his words. Zuko wondered how it was that Mai was able to cut through the roaring inferno as efficiently as she wielded her cold steel knives.

“Well, I wasn’t…was I?”

“Yeah, you were,” Mai just flatly laid out. “I know you want to keep the Fire Nation together. Don’t get me wrong. I also know that you’re kind of bad when it comes to handling your own problems. So I’m going to ask again: who were you trying to prove yourself to?”

A sigh was forced out from him. “...Azula. Alright?”

She raised an eyebrow upon hearing her former friend’s name. “She was there. Wasn’t she?”

“Yeah. She was.” Zuko explained what Azula had been up to, at least as far as he knew. How she survived. How she escaped custody on Odo Island. How she appeared in Yu Dao, and what she did during the battle against Godzilla.

Mai listened impassively, her face unreadable. The Fire Lord knew better than anyone about his girlfriend’s testy relationship with his sister. He only heard about what happened at the Boiling Rock from guards and the prison’s warden. Personally, he beat himself up for leaving her behind, but he kept telling himself there wasn’t anything he could do. Luck was the only thing that saved Mai from Azula’s wrath.

The only thing he didn’t say was what he did that day. To do so would be to admit that he had come dangerously close to becoming exactly like his father. That couldn’t be true! It was a lapse in judgment! He lost his temper! If only he could apologize, and explain why he did it to her. Then maybe, just maybe things could be only so much easier if she just listened-

“Zuko, I’m going to say this cause I love you: you need to stop trying to outdo your sister.”

The words coming from her mouth seemed like another slap to the face, leaving him dumbfounded. All he could ask was, “What?”

Mai let out an exasperated sigh, massaging her temples. “You did the same thing during Sozin’s Comet. You followed your ego and got a scar for it. I don’t think it's a coincidence that right after Azula escaped, you decided to try and do something she never could. Remember how you tried to hold your swordsmanship over her head?”

“I do.” It wasn’t one of his most pleasant memories. He had spent countless hours mastering the art of dual swordsmanship to best Azula in one area. He was so proud when he had successfully demonstrated a complex display that even she hadn’t been able to manage. 

But instead of being impressed, she just shot an arrow right above his head with a bow, saying that fancy displays and posturing didn’t amount to much on the battlefield. At least know what your opponent is capable of before making a fool of yourself.

“It’s the same thing. You get a confidence boost. You try to humiliate Azula. It blows up in your face. And I have to stand here saying for the umpteenth time to stop wasting your time on her. When exactly did this rivalry of yours do you any good?”

“It prevented her from becoming Fire Lord,” Zuko retorted.

“No, it almost got you killed and left Katara to prevent her from becoming Fire Lord.”

“Well maybe if she wasn’t so difficult, I wouldn’t even have to put her in her place!”

“Right. And I’m guessing she somehow woke this Godzilla up from inside a prison ship and sicced him on you. Really showed her there.”

Zuko’s fire fizzled out. He hated to admit it, but Azula hadn’t really done a whole lot this time around. Outside of resisting arrest of course. Still, he had one ace up his sleeve. “Did you forget the part where she tried to take the crown?!”

“I remember the part where she saved your ass,” Mai shot back. “Look, I’m not Azula’s biggest fan, but even I know that she doesn’t hate you enough to want to see you die in a fire.”

“She’s my sister, Mai. I know her.”

“And I was her former friend who kept in close contact with her. I know her better.”

Both teens just glared at each other, before they let out a collective sigh. Honestly, both weren’t in the mood for a drawn-out argument. Especially since they were trying to actually get back together. It wasn’t a secret that Zuko and Mai’s arranged marriage was being threatened by their own personal hurdles. Didn’t stop them from trying to rekindle what they had though.

“Did you at least talk to Uncle Iroh about this?” Mai asked, wanting to maneuver this discussion into a more productive direction. Zuko knew this. And ordinarily, he would’ve given one of Iroh’s nuggets of wisdom.

Tonight though was different. “We’re…not on speaking terms right now.”

Mai’s eyes widened. For the first time, her voice went soft. “What happened? Is he okay?”

“Yeah. He’s fine. It’s just…I found out some things he did during the Siege.”

The Fire Lord took a breath. It was going to be a challenge to find the words to tell Mai about the latest skeletons he’d found in Iroh’s closet.

Aso Island

Azula found the graves right outside of the village in the shadow of the temple. 

They were simple. Seven names were carved into seven headstones, with the remnants of incense burnings and offerings smoldering before them. Pieces of armour and weapons were placed before them in respect. One of them had the skulled mask of a firebender.

Behind it was the name Goro.

Her eyes darted between the headstones and the temple where the Admiral was reviewing his plans. She never recalled him mentioning anyone dying on the island. Indeed, she initially believed that these statues were tributes to men that died during the war.

The characters on the headstones told her otherwise.

Fallen in the line of duty on Aso Island

She was so wrapped up looking at these graves that she didn’t hear or see the man coming up behind her. “They didn’t say a whole lot. Just brought the bodies into town.”

Now the Princess of the Fire Nation never forgot a voice. It was a critical tool she learned amidst the cutthroat court of Fire Lord Ozai. So she was surprised because the last time that voice graced her ears was back on Odo Island.

“Lieutenant Kazuma? What are you doing here?”

The teen shrugged, his familiar face looking all the more out of place all the way out here. “Commander Ryuui came to Odo Island shortly after you left, looking for people to join the Fiery Raptors and for any information on Aso. Well, this is my home, so I figured I’d step up.”

His words caused her to cock her head. She hadn’t known him for long, but she never pegged him as one to get caught up with potential traitors.

Kazuma almost seemed to read her mind. “I…wasn’t sure if I could fight for a Fire Lord that got so many of us killed.”

Right. Zuko’s attack on Godzilla. While she knew his little stunt that day would have huge repercussions amongst the entirety of his people, she didn’t think somebody she knew would ever consider turning his back on him. Let alone a grunt.

Just another reminder of how tenuous his position was. And that she could exploit it to her advantage if she wanted to.

If she wanted to . Ozai’s last order was to defend their homeland. One of the greatest honors that a scion of the royal family could be asked to do. It was something she trained for during her time in the academy. And finally, she had a chance to live up to that promise.

Yet here she was, wondering if this was something she wanted. Behind her was the temple, the resplendent phoenix on the corners of the roof. Rising amidst the flames that would’ve redeemed any and all failures.

Before her though, were simple graves of men having died deaths that didn’t warrant even a mention in the eyes of Admiral Ryuui.

And she had to know. “You know anything about what killed them?”

Kazuma shrugged his shoulders. “I can’t tell you. Nobody knows for sure. All I can say is that they came into town under bloody sheets. They were sent to scout out the old tunnels leading into the mountain. The guys who came to retrieve them when they failed to report in…they just said they found cut up pieces.”

Azula blinked, feeling the volcano’s presence loom in the distance. “Rodan?” she asked.

“No. Otherwise, that volcano would’ve erupted already. There’s something else up there. Something vicious.”

His words gave Azula pause. What was so horrific that could rip Fire Nation soldiers, people who devoted their lives in honing themselves to serve their glorious cause, to pieces? As brutal as the Avatar could’ve been, as destructive as Godzilla was, their destructive potential and power were enough to kill people without effort.

These men, on the other hand were butchered, not pulverized. Including a firebender not unlike her. Maybe they had been a bit inexperienced, but the thought of it still caused a shiver to run up her spine. And it made her wonder: what exactly was she dealing with?

Cranefish Town,

Loban’s Office

“You want to do WHAT now?”

Aang let Loban’s shock wash over him. He simply back, refusing to move in the face of the man’s outrage. “I want to find Anguirus and try to speak with him. Yangchen said that he’s not as vicious as he seems, and I want to see if he can be reasoned with. Maybe I can figure out what’s going on.”

“Indeed. While he might be brutal, Anguirus does mean well. That’s what the scrolls that Yangchen wrote down told us at least,” Hei Wan added.

Loban just looked at her in disbelief. “And what exactly makes you an expert? You never saw it! And you just picked up these ‘teachings’ of yours only a few months ago!”

“She’s here on my permission,” the Avatar calmly said, letting the steel creep in his voice. Granted, he wasn’t sure himself if Hei Wan knew what she was talking about. But she and the Acolytes were the only ones in Cranefish Town that had studied Yangchen’s scrolls extensively. Sure, Imana knew plenty of legends about Anguirus, but not one as detailed as the one they were discussing.

They were crowded in Loban’s office. It was a bit less ornate than some of the noble offices that they were used to, with a mixture of Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation artifacts. None of them were placed in a position of superiority to one another.

Team Avatar, Imana, Hei Wan, Suki, and the two owners of the Earthen Fire Refinery decided here was where they’d discuss Aang’s plan.

He’d already discussed it with his friends. Toph already knew. Katara was naturally a bit worried, but promised to watch his back. Sokka thought he was crazy, but admitted he didn’t have any better ideas at the moment. And Suki followed everyone else. She was an ally, but she never really considered herself a close member of the team. So she went with everyone that knew Aang best.

Loban and Lao didn’t know him best. Not that Aang could blame them for being incredulous. He was a bit nervous himself considering the last time he faced down a giant monster. Still, it was their best shot.

“He’s right. Hei Wan knows this story the best, and has first-hand experience,” Katara said, supporting her boyfriend. Aang smiled, knowing that she’d back him up. Even though the look she gave the head of the Acolytes was still a bit wary.

The head of the refinery looked at them both for a moment, before sighing and sinking into his seat. “I’m sorry. It’s just, if things go south, Cranefish is going to be the first place that thing is going to go. I can’t risk the safety of my people, or take the chance that a monster might to kill them all.”

“What about the mines?” Toph suggested.

“Toph, we took a look at the mines ourselves. It’s a miracle any of them are still standing in their condition,” Suki commented. Loban let her assessment go, knowing full well the risk those mines posed.

The blind earthbender held her ground though. “Hey, you’re talking to the best earthbender in the world. Give me a few local earthbenders to back me up, we can easily fortify those mines in case Anguirus goes berserk.”

“Just like Odo Island!” Sokka exclaimed with realization. “Toph, I don’t say this about you too often, but you’re a genius!”

“...I mean, I wasn’t thinking of them, but I’ll take the credit.”

Her father though was not amused. “Absolutely not. Toph, I forbid you from going anywhere near those mines. We’ll get some earthbenders to go in your place-”

“I don’t recall asking for your permission, Dad.”

Katara got in between the two Beifongs before rocks and words started to fly. “With all due respect Mr. Beifong, Toph’s one of the best earthbenders I know of.”

“Darn straight!”

“Shh!” Katara hushed. “What I’m trying to say is, she’s probably the best person to help stabilize the mines.”

“Young lady, she’s 12,” Lao just flatly said, refusing to back down. “And I’m not going to allow a few bouts of luck to get into her head.”

“LUCK?” Now both Katara and Sokka had to hold back the comparatively tiny Toph from doing anything even more stupid. “You call becoming a master earthbender by herself and stopping a giant drill getting by on LUCK?!”

In a rather obvious attempt at defusing the situation, Aang stepped up in front of Loban’s desk. “Can you get some earthbenders on standby in case things go south? Toph will be there to help shore things up.”

His appeasement earned a smug look from Toph and a furious “DON’T GIVE HER ANY BRIGHT IDEAS!” from Lao. Poor Imana and Hei Wan were just trying to make themselves small in the corner and hide from all of this arguing.

Loban kept a surprisingly cool facade, bridging his fingers in contemplation. “Alright. I’m going to need the Kyoshi Warriors to help organize things though.”

“I’ll give the orders to stand by right away,” Suki declared. “If you have any questions while I’m gone, take it up with my second in command.”

“...wait, you’re not-”

“You’re really going to argue with me on this, Sokka?” Suki said, turning around and sizing him up. That was enough to shut the boy up, knowing full well what had happened the last time he tried to question Suki’s credentials.

“Right then! Looks like we’re all set!” Aang declared with a smile, already moving to the door both to get this day a move on, and to get out of the stuffy room. They had a kaiju to go find.

That had sounded a lot better the day before, come to think of it.

“You guys go ahead and get Appa ready. I’ll be with you in a minute.”

Toph felt everyone hesitate, but she remained firm in the arms of what was only Sokka and Katara. She’d been with them long enough to recognize their skin textures.

“You sure about this Toph?” Katara’s voice asked in one ear.

“Yeah. I’m sure.” The blind girl felt the arms slacken their grip and let go of her entirely. Everyone was silent, even the refinery owner. All she could hear was the awkward shuffling of feet as they filed their way out of the room.

Leaving her behind with her father, his breathing as familiar as his voice. “Young lady-”

“What is it going to take?” Toph asked. “I helped save the Earth Kingdom. I taught the Avatar. I even took on Godzilla. How long are you going to keep chalking up everything I managed to accomplish to luck ?”

“Toph, I…” He sighed, the wooden floors creaking as he paced back and forth. “You can’t keep throwing yourself into danger like this. Do you know how your mother and I felt when you ran away? We were scared to death, knowing that our little girl was out there alone when there was a war going on.”

“I’m not your little girl anymore, Dad,” Toph flatly shot back. “And believe me, I never intended to hurt either of you.”

“So why did you run away then?”

“To get away from this.”

Silence permeated the room. She couldn’t see his eyes, but there was no doubt they were riveted right at her face.

“I’m sick of it. Sick of being told I’m some frail, helpless little girl who can’t fend for herself. I’m sick of having everything taken from me just so you can play pretend with whatever imaginary family you have in your head. I don’t know if you care, but I have friends who do care about me. They don’t care if I can’t see. They like me for me. Why can’t you?”

Toph made the challenge. Back in the ring, it was an old promotion trick to hype up the big match. Now though, the battle was much more serious than a brawl with some muscle-bound thug.

So she waited for the response. The acceptance of the challenge. Something, anything she could sink her teeth into. Maybe, even that sliver of hope she was waiting for.

Instead, she heard her dad sigh and say, “It’s like you said. You’re not the girl you should’ve been.”

With that, the boards creaked as he walked out of the room, and Toph was left alone. 

She didn’t say anything in the silence. The wet tears she felt drip down her cheeks were more than enough.

Outside Cranefish Town

Appa flew over the dense jungles, with Momo flying wide circles around them. All around them was an unbroken carpet of foliage. The further they flew away from the refinery, the more the trees grew. Sickly foliage from pollution was replaced by healthy, endless green.

Well, almost. There were a few clearings within the trees here and there. Normally they wouldn’t have meant much. Everyone knew that there were natural clearings in every forest.

Natural clearings, though, weren't filled with crushed trees. And they certainly weren’t regularly recurring.

“Looks like we’re dealing with some kind of quadruped from the way those footprints are splayed out,” Sokka mused.

“That is how he’s portrayed in the ruins,” Hei Wan said cheerfully. “Well, whenever he’s not rearing up of course.”

Aang began to put more and more of the pieces together, turning towards Imana who had sat by his side. “You think Anguirus is angry about the refinery despoiling the forest?”

The priestess thought to herself. “Possibly. Those barren trees from earlier are a sign of human interference. This is both his territory and the territory of the spirits, so he’s got a pretty good reason to be upset.”

Can’t say I blame him , Aang thought to himself. No matter what Loban’s thoughts on what good the refinery brought, it didn’t wipe away the damage it caused to the forests surrounding Cranefish. Those trees they saw on the flight out were stripped of vegetation. Hei Wan mentioned that it had to have been the influence of the refinery, but how exactly she wasn’t sure.

Both Aang and Katara had to agree with her. Wherever the Fire Nation decided to set up shop, environmental damage was soon to follow.

Out here though? It was dense and full of life. The trees were filled with birdsong joining the chorus of unseen animals. Maybe the whole of the forest could be like this one day if they played their cards right.

They couldn’t dwell too much on the future though. Right now they needed to find Tienhaishi, the city that Tienhai helped found. Hei Wan said it should be around here somewhere, though where exactly-

“THERE IT IS!” the Acolyte exclaimed, pointing to a small clearing in the forest. Following her directions, Appa flew down to the break in the trees. Gently, the bison set himself down, letting his passengers down onto the earth.

Or rather the overgrown stone road. Any doubt that this was the city vanished at the sight of the surrounding buildings, broken down to their foundations. Great trees pushed up through the ruins, while grasses and bushes reclaimed what was once theirs, grasping through cracks in the ancient pavement.

“I can’t believe how overgrown this place is,” Suki spoke for everyone as she lightly leapt down from Appa’s back.

Sokka on the other hand didn’t seem so surprised. “It has been abandoned for a long time. I remember that back home it usually took only a few weeks for an empty village to be buried completely by snow.”

“Guys…”

Aang looked around, his mind flashing with old memories of what must’ve been the old glory days of this place. “This city was thriving. So many people must’ve lived here.”

“That’s the kaiju for you,” Imana reminded him. “Such is their power to destroy. Now you know why most remain dormant until necessary.”

“Guys?”

“I never thought I would be standing where the great Yangchen once stood,” Hei Wan looked dreamily. Katara just rolled her eyes, not all that impressed by the Acolyte’s almost obsessive hero worship.

“GUYS! WE’VE GOT COMPANY!”

By the time Toph shouted, everyone looked back towards her. The blind girl was pointing towards an opening in the trees. Appa was the second to sense them, roaring in alarm as a group of Komodo Rhinos came marching through the trees.

Everyone got into battle positions. Old experience told them that Komodo Rhinos were bad news.

Except…they weren’t Komodo Rhinos.

They looked like them. Two great horns on the brow of the head, and a long nasal horn on the snout. A tail covered in scales thrashed behind them while four great pillar-like legs kept them above the ground.

But Aang was pretty sure Komodo Rhinos didn’t have shields coming from the back of their heads.

The more they looked at the strange reptiles, the less they resembled the cavalry of the Fire Nation. Their legs were more erect. That shield of theirs was ringed with spikes, with additional dorsal spines running down their armored backs.

Not that it gave them any comfort. The largest of these reptiles snorted and growled from its beaked mouth, approaching aggressively. Appa growled in response while the rest of the team either got out their weapons or brought their elements to bear.

“Nobody make a move,” Aang warned. “I don’t want to spook them.”

A snort from the big one cut off his thoughts, along with a deep roar and the stamping of its feet.

“Aang, I think he’s spooked already!” Sokka warned. Appa roared back, his huge size normally being enough to ward off an attack. The rest of the herd, though, got riled up, throwing their heads back and forth to shake their shields.

Before anyone could make a move, Imana walked forward. Unafraid, she fished out a stone medallion from her robes, one carved in the shape of a circle. Within, a cross sat etched with rays emanating from it. Aang was about to stop her when the lead-horned beast looked at the medallion.

Warily, it sniffed both her and the medallion, that sharp beak coming distressingly close to her outstretched arm. It looked back and forth from Imana to Aang to the rest of the party, almost as if it were asking for an explanation.

Imana motioned for Aang to say something. “Uh…I’m the Avatar and these are my friends.” He watched the breathing in and out of its chest began to slow down. The airbender watched the reptile’s legs begin to relax, a universal sign that an animal was calming down.

Mustering his confidence and knowing that he shouldn’t back down, Aang stood up straight and lowered his staff. “We come seeking the counsel of Anguirus. Will you lead us to him?” He wasn’t sure what to say to a herd of huge horned reptiles, but it seemed right.

The leader looked at them all, giving one more sniff of the air, before turning around and walking back to the herd. He (Aang assumed it was a male) walked through the others before he looked behind him. Almost like he was expecting them to follow.

Aang gave a confused look to the rest of his team before following the herd. They walked behind a good distance from the great beasts, giving them a wide berth in case they got in a bad mood again.

“They’re the Horned Ones. Great guardians of the forest. Servants and heralds of Anguirus,” Imana explained. Aang decided not to question it. The “Horned Ones” seemed to know where they were going. And from the vastness of the ruins, it was probably better to follow them instead of wandering around aimlessly.

After walking for who knows how long, the herd had led them to a great opening in the jungle. Up ahead seemed to be some kind of courtyard, surrounded by great ruins. There were more Horned Ones grazing on some of the foliage, though some of them were much smaller with reduced horns and larger eyes.

“They were protecting their family,” Aang realized. This must’ve been where the young of their kind were raised. Good thing, then, that they managed to calm things down before somebody decided to get violent.

“And all the more reason we should give them some space,” Sokka warned. Aang agreed. While some of those babies were certainly cute, he didn’t exactly want to annoy their giant parents. No, he was content to watch from a distance.

He just sat on a broken pillar, eager for a quick break. Looking across the clearing, he saw a small statue of a woman right in the middle. It was surrounded by white flowers, and the light of the sun almost seemed to shine down right on it.

Hei Wan saw it as well, standing beside the Avatar and looking in awe. “The grave of Tienhai. They’re guarding it.” Even from this distance, she fell to her knees. “All this time, they…never forgot.”

She bowed in reverence, which to Aang’s surprise, matched the proper posture of the Air Nomads perfectly. “Thank you for bringing me to this place Avatar. Even out here, in the shadow of the Fire Nation, there’s still a thing of unspoiled beauty.”

Aang blinked. This wasn’t just words she picked up or a posture she adopted. This felt real. Like she really knew what it meant. He wondered about her for a moment. Back before the war, there were always a few nonbenders or people of other nations who would take pilgrimages to the temples. They weren’t Nomads, but they resonated with their teachings all the same.

He remembered the Lion Turtle saying that long ago, the Nations were once one. That the benders and people blended together. No matter who they were, there were things that brought them together. In all corners of the world, there would be people who would believe in the wisdom of a faith they never grew up in. They just needed to find it.

Was that the case with Hei Wan? Clumsy as she and the Acolytes were, they were genuine. They wanted to learn. Just like he did so long ago.

“You’re welcome, Hei Wan,” Aang warmly said, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Sometimes, you just need to find the beauty buried deep beneath the ashes.”

Behind them, he could feel Katara smile with affection. No doubt she understood what he was talking about. 

Perhaps, even if the Air Nomads were gone, someone could preserve and pass down their teachings…

Their tender moment was broken when the adult Horned Ones bellowed to the sky. Sokka and Suki shifted into position, years of training taking over. “Okay, what are they doing now?” the Kyoshi Warrior asked waringly.

“I…don’t think they’re roaring at us this time,” Aang said.

Just as he said that, the entire forest was silenced by a response.

GAAAAAAAAAAAAAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Everyone was silent.

Nervously, Aang and the rest of Team Avatar, along with Appa and Momo, walked into the clearing, the Horned Ones giving them a wide berth.

They heard something crash through the trees.

Then another.

And then another.

Then, the sun itself was blotted out as a great shadow towered over the trees, its crocodilian maw tipped with a nasal horn sniffing the air. Rays filtered through the spikey crown on great beast’s head, its massive fangs gleaming. It was carried upon four enormous legs, each the size of a building. The chest was powerful, its shelled carapace like the crest of a jagged mountain. Behind it, a long, spiny tail swung lazily over the tops of the trees.

Mustering up his courage, Aang stepped forward, giving a respectful bow to the Guardian Beast.

Angurius.

The huge saurian looked down at him, lowering its snout to his level. It sniffed him, each whiff exhaling a huge gust of air that almost took him off his feet. He remained still though. Solid as a rock.

Seemingly satisfied, Anguirus nodded its head. Almost as if it were returning the bow.

Aang felt a wave of relief, confident that he could make his inquiry to the massive reptile. “Lord Anguirus. I’ve come to your home because you are scaring the people of Cranefish Town. Evidently, you’ve been coming close to their refinery.”

A snort rumbled from the kaiju’s throat, making Aang flinch a little bit. Benevolent or not, an animal this size could cause untold havoc if angered. He’d have to play this cautiously. “Now I understand that the refinery has been causing damage to the fringes of the jungle. Is that why you have appeared?”

Slowly, Anguirus nodded before looking in the direction of the town. The jaws snapped a few times, each releasing a loud bony clang with the impact.

“Uh…we’re willing to negotiate on behalf of Cranefish Town! That’s why I’ve come,” he said hurriedly, wanting to keep the kaiju’s attention towards him and not towards the settlement. Thankfully, Anguirus turned back towards him. Those eyes looked over him up and down, sizing him up.

Well, he got its attention. Aang nervously waved Sokka over to approach slowly. Suki naturally came with him, feeling Angurius’s gaze shift towards them. They bowed respectfully to the beast. After a few sniffs that nearly barreled them over, Anguirus dipped its head in response. A bit more shallow than with Aang, but enough to show a sign of respect.

Seeing that the huge reptile was NOT about to eat him, Sokka cleared his throat. “Forgive me, Lord Anguirus. But the refinery is vital to the economy and wellbeing of Cranefish’s citizens. Granted, it could use a bit of work in a few places, but destroying it would cause everyone there to become destitute.”

He cringed, almost expecting the kaiju to snort or roar in fury. Wouldn’t be the first time he was on the receiving end of an angry guardian beast after all.

Instead, Anguirus just gazed at him, its intentions unreadable. Neither Aang nor Sokka were sure if that meant it to be a good thing, or some prelude to violence. The Avatar decided to take it as a good thing. A giant monster that wasn’t raging was a giant monster that could be reasoned with.

So he decided to push further. “We understand that you’re concerned about General Old Iron retaliating for his home being despoiled. Believe me, I don’t think anybody wants a refinery ruining their home. That’s why we’re willing to take a look and see if we can’t make some improvements to minimize or reverse the impact. Your territory will be restored. The spirits will have their home. And the people can have their livelihood secure. We’ll also be willing to respect and uphold the boundaries agreed upon by my predecessor. Is this acceptable?”

Aang let the rehearsed proposal spill from his lips. Everyone would have something to gain from this, and nobody would be given preference over the others. All in all, he managed to hit all the key points. He patted himself on the back for keeping himself awake while listening to some of the monks’ treatise on balance and harmony all those years ago.

Anguirus on the other hand wasn’t a monk. The scars on its snout hinted that a peaceful resolution was a rarity in its long existence. If what Imana said was right, it was far older than even the war itself. So the question remained: could a creature such as this be reasoned with if its past was forged in violence?

There was only one way to find out. Aang and Sokka watched nervously, with Suki standing by to drag both of them away if the kaiju decided it didn’t like the terms. After all, there wasn’t much anybody on the team outside of the Avatar that could stop a rampaging monster such as this.

The saurian just looked back for an agonizingly long time. Then, it nodded.

A loud “Whew!” escaped Aang’s mouth despite his best efforts. “Thank you, Lord Anguirus! We’ll bring your approval to Foreman Loban right away,” he said with a bow.

Anguirus snorted, flexing its legs before turning its attention once more to the smallest of their team. Toph remained locked in place, not moving as the titan lowered its snout and sniffed the earthbender curiously.

Aang felt the earth around Toph harden and compact. She didn’t look up, just clenching her fists as the kaiju exhaled huge bursts of air at her.

Finally, Anguirus bowed one last time before raising its head back into the heavens and turning away from the clearing. The long, spiny tail lashed over them as the beast lumbered back into the wilderness. Its footsteps faded away, each causing the forest trees to shake.

“Okay, what was that about?” Suki asked, looking at Toph.

The blind girl just shrugged. “Guess he knows a good earthbender when he sees one.”

-

Nearby, just out of view, a trio of Komodo Rhinos bore riders who watched the whole thing. None of them made a move, watching the great beast stomp away. The Rough Rhinos had seen this thing at least once. It didn’t mean that the sight was any less intimidating.

Yet that wasn’t what they were here for. Their eyes were riveted by the grave in the center of the ruins. There it was, just as that odd stranger had told them. Sure, the Avatar was an unexpected factor that prevented them from acting right away, but now they knew where it lay.

And its guardians. A whole herd of monsters snorting, thrashing, and each one large enough to give one of their rhinos a fight if they decided to make a move. Even with their whole force, they’d be outnumbered.

The objective wouldn’t be to fight the things though. Their leader made a movement, causing them to ride back into the shadows. All they needed to do was defile that grave, and they wouldn’t need to worry about those things. Nor the Avatar. Nor that huge freak of nature.

They’d be in some bar, laughing in relief as they slipped out of the trap they were in.

Sea Between the Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom

“SIR! THERE HE IS!”

The captain brought his spyglass where his subordinate was pointing. There, in the waves, was the back of a large reptile slicing through the water

A smooth back, with its snakelike head coming up to take a breath of air before its four flippers plunged it back into the depths below.

“That’s a plesiosaur, lieutenant,” the captain exasperatedly said, recognizing the beast from fossils he’d seen from an admiral’s house at some party. Not the monster they were looking for. Quite frankly, they’ve been seeing all kinds of strange creatures prowling around out here. It meant they were in the right area according to Admiral Ryuui, but it also meant everyone on both this ship and the small group of scout ships around them were a bit jumpy.

“I…sorry sir.” The lieutenant said with a bow. It wasn’t exactly something to blow his gasket over, so the captain waved him off. Though his fear wasn’t unfounded. They all knew a full scale assault on their target was a fool’s errand. At most, they had a few benders on hand as well as the mines they were trailing behind their boats. Still, the plan wasn’t to engage, it was just to catch the target’s attention so they could lure it back to Aso.

Hopefully, their light ships could outrun the beast that trashed the false Fire Lord’s forces. Nobody wanted to stick around to get a taste of such power.

His thoughts were shattered when an explosion erupted a plume of water behind their ship.

Everyone rushed to the stern to see what had hit them. Most of the animals had been avoiding their ships like the plague, so it seemed odd one of them would run into the mine just haphazardly.

The explosion threw a huge amount of water in the air, but that was nothing compared to the massive swell rising from the sea charging right at them.

At the apex of the swell, the tips of dorsal spines could be seen…

The captain turned around and gave orders to head to Aso Island at full speed. “Send word to the admiral we’ve engaged the target!” he roared to his communications officer, hoping the messenger hawk would arrive swiftly. With hope, they’d arrive with the great Phoenix emerging to save them.

Behind them though, the only thought behind the glaring eyes of Godzilla was of making these foolish humans pay for their arrogance.

And there would be no Avatar to save them this time.

Chapter Text

Yu Dao

"You sure you want to do this?

Zuko calmed his breathing down, feeling the delicate hand of Mai on his shoulder. It certainly felt a lot more soothing when he wasn't garbed in the heavy robes of the Fire Lord. The last thing he wanted to do when meeting with Uncle was try to make himself bigger than he was. It wouldn't be necessary.

The crown and garb not being required was the only other comfort that was given to him. Before him were the doors to Iroh's room. No doubt Uncle was in there practicing his Pai Sho over a cup of tea. Such a sight probably would've put him at ease.

Now though, knowing what he had done, he wasn't sure if he was ready to face him.

Still, it was either this or waiting for things to boil over in the worst way possible. Zuko knew what happened when he decided to wait. "I'm sure."

Steeling up his courage, he pushed the doors open. The duo walked into a small but regal and opulent room. At the low table was Iroh, brewing some tea and looking over some documents. A Pai Sho board was in his reach with a few pieces in place.

"Ah! Fire Lord Zuko! I'll be honest, if I knew you were coming, I would've put your favorite brew on the kettle," Iroh greeted cheerfully.

Respectfully, Zuko and Mai bowed before him. "Don't worry, Uncle. I just wanted to check up on you."

"Ah. I see. You must be referring to our delving into all matters regarding the kaiju." Iroh presented the documents in his hand to show his point. "I have to say, there's a lot on the subject. There are legends of gigantic creatures all over the nations. Some of them even seem to be different iterations of the same one."

The old man stroked his beard, going through some of the papers. "The most referenced is Godzilla oddly enough. He must've been quite important back in the day."

Zuko shivered upon hearing the name. Not as much as when he thought of his father or Azula, but what other reaction does one have thinking of the mad titan that almost killed him? Nobody had seen or heard the monster since, thank Agni. But that didn't put the young monarch at ease. A monster unaccounted for could be anywhere.

"Look, Uncle, I'm grateful for what the White Lotus is doing, but that's not what I'm here for."

The tired shoulders of Iroh sagged, and he suddenly looked a lot older than he actually was. "I understand. I had a feeling this wouldn't be a social meeting." He set aside his papers and turned down the burner on his kettle. Those old eyes looked up at Zuko, waiting for him to begin.

Zuko wasn't sure what to say. He thought he knew Uncle. Then he found out he's been working with some kind of secret organization of all things. And THEN he discovered just what it was he was up to during the war. It was a lot to take in over the course of a few months. Now it looked like his mentor was another person entirely.

Which is why he had to ask, "Why'd you do it?"

Those old eyes looked away, making Zuko a bit afraid that Iroh wouldn't spill the beans. Then the Dragon of the West took his own breath to steady himself.

"It was a grueling campaign," he began. "The Earth King's forces fought us every step of the way. Streets were blocked with impenetrable walls of stone. My forces were funneled into death traps. Every gain we made was paid for in blood. And they knew it. They began to display captured helmets or banners to infuriate us into acting rashly. Some of my younger men bought them. Seemed as though the only thing that could win us Ba Sing Se was putting down every last one of them."

A haunted look came across his face, causing Zuko to blink. He knew the siege must've been brutal, but he'd never imagine the sort of horrors Iroh's forces would've faced.

"Then we received an envoy of peace. An armed envoy. They wanted to petition for food to be distributed to the civilians. Believe me, I knew the people were starving, and I would've relieved them. But back then, Fire Nation doctrine said that all inhabitants of a city under siege were to be considered enemies. And my subordinates and men wanted to pay them back for all the losses they'd taken. All the stains on their honor. Besides, there was no guarantee they weren't lying and planning to distribute the food to their own forces.

"So I said the only way for the people to get their food was to surrender. The guards got in earthbending stances, but I ordered the soldiers I had lying in wait to strike first. None of the envoys survived. And we sent the heads to shock the Earth King's forces. Maybe scare them by showing what would happen if we met resistance.

"It didn't work. They just dug in further, and the battle continued. You know the rest."

He took a sip from his tea, trying to rest his nerves. Zuko almost felt vertigo. It wasn't a secret to him that Iroh blamed himself for Lu Ten's death, but he never realized just how deep it went. Maybe that was just the last thing one could stomach after a campaign full of death and chaos. The idea that Iroh helped cause that meatgrinder… was difficult to accept

Zuko wasn't sure what to say. Chastise his Uncle for what he did? No. He already paid too much for what he did. Maybe he was still paying for it now. The bags under Iroh's eyes didn't seem like he was sleeping all that well. In all honesty, he couldn't even say anything looking at the stricken face of the once proud Dragon of the West.

Maybe it was his place to say something, maybe it wasn't. Now wasn't the time.

"...can I just ask something, if you'll allow me?" Mai commented, stepping forward. Iroh shook himself out of his trance.

Uncle forced a smile on his lips. "Sure thing, Lady Mai. Don't let this old man's war stories bring down the mood."

Mai's face was impassive as usual, though the upcoming question had a tinge of foreboding in it. "Is it true that you wanted Azula's bending to be removed?"

Both Iroh and Zuko grimaced. They knew they'd have to cross this bridge eventually, but it didn't exactly make it all the more pleasant. Quite frankly, Zuko was shocked that Iroh would even consider the idea. He knew Azula was a threat, but not even she warranted such a hardline stance.

"Believe me, it's a difficult decision. To strip one of one's bending is a fate I wouldn't wish on anyone. But Azula…her fire is corrupting her."

"Wait, corrupting her?" Mai asked.

The Grand Lotus nodded grimly. "Blue fire is something unheard of. It has only occurred a few times, but it's unnatural and was always in service to forces that threatened the stability of the world. Azula stumbled on that flame, and it consumed her. If she's allowed to keep her bending, she'll just keep burning up on the inside because of it. She'll end up ruled by hatred just like Godzilla was. I hoped admitting her to the asylum would help her, but evidently, it hasn't.

"Zuko. Mai." He looked up with utmost sincerity. "I want to help Azula, and the only way to do that is to remove her bending. Only then will she come to her senses, and only then will she see clearly."

"I…I don't-"

Zuko never finished his sentence. For Mai just stormed out of the room. Both he and Uncle looked a bit confused at the sudden outburst. Sensing her distress, Zuko chased after her. Leaving Iroh behind, who decided that his nephew would be best to handle this.

He found her overlooking the setting sun at the window, her shoulders slumped. "Is…everything okay?" Zuko asked.

Mai sighed. "He's wrong. Your Uncle is wrong. I don't know anything about this blue fire of hers, but removing Azula's bending would destroy her."

"How can you be so sure?" Zuko asked. He was confused. Normally, he'd agree with Iroh. Maybe this could be his chance to get his baby sister back. Perhaps…they didn't have to fight anymore.

On the other hand, Mai told him why he was in doubt. "I know her."

Aso Island

"And make nobody else sees this aside from the captain. Do I make myself clear?"

Azula's glare to the grunt made it clear that the answer would be, "Yes, Princess Azula." He gave a quick bow before scurrying off to go grab a Mongoose Dragon. The letter that she had written was stowed in a knapsack at his hip.

Perfect, she mused to herself. Everything was falling into place, letting her rest on the pillar of the temple's entrance. The darkness of the morning was perfect to cover her movements. Nobody suspected a thing for all she knew, but she wasn't one to risk showing her hand before the time was right.

It's also why she jumped a little when she saw the Admiral and his personal staff march up the dirt road from their campsite. She quickly slid into the shadows, slipping behind one of the potted trees. Azula controlled her breathing. There was no way Admiral Ryuui could've seen her from that distance.

Sure enough, she heard a parade of armored boots walk right past her hiding spot. She couldn't breathe easy though. It wasn't like any well-to-do Fire Nation commander to rise before the sun came up. Her ears were on high alert, trying to hear what exactly had caused this break in schedule.

Her answer came in Ryuui's hushed voice, "We've received word from our scouts. They've made contact with Godzilla."

Azula's heart leaped. That meant only one thing.

Godzilla was on the way.

Her anxiety was relaxed by discipline. Carefully, she counted to herself the minutes that it took her to get to the temple from the mayor's house. She added a bit of time to make it seem like she had gotten out of her robes and into her armor. If she had "arrived" too early, that would've drawn attention to herself. No, that wouldn't do at all. Her best bet was to play it safe and make it seem like she just woke up.

Granted, she just did, but getting into character was imperative when dealing with nobles. Azula went through her story, briefly considered the fact that the Admiral would've sent a messenger to wake her, threw it out with the cover story, and basically made herself the picture of an annoyed Princess roused from her sleep. It was one of the things she had to give her mother credit for after dragging her to how many dreadful plays at Ember Island.

Once she got the character down, Azula slipped out from behind the tree and rubbed her eyes. Groggily stumbling into the planning room, she gave an annoyed glare at the staff. "There had better be a good reason why you decided to wake me up at this ungodly hour."

"We got the message," Admiral Ryuui explained, telling her what she already knew. Still, it was easy to play up her surprise and dread. Indeed, that's what she felt deep down. Suddenly, all of Aso Island was in danger. Granted, the Fiery Raptors had managed to set up a few trenches and wooden shelters for the civilians, but she had hoped they would've had a little more time.

Ryuui didn't give her any. He just said, "We'll be heading up the mountain to awaken Rodan as we've planned." It was simple: they would've made the hike on Mongoose Dragons riding at full speed before making their way through the lava tubes into the chamber under Rodan's nest. She'd heard it many times before, along with the reassurances that they'd be back in the village by the time the explosives went off.

She wasn't convinced. "Okay, but what about these mystery assailants of yours? I saw the graves, and I want to know what we're dealing with in those tunnels."

A shiver went through the staff. "We've already secured the tunnels, Princess," Ryuui reassured. "It is true that we've had some problems with the…inhabitants. But we've cleared them out as best we could. Even have some troops stationed there already keeping an eye on the tunnel entrance and they did regular patrols. We'll have a clear shot to the explosives."

Azula wasn't entirely convinced. Yet, now was not the time to question him directly. That meant breaking character. So, she gave a facetious nod and listened to him ramble on about his plans. She took the opportunity to look across the room. Where there would've been looks of determination and duty, there was fear and hesitation.

Good. If there was anything she was good at, it was making people afraid.

With their plans laid out, now it was a matter of getting ready for the trek upward. A squadron of 6 troops, comprised of 3 footmen and 3 of Ryuui's most elite firebenders, would be accompanying them. Their Mongoose Dragons were already brought forth to the front of the temple by servants.

All was falling into place. Azula strode out, petting Flame Runner on the snout. She was about to climb onto her saddle when a familiar voice cried out, "AZULA! STOP!"

She looked around with genuine surprise when a duo right out of her wildest imagination ran up to her. Maina and Kori stopped a few feet from her, with Kazuma coming up behind them. "Sorry Princess! I tried to stop them but-"

"Listen Azula. You can't wake up the One Born of Fire," Maina interrupted. "You'll be putting yourself and the entire village in danger!"

"Silence, peasant!" Ryuui commanded, pulling up on his Mongoose Dragon. Maina clammed up, but her glare did not waver from the so-called "Admiral". "Godzilla is on his way, and Rodan's our best shot at killing him. You'd do best to remember your place."

"Godzilla's coming?" Kori paled.

"Indeed. Which is why I need to go up there," Azula calmly said, striding forward so she'd take the reigns of this situation. "While I do appreciate your willingness to help, you should keep yourself safe. A Princess doesn't need help from peasants."

"Oh for the love of-we came all this way to save your life! Are you honestly going to throw it away just for a chance at that stupid crown?!" Kori shouted.

Azula just coldly stared at the rebel, not batting an eye. "This is my duty, Morishita. And I'm going to do what every child of fire should do for their country. If I have to lay down my life, then so be it."

Her steely words shocked both Maina and Kori into silence, saving them any further wrath from Ryuui. Feeling satisfied that they were out of the fire, Azula leaned in close. "Get the civilians to safety. There are a bunch of shelters already in place to safeguard the people."

"And what about you?" Maina asked. "You don't have to do this."

"I know. But if I back down now, then I'll never be able to face my brother," Azula said, hoping to break her obnoxiously concerned friend. Her face was shocked and her limbs went slack, but the Princess wondered what she expected from somebody like her. "What you don't understand is, I lost my mind because I was soft. There. I said it. I cared too much. I won't be making the same mistake twice, even if I have to tear it out of my body. You served your purpose and you served it admirably. So if anyone is to die today, let it be someone who's ready to face it."

"...Azula…I…"

Maina's words suggested sympathy, but her eyes were filled with outrage and frustration. Maybe finally she'd stop following the Princess around and filling her head with the same sort of soft thoughts that brought her down to begin with.

Nodding to herself, Azula swung herself on Flame Runner's saddle and didn't look back. She rode to the head of the column and rode off into the mountains.

There wasn't any nobility in it. Saving the peasants just meant there'd be someone still alive to tell the people how she awakened Rodan and saved the island. Cutting ties with her allies meant less baggage. Everything was falling back under control once again.

And she knew it. She'd been brought low to the point a filthy peasant got the better of her. Well then. They'd all see what happens when you humiliate a Princess of the Fire Nation and treat her like an animal.

The first rays of the sun began to illuminate the trail leading up the mountain, contrasting with the ashy fields spreading out from the volcano. Up ahead, the volcano remained silent. Azula though was remained on edge. She felt the fire deep at the heart of the mountain just waiting to be ignited.

Yet the fires had not left only ash and destruction. Hardy bushes grew from the ash, rich in minerals thrown up from the eruption. Azula had learned when she was younger that volcanoes gave life-giving soil which accelerated plant growth. It was why places like Ember Island were so rich in spectacular jungles and vistas. Maybe one day these fields would give rise to more thick forest like the one in the distance. Certainly, it gave the islanders in the treeless grasslands plenty of rich farming areas.

Hard to believe that such destruction could bring such life. Yet if the legends were true, that is precisely what Rodan did. During his last awakening, he carved deep grooves in the earth to redirect the lava flows to minimize the damage while allowing the rich soil to form. Supposedly, that was the origin of those great gashes in the earth surrounding them.

Azula didn't say anything. If that were so, the creator of those crevices would've had to possess both enormous size and tremendous power

Shaking her head clear, the Princess hurried Flame Runner along. Higher they climbed the volcano until they came upon a small opening in the mountainside guarded by two soldiers wearing the firebender's skull masks. Ryuui gave a silent signal, prompting everyone to pull up and dismount their Mongoose Dragons. Nobody said a word, as if they didn't want to awaken the sleeping giant at the volcano's heart.

Or whatever lay in wait within those tunnels.

The Princess plopped down into the ash when she felt a nudge from her mount. Azula stroked Flame Runner's snout, a bit surprised at the reptile's sudden affection. "I'll be fine," she reassured.

Flame Runner's eyes just darted from the entrance of the cave to her. Her legs were tense and kicking up the ash. If she understood Azula's words, then her response could be plainly translated as "Turn back."

For Azula though, the reptile's worries went unheeded. She knew there was danger here, but she also knew that danger was coming. Beyond the ashfields, beyond the farms, beyond the jungles was the blue ocean. And beyond their shores, a monster approached.

Their answer lay in the mountains.

Giving the Mongoose Dragon's snout one last stroke, Azula marched up the fields along with Admiral Ryuui and the squad (along with the two guards which brought their number up to ten). She shivered as the warmth of the distant rising sun was replaced by the cool dampness of the cave. There was no turning back.

Cranefish Town

Her nerves got her up in the morning far earlier than anyone else. Well, almost everyone else. When she realized that one set of breaths was missing, her instincts brought Toph to the beach.

She felt the sand sink beneath her toes. Normally, she'd be out of her element and blinder than normal. But she just listened to the waves to tell her how far from shore she was. And she heard the gentle, graceful dancing in the sand along with the unmistakable swishing of waterbending.

"Couldn't sleep either, Toph?" Katara's voice asked.

The blind girl just shrugged, plopping herself on the beach. "Eh. You know how it is. You see your dad, he doesn't like who you are, and there's some oversized lizard out there running amok. All in all, a pretty hectic weekend if I do say so myself."

"You're telling me," Katara's voice replied, coming closer. While Toph wasn't a sandbender, she did feel the Water Tribe girl sitting in the sand next to her. "I'm just wrapping my head around how we're helping a Fire Nation noble. That and there's these Air Acolytes in the middle of this."

"Huh. Didn't think you had beef with Aang's fan club, Sugar Queen."

"I don't have beef with them. It's…well, imagine if a firebender were to copy and adopt some waterbending techniques from the South. Sure he's respectful enough to study our ways, but he wasn't born in them. And he certainly wouldn't be using what he learned the way the bending was intended to be."

Toph shrugged. "Hey, I don't see them trying to kill Aang or being a bunch of thugs. They were pretty genuine in what they were saying."

"I get that, but don't you think it's wrong for them to just appropriate what they like? Particularly if they didn't put in any work to master them in their original form?"

The blind girl sighed, wondering who died, and made her the voice of reason. "I get what you're saying, Katara. Thing is, the Air Nomads outside of Twinkle Toes are extinct. There's not a guide that says 'do this first' or 'save this for later'. It's not their fault something about their teachings spoke to them. They just don't have a lot to work with."

"I mean…you're right," Katara's voice admitted. Toph let herself be a bit smug. Wasn't too often the self-proclaimed mother of the team took a few words of wisdom from her. She'd note it for later to tease Katara about. Her little relationship with Aang was just giving her too much material to work with.

"What about you Toph? How do you feel about your father?"

"...I'll just do what I need to do and that's it." She crossed her arms to make it clear that she wasn't in the mood to argue about it. And to Katara's credit, she didn't raise a fuss about it.

All she said was, "We do appreciate you sticking with us through all of this, Toph. I wouldn't know where we'd be without you."

With that, the earthbender let herself smile. A more genuine one, filled with a warmth Toph had long been looking for.

They sat in silence, Toph just listening to the waves crash against the sand. Their little peace though was broken when they heard armored boots run behind them.

Toph and Katara got up on their feet. The blind girl heard the panting of a girl, telling her their interloper was a Kyoshi Warrior.

"We need you at the front of Cranefish Town! There's a situation!"

Aso Island

Their way through the darkness was illuminated only by their fire. Azula kept hers out in front of her, watching as it created dancing shadows on the walls of the lava tube.

The blue flame was the only thing keeping her warm in the cold cave, far from the sun rising in the east. Igneous rock enclosed them all, carved out from ancient lava flows that melted their way to the surface. Grooves illuminated by her flame showed where the molten rock flowed, scouring the walls smooth. She wondered what it was like when these caves were filled. What the sight would've been like for the natives who lived in the shadows of the volcano.

She got a good idea when her blue flame illuminated a cave painting not too far down the tube. The others stopped in their tracks when they saw the primitive mural of what could've only been the volcano erupting. Down its slope were stick figures of people running for cover, fleeing from the flowing lava cascading down the mountainside.

Others were knelt down in prayer, no doubt asking for deliverance. The object of their worship was depicted emerging from the volcano, its great wings spread in full glory. Rodan. The real Rodan. For the embellishments made by the Fire Nation of a birdlike Phoenix were gone from the more reptilian beast declaring its emergence to the world.

Some of the soldiers let out gasps seeing this simple but foreboding depiction of their target. Azula's attention, though, was drawn to the things crawling from the volcano. They looked like bugs for lack of a better term, but huge ones unlike any she was familiar with. Bigger than a person, they crawled in pursuit of the fleeing humans, clutching anyone unlucky enough to fall behind in massive pincers.

"These were the things we encountered further down the tunnel," one of the guards stationed at the tube's mouth explained. Admiral Ryuui gave an acknowledging nod before leading his men further down into the earth. His fading light prompted Azula and the others to follow, but not before the Princess took one last look at the huge insects.

These had to have been the mystery killers. And it made her wonder if any of them were still alive deep down below. Quite frankly, she wasn't sure what was worse: a massive bird-like kaiju that could kill them all with little effort, or creatures that seemed to actively hunt humans.

It was a question for when she wasn't in their lair, she decided. Gathering herself, she followed them down further into the earth. She lost track of time, wondering just how deep they were going down. While she hadn't been privy to any geological surveys, she was familiar with the lava tubes buried underneath the Capital. Those were a convoluted maze of tunnels, false bunkers, and fortifications. She had received a lesson in the intricacies of their architecture when she planned the defense for her father during the Invasion of the Black Sun. One could've easily gotten lost in such a dizzying complex.

Such a conundrum was something that Ryuui's men had thought of. The guards led Ryuui deeper, following splashes of yellow paint that marked the path. It was of little reassurance to Azula given the dark gloom, but at least they knew where they were going.

That oppressive gloom only got even heavier the more they ventured down. It felt like they were entering another world, far deeper than any man had any right to venture. Their fires only got them so far in the dark. Far from the comfort of the sun, this was alien territory.

Azula's eyes peered into the darkness, wondering if there were eyes looking back at her.

Her flame though illuminated one almost right in front of her face.

The Princess jumped a little, her nerves already high from being in such a foreign place. Didn't matter that the creature was dead, its appearance alone was a shock. It was one of those gigantic bugs that was depicted on the wall, though the crude painting did the true thing little justice. A large head with green eyes and vicious-looking mandibles dominated its head. Behind the head was a huge, segmented body adorned with brown chitin. Three pairs of insectoid legs sprouted underneath it while spikey arms carried huge pincers. Deep scorch marks lined the body, determining the cause of death.

Nobody said a word while looking at the great invertebrate. Only one of the guards said something along the lines of, "There's more where they came from."

And indeed, they came across more remains the further they ventured into the dark. Some were severed body parts. Others were whole carcasses. The guards reiterated that they had made sure to be thorough when their extermination squads made their sweep. Still, the dark corners were far away, and Azula couldn't let her guard down. In a vast maze like this, there's no way they could've eradicated every last one.

But the dread was replaced with another type of anticipation. Azula kept watching the back of the Admiral's head, weighing her options. She needed to wait for the opportune moment when she was closest to Ryuui. There were eight other men with them, and she didn't want to take any chances. Particularly with the swagger of the older man as he marched onward. Swagger that increased when they got deeper and closer to their goal.

If she learned anything from Zuzu, it was that overconfidence could kill.

At long last, they had arrived at the chamber they were looking for. It was a large intersection between various lava tubes. Lying at the center was a massive pile of explosives. Bombs, oil pots, anything that could blow things up. Such an amount would've easily leveled the room. Luckily for everyone, a fuse was prepared a good distance away. It gave them enough time to evacuate and get a good way back to the village once it was lit.

Everyone's attention was drawn away from the explosives when they heard something. A low sound stopped them in their tracks, their ears on high alert. Azula's senses were on high alert, the noise filling her ears. It wasn't overpowering, but it was loud enough to be heard through rock and stone. A soft, rhythmic in and out, which sounded just like…

Breathing.

Azula looked above at the ceiling, the lavacicles staring back at her.

Rodan was right above them.

She took a deep breath. The admiral caught her eye, waving her over to the end of the fuse. Mustering an aura of dignity, Azula strode over to Ryuui.

"It's all yours, Your Majesty," Ryuui said with a bow. He stepped away, leaving Azula with the fuse that would awaken the kaiju.

It was so easy. And how badly she wanted to believe it to be easy. She'd light the fuse, they'd retreat to the village, Rodan would awaken, and they'd kill Godzilla. Didn't matter who would get caught in the crossfire. Azula would be on the road to the throne, and she could save what could be saved. At long last, she could redeem herself. Uphold the last order.

…if only it were that easy.

"Thank you, Admiral," Azula thanked breezily. "Now if you would be so kind as to surrender yourself to me, you'd serve your true Fire Lord well."

…

…

"...I'm sorry. What did you just say?"

Azula brought a blue flame to her palm, glaring at Ryuui. "I said your services are no longer required, Commander. Don't make me repeat myself."

Realizing what was going on, Ryuui stood up straight. "I demand to know what on earth is going on!" The other men exchanged glances, more confused than enraged like their so-called "Admiral" was.

His outrage caused Azula to laugh mirthlessly. "You honestly believe you could just marry me off to some clan lord while you muscle your way to power? I'm insulted. I thought a wily leader such as yourself would have a bit more sense."

"Without me, you're just a madwoman with no allies. Do you think anybody would support you after your little 'incident'? You need me. Without my men-"

"-that you put in the way of a monster." She turned towards the men, looking them all in the eye and further enraging Ryuui. "You all heard me. Godzilla crushed everyone who tried to stand against him. Your beloved leader just brought death to you all. And before you think Rodan can help, I want you all to listen closely."

Azula pointed towards the ceiling, letting the heavy breathing fill the void. Ryuui's men paled, realizing just how truly close to the source, and how massive an animal needed to be for its breathing to be heard through solid stone…

"That's just it breathing. Do you have any idea what kind of power you'd be unleashing if you woke him up? Everyone on this island would be dead, and you would've traded one monster for another."

"May I remind the Princess that Godzilla is on his way as we speak?" Ryuui barked, his fury rising by the second.

His fury went unnoticed. Let him stew in his anger, Azula thought to herself. She could handle angry men. And she doubted he'd do something so stupid as starting a fight right underneath a slumbering monster.

"There is a way," she told his men. "Call off the ships and order them not to engage. Godzilla attacks anything that attacks him. If we hold our forces back though, he'll return to sea and leave us alone. We'd live to fight another day, and we could begin getting others to join our cause. Does Zuko want to waste his time playing hero for the enemy? We'll be what he failed to be. We'll protect the Fire Nation. And if the Avatar or Zuko want to challenge my claim to the throne, we'll remind them what it is to be sons and daughters of Agni."

The confusion began to subside into understanding. Around her, the men began to nod and lower their flames and weapons. Azula smiled with satisfaction. No one outplayed the Princess at her own game.

That's why she gasped when a boot kicked her in the shin and a strong arm latched around her chest. A flame dagger was held to her neck.

Evidently, he was that stupid.

"Apologies, Princess. I won't let some insane failure tear down everything I've built up. I am a TRUE son of the Phoenix! And I WILL restore order, even if I have to take the throne myself!"

Ryuui's ranting caused the men to raise their stances once more. Seeing that she was between him and a whole squadron she wasn't sure she could entirely trust, Azula tried to squirm her way out. But his grip was strong, and her muscles ached still from her time in the asylum.

She looked around, already searching for anything that would let her get out of this predicament and regain control.

So she was the first to see a pair of giant claws lash out of the darkness and drag a soldier down a tunnel.

Ryuui dropped her as he rushed forward, joining his squadron as they let forth a volley of fireballs in the direction of the soldier. So focused were they that they almost didn't see the other shadow creeping up on their flank and beginning to menace another. Azula shot forth a flame right in front of the creature, the burst of blue fire causing it to shriek in surprise before retreating back into the dark.

Her flame briefly illuminated the attacker. It was quick, but she knew that it was one of the monstrous bugs they had seen earlier. This one was alive. And her ears picked up more chittering and the scraping of claws and talons against stone all around them.

The shrill screams of the man dragged off into the dark could also be heard. Before they were cut off abruptly. Azula shivered, joining Ryuui and his men in a tight circle. Whatever his schemes and loyalty, these creatures didn't care.

They were food to them all the same.

One of the hunters rushed Azula, but she lashed out with her foot and conjured an arc of flame. It pulled back behind a rock, letting the flames splash against the stone. Another insect rushed forward before a man to her left threw a fireball at it.

It pulled back before impact, retreating back into the tunnel it came from. All around her, Azula heard the same story being played out. One of the things would make a rush before being repelled back into the tubes.

Clever was the only word she could use to describe these animals. They kept to the shadows, using the tubes and rocks as cover. Meanwhile, she and the others couldn't make a push outwards lest they risk getting slashed to pieces while in close quarters. It was a standoff, but there were a lot more of those things than there were men. All it would take was one of them breaking, and they'd be overrun.

Thinking quickly, Azula turned to the tube where she had the clearest shot. She began to split her positive and negative energies. Maybe a bolt of lightning could spook the bugs, and they could follow up with a barrage of fireballs to push their way out.

That was the plan, anyway, before something in the earth erupted behind her.

Azula cried out as she felt pincers grab around her, dragging her into the hole the thing had made. Shrieks and mass chittering told her the others had begun to attack as well. There were shouts and bursts of flame, but she could almost feel more tunneling their way behind them.

Her thoughts went wild as she was dragged into the dark, unable to see. What she felt were the strong claws restraining her, and the mandibles preparing for the feast.

Cranefish Town

By the time the whole of Team Avatar was assembled at the gates of Cranefish, there was a whole crowd assembled. The local guards were holding them back while the Kyoshi Warriors were surrounding a man who had stumbled his way through the forest.

A little bit behind him was a Komodo Rhino, snorting and looking back in panic towards the jungle.

"What's going on?" Suki asked, striding forth to the lead Warrior in charge of the stranger.

"We found him stumbling into town. Says his name is Utor of the Rough Rhinos," the Warrior explained.

Aang and his friends fought their way through the crowd, stumbling into the firelight of the entrance. "The Rough Rhinos?!" he asked.

"We've been tracking them in the countryside when we got redirected by the Earth King to Cranefish," Suki explained. "They're wanted for a lot of war crimes."

"Yeah, no kidding!" Katara exclaimed, the brutal attack on Chin Village and what she saw in Jet's mind still fresh.

"Well fat chance of finding the rest of them! They're all dead!"

Kneeling down to his level, Sokka looked the man in the eye. Heavily built with a chiseled face, the warrior swore he would've recognized him with the rest of the Rhinos. Seeing that his face didn't ring a bell, meaning he must've been a newer member. "What do you mean they're all dead?" he asked.

Utor took a few breaths, seeing the eyes of the village lie on him. "Alright. Do you want to know the whole story? Cause we're all dead anyways."

The attack came at midnight. Striking from the shadows, Mongke and his warriors with the heaviest weapons charged the Horned Ones. Their ambush took the reptiles off guard, only the biggest ones getting up enough to buffet the charge. Behind them, the juveniles were corralled by the adolescents and weaker adults to form a last line of defense.

Snorts and roars filled the air. Horns were interlocked, with both sides trying to gain an inch. For the first time though, the Komodo Rhinos found themselves pushed back by the larger Horned Ones. The heavy weapons of their riders only bounced off the armored frills of the strange reptiles. Those with firebending and lighter weapons maneuvered around to attack the unguarded flanks.

A few creatures from the Horned Ones' second lines rushed forward to shore up their comrades' defenses, stamping and snorting against the feoricity of the former Fire Nation soldiers. Those who remained behind to guard the young clustered together to form a stronger defense.

When Mongke drove his Rhino against the alpha, he saw what was occurring…and smiled.

"NOW!"

At his order, Kahchi broke off from his Horned One, being covered by Vachir's fire arrows before the reptile could pursue. Now free, Kahchi aimed the blade of the Guan Dao right at the grave of Tienhai.

With a single slice, Fire Nation steel sliced apart the grave.

All was still. The wind halted, and the insects stopped chirping. Hearing the stone clatter to the earth in pieces, the Horned Ones looked on in horror. All at once they retreated from the Rough Rhinos, taking their young and themselves as far from the courtyard as possible.

The Rough Rhinos braced themselves, bringing up their weapons and fire. Dread began to descend upon the group. As if they had just disturbed something that should've been left well enough alone. This sort of silence as the strange reptiles thundered off was unnerving…

Mongke on the other hand felt satisfaction run through his veins, ignoring the ominous signs around him. "Good, now let's get out of here before-"

A bright flash of light interrupted him, blinding them all.

Their vision came when they heard Kahchi scream in horror before he and his rhino were crushed by a massive stone foot.

It was followed by a great hand smashing down right where Ogodei stood.

All at once, the Rhinos were broken as the mysterious giant strode amongst them, crushing and smashing everyone and anything it could reach.

The last thing that Utor saw before he fled into the forest on his rhino was the scowling mask of the spirit as it crushed one of his comrades in its hand.

"AND NOW IT'S COMING TO KILL US ALL!"

Utor broke down, the brawny man losing himself to the horrors he had experienced. Aang and Katara couldn't help but look on in pity and dread. What on earth would be terrible enough to strike fear in the heart of a hardened Fire Nation soldier?

Remembering his conversation with Yangchen, Aang had a pretty good idea. He looked behind him, seeing that Loban and Lao Beifong had arrived.

"Get everyone to the mines," the Avatar ordered. "An angry spirit's on the way."

And he knew that a kaiju would rise up to face it.

Chapter Text

Cranefish Town,

The Mines

To say that it had been a hectic morning would be the understatement of every understatement. When Twinkle Toes gave the word that there was a seriously ticked-off spirit on the way, Toph heard all the deafening chaos surrounding her. One didn't even need to see the feel the fear and panic begin to spread through the populace.

The only thing that kept things from descending into anarchy was the foreman Loban, her father, and the Kyoshi Warriors stepping up to handle the evacuation. Course she had to help out as well. Wasn't like her to just sit on the sidelines and let everyone else do the job for her. Besides, Sokka was right about one thing. Somebody had to take charge of the mines from collapsing. They wanted it done? Better call in the best earthbender in the whole world.

And woah, they needed her. Just grazing her fingers against the battered mine wall was enough to tell her the people who dug these tunnels didn't exactly employ earthbenders to make sure it wasn't going to collapse. Or hired any to make sure it was structurally sound. There were cracks and numerous stress points all over the system, with the only thing keeping things together were old rotten beams, rusty supports, and a prayer.

"Everyone alright sir?" a voice asked, looking to her for leadership. If the circumstances were any different, she would've reveled in the authority given to her by the town's earthbenders.

Right now though, she had a job to do. "Spread yourselves out and keep tabs on the supports." Her voice sent a stampede of feet scurrying to their positions detailed out by Team Avatar's strategist. Sokka's plan was to focus most of their efforts on the western tunnels. If the fighting above was going to be at the edge of town, that's where the most stress would be put. No civilians were put there, but given the rickety nature of the mines, he didn't want to take the chance that one collapsed tunnel could have a cascade effect and weaken the others.

A whole lot of innocent lives were counting on her, including Suki (who would do her best to keep calm amongst the civilians along with her warriors), and Katara (who, despite her concerns about Aang, was needed in case they had a cave-in and they needed a healer). All the more reason to make like a rock and stand her ground.

Out there, she knew that there was a huge spirit on the way. And there was an equally gargantuan kaiju that would rise to face it. Neither one of them was going to take a single life today.

A brush of robes brought her attention from the earth. "So…I guess I can't convince you to join me with the civilians."

"Nope," she bluntly told her father's voice.

"And you're certain-"

"That I'm the only one who can keep tabs on the mines since I'm the best earthbender here? Yeah. I'm certain."

"Is that what I'll have to tell your mother if you get yourself killed?"

"Well, you can tell her I died standing my ground saving people. Tell her that despite everything that came between us, I still loved her. That I knew who I was, and how I didn't need to prove that to anyone else. Not to you or anyone else."

A pause. It couldn't have been more than a second or two, but Toph felt it drag out. Why didn't he say anything? No more words about how he was disappointed in her? How her selfishness would destroy them both? That she wasn't thinking clearly? Oh, she had a response for each question. And she simply didn't have the time for any of them.

Instead, she just heard a slow trodding away from her, the robes brushing against the stony floor. Her father's departure let her breathe a little, letting her focus on the earth. She didn't want to think about how this could be the last time they talked.

Toph stomped her foot into the earth to keep tabs on the surface above. Turns out she didn't need to. The mines shook as heavy tremors shook the walls. One after the other. Footsteps. Even from far away, they were causing tremors.

That wasn't the only thing she felt though. Her stomp revealed all the surrounding earth. The mines, the people in the mines.

And the massive thing tunneling its way toward the footsteps.

It was time.

From the east the sun rose, bathing all of Cranefish Town in its glow. Aang felt its rays fill his soul, the breeze flowing past his robes, the ocean from behind, and the earth beneath his feet. Appa waited beside him, waiting for his rider to get on his back and take to the air.

That time was coming soon as General Old Iron cast his shadow upon the town.

Even from a distance, he was enormous. A towering figure, clad in stony armor. Heavy fists swung by his sides, and boots the size of boulders stomped their way through the jungle. His head was clad in a large helmet, with a threatening glare. And in the middle of his forehead was a glowing orb, possibly an eye.

Momo chittered in concern, seeing the titan lumber towards them in the distance. Chuckling, Aang reached over and brushed his lemur's ears. If nothing else, the lemur sitting on his shoulder was a reassuring weight.

Old Iron was still a distance away when the earth began to tremble. The trees shook before a great mass pushed itself through the earth. Great spines stabbed into the sky, great legs pulling the being from the earthen cradle. And behind it thrashed a long and spiky tail.

Anguirus shook the dirt and earth from his back, growling at the incoming spirit. His presence was enough for Old Iron to stop, silently gazing at the ancient dragon.

"There's our cue!" Aang declared, knowing there was no turning back. Appa grumbled as the airbender clambered onto his back, but both of them knew that Aang was the best person to handle a situation like this. One "yip yip!" and they were off, the bison flying through the air towards the two living mountains. Momo glided alongside, his eyes glued at the awe-inspiring sight.

Two beings, so big that they boggled the imagination. They almost resembled sculpted mountains or monuments amidst the vegetation. The eye of Anguirus focusing on Appa as he flew by was no illusion though.

Aang nodded at the great kaiju. They had one chance to resolve this peacefully. If the spirit was willing to listen to anyone, it was the Avatar.

Cautiously, Appa flew in the great expanse between them right up to General Old Iron. The spirit looked down at the airbender and his mount. Both of them felt small against that massive stony chest plate.

"Avatar," a voice rumbled.

Pulling himself up to his full height, Aang stared back at the giant. "General Old Iron."

"The sacred pact has been violated. Humans have defiled the grave of Lady Tienhai and lay claim to territory that belongs to the spirits. I cannot allow this crime to go unpunished."

"You already got your justice when you killed the Rough Rhinos," Aang said steely. Inwardly, he kicked himself for not being there to stop them from killing themselves. But he supposed there was little he could've done given the fact that he didn't know they were there. "There is no reason to wreak destruction on the people of Cranefish. They had nothing to do with them."

"No. But their refinery has poisoned the forest at its edges with its foul air. I cannot simply ignore such a threat. How long before more humans arrive to drive their borders further into our land? How many more refineries? How much more destruction until this land is no longer sacred? Is it not my right to defend one of the oldest forests in the world?"

"It's in your right, General. But we are trying to fix things too. We have a priestess and acolytes who have dedicated themselves to the teaching of the Air Nomads. They're willing to work with the refinery owner to mitigate the damage, and they have no intention of expanding their borders. The people will honor the ancient boundaries that have existed since the time of my predecessor."

Deep within the black voids where the eyes would've been, the giant stared blankly at the Avatar. "These people ravage you want to protect everything they touch. I cannot ignore that. And I won't let neither Avatar nor beast stand in my way once more."

A low growl thundered from Anguirus's maw. Behind him, the tail swiped across a swathe of the forest, clipping the tallest trees. Its swiftness was surprising considering its massive size.

Aang sighed. He was afraid things would come to this. "So be it." With that, he pulled Appa back into the sky. Way back.

Leaving the two titans to glare each other down.

Both stood, sizing the other up. Weighing whether or not this was a battle they wanted. It had been a long time since their last confrontation, but the memories were still fresh.

Then, out of the stillness, Anguirus reared up and let forth a high-pitched roar from his crocodilian maw.

In response, General Old Iron rushed the beast, stomping his way through the thick jungle towards his rival. He would not be disappointed, for Anguirus practically flung himself from his position and charged right at the incoming spirit. Boar-like snorts and snarls were heard as the earth dragon trampled through the trees like they were grass.

The two titans barrelled toward each other, leaving flung trees and clouds of dust in their wake.

When they collided, one could've sworn a mountain had collapsed as several metric tons of flesh met reinforced stone armor.

General Old Iron planted his feet down and swiveled himself to the side, letting Anguirus's momentum carry the reptile past. What he didn't see was the whip-like tail lashed out and rake his armored torso, chipping the outermost layer. With a speed that seemed so alien for his size, Anguirus wheeled around and aimed his teeth right at the spirit's shoulder.

What he bit down on instead was the heavy stone gauntlet of the warrior's forearm. Sharp as though his tusks were, they couldn't pierce through the thick armor. Old Iron kept the snapping jaws at bay while readying his other fist to smash into the unguarded belly of his rival. Anguirus's arms lashed forward and caught the fist with his arms.

Both giants pushed against one another, throwing their full force into their struggle. Looking above, Aang couldn't help but marvel at the sight. It was like something out of one of the legends the monks told. Of times when spirits and ancient gods vied with one another for supremacy.

It honestly made him wonder if there was even anything he could do in the wake of such power. Sure he was the Avatar, but fighting just one of these things nearly killed him. How was he supposed to handle two of them? It's not like he could just tap into the Avatar State without risking yet more civilian lives deep in the mines beneath their feet.

Down below, the General smashed his trapped forearm into Anguirus's muzzle. Rolling with the momentum, the great beast sharply turned his head with the fist. In turn, he showed his heavily spiked back to the spirit. Before Old Iron could even think, Anguirus threw himself backwards by pushing himself behind with his hind legs.

Great spikes smashed into the armored warrior's face. General Old Iron toppled with a heavy thud to the earth, crushed under Anguirus's full body weight. The fall of such a colossal being caused cracks to form in the earth, and the very ground trembled with the power. It almost seemed an earthquake was about to rock the battlefield.

And that was Aang's cue. Snapping out his glider, he leaped from Appa and dove to the ground. Falling gracefully to the earth and a good distance away from the battle, he stamped his feet into the earth and braced himself for the impact.

Being hit by an earthshattering tremor from two giants wrestling was about as pleasant as one could expect. It took every bit of his willpower to keep himself steady. Not something easy to do when he could see the earth and trees being torn from the battle up ahead.

So he envisioned everyone counting on him in his mind. Katara. Sokka. Toph. Suki. Everyone from Cranefish would be crushed under rubble if he didn't stand his ground. A mountain against the rumbling earth. And hold he did. Digging his heels in, he reached out and strengthened the earth beneath him. The tremors met an earthen shield, colliding against it. Right behind him would be the mines, who hopefully would only get a few shakes at best.

If only Toph could see me now, Aang thought to himself. It was a simple maneuver, but being the Avatar meant he just had to pour some of the power given to him into the ground.

Up ahead, General Old Iron shoved Anguirus's bulk off his body. He pushed himself up on his feet right as the saurian rolled back up and lunged at his shoulder. All those teeth would bite down on would be another massive stony fist. The Guardian Beast found itself dazed from the impact, leaving himself open for Old Iron to launch into a renewed assault.

Before he could lower himself back down, Anguirus was pummeled over and over again. His unprotected belly became a place for the spirit to unleash his wrath. Each punch forced out a pained grunt from that reptilian maw, forcing the kaiju back further and further.

Not too far back behind him was the airbender. Aang's eyes widened, seeing that the battle was getting closer to him. He had to get them away. Waving his arms alongside him, he conjured a gust of wind to propel him towards the warring beasts. The winds also came in handy in keeping him on his feet, letting him dodge the incoming flying trees and foliage uprooted from the battle.

Right as he was about to reach the point where Anguirus was thrashing his tail, he leaped into the air. He used the winds to propel him up high before crashing down with his feet. The increased altitude let him force up a great ridge before him.

Both of Anguirus's back feet pressed up against the ridge. In the grand scheme of things, it could've only slowed his retreat down. But what they did give the kaiju was some temporary stability. Using the ridge as a bit of, he pushed himself right at Old Iron, smashing his horn right into the spirit's mask.

With the momentum behind him, Anguirus lunged forward and sunk his fangs into a gap in Old Iron's armor: the shoulder. The General let out a grunt of pain and tried to shake off the monster, pounding his fists into that armored back. Anguirus held on like a rabid dog, turning with the spirit to keep his fangs embedded within the spirit's flesh.

The violence of their struggle resulted in that massive tail of Anguirus whipping around and kicking up another torrent of trees right at Aang. He snapped open his glider and took to the air, just barely avoiding the trees.

…only to run into Anguirus's thrashing tail.

Aang bent a defense ball of air before him to cushion the impact, but he still felt the wind being knocked out of him. Desperately, he grabbed onto one of the huge spikes and hung on for dear life. He heard a distressed roar from Appa, but there was little the bison could do without getting dangerously close to the warring titans.

Their struggle came to an end when Old Iron curled his fist and landed a huge uppercut right into the kaiju's jaw. Anguirus cried out in pain, the momentum of the punch sending him plummeting to the earth. Seeing the world getting dangerously close, Aang pushed himself off of Anguirus's tail and snapped open his glider, trying to get as much distance as possible.

A resounding THUD could be heard throughout the forest as Anguirus landed on his back, blood running down his maw. The Avatar couldn't help but squint, knowing such an impact was going to shake up the mines down below.

Everyone in the mine held their breath as they heard a massive impact from above, with dust and pebbles being dislodged from the wall. Katara sweated a little, both from her concern about Aang and the ever-present danger of those walls collapsing all around them.

At her feet though, the hurt earthbender groaned in fear. She gingerly brought out her healing water and helped soothe the nasty bruising he received from deeper in the mines. There wasn't a failure in the supports yet, though he got hit by a couple of large rocks if his companion was accurate. He certainly couldn't walk under his own power.

"It's okay. It'll be alright," Katara tried to reassure, cleaning the blood from a cut on his arm. Though she wasn't sure if she believed her lie. The wounds looked far more serious than she was willing to admit.

Looking around, everyone was working overtime. Suki, her warriors, and the Air Acolytes were doing what they could to reassure people that things were alright. That the Avatar was doing everything he could to keep the fighting away. Sokka was keeping tabs on the earthbenders by having some of the fastest runners relay messages between here and the deeper tunnels. Even Loban was doing what he could by cleaning people's faces from dirt. Most surprisingly, he came to check on some of the wounded earthbenders, particularly those that didn't seem long for this world. Katara had to give him credit, he certainly knew when to get his hands dirty.

The crying and moans of the wounded were a lot for her to take in. Such enormity weighed down on Katara, who wasn't quite used to carnage of such scale since…well, best not to think on that right now.

Her attention was drawn to one of the tunnels, hearing one of the runners come through the entrance. Sokka ran up to him, waiting for him to catch his breath. "We had a few rocks being dislodged. Nobody got hurt, but it was a bit of a close call. Toph's ordered the earthbenders back to the next stretch."

"What about her?" Sokka asked.

"She…said she was going to hang back and hold up the ceiling as much as she could."

"WHAT?!" Lao cried. The patriarch of the Beifong family pushed his way through the civilians to the mine entrance. "LET ME THROUGH! I NEED TO GET MY LITTLE GIRL OUT OF THERE!"

Suki and Sokka had to hold onto his arms to prevent him from rushing into the shaking mines. "With all due respect sir, but you've got a death wish if you want to go down there!" the Kyoshi Warrior snapped.

Lao struggled even more violently, forcing both of them to strain with effort keeping him still. "I WON'T LOSE HER AGAIN! SHE CAN'T HOLD THOSE WHOLE COMPLEX TOGETHER BY HERSELF!"

"Yes, she can!" Katara retorted, marching right up to the noble. "Toph's not just one of the best benders I've ever seen. She's also one of the bravest people I've ever met."

"But she's-"

"A pain in the ass?! Yeah, I know! But she's not helpless! And trust me, the last thing she would want is to hear about how her father got himself killed trying to save her!"

Their argument was caught off as more tremors ripped through the mines, causing more dust and pebbles to rain down on them.

Hopefully, she doesn't kill herself trying to impress you, Katara silently shot at Lao. Not out loud since quite frankly, an argument was the last thing anyone needed. She swore that the more she spent time with this man, the more she understood why Toph wanted to get away as far as possible from this family.

Though whatever familial problems her friend had paled in comparison to the chaos going on above.

Up above, General Old Iron slammed fist after fist into Anguirus's soft underbelly. The saurian cried out with each blow, but his assailant's patience had run out. In desperation, he lunged forward with his jaws open wide. He got a mountain of rock driven right in his face.

For but a moment, the assault petered out. He coughed out blood, forced up from what had to have been a few broken bones in his chest. Every breath came out with effort and pain. Despite it all, Anguirus glared up at General Old Iron who loomed ominously over his broken body.

A growl left the reptile's maw. One last act of defiance in the snarling masked face of destruction. In response, the General clenched his fist and raised it to smash his wounded opponent.

Before he could end this fight once and for all, a fireball exploded on his mask. Growling in frustration, the spirit's face tracked the passing form of Appa pulling up to his face. Aang stood firm on his bison's head, his stance falling into that of the Dancing Dragon.

"THERE'S PEOPLE BENEATH US!" he shouted. "You keep going like this, and you'll kill them all!"

"Then maybe they should've thought of that before despoiling this sacred place!" Old Iron swung ponderously at the comparatively small target. Appa glid just out of range, roaring as if to tell the spirit to stop and listen.

"You're doing a pretty good job of destroying this place yourself, Old Iron!" Aang gestured around them, showcasing the ruined earth and the smashed forest all around them. "For somebody who's supposed to protect this place, you're causing more damage than that refinery has ever caused!"

Old Iron stomped toward him, his booming footsteps drowning out Aang's words. "The forest WILL grow back. You on the other hand don't see the big picture. They will cause more damage to this place in the long run if they keep on their destructive ways. This is but a small sacrifice to the desolation they will bring."

"They'll learn!"

"And how much you will sacrifice until they do so Avatar? Until they destroy this whole world?!" The General reached out to crush the Avatar with his gigantic hand, the shadow falling over Appa.

Aang gave no fear though, despite how badly he wanted to run. "It won't come to that. Cause we won't allow it."

It was then that Old Iron wondered why this child was so calm in the face of certain death. The answer came to him in the rumbling of the earth.

While the Avatar was busy trying to talk the General down, Anguirus regained his breath and dragged himself to his feet. Shaking his head clear, he spotted the unguarded flank of Old Iron. His instincts caused him to lunge forward, and with surprising dexterity for an animal of his size, curled himself up into a ball. The lunge caused him to roll forward, a gigantic spiky boulder bearing down on the distracted spirit.

All General Old Iron saw before impact was a wall of spikes and pure muscle. A strong BOOM! resounded across the ruined fields from their contact. Old Iron himself cried out in surprise as he plummeted to the ground on his back. Anguirus landed on all fours, baring and fangs and roaring that he was not out of the fight just yet.

The spirit dragged himself up, shaking pieces of broken armor off his body. Seeing the cracks in his defenses, Old Iron quickly brought himself up on his knees to face the charging kaiju. Anguirus snarled, sensing the chinks in the spirit's defense as well. Old Iron tried to swing his fist in retaliation, but the saurian ducked his head under the incoming blow before bringing both it and his nasal horn right into the spirit's chest.

Old Iron found himself crashing to the earth again, but this time, he managed to use the momentum of his fall to roll back up onto his feet. So when Anguirus tried to press the advantage, he was able to plant a heavy boot in the kaiju's face.

A being as old as the Guardian Beast was not some mindless animal though. Like Old Iron, he turned with the impact and brought his lashing tail around to rake the mask of the spirit. He managed to chip a few more pieces of armor as the giant backpedaled, trying to get some breathing space.

Appa flew forward, carrying Aang as he blasted gusts of air at the stricken spirit to keep him off balance. Every step that Old Iron took backward was more space and hope that the people of Cranefish Town had.

Behind, Anguirus felt the pain sap his strength and drain his burst of adrenaline. Curling one of his forefeet into a fist, he smashed it into the ground. It wasn't just out of frustration with how violent this battle was becoming. A beast of the earth had to have been in tune with the element he drew strength from.

His eyes widened sensing the collapsed tunnels beneath him. They were right on the edge of the mines, and their fighting had caused the furthest-reaching shafts to crumble. This was all turning into a repeat of their previous conflict.

Just as bad, the fighting was taking its toll on the surrounding forest. This used to have been an untouched wilderness for countless generations. Now their fighting had ruined it in just a day. If this dragged on, the damage would spread even more and threaten the future of this region for both man and beast. What little they would've been fighting to protect would've been destroyed with their war.

They needed help to end this quickly. Luckily, Anguirus had sensed it.

Down below, he sensed a powerful earthbender holding up a crumbling portion of the mines by themselves. He had felt such power only a day before. Seeing the damaged but still thick stone armor of Old Iron, Anguirus understood that the earthbender would be more than well-suited for the job.

Wheeling around, Anguirus dug through the earth where he knew his ally would be. He cried out, hoping that she got his message through the ground below.

If anybody knew how to finish this battle, it would be one who understood and could see the earth as he did.

Toph was soaked in sweat from both the strain and the screams.

She heard the last few earthbenders who tried to escape from the deeper tunnels cry out as they were buried. Being somebody who saw the world through the dirt, she also felt their struggles cease as they were crushed.

Her stance hardened though, knowing that many more lives would be lost if she didn't hold this tunnel back. The warring titans above and the destabilized tunnels made that job more difficult. It was as Sokka said. A few collapsed shafts threatened a chain reaction.

Even for her, it was a losing battle. Running wasn't an option. If there was a chance she could stabilize this collapse, she had to take it. But it was like back with the drill. Alone, this was too much for her. Toph began to wonder if these mines would be her grave. If that's the case then…

She choked out a sob. All she'd done was to find and earn validation for her condition. To find people who loved her for who she was. Yet despite how much she saw Aang and the others as family…it didn't fill that empty hole her mother and father dug.

"I'm sorry…" she whispered, knowing it was just a matter of time before she was overcome by the angry earth.

A huge obstruction fell right in front of her.

And suddenly…the collapse stopped. The obstruction not only halted the tremors, but it allowed the earth to pile up and prevent the system failure from spreading by forming a buffer. It had to have taken some serious earthbending to pull off if it was earthbending she was sensing.

Letting her muscles relax, Toph reached out with her hand and touched the obstruction. It didn't feel like a fallen portion of the mine.

Certainly didn't feel like earth either. She would've sensed a big chunk of rock landing in front of her.

In fact, it almost felt like bone.

Reaching around, she felt the scaly skin of the toe, and the warmth of blood coursing through its veins. High above, a familiar cry was heard through the earth.

Toph smiled, knowing then and there who her savior was. More importantly, she knew where she was needed.

Appa roared with surprise, narrowly avoiding the massive stony fist coming right at him. Try as Aang might, the spirit managed to stabilize his backpedaling. Turns out that when one's the size of a mountain, it's pretty hard to keep them on the defensive for too long. Granted, it was a fact he learned fighting Godzilla, but at least his diversion bought Anguirus a little bit more time to recover.

Didn't do him too much good though. Aang pulled on the reigns, bringing Appa back further from the swinging fists of General Old Iron. Plumes of dirt kicked up from the spirit's charge, his shadow swallowing both bison and rider.

Aang was about to pull the panicking Appa to the side when a massive boulder came flying into the General's face. The impact stopped Old Iron right in his tracks, allowing the two airbenders to escape to a safe distance. Who in turn, got out of the way of a charging Anguirus who smashed his armored body into the spirit's chest. Once more, the spirit was pushed back from a renewed assault.

The save from Anguirus was appreciated, but Aang was still surprised by the boulder. It was pretty small for something a kaiju would just fling across the battlefield.

"HEY TWINKLE TOES! DOWN HERE!" he heard a familiar voice cry out. Aang did a double take as he landed Appa to confirm that yes, Toph was calling him down. Granted, she was yelling in the wrong direction, but it was the thought that counts.

He leaped off of Appa and ran over to the blind girl. "Toph? What are you doing here?!"

"Big guy over there needed my help, so he dug me out of the mines," she said, pointing directly at the grappling titans. Aang didn't bother to ask how she was able to sense them and not him. Probably easier to see giant monsters than somebody who was naturally light on his feet.

"But what about-?"

"He plugged the shaft up with some earth and stabilized the collapse. As long as we keep those guys away, everyone down there should be okay." Toph proceeded to walk over to a huge stony structure that had embedded itself in the earth. She ran her fingers across its surface in puzzlement. "What's this thing?" she asked.

Aang recognized it right away. "It's a piece of Old Iron's armor. He's completely covered in it, so we haven't been able to wear him down too much."

"And it's completely made of stone…"

Toph got a wicked smirk on her face. The same realization hit Aang.

They knew then how to beat General Old Iron.

Meanwhile, General Old Iron was close to breaking Anguirus's back.

The second wind had caught the spirit off guard, but Anguirus's own injuries had sapped him quite a bit of his strength. Granted, the point was to get Old Iron farther away from the mines. And that was something he knew how to do.

So he stood his ground, stomping into the earth. Lowering himself to the ground, the kaiju once more curled himself up into a ball. Anguirus exposed his armored shell towards the raging Old Iron, feeling the heavy impact of those massive fists raining down on his back. He grit his teeth, the earth shaking beneath him with each punch.

His armor held out before his body was broken though, when two great ridges of earth slammed into the legs of Old Iron. The spirit cried out with surprise as he was forced back. Down below, Aang and Toph simultaneously raised a block of earth in front of them on the ridge before kicking the blocks right at the General's knees.

Old Iron stumbled back a bit, before rapidly bringing his arms in front of him to block a ram from Anguirus, springing out of his curl into a lunge. The spirit grunted, being forced further back. A crack had formed on his mask, accentuating his glare towards the benders and monster that defied him.

The sight made him roar with rage, smashing his fists towards the ground. Such an impact ripped cracks in the earth. Both Toph and Aang stood their ground, hardening the ground underneath them to buffet the tremors (and to shield the mines behind them). Anguirus just went low, taking the earthquake head-on and letting it crash against his body.

Not content with just shattering the earth, Old Iron swiped through the cracks in front of him and threw up a hail of boulders in the air. Aang and Toph just kicked back at the boulders, both of them being more than capable of taking on such a barrage. The former added in a few fire bombs to his counterattack, adding more projectiles for the spirit to deal with.

Once more, Old Iron was forced back, and once more Anguirus lunged to push him back further. He pummeled him with fists, denting and chipping the armor. This time though, the spirit was ready. With one massive fist, he backhanded the kaiju. Unfortunately for him, when one was held back, another picked up the assault. Aang took to the air on his glider and threw another fire bomb in the General's face. Distracted by the explosion and the fire, he didn't see Anguirus clamp his fangs down on his shoulder.

The bite was shallow though, letting Old Iron easily punch the kaiju in the face to get him off. Anguirus crouched to the earth, coughing up blood and glaring at the General looming over him.

And the earthbender on the spirit's chest currently ripping apart the armor.

While the tremors slammed into Anguirus, he allowed Toph to clamber onto his arm, letting her leap from him to the spirit during his pummeling. Truth be told, the blind earthbender panicked a little jumping into the air, but her confidence was restored feeling the stony armor of the spirit. This she could work with.

Reaching forward, she began bending piece after piece off, tearing it to shreds. Being the best earthbender in the world had its advantages, and that meant she got the spirit's chest exposed in no time. Beneath the stone, she would've seen a huge swirling core of white energy. If she was able to see of course.

She also didn't see Old Iron notice his armor being ruined, and swing his arm to squash the irritant…

What she did feel though was Aang grabbing her collar and yanking her away before hearing the fist smash where she was. "Cutting it a bit close there, Twinkle Toes!" she called out, realizing she just avoided being a bloody smear.

Aang would've smiled if Old Iron's rage hadn't reached a peak and reached out with a crushing hand.

He didn't get far. Anguirus had curled himself up once more and rolled himself into Old Iron's exposed chest. Now stripped of his armor, the spirit cried out as 30,000 metric tons slammed into the energy within his chest.

The once proud General Old Iron plummeted to the earth with a heavy thud. Anguirus proceeded to slam both of his arms on the spirit's hands, pinning them down. A roar erupted from that crocodilian maw, practically ordering his rival to stand down.

Aang and Toph landed a good distance away from the titans, falling into their stances in case Old Iron decided to drag this out any longer. If not, then the fangs of Anguirus hovered dangerously close to the spirit's exposed core. The Avatar recalled there being a curse against those who killed spirits, but he wasn't sure if that worked against one such as the Guardian Beast.

General Old Iron looked Anguirus in the eye, before sighing.

"I…yield…"

At once, the spirit's body began to glow with an unearthly light, blinding anyone who looked at it. When it faded, the great stone soldier had vanished from under Anguirus's pillar-like feet. Instead, a figure twice the size of a man stood before the Avatar. He wore a lighter set of armor, and his skin was as red as blood. A black beard and mustache gave him a dignified look, while his glowing white eyes (including the third one on his forehead) only hammered in the fact that this being was not of this world.

Spirit and Avatar held this gaze, an almost otherworldly peace amidst all the chaos and destruction. They both took a moment to gaze at such destruction, the jungles and earth turned to ruin all around them. Even Anguirus took a moment to take it all the destruction in.

"I…have failed in my duty to keep this place sacred," Old Iron lamented. "I've failed Lady Tienhai. And in doing so, I've let this place come under the thrall of humanity."

Indeed, Cranefish Town stood untouched far behind Aang and Toph. Down below, they knew that the mines had held out as best they could. The people were safe.

They also knew that it was sorry comfort for Old Iron. Behind the spirit, Aang could see the unspoiled jungle that survived the battle. Somewhere in there, the old ruins lay untouched. For how long though? Around them was destruction. And if he knew people well, it wouldn't take long for others to come along and take advantage of this.

"We'll honor the old agreement. The jungles will remain under the protection of you and Anguirus when it grows back. The people of Cranefish will keep to theirs as best they can," Aang firmly declared.

The spirit though shook his head. "There will be more. Already, humans have built a settlement on my borders. It won't be long before they encroach on this place."

Behind him, Aang saw many people emerging from the mines. They must've heard that the tremors above had stopped and wanted to see what was going on. Didn't take too long before he was embraced by two pairs of arms.

"Aang, if you're going to be fighting giant monsters from now on, please let me watch your back," Katara playfully chastised. It was at that moment that Momo decided to land on Aang's head and barking at him. Evidently, the lemur wanted to let him know how worried sick they all were about his safety.

Appa on the other hand just landed with a heavy thud and affectionately licked his rider. Aang let out a warm laugh despite (or maybe because of) the heavy saliva running down his clothing. Leave it to the bison to have good spirits despite nearly getting crushed.

All Sokka had to say was, "Good work, buddy! We managed to save the majority of Cranefish!"

"...not all of them though?" Toph asked.

The water tribe siblings' cheer was dimmed a bit from her question. It took a few moments of nervous silence and trying to muster up the courage to give the news before Suki stepped in. "We lost some people during the collapse. Maybe some of them are still alive, but…it was pretty bad."

"They'll be honored as heroes regardless. I'll make sure of that," Loban announced, his tone being a bit more somber than usual. The other owner of the refinery stood a distance away, unwilling to look Toph in the eye.

Hei Wan and Imana on the other hand, rushed forward and knelt in reverence at the towering figure of Anguirus, who stood quite a ways from the gathering. "Thank you Anguirus!" Imana thanked. "Without you, more lives would've been lost."

The kaiju breathed heavily in and out, licking the blood off his maw and attending to his wounds. Right now, he wasn't exactly in the mood for reverence. Aside from his two unexpected worshippers, nobody wanted to get too close to a bloodied and bruised monster.

His rival looked more sorrowful at the swelling crowd. "It seems my time here has ended."

Aang broke from the hug at the spirit's words. "Wait a minute! Old Iron, this is your home too! Don't you want to stay?"

The spirit just shook his head sadly. "This will no longer be a forest unspoiled by humans. Its purity has been lost, and now they who ravaged this world are in control. I have nothing to offer."

"I wouldn't say that! Look at Hei Wan and her acolytes!" Aang pointed out. The leader of the Air Acolytes looked up at the mention of her name, causing her to rush over. "Despite everything, they managed to keep the teachings of Yanghcen alive," the Avatar continued. "Sure, they might not know everything there is to know about the Air Nomads. But that doesn't mean they can't learn."

"I…thank you. Avatar." Hei Wan gave a grateful bow to the last nomad.

"If people are willing to take up the old ways, even if they weren't born into it, maybe that means the villagers of Cranefish can learn too," Aang explained. "Maybe you can teach them! You know, maybe get them to help the forest heal!"

"Teach…humans?" Old Iron's eyes widened from the implication, the stoic demeanor faltering. "Avatar, I cannot teach those I had sworn to destroy. And I cannot certainly teach those who do not know where they failed."

"I am willing to learn." To Aang's surprise, Loban strode right up to the spirit. Reverently, the foreman knelt before Old Iron and bowed deeply before him. "All this destruction, all of this despoiled wilderness. It all happened because I came here with my refinery and workers. I wanted to make things better for my people, but their safety was my responsibility. I had failed. I tested your wrath and failed to properly protect them from the dangers of my mines. If you will impart your wisdom on one such as myself, I'll honor your name and adopt your teachings."

"And we'll help," Hei Wan declared, also giving a reverent bow. "We'll teach Cranefish all we know. Teach them how to improve their ways and ensure the safety and prosperity of all. Spirit, human, and beast alike."

Imana joined them as well. "The denizens of Infant Island are willing to help. We may not be Air Nomads, but we've lived in harmony with nature for all our lives."

"Looks like there's people willing to learn, Old Iron," Aang observed. "Will you have them?"

The General looked between the Avatar and the people. What thoughts were churning behind his eyes? He held himself like the warrior he was, yet his brow was furrowed. "I…don't know what to say. I cannot call myself a teacher."

In time though, he allowed his shoulders to relax. "But they do deserve the chance if they want to learn. I will teach what I know. If this will ensure the survival of the forest, then I shall stay."

Team Avatar watched as more people of Cranefish gathered before Old Iron, ready to hear the spirit's first words. It was a surreal sight. One who once would've been their doom had offered to guide them. But they were willing to follow.

Aang wondered how long it had been since spirit and humans had come together like this since the war started. Too long, a voice answered. And for a moment, a vision of an ethereal woman flashed before his eyes. A woman he had seen before in the form of a great statue.

"I'll make sure things will turn out okay," Aang told Lady Tienhai. The vision smiled before dissipating.

With that, Aang turned towards Anguirus. "Thank you. I know we haven't been the best stewards of the world as of late, but it's good to know that one of your kind hasn't given up on us yet."

Anguirus looked upon Aang and Toph, leaning down and bathing them in his breath. He bowed his massive head towards them both, before turning to the jungle. Slowly he lumbered away, leaving the heroes of Cranefish behind to celebrate.

One thought emerged in Aang's mind though: Anguirus was benevolent, or at least as benevolent as a kaiju could be. Yet they all couldn't be like that. Godzilla certainly proved that.

How many less benevolent kaiju were out there?

Colonel Mongke gasped for air as he ran deeper into the woods. He'd lost his rhino to some nightmarish creatures in the panic, and he was just trying to get as far away from the ruined city as possible.

It had gone all wrong. Old Iron had killed most of his men. When he sounded the retreat, the rest of them were overcome by many of the jungle's most savage beasts. Not just the Horned Ones, but giant predators and other herbivores that proved to be just as brutal. It was as if the entire forest had come alive to strike them down.

There came a point where he simply couldn't run anymore. He fell to his knees and panted. He had never imagined a time would come when he would be the last of the Rough Rhinos. It had to have been a sick joke.

"How sad…" a familiar and infuriating voice from the trees mocked. "The once proud Rough Rhinos now reduced to a scared and pathetic man. I expected better from you."

"SHUT UP!" Mongke screamed, getting into a firebending stance. He looked around him, trying to find out where the voice came from. "You knew this would happen. You KNEW that spirit would come after us!"

"You should've seen it coming," the voice taunted. Mongke spun around, but it seemed to come from everywhere. "A band of war criminals lost in the realm of spirits and ancient beasts? Your time was numbered the moment you set foot in this land."

"You bastard. You'll pay for butchering my people."

A shrill laugh pierced the air. Mongke froze. That laugh didn't sound human.

"I'M the monster? Typical Fire Nation. You incinerated and slaughtered innocents over a century, yet the moment the tables are turned, you call your betters 'savages'. Face it. This was a long time coming. And if you cannot fathom what you've wrought, then you have no place in this world."

"Come out and FIGHT!" Mongke screamed, desperately trying to find those blue eyes.

"I'm right…here…"

He turned around…

The last thing he saw was blue eyes, a gaping maw line with teeth, and a deathly pale body with sharp dorsal spines running down the back.

Colonel Mongke couldn't even scream before he knew no more.

Mt. Aso,

Aso Island

Azula fought her captor the whole way.

She couldn't see her assailant in the tunnel, but she could certainly blast bursts of blue fire at it. The predator simply hissed in frustration. Its angle meant she couldn't get a good shot, neither could she risk bending too much fire lest she suffocate herself in the tight space.

Didn't mean she struggled and kicked its face over and over again. By the time she felt the tunnel space out and she was dragged into a more spacious area, the insect's annoyance with her reached a peak. It abandoned all common sense and lunged at her with a massive claw aimed at her head.

Azula threw a fireball at its face, scorching one of its eyes. A shrill hiss erupted from its maw, pulling back to avoid another eye being ruined. She hurriedly scrambled up to her feet in the meantime, holding a fire in her hands to light the room.

What she saw was a whole swarm of those bugs looking back.

They didn't attack at first, eyeing her waringly. Some of them didn't even pay attention to her. Instead, they were more focused on devouring the soldiers they had killed, their mandibles and claws making short work of their armor. The massive insects that sized her up held back, no one wanting to be the first to get their faces burned. It wasn't like it for prey to last this long.

Not that it calmed her nerves. The chittering and waving of claws made her feel…small. She was trapped amidst a whole horde of predators clad in powerful chitin capable of tearing a man to pieces. She looked all around her, trying to find a way out. There were a few larger tunnels, but those lay far behind the insects.

One of whom decided to test its luck and charged at her, knocking her over with its massive head with her attention towards the tunnels. It raised one of those massive claws to pierce her through, its maw already salivating at a potential meal.

Azula saw red. Roaring, she lunged up and drove a fist of blue fire right into the insect's eye. It shrieked and struggled in agony, but the Princess was out of mercy. She thrust her other fist forward and drove it into the thing's throat, incinerating it from the inside out.

Her assailant fell over dying, twitching from its burns. Landing on her feet, she breathed fire from her nostrils and glared at the other foul things around her. They all backed away nervously, seeing that this prey still had some fight left in her.

"COME ON!" she roared, bringing fire to her hands, daring them to make another move.

Their stalemate ended when a dull explosion was heard from below, shaking the earth. Azula's thoughts first went to the explosives. Somebody must've survived and set them off.

Her thoughts then wandered to the insects rushing her, their nerves breaking. Their numbers helped embolden their charge. Azula stood her ground, dodging to the side and driving a fire dagger into the thorax of the first bug. She then rolled across its back before kicking a blade of flame into another on her right. A hiss caused her to lash out at her left, driving a fist full of flame into its open mandibles.

The bug shrieked, stumbling back. Azula took the initiative and rammed her body against it, knocking it to the ground with her on top. She let forth blast after blast into the soft underbelly of the vermin, before driving a fist of fire into the underside of its jaw.

Leaping off the dying creature, she opened her mouth and let forth a huge burst of blue fire. The insects back off, for such rage in their prey was alien to them. Truth be told, Azula was surprised by her sudden burst of adrenaline and strength, but that wasn't the most pressing matter on her mind.

What did press on her mind was the desire to not be food for mere beasts. She was a Princess of the Fire Nation. She REFUSED to be devoured.

The insects backed away nervously, realizing that two of their kin were dead and more were injured. They were weighing the odds, and before long, some of them made a run for the tunnels.

It was a start, but some of them were still stunned by her display. Azula snarled. Looks like she'd have to fight her way out.

Then one of them was plucked from above. It screamed, dragging its claws into the earth in a futile attempt to save itself. The others just watched as it was hoisted up…before they all ran for cover.

Azula dove to the earth to avoid being trampled by one of the insects, before it too was plucked by something. All around her, the foul things scrambled for safety, either being snatched up or being crushed by massive claws. The survivors retreated to their tunnels, sounding the alarm as they descended.

Rolling up on her back, Azula looked up.

And up.

Before her was a massive drop-off into the mountain's heart. Down below, the red glow of lava rumbled as the volcano came alive. From it rose a massive chest, lined with spikes. Those claws clutched the walls of the chamber, while an avian head crunched through the chitin of its captured prey with a massive beak. That beak was lined with gnashing teeth, while a pair of horns sprouted from its scaly head.

Azula knew what this was. And so did something else. Deep down in her soul, the three voices came together and proclaimed, My old servant…

At once, Rodan snapped its head down, glaring at Azula.

She shivered. Did…it hear the voices too?

Her answer came in the form of a piercing scream from the great phoenix. Azula had to cover her ears, the fury of the monster was so great.

For she was in Rodan's sights. And now, she was its next target.

Chapter Text

Mount Aso,

Aso Island

Princess Azula was well acquainted with staring Death in the face. Often it came in the visage of the greatest threats the Fire Nation ever faced, both from without and within their ranks. Some of them emerged closer to home than she would've hoped and did…"break" her if they wanted to call it that.

Yet the one thing that brought them all together was what she reassured herself every time she wielded her deadly, blue flame: she could fight this. She could stand her ground, take what they brought, and pay it back tenfold. It was a rule she had always abided by since she was little. And even now, she had not lost faith in it.

Looking upon those blazing eyes amidst the fiery smoke of an active volcano though…this was one thing she couldn't fight.

All that she could do was run. And run she did, breaking under Rodan's furious shriek. Azula made a beeline for one of those tunnels, not caring if any of those foul insects were hiding in the shadows. She didn't make it far before one of the oversized pterosaur's hands slammed into the ground right in her path.

Behind her, she heard the other clawed hand cut off the other tunnels. Leaving her penned at Rodan's mercy. The kaiju had none to spare, hacking downwards with his beak aimed right at the Princess.

Azula made a running dive towards the back of the room, barely avoiding being skewered. The thrown rocks from the impact kept her down, lest she get her neck broken by a jagged stone. Hurriedly she picked herself up from the black stone before diving once more to the side, avoiding another jab.

It only bought her some time and she knew it. Trapped between the arms of a kaiju and the ground being ruined with every strike, it would only be a matter of time before she'd find her bones being crunched and flesh torn by those sharp teeth. Yet it wasn't like she could power her way through those giant claws either. She needed to buy herself more time to figure out a plan.

A thought occurred to her. Rolling herself up, she let out a massive burst of blue flame from her fingers. In any other circumstance, it would've been an impressive display by her standards. Here within the heart of a volcano though, it was a mere blue flicker amidst the angry smoke and fire below.

However, it didn't go unnoticed. Rodan paused for but a moment, watching the azure fire burn through the air. Seeing that her gamble was working, Azula held out her palm and brought forth a ball of her flame, holding it high for the titan to see. The One Born of Fire (that's what Maina called him, didn't she?, wondered Azula) observed the display, his muscles slightly relaxing.

She would've smiled if she hadn't known better. Her fire would've held the kaiju at bay for but a moment. It was a calculated risk, but it seemed that these creatures were drawn to her fire if Godzilla was any indication. As for what it meant, she wasn't sure, and she didn't exactly want to hang around for too long lest she find out.

Azula weighed her options. She could've launched a fireball against Rodan's snout, maybe startle him enough to briefly open a way out of the cavern. It was the only idea outside of engaging the monster directly, but that was suicide on her own.

Her mind was about to be made up before the blue fire raged out of control, reaching heights not seen since the comet. Azula's eyes widened. She hadn't paid the fire any less attention than normal. No, it was as if it was taken from her. That her fire responded to the presence of another.

That presence made himself known through the walls of the volcano, a muffled roar that still sent chills down her spine. Rodan knew it as well, looking up high into the overhead funnel of the volcano where it echoed into the chamber.

At once, his attention was drawn to the intruder, digging his claws into the walls of the volcano and beginning to climb himself up. Beneath him, the lava began to ooze from the mountain's heart, rising in his wake.

Hurriedly, Azula darted her way down through the nearest tunnel. She wasn't about to let this chance go. Letting forth bursts of fire from her hands, the Princess propelled herself through the lava tubes. The glow of the coming lava served as a warning to keep moving forward. So she did, rocketing where she figured the surface was. Mainly any tunnel that wasn't being illuminated.

It made things a bit easier, that was for certain. Before long, she burst from the tunnels. Azula felt her breath go wild, but still, she sprinted down the mountain. Better that she made as much distance as possible than wait for her to get her breath back after expending so much fire.

Looking around her, she saw some of those insects emerge from the ground and scramble for the high hills. Clearly, they had the right idea, but her legs began to ache. Azula cursed her tired muscles slowing her down. Of all the times her fatigue had to kick in…

A sharp cry to her right brought her attention to a sight she couldn't believe. Running down the slope towards her was the familiar shape of Flame Runner. Shocked that her Mongoose Dragon had stayed behind, she hurriedly launched herself with one final burst of blue fire into the air aimed toward her mount.

Flame Runner slowed down, allowing the Princess to land on her back. The reptile gave an annoyed look at the rider before sprinting down the side of the mountain. Not a moment too soon either. Lava erupted from the tunnels, cascading down the volcano. It ran down fluidly, though slow enough for the Mongoose Dragon to keep ahead of it.

They were some time into the grassy plains when they saw the sea monster rise from the depths out off the shores of the island. Azula pulled Flame Runner's reigns, taking in the sight.

It was him again.

Even from this distance, Godzilla was enormous. Great torrents of water fell down his scales to the sea below. A good distance away from him, the scout ships hightailed it to safety. Already the kaiju was charging towards the ships that were hanging back a distance away from him.

That awful roar of hatred left his maw, thundering all across the island to hear.

And from the volcano, a shriek answered.

Turning in her saddle, Azula watched as the phoenix pulled himself out of the erupting volcano. His claws gripped the sides of the vent, rivers of lava ran down his reddish brown hide, and Rodan hauled himself free. Perching on the ledge, he looked at his counterpart from the sea, tilting his head in curiosity.

Azula suddenly felt very small. The sight of one kaiju was enough to boggle the mind. Two seemed to be something right out of a nightmare. Who would've thought that things like these were just lurking in the darkest corners of the world, and how out of their depth humanity would've been if they decided to wake up? In the corner of her eye was the village in the distance, looking downright fragile amongst the great beasts.

The titan from the mountain let out a series of clicks and calls towards the one from the sea. If their presence shook Azula's constitution, the sounds Rodan was making riveted her in place. They weren't the emanations of some enraged brute. There was a pattern.

For some reason, she recalled an old passage she read in a scroll once. How the dragons of old used to have a language of sorts and were more intelligent than any would-be slayer gave them credit for. Could Rodan's cries be some kind of dialect shared amongst these things? Godzilla was certainly intelligent enough to understand the Avatar and go after specific targets after all.

Whatever he was saying, Godzilla just snarled in response. Another roar left his maw, shutting the other titan up. His intent was clear to Azula. The God of Destruction wanted war.

Rodan paused, before nodding to himself and letting out a war cry of his own. He spread his wings out to their full spread. They were huge. Sure, they were suitably enormous for a creature of that size. But that wingspan had to have been bigger than the rim of the volcano. And the edges of the wings were aglow with lava. With them at full spread, Rodan's spread was cast all over the slope of the volcano.

At once, Azula kicked Flame Runner, urging her onto the shore. With any luck, Maina, Kori, and Kazuma would've gotten everyone to safety. And if she knew men like Ryuui, she also had a good feeling where he'd be. A place where he could see this oncoming battle directly, maybe somewhere he could direct the ships offshore.

She'd have to be quick about it. Both to get to the Commander fast and to get as faaaaar away from the volcano as possible. Sure enough, Rodan snapped his wings and dove from his perch flying straight towards the shore. His wings were so massive, they kicked up a tempest of dust and lava in their wake. Azula was almost torn from her saddle when the kaiju flew over, let alone Flame Runner who had to dig her claws into the earth.

Behind them, the avalanche of dust and lava came right them. Even still, they weren't any match for a Mongoose Dragon at full speed. Evidently, Azula didn't exactly need to urge her any further with such a massive factor right behind her.

The Princess didn't envy the people on the boats though. Hopefully, her orders got through. If they tried anything reckless, things would go from bad to even worse than they already are.

On one of the ships, a captain oversaw the incoming Rodan fly down the mountain. He and his crew couldn't believe it. The Great Phoenix himself. They'd all heard the stories of course, but to behold his appearance was as if Agni herself was blessing them all with her servant.

Didn't mean the sight was any less intimidating. Those great wings dripping with lava, the volcano erupting in the distance. And of course, the opposing dragon wading its way toward them.

"Sir! On the shore! The Admiral's giving the signal!" Following where his subordinate was pointing, the captain did see the signaling flare from one of Admiral Ryuui's adjutants. Ordinarily, this would've been the moment where their own offensive would've begun. His firebenders were manning the catapults, ready to aid their god against Godzilla. Such an honor would've propelled them to the same status of the besiegers of Ba Sing Se. Assuming they also didn't share their fate.

Instead, the captain held out his hand. "Princess's orders. We're to wait until Rodan inflicts a wound or to assist when absolutely needed." Acknowledging his orders, the soldiers relaxed a little. And more than one man felt a little relief. Even from this distance, Godzilla was immense, and that massive tail thrashed through the water. Truth be told, nobody wanted to be on the receiving end of that thing's rage if any of Azula's stories had any truth to them.

Nor did anyone really want to get in the way of Rodan, who skirted the surface of the sea. His mighty wings kicked up plumes and waves of seawater with his passing, his beak releasing one more warcry.

Claws outstretched, Rodan snapped his wings in front of him, creating a huge wave with the air pushed out in front of him. The tempest of water and air slammed into Godzilla, who stood still and took it head-on. With so much seawater displaced, it gave Rodan cover to collide right into the sea monster, his claws pushing into those powerful shoulders.

Godzilla snarled, feeling himself being pushed back from the ram. He lunged forward with his teeth barred, hoping to sink them in one of the pterosaur's wings. Rodan pushed back just in time, launching himself out of the way of those sharp teeth. That sharp beak raked at the side of Godzilla's neck, dislodging a few scales but not doing any lasting damage.

Maneuvering himself to Godzilla's left side, Rodan rammed into his flank, stabbing and tearing at that same spot with both claw and beak. Latching on to the side of a thrashing kaiju though was NOT easy. It didn't take too long before Godzilla suddenly lurched forward and threw the pterosaur off his back.

Rodan twisted himself in mid-air and spread his wings, regaining control of his trajectory. He then snapped his wings and propelled himself higher into the air back towards Godzilla. The crew manning one of the Fire Nation ships found themselves buffeted by high-speed winds from the whiplash. They braced themselves by hanging on to whatever they could, lest they be blown off and sent careening to the waters below.

Those who kept on their feet witnessed Rodan climb high into the air before diving right onto Godzilla's head. The pterosaur moved so fast, there was no way for his larger opponent to respond before impact. Rodan's dive forced Godzilla's head down, while his claws raked those hateful eyes.

With the larger kaiju disoriented, Rodan once more aimed downward and attacked the same spot on Godzilla's neck. Every strike chipped more scales and skin off, each one hoping to draw blood.

Godzilla's rage though intensified. He roared before jerking his torso backward, smashing his skull into Rodan. The phoenix found himself thrown off once more. Before he could attempt to regain control, Godzilla's tail lashed up and smashed into his chest, forcing him beneath the sea.

The God of Destruction whipped around and reached out with his claws, curling around Rodan's neck to throttle the life out of him. His strength was so much, that it forced blood up from his rival's beak. He didn't stop there though. His fury reached a new peak, causing his dorsal spines to flash blue, heralding an azure inferno.

Right as fire gathered at the back of his throat, Rodan lunged upward and stabbed his beak into Godzilla's neck right at the weak point he created. The dragon roared with pain, feeling the beak dig into his neck and pierce his throat. Rapidly he forced the fire down, not wanting to take any chances.

Yanking Rodan's bloody beak out of his neck, Godzilla roared in the pterosaur's face and crunched down on one of those huge wings. Now it was Rodan's turn to shriek in agony, feeling those teeth threaten to break his bones and rob him of his biggest advantage. He lashed out with his claws and scored home, raking one of Godzilla's eyes. The great titan roared with fury, freeing Rodan's wing and letting him backpedal.

The two titans tussled with one another, both trying to inflict another injury. Rodan came in again and again at Godzilla's wound but wasn't able to score any direct hits. His flight was hampered by his own injury, meaning he couldn't maneuver as well as he could. And every moment counted. Already he could see Godzilla's wound begin to heal itself. His gambit to nullify that fiery breath would soon be rendered null and void.

Snarling, Rodan backed off and flew back to Mount Aso. Godzilla bellowed in fury, demanding that the Phoenix return to finish the fight. That was until he was abruptly cut off by a barrage to his wound. A number of Fire Nation ships had maneuvered themselves to get a clear shot at the wound and took the chance to open it further.

Godzilla growled with fury, turning toward the ships, intent on dealing with the ones that dared to strike him. Those who incited the rage of the king would feel his wrath.

When she had ridden through the chaotic jungle (it seemed that Rodan's soaring from above had disturbed many of the inhabitants), Azula's eyes widened at the scene.

Godzilla and Rodan were locked in brutal combat, the two trading blows and causing the entire coast to churn with raging, white water. The sight was both astonishing and terrifying at the same time. Not only to think that such mighty beasts walked the earth but at the sheer scale of it. She could see the ships being tossed around like toys even from such a distance away by the waves. Azula had to thank Agni that both sense and her orders kept those sailors from moving head first into certain death.

For the moment anyways. Rodan had retreated with a bloody gash on his shoulder, leaving Godzilla alone in the harbor. The ships began to fire, aiming at a wound gouged into the monster's neck. It was just as she had planned, though she still paled when she saw Godzilla's attention turn towards the ships. Yes, her orders were to exploit any wounds, but not push the assault too far lest his rage would be turned from Rodan to them.

Thankfully the firing ships got the message, maneuvering to get some distance and to get into a better position at Godzilla's wound. What's more, she saw several furious bursts of fire coming from the beach. That could've only been the Commander (she refused to call him "Admiral" anymore) trying to get the situation back on track.

Not if she had anything to say about it. Azula snapped Flame Runner's reigns, urging the Mongoose Dragon to race towards the beach. As she closed in on the men, the Princess heard Ryuui roar, "What are they doing?! Get ALL those ships firing away immediately!"

"I wouldn't bother, Commander," Azula bit out, capturing the attention of the astonished men. Her boots hit the sand, marching right up to Ryuui. "I gave them orders not to engage unless they had an opening. You know, what a competent leader would've done without putting his men at risk."

"Whu-how did-? Well because of YOU, our ships are exposed! If they supported Rodan-"

"Would've had the same result. You honestly believe that your ordinance can hurt that?" Azula cut off, pointing to the raging sea monster. "All you would've done was piss it off even more! Be thankful that Rodan was able to get away with a single bite instead of getting his wings torn off!

"Also, I thank you for your concern for my safety, Ryuui. I am more than capable of handling myself around giant bugs." She flicked away one of her bangs just to punctuate her sarcasm.

Ryuui gaped for a moment, before pointing at her. "Somebody restrain her! She attempted to prevent Rodan's awakening AND confessed to changing the orders! That's treason!"

"...you want us to arrest the Princess sir?" one of his adjutants asked. Indeed, the rest of his personal guard seemed a bit confused.

"Oh for the love of-she's the reason your comrades are in danger!" Ryuii roared, his composure rapidly deteriorating with his loss of control over the whole situation. Again, nobody made a move.

That's when Azula made her play. "What I did was save them. He would've marched you all to your deaths if he could. Which he did with your comrades by the way. I know you have friends on those ships. Are you willing to stand by and let this man who would've thrown their lives away order you around?"

The officers and guard looked around both at each other and the ships out at sea. Azula kept her face passive, but she knew from experience what people would do when their friends and loved ones were in danger. The hard way, but at least she learned.

In the silence, Azula heard a piercing shriek from behind. Reflexively she ducked, avoiding the gust of wind that was kicked up as Rodan soared above, returning to the fight. The Commander and his officers weren't so lucky, with some of them being barreled over by the wall of air.

Rodan drove his claws into Godzilla's face, clawing and stabbing at both the saurian's eyes and wounded neck. Looking closely, Azula saw that a layer of lava had been applied to the wound on the pterosaur's shoulder. Clever, she thought. And she was impressed further by the kaiju focusing in on that gash in Godzilla's neck.

In fact, now that she thought of it, wouldn't Godzilla have breathed fire by now? Looking at that wound, she wondered if that was one more measure Rodan had taken to tip the balance of power in his favor. Well, there was a weak point if it ever needed to be exploited.

And a potential bargaining chip, Azula realized. What her brother would give to know a chink in Godzilla's armor.

She'd have to cross that bridge once she got there. Right now, she had other priorities. Pulling herself up, Azula shot a quick burst of flame at the staggering Ryuui. It was only a light strike, the flames not even burning through the outermost layer of his armor. What it did achieve was knocking him down.

Azula raced forward, the other officers either not knowing what to do or still pulling themselves up. She aimed her fist at the downed Ryuui, effectively giving him a warning to stand down. As much as she wanted him to pay for leaving her behind, she knew he would've been more valuable as leverage. Perhaps giving Zuko a prisoner who actually was a high-profile rogue army leader could get him off her back.

Naturally, Ryuui had no intention of being a prisoner. He lashed out, kicking a wheel of flame in Azula's direction. The Princess batted away his attack before having to back off from the burst of flames being thrown in her direction. Azula knew his form was pretty standard for somebody of his rank, and ordinarily would've been able to break his center in no time. If it only weren't for her less-than-desirable condition between having to fight through a horde of insects on top of what she sustained from the asylum.

What she could do was draw his attacks. Block, parry, do anything to goad him into making a mistake. So the two firebenders dueled alongside the warring titans. Ryuui went on the offensive, throwing flame after flame at the one he was supposed to have led to glory. Azula just held her ground, unwilling to lose one more duel. Meanwhile, Godzilla was busy fending off Rodan's strikes, defending his wound and looking to land another punishing blow.

Their warring shadows did not go unnoticed by Azula. Indeed, she tried to pull back towards the jungle, hoping to get herself and everyone else away from the beach. Didn't help that the shadows lengthened as the battle thundered ever closer.

None of this was even acknowledged by Ryuui, who just kept pushing forward with his furious offensive. Azula had to give him credit, it took a certain amount of idiotic bravery to ignore the giant monsters fighting behind him. She, on the other hand, would not give him a duel he craved. One of the things she learned a long time ago was that to play by another's rules was to court failure. Princess Azula was no stranger to failure, but she also knew never to play to your opponent's advantage.

And she read Ryuui like an open book. A man such as him would've craved a glorious victory, something he would tell his fellow nobles about. Why else would he pull together such a suicidal plan to take on Godzilla? It was a trait more than a few would be "war heroes" shared. The best way to beat a man like this would be to deny what he wanted.

Another thing a self-proclaimed "Admiral" wanted would be obedience. That she took care of already. His men watched both their fight and the duel between the titans, unsure of what to do. Finally, Ryuui turned around and snapped "What are you doing?! Somebody take her down!"

Thus, the opening was created. Azula rushed forward, firing a burst of flame right at Ryuui's face. The commander hastily batted away her fire burst, but wasn't able to prevent Azula from lashing out her leg and swiping his foot out from underneath him. Suddenly off balance, Ryuui tried to let forth a fire blast right in the Princess's face.

The Princess just batted his fist aside, letting the flame blast harmlessly past her, before slamming a weak force of fire into the older man's chest. It wasn't enough to burn through his armor, but it was enough to take down the already off-center Commander. Ryuui plummeted onto his back into the sand.

Azula then backed out of the range of his legs, taking a firebending stance. Her body posture made herself clear: stay down or risk getting incinerated.

Ryuui glared both at the Princess and his disobedient officers, who were beginning to back away from him. "You…you'll NEVER get the throne without me," he snarled.

"And you'll never be seen anything more than as a failure, Commander Ryuui. Hope you can live with that," Azula spat back.

She was about to order the adjutants aside her to take him into custody before an enraged roar thundered across the beach. Out in the bay, Rodan had clambered onto Godzilla's head and had his claws dug into the dragon's face. His wings were spread out, practically dragging the larger monster towards the beach.

"GET EVERYONE BACK TO THE VILLAGE! NOW!" Azula ordered, her voice trying to make itself heard over the din of the fighting monsters. She got the message across though. The men scrambled for their Mongoose Dragons, who were tied up to the tree line behind them. Their mounts in turn were panicking from the oncoming titans, who were coming dangerously close to the beach.

Azula was about to call for Flame Runner before she heard the shifting sand behind her. Her reflexes kicked in, elbowing Ryuui who attempted to make one last strike before jumping into the air and lashing out a blade of blue fire behind her.

Ryuui cried out as he was knocked back, while Azula ran for cover, running as far to the side as she could.

The so-called "Admiral" Ryuui's last thoughts were that of the towering shadow from above. Looking up, he went pale as Rodan let go of Godzilla's head, causing the titan to plummet. All that could've been heard was a bloodcurdling scream before it was crushed by the enormous reptile.

Azula ducked, feeling the sand wash over her from the impact. It all happened so fast, but that scream still played out in her mind. Truth be told, a part of her still wanted to believe Ryuui's promise. Or maybe that was the part that couldn't help but shudder at being crushed by a titanic beast such as Godzilla. All in all, she couldn't help but feel empty at Ryuui's death.

Her attention turned to the giant monster pulling himself to his feet. Specifically, how close Azula was. She backed away slowly, hoping not to catch Godzilla's attention with rapid movement. To keep herself reasonably collected, the Princess focused on that ragged wound on the right side of his neck. Once again, she noticed how the flesh was regenerating, trying to cover over and heal the wound.

It was such an ability to heal without the use of waterbending. How could any creature be capable of such power? A strange sensation of warmth coming from the wound gave her a hint. Azula blinked, feeling what could only be described as fire running through the monster's powerful veins, being funneled into the wound. She didn't understand it. Did the same fire Godzilla wielded also heal his wounds?

If she got out of this alive, it would have to be something to look into. For now, a tremor from Rodan landing some distance away caused Azula to involuntarily freeze. She now found herself close to TWO massive kaiju. Luckily, Rodan seemed more interested in giving off a series of calls and clicks, but she didn't count on having this reprieve for too long.

She couldn't help but listen. Now that she was close, she heard that the calls, bizarrely enough, didn't seem too aggressive. High pitched and frantic, sure, but it didn't sound inherently threatening. Rodan choosing not to take the opportunity to attack and letting Godzilla drag himself up confused her more. What was that oversized bird trying to achieve? Get himself killed?

It certainly seemed to be the case as Godzilla rose to his full height and roared with fury. His rival seemed to take the hint, with Rodan charging forward. Shaken out of her stupor from seeing those massive talons dig into the sand, Azula sprinted away just as Godzilla lashed out with one of his arms. Rodan stopped midway, the claws of the dragon meeting nothing but air. That massive beak of the One Born of Fire stabbed forward, aiming right for Godzilla's wound.

What Rodan got was the other powerful arm smashing into his head, batting him away. Before Godzilla could lunge forward to crunch his teeth into that injured arm though, the pterosaur launched himself backward using the momentum of the strike. His great wings let forth huge gusts of wind with each wingbeat. They were so powerful, it was enough to hold back even the mighty God of Destruction.

As such, Azula didn't have much chance out in the open. She felt herself being blown away by the gale, her arms and legs flailing helplessly in the tempest. The Princess panicked, almost envisioning her limbs being held by watery tendrils, or being frozen. Didn't help the ocean lay right behind her.

All of a sudden, she felt herself crash into the sand, the gusts suddenly cut off. Looking up, she saw Godzilla marching against the wind. His left leg must've stomped in front of her, inadvertently providing a shield. Against all reason, Azula got up to her feet and followed with the massive leg.

Peering through her fingers, she saw the jungle right ahead. If she could only just reach it…

Her hopes got dashed when Rodan suddenly dove right at Godzilla. This time though, the dragon was ready. He grabbed his counterpart in mid-air, crunching down on Rodan's throat. With one swift motion, Godzilla whipped around and threw the pterosaur out to the sea.

He also dragged his massive tail along, with Azula right in its path. Despite her muscles' protests, the Princess sprinted up the beach and headed for the cover of the trees. She reached the treeline just in time for Godzilla's tail to breach the jungle. Azula got lucky that a thrown-up log sent her sprawling to the ground instead of being crushed.

Groggily pulling herself up against a tree, Azula was about to limp further into the forest before the sound of a barrage caught her attention. Looking back out into the bay, she saw several Fiery Raptor ships unload their payload against the mountain. Godzilla roared with anger, his ire being drawn towards the soldiers who'd dared to raise their fire against him.

The barrage also gave Rodan cover, allowing him to right his flight path over the bay. He made another charge at Godzilla, this time his claws digging into the sea monster's scaly hide. The larger kaiju stood his ground, the thick scales preventing the talons from sinking in too deep. Snarling with nothing less but contempt, Godzilla grabbed Rodan's foot and hurled him to the ground. Interestingly, Azula noticed that he turned his body to the right during his toss, preventing the ships from getting a shot at his wound.

Then she realized that she was in the middle of a literal war zone. Azula grit her teeth and tried to power her way through the ruined jungle by sheer force alone. It got her a few steps before she collapsed into the foliage. The pain from getting hit by that log was too much. All she could manage was crawl behind the broken stump of a tree and watch the warring giants not too far away.

Rodan was sprawled on the ground, watching as Godzilla stomped towards him. He took a deep breath, rising just as his opponent lifted a massive foot to crush his skull. At the very last moment, the pterosaur breathed out a massive funnel of wind right in Godzilla's face. The winds rivaled that of a tornado, something that even the mighty dragon found himself blinded by.

It was exactly the opening the pterosaur was looking for. Spreading his wings, Rodan took to the air, slamming his spiked chest into Godzilla's head on the way up.

Azula's eyes went wide as dinner plates upon seeing Godzilla stumbling back towards her. Thankfully for her, the kaiju stopped himself before he got too close, but she started to sweat a bit. So much for running to safety. Her exhaustion and injury would've made it difficult for her to make a clean getaway without getting stepped on or blown to pieces by the high winds.

While looking for some way out of this, she noticed the wound on Godzilla's neck. Or rather, the glow that was coming from it. At first, it almost seemed to be the same glow that came from that waterbender's bending when she healed her brother. Yet she also sensed a fire behind the glow. She wondered if Godzilla was trying to breathe fire once more, but his dorsal spines remained dull.

At the same time, the healing around the wound was being accelerated. Was…was Godzilla using his fire to speed up the healing? How was that even possible?

She made a mental note to think about this once she wasn't in immediate danger. Azula looked at the two combatants, trying to figure out which presented the most imminent threat. Godzilla seemed to be staggering from the sudden counterattack. Rodan on the other hand was soaring to the far side of the beach. He had his wings spread out and took aim at Godzilla's now-exposed wound. Racing right above the treeline, Rodan kicked up a hurricane of sand, dirt, and trees as he passed over.

Azula decided that the incoming hurricane was the most immediate threat. More distressingly, she couldn't outrun winds those fast even without already being hobbled. The Princess gathered her wits and sprinted as fast as her hurt legs could carry her. It throbbed with each step, but at least nothing was broken. Thank Agni she had her armor back.

Unfortunately for her, the only cover in sight was Godzilla. Grimacing, Azula hobbled over by the staggering titan, praying that he wouldn't step right on top of her. At least she had a chance of surviving in cover rather than out in the open against a huge windstorm.

Said windstorm howled louder as it closed in, Rodan letting out a ferocious warcry to add to the din.

Godzilla just snorted at the crescendo. At the very last moment, the dragon snapped his body around and brought his massive tail swinging right at Rodan. Azula realized that he had deliberately exposed his wound to bring the faster kaiju in. No doubt he played up his staggered state to make the opening even more tempting.

The trap was sprung so suddenly, that the Princess was practically waiting for that titanic tail to come crashing down and break Rodan's back. Instead, the pterosaur flapped his wings and pulled up high at the last possible moment, letting the tail clobber nothing but empty air. Before Godzilla could react, the heavy winds slammed into his body, causing him to stagger. Azula had to dive to the sand away from the kaiju before one of his heavy feet came crashing down where she once took shelter.

A thunderous shaking of the earth kept her down. For the tail had come crashing down and sent shockwaves throughout the beach. Clouds of sand washed over her prone form, both her body and mind reeling from Rodan's gambit.

She was not the only one staggering. Buffeted by the high winds, Godzilla was now truly stunned. What's worse for him, his wound was exposed to the other side. Right in view of Rodan who was making a banking turn out at sea and turning back right towards the dragon. Once more, he glided along the beach, kicking up another hurricane of sand and wind.

Azula was just able to propel herself into the cover using her firebending behind the beleaguered kaiju before the winds howled past. This time, however, the great tail lay motionless. All Godzilla was able to do was thrust out his arm and bat away Rodan's sharp beak. Even then though, the Phoenix tasted flesh, bringing out a spurt of blood from the wound as he flew past.

Buffeted from both sides by high winds and his wound opened back up, Godzilla had trouble keeping his balance. He teetered dangerously, his shaky legs having problems keeping that massive bulk up. Azula saw what was coming and sprinted into the jungle as hard as she could. She wasn't able to make it to the treeline before exhaustion took over, bringing her crashing to the sand.

Just as Godzilla plummeted to the earth himself, collapsing on the ruined sand. Azula struggled to stay conscious amidst the turmoil, for the force of the impact was that great. The only thing that kept her somewhat awake was her mother's voice, screaming for her daughter's safety.

By the time Azula shook herself awake and clambered to her unsteady feet, the beach had turned into a warzone. Trees were strewn all over the place with their roots exposed to the air. Sand had been disheveled, with sea water pooling in to fill empty holes.

And Godzilla, God of Destruction, had fallen. Motionless.

Azula struggled to regain her breath, keeping herself on her two feet through sheer willpower. Looking around at the devastation, she realized how lucky she was to be alive. Nothing that Father had ever taught prepared her for such carnage. At least there were no strewn corpses this time. She couldn't even see Ryuui's body, which must've been crushed into oblivion amidst the fighting. It was a small comfort, knowing that more people had been able to survive.

Not that it brought her relief. Rodan descended from above, kicking up sand and blowing the unsteady Princess over from his descent. Cautiously walking over, the pterosaur observed the motionless kaiju. Only the steady rhythm of Godzilla's chest rising and falling was the only sign of life.

Still, Rodan placed a foot on Godzilla's neck, his claws pinning it down. He made a series of chirps and calls to the fallen titan, which suited Azula just fine. She scrambled for safety, not counting on the brief lull in combat to last. Once Rodan saw her, she doubted she'd be able to pull another stunt to save her a couple more precious seconds.

Turns out, she wouldn't need to.

For Godzilla's eyes snapped open, his dorsal spines coming to life with blue light.

Before Rodan could pull back from the ominous glow, Godzilla's tail shot from the sand and slammed him in the back. This forced the pterosaur to lunge forward, right as Godzilla swung his head around and opened his maw.

A torrent of azure flame was unleashed, washing over and consuming the Phoenix. Rodan was forced back from the sheer force, allowing Godzilla to rise up and tower over the beach. Beneath the torrents of sand that were cascading down the kaiju's hide, the wound that before had prevented him from unleashing his fiery breath had fully healed.

The sight of all his efforts having gone in vain caused Rodan to backpedal, but not enough for him to back down. He shrieked in defiance at the charging sea monster. While his hide was scorched, it didn't suffer any serious burns. A testament to the One Born of Fire's affinity with the flame.

Godzilla didn't care though. He unleashed another fiery breath, wanting nothing more to reduce Rodan to cinders. The pterosaur simply spread out his wings and took to the air, dodging the flames and charging right towards the other kaiju. Yet Godzilla had become well aware of this now desperate maneuver. He reached out with his arms and clutched the talons of Rodan with his claws, before spinning around and slamming them into the jungle.

Rodan landed hard on his back, yet he didn't cry out. He simply took a deep breath as he crawled away, hoping to get away from the raging mad monster. Godzilla though just whipped around and slammed his tail right into the spiked chest, forcing the built-up air right out of Rodan's beak.

With blood dripping down his beak, the Phoenix crawled onto his belly and tried to take to the air. Panic had set in, with the battle spiraling out of his control. Great swathes of jungle had been flattened by their war, leaving Aso Village visible amongst the ruined vegetation.

Hunkering down by a fallen log, the cowering Princess Azula cursed her luck seeing the village. So close, and yet so far. Granted, nowhere was safe at this point, but she'd rather hunker down in one of the shelters than be in the middle of all this chaos. At least she would've have a sliver of a chance.

Now she just watched as Rodan took to the air, only for Godzilla to lunge forward to crunch down on his foot. The firebird cried out in shock as he was dragged to the earth, then cried out again in pain when Godzilla stomped on his back. Reaching down, the dragon mercilessly pulled on one of Rodan's wings before a very audible SNAP! was heard.

The wing of the once mighty Rodan fell limply at his side, dislocated and useless. Godzilla's rage was not sated by just crippling his rival. He reached down and yanked Rodan up with his arms, curling his claws around the throat of the thrashing pterosaur. Even with the odds against him, the One Born of Fire refused to give up, trying to skewer one of Godzilla's eyes out.

A crescendo of firebombs would come to his aid. From the bay, the ships fired their payload into the air with a thunderous boom. Godzilla just turned around and held Rodan in front of him almost like a shield. All that firepower was able to accomplish was bombarding the one they were supposed to help.

Amidst the chaos, Godzilla and Rodan locked eyes once last time. Down below, Azula saw what she could've only described as a pleading look in the Phoenix's eyes.

Godzilla had no mercy though. His dorsal spines burning blue, he crunched down on Rodan's throat. Flames erupted from his mouth, threatening to scorch right through even the hardened skin. Rodan struggled, raking deep, bloody scratches in Godzilla's hide, and tried to pierce one of those hateful eyes.

There was little he could do though. All he could do was choke out the last few breaths before the air in his throat was consumed by fire.

Azula couldn't watch. The carnage and screams were horrible. She tried to cover her ears to block out the choking and the burning. It was all too familiar…

And suddenly…it was over.

Nervously, Azula drew her gaze upward, expecting to see the charred corpse of Rodan plummeting to the ground.

She did see the bird fall to the sand, with a nasty burn on his throat. Yet to her surprise, Rodan weakly crawled away. Beyond all reason, he was still alive. Wounded and visibly shaken, but still alive.

The Princess couldn't understand it. When she looked towards Godzilla, all she saw was the fire on his dorsal spines dying out. His eyes were wide, and his claws shook. He took a few steps backward, his breath coming out rapidly.

Slowly, Rodan crawled up to his feet, gazing at the other kaiju. Both didn't make a move. They just watched one another. Once it was clear that Godzilla wouldn't go back on the attack, the Phoenix's muscles relaxed a little. Reaching over to his dislocated wing, Rodan cried out in pain as he snapped it back into position.

Still, Godzilla did not move. Azula looked between the two, wondering what was happening. Since when did this remorseless monster spare somebody? The Avatar was one thing, but even he talked Godzilla out of his rage. She figured he would've torn another monster to pieces.

Instead, when he had Rodan at his mercy…she didn't understand what was going on.

A revelation alighted in her mind. Turning around, she hurriedly fired the signal for STOP! to the ships offshore. She didn't know what was going on, but neither did she want the sailors to potentially restart this conflict all over again if it could be avoided.

Looking out to sea, she saw the ships' catapults begin to go into an idle stance. The firebenders stood down, for her message came in loud and clear. Azula let herself breathe in relief, fatigue finally beginning to settle in.

Before it rose in panic she turned around to see Rodan and Godzilla staring at her. Some primal instinct buried deep down flared up once again seeing two gigantic creatures giving her their full attention. Rodan was the first to move towards her, but Godzilla gave a short snort, causing the bird to halt. Turning around, he let out a series of clicks and calls to the other kaiju.

Azula felt her blood run cold when Godzilla turned towards her with an intense look. At first, she thought she was dead. And yet…something about that gaze didn't seem to be directed at her.

Indeed, she felt another presence at the back of her mind glare back. It made her head pound, feeling as though she was found in the middle of some much greater conflict. The pressure was enough to make her hold her head.

She would've chalked it up to her madness if she didn't know that Rodan was able to hear the voices as well.

Godzilla growled menacingly at her, or rather at the presence looking through her. And suddenly, the pressure receded. The pain in Azula's head vanished, leaving her alone with the two kaiju. Both the monsters turned towards each other and gave a look that screamed they had some idea of what that presence was.

At once, Rodan nodded before spreading his wings. The Phoenix took to the air, leaving a gust of air in his wake. Azula rose her arm to keep the sand from getting into her eyes, watching as the kaiju rose into the sky and flew away into the eastern skies.

With the sun alighting his red hide, Rodan called out once last time before soaring into the clouds and out of sight.

Leaving Godzilla and Azula on the beach. The sea monster leaned down towards her, his breath nearly causing her to barrel over. Instinct kicked in, with Azula falling into a firebending stance. With her exhaustion and pain, a fight like this could go only one way.

Yet Godzilla just stared at her. "Come on. What are you waiting for?" Azula hissed, waiting for the dragon to reach out and try to crush her.

Instead…nothing. Godzilla just nodded and rose back up. He took a thunderous step past her, all thoughts and notions of the Princess fading with his lack of interest. All at once, Azula toppled over. Exhaustion, pain, and shock finally took their toll.

The last thing she saw before going under was Godzilla wading back out to sea, knowing that somehow, she'd have to chase after him. What other choice did she have?

Chapter Text

Aso Village,

Aso Island

It was a short ride back to the village, but for Azula, it felt like a lifetime. Her whole body ached from what had to have been a whole day of fighting for her life. Realistically, it would've only lasted maybe a few hours. Yet her vision going in and out made her worry that her broken body would collapse before her mind.

Truth be told, it was the steady undulation of Flame Runner's stride that kept her awake. Against all odds, the Mongoose Dragon had managed to weather through the carnage, taking shelter in the jungle. Or at least the parts that weren't trampled or burned down. Once the fighting was over, the Princess had found herself staring into the concerned slitted eyes of her mount.

A sheer force of will dragged her up from the sand and onto the reptile's back, making a slow journey to safety and through the ruined foliage. Trees were either trampled, blown over, or scorched. The sheer scale of the carnage never sunk into Azula. Inwardly, she wondered if her numbness towards the devastation was something to be concerned about.

Right now though, her only focus was the village ahead. In contrast to the devastation of the jungle she emerged from, the farmlands and buildings survived intact. Maybe a few trampled crops and some discarded farm tools from what had to have been the panic to get away from the incoming conflict, but those were the only signs of chaos.

The same story was told in the village. Stores were shuttered and houses were locked. Not a single soul was in sight, with the only sign of life being flocks of birds circling above. No doubt they were driven from their nests by the raging titans.

Lowering her focus, Azula road past the empty houses, taking a moment to look at some of the posters that clung to the buildings. Looking at the pristine image of her standing triumphant over Ba Sing Se, she couldn't help but wonder how messed up she was. A trickle of blood went down her lip, and she swore she felt a few bruises dot her face. And that wasn't counting her aching back.

She was alive at least, which seemed nothing less than a miracle. Numbly, she rode Flame Runner out of the village and towards a few wooden huts, trenches, and barricades. There, the people of Aso Village emerged from their hiding spaces, gazing at the sight of their Princess returning to them at long last. Already, soldiers were lining up and giving respectful bows as she rode past.

Once she reached the peasantry, Azula shakily dismounted Flame Runner and mustered the will to try and look dignified as she limped forward. It wasn't the most convincing show of strength, but she shot a nasty glare at a grunt who offered an arm. Quite frankly, she wasn't in the mood right now.

Especially with the head of the Saowon striding toward her. "What happened? How'd you let that monster get away?! Where's the Admiral?!"

"Dead," Azula snapped, shutting Jozain up. "And so would everyone else if I hadn't gotten the ships to stand down."

"You…I knew trusting you was a fool's errand! Guards! Arrest her!"

A silence rippled throughout the inhabitants of Aso Village. The men and women of the Fiery Raptors looked at each other in confusion, clearly not knowing whether obeying some propped-up noble was a good idea.

So Azula decided to answer for them. She stood up tall, looking each and every one of the soldiers in the eye. "Arrest me, and you'll just be another slave. Jozain and Ryuui would've sacrificed you all for glory. Just as my brother did. Forgive me for stating the obvious, but isn't our 'benefactor' sounding a bit too much like that traitor who sits on the throne?"

Murmurs went through both the soldiers and the villagers. Emboldened, Azula began striding amongst the ranks of the soldiers. "You all would've been handed over to the Earth Kingdom if Zuko had his say. He would've allowed people like Jozain to walk free if it meant keeping the 'peace'. Why else is the Dragon of the West not behind bars or on trial? As far as the nobles or your so-called commanders are concerned, you're just meat to keep the monsters off their doorsteps.

"After all, what's stopping Lord Jozain from turning all of you in to curry favor with the Avatar's puppet?" she crisply asked, staring Jozain down. The Clan head glared back, though his previous bluster had simmered down a little.

Looking from side to side, she saw several soldiers steadily begin to take her side. Nodding to herself, she went on the attack. "Sons and daughters of the true Fire Lord. Once, I used to be in line for the throne. Now though, I was thrown out of my own family in a blatant power grab. As fate would have it, we're all in the same boat. We're strangers to our own land, unable to go home and against countless enemies. Zuko. The White Lotus. The Avatar. Godzilla, and who knows what else is out there. In times like this, we need to be united more than ever. For if no one will stand by us, what chance would we have against the whole world?

"That means we have no place for the like of sycophants and spineless worms." She snapped her fingers, and at once, two firebenders marched forward and grabbed Lord Jozain by his arms.

"You're making a big mistake, Princess," the head of Clan Saowon hissed.

Azula shrugged. "And you're just the head of a dishonored clan. Figures you never learned from your family history. Failures never learn."

She jerked her head, signaling the soldiers to get this trash out of her sight. Lord Jozain protested and made how many threats, but his guards did nothing. They just shoved him along, heading to the village. Nodding that this particular business was dealt with, Azula turned to the rest of the Fiery Raptors. All at once, they began kneeling to her, showing her the respect she so long craved.

Nodding to herself that her plan had come to its climax, she motioned over Kazuma, who was standing nearby. "I want you to send word to any rogue army groups we have contact with," she ordered. "Tell them that the one true Fire Lord has returned. And tell them all that there is to be no engagements against Zuko, enemy forces, the Avatar, Godzilla or any other kaiju without my consent. Also, inform their leaders that I'll be keeping an eye on them. If I hear even one word about any half-brained schemes for glory, remind them of what happened today when somebody tries to be wise."

Kazuma bowed before rushing off to his duties. Satisfied, Azula looked towards both the Fiery Raptors and the villagers of Aso. "People of the Fire Nation. I've faced down impossible odds before. I conquered the unconquerable. I delivered us out of our darkest hour. And I will do so again and restore glory to our besieged people!"

All at once, the peasants and soldiers began to cheer her name, declaring her as the true successor to the throne. Azula felt a smile come on her lips. Finally, something was going her way. Her brother would've called it luck. She called it being what her people needed.

What she needed though…she needed some time to herself.

Azula strode into town at the head of the people. After watching them all opening their shops and unlocking their doors, she tiredly turned towards the village temple.

That was until she got hugged by a pair of arms. Before she could reprimand Ty Lee for not realizing what personal space was, she heard the much less fake voice of Maina in her ears. "Please don't do anything stupid like that again!" the priestess asked.

Her concern caused Azula to blink a few times in confusion, before awkwardly pushing the native girl off. "I was able to take care of myself just fine, but thank you."

"Right. And the fact you're literally about to collapse quantifies as 'being able to take care of yourself?'" Kori snarked, folding her arms as she looked skeptically at the Princess's admittedly battered form.

Azula shrugged. "It's nothing some sleep and a good meditation can't handle. Which I was going to do before I got so rudely interrupted."

She was about to turn and proceed to the temple for said meditation before Maina's soft hand snatched her wrist. "Azula, wait. Are you sure this is a good idea? Throwing our lot in with rogue soldiers? The Fire Lord's not going to take this lying down."

"Zuzu is coming after us anyways," Azula retorted, too tired to really put any bite into it. "Once he finds out where I am, he's going to come after me. And I don't know if you've noticed, but he has the Avatar on his side. Right now, we need as many allies as we can get, and I can't afford to be too picky. Wouldn't be the first time he went on some wild goose chase after all."

"...you've got a point there," Kori admitted, much to Maina's frustration.

"Alright, fair. But we can't exactly make a stand here. I don't want to get the civilians caught in the crossfire."

"We won't, Maina. As for where…that part I haven't thought out yet." The Princess admitted that her game plan didn't extend too far outside of the immediate aftermath of the battle between Rodan and Godzilla. On the other hand, it probably was the best idea when one was on the run, allying with untrustworthy characters, and being on a collision course with two kaiju.

All the more reason to clear her head and think of a good course of action. Something the priestess silently admitted as she let go of Azula's hand. Seeing that two members of their trio had their plans solidified, Kori declared, "Well, I'm going to go see if I can't find anybody that can come to Yu Dao and help with the protests. There's got to be a few people out here who don't think fondly of our Fire Lord."

"Try asking some of the Fiery Raptors. They'd probably be willing to lend a hand. I'll give them leave if they want to go," Azula commented.

"Uh…sure. I'll keep that in mind," Kori commented. She studied the Princess for a moment before turning to go find some people.

"Offering up soldiers to help out with the protests. That's pretty noble of you," Maina remarked.

Azula shrugged. "Nothing noble about it. Yu Dao is where a lot of pressure is being placed on my brother. If we can get those protests to work and humiliate his guard, his image is going to take a few hits."

"Right. And I'm guessing saving a whole village from a kaiju attack was just pure pragmatism. Yes?"

For once, the Princess didn't have an answer. Silently, she turned towards the Temple of the Firebird, unwilling to look Maina in the eye. The other girl followed from a distance, putting her ill at ease. Of course, it was logical to save the village. She needed a good image in order to make her play for the throne after all. And if she could win back the populace, that's what she was going to do.

It's not like she didn't want anybody else to needlessly die on account of her actions. That would be what Zuko would preach. No, she knew what she was doing, and she had to be cold-blooded for that.

Right?

Fire Temple,

Yu Dao

Zuko breathed in and out. His fire was there. He felt it respond to the flames in the Temple. But it was weak. Far weaker than he would've liked. The last time it had been this weak was when he joined Aang.

Which didn't make sense to him. He rediscovered the true meaning of firebending, didn't he? Even in this temple dedicated to his element though, he was finding it hard to find any passion. Any connection to that which gives the world life. It was getting him more frustrated the more he meditated on it. What was it? What was causing this blockage?

"Food for thought: maybe you really shouldn't meditate before the guy who started the war."

Mai's voice brought him out of his musings, confirming that yes, he was kneeling before a small statue of his great-grandfather. The sight forced out a small chuckle from his heart. "Yeah, that probably would be a good idea." He brought himself up and gave a small bow to the symbol of his nation on the tapestry, not the man who led them all to destruction. And if he wanted to get connected with the fire that Ran and Shaw gave him, he probably shouldn't have meditated to the great Dragon Slayer himself to begin with.

Still, it was hard to get away from what Sozin used to have been to him. He was that figure that Zuko and all boys wanted to be outside of his father. The man who slew the Avatar and set the Fire Nation on the path of righteousness. Seeing all the depredations they made in the Earth Kingdom and a world without the hope Aang brought forced the then-Prince to realize just what path he was walking on.

Yet looking around the temple, he wondered if he had escaped that fate. Not the part where he'd wage war on the whole world, but the part where he came close to repeating what his ancestor had done. All along the walls were the skulls of sea monsters, bloody trophies taken in the same vein of the old dragon hunts.

And there, hanging on the wall, was a painting of Sozin leading a massive army against one of them. Yet the dragon depicted was a haunting image. The jagged spines. The gargantuan size. The blue fire spilling out of its maw. That was the beast he had tried to kill himself. All he accomplished though was slaughtering his own people. Just like the Fire Lords of old.

He could still hear the screams. They'd haunt him to the end of his days…

"Is that what Azula looked like on the day of the Comet?"

Zuko blinked, seeing that Mai had glid over to his side. It was scary how easily she could sneak up on people. Her eyes though were riveted on the raging Godzilla depicted in the painting. More specifically, the chains wrapped around its body and maw.

It was an image all too familiar to the monarch. "Yeah. That's what she looked like."

Mai was silent. Now Zuko was under no delusions that his girlfriend had forgiven Azula for nearly killing him. When she heard the details of the Agni Kai in the days following the end of the war, however, she didn't say a word. Which was especially bothering. She was the first to voice her frustrations with how Azula treated her and Ty Lee following their reunion in Omashu. No, it was more concerning when she said nothing about his sister's descent into madness.

It's not like he had much choice. He had to take her down. If Azula were Fire Lord, she would've done the same thing her father and every Fire Lord would've done. And the last thing he wanted was for her to turn into another Ozai. The least he could do was send her to a mental institution and give her some space. That's what Uncle said both of them needed.

So why did he still have this feeling of regret whenever he saw that struggling image? He couldn't get it out of his head. Zuko had done everything for her. Right? Wasn't his fault she chose the wrong side and had to pay for what she did.

Or was that the same Uncle who didn't let him in on what truly happened at the Siege of Ba Sing Se talking? After all, he was the one who insisted on her going on trial. And insisted on having her bending taken. Honestly, Zuko still wasn't sure about that. Ozai was one thing, but his sister? Was that really warranted?

That image of Godzilla struggling against the flaming chains though, that's what Iroh warned that Azula could turn into if she had her bending. If the strongest firebender in the world knew what was going to happen in terms of firebending, he had to be right as always. And it's not like he wanted to put her in chains again. Mai made her position on the matter clear though, but Zuko still wasn't sure of what action to take.

It's why he needed a second opinion.

"Hey guys! You wanted to see me?"

That was Mai's only warning before Ty Lee proceeded to glomp her. She struggled to pry the acrobat off, not wanting to get any Kyoshi Warrior makeup on her robes. Zuko chuckled a little bit at the sight, before shutting up from one of his girlfriend's signature glares.

"Ty Lee? I thought you were supposed to be with the Kyoshi Warriors," Mai asked. Sure enough, the perky girl was all decked out in the emerald robes and armor of the ones they had disguised themselves while still serving with Azula. Zuko still couldn't figure out how they let her in, though he had a sneaking suspicion that it was more out of pragmatism thanks to her chi-blocking skills. Didn't Suki say something about having to be better than benders after all?

"Zuko said he needed me here both as a bodyguard and as a liaison with the Warriors." Ty Lee's bright smile was a tip-off that there was more going on. The Fire Lord had been around her long enough to know when she was pulling an act. And if he were to guess, not a lot of the Warriors wanted her around. At least not right away. Couldn't say he blamed them. None of them exactly gave them a first good impression when they first encountered the dedicated servants of a previous Avatar.

Even barring that, he certainly was a bit off put by her cheeriness a lot of the time. It was hard to tell how genuine a good amount of it was. Especially as she bounced over to him. "So, you wanted to talk?" she asked.

Realizing why he was there, he cleared his throat. "Ty Lee, Iroh has been considering to have Azula's bending…removed."

With that, the mask fell. "Wait, he said what now?! Why would he want that?"

"According to Iroh, something about Azula's bending is hurting her. Like how blue fire is something unnatural, and that he doesn't want her to end up like Godzilla," Mai clarified.

"Which is why I asked both of you to come. Now, I know Azula gained her blue fire while I was away for three years. Do either of you know how she managed to get it?"

Both girls looked a bit unsure at the Fire Lord, turning towards each other for a moment. "Well…this was a bit after we started to drift apart, Zuko. I know I left to join the circus, and Mai was called to her parents' estate. Neither of us really knew how she did it. I heard from some noble at the circus that she got it from almost killing an opponent in her rage."

"No way. I know Azula was having some issues in those days, but she'd never get that angry," Mai speculated. Zuko and Ty Lee couldn't help but agree. Despite whatever their issues with Azula were at the moment, that sounded more like what Zuko would do. And he'd be the first person to admit that he'd hurt one of his crew during his years in exile.

"I do remember some letters she wrote to me though," Ty Lee picked up. "Apparently, she was training harder than ever while you were away. Then she stopped writing to me entirely when news came that you found the Avatar."

"She kept in contact with us both, but stopped sending letters to me at the same time she did with Ty Lee. Guess she really intensified her training during then. If I would to bet, that's when she achieved her blue firebending."

Zuko sighed, hearing both Mai and Ty Lee's testimonies. Honestly, he almost expected as much. The only other idea was tracking down the banished Lo and Li. The thing was, Father assigned them as Azula's tutors personally. If they had any ties or loyalty to the old Fire Lord, he didn't want to risk either one of them finding out about the energybending plan. He wasn't sure who to trust these days.

One thing was clear to him though. "Even when I was gone, she was trying to take me down," he mused. Made sense. With him gone, the throne would've been ripe for Azula to inherit. Of course, she wanted to make herself look like the obvious successor. It seemed everything she did was to ruin his life.

No. Nonono. He couldn't think like that. He had to believe there was still good in her. Yet if she based herself so much around taking him down, it's not like that blue fire was doing her any good. Maybe if he made so that she couldn't compete with him anymore…

"Zuko…do you really want Azula's bending removed?"

"Huh?"

Ty Lee seemed a bit nervous. "I know how you wanted Azula to be better, but losing her bending isn't going to help matters. I think it would make her hate you more."

"Hate me more-Ty Lee, she already hates me! It seems like everything she does is to tear me down!"

"Zuko, you know that's not true."

"Of course, it's true, Mai! And even if it isn't, we can't sit here and do nothing while she runs free! It's not healthy for her!"

His frustration caused him to pace back and forth. "I try to give her the benefit of the doubt. I give her space. I admitted her to the best mental hospital in the nation to get her help, I was even going to speak up for her at her trial! And what does she do? Runs off to who knows where while we're in a delicate situation with Kuei and a bunch of giant monsters are running around. She's going to get herself killed at this rate!"

The fire in his heart was doused a little when he didn't hear either of the girls interrupt him. That was his first clue that something was wrong. His second was the rather stricken looks on their faces. Ty Lee's was obvious, but even Mai's eyes widened. And if Mai was bothered by something, then that was bad news.

"What is it? Did I say anything wrong?" Zuko asked with concern.

"...Zuko…where did you send Azula?" Ty Lee answered nervously.

"To the asylum where all the nobles send their family members. Why?" Zuko could almost feel the chill in the temple descending upon them all, the fires of the altar feeling far away.

Mai was the first to speak. "...there's a good reason why nobody wants to talk about that place. Anybody who gets sent there…changes."

"For the better?"

"Not always," the acrobat clarified. "Every noble girl in the Fire Nation knows about that place. It's where they get sent if they…misbehave…"

"Or aren't some quiet decoration. Where do you think my parents threatened to send me if I wasn't the dutiful daughter? I'd rather put up with Azula than be sent there," Mai finished. Zuko went pale seeing the looks on their faces. They were "friends" with Azula. If either of them feared the asylum more than her of all people…

Cranef ish Village

"...by the spirits, what did they put her through?"

Appa grunted, asking if Aang was okay. The airbender massaged his partner's snout, trying to steady himself. "Yeah, I'm fine," he lied, reading the message he received from Bumi.

It didn't start out too good. The White Lotus had been hard at work trying to find every scrap of information regarding the kaiju and anything even resembling them. Thing was, trying to separate fact from fiction regarding beings that could reshape the entirety of the world was a difficult process.

What they did know was that legends of gigantic creatures came from all around the world. It seemed that every culture and nation had a menagerie of monsters attached to them. Whether how many of them were pure fantasy and what others were based in reality, that was the tricky question. Realistically, the Ancient Ice Dragon or the Walking Volcano had as much basis in reality as the Air Nomads having an army.

That being said, there was a pattern. Some of the legends were attached to areas that had been avoided heavily by Fire Nation troops during the war. The shores off Odo Island were one of them. Going off of that, they decided to try and cross reference further sites such as these to find more. The amount of areas they found so far wasn't encouraging.

Neither was Bumi's personal investigation concerning Iroh's involvement with Azula. Considering she was the most high-profile prisoner to be put on trial, Aang wanted to see what the Grand Lotus had in mind. It wasn't easy. As Bumi himself put it, "I'm crazy enough to try spying on the secret organization, but a king from the Earth Kingdom asking about a Fire Nation Princess? That's bound to raise a few eyebrows."

Instead, he asked somebody who could ask around the Fire Nation without cause for alarm. For that, Bumi turned to Piandao. Piandao had been one of the few who protested Azula being put on trial to begin with, so the ancient earthbender figured it would be a good idea to let him in on the drill. The swordmaster, being an esteemed member of Fire Nation society, had a lot of friends in high places there.

That's how they learned about the asylum. And what they knew happened to the "patients".

Aang thought he was going to throw up. He had so many questions. Did Iroh know about this? Was there any way they could shut that place down? How had it escaped Zuko's notice? It made his head hurt just thinking about it.

His distress must've been pretty evident since Momo glided down and tenderly licked Aang's cheek. "Thanks, buddy," the Avatar told his lemur, putting away the message for now. He knew he had to tell his friends eventually, but not before he had a moment to process it all. It seemed surreal, and all the more evident that he needed to keep tabs on the White Lotus as a whole if stuff like this was allowed.

"Hey, Aang! What's up?"

Aang hurriedly stuffed the letter away in his robes, trying to compose himself. "Nothing Suki," he said to the approaching Kyoshi Warrior. "Just got a letter from Bumi is all. Kind of was expecting it."

Suki crossed her arms a bit, making Aang a bit nervous. But she didn't exactly give off the impression that she could read minds. "Oh. It's just you kind of ran off in a hurry when you got that letter and the others wanted to make sure you were okay. I mean, Sokka and Katara figured you'd be fine but-"

"No, I get it. It's just, I had Bumi look into a few things and…" Aang trailed off. How could he even begin to explain what he had just read? This was Suki after all. She and Azula didn't exactly have the best history, so who knew what her opinion would be in this matter?

So after a brief pause with Suki patiently waiting for his answer, Aang decided to try something. "Say, Suki. When you were threatening to feed us to the Unagi when we first met, were you…you know. Actually going to do it?"

The Kyoshi Warrior blinked. "Forgive me, but where did that come from?"

"Let's just say, I'm having some issues with how friends of mine are doing things that I don't exactly see eye to eye with. Not any of you, but somebody else that I'm a little concerned about."

He wasn't sure if Suki got the whole meaning, but she did seem to nod for a minute. "You have to understand, we genuinely thought that you were going to lead the Fire Nation to our door. We'd been able to keep out of the war and our people safe by dealing harshly with anyone who presented a threat. And like it or not, you didn't exactly show up the proper way most visitors did and the Fire Nation was known for using locals to spy on us.

"So…yeah. We were planning on feeding you to the Unagi. That's how paranoid we were back then."

"Oh. Well, uh…at least we got that matter all sorted out." Aang let out an awkward laugh to try and play that little incident off, but Suki didn't exactly look too thrilled. Her eyes fell down to the earth, unable to look him in the eye.

"Hey. You did what you thought was right to protect your people. Can't blame you for that," he tried to reassure her.

Suki though just stepped back. "But that's just a reminder of how much things have changed. First, we became friends. Then the war ended. Now a bunch of giant monsters have shown up. All this in a little over a year when for the last century we were wondering when the war was going to show up at our doorstep."

She turned away, gazing across Cranefish Town and the ruined battlefield of the jungle beyond. "I've trained to become a Kyoshi Warrior for the sake of my people. Yet nothing in my training had ever prepared me for this. Now we're being asked to bring peace and fight giants when all we've been trained for is war and fighting soldiers. How do you handle something that nobody thought was possible?"

For once, Aang couldn't argue with her. He walked beside her, looking out at the village. Things had calmed down there below, but they were still getting everyone out of the tunnels and coping with the fact they were in the middle of an impossible battle. Giants. Kaiju. Even the monks thought those were just stories told to help acolytes respect the overwhelming forces of nature.

Yet here they were. "Aang, if it's anything, I think your friends are in the same boat as we are. What the whole world is in right now," Suki continued. "We're doing what we think is right, and finding out that everything we knew was wrong. It's one of the things Kyoshi passed down to us: that we need to live with the mistakes we made, and that we have a duty to right those wrongs. Otherwise, how else can we learn to be better?"

"It's why the Avatar always comes back. Their duty is never done, even after death."

"...okay. That sounded exactly like Kyoshi," Suki teased.

Aang shrugged. "Well, I sort of have a direct link with her. Guess some of her rubbed off on me."

"Fair point."

They turned again to the village below, Aang silently ruminating over what Suki had said. It was a lesson that was all too familiar to him. Roku after all failed to deal with Sozin, and the whole world had to pay for his mistakes. His only hope was that he could catch his before they became a problem for the next Avatar.

Yet, is trusting Iroh and the White Lotus as a whole one of them? The more he rolled it over in his mind, the more he felt disconcerted. Sure, he could trust Iroh the tea brewer, and Iroh the uncle to Zuko. Iroh the Grand Lotus though? Add onto the fact that they apparently had no problems with doing things behind his back, and suddenly he had one more problem to deal with on top of de-escalating from the war and the kaiju.

The last thing he wanted future Avatars to deal with was an organization that acted in their name yet didn't bat an eye about putting a teenager into a nightmare of an asylum…

First Temple of the Firebird,

Aso Island

Breathe in, breathe out.

Father always taught her that the breath was the source of all fire. Focus on your breathing and you could unleash a blazing inferno that consumed all that stood in your way. That was the nature of things, and that was why fire was the superior element.

The places where they jabbed the needles into her veins, the bruises from the straitjacket, and the marks where she was hogtied and chained were a reminder of what happens when you don't use your fire properly. Scars that for so long have haunted her mind. Even now, she could feel the dull ache where they bound her. The haziness of the drugs still lingered in her system.

Once, the idea of being hampered by such things was preposterous. Now though, only luck seemed to be the reason she was still breathing. For what would be coming, she'd need to be in top form. Or as close as she could get to her top form anyway.

Which was why she came here. The Sages had cleared out the table and plans, leaving behind the fiery altar in silence. Here, candles and torches blazed with reverence to the Phoenix, unaltered in its glory. Having seen Rodan for herself though, even this mural of the bird rising from the volcano with flames upon its leathery wings was just a pale comparison to the real deal.

All around it were symbols and images coming from the flames, each a familiar iconography to anyone born of the Fire Nation. Their nation's symbol. The various battles the Fire Lords have wrought over the years. Dragons, the ones who taught them the secrets of fire. Here, they were all products of Rodan's brilliance. As if somehow, the Phoenix was blessing them all with his life and vitality.

For Azula, it was a place where she could feel and reach out to the flames surrounding her. More importantly, she was able to focus on the fire in her soul. That blue inferno kept her alive. Against all odds, it was still there. Simmering. Waiting for her to reach out and embrace it.

Breathe in. Breathe out.

And reach out she did. She envisioned her hands tenderly caressing the flames, letting them travel up her arms. As she did, she felt the fire flow through her veins, clearing her mind. Without fear, she allowed the azure cinders to graze her bruises, and the marks from the syringes. Anyone else would've been afraid to let such a destructive element come into contact with her wounds.

That was before she saw that same fire heal the torn flesh of Godzilla. It still amazed her. And it amazed her still when she felt the ache and pain from those scars the asylum marked her begin to fade. The fire seemed to breathe new life into her body, reversing and undoing the damage that was done to her. For once, she allowed herself to relax and let her flame do its work.

Breathe in. Breathe out. As she did, she let blue embers leave her mouth and dance upon the air.

How sentimental. The broken girl thinks she can pull herself together, only so she can be broken all over again.

Azula grimaced, her head pounding. It was that voice from the volcano. Not her mother, not her father (she hadn't heard him for a while). This was that trio of voices, speaking as one.

The one Rodan was able to hear as well.

Her eyes opened and wandered to a snarling dragon on the wall. For some reason, that mocking tone that carried Ty Lee's voice seemed clearer when she focused in on there. "I don't know who you think you are, but I was able to beat the odds before. That's what I've been doing ever since I escaped that ship."

Was it your skill or luck alone? You're not even a shadow of your former self, and all luck is bound to run out. As you should've learned a long time ago, the voice mocked. That snarl on the dragon's snout almost looked like a deranged smile.

"I didn't conquer Ba Sing Se purely on luck," Azula snapped back, getting up and turning away from the altar. "And I'm getting tired of people insinuating that I got this far just on luck. 'Born lucky'? That's only an excuse losers use."

Yet you don't exactly have a plan for when you face your brother. And even if you regain your former strength, you don't stand a chance against the Avatar's cronies. So I'm going to ask again,  what has saved you outside of luck so far?

Her head pounded, causing her to gasp in pain. The voice seemed to come from an engraved dragon coiling around one of the pillars in the room. Azula glared at the reptilian eyes, feeling the presence coming from there. "I'm making do with what I have. Not the best, but this is the only way I see getting out of this alive."

Ah, yes. And I'm assuming your newfound concern for innocent lives has nothing to do with it.

Azula glowered. "If I allowed those ships to fire, we all would've been slaughtered. I think you're mistaking self-preservation for altruism."

She heard a snarl from the dragon's frozen maw, tinged with Mai's disapproval. Keep telling yourself that, but we both know the truth. You didn't want anybody to needlessly die on your hands. You could've done your duty and died there on the beach like your father would've wanted, but you didn't. You could've attempted an attack on Godzilla, aiding Rodan and maybe, just MAYBE you could've done what your brother failed to do. You had so many options, but you chose the one where almost nobody dies.

And we both know what happens when you go soft. How long before these Fiery Raptors betray you? How long before this whole island deems you a pariah?

The Princess went silent, turning away from the engraving. They…had a point. She couldn't rely on the Fiery Raptors forever after all. That would mean going soft. And every time she went soft, things went worse and worse for her. For what's coming, she couldn't afford that.

Neither could she have this voice in her head either. "Shut up. I know what I'm doing. And if you think you can confuse me-"

A pang of sharp pain reverberated through Azula's mind, causing her to cry out and fall to her knees. Her breath was taken from her, and her eyes unfocused. Out of nowhere, they saw a massive fireball descending from the heavens for all the world to see.

That is what happens when you think you know better than I, the voice said. Azula's focus was drawn to a painting of a dragon along the wall, Zuko's authority keeping her bowed. This mind is just as much mine as it is yours. I suggest you get used to it, and take whatever wisdom I deem is fitting for a failure such as yourself.

"I…understand." Azula's voice shook, much to her surprise. That didn't happen lest she had displeased Father in some way. Yet it felt so natural before this voice. But to show such respect to another was inconceivable.

That very thought brought a sharper pain, forcing her to bow her head on the floor. She stifled a cry, feeling that if she didn't show proper respect, the voice would've had much more intended.

"Azula? Azula! Are you okay?!"

"I'm…fine…" Azula lied. She should've known Maina would've followed her in here. It was so like the native to just flat out disobey orders like that. So much like-

"You are not okay! Look at yourself!" Maina exclaimed, grabbing Azula's shoulders and looking the Princess straight in the eye. The gesture of concern put her on edge, wondering if it was yet another trap. As if there was some kind of knife hidden within those robes of her.

Then she realized that this was the priestess she was thinking poorly of. Azula sighed in defeat. "I…I hear voices. Okay? Is that what you want to know?"

"Voices? …how long?"

Azula blinked. "Since before my coronation. Why?"

"Who have you been hearing?"

"Why do you care?"

"Because I didn't travel across an ocean just to see my friend either die or drive herself insane."

"Friend". The word seemed so foreign, yet it sounded so natural coming from Maina's lips. Being labeled a friend was another thing. Azula felt a pang of guilt, having roped both her and Kori on this wild goose chase. She tried to cut them off before, but now it looks like they're going to follow her to the ends of the earth.

If that's the case then…"I hear and see my mother sometimes. Father too. And sometimes, I just hear the voices of everyone I've ever met and hurt. Is that what you want to know?"

She wanted so badly for Maina to just stand up and run away. To cut their thread early. Azula knew there was no way a girl like her would ever put up with somebody so broken. Preemptively, she hugged herself and broke eye contact. "Well now you know. So just save yourself the trouble and leave."

What she got instead was a tight hug. For a moment, Azula was frozen like a statue, feeling Maina wrap her arms around her armored shoulders. She wasn't sure what to say. Hesitantly, she lightly returned the hug.

The priestess didn't pull back. She just said, "It's okay. I'm not going anywhere."

Azula felt a few tears leak out of her eyes, impulsively tightening her embrace. And there they sat with one another alone in the temple. The weight those voices had pressed down on her dissipated.

Instead, deep down, she felt something ignite in her soul.

They found Kori outside the village practicing her archery. Practice arrows stuck out of the trunk of a tree, with pieces of bark lying at its base. Kori was in the process of removing the arrows when Azula and Maina came over the rise.

The noble girl turned, probably to say something snippy before seeing the worn-out look on Azula's face. "Everything okay up there in the temple?" she asked.

"...no," Azula admitted, rubbing her arm. Eager to change the subject, the Princess asked, "You find the people you were looking for?"

"As a matter of fact, yes." Kori crouched as she restrung her bow, making sure everything was in working order. "Found a couple of ex-soldiers willing to lend a hand, and there were a few Raptors who wanted to take a whack at the Fire Lord." Satisfied, Kori raised her bow and took aim at the tree. "Here's my question: where are we off to next?"

"...that's it?"

"What's what?" Kori asked.

"No more 'how could you leave both of us behind' or 'you weren't just going to throw your life away'?"

Kori let forth her string, firing the arrow and watched it drive deep into the bark. "I mean, yeah. I think both of us are still a bit angry at that, but time and place for everything. You know? What's done is done. Now if you were stupid enough to try this stunt again-"

"Duly noted."

"Then we've got nothing to discuss." Kori lowered her bow before giving the other two girls her full attention. "So, where are we going next?"

"Depends," Azula said, pacing back and forth. "Zuko's coming after us, so we need to deal with him. We also need to find out more about these kaiju. First it was Godzilla. Then…what was that one in the Earth Kingdom?"

"Anguirus."

"Anguirus. Thanks, Maina. Then Rodan, and this Mothra you keep telling me about. That's four, and if I were to bet, there's a lot more out there. Now, I'm planning on writing a letter to Zuko, offering Lord Jozain up for arrest in exchange for some space."

"Isn't that pretty risky?" Kori pointed out.

"Yes, but he's coming after us either way. If we can control where we meet and throw in a bargaining chip, we could avoid a fight altogether. I'd rather not fight Zuzu if I can avoid it."

"Why not Infant Island?" Maina asked.

Both Azula and Kori turned to the priestess. "Maina, I really don't want to bring your people into-"

"No, listen to me Azula. Infant Island has a strict law that forbids all conflict. Within reason, obviously, but if we meet Zuko there, he'd be honor-bound to uphold it. And he is supposed to restore honor to the Fire Nation. Right?" she pointed out.

"We're talking about the same guy who took advantage of me at my lowest just to get an edge."

Maina shrugged. "Either way, my people aren't defenseless either. Trust me. And you'll be able to learn more about Godzilla and the rest of the kaiju. We'd be killing two birds with a single stone."

Azula folded her arms, pondering her options. She knew better that Maina was doing this out of pure pragmatism. But the more she thought about it, the more she found herself won over by the reasoning. They did need a way to make sure that Zuko didn't try to pull a fast one on them.

There was just one thing. "Maina. Just…promise me that you won't take me to my mother. I don't think I'm ready for that yet."

Maina nodded in understanding. Kori didn't say anything, but she placed a hand on Azula's shoulder, showing that she wasn't alone in this. That gesture brought a smile to the Princess's lips. She still felt uneasy to be among people like this, but at least it was better than being alone.

"It's settled then. We're heading to Infant Island. You two get ready. I've got a letter to write," Azula declared, marching off to set about her duties. Her two companions also wandered off to get their things together for the coming journey.

Well, you got your wish, Azula silently told Maina. Still, if it were a choice between seeing her mother again and trying to talk to her brother who hates her, she'd go with something she'd have some more familiarity.

She just hoped that Zuko would see reason. And barring that, if Infant Island was prepared if worse came to worse.

Infant Island

Amidst a moss-covered cavern, where sunlight filtered in from an opening above, a great egg rested.

The blue and yellow stripes zigzagged across its shell gently painted with soft white specks here and there. All around it, soft bedding kept it secure and safe from the elements.

For many years, she had laid dormant in its solitude. The being inside was not ignorant of the conflict that roared on all around it, but it could do little in her weakened state. All she could do was wait for the time to come.

Through her servants, she had seen the world. The carnage the Fire Nation had wrought. Now it seemed that the conflict would be coming onto her shores. For there was no telling what her honored guest would do.

Time was against them though. For the One Born of Fire had awakened, and was sent off to awaken the Lord of the Earth. These were the signs she was waiting for, that more would awaken. And in these dangerous times, a single disaster could spread to consume the world.

The Avatar was ready. Yet he needed help. The Princess who had inherited the primordial flame could aid him if she were given proper guidance. For all needed to be ready for what was to come

These thoughts stirred the being from her slumber. The egg gently rocked for the first time in ages.

Her return was soon at hand.

Chapter Text

Aso Village,

Aso Island

Azula took a long hard look at the prisoners kneeling before her. Behind them, armed men and women kept a careful watch. Once, these captives would’ve been their commanding officers. But after Azula’s orders to root out anyone that had any say in that suicidal plan of the Commander’s to kill Godzilla, they had been apprehended. She wanted to make sure they didn’t try to pull a fast one.

And give Zuzu some actual war criminals to try , Azula thought to herself. While the Fiery Raptors didn’t exactly have the infamous reputation of the Southern Raiders, Father taught her that you didn’t get anywhere in this army by being merciful or “honorable”. Indeed, some of the faces of their guards spoke that their subordinates were more than eager to get rid of them.

A whole day had passed since the battle between Godzilla and Rodan. It was early morning, and Azula had woken up refreshed and renewed. Her meditations were helping to heal her wounds from yesterday, and she was ready to face whatever the day would bring about. Right now, it was the business of overseeing their captives.

“Are these all?” The Princess asked Kazuma, who was standing dutifully nearby.

“Yes, Princess Azula,” the young officer confirmed. “Some of them surrendered on the spot, though. Said they expected the Fire Lord to treat them with dignity once they arrived at Yu Dao.”

The idea made Azula sneer. If it were up to Zuko, it would be her, Kazuma, and the rest of the grunts in chains. Not that she couldn’t blame him. A lot of these officers came from some pretty prominent families back home. Anything that happened to them was certain to ruffle some feathers. 

Something that the Princess was prepared to take advantage of. Give the Earth King some people who actually were guilty of war crimes, and cause an uproar back home. Were the nobles not going to back her? Fine. Let’s see them and Zuko go at each other’s throats.

Either way, the fallout would give her and her newfound followers some breathing room. Besides, dear Zuzu did want to grovel before their enemies to make amends. Did he want the crown so bad? Well, he got it and all the responsibility that goes with it.

“Make sure they’re locked up somewhere safe to be moved out. Dismissed.” At her crisp command, the soldiers got up and corraled the last remnants of Ryuui’s command to the makeshift prison they had in the shelters outside of town. She didn’t want to risk them harming the civilians if they got a chance. If her only support would be coming from peasants, she’d have to make sure they were on her side. Couldn’t do that with any would-be “heroes” running around trying to get themselves and everyone else killed. Furthermore, these were the same people Zuko and the Avatar wanted to serve. To see the look on their faces when they chose the Mad Princess over them. She couldn’t pass that up.

Satisfied, she proceeded to present Kazuma with a scroll she had written. “Make sure this gets to Yu Dao. Fire Lord’s eyes only.” The teen obediently nodded before taking the scroll and scurrying off to his duties. 

Out of anyone’s view though, Azula fidgeted with one of her bangs. Well, the time was fast approaching, and she needed to be ready. Looking out at the village, the Princess had to admit that Aso had a certain rustic charm to it. And anybody who grew up in the shadow of the Fire Lords would’ve given anything to fully study the birthplace of the Phoenix cult. If she had a choice, maybe she could’ve delved deeper here to find out more about these kaiju. Any bit of knowledge was worth it.

But Zuko wouldn’t give her the opportunity. None of them would. And she wondered if her newfound allies would truly be up to the task of facing off against both the new Fire Lord AND his Avatar master. On top of whatever else is out there.

As if the universe read her thoughts, Maina and Kori approached her from the village. “I got a ship to take us home. Should arrive at Infant Island sometime during the early afternoon,” the native girl announced.

Azula felt herself tense again but took a deep breath. There was no going back. “Very well. Let’s not keep Mothra waiting.”

Earth Kingdom Western Coast

Aang couldn’t help but let his triumph soar as high as they were flying. Once they had gotten the word that the Earth King was going to relieve the Fire Nation of their occupation of Yu Dao thanks to the situation in Cranefish being resolved, they were all the more closer to defusing the whole situation. Sure there had to be a few more things that had to be formalized of course, but now the Earth Kingdom was all the more closer to regaining their former territory.

For once, they had taken steps in the right direction. So naturally he was going to take it a little easy on the ride back. They were all hoping to get some downtime en route to Yu Dao. Katara and Toph were snoozing together while Imana was staring in amazement at the view from so high up. “I never thought I’d be able to ride on the back of a Flying Bison,” she had exclaimed.

It wasn’t just all for fun though. Imana wanted to come along since she wanted to share what she knew about the kaiju on the ride. Already, she was telling Sokka and Suki the basics. “Think of kaiju as having a similar role to the Avatar, though to a smaller degree. Each has its own dominion that it needs to maintain. Some are subordinate to others, but their duty is almost universal. They do what they can to protect the world as best they can. Within their abilities of course,” the priestess added.

Suki leaned back, rolling the information in her head. “Sounds like the Unagi back at my island. Do what they can to protect their territories, but not to the point they start destroying everything in the process.”

“That about sums it up,” Imana said cheerfully.

“Okay, but how many of them are there? And how many of them are as benevolent as Anguirus was?” Sokka pressed. It was a question that lay heavy on everyone’s mind.

Imana paused. “Well…quite a number of them. Each of the nations has a good amount of kaiju. Some are a bit more dormant than others, but they’re still there. As for aggression, it depends on what kaiju you’re talking about. Some can be as benevolent as Mothra or Anguirus. Others are more destructive like Godzilla when they’re pushed. And… there are a few that are just ferocious in general.”

Suki and Sokka looked at one another before sinking into their seats. It was as they feared. They were lucky enough to be dealing with a few of them at a time. Neither wanted to think too much about if a lot of them decided to wake up all at once. Just one was enough to wipe out an army. Who knows what many of them were capable of?

And Imana’s word about particularly dangerous kaiju was just as heavy. More ferocious than Godzilla? They didn’t want to think too much about that. 

At that moment, Appa bellowed in surprise. “What’s the matter boy?” Aang asked, right as Momo started hollering and screeching.

Everybody sitting on Appa’s back was either reflexively holding onto the saddle in case the bison started going wild, or covering their ears trying to block out the lemur’s hollering. Sokka in particular was cringing. “Momo, I love you buddy, but SHUT- AANG BANK LEFT NOW!!!!”

Hearing Sokka’s panicked cry, Aang yanked Appa down to the left. The bison did not complain as his partner sent him downward.

And away from the gigantic thing flying right at them.

In the blink of an eye, Aang turned to see the incoming object when they dove past. A golden reptilian eye looked back at him.

That was all he could see before a huge wall of wind threw Appa off course. The bison bellowed in surprise, spiraling out of control. On his back, everyone was now desperately either hanging on for dear life or screaming. Aang was so busy trying to wrestle with the reigns to get his friend back under control, but the gale was buffeting.

Instinct kicked in as he leaped off Appa’s back and snapped out his glider. Spinning around and bending a funnel of air around him, Aang swiftly flew in and out of the gust of wind. Strong it might have been, the funnel was able to divert some of the winds away from the bison. Just enough for Appa to start righting himself.

A panicked scream pierced through the winds though. Probably the least comfortable with flying, Toph was plucked up by the powerful gale. The strong and comforting leather of Appa’s saddle was replaced with near nothingness. No earth to stabilize herself on or see. Not even any sensation in her feet outside of furious winds.

Her peril had not lasted long though. She felt two strong pairs of arms catch her and hold her back down to the saddle. “You’re going to be okay Toph!” Sokka’s voice yelled, his calloused hands pressing down on her shoulders.

“What did we fly into?! A tornado?!?” Toph shouted. The blind girl fought down the panic that was building up in her chest, hoping her barb would defuse her terror.

“I don’t know! It looked like some kind of giant bird!” Suki’s voice responded, the owner of the arms holding her feet down. Not that the answer did anything to reassure her.

Eventually, Toph felt her world begin to calm down, with Appa regaining his flight path and steadying himself. Aang glid over to back to the bison’s head and took the reigns. “Everybody okay?!” he asked.

Everyone gave a tired “no” from almost being thrown into the winds. Toph in particular was trying to catch her breath, with both Sokka and Suki trying to calm her down with reassurances and a few pats on the shoulder. “Thanks, but I think I’d be a bit safer if we were on the ground,” the earrthbender bluntly stated.

“Well, Yu Dao shouldn’t be too far. It’s right up the coast,” Aang said, trying to make some small talk. Which was kind of difficult to do when you almost just spiraled out of the sky.

And when a giant crimson bird began gliding a good distance away from you.

Everyone gawked at the massive avian (those who could gawk anyways), though it certainly looked like no bird they had ever seen. No feathers were on those massive wings. Instead, a leathery flap connected the wingtip to its body. Indeed, the whole hide was scaly. It looked as though somebody decided to crossbreed a dragon and a bird. The fiery hue made it look like it had emerged from the mouth of a volcano.

A small name came from Imana’s mouth.

“Rodan.”

“Rodan?” Aang asked. The priestess nodded, though said no more as she continued to stare at the massive creature. Not that the Avatar could blame her. That thing came at them so fast that only Appa and Momo catch its approach. It earned both the lemur and the bison a few pats on the head, but Aang still couldn’t believe how something that big could soar through the air so fast.

This “Rodan” stared back, gazing at the airbender in particular before veering off and heading north. It let out a cackling cry as it soared into the distance, right in the direction they were heading.

Aang just got a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach.

Another kaiju had just appeared. And by the looks of things, all of Yu Dao was going to be able to see this new one on its way north.

Zuko was not going to be in a good mood when they arrived.

En Route to Infant Island

Deep within a spare room on a merchant vessel, the Princess of the Fire Nation meditated in silence.

Maina had managed to flag down a small vessel for them to hitch a ride on. The voyage was short enough and Azula had already paid for their passage, so they didn’t have to work to earn their keep. Royalty and her companions wouldn’t work like meager servants just for a quick ride.

The destination wasn’t unknown to the sailors, but it was hardly an island they went out of their way to visit. All in all, the inhabitants had been pretty apt to stay out of the trading business giving the fact they were…well, their kind was supposed to be extinct. It had almost become a legend told by sailors who spent far too long at sea.

Ever since the war ended though, more ships were reporting that the inhabitants were seen sailing great outrigging canoes, brimming with goods. Clearly, the island was interested in getting back into the world with the new Fire Lord in charge and the Avatar returned. It was slow going since almost nobody knew they existed, but it was a start.

That’s what Azula got from the sailors anyway. Woe to those who went into uncharted waters and all that. Knowing that they had little to fear from some kind of waterborne attack from the islanders (and the fact she made it clear that no rogue Fire Nation ship was to harass civilian vessels), it should be a smooth voyage.

Smooth enough for her to take some time to herself and continue her meditation. She managed to find a nice empty storage room that the sailors didn’t use.

And with that, she began.

Azula breathed in, and breathed out, feeling the fire within grow and recede. As before, she felt her signature blue flames caress and massage the bruises and sores she received from the asylum. And every time they receded, the nagging pain faded more and more. It was like her muscles were being renewed with every breath.

Indeed, her muscles felt lighter. Her veins began to feel clearer. And gradually, inch by inch, she began to feel her strength return. Perhaps she was still a shadow of her former self, but the fight was coming back. If Zuzu expected her to be drugged up and weakened when he arrived to Infant Island, he was going to be in for a surprise.

Feeling her thoughts wander to her brother, Azula concentrated back on the familiar blue flame. The steady crackling and the azure glow within her soul rejuvenating her body. And sure enough, she felt sapphire embers leave her lips.

Of course, a certain presence had to make herself known just at that moment. You appear to be getting stronger by the day, my love.

“Surprised, or disappointed?” Azula bitterly asked the image of her mother.

The specter shifted a little bit, looking unsure as how to answer. Good. After a moment, Ursa answered, Proud. And you should be too. You always loved your firebending when you were younger.

A snort came from the Princess’s throat. “Right. Well, I’m sorry I never turned out to be the perfect daughter you always wanted. Too bad that asylum didn’t break me like Zuzu wanted.”

Azula, you know that Zuko never wanted you to suffer like you did.

“Just…don’t. Alright? Even if he didn’t, how come he never visited me?”

That was enough to shut the mirage up. A small victory, but one Azula relished in. After all, why should the Fire Lord visit the failure of a sister? She screwed up. She deserved it. Everyone knew that. What aggravated her was how Zuko proceeded to say he was “changed”. That he was going to be better and that he wasn’t the same Prince that left the Fire Nation in disgrace.

Easy for him to say since he got everything he ever wanted. Which was all he was good at to be honest. Talking. Making promises. Then things miraculously ended up in his favor. Rinse and repeat. What bothered her was that now everyone was eating it up. Maybe not the world leaders, but the Avatar? For somebody who claimed to be the guardian of the world, they certainly made her wonder what their priorities for safety were. Especially if they were willing to hang out with the Dragon of the West.

Or somebody who was willing to treat their sister like an animal. If one was going to be vile, at least don’t dress it up like you were benevolent. She certainly didn’t lie to herself or anybody else about being a monster.

“You should be lucky I’m giving him a chance,” Azula threw at her mother. “If he cares about me, this is going to be his chance to prove it. No threats. No coercions. And if he so much as throws one fireball at me, he’s got nobody to blame but himself for what’s going to happen.”

My love, you know that you don’t want this thing to drag on.

“No, but maybe if he actually faced the consequences of his actions instead of throwing me into the fire again and again, I’d MIGHT show him a bit more clemency.” Figuring she wasn’t getting any more meditations in at this time, the Princess got up and began to stretch her arms. Anything to take her mind off of her frustration with her brother.

The more she thought of it, the more angry she got. Truth be told, she was amazed that Zuzu was still in power following his disaster at Yu Dao. But, of course, the Avatar was backing him, and those sycophants of the Fire Nation feared power more than they wanted to uphold the dignity of their countrymen. What, did the universe decide to buck all the consequences of his actions on her? Guess the next thing to be blamed for was torching Kyoshi Village or killing the Moon Spirit.

Azula sighed, trying to get her rage under control. She wasn’t Zuko, and she sure wasn’t that thing she turned into during Sozin’s Comet. The last thing she wanted was to lash out again. If he just didn’t seem so obsessed with sending her over the edge. What’s next? Right her out of the line of succession out of spite? Not even Ozai did that with Iroh, but somehow it wouldn’t surprise her if Zuko hated her that much that he’d do something that underhanded.

Azula, why don’t you spend some time with your friends? Being cooped up down here isn’t healthy , Ursa suggested.

For once, Azula couldn’t argue. The more time she spent by herself right now was more time getting herself worked up. But that meant facing the prospect of facing her allies. Right after leaving them behind.

“Just like what everyone did to me…” she whispered silently.

At that moment, the Princess decided enough was enough. The mirage vanished as she marched out of the room and made her way up towards the deck. Unlike her brother, she’d face the consequences of her choices head-on.

Didn’t mean they were going to be pleasant though. But that seems to be par the course for anything these days.

Dear Zuzu,

I hope this letter reaches you on swift wings. Though chances are, you already know a little bit about what happened on Aso Island.

That huge firebird you no doubt already know is flying around? His name’s Rodan, and he’s another kaiju. A rogue naval group calling themselves the Fiery Raptors woke him up to kill Godzilla. It didn’t work. In fact, I think they’re “allies” now if you can call them that. Don’t bother trying to put a hit out for Commander Ryuui though. He’s currently a bloody smear on the beach.

Though the dearly departed Commander did give me a proposition: an alliance so I could reclaim the throne. And you’re probably wondering why I would tell you this. Let’s just say that whatever Uncle Fatso told you, I’m not interested in the moment. That being said, I’m now in command of the Fiery Raptors who most assuredly do want me on the throne. And I’m currently getting into contact with any rogue army groups that will give their loyalty to me.

Before you go chasing after me, I have a compromise. I have Jozain, head of the Saowon Clan in my custody. I’d be more than willing to hand him over as well as any other high-ranking officials the Earth King has on his list. Course you’d want to “talk” about it or might not even believe me. So I’m heading to Infant Island. Do you want to do business? Meet me there.

Come alone. There’s no need for this to balloon out of hand. I could easily take care of your rogue army problem. After all, I’ve already gave an order not to engage with any of your forces without my permission. And don’t get any bright ideas of challenging me to an Agni Kai. Infant Island has a pretty strict law against violence of any kind. If you value your honor as much as you say you do, you’d probably want to give this some consideration.

Consider this to be an armistice. I’ll keep up my end, and I expect you to do the same. Fail to do so…well we don’t want a civil war on our hands. Do we?

Yours Truly,

Princess Azula

Yu Dao

Zuko wanted to throw up. First, he’d called an emergency meeting in order to address the crisis they were now in.

Specifically the fact that there was in fact another kaiju on the loose.

How could everyone miss it? One minute, Zuko, Mai, and Ty Lee were being escorted to the mayor’s house. The next, a huge shadow comes flying over their head and a loud cry reverberates throughout the city. As if that wasn’t bad enough, panic began to break loose. Civilians were pouring out of their houses, wanting to know if they were under attack.

The Fire Lord stopped the entourage whenever they could in order to reassure the masses. Not that it did much good since they were riled up already. In fact, just seeing him made some civilians begin to launch into impromptu protests. Zuko had to restrain himself from throwing a fireball over their heads. What? Were they seriously going to blame this kaiju on him too?

It was decided that now was not the time to appear in public. Promptly, Zuko sent a message to redirect themselves to the army camp just outside the city (outside of Mai and Ty Lee who did NOT want to be part of the summons). Both to prevent the mobs from converging on the mayor’s house, and so he could more easily meet his advisors to deal with this new threat. He sent his best runner to get everyone ready.

By the time he arrived at the planning tent, his staff were already there. Iroh was sitting where he usually sat at Zuko’s side while the other officials were milling about. Before them was a table set out and a map of Yu Dao along with the surrounding areas. The Fire Lord had to give them credit, they certainly knew when to move when needed.

That would be all he’d give them. His eyes and ears were on high alert, waiting for the slightest bit of treachery. Iroh was alert too. He was sipping his tea, but the Grand Lotus was keeping a careful eye on their circle. The advisors hushed up as soon as the Fire Lord entered, but he could see those eyes sizing him up. Only one pair seemed to be relaxed. Mak, one of the younger generals and put primarily in charge of the armed forces themselves. A bit inexperienced, but he served Zuko faithfully enough. Perhaps too faithfully for the teen’s liking. Everyone else though was a wild card.

Zuko wondered which one of them would be the first to openly challenge him. Maybe not in an Agni Kai since tradition had it that almost nobody challenged the absolute Fire Lord. The challenge would come in the form of behind-the-scenes. Withheld information. Pushing for a military response. Anything to undermine his mission of restoring peace without actually declaring it.

Though given what he and Uncle learned, chances were that challenge had already been made. He had just been so wrapped up in the peace talks to realize it.

That was the second major headache. And sitting down on the throne they had set for them, he felt the scroll that was the third press lightly against his side. He took a deep breathe, knowing that this would be the time to spring this new bit of information.

But he’d have to time it just right though. Otherwise, they’d accuse him of prioritizing his own problems with the good of the nation.

Exhaling, Zuko looked at his staff. “Alright. What do we know about this new kaiju?”

“The Firebird was last seen heading in this direction,” War Minister Qin said pointing to the phoenix figurine they used to represent the new kaiju to an area on the borders of Yu Dao’s territory. “Godzilla was last sighted swimming towards Aso Island. And Anguirus awoke here near Cranefish.” Indeed, the dragon and the Lion Turtle were placed where their respective kaiju were sighted.

Zuko felt himself sag looking at the phoenix though. One more kaiju. That makes three ever since Odo Island. And they are all clustered around the colonies. Further complicating matters were the pieces representing the last caravan of nobles that needed to be evacuated outside of the encircled Yu Dao.

“We can’t get them anywhere near those kaiju, and even if we did, Godzilla’s still patrolling offshore. Looks like we’re trapped between a rock and a hard place.” The Fire Lord couldn’t help but sigh in frustration. They finally got the Earth King to send his forces to the colonies, but neither could they pull out till the nobles were evacuated. And that wasn’t happening with all the kaiju running around.

That meant the nobles and refugees were stuck here in Yu Dao. This meant tensions were already going to be even higher with that many Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom people in the city. And with Earth Kingdom troops coming expecting to relieve the Fire Nation…

“We’re sitting on a powder keg,” Mak bluntly summed up. Zuko just numbly nodded, trying to find some kind of way out of this mess. His eyes were riveted on the map. If they could at least get the nobles here where there’s some protection instead of being out in the middle of enemy territory, they could stand a chance.

It was there that he saw it. A patch of territory not marked by a kaiju. From the looks of it, it appeared to be a large swathe of mountainous jungles. They certainly didn’t appear too high to be a problem.

“Why not move them through here?” Zuko suggested, pointing to the territory. “We’d be able to avoid Anguirus and whatever this new kaiju is. It’d be a bit of a hike, but we’d get them to safety.”

Zuko blinked when he heard nothing from the other leaders. He looked around, with all eyes drilling right into him. Raising himself up and making his crown clearly visible, he remained as impassive as he could. “Is there a problem?”

“...that range is considered to be a Territory of Unique Risk,” Qin explained. “It’s a term used to refer to areas where Fire Nation military advances had been stalled due to unforeseen hazards. It’s a closely guarded secret known only to the Fire Lords, so I didn’t expect the new one to know what they were right away. After all, if people knew we had encountered significant losses, they’d lose faith in our soldiers.”

At that moment, Zuko shared a knowing glance with Iroh. Territory of Unique Risk. During Iroh’s probing into any matters related to kaiju, it was discovered that several areas around the world had been deemed too dangerous for any real military operation. The newest one was declared sometime right before the invasion of the North.

Specifically, the incident regarding the disappearance of Admiral Koga prompted its establishment.

The zone was established around Odo Island.

Needless to say, Iroh had a sneaking suspicion that these “unique risks” were more than just local resistance or rough terrain. The young monarch made a mental note to have his uncle look into this mountain range to see if there were any legends associated with the area.

Qin seemed to glean a little bit of what the Fire Lord was thinking. “Sometime after Sozin’s initial landing, an advance group disappeared scouting the mountains. When we attempted to regain contact, our messengers and relief groups also vanished. Since then, we’ve avoided deploying any forces in that area. None of us figured it was worth the effort to keep it.”

“If it’s anything though, we’ve heard that the Earth Kingdom lost men in those hills as well,” General Shinu added. While his addendum certainly piqued Zuko’s interest, something also occupied his thoughts. He looked around at the generals seated before him, trying to peer through those faces.

This wasn’t the first time he had heard of “Territories of Unique Risk”. Iroh had brought it up, having discovered it via scholars he had comb through the Dragonbone Archives for anything even remotely related to the kaiju and Godzilla. Turns out, there were quite a number of these areas scattered all over the world. Odo Island was one of the areas identified.

He felt the letter weighing heavy within his robes. As much as he wanted to deny it, he couldn’t ignore the possibility of these “advisors” having withheld this information beforehand. Not one of them brought it up before he sent the prison ship through those dangerous waters. Now that the truth was out in the air, they were trying to pin the blame on him for being inexperienced.

Zuko made a mental note to keep tabs on Qin and Shinu. As much as he needed them on his council, he couldn’t overlook such an oversight. Looking to his side, he saw that Iroh was making the same conclusion. How much of this old guard can they trust?

“We could have the Avatar escort the nobles through the territory,” Mak suggested. “If he’s able to calm Godzilla down and work with this ‘Anguirus’, he might have better luck dealing with whatever’s skulking around there. I mean, he’s already on his way here since the matter in Cranefish is dealt with.” A few murmurs and agreements from the other leaders rumbled around the room.

Taking a deep breath, Zuko cleared his throat. “Actually, we need to take care of something before we can get the Avatar to help out the nobles.” With that, he pulled out the letter and relayed the contents for everyone to hear.

He had to resist sneering at his sister’s words when he said them out loud. Of all the times-OBVIOUSLY she’d take advantage of the precarious situation they were all in. What was this to her? Another one of those mind games she used to play back in the Palace? When was she going to learn that there were real lives at stake here?

This though? This took the cake. Here he was trying to give her the benefit of the doubt, and she throws her lot in with rebels. The same people that backed Ozai in burning the Earth Kingdom as a matter of fact! It was bad enough he had to put her on the line to keep the nobles happy. Now she pulls this . She had to have known he’d have to go after her. It took all the restraint he had to stop himself from burning the letter to ash.

It was a relief when he put the letter down and got back to the matter at hand. His advisors looked at one another, their faces a blank slate. Iroh’s brow furrowed though. That was enough indication to the young monarch that his uncle must’ve sensed something amiss.

Admiral Chan was the first that cleared his throat. “Forgive me Fire Lord. Ever since the death of Admiral Zhao, the navy hadn’t been able to bounce back to its full capabilities. This splinter fleet falls under our jurisdiction. As one of its highest-ranking leaders, I will do my best to see that these traitors are brought to justice.”

His declaration brought no arguments from the other leaders. Now Zuko had to lean back and furrow his brow. That was awfully quick and with no prompting from the Fire Lord. He wouldn’t mind so much except Admiral Chan was one of the few naval leaders left over that he could afford to keep around. His family was old and well-respected (even though Zuko knew from first hand that his son was a bit of a meathead). And being old and respected in the Fire Nation was enough to ring some alarm bells.

“I concur. Furthermore, it’s my recommendation that we send a group to recapture Azula. If she has the backing of one of these army groups, she’s more dangerous than ever,” General Shugo suggested. His response was expected. Ozai had placed him in charge of overseeing war prisoners and enforced labor. That included that oil rig where Zuko knew Katara helped inspire a rebellion by the captive earthbenders.

This time though, Zuko held his ground. “I’m not sending Fire Nation ships to a neutral island.”

“My Lord, but Infant Island is hardly neutral. It does lie within our borders-”

“Let me rephrase: I’m not sending Fire Nation ships to an island where we don’t have any presence. Or do you want to rile up the border islands even more than they already are?”

Admiral Chan promptly clammed up. Zuko was painfully aware of Odo Island’s issues regarding the late Commander Maoso’s actions regarding how he raided their food supply. Turns out, Godzilla’s rampage put them on the map and gave them a voice that they otherwise wouldn’t have had. One of their demands for restitution was the removal of Fire Nation personnel stationed on the island. A sentiment that was shared amongst the other border islands where they had military bases set up.

That just gave Zuko more headaches. He had to keep those bases there cause his advisors said they needed some eyes on their borders with the Earth Kingdom. Especially since the Earth Kingdom just reclaimed the last of the colonies, thus making the risk of an invasion a real possibility. And that’s without the threat of the rebels stirring up trouble. Or Godzilla himself who was still prowling who knows where.

Suddenly, he felt the headpiece of the Fire Lord being heavier than it actually was. Every turn seemed to lead directly to violence.

“Alright. Then the matter with Azula is settled. Mak, I want you to send one of our reconnaissance squads in the direction of where that Firebird is heading. I want to know why it’s here and if it’s a threat. And make sure to pull them out the moment they spot any danger.”

Mak dutifully bowed, but Shinu interjected. “Sir, those forces would be better spent screening the Earth King’s advance. Wouldn’t it be better if we sent one of our more expendable squads to scout where this thing is heading?”

…

There it was.

Inwardly, Zuko challenged him to an Agni Kai right then and there. He would’ve had the authority to, and nobody would’ve stopped him. Even Iroh seemed a bit worried, for the heat started to get intolerably hot.

Outwardly, Zuko glared at Shinu before taking a deep breathe in and out. “I’m not risking any more men until we know what we’re dealing with. Men we don’t have too many of at the moment. Do I make myself clear?”

“...yes. My Lord. Forgive my intrusion.”

“Then it’s settled. You have all your duties, and I expect you all to maintain the peace with the Earth King when he arrives. Does anyone else wish to add to the discussion?”

A suffocating silence was the answer to the obvious rhetorical question. Satisfied for the moment, Zuko called for the meeting to be adjourned. He swiftly got from his chair and stalked out of the tent. Iroh ran up alongside him, patting him on the shoulder.

“Well down nephew! I thought you were going to throw a fireball just back then.”

Zuko waited a moment before they were well out of earshot from the tent. “They’re hiding something from us. That place where the Firebird went? That’s one of those areas Father had marked. They didn’t say anything.”

“Indeed. I’ll look into it right away,” Iroh grimly declared before walking away. Zuko felt his headache return. First the Firebird. Then his advisors. Then Azula.

And now there might be another kaiju out there somewhere about to wake up. By this point, he wondered if his sister would’ve laughed at his predicament.

En Route to Infant Island

The sun was high in the sky when Azula came out to the fresh air on the deck. Down further was Kori and Maina, leaning against the taffrail, gazing out at the shining blue waters of the sea.

It was just the three of them on deck. The rest of the crew was down below checking their wares. Good. Azula took a deep breath as she walked up to her allies, watching the light of the sun dance upon the ocean surface.

Sighing, Azula turned to her side to see Kori leaning there. The girl didn’t seem too bothered with her presence, though there was a certain tension in the air.

Time for it to come out before it gets worse later, Azula silently decided.

“So, you two enjoying the fresh air up here?” she asked.

Kori shrugged, not paying too much attention to her. “Well, we’re not heaving supplies around this time, so it’s a step up.”

“You guys are going to love Infant Island! The air is so clear. We’ve got some of the best food throughout the border islands. And I can’t wait to show you some of the Carnoraptors that are hanging around with us!”

“...plus she won’t shut up about home, so I got something to listen to.”

A sharp “HEY!” came from Maina, but Azula didn’t pay too much attention. The thing that drew her attention was the word “Carnoraptors”. She knew “raptor”, which was another word for a bird of prey. What the first part of the name meant though, she had no idea. From the way Maina spoke of them, it seemed that as though they were some kind of animal that was domesticated. Not too dissimilar to Mongoose Dragons or Komodo Rhinos.

She made a mental note to go feed Flame Runner who was relaxing in the hold down below. 

Shaking her head free of the distraction, Azula thrummed her nails on the guardrail. “I just hope that your people are accepting of somebody like me. They’re not going to be happy once they find out I brought the Fire Lord and the Avatar to their home.”

Maina shrugged without a care in the world. “Believe me, we’re not the sort to hold something like that against people. They’ll understand once I clear a few things up with them. Besides…” She played with that sacred medallion around her neck. “You’re the sort of person that Mothra is looking for. If she accepts people like you, we won’t have a problem.”

The reassurance did nothing to temper Azula’s frustration. Realizing she wouldn’t get anywhere with the priestess, she decided to go for broke and turn towards Kori.

“Doesn’t any of this seem wrong to you?” A flash of confusion played out on Kori’s face, further irritating the Princess. In exasperation, she groaned and spat out, “I’m the one who wanted to put your home to the torch. Surely you have some feelings about that.”

The noble girl narrowed her eyes, trying to see what game Azula was playing at. “Yeah. I haven’t exactly forgotten that.”

“And I’m the one who just took control of an army that wants to see the Fire Lord deposed. You know, the one who wants world peace?”

“I already know this-”

“And if it weren’t for me, you’d be able to go home right now. That’s what I was trying to warn you about! By associating with me, Zuko probably has a detachment waiting to arrest you the minute you step one foot home.”

“Look, what do you want me to say?!”

“Say that I’m going too far! Or that you’re dying to get back home so you can liberate Yu Dao for the Earth King! Or just, I don’t know, get mad at me! I know you want to. I can see that fire behind your eyes. Well, now’s your chance. I don’t have any soldiers with me. Nobody’s around us. And I won’t even put you down. It’s not like I have any more feelings that are hurting. So go ahead! Say what you want to say!”

Kori looked straight into Azula’s soul, gripping her hands on the taffrail. Good , the Princess thought. And that fire in the noble girl’s eyes was blazing white hot. Inwardly, Azula braced herself.

“Okay. Do you want to know how I feel? I’m pissed you just left us behind like trash! We were willing to follow you because we had the gall to care! I looked at you, and I saw a little bit of myself! As much as I hate what you tried to pull, I’m not sure I’d do any different under the same circumstances if I grew up on the home islands! And trust me, you’re far from the only person I have a chip on my shoulder with, so don’t act like you’re somehow entitled to get special treatment!

“Because why? Why do you want us to hate you so much?! Why do you want to cut us out, and don’t say because it’s for our own safety! Maina was able to handle herself when Godzilla attacked Oda for Agni’s sake! If you don’t have enough faith in us to take care of ourselves, you don’t have to worry. We’re doing a better job of it than you are! Who gives you the right to keep trying to get yourself killed?! You didn’t have to go to Aso, but you did anyways!

“So what’s the reason? Do you honestly think yourself a monster so badly that you just like pushing people away to convince yourself you are one?! Cause you’re doing a pretty bad job of it! Monsters don’t save entire villages like you did at Aso, or try to bring war criminals to justice! But no! I guess you just want to cling to your lie so badly, that you don’t want to see people for who they are! Especially yourself!

“So yeah, you’re stuck with us because we care! Even if we have to tie ourselves to your backside and follow you halfway across the world! So don’t give me the “I’m a monster” crap, cause it’s going to get really old fast and I’m not in the mood to make you feel like one.”

With that, Kori huffed and leaned against the railing. Azula just stared dumbly into the distance, for once having nothing to say. Briefly, she gazed at Maina, who looked at her guiltily before turning away. Clearly, the feeling was mutual between the two of them, but only one had the courage to speak up. She didn’t hold it against the priestess though. It wasn’t easy even for the bravest soul to explode against the so-called “Mad Princess”.

So her eyes wandered into the distance, not focusing on anything. The words roared in her head again and again, drowning out any voices that may have lingered. The longer the silence dragged on, the more that Azula realized she simply had nothing to say. No threats. No condemnations. Just the cold truth laid bare as the sea below.

“Am I making you feel guilty?” Kori asked.

“...a little.”

“Good.”

A sharp chuckle erupted from Azula’s mouth. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a tiny smile creep on Kori’s face. The Princess decided to let the noble girl have this small victory against her pride. She certainly was asking for it. Maybe even literally.

Even still, she felt herself be a bit disappointed. Not in Kori or Maina, but in herself. Again, those two latched to her, even when she made it clear that it was a fool’s errand. Fool her once, shame on them. Fool her twice, shame on her. She wondered what it was that she was doing wrong. Threats didn’t work. Leaving them behind didn’t work. So what was going to open their eyes and see the big picture? Ty Lee and Mai at least knew when to call it quits. These two were persistent to the point of obsession in her eyes.

Azula sighed once more, this time in defeat. “And here I was thinking I was a masochist.”

“Well, when you know how to deal with rock heads pretty quick growing up in politics.”

The Princess’s chuckle came back with a vengeance. “I hear you there.”

It felt odd, just hanging out and sharing a few crude laughs. Almost, it felt like out of a long-forgotten dream. One of a time when she actually felt…happy? Was she feeling happy? When was the last time she felt that? Probably during Ember Island she supposed.

Maina just alighted herself on the railing, unaware or not caring about the waters below. Must be an airbender thing , Azula thought.

“Hey, at least you two know what it’s like to deal with hardheads. Back home, my parents always told me I was the bullheaded one between my sister and I,” Maina declared.

“I didn’t know you had a sister.”

“I do. Miana can be a bit of a pushover, but she’s sweet. She should be there on Infant Island waiting for us when we arrive.”

The two other girls just stared at the priestess. “...Miana? Really?” Kori asked.

Maina shrugged. “It’s a traditional thing. Everyone calls her Imana so we don’t get confused. As if that’s the only thing they can get confused about us.”

“Ah. Makes sense. I know a friend who has seven sisters if it makes you feel better. Her parents can’t even tell them apart!”

The priestess and Kori snickered a bit at Azula’s little jab. “I think I’d go crazy if I had that many siblings!” Maina declared.

Azula let out a good-natured laugh before they talked a bit more about family, childhood, and basically, all the stuff that only friends could be comfortable divulging. It felt good to indulge in this. No Zuzu to tell her she was so perfect that stuff like this wouldn’t faze her. No guards. Just…three friends relaxing and shooting the breeze.

Friends.

That word felt so foreign and yet so right for this moment. It made Azula feel lighter than by any right she had. For once, she felt glad that these two had stuck it out with her.

Making her feel all the more guilty for trying to leave them behind.

The wind provided a blissful distraction, blowing in from the west in a pleasantly warm gale. Azula closed her eyes and embraced it all. It was a brief moment, but it was one she relished.

Then, out in the distance, an island rose into view. A verdant green place, with pristine white sandy beaches and blue waters. The girls looked out at the land emerging from the horizon, almost as if it were conjured out of a tale their mothers used to read.

“Is that Infant Island?” Azula asked.

Maina had a huge smile on her face. “Yeah. That’s home.”

A mix of emotions churned in Azula’s stomach. It looked pristine, but she knew this was where she’d have to face her brother again.

And her mother if luck decided not to be on her side. She knew that Maina promised to keep Ursa away from her, but the fates haven’t exactly been kindly to her as of yet.

Finally, she knew that somewhere in that tropical paradise was the Goddess, Mothra. A kaiju that she had been so adamant on avoiding was now in her future.

Well, no use in delaying the inevitable. Azula rose up and said to herself, “There’s no turning back.”

Northwest of Yu Dao

Deep within an ancient cavern, far from the surface, a gigantic worm has been roused.

From above and through the layers of rock and stone, a piercing cry had disturbed his slumber. Ever since Sozin’s Comet, the being’s black and red body had coiled and flexed. While the Avatar had vanquished the threat the Fire Nation posed, there was still something that kept the Lord of the Earth awake. A deep rumbling in the earth, as if he were far from the only one who had been roused from their dormancy.

It was Rodan’s cries from above that stirred the black guardian from his rest. Yet it was his sister’s awakening from across the sea that drove him to action.

Thrusting his golden horn through the dark earth, the worm began to tunnel his way to the surface. From above, one could feel earthquakes and tremors reverberate throughout the land. Down below though, a pair of glowing red eyes illuminated his way through his dark tunnels.

The dark being chittered to himself. He had sensed that conflict was brewing upon the coast, and it was his duty to investigate. It was certain Mothra would meet him as she did before, but violence was not on his mind this time. If the humans were prepared to face the oncoming threat together, then they had nothing to fear.

If their petty differences and hatred won over though, then they would find no comfort. For that was not the way of the Black Mothra.

Chapter Text

Infant Island

Not too long ago, Azula never knew that a place like Infant Island could have existed undiscovered. The distant mountains and lush, unspoiled jungle spoke of a sizeable landmass. Maybe not as big as home, but still quite a respectable scale for being on the fringes of Fire Nation society.

As their ship coasted closer, she could hear the strange calls of animals echoing in the dark foliage. The wall of green put her on edge. With a place like Aso, one knew that eventually, the unknown terrain ended into the more familiar meadows and grasslands fed by ancient volcanic runoff. Here though, there seemed no end to the trees, vines, and leaves harboring whatever was lying in wait.

Again in a rather distressing short amount of time, Azula felt tiny. Not helped knowing that somewhere in the dark waters below, there were shipwrecks of the last people who tried to tame this savage land.

There were people here though. Along a stretch of beach, Azula saw a number of large canoes resting. Proud sails patterned with that strange symbol Maina wore around her neck fluttered in the breeze. No doubt these were the boats belonging to the priestess’s people, descendants of this island’s first settlers.

Those descendants were waiting for them further along the beach. Azula and Kori held their breath as they descended onto a rowboat, and taken to the shore. As they got closer, they could see that the natives had various tattoos painted over their bodies. Spears, swords, and shields lay at their side, ready to be used at a moment’s notice.

What caught Azula’s attention though were the strange birdlike reptiles some of the warriors were riding. They were a bit bigger than a man with a body held horizontally, with a tapering tail that supported their balance. Their heads were held proudly, with a pair of horns sprouting from their cranium. No doubt their heavy jaws were filled with equally large teeth. Their long arms had sharp claws on their hands, and their powerful legs had vicious talons on their feet. One talon on each foot was larger than the others, held in a position to strike.

“Those the Carnoraptors?” Azula asked, observing the animals. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Flame Runner fidget nervously on her separate boat at the sight of the predators.

Maina on the other hand didn’t seem too bothered with the vicious reptiles. “Yep. We actually call them Shaconnes. Carnoraptors is the term a lot of outsiders use.”

Neither name seemed to put Azula at ease. Especially as the rowboats deposited them and Flame Runner on the beach and rowed away in a rather hurried fashion. Leaving them alone with the natives on that strange beach. Oh, THEY’RE the ones who leave me? Azula silently exclaimed.

She fought down her instinct to go into a firebending stance when one of the warband’s party dismounted from his Carnoraptor. His headpiece was adorned with bright feathers, no doubt signifying his status as leader. Not that his tall figure and large build made him any less intimidating. His mount stalked behind him, those reptilian eyes sizing up the newcomers.

Flame Runner snarled nervously to Azula’s left. Kori fidgeted with her bow nervously on her right.

And Maina…

“FATHER!”

Maina zoomed forward on a gust of wind into the outstretched arms of the overjoyed man, who embraced her in a tight hug. “Maimai! Mother, Swiftclaw, and I were wondering when you would get back!” The Carnoraptor affectionately licked the girl’s shoulders, obviously being the “Swiftclaw” in question.

Leaving Azula and Kori to just stand there a bit gobsmacked.

“...Maimai?” Kori managed to jokingly ask.

“It’s…a nickname my parents gave me,” Maina explained sheepishly.

The two noble girls just stood there, before snickering uncontrollably. “Hey, I bet your parents gave you nicknames growing up!” Maina’s father teased.

I was the one giving nicknames, thank you , Azula silently snarked. Though she did remember that delightful time when Zuzu kept trying to call her “Lala”. Surprisingly, that was one of the few times both Father and Mother got mad at him. Knowing what she knew about that term now, she probably would’ve been just as offended as they were.

Her inner delight was then interrupted when the chieftain rose up again to his full height. Suddenly, Azula became aware that he had gotten his first proper look at her. And when one is so recognizable as her, it was pretty hard to just go unnoticed. Particularly when you were wearing armor that was only meant for royals.

“Maina. Is that-?”

“She needs Mothra’s help, Father. And we didn’t have any other options.” Maina then proceeded to tell her father the whole story surrounding their impromptu “visit”. Particularly the point about where the Fire Lord was coming with the Avatar, most likely via either airship or flying bison. Her story was enough to give the chieftain pause.

Something that didn’t go unnoticed by the rest of his entourage. The natives’ fists clenched around their weapons, while the Carnoraptors began to view Azula with suspicion. Flame Runner growled at the reptiles, but the Princess wasn’t sure how long a single Mongoose Dragon could hold off several of them.

The tension though was cooled when the chieftain held up a hand at his entourage. All at once, they began to calm down. With their weapons lowered and their mounts at bay, they watched their leader stride forth to look Azula in the eye.

“Forgive us, Princess. We didn’t have much warning to arrange a proper welcome. I am Chieftain Amimoto,” he said with a bow. Though his words were friendly, he spoke in a clipped tone, as if gauging her reaction.

Azula dutifully returned the bow, not forgetting her manners. “The pleasure’s all mine. And I’d like to extend my own apology. We do not typically appear on such short notice.” Falling into her habits she perfected during her days at court was akin to putting on a freshly made set of clothes. Refreshing, familiar, and easy to slip into.

“And forgive our welcoming party. We’ve heard stories about army groups roaming about and we wanted to be prepared,” the Chief explained. His entourage stood at attention, their eyes never leaving either of the newcomers. Swiftclaw didn’t even bother with pleasantries as they kept their teeth barred at the Princess.

“I wouldn’t worry too much about them. After all, I did just tell them to stand down and all.” She threw out her new position out into the air. Honesty was the best policy when dealing with potential allies after all, and she hoped her breezy way of breaking the news would’ve made it sink in easier.

It didn’t. Once again, the natives clutched their weapons. Even Amimoto seemed a bit taken aback by her brazeness. Suddenly it occurred to Azula that announcing yourself as the leader of a rogue army group probably was NOT the best idea in the world. She had to mentally kick herself for that slip up. Been a while since she was undercover. And had an official position to back up her words.

Thankfully, she had somebody watching her back. “What my friend meant to say is that the Fiery Raptors won’t be a problem anymore. They’ve been ordered to stand down,” Kori added.

Murmurs went amongst the welcoming party, leaving the three girls wondering if they botched up their chance at a refuge. 

Chief Amimoto cleared his throat. “Well, it cannot be said that Infant Island is not an unwelcoming place. As long as you leave your conflicts on the seashore, we shouldn’t have a problem. Besides, it wouldn’t be our place to turn away a teenager looking for help.”

The girls’ tenseness faded away with the declaration. Azula in particular let herself breathe a little. Another moment and she thought they would’ve had to fight their way to safety. She wouldn’t know where that would be with their ship sailing away, but the Princess figured she’d find out a solution amidst the chaos. Still, it was good knowing they had one place to stay against all the odds.

Satisfied, Amimoto clasped his hands together. “So! I guess you all are hungry after a day’s worth of travel. Am I right?” 

Azula and Kori stared as Amimoto’s wife (Daiyo was her name apparently) served a plate of sliced raw fish seasoned with sea salt, yam, and a few kinds of fruit they couldn’t identify. Neither one of them took up their chopsticks to eat, not even when Maina and her parents began to dig into the prepared feast.

Their hesitancy didn’t go unnoticed for long. “Come on. You really think we’d poison our guests?” Maina asked.

“Well…truth be told, I was half expecting that you were going to serve us cooked human meat or something,” Kori sheepishly admitted.

This elicited a rather hearty laugh from Daiyo, causing her husband and daughter to look a little embarrassed at her outburst. “Wow! Is that what the mainland thinks of us? Good thing you didn’t wait another decade to see us or you would’ve thought we sacrificed our children to some spider god!”

“Yeah. That would be kind of ridiculous,” Azula played off, still feeling a little embarrassed knowing that there probably were some nobles back home that thought that way.

Quite frankly, the brief hike to Maina’s village was an eye-opener. All her life, Azula believed that anybody who chose the wilderness over the safety of a fortified city was a backward savage. Probably scrawny and living in their own filth. Not that she’d say this in front of her hosts of course, no Princess worth her salt would be so crass.

Still, her eyes went wide when she saw how utterly different things seemed to be. For one, the villagers were healthy and fit. Maybe even healthier than some of the nobles or peasants that lived in the shadow of the Capital. For another, their village, while not especially ornate, was well-maintained and pristine. Sure it wasn’t a resort such as those you’d find at Ember Island, but it was a far cry from the hovel she expected.

What’s more, they didn’t even seem to be particularly industrious. They had a few farms here and there, but they were typically small and were grown in amongst the trees rather than in clearings. From what she could gather, the natives didn’t practice much in the way of clearcutting and prioritizing staple crops. Rather, they seemed to rotate their diet to whatever was available at the time. Fruits were picked in season. Their livestock (which mostly consisted of parrot-beaked bipedal lizards about the size of a good-sized cat) milled about close to home, feeding on whatever was picked. The rest of their meat came from fishing and the occasional hunting of big game.

The later was helped by those Carnoraptors, or Shaconnes as they were called (Azula made a mental note to remember that). Bizarrely, they were kept outside of the village rather than in pens. She guessed somehow they were trained to avoid preying on unattended parrot-lizards, but it seemed odd that everyone was comfortable with having a pack of hungry predators living on their borders.

Not that it seemed to bother Amimoto before he let Swiftclaw join the raptors lingering on the borders. Flame Runner stayed safely within the village leaning by the hut they were eating at, though not without keeping a wary eye on the hunters milling about somewhere in the foliage.

Azula, on the other hand, was more wary of the food. She prodded at it with her chopsticks, feeling rather foolish that she was being intimidated by a plate of… “What did you say this was?” she asked.

“Armored fish caught this morning,” Daiyo answered cheerfully, like that was supposed to make Azula feel better. Still, she didn’t want to appear rude and since Maina was clearly enjoying it…

She took a bite.

“...wow. This is really good actually.” For once, it wasn’t a lie. Seeing that the food was royalty approved, Kori took a few bites of her own fish.

Her reaction was substantially less subdued. “By Agni! This is great!”

Azula rolled her eyes, but tucked into her lunch regardless. They ate for a moment, savoring the foreign dish and filling their bellies. Truth be told if Azula was more inclined, she would’ve proclaimed this was better than the slop they served at the asylum any day. Not that she wanted to bring down the mood.

Once their bellies were properly filled, the Princess decided it would be time to cut to the chase. “I thank you again for letting us have our little meeting here on your island. Is there anywhere in particular you would wish for us to conduct business?”

Swallowing his bite, Amimoto cleared his throat. “Best place to do that would be at Mothra’s shrine high up in the mountain. She’s the one who enforces the Law of Peace.”

Maina blinked. “Father, Mothra’s dormant. Right?”

“Actually, we believe she’s about to wake up,” Daiyo corrected, causing everyone’s attention to be drawn to her. “Swarms of moths have been seen fluttering up the mountain side. We think she’s calling to them and giving us a sign.”

The mountain in question lay visible outside the hut’s window. Towering high up, it was far from the fire scorched volcano of Aso. Dense vegetation flourished down its slopes. An unbroken carpet of green that spoke of times before coal and steel powered their Nation’s heart. That seemed to be a recurring sign of these kaiju. Unspoiled habitats with people that clung to old ways.

Still, Azula wondered what this Mothra really was. It seemed very room for doubt that she would indeed meet the Goddess she had heard so much about. Yet her anticipation was only coupled with dread. No doubt this was yet one more kaiju. Not Godzilla or Rodan from what she heard of course, but the idea of meeting such a powerful being such as this one gave her pause.

“Mothra awakening and my lifetime…if only Miana were here to see it…”

Shaking her head clear, Azula had to ask. “Why are you letting me stay? You know who I am and what I’ve done. And I’m posing a big threat to your people. Why take the risk?”

Amimoto and Daiyo looked at one another, obviously not expecting such a question to be lobbied at them. After a moment, it was the lady of the household that deigned to answer. “We understand that our ways might not exactly be seen as traditional by the standards of the Fire Nation. But we believe that everyone in existence has a place and part to play. Even those who might seem lost or shunned by the world. This island is for them. After all, we’re practically exiles everywhere else.”

The Princess understood. All around the village, she had seen airbenders. Children playing with gusts of wind. Farmers spreading their seed upon the breeze. It seemed right out of a dream. Sure it was nothing compared to what the Avatar was capable of, but this people still seemed like a lost relic regardless. To think that a society of airbenders survived still boggled her mind every time she saw it.

Azula need only look to the mountain to know why they had survived. Even from this distance, she could feel some kind of…presence, watching down over all.

“Besides, there is a reason your path ended up here. Do you mind if we see your fire for a moment?”

Amimoto’s request seemed pretty innocuous. No doubt these people had heard of her blue flame and wanted a demonstration. But deciding to keep it simple for now, Azula just shrugged, opened her hand, and willed to life a shimmering azure fire. It crackled and flickered in the air, with her fingertips gently making sure that no embers accidentally left her palm and set the hut on fire. Not that it bothered Kori or Maina that much, since they’d been with her enough to get used to the unusual color.

The chieftain and his wife had a very different reaction though. Their eyes were drawn to the flame, the azure glow reflecting in their eyes. All at once, it felt as if the life in the room stood still to hold its breath.

Now Azula had been used to people stopping to gawk at her fire. Ever since she’d first mastered it all those years ago, it felt as though the whole palace held her up as a gift from Agni. Father certainly saw it as a triumphant example of her progress. Certainly made all her work training in empty dojos worth it. Finally, she had something to be truly proud of.

Here though, Amimoto and Daiyo seemed to regard it with a sort of reverence mixed in with awe. Azula was more than willing to oblige of course, but it still made her think back to the ritual on Odo Island. How blue fire was revered as highly as the legendary fire of dragons. It only deepened her interest.

With a snap of her wrist, she snuffed the fire out of her palm. That broke the natives out of their trance. “Forgive us. It has been many generations since any of Infant Island has seen the blue flame.”

“You know about it Daiyo?” Azula asked, setting out the line. Now it was a matter of who would take the bite.

The older woman didn’t hesitate to take it. “Why of course. Everyone who lives in the shadow of kaiju knows of the blue flame. Legend has it that they who mastered it was given sanction by Gojira himself.”

And there he was again. Godzilla seemed to dog her step even when he wasn’t around. Everywhere she turned, somebody had some legend or story connected with him. Still, she remained composed. “I figured it out all on my own. Though there do seem to be a few things it’s capable of that I wasn’t aware of before.”

“All the more reason to go to Mothra’s shrine then. We have little knowledge of the blue fire, but there might be something our ancestors might have recorded,” Daiyo suggested. “Besides: we always say that mastering your element will help bring peace to those in need.”

That, Azula wasn’t so sure about. Fire was passion and will given form, obviously. Everybody in the Fire Nation was taught that from an early age. A s for helping her with her problems…well unless she could set herself on fire and become Agni’s vengeance herself, she didn’t see how it could help.

“I’m just here to meet with my brother and the Avatar. That’s it,” Azula stated. Her declaration caused Maina to exhale the breath she was holding in. Didn’t matter too much to the Princess. If she wanted to keep deluding herself into thinking she could be saved, that was her loss.

Amimoto on the other hand seemed to come out of a deep thought that he had. “Actually Princess, there was something we could have your help with. We can deal with it up on the way to the shrine.”

Now this was something that piqued Azula’s interest. Normally she wouldn’t even bother with a request from somebody literally on the boundaries of civilization. But if she wanted to make friends with those who were going to help enforce the “no violence” part of what was certainly going to be a decidedly hectic talk, it was best to have your angles covered.

So, the Princess tucked into what remained of her lunch and gave the Chieftain his full, undivided attention. “Alright. What exactly did you want from the Princess of the Fire Nation?”

Yu Dao

The first bad news that Team Avatar learned when they landed outside in the camp was that there was a major riot happening in the marketplace of the city. The second bad news was that for the first time, Fire Lord Zuko had appeared to address it.

So many thoughts ran through Aang’s mind as he and his friends snaked their way through the bustling crowds. They all knew there were protests when they first arrived. Why wouldn’t there be? But a full-blown riot was another level entirely. That meant blood could be spilled. And when you spilled blood in an occupied town…

Nobody wanted to think about it. Not when the crowds got more packed. Not when the din of the usual hustle and bustle was replaced with angry shouting and threats being thrown. And not when they emerged into the bazaar.

In times of peace, it would’ve been a colorful menagerie of stalls and tents. Merchants would’ve advertised their wares as from either coming across the sea or beyond the deserts of the east. Buyers would’ve been taken in by the exotic goods, regardless over whether or not they got a good deal. And a steady flow of money would’ve made Yu Dao a place of plenty. 

Now, a crowd of protestors had gathered in the heart of the marketplace. Opposing them was a division of guards. And behind them, resplendent in the robes of the Fire Lord was Zuko, trying his best to keep the peace. Given the way the crowd kept getting riled up by virtually every word he said, it was a losing battle.

“We came as fast we could! What’s going on?” Aang quickly asked, he and his friends taking their place beside the young monarch.

Zuko rolled his eyes. “Please tell me you didn’t miss the giant bird that just flew overhead.”

“Miss? We nearly flew into that oversized buzzardwasp!” Sokka exclaimed.

“Well, that whipped the people up into a panic, and now somebody thought to bend a rock at one of our guard’s head,” the Fire Lord explained. He pointed to the offender in question, a young man wearing the green garb of the Earth Kingdom. His stance was that of a bender, though not an experienced one from his shaky legs. Opposite of him was a fully armored, skull-masked firebender with a flame in his fist.

“Bent a rock- he’s the one who threw a fireball at us!” the earthbender yelled. “This was supposed to be a peaceful protest because we didn’t exactly want any more Fire Nation soldiers in our city! Then this thug decides the best way to deal with us was bending fire at us!”

“And I told you , that the Fire Lord decreed that the city be considered under siege until we determine what threat that monster poses to us!” the guard shot back. “Who’s going to protect you when we’re gone?!”

“Oh, you mean the same people who got themselves killed when going up against the last monster?!”

“Know you place you little-”

“EVERYBODY CALM DOWN!” the head of the guard yelled, his more ornate armor denoting his station amongst the soldiers. Not that it did any good, since the crowd just shouted back “Easy for you firebenders to say!”, “You’re going to piss off this one too and get us all killed?!”, and “We’ll calm down when you get out of here!”.

Sokka took a look at the scene around them. There did seem to be pretty substantial scorch marks where fire was clearly thrown around. And there was only a single patch of road that was upended from where earth could’ve been bent. “I think that earthbender’s telling the truth,” the warrior told Zuko.

“I know, but I don’t exactly want to escalate this whole thing further,” the Fire Lord answered. To this, the monarch bravely walked past his guards and held up his arms. “People of Yu Dao! I understand your concerns about the garrison we have placed here and the threat posed by this new kaiju. However, we need to stand united in face of this threat. I promise that justice will be dealt with, but until then-”

“What are you going to do about your goon then?!” somebody from the crowd yelled.

“He will face disciplinary action. But I can’t ignore that not only have you been disturbing the peace, but one of your own has just lobbed a rock and nearly killed one of my people! As such, this earthbender needs to be placed under arrest and put under our jurisdiction.”

Zuko practically winced from the renewed wave of outrage as his captain spoke for him. Already, Katara was muscling her way through the guards to say, “Zuko, we can’t just arrest him for defending himself!”

Indeed, the young man paled as a group of guards began advancing towards him. “There’s not much I can do,” Zuko said, not liking how this was going either. “I can’t just ignore that he assaulted a Fire Nation guard!”

“So you’re just going to throw him into a Fire Nation cell?” Katara asked in disbelief.

The earthbender nervously got into a shaky stance. “Stay away from me,” he whispered.

“Just for a day or two till this clears over. I’ll make sure he’s not hurt,” Zuko reassured. Indeed, that was the very same thing that one of the older guards was telling the protestor. 

The young man just backed further away. “I warn you. Stay back.”

“Wait a minute, let me talk to him,” Aang piped up, squirming his way to Zuko in front of the crowd. “He’s scared, and your men aren’t helping matters. Give me a chance to calm him down.”

“STAY BACK!!!!”

Before Zuko could even think about giving Aang the go-ahead to try (which he no doubt would’ve), the earthbender bent up a good-sized stone and kicked it into one of the approaching guards. A pained grunt came from the soldier as he collapsed into the dirt, his arm hanging dislocated from his shoulder.

With that, any hope of this ending peacefully was drowned out in a crescendo of uproar. The other guards rushed forward to try and apprehend the now panicking earthbender. What they got was a storm of stones and rocks being hurled in their faces. To the further astonishment of everyone, a few blasts of fire also came from the protestors, forcing the guards back further. Meanwhile, the protestor was taken back by the crowd. His fellow citizens physically put themselves between him and his would-be captors.

All the while, the roars from the crowd only increased. Shouts of “You call THIS bringing peace?!” and “Put that captain behind bars!” drowned out any attempts made by Zuko, Team Avatar, or really anybody trying to restore order. Only the aforementioned captain was able to form some kind of response. Which was to grimly motion for his forces to begin advancing upon the protestors. The sight of armored soldiers advancing on the crowd caused several individuals to begin bringing their elements to bare, whether it be earth or fire.

Behind the benders was, much to Team Avatar’s horror, a crowd of now thoroughly terrified civilians. Many of them seemed to be of Earth Kingdom descent. And Katara didn’t ignore that many of the civilians were wearing bandages one would use to cover burns.

Her blue eyes bored into Zuko. “For the love of Tui and La, put a stop to this or somebody’s going to get killed!”

The Fire Lord was finally brought out of his trance, shaking his head and getting himself in front of the advancing guard. “As your Fire Lord, I command you to stand down and-”

“DEATH TO THE TYRANT’S SON!!!”

Before anybody could even begin to react, a man clad in fairly typical Fire Nation peasant’s robes came rushing out of the panicking crowd. His bland appearance belied the sheen of a knife being pulled from its sheathe hidden in his sleeve. And between the chaos of the fiery riot, the only warning anybody had was his warcry.

It certainly wasn’t enough warning for the young monarch, who tried to bring up his fists to defend himself. Yet his muscles seemed to move in slow motion compared to the assailant practically flying across the expanse.

A flurry of fists though put a halt to the assassin’s dark ambitions. He collapsed to the earth into a heap, his nerves paralyzed. Above his prone body was a Kyoshi Warrior, her disarmingly soft face being the other indicator that it was indeed Ty Lee.

Even still, Zuko stood just as paralyzed as his assailant. Not even the crowd panicking and running in all directions brought him out of the daze. With the sovereign leader of the Fire Nation being stunned into silence, the Captain gave out the orders to drag the would-be assassin to whatever holding cell could fit him.

It was only then that the Fire Lord was able to shake himself out of his shock. “Let’s…we need to get out of here.”

Luckily, somebody was already planning farther than his mind was at. “You heard the man! Let’s get to the Mayor’s palace people!” Sokka ordered the Fire Nation soldiers. Despite being a boy from the so-called “barbarous” Water Tribe, the guards recognized authority when they heard it. Already they formed an escort around their entourage, hustling their way towards the safest place in the city they knew of.

Aang and Katara on the other hand were more focused on the dispersing crowds around them. Especially the looks of terror. If they didn’t know any better, the two would’ve assumed they were back in the days of the war.

Today certainly seemed like a harsh reminder of those dark times.

Mayor Morishita’s Mansion

“Okay. Could somebody please tell me why we’re having assassins in broad daylight now? ” Sokka sarcastically asked the mayor.

Team Avatar and the Fire Lord’s entourage were able to safely retreat to the mansion without much incident. The only thing they had to endure was the occasional noble calling Zuko a “coward” for backing off in the face of a peasant revolt. As for the wounded guard, he had been escorted to the garrison’s apothecary. Katara offered to heal him herself, but she was turned down on the basis of being a “backwards savage that would sooner drown him than help him”. She politely said that it wouldn’t be her fault that he’d be in agony for a few days rather than a few minutes.

And now here they were in the Mayor’s common room. Iroh had brewed up some tea, but even that wasn’t enough to assuage the simmering tensions. No due in small part to the Mayor Morishita had decided to make an appearance. He was a large man wearing the resplendent black and red robes of his station. Middle-aged with his sideburns still black, he had made several apologies already on behalf of his men’s behavior.

Until a certain swordsman brought up how they were dealing with armed assassins now. “It’s certainly not my fault the rabble has started hiring cutthroats. We try to protect them from these monsters and THIS is how they repay us? I’m surprised you haven’t pushed for an arrest warrant for that ruffian who started this whole mess!”

“What? You mean the guy who was acting in self-defense? We saw the scorch marks! We know it was your people who shot first! And even then, how does that justify cornering him when we could’ve talked him down?” Katara fired back, not at all deterred by the bluster and accusations this pomped-up noble was throwing at civilians.

Aang took a deep breath, stepping forward and trying to get his emotions under check. “With all due respect Mayor, if a whole army wasn’t able to stop Godzilla, what good would your garrison do? All they seem to be doing is making the people more panicked.”

Before Morishita could launch into another furious rant, Zuko cleared his throat and stepped in. “We can’t pull out. There are still nobles we need to escort and protect. And even then, Godzilla has made landfall not too far from here. I’m not risking sending any more Fire Nation ships to take us home with that thing still prowling around.”

“Wait…Godzilla attacked somewhere again?” Sokka asked, speaking for the petrified Team Avatar.

Taking a deep breath, Zuko launched into sharing everything that was known about Aso Island. About how one of the rogue armies baited Godzilla into a trap and tried to kill him by awakening the firebird. And how Azula was there, told him this via letter, and had “invited” him to a place called Infant Island for some kind of negotiations.

“So as you can see, we’ve got a lot on our plate at the moment. That’s why I want to ask all of you to accompany me to Infant Island. At least if we capture Azula, we can get something done,” Zuko finished.

Imana didn’t say anything at first. She simply withdrew into the background. “Maina must’ve taken her there…” she muttered, trying to put together the pieces in her head.

Aang on the other hand was not as convinced. “Zuko, you sure you’re not letting her get into your head? Like, what if she’s telling the truth? I don’t want you to escalate things with her again.”

The Fire Lord just scoffed. “Aang, when has Azula ever been truthful? She wouldn’t just give me an invitation to arrest her. And even then, she’s in control of the Fiery Raptors. That practically makes her a war lord right now! I’m sorry, but I’m not taking any chances with her.”

“Okay, let me ask you this: why do you think this is going to help us? We have Azula in custody. Great! How’s that going to help us deal with Godzilla? Or the escorts? Or this ‘siege’ you keep talking about?” Suki asked, getting a bit frustrated with how all this talk just kept them going in circles.

To that, Iroh cleared his throat. “Azula represents a way for all of these men to get back into power. If we were to capture her now, they’d be cowed. And if they are cowed, they can be dealt with at our leisure.”

“I don’t know Iroh. I think a bunch of monsters are a bit more of a threat than some guys who think the war hasn’t ended. I mean the Rough Rhinos were one of those groups, but they got slaughtered by Old Iron,” Sokka contended.

“Then it’s imperative that we go to Infant Island.”

Everyone’s heads turned to Imana, who strode forth amongst them. Zuko blinked, wondering if this was the airbender that was traveling with Azula, before Katara clarified that she was actually the airbender’s twin sister.

“Twins. Great…wait. That girl was an airbender?!”

Another explanation from Team Avatar and Imana, and Zuko was beginning to question how his country managed to almost conquer the world if they weren’t able to wipe out an island full of airbenders.

Surprisingly, Ty Lee just shrugged. “I mean some airbenders survived pretty late into the war. But why do you think capturing Azula will be good for us?”

“I never said capture. I said we need to go to Infant Island. We practically have more legends and lore on kaiju there than any other place in the world! Our Goddess Mothra is one after all! If she wakes up, she’ll be willing to fight for us if Godzilla or Rodan becomes a threat!”

“Just like Anguirus,” Aang said with realization.

Zuko and Iroh just felt a pang of worry shoot through their hearts. “Another kaiju…” the Fire Lord muttered.

“How exactly is waking up another of those things going to help us?! We might as well designate the entirety of our colonies as prime monster territory at this rate!” Needless to say, Mayor Morishita was considerably less tactful.

Still, Aang was undeterred. “I believe her. And honestly, I don’t think we should pass this opportunity up. Any information on these kaiju is better than nothing.”

“I concur,” Iroh added. “I’ve been having the White Lotus working as hard as they can, but these creatures have been awakening far faster than we’ve been able to find answers. If the Avatar wishes for us to go to Infant Island, then we should all go. That way we can also deal with Azula at the same time.”

Zuko smiled at his uncle backing him up, though he was surprised when Aang just gave the old man a rather neutral stare. The airbender kept his thoughts to himself, but Katara had a pretty good idea of what was on his mind. After all, he had come out about his messages with Bumi with the rest of the team. As for what he found out, he wouldn’t say just yet.

Yet she knew when something was bothering him. And when that something was a man they all thought they knew.

“Then it’s settled. We’re going on vacation to an island full of monsters. Yay. I’ll go pack my bags,” Mai snarked, gliding out of the room.

With that settled, everybody started to discuss what exactly they were going to do once they got to the island. Most of them were anyway. Aang kept looking at Morishita. Kaiju or not, he hadn’t forgotten that it was the mayor’s men who escalated that riot. Neither could he forget how many of the protestors had burns of their own. As hard as it was for him to swallow, he couldn’t ignore that the noble was practically asking for a repeat of the war to happen on his streets.

Zuko’s thoughts were also divided. The first was on the assassin. He wasn’t an expert, but he knew that no amateur could use a riot as a cover or move that fast. That’s plenty of reason for the man to be interrogated while he was gone.

His other thoughts were on Azula. What game was she playing at? If this was some play for the crown, she picked the worst time to do so. And here he was trying to give her the benefit of the doubt. How was he supposed to give her a chance when she threw her lot in with war criminals?

Well, she overstepped her boundaries this time. Armistice or no, he’d be taking her back to the palace. With or without chains.

Infant Island

Azula swatted a fly that was annoying her. She swore she had her fill of stomping through jungles to last a lifetime.

Then again, this whole excursion seemed beneath her. Don’t get her wrong. Getting a headstart on a trek that was estimated to take at least until sunset to reach their destination was great. Even more so when one knew that their enemies had access to airships and a flying bison.

No, it was the Chieftain’s request that bothered her. Apparently, a wild Shaconne was spotted with a nasty gash in its leg and they needed to help. Not that Azula cared, but she wondered why exactly they had to go out of their way to assist an animal that wasn’t domesticated.

Oh sure, Amimoto did. He went on and on about the balance of nature that Azula only paid half attention to. The only thing she could remember him saying was, “Our raptors aren’t domesticated in the traditional sense. We let them roam free with their brethren whenever they’re feeling worn out or tired. It helps us maintain the bonds we have with both each other and the species as a whole. Around here, we look out for one another.” Or something to that extent.

Now Azula could’ve mentioned that associating with wild predators was a bad idea. She was comfortable sitting on Flame Runner’s back on this trek since she knew the Mongoose Dragon had been around humans all her life. Why would they place trust in mounts that go feral and are just as home in the wild as they are at what she considered civilization?

Not that she said anything of course. That would be impolite. Instead, she leaned over to Kori who was walking by her mount’s side and whispered,  “You getting any of this?”

“Yeah. They live side by side with them in some kind of symbiosis. Each provides something for the other and everyone benefits as a whole.”

“...you understood that?”

“Why do you think I’ve been quiet?” Kori asked back. Before they could talk any further, Maina turned back and gave both of them a harsh shush while her father and some of his companions led them along the trail. Azula just rested on her saddle. Truth be told, getting to know the customs of the home islands was practically required to maintain good relations with the various houses and guilds. Not some of these border societies where you might only stop to make repairs on your ship before heading to war in the Earth Kingdom.

The Princess supposed that Kori was just more used to getting to know natives. After all this island wasn’t too far from Yu Dao.

It still seemed like some kind of mirage or dream, however. The jungles here were thick with foliage. All around her were massive trees and walls of bushes and other low-lying plants. Granted, it wasn’t completely stifling since there was just enough space between the branches to allow fresh air to fill her lungs. Yet this was far beyond the forests of Aso, and more primeval than any in the Earth Kingdom.

This is an old forest , her mother’s voice whispered. For once, Azula couldn’t help but agree with her. Though “old” was putting it lightly. This seemed to be a place from a world lost to time. In the distance, the air was filled with a chorus of deep bellows of great beasts, the calls of small animals in the underbrush, and the occasional snap of a branch in the far distance. This wasn’t just an old forest. It felt primeval.

Azula felt small. Sure she had spent some survival courses back at the academy thanks to her father’s urgings, but even she wasn’t sure she could manage such a savage place.

Luckily for her, people who were more at home in these jungles were leading the way. Amimoto, Swiftclaw, and their friends led the way, snaking along some invisible route. Maybe there was some kind of sign unknown to the Princess they were using. They were certainly at ease, picking their way as though this was a local garden instead of a dangerous lair.

Danger certainly found them first when a high-pitched cry pierced through the foliage above. Their party stopped, crouching low to the ground. “Everybody get down!” Amimoto ordered, bowing his head. Everyone followed his command. First his followers, then Maina, and then Kori. Azula was the last to do so, but the growls from ahead convinced her it was probably a good idea to jump off of Flame Runner and bow as well.

From the brush, several animals emerged. They looked like Swiftclaw, though they had no saddle or markings. Wild Carnoraptors , Azula realized. And fine specimens by the looks of them. Powerful muscles covered in scaly skin, with ivory teeth on snapping jaws.

Two of them, one with larger horns and a more colorful skin pattern and one with smaller horns and duller colors, stepped forward. They flexed their claws, sniffing the party warily. Azula felt their breaths wash over her, as they paused to scope her out. It felt so wrong to bow before animals, and she wanted to look them in the eye. Warning them that a single claw that wandered too close was their last mistake.

By the way they were growling, they probably were thinking the same thing about her. Flame Runner hissed protectively, but she didn’t dare make a move when a whole pack surrounded them. It was all the more reason for Azula to remain composed as best she could. The last thing she wanted was to be dinner to a pack of these carnivores.

At long last, the pair moved away and approached Swiftclaw. In a complete reversal of their reception towards Azula, they cooed and nuzzled the Shaconne with their snouts. Swiftclaw looked them in the eye and returned the gesture, the trio sniffing and licking one another affectionately. It was then that the Princess recognized the familiarity between the younger raptor and the older ones. They must’ve been Swiftclaw’s mother and father.

The rest of the pack stalked over and greeted Amimoto’s raptor in the same way. There was something oddly…human about the display. Azula suddenly remembered with guilt about how she greeted Mai and Ty Lee in the same way when she recruited them. Yet there wasn’t any coercion here. This was a family that was greeting a long-lost member. Even odder was that their ferocious exterior melted away to a warmness that was so foreign to the Princess. Seeing the claws relaxing and toothed snouts nuzzling with each other left her a little floored.

In time, the alphas relaxed and nodded towards Amimoto and the rest of his party. Bowing once more, the Chieftain led them past the pack and further into the forest. Azula looked upon the raptors as she road past, knowing that while they had been accepted into their territory, they weren’t given a free pass. Those claws still lay at the ready in case the humans tried anything. Now though, it felt as though it were a formality. Something that was to these creatures in the same vein as breathing.

The message was still clear though. Especially to the Princess at the pack watched her in particular. She dared not to look any of them in the eye.

They found her lounging on a muddy bank along the side of a sizeable stream. Azula watched the Carnoraptor from the bushes, noting the leg they were resting against the mud.

“Is that where the injury is?” she asked.

Amimoto nodded. “Looks like she’s trying to keep it covered to prevent infection.”

Clever , the Princess thought. Though not clever enough to know that covering a gash in your leg won’t sterilize and clean it properly. Or numb the pain. Or really anything that was outside the range of an animal’s comprehension.

Course her train of thought made her realize yet again what a stupid idea this was. When she heard that her “something” was to aid an injured wild animal, she balked. In fact, Azula made it clear that they were going to get themselves killed. Everybody knew that an injured predator was one of the most dangerous things in the world. The best thing would be to put it out of its misery.

Maina and Amimoto were insistent, however. Apparently, this one’s injury hadn’t progressed far enough to necessitate such a “drastic” course of action. If they could disinfect it in time and bind the wound, they should prevent it from driving the beast to madness. And this was something they’ve done before. Countless times. One of the benefits the Shaconnes got from the islanders was that they could receive medical aid, and typically, they were receptive to it. It was part of that “symbosis” mumbo jumbo they kept droning on about.

This one was different though. Azula was told she was young and not used to humans. What’s more, she was what one would consider “prideful”, and wasn’t all that sociable around the other members of her pack. It was, in Daiyo’s words, “A very unpleasant combination.”

Now Azula wasn’t sure how one could call an animal “proud”, but she did note that the raptor kept their head up high and scanned the surrounding areas despite lying in the mud.

Still, she didn’t like the looks of it. “Maina. Are you sure about this?” she asked the priestess, who was holding a basket full of meat.

“Positive. I’ve lived around Shaconnes all my life,” Maina calmly responded, slowly stepping out of the bushes. The plan was a simple one. Or that’s how it was described. First Maina would lure the raptor into an appropriate position. And the best way to do that was through meat. An injured animal couldn’t hunt properly, and so would likely be more receptive to food given to it.

Azula was doubtful. A hungry animal was a desperate animal. And she heard Kori holding her breath, behind her. No doubt she was readying an arrow as Maina got closer to the predator.

All of this seemed like a bad idea. Even if it worked, the Carnoraptor probably would just associate humans with food and go after them. Amimoto reassured her that Maina would be wearing gloves to not get her scent all over the pieces of meat. And even then, they could always drive her off if she got too comfortable with the villagers. Like THAT is going to change things , Azula bitterly thought.

Her nerves rose as Maina laid down a piece of meat a little bit away from the bird-like reptile. Those reptilian eyes sized the native up, narrowing as she began placing piece by piece leading away from the mudhole.

It wasn’t long before a harsh growl left its maw. Azula almost jumped, but the Chieftain put a reassuring hand on her pauldron. “Just watch,” he told her, pointing to Maina gently lowering her basket and dumping the rest of the meat on the ground. Then she slowly backed away, never taking her eyes off the predator who continued to watch her.

Silently, the priestess knelt back into the bushes, causing the tension held by both noble girls to dissipate a little. “Told you it was easy,” she claimed, taking off her gloves. Azula just rolled her eyes, wondering how desensitized one needed to be in order to consider THIS easy.

With Maina out of the picture, the Shaconne warily rose from the mud and stalked towards the first piece of meat. After sniffing it carefully for a moment, the raptor took the piece of meat in her jaws and snarfed it down. Then she went to the next piece and snarfed it down a bit quicker than the first. Every bite made her more confident. So by the time she reached the pile of meat, she was greedily chomping piece after piece. In the end, hunger won out over caution.

It was then that Azula could clearly see the streaks of blood running down her leg. While the mud covered the worst of it up, there was still a rather nasty looking gash in her flank. And it caused the Shaconne a great deal of pain. Every step she took with that leg was a limp. For an animal built for action, such an injury could sink any chance of hunting if it got worse. Forcing her to go after easier prey…

That’s what her lessons at school taught her anyway. Even now, she felt her fingers flex, ready to summon lightning and put the poor thing out of its misery. And she probably would have, if Amimoto weren’t there and gave a silent signal.

From the foliage looking directly at the river, a gust of wind washed over the feasting carnivore. While not a particularly strong wind, it was enough to topple a surprised Carnoraptor who was already on shaky legs. “NOW!” Amimoto shouted. And all at once, he and his companions lept from the bushes. They were guided by currents of air behind them, letting them to land on top of their startled quarry.

In such cohesion that you would almost see from a trained military unit, the hunters dogpiled down on the predator and began binding her legs and arms against her thrashing body with rope. The Chieftain himself lassoed a rope around that snarling maw. He said it was both for their safety and the raptor’s, that way she wouldn’t hurt them or hurt herself in the thrashing.

Even still, she had a lot of energy and rage from being hog-tied down. Her body bucked, and even with several men on top of her, it took every ounce of strength to hold her down.

Now according to Maina and her father, this would’ve been the time where they would’ve tried calming the Shaconne down to apply the balm. Some kind of technique that the Avatar would’ve understood. Even Azula knew enough that he had some mastery or domain over animals.

For this occasion though, the Chieftain motioned for Azula to come forward. Dutifully, the Princess knelt down by the raptor’s head so those orange eyes could glare hatefully at her.

Then she held out her palm and brought to life a flickering ball of blue fire.

All at once, the predator slumped to the ground. The muscles slackened, and those eyes were riveted at the azure light. Hurriedly, Maina came forward to help clean the wound and apply the balm. Hisses of pain came from the Carnoraptor as they went about their work, but her focus was solely on Azula.

“Easy girl…” the firebender found herself saying, seeing her fire reflected in those reptilian eyes. All at once, a memory came rushing back of a darkened dojo in the dead of night. Where everyone had left her to her training.

When orange became blue.

“I don’t get it,” Azula muttered. “How come all these things seem attracted to my fire?” For Godzilla it made sense, their fire was the same after all. Yet it was also enough to give Rodan pause, and now this. What was it that she was missing?

Amimoto shrugged. “I cannot answer that. There hasn’t been a wielder of the blue flame for generations. All we know is that it seems to resonate with the oldest in the world. Those that can trace their lineages back down to times older than legend. The kaiju are among them, as are ancient species like Shaconnes. Maybe they sense something. Like they know royalty walks amongst them.”

“Royalty, huh? Sounds like they know their betters.”

“Probably not the same royalty you’re thinking of. With all due respect of course.”

Azula wondered what the Chieftain meant, but she supposed that could be delved into later. For now, the bandage around the wound was set and the natives were beginning to undo the bindings. Carefully, Amimoto sliced open the rope around those powerful jaws and backed away. Everyone gave the Shaconne a wide berth as she staggered back onto her feet.

Shaking her head clear, the predator glared at them all before turning back to examine her now bandaged wound. She took a few exploratory steps, each one significantly less painful-looking than before. Still, the Shaconne snarled at them, but not as harshly as before.

Her eyes fell upon Azula, and the ferocity fell. After cocking her head curiously, the raptor ran off into the jungle. Leaving the party behind as they watched her run off without difficulty.

Azula felt strange. She hadn’t gained anything from this act, but neither did she feel bad about it either. When that predatory gaze fell on her, she almost felt a sense of…gratitude. Is that what it feels like?

Whatever it was, it felt…nice.

“Is she going to be okay?” Kori asked.

“In a couple days, yeah. You’d be surprise how fast they can bounce back from a properly tended to injury like that. We’ll keep an eye on her though,” Amimoto said with satisfaction. Then he turned to Maina. “You think you can take our guests from here?”

“Yes Father,” the priestess declared.

Nodding, the Chieftain of Infant Island turned towards his guest. “Well, I’ll leave you in the capable hands of my daughter. She’ll lead you the rest of the way to the temple. My people and I will wait at the village for the Avatar and his friends. Give them a proper welcome.”

Out of gratitude, both Azula and Kori bowed. “We’re honored that you would have us as our guests.” Again, it felt wrong to show respect to a backwater savage. But the Princess couldn’t deny she did feel out of her element on this island. She had to give them respect for eking out an existence here amongst such predators.

Amimoto returned the bow. “You’re more than welcome. And I definitely think you’ve earned our hospitality.” With one final gaze, he walked off into the jungle with his entourage in tow. Swiftclaw followed, having hidden in the foliage this whole time, but not giving a last look at Azula. Then she turned, leaving the girls alone in the unknown jungle.

That didn’t mean they were entirely lost. “Now ladies. Shall we?” Maina teased, leading the way deeper into the heart of the island. Azula and Kori followed, unsure of what lay ahead.

They certainly knew who was coming from behind though. And that kept them moving.

Somewhere off the Earth Kingdom Coast

Team Avatar ended up taking Appa and a small airship. When you had a grand total of 10 people (hopefully 11 by the time they were done), it was probably best if you split them up. Sure the flying bison was strong, but Aang didn’t want him becoming laden with too many people on his back. No, it made better sense to break them up in teams of five for the journey over.

Still, Aang leaned on the airship looking at Appa flying beside them. Granted, Sokka had learned to steer the so-called “fluffy snot monster” pretty well. It was just out of habit more than anything. Seeing how graceful the bison was in the air though, he felt splitting them and sacrificing speed so the airship could keep up was a good trade-off.

Besides, he did NOT want Azula on Appa whatsoever.

Satisfied with their arrangement, he turned towards the people on their small airship. Zuko was manning the burner that kept the balloon afloat, Mai was just staring into the distance to keep herself busy, while Katara was keeping as far away from Ty Lee as possible. Granted, Aang didn’t understand why the master waterbender was that fidgety around an acrobat since they were now allies. But old habits died hard. Especially when said acrobat could paralyze you and cut off your bending.

Speaking of bending…

“Zuko. Could we talk for a moment?”

The young monarch looked over and gave a nod of approval before tending the fire. Aang took a deep breath. “I know you want Azula’s bending to be removed-”

“Aang, that’s going to be a last resort. If she doesn’t give us any other choice,” Zuko cut off. All eyes were turned towards him. Katara in particular, given that her stance on the issue was as well known. There was a reason she elected to give Iroh some space after all.

“I know, but what if we’re going about this the wrong way?” Aang asked carefully. “We keep backing her into a corner, she’s going to get more desperate. And if she gets more desperate, things are just going to keep getting worse.”

“Oh, and I suppose you know more about my sister than I? I know her, Aang.”

“And I know what happens when you feel robbed of options. It’s how I felt about potentially killing your father. I’m just saying we should give her the chance to surrender.”

“Last time we did that, she shot Uncle!”

“To be fair, I’d probably do the same if I got surrounded by people I thought were going to tear my limbs off,” Mai said nonchalantly.

Now everyone was staring at her. She shrugged. “Look, I’ve heard stories. Alright?”

“You thought we’d do something like that?” Katara asked with a bit of horror in her eyes.

Ty Lee fidgeted a little bit. “Well, everybody on the home islands did. You sink a fleet, you kind of get that reputation. No offense.” Aang went a bit pale at what the Kyoshi Warrior brought up but nodded with understanding. That day certainly wasn’t his proudest moment. 

“Besides,” Ty Lee continued. “We…heard stories about what the enemy did with prisoners. They didn’t call everyone around us ‘savages’ for no reason. Especially those who aid them. At least with the former, you knew they were an enemy. With the latter, you didn’t know when they’d stick a knife in your back.

“Again, no offense,” she sheepishly apologized, realizing she was talking about everyone on the war balloon aside from her and Mai. Katara and Aang just looked at each other. They both got flashbacks to a certain boy wielding hook blades and an elderly waterbender. People like those just galvanized the Fire Nation into fighting harder, creating this never-ending cycle that lasted for a century.

Still, Zuko just scoffed. “Okay. I guess we’ll just try to be nice to Azula and let her shoot us all in the back.”

“Zuko, nobody’s saying that-”

“That’s what she does, Aang!” Zuko snapped. “Even when she’s nice, it’s just so she can get some sick pleasure out of it! She brings me home? I get blackmailed. Tries to get everybody to express themselves? Makes fun of us for having feelings.”

“I mean, you kind of did that with me, but whatever,” Mai deadpanned, taking the wind out of Zuko’s rantings.

“...okay. Fair. But you get my point! We give her a chance, and she’ll turn on us. It’s what she always does.” With that, Zuko huffed and leaned on the railing of the war balloon to sulk.

“So…why don’t you? Give her a chance I mean?” Aang asked, joining him.

“I just told you-”

“Zuko, it seems like you’re the one not giving her a chance. Like I get you need us, but think about this for a moment.”

“Everything she does is to tear me down. If I don’t beat her-”

“That’s the same kind of thinking that almost got you killed. Twice . Or are we just going to pretend that you didn’t goad her into shooting lightning at that Agni Kai. Or tried to pick a fight with Godzilla to prove a point. You know, the monster we all told you fighting was a bad idea? We get you have a grudge and all, but is this with her worth it so much that you’re willing to put yourself and everyone in danger just to carry it out?” Katara bluntly asked.

For once, the Fire Lord fell silent. All his bluster had been drained out of him. Leaving only behind a smoldering pile of embers.

He sighed. “Believe me. I want to give her a chance. More than anything. But…how can I trust her? Seems like every time we meet, I need to one-up her lest I get thrown to the wolves.” Zuko put his head in his hands, replaying all the worst moments in his mind.

Especially, when Azula called him Father.

A hand was placed on his shoulder. “We need to be brave enough to take that leap,” Aang said. “Who knows? You bury this thing with her, you might come out all the better for it. Do you want  this thing to keep on going forever?”

“...no,” Zuko admitted.

“Then let us do the talking. We give her a chance, and who knows? She could come around.”

“And if she doesn’t?”

“We’ll cross that bridge when we get there,” Katara stated, leaning back and watching the clouds pass by. Zuko sighed and decided to go back to the balloon and check the coal. The tension in the air lessened, but it was still there. Aang certainly could feel it but from the most unlikely of places.

Ty Lee and Mai were looking at each other, a bit unsure of what Zuko was talking about. Somehow, the Avatar had a feeling that there was something else going on behind the scenes. Truth be told, Aang wasn’t sure if he even wanted to capture Azula from what he read from that letter.

The airbender looked across at Appa, seeing Iroh in some kind of discussion with Suki. He wondered if the Grand Lotus knew what lay in wait for the Princess if she was captured. Maybe if they gave her the chance, they could avoid that.

If not, then it made him worry about Zuko. About Iroh. About everyone in the Fire Nation. How could they possibly make a new start for the world if they couldn’t learn?

Suki kept looking across at Iroh, seeing the old man meditate. The Kyoshi Warrior shifted a bit uncomfortably, feeling the weight of her robes and armor weighing down on her. Truth be told, she was accustomed to being dignified and being professional when the situation called for it. She didn’t earn her golden headband for being a hothead.

Still, something about Iroh made her uneasy.

She looked around. Toph was sitting closely to Imana, trying her best not to appear freaked out from being in the air again. Sokka was sitting on Appa’s head while Momo was rummaging in their supplies looking for something to eat.

Her eyes fell especially on Toph and Sokka. Something gnawed inside her. Both of them had accepted their elderly companion, and she wanted to trust their judgement. Yet something about that letter Aang got rubbed her the wrong way. That and she couldn’t forget that he stood by and watched his nephew burn down her village. Only reason she chose Appa was she was even more uncomfortable around the person who actually did it.

Still, she said nothing. It wouldn’t be proper and she didn’t want to cause problems before they faced Azula.

“You look a little tense, Suki.”

“Whu-I’m fine Imana,” she lied. “Just a lot on my plate is all.”

“You want to talk about it? We still have some time before we reached Infant Island,” Sokka asked, turning around.

The Kyoshi Warrior sighed. Well, if they insisted, might as well tell them a truth. “I just feel…small is all. Ever since I left my island, the world just got a whole lot bigger. Then I find out monsters exist. It’s like, what do you even do?”

Toph shrugged. “Fight em. I was able to take on Old Iron with Twinkletoes-oh.”

“Yeah. I can’t bend.”

“Well neither can I, but I was pretty good at organizing strategies against them,” Sokka pointed out. “And you’re leader of the Kyoshi Warriors, some of the best fighters in the world!”

“A lot of good fans and swords are going to do against thick scales and claws,” Suki deadpanned. She saw Anguirus. And she knew there was nothing in her arsenal that could compete against such power.

“My friend Bumi said that sometimes, it’s a matter of patience. Wait a while and look for your moment,” Iroh suggested, having opened his eyes.

“Right. That neutral jing thing. Do nothing and wait.” She hadn’t meant it to be bitter, but she still spat it out of her mouth. When she first heard that was Bumi’s excuse for not doing anything to resist the Fire Nation occupation and get his forces out of the city, she balked. Doing nothing was what kept Kyoshi Island out of the war for so long, and look how well that panned out. People were accusing her and her warriors of being treasonous cowards when they finally joined the fighting.

Waiting for an opportunity is one thing. Sitting by and watching others suffer is another. How does one explain that to those they watched struggle?

Iroh stroked his beard. “I wouldn’t say that exactly. Sometimes, you just need to step back and take a moment to observe the situation. Even if it seems cold-blooded, you can do more to help in the future without revealing your strategy.”

Suki sighed in frustration. “Well I can’t just do nothing either. What’s the point of being a warrior if you can’t do anything to help?”

“Then maybe it’s time to reevaluate your priorities. Sure, you may not be able to help, but that’s a burden for others to carry. Perhaps you should step back and focus on what you can do and what’s truly important. Like helping the innocent or…” a sly smirk crept on the old man’s face. “Maybe consider settling down with a boy who is dear that has been waiting.”

Both Suki and Sokka snapped their heads to Iroh. “What?” they asked at the same time.

It was then that the Dragon of the West realized he might’ve just overstepped his boundaries. He chuckled a bit nervously and scratched the back of his head. “Forgive me. It’s been a while since I’ve been in the dating game.”

“Obviously,” the Kyoshi Warrior observed, turning her head and trying her best not to look anymore offended. Even Sokka seemed a bit taken aback by Iroh’s bluntness. Which was fine in Suki’s book. Certainly it was a step up from the disrespect he showed her all the way back at Kyoshi Island.

Looking back, she never really held it against him. It was one thing if one was a confused boy in a Tribe ravaged by war talking about things he didn’t understand. It was another when one was an old man and was trying to give advice.

Iroh sighed. “Listen. I’m sorry. It’s just back home, female fighters of high standing stayed behind to tend the household in case we were ever invaded.”

“You have female soldiers on the field,” Suki pointed out.

“Not with the same autonomy you and your Warriors have. And those who survive in the field usually go back home to guard their families, which was the whole point. It’s very rare in our society for a woman to get a position of power,” Iroh explained.

Before he silently said, “If only Azula understood that…”

Suki just gawked at him. She had no love for the Princess herself, but she knew Azula from the frequent visits she made at the Boiling Rock. Ruthless, sure. But proud and bound by duty. Almost like her in a few ways. And if she was anything like the Kyoshi Warrior, she wouldn’t stand by and let her strength be torn down in such a matter.

All this served to make her more frustrated. Suki sighed and turned around to stare at the clouds, as if somehow she could just scream her issues into a cloud where nobody would hear. She could talk with Sokka, but it seemed everybody in his team looked up to Iroh. How could she get across that he was making her uncomfortable?

So wound up in her own thoughts, she didn’t hear Imana scooch closer to her. “Maybe it would be better to say, do what you can now but wait for your moment. You never know when destiny will call upon you.”

“...yeah. You’re right. Thanks Imana.” Suki’s words sounded good in her head, but they still rang hollow. She did appreciate the words of the priestess, and there was some truth in it.

It’s just what could she even do now, when the whole world seemed teetering on the brink of chaos?  When if all else fails, nobody would remember her and her deeds. Or even if her deeds would make a difference in the long run.

This feeling of insignificance weighed down on Suki’s shoulders just as much as her armor. Some had their destinies revealed to them. What was hers?

Northeast of Yu Dao

Finding the Iron Maws was easy. One just had to find the tank fire in the fading daylight.

Mustering up the courage to speak with one of the more notorious renegade armies and risk treason…now that was a heavier task.

Still, the three men on the backs of their Mongoose Dragons ventured forward into the camp. They were stopped at the borders by blade tip, questioned why on earth the Fire Lord would send such a paltry force. Sergeant Zo simply told them the Fire Lord didn’t send them, granting them passage.

To be fair, the Fire Lord did send them this way, but not to scout against the Maws. No, it was what they found out here that caused them to seek them out. All of them were in agreement that if their choices were to either be branded traitor and end up in some jail or let Yu Dao burn, they’d choose the former in a heartbeat.

So they came. All around them, rows upon rows of tanks stood silent, waiting for their drivers to hop into their cockpits and bring the deadly war machines to life. Yet they also found piles of assorted metal loot lying around. There had been a lot of reports of the Maws raiding caravans and taking whatever metal they could find in order to create ammo for their tanks. Seemed that in the absence of a stable source of ammunition, the rumors were true.

Seemed a surprise then to find the captain ordering his tanks to fire upon a landslide not too far from camp. Granted, Captain Nojon was working with his adjucants to find the best places to fire for maximum effect in order to save ammunition. It was only the approach of the intruders that brought his attention up from the map at his table.

“So…what does that brat want with the Iron Maws?” he asked. He was a rather heavyset man. Not obese, but more heavily built. For his squat body was less fat and more muscle. And he had a rather impressive beard and sideburns to match.

“We’re not actually here on behalf of the Fire Lord,” Zo said carefully, dismounting along with his companions. “I’m certain you’re aware of the local seismic disturbances.”

“The earthquakes? Yeah. My boys are trying to blast their way through a landslide that got in our path an hour ago right now. That way’s our best way to the roads leading into Yu Dao, and I’m not going to let a pile of dirt stand between us and supplies.” If anything could be said of Nojon, it wasn’t his subtlety.

Still, that was something Zo picked up on. “Okay. Have you noticed how the tremors seem to be moving?”

“...as a matter of fact, yes,” the Captain mused, realizing what Zo was implying.

“Well we have reason to believe that these tremors aren’t just some kind of local earthquake. You remember that firebird that flew past a few hours ago? We’ve been dispatched to find it, but the area we’ve been investigating has been subject to earthquakes. A lot of earthquakes. And they appear to be slowly moving towards Yu Dao. As if-”

“-something is moving underground.”

The realization settled down on everyone. Only one word was on their minds.

Monster.

“Listen. If the Fire Lord hears about this, we’re going to be deployed against it. And if that happens, it’s just going to be a repeat of his screw up against Godzilla. Long story short, if we sit by and do nothing, Yu Dao’s going to be a crater.”

“And what makes you think we have a better shot of it than Zuko does?” Nojon demanded.

With that, Sergeant Zo took a deep breath. “Azula has taken command of the Fiery Raptors and is rallying rogue armies to her cause. Zuko means to capture her, but if we can move on Yu Dao, we might be able to force the Fire Lord to release her. She seems to know more about these things than anyone, so we might have a chance if she’s allowed to give the orders.

“It’s not a coup. We just want Zuko and his sycophants as far away from the army as possible.”

Nojon walked back and forth, contemplating his options and leaving the envoy in doubt. Finally, he turned and looked the Sergeant dead in the eye. “You’ve got guts, I’ll grant you that. Give us a few days and we’ll be able to move on Yu Dao at a moment’s notice. Just give us a signal. Don’t want dragging my boys into a bloodbath until you’re sure what’s going on with the Princess.”

“We will! Thank you sir!” Zo gave a bow of respect before he and his companions mounted on their dragons and sprinted away. Less time spent in the company of rebels, the better.

What neither of them realized was that two pairs of eyes watched them from the bushes not too far away. With the gravity of the situation settling in, they grabbed their weapons and slinked back into the bushes. Yu Dao needed to be warned and right away.

Neither one wanted a repeat of Ba Sing Se.

Infant Island

The western horizon was ablaze with the sun’s last rays when they reached the temple.

Azula and Kori gawked at the scale of the structure. A pair of mighty stone pillars marked the equally grand entrance. Stepping inside from the setting sun, they could almost feel the years begin to turn back. Grasses, vines, and flowers took roots wherever they could. Though it wasn’t a case of them bursting through the carved stone. It was more like they were allowed to grow, adding to the otherworldly aura of the temple.

“Welcome to the Temple of Mothra,” Maina announced, giving a flourish as if to emphasize the grandeur of the place. 

“This place is…”

“Huge. I know. According to legend, the whole of the mountain serves as a fortress for this place. I don’t even think Miana and I explored every last inch its so big.”

The Princess felt the words being taken out of her mouth. Yet despite the scale, there was something oddly welcoming here. When the Fire Nation built great temples, it was to both inspire awe and fear. Here though, there was simply awe. Natural greens and earthly browns replaced deep crimson and ebony black. Flame Runner trodded over to a soft looking patch of moss and plopped herself down for a hard-earned rest. All in all, the vegetation simply added to the sense of tranquility.

As well as the moths fluttering about here and there from flower to flower. These weren’t those disgusting brown vermin that ate unattended robes back home. They were fluffy and cream colored, with some of them circling around the newcomers. Maina didn’t seem to mind the insects, even caressing one that landed on her shoulder.

The noble girls on the other hand were a bit taken aback by their strange hosts. Particularly Azula since quite a number of them were hovering around her head, causing Kori to chuckle a little. “Don’t you dare…” Azula growled at the rebel, though it was kind of hard to look threatening when one of those fluffy moths settled on her bang.

“They’re just saying hello,” Maina teased.

Azula said hello back by blowing the moth out of her hair. After a moment, the insects took to the air and swirled around to an engraving overlooking a passage deeper into the temple.

All three girls paused and looked at the carving. A great moth was depicted, its mighty wings spread out in full glory, emanating rays that shone on a group of worshippers. The people were depicted on their knees, praying in reverence. Above the moth, a familiar cross symbol appeared. Maina caressed her necklace that held the same symbol.

The Princess had to ask, “Is that her?”

Maina nodded in awe. “Yes. That is Mothra.”

Upon the name leaving her mouth, several moths broke off from the main group and fluttering down the passage way. The priestess certainly took it as a sign, waving her comrades to follow her. Azula took one last look at the carving of Mothra, feeling as though somehow she was being watched back.

Then she descended into the temple. The moths took them deeper, always waiting ahead to make sure they could keep up. Azula wondered if they were leading them somewhere. All the while, trepidation and anticipation began to build in equal measures. Every step they took was another into some great unknown. This didn’t feel like the otherworldliness of a spirit’s domain (at least that’s what the Princess assumed a spirit’s domain would be like). It almost seemed born from the earth itself.

After what seemed like hours, the girls emerged into a great chamber. They all stopped at the sight before them.

At the heart of the chamber, nestled in a bed of foliage was an egg. A great egg the size of a building.

And deep within the painted shell, they could almost sense the being beginning to stir.

Chapter Text

Infant Island

Mothra's Temple

The fading sunlight of the day cascaded through a large opening from above down on the great egg resting within the chamber. To say it was enormous would've been an understatement. Azula felt puny against its scale.

And yet, it wasn't an oppressive presence either. The egg was cream-colored, with soft bands of blue enwrapping the shell. Spots of white speckled across the shell, creating a pleasant mixture that resembled the dawn of a new day. All around it, the moths that guided them to this place fluttered and rested on the shell.

It looks so peaceful, Azula thought, feeling drawn to the egg. Her armored boots echoed in the chamber. Yet somehow, she felt welcomed here. As if the being within that painted shell didn't mind a fearsome warrior such as her being here.

Maina certainly didn't seem too bothered. In fact, the priestess walked right alongside the Princess, all while saying a prayer under her breath. The third member of their party hung back a little, her hand wandering to the bow on her back. Yet the tranquil aura spoke to Kori as well, beckoning her further.

There they stood right up to the great form of the egg, gazing up at its majesty. Eventually, the Princess had to break the silence to ask, "Who laid this?"

"The previous Mothra," Maina explained. "Before she died, she laid this egg so the cycle would not be broken. That way in times of hardship, she would come back to us. Even in death, the Goddess would never abandon us."

"To think something this big and powerful would ever stick its neck out for people like us," Kori muttered. The rebel fell to her knees, just taking it all in. Maina also knelt, bowing her head in reverence.

Azula? She outstretched her hand, feeling something within calling to her. Gently, she grazed the shell, and all the voices in her head and all the pounding simply ceased to be.

"She's…calling to me," the Princess muttered.

"Get away from the egg, Azula."

The harsh voice caused all three girls to turn around, bearing witness to a whole company of people coming in through the gate. Azula glowered at their leader.

Her brother. Zuko.

"I see you didn't exactly listen to my instructions about 'coming alone'," she almost growled. Of course he'd try to pull a fast one on her. When had he ever played things straight? This time it wasn't just the waterbender either. Her "friends". Uncle Fatso. The Avatar and his sycophants. If they weren't blocking the only way out, she would've made a break for it right then and there. Only one other way led out of the chamber, which went down further into the temple. And even with Maina's help, she didn't want to risk getting lost.

The waterbender rolled her eyes. "Right. Like you played fair before in the past," she spat out.

Azula shrugged. "Doesn't change the fact I asked you to come alone. And last I checked, that's twice you decided to stack the odds in your favor Zuzu. Or did dear old Uncle tell you that taking me in was a lot more important than your so-called 'honor'?"

Her brother's fist clenched. Sure she could see him taking deep breaths in to relax himself, but she could see the fire in his eyes all the same. "We beat you before Azula, and that was just Katara and I. So either come with us now, or-"

"MAINA!"

"MIANA!"

The threat fell on two pairs of deaf ears, as Maina rushed forward on a gust of wind, grabbing and hugging an identical girl from Zuko's party. Azula blinked. Right. The priestess said she had a twin sister. And indeed, they looked almost exactly alike. The core difference was "Miana"'s hairstyle which mirrored Maina, and the colored tattoos around her eyes. They were warmer colors of blue, orange, and white. Quite a far cry from Maina's red, yellow, and black.

"By the Goddess, I've missed you! You know how difficult it was dealing with these two for how long?! I almost got to thinking Mothra had sent me some test of character!"

"You're telling me! Listen, Maina. You're not going to believe this! I was at Cranefish Town, and-"

Azula cleared her throat, causing both twins to swivel around and stare at her. "Oh. Forgive me. This is Miana, my sister! She's the other priestess of Infant Island."

"You could just call me Imana though. Makes it easier for everyone."

"...Imana. Right." The Princess wisely decided to just roll with it. "Very well. I'm guessing you all know why I called you here?"

"Yeah. You said you had this 'Lord Jozain' guy in custody, and you wanted to give him to us," the blind earthbender summed up. "Toph" was her name if Azula remembered correctly.

"Precisely. Like I said, he's part of the reason Rodan woke up and nearly threatened the entirety of Aso Island. Now I don't know about you, but I could imagine you'd have more than a few questions for a noble such as him. I'd be willing to part with him, some of his allies, along with any war criminals the Fiery Raptors and I have come across. Actual war criminals. Not those grunts you tried to put on trial. You know, the people who actually burned down villages like dear old Uncle over there accused me of doing."

Iroh bristled at her barb, which brought a smile to her face. With her proposal set, she confidently held out her arms. "So what do you say, brother? You said you wanted to restore the Fire Nation's honor. I'm giving you the means to do so. All I ask is for some space to do my work."

She held her gaze on Zuko, making sure he saw her. Nobody else, just her. Azula had no idea what lies Iroh had been feeding him, but this had to be his decision. Deep down, he had to realize she was right. Why wouldn't he? This was what he wanted after all.

And for a moment, she swore she saw the light in his eye soften before it blazed again. "Not this time Azula. You're not going to trick me like you did in Ba Sing Se. And what's this 'work' you're up to?"

"Zuzu, last I checked, you made that decision yourself-"

"Raise up a rebellion so you can take my throne? Don't think I'm stupid! You're a warlord now! Even if I wanted to let you go, how am I going to ignore you commanding an entire rogue army group?"

Before Azula could bite back, Kori stepped up. "That's not fair! Didn't you listen to your sister? We got rid of the war criminals in the Raptors! AND she gave an order to not engage with any loyalist forces!"

"You don't take command of an entire army group and not use them!" Sokka pointed out. "Like what's she going to do? Just wait and gather even more of Ozai's psychos to her cause?"

"I think you mean loyal subjects who don't want a hundred years' worth of sacrifices to be for nothing. Or did Lu Ten's death mean nothing to any of you?!" Azula couldn't believe it. All that death. All that misery. Everything she had gone through for Father, just so some savage can call her a psycho?

"ENOUGH!" Iroh roared, causing everyone to go quiet. "You go too far this time, Azula. I remember you used to love Lu Ten like a brother. But using his death just to make a point?! Do you know how many Lu Tens you'll create if you keep going like this?"

His eyes bored into Azula's, the fire in his stomach churning. Azula just glared back. Granted, even she was a bit taken aback by her admittedly crass comment, but that wasn't the point now. She remembered how this old man had no compunctions with sending countless to their deaths. "Oh! So suddenly now you give a damn about life?! You lose Lu Ten and suddenly you have the gall to call all of us criminals?"

"When did YOU start caring about who you hurt?! Last I checked, the whole burning the Earth Kingdom plan was your idea!" Zuko shouted back. "I'm trying to stop a civil war here, and you're just playing games like you always do!"

"Fat load coming from the one who sent thousands to their deaths."

All at once, their arguing ground to a halt. Azula didn't care though. The fire in her heart was growing stronger. Already she could remember it all. Charred bodies. Ruined villages. A terrified woman reaching for her hand. Too much she remembered. All it served was to bring fire to her mouth.

"You accuse me of not caring about people. Yet you did the same thing I stand accused of. What's more, you actually got your own people killed. For what? Just to make a point against me? Proving that you're better? Cause all you're doing is proving why you don't deserve to wear that crown."

"That's enough-!"

"And don't think I forgot you're the one who helped him with that battle plan of his. Oh yeah. I know it was you, Sokka. Who else could do it? Certainly not my idiot brother, but most assuredly the one who seems to be the brains of your little band. Did you even think what was going to happen when you told the Fire Nation that you had a plan to deal with Godzilla?"

Sokka fell silent, but Katara stepped in and brought her sealskin to her hand. "Enough! I'll put you in your place, Azula. Just like I did before. And then I'm going to tie you in chains, and drag you back to that asylum-"

The Princess just yanked one of her vambraces off her arm and yanked down the sleeve.

Letting them all get a good look at the scars.

"This is what you did to me," Azula snarled, pointing to each and every one. "Here's the bruises where they bound me in a straitjacket and chains. Here's where they stuck needles into my arm day in and out, drugging me up, and leaving me alone with the voices in my head. And here's where they came close to breaking my arms when they slammed me against the wall whenever I lost control. You accuse me of being some monster for killing? Then what kind of mercy is this?!"

Tears welled up in her eyes, but she just continued to glare at them all. Everyone was silent. Zuko. The Avatar. Mai and Ty Lee. Even Iroh. All just had wide eyes and pale faces.

It was Zuko that spoke up. "Azula…I…I'm so sorry-"

"SAVE IT!" Azula roared, her breath bringing flames of blue fire with each one. "You just want to make me your drugged-up pet, don't you? Well, guess what? Hate me all you want, but I won't forget that Father threatened to kill me if you stepped out of line. Nearly did so when I failed to recapture you. The only reason he didn't was because he had more important things to do."

She started laughing at the absurdity of it all. "I bring you home, you ruin everything. You put me in chains, dangled me over a cliff, threatened to burn my face off, forced me to work with traitors, and I'm the bad sibling?! And before you say you didn't know, did you even bother to check up on me to make sure I was okay?!"

Iroh stepped in, his hands reaching out. "Azula, we're trying to help you. This blue fire, it's not healthy-"

"You have no idea what blue fire is, don't you?"

To the old man's surprise, Imana got between him and Azula. "Blue fire is a gift. One of the most sacred gifts. To rob one of such a gift is an affront to nature."

"Imana, blue fire is chaos and destruction."

"And sometimes you need to tear something down for something better to be built up again," the priestess snapped back, her soft demeanor hardening.

Azula just snorted with laughter. "Oh, that's rich! If that's the case, why doesn't the Avatar just strip everyone in the Fire Nation of firebending right now? They did the same thing I did, especially since the person he's supposed to be stopping is standing right there!"

She glared at Zuko with such a degree of intensity she didn't think possible. And she felt her fire surging through her veins. "You want to know why I'm doing this? You're putting your nation in danger. You keep putting petty issues like your pathetic grudge or this civil war of yours in front of the REAL issue. Godzilla. Rodan. Anguirus. And who knows what else is out there! They're the real threat. They're the ones killing people. If you refuse to wake up and see these monsters for what they are, then stay out of my way. Maybe you can go die on your throne if it means so much to you. With how you're handling things, there won't be a Fire Nation when the decade is out."

With that, Azula went silent. Waiting for his response.

She wasn't disappointed. Zuko's eyes teared up, but he turned to his cronies and said, "Take her down."

Crack

"Gladly. It's about time!" Mai said, getting her knives out.

"You're right, Zuko, it is enough! We've tried to put up with her, but she's too dangerous!" Ty Lee declared. Azula felt the floor drop out beneath her. Her muscles seized up.

Crack

To her shock though, several people lept to her aid. "Wait a minute! Let's calm down!" shouted the Avatar (of all people). "We don't have to do this!"

"Look at her Aang! She's crazy and she needs to go down!" Iroh shouted back.

CRACK

"You'll have to go through us if you want to get to her!" Maina declared as she, Kori, and Imana rushed to her side with air and bow at the ready. Across the chamber, the Avatar, the waterbender (oddly enough) and the Kyoshi Warrior were trying to argue against their friends. But Sokka, Zuko, Iroh, Mai, and Ty Lee wouldn't hear any of it. The blind earthbender just stood to the side watching it all and unsure of what to do.

CRACK

Azula snorted, bringing fire to her palms. "Alright then. You want me? COME AND GET ME!"

CRACK!

The cracking noise overpowered their fighting. All eyes turned to the egg.

Cracks were forming at the top.

And they were getting larger.

Hurriedly, both Maina and Miana ran to the foot of the egg and knelt down in reverence. Azula and Kori stepped back, watching as they bowed their heads before raising their arms to the heavens above.

Then they began to sing.

"Mosuraya Mosura,

Dungan kasakuyan

Indumū,

Rusuto wirādwa

Hanba hanbamuyan

Randa banunradan

Tunjukanrā,

Kasakuyānmu!"

As they sang, a massive brown form broke through, with yolk and eggshell sliding down its lumpy body. It arched back, wiggling back and forth to free itself from its confinement. Until a great head burst through the front of the egg.

Azula gasped. A great worm shook its body free, before rearing back to gaze at them all with small, baby-blue eyes. Dark-colored tusks and mandibles formed its mouth, and a spiked tail came crashing from its other end.

And yet, as it slowly wiggled from its nest and looked at them all, the Princess didn't feel any malice or intimidation. Just a sense of awe and…peace.

Gently, Mothra chirped at her priestess, resting her mandibles in front of them. Shocked at seeing their Goddess reborn, Maina and Miana had tears in their eyes and a great smile on their lips. They stroked the kaiju, before giving her a great bow. Mothra bowed in return.

The worm turned towards Zuko and the Avatar, staring at them. After a moment of comprehension, Aang bowed in respect. The Fire Lord and the rest of the entourage did so in turn, if a bit more stiffly than the airbender. Again, Mothra bowed.

At last, she turned towards Kori and Azula. Overcome by the kaiju's presence, the girl from Yu Dao bowed as well.

After a moment, Azula followed suit. Incredibly, the kaiju bowed before them both, before inching right in front of the Princess. She softly chittered, those gentle eyes gazing down at the tiny human before inching a little closer.

Azula…reached out her hand and petted Mothra's beak. The tears in her eyes couldn't be held back before her legs collapsed. Instead of hard rock, she fell on the beak, which was moved to support her.

There she lay for a moment or two. Didn't matter if people were watching. She smiled regardless as she rubbed Mothra's mandible down. In return, the kaiju's tusks stroked her back. And for that briefest of instances, Azula felt something she had never felt in years.

Safe.

Then the moment passed. Mothra gently backed away and pointed her head towards the gate at the back of the chamber. Despite not saying a single word, Azula understood the larva completely. Her legs took her across the stony floor, each footstep echoing in the space. Alongside, Mothra slipped into a large body of water. Everybody must've missed that between all the fighting and the egg.

The kaiju slipped beneath the cool waters, and Azula followed a group of moths guiding her through the dark. Nobody stopped her, though some footfalls seemed to follow after her before being stopped. She could faintly hear the Avatar's voice saying, "Don't. I think she needs this time to herself."

It seemed so foreign. Was the enemy sticking up for her of all people? How could somebody so capable of destruction could show such kindness? Such a notion was something Azula couldn't wrap her head around. Everyone knew power and might means an inherent need to dominate.

So why show mercy to her? Why did Mothra or Godzilla? She had to know.

She didn't know how far the tunnel went. It could've been either a few minutes or a few hours. What little she saw illuminated by the flame in her hand didn't tell her much either. Only old brick, stone, and roots stared back at her. The Princess didn't even know where she was going. Certainly, the moths up ahead did as they expertly navigated the corridor, their wings shining from the light of her fire.

Azula had to fight down the nervousness in her heart. Kept telling herself that Mothra didn't mean her any harm. It was one of the few things she could cling to in the heart of this alien world. Even still, alarm bells kept ringing, telling her to turn back. To take her chances against her brother and the Avatar. That whatever they had intended couldn't be much worse than what this "deity" had in mind.

After all, who was she to be here? The prodigy of the Fire Nation in a place dedicated to peace? Her very soul must've corrupted the purity built into the very walls surrounding her. Especially after almost lashing out against her own flesh and blood. Yet again.

Yet she fought to remain calm. To turn back down would mean risking a bloodbath. She couldn't drag Maina and Kori into that. No. She had to press on

And press on she did, until she could see a light up ahead. Her heart picked up as well as her feet, eager to get out of this darkness. Out she burst into another large chamber. Not nearly as huge as the nest, but sizeable enough to give her pause. Once more, a gentle light filtered from above, though a bit dimmer. It seemed the sun was beginning its descent from the night sky.

It was still light enough for Azula to see the great wall before her, carved from top to bottom with intricate images. Her breath was snatched from her, seeing the great work of art. Whoever built this place must've been skilled craftsmen. Certainly a lot more than what she reckoned what the current inhabitants were capable of. She assumed at least.

The Princess walked up to one image on the wall. Each carving seemed to tell some kind of story. This one drew her attention due to the moths fluttering around it. Coming closer, she saw once more the great moth she saw at the temple's entrance. Painted in delicate light and warm colors, she had a group of worshippers praying beneath her.

But across from her was a different moth. One painted in black, dark colors. And carved with jagged edges. Beneath it were skulls and ruined buildings. None of the kindness of the first was present. In fact, the two seemed to be opposed to one another, locked in combat.

Azula tilted her head. She had seen the colors of the dark moth before. Black. Red. Golden. Those were the colors of Maina's tattoos. Why would such a menacing creature be honored here? Especially if it opposed what she assumed to be a rendition of Mothra?

Just as the question entered her mind, the moths gathered before another image. Azula followed them and beheld a greater depiction. Upon it was a battle of titanic proportions. Great beasts were locked in combat with one another, as people ran for cover amidst their fighting. All above, there seemed to be a comet flying through the sky. The Princess felt a throbbing when she looked upon it.

Somehow it felt familiar. Sozin's Comet? No, that couldn't be right. This felt older and…wrong…

Her musings were interrupted when she saw several of the kaiju depicted fighting. One she first thought was a lion turtle, but the long tail and crocodilian snout were not that of those legendary creatures. It resembled Maina's description of Anguirus. Another was a great bird in the sky, aloft on leathery wings of fire. Rodan. Alongside him was Mothra, fending off some attacker she didn't recognize.

And below them, right aside by Anguirus, was the unmistakable jagged dorsal spines of Godzilla, spewing his blue fire at another unfamiliar kaiju. All four seemed to be grouped with one another, almost as if they were allies. That would explain why Godzilla seemed so hesitant on killing Rodan back at Aso Island.

Once more, the moths gathered around a third image. This one was not as grand, but just as impactful. There were several of the titans being worshipped by humans. And the titans in turn were bowing towards one in the middle. One that the Princess was all too familiar with.

Azula grazed the image of Godzilla with her fingers, unable to understand why. What was he to them? Some kind of ruler? She did know that in all ecosystems there was a top predator that maintained order. It was one of Father's chief lessons. Yet those alphas were meant to be feared. All of these kaiju seemed to be showing respect for the mighty dragon. Was it out of fear or admiration though? The ones who carved this place certainly thought Godzilla was important enough to give him some kind of respect.

Yet he was a monster. Why was a monster revered? Azula didn't understand, and she had a feeling that she wouldn't get any answers by just looking at carvings such as these alone.

Again, the moths fluttered away, this time down a passageway leading further still into the temple. A cool, crisp wind came through it, refreshing the Princess. She still had more questions than answers. But this was a riddle she was determined to unravel.

So once again, Azula set forth further into the depths. Hungrier than ever for why she was brought here.

The birthing chamber was silent following Azula's departure, for nobody wanted to say a word. Too much had just transpired in too little time, and everyone was just soaking it all in. And even when one was close to comprehending it, they didn't want to be the first one to speak out lest they say the wrong thing. There seemed to be a lot of that going around these days.

Aang least of all especially. He sat a little away from everyone, trying to make sense of his turmoil. What he saw before him was simply too much for him to handle. The boy wasn't even sure if he could look either Zuko or Iroh in the eye. Indeed, everyone outside of Mai was giving them a bit of distance.

Those scars on Azula's wrist was on everyone's mind. Even more so than the fact she even got her old armor back (granted Zuko did ask something about how that happened, but he quickly shut up when it was clear nobody else was in the mood). Deep down, Aang wanted to believe she was lying. That she created those scars herself. Bumi's letter, on the other hand, THAT dispelled any doubt that she was telling the truth.

No wonder she got worked up so badly, Aang thought. What bothered him more was that he wasn't even sure anything could be DONE at this point. Enemy or not, that was abominable. At least they made sure Ozai was safely inside of a cell.

It made his head hurt, and so he turned to something he could talk about. The temple itself. "Imana. Who built this place?"

Both priestesses walked up to him, gazing at the architecture surrounding them. "Our ancestors. We think," Maina explained. "Some of us believe it was from a far older culture than either our people OR the Air Nomads. Maybe they were the people we used to be before they split up."

"I can see that. It definitely looks a lot like Air Nomad work, but different." Aang remembered what the Lion Turtle said about energy bending. Of how once, all were a single people before they diversified and spread out across the globe. Maybe this was the same here. He did mention how many of the various airbending cultures around the world came from the same tribe long ago. They even said those who chose to split off from the Nomad way of life were worthy of the same dignity and respect as a proper monk.

Back then, it didn't make much sense to Aang. It did so now. All it did was make him feel so…alone.

Something Imana picked up on. "Listen, I know you're disappointed that we're not the people you expected. But if it helps, a lot of us are hoping that some of the others-"

"They're all gone," Aang admitted glumly. "It wasn't just the Nomads. The Fire Nation came after everyone who bent air. Your people had Mothra on your side. Mine? …they didn't have any of that." He couldn't help but feel bitter. Why? Why was it that they got lucky? They couldn't even bend air all that well. Why didn't Mothra save the Nomads too? He knew she was apparently old and weakened when Sozin's Comet hit the first time, but if she just held out a bit longer…

He fell to his knees. Between the acolytes and here, he never felt more alone since the days of the war. It was like the universe was telling him that the Nomads were gone. Forever. And he should just get used to it.

A warm hand was placed on his shoulders. He looked up into the blue eyes of Katara, and the two embraced. "It's okay," she reassured. "I…I sometimes ask why the Northern Water Tribe wasn't hit as badly. Or even the Foggy Swamp Tribe. Why us?" Aang just hugged her tighter, feeling that this was something she had to get out too. Painful as it was, it did bind them together.

So did two pairs of arms that joined the hug fest. "You know you're just as much a part of our family as our parents are. Right, Aang?" Sokka asked.

"...yeah," the airbender mumbled.

The second pair of arms just hugged him tighter. "You're honestly the best brother I could ask for, Twinkletoes. You saw me for me. Not just some charity case." Aang smiled, feeling the rare softness in Toph's otherwise gruff tone.

"We'll get through this together. Alright?"

"...alright," he said to Katara, hugging them all. What he would've done without him, he didn't dare to ask. They weren't Air Nomads, but they were exactly what he needed right now in these days. And he felt that empty hole in the pit of his soul fill just a little bit more.

Imana, Maina, Ty Lee, Suki, and Mai watched their little group hug, feeling it wasn't their place to get involved. Suki especially. She loved Sokka and his friends, but she hadn't known them all for as long as he had. No, this was their moment.

As for Zuko and Iroh, they just stood apart from them all, looking sadly at the display of affection. Aang wanted the teen to join them, yet he still stood apart. Looking as troubled as ever.

The Avatar knew it was a conversation that had to come sooner than later. He just wasn't sure how to express the gravity of what Azula accused them of. And if she told the truth about her treatment in the asylum, what else was she true about? Did Zuko really dangle her over a cliff and threaten her?

That couldn't be right. Zuko had changed for the better.

Had he?, Aang wondered.

Further Azula trekked into the temple's depths. Again, only her blue flame illuminated the tunnel around her. That being said, her eyes were beginning to get used to the dark. It wasn't like she hadn't spent most of her childhood sneaking through the palace's hidden passageways to get to places she wasn't allowed to be. Mother called her prying. Father called her clever.

Prying or clever, it did feel good getting some distance away from Zuzu. She remembered her brother used to be scared of the dark growing up. Now she was half-convinced he'd throw himself onto a pyre just to get at her. Did Amimoto just not tell him that a kaiju enforced their law of peace? Or was he that eager to get even with her?

Funny. Azula swore he "proved his point" during that sham of an Agni Kai and shoving her into a cell to rot. Guess he still had a sore ego over being proven wrong with the mess that was Yu Dao. Why take it out on her though? If he was so much better now, wouldn't he recognize that she wasn't the one who wiped out his army?

The thought made her fidget with one of her bangs as she pressed herself onward. Wherever those moths up ahead were leading her had to have been better than what Zuko had intended.

Through the dark, they brought her to another opening. The archway of the tunnel gave way to a massive cavern ahead. Yet moonlight filtered in from an expansive opening high above, meaning it was bright enough for Azula to extinguish her flame. Judging from the black rocks that made up the cavern wall, she bet that this used to have been the heart of some extinct volcano. When one lives on an island chain formed by volcanos, one had to learn quite a bit about them.

The lava had receded a long time ago, however. At the cavern's heart where there would've been a molten lake during its active years was a sizeable, pristine lake. Most likely groundwater that had seeped up from below ground. There has to have be some massive underground system to connect all of these bodies of water, Azula reasoned. She remembered that much from her geology lessons.

This much water could've explained how the grasses and trees around her must've taken root. Along with the opening from above to provide sunlight during the day, there was a great deal of vegetation in a place that used to have been the heart of a destructive engine. Mosses climbed up walls scorched by lava, adding to the almost surreal atmosphere.

Vegetation wasn't the only thing the Princess found here. All around her, she could hear the calls of birds amidst the trees. Along her path, more of those parrot lizards like the ones back at the village scurried about, feeding on the nuts and berries of the low-lying plants. Yet none of them seemed to be frightened of her. Just staring at her with those large eyes of theirs.

She moved on, feeling called beyond the trees and foliage. Even still, she took note of the animals she came across. What any of the biologists her Father used to entertain by showing off the Royal Family's collection of dragon bones would give to see this place. A young part of her actually hoped that around the corner, one of the original firebenders would be there waiting. The older part bitterly told her that her uncle and nephew killed the last of them. How else would they have mastered the bending of dragons otherwise?

Azula was so wrapped up, that she almost didn't see the boulder with a bloody gash in its shell, laying alongside the trail.

…she backed up to get another look.

It wasn't a boulder, but rather a huge tortoise resting amidst the grasses. The shell was far spikier than any turtleduck shell she was familiar with. And it certainly looked more menacing as it raised its head and examined her. That beak was serrated, with fangs at the back.

Yet it only spared a glance before going back to its slumber. Around the bloody gash in its shell were a number of those strange birds that resembled the ones on Aso Island. They hopped here and there, licking up the blood of the shell. It seemed gruesome, but the tortoise didn't seem to mind. Maybe the birds' feeding helped clean the wound?

The Princess shook her head, continuing on. It seemed odd that such a peaceful place would have such a scene. Still, maybe that was why it came here. Perhaps it was some kind of refuge? This cave obviously would make a good refuge for whoever was passing through.

Refuge. That was an apt word. All here was as tranquil as the surface of the lake she arrived at. Before it was a stone altar, overgrown with mosses and flowers. Here the moths fluttered as if telling her to come here. Drawn further to the lake, Azula went up the steps of the altar and took a seat in the center. Here, a soft bed of flowers and moss served as a cushion, further easing her nerves.

It was odd. Zuko. Father. The whole world seemed so far away. As if here, all her troubles melted away.

Here, she was safe.

Safe. A word so odd. Father always told her that feeling safe was an invitation for disaster. That she should always be on her guard, no matter what. Seeing the cutthroat politics of the Fire Nation court firsthand, she knew what he was talking about.

Still, that seemed so distant.

Gingerly, she began to breathe in and out. In and out.

And from the lake, the brown form of Mothra swam towards her. Water was gently pushed from the kaiju's path as she came close. When she arrived right at the altar, the worm rose her head and looked down at Azula with those baby blue eyes.

Azula stared back and saw no malice. Only a wisdom that belied the kaiju's almost infantile appearance.

Mothra chittered, and deep down in Azula's heart, a soothing voice offered her to meditate.

In and out. Azula felt the blue fire that was her soul rise and fall in a steady motion. And willingly, she obliged.

Aang took a deep breath as he saw the wall in front of him.

There were more of those things he could imagine.

They had followed the tunnel Azula went down, feeling drawn further into the temple's depths. Not right away of course. Nobody wanted to be hot on the heels of a firebender that almost went berserk not too long ago. Particularly Katara or Zuko who knew the last time they had to face an enraged Azula. Whatever was down there, it almost had to have been better than that.

As it turned out, "almost" was the appropriate word. They came across a great wall displaying a menagerie of kaiju. The priestesses said that this was where each and every kaiju they knew of was marked down.

Some of them were familiar of course. The images of Godzilla and Anguirus were recognizable. He could see what was supposed to be the great firebird they saw. "Rodan" if Imana told them correctly. And that brightly colored moth had to have been Mothra.

Yet there were so many others. Monsters that straddled the line between what was natural and what wasn't. Oversized insects. Fearsome sea monsters. And horrors he couldn't even begin to describe.

"We can't fight against these many."

Aang nodded as Zuko voiced his thoughts. Ozai and politics were one thing. This just made him feel small. Avatar or not, if all these monsters decided to awaken and go berserk all at the same time…

"Azula must've gone down this passage! If we can move now, we'll be able to catch her!"

Abruptly, the young monarch made his way towards a dark tunnel. He didn't get far before Aang quickly leaped into the air and landed in front of him. To the astonishment of everyone, the Avatar got into an airbending position.

"Aang. Get out of the way." The boy stood firm though, feeling the firm earth beneath his toes. He didn't make a move to attack, but he made it clear that he wasn't going to step aside either.

Iroh stepped alongside Zuko, holding out his hands in a reassuring manner. "Avatar, as Grand Lotus, I must tell you that we need to apprehend Azula-"

Aang just shook his head. "And as Zuko's friend, I'm telling both of you this is a big mistake. Azula's not a threat right now! If I can talk with her, maybe I can convince her to come with us peacefully."

"I hate to point this out, but Azula was literally breathing fire not too long ago. Do you honestly believe you can talk down somebody like that?" Ty Lee asked.

Kori, who was watching from the sidelines, sighed. "Okay, then let me rephrase the Avatar's question: what's your problem with her? I mean I get not liking her due to your childhood and all, and I don't think she was the best of friends. Hell, I know firsthand. But are you telling me that's grounds to put her into that asylum?"

Mai groaned with exasperation. "Not my fault her father got her claws into her. And she is Ozai's number one fan."

Before Aang could say another word, the two other airbenders (he still had to get used to that) came up behind him. "Last I checked, she's not the one who's putting literally thousands in people of danger right now. Or did we just forget the wall put up detailing an entire army of monsters right now?" Maina asked.

"So answer the Avatar's question: why is it that Azula is such a huge priority that you're willing to overlook Godzilla?" Imana reiterated.

"How can you be so sure Azula is telling the truth? She could've mutilated herself to give her those scars," Iroh pointed out.

When he uttered those words, Toph, Sokka, Suki, Kori, and Katara joined Aang's side. This is what the Avatar hinted at concerning his letter from Bumi. He didn't say what it was exactly, but it was something to put him on edge around Iroh of all people. Now that everyone realized what that was, their hearts were set. "I understand your concerns Grand Lotus, but I have a feeling Azula's telling the truth this time."

Katara joined her boyfriend's side. "He's got a point. I don't like her, but I don't think she's crazy enough to scar herself just to prove a lie. And even if she was lying, it still doesn't make any of you look good if you keep backing her into a corner like this."

A wave of shock was painted on Iroh's face. Truth be told, even Aang was a little surprised about how he coldly referred to the firebending master as "the Grand Lotus". He knew that Iroh didn't like people being that formal around him if it wasn't for a good reason.

Yet the biggest change came over Azula's former friends. Mai and Ty Lee suddenly stepped back a moment and looked aghast both at Iroh and, oddly enough, themselves. It was as if the two were brought out of some kind of spell. Something that Toph didn't miss. "You two knew about that place? Then why would you even think of throwing Azula in there if you knew it was so bad?!"

"I…I don't know. Something just came over me and…" Mai walked away, hugging herself for support. Just the sight of the usually stoic noble was enough to chill anyone's blood.

Zuko on the other hand was fired up enough already. "Okay? Sokka also wanted to take her down and nobody's yelling at him!"

More than one pair of eyes turned towards the warrior, who chuckled nervously. "In my defense…she was breathing fire, everything moved really fast, and did I mention she was breathing fire and looked scary?"

"Fair point," Aang admitted.

"So this is your last warning, Avatar. Stand aside, or I'm going to fight my way through." To emphasize his threat, Zuko got into his own bending stance, further causing everyone to have their blood drain from their faces.

Aang remained calm though. "Zuko, I'm saying this as your friend: don't do this. I'm not just talking about going after Azula either. I don't want to hurt you, but I will stop you from doing this."

Everyone beside Aang held firm. Kori in particular glared at the young Fire Lord with an intensity that surprised even the Avatar. "Same here. Azula's my friend, and I'm not going to turn my back on her now."

Ty Lee glared at her fellow noble girl. "You wouldn't say that if you knew her."

"I do. I also know that you don't try to throw somebody you've known all your childhood in an asylum either without having a hang-up," Kori shot back. Ty Lee opened her mouth to say something, but it died on her lips. For the fight was leaving her too.

The two sides were divided on both sides of the chamber. Team Avatar and friends on one side, Zuko and Iroh on the other. Everyone anticipated someone throwing the first blow any minute. Law or not, things could get ugly quickly.

All at once though, Zuko groaned and stalked towards the back wall. Iroh, with a look of concern, went after him.

With the situation having been defused, everyone else split off in groups. Aang in particular met up with Sokka, Suki, and the twins. "Alright, before anyone else tries to kill anyone else, do we have any ideas about how to handle these kaiju?"

Smack.

Sokka threw up his hands. "I honestly don't know. Best I can guess is maybe figure out which ones are more like Anguirus and Mothra, and which ones aren't. Aside from that…your guess is as good as mine."

"We can help you out with that. With the ones we know at least," Imana admitted.

Smack

"Well, we know who keeps waking them up," Suki mused. "Zuko's prison ships. The Rough Rhinos. These Fiery Raptors. Rogue army or not, they're all Fire Nation. And I don't think it's a coincidence they're all emerging near the colonies. Didn't Zuko say they were effectively under siege?"

"He did say that." Aang gulped. This just got a lot more complicated even more than it already was.

Smack

"C'mon! Work dammit!"

"Zuko, what are you-? ZUKO!"

Iroh and Sokka had to restrain Zuko from punching his fists more into the stony wall. Already his knuckles were getting red, and it's likely a few more punches would've drawn blood.

Not that Zuko seemed to care all that much, struggling as hard as he could against both Sokka's and his Uncle's arms. He got so violent that Suki had to step in and grab his torso. But even with all three, it was all they could do to hold him back.

"Get away from me!" he screamed. "I'm going to regain my firebending again and nobody's going to stop me!"

"Zuko! Please listen! We're not here to hurt you!" Iroh desperately pleaded.

"Well maybe you should've thought of that before leaving me alone in the palace! Retire to the Jasmine Dragon?! Who else was I going to turn to with you gone?!"

Aang's blood went cold. That didn't seem like the monarch was talking about his advisors.

"Zuko…who were you talking with?" he asked cautiously.

"MY FATHER! ALRIGHT?!" Zuko bellowed, tears streaming down his face as he went slack. He could barely get a word in between his sobs. "He was right all along. I am a failure. I try to give Yu Dao and everyone hates me. I try to save Yu Dao and get my whole army killed. I try to make peace with the Earth King and all my advisors hate my guts. I can't even get my baby sister or my firebending back. I keep trying to do the right thing, but nothing's working! WHAT GOOD AM I?!"

His rant dissolved into uncontrollable crying, sometimes broken by a scream as he tried in vain to breath fire from his mouth. It didn't work. And everyone just watched their friend break down.

Katara held back a sob of her own. The image was just too familiar.

As for Aang…there was so many things he wanted to say. So many to ask. Why didn't he tell anybody that his firebending was gone again? Why was he talking with Ozai, a man he knew was abusive? Even just a word in to say things were going to be alright.

Nothing. He just hugged Zuko as the teen tired himself out, letting his holders release him. Even still, his tears ran down the monk's shoulder, unable to control himself.

While all of this was happening, Imana whispered to Maina. "I think I might know someone who can help."

Maina nodded, understanding what her sister was saying, before she whispered back, "I'm not sure. She might not be who he remembered her to be."

When Azula opened her eyes, she was…well she didn't know where she was.

It was dark, she knew that much. But it wasn't the stifling choking dark of the asylum or the prison ship. She likened it more to a soothing caress than chains trying to drag her down. Neither was it even pitch black either. There was a soft azure glow all around her. Looking around, she saw numerous blue flowers swaying in the abyss, each one giving a warm glow.

Yet in each one, she felt something familiar. Stroking one of the petals of the flowers, she found a warm sensation not unlike when she conjures a ball of flame. Curiously, Azula held out her hand and did just that; willing to life a small but glimmering blue light. Not only did the flowers seem to glow in response, the embers that fell at her feet when she snuffed it out turned into yet more dazzling lotuses. Yes, they did look like lotuses, didn't they?

Blue fire is a gift. It's a shame you could not see it before now, a soft voice murmured.

The Princess sneered for a brief moment, her sanguinity lost. "Like you'd know, Mother. Only thing you ever saw was-"

She was going to say "something monstrous" when she turned around to face the spectre of Ursa. Only she wasn't there. Oh, the holder of the voice looked like mother. And they certainly sounded like her.

Everything else though was off. Azula never recalled Mother having a thick collar of fur on her robes. Or glowing blue eyes. Or two colorful wings at rest behind her.

The being chuckled. Forgive me if I startled you. It's been forever since I have conversed with a mortal such as yourself.

Azula took a few steps back, noticing how this thing seemed to be a fusion of what was familiar and what wasn't. "Mothra?" she managed to croak out.

I appear in whatever way the beholder deems to be most comfortable. Sometimes it's a loved one. Other times, it's more of an abstract object, Mothra explained. It certainly didn't make anything easier for the Princess however, as she tried to wrap her head around the kaiju's sudden humanoid appearance. A fact that brought another warm chuckle from the moth person. This is my place of worship. My power runs through strongly here. I've had millennia to figure out how to make the most of my capabilities.

"I…guess that makes sense?" Azula wondered. But then she realized she had meditated before a giant worm on an island full of people that should not have existed. Clearly reality itself decided to go mad at the same time she did. Huffing, the Princess crossed her arms. "Alright. You got me here. Let's get it over with."