6 Book One: Water – Meeting between dragons!

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Here's the chapter of the week!

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Without further ado, enjoy the chapter, peasants!

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- Location: Pouhai.

Pov. Third-person.

After Shinu's speech, Zuko was preparing to head towards Yu Dao, unfortunately, he won't go alone due to a small problem...

"Due to Fire Lord Ozai's decree… You must be escorted by me to reach Yu Dao in the allotted time, as your ship is not here and the responsibility falls on me," said Zhao, who was wearing an expression of disgust as he looked at Zuko.

Both were walking side by side right after the speech ended, being accompanied by four Pouhai guards.

Zuko looked at Zhao listlessly before answering.

"When do we set sail, 'Commander' Zhao?" asked Zuko, making a point of emphasizing Zhao's ranking, as the prince knew Zhao had been stuck in the commander ranks for quite some time.

Zhao frowned and growled in response before replying.

"…Now… We set sail now," said Zhao.

Zuko just waved and then went to the room he was staying in to get his belongings, but before leaving he was stopped by Zhao, who stopped Zuko from following his path by grabbing the prince's shoulder with one hand.

"I met the Avatar, Prince Zuko... He wasn't a waterbender who was holding out some 'hope', he was very real... Is there any information you want to share?" asked Zhao, looking suspiciously at Zuko.

Zuko remained expressionless.

"... Yes... Maybe you should take your hand off my shoulder" said Zuko, calmly.

The commander insisted on squeezing Zuko's shoulder harder.

"… Prince Zuko… That's not what I asked," said Zhao.

Zuko then looked into Zhao's eyes.

"... If you have something to say, Commander... By all means, say it" said Zuko.

"You know what I mean, Prince Zuko! You already knew about the Avatar, and you withheld valuable information!" Zhao said.

Zuko fell silent and did something that quickly surprised Zhao and the nearby guards.

Zuko grabbed Zhao's wrist and squeezed hard, making the commander let go of the prince's shoulder.

At that moment Zuko emitted a gleam in his eyes that caused the guards to assume a combat stance, Zhao was grinding his teeth at the same time as Zuko forced the commander to his knees as he grabbed Zhao's wrist, and pushed him to the ground.

"... Is it an accusation?... By Agni, maybe I misunderstood" said Zuko, with a small smile.

As soon as Zuko spoke the last part, the prince immediately let go of Zhao, who grabbed his wrist while he was still on his knees on the ground.

But Zuko's smile didn't last long.

"Commander, due to us having to travel to Yu Dao together unfortunately, I hope we are on acceptable terms while on the ship. However when we arrive at Yu Dao… Feel free to challenge me to an Agni Kai so that the charges will be judged by Agni," said Zuko, looking at Zhao.

Zhao looked at Zuko in response, but he gave a mocking smile as he got to his feet.

The guards relaxed their posture as well once Zuko let go of Zhao's wrist, but froze again when Zuko spoke about the fire duel.

"… Apparently the last duel didn't teach you anything," said Zhao.

Zuko remained unfazed as the guards braced for any explosion from Zuko's behavior.

But only Zuko's apathy remained, which troubled Zhao briefly...

"... The last duel didn't teach me respect like the current Fire Lord Ozai wanted... It taught me not to hesitate" said Zuko, with an icy tone.

Zuko just looked at Zhao listlessly.

"... If you're going to challenge me in an Agni kai, I hope you're ready to put your life on the line, commander... Because if you make such accusations, you better be prepared to back them up" said Zuko.

Zuko then left, as Zhao glared daggers at Zuko's back, a scowl that reflected his newly formed hatred for the banished prince of the Fire Nation.

And so the rest of the morning passed, with Zuko soon being escorted to Yu Dao by Zhao's ship. The prince tried his best not to meet the commander aboard the ship and just hoped that he would arrive in Yu Dao soon.

After Zhao's ship sailed from Pouhai, the ship sailed along the river Su Oku for some time, until it anchored in a fishing village.

At that moment, Zuko was sitting in the lotus position, while practicing breathing exercises while reflecting on recent events.

[If I remember correctly, Aang should already be at that old seer's village since he has a day head start, or even they already met Bato. This indicates that it is possible that I will not meet with him one last time, as before going north he will be briefly tutored by Jeong Jeong; but what worries me is that I haven't found out yet who will lead the siege to the north] thought Zuko, inside the room reserved for him on Zhao's ship.

It was then that Zuko noticed that this fishing village was known for having a bar full of mercenaries nearby.

"Hmm... I almost forgot about her... She can be useful if well paid" said Zuko.

The prince then got up and left the room, but was soon approached by guards who prevented him from passing.

"I'm sorry sir, but I have orders not to let you leave the ship," said the guard.

Zuko raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"I beg your pardon... May I know why I cannot leave the ship?" Zuko asked.

"Commander Zhao has given explicit orders that only those responsible for supplies are allowed to leave the ship so that we can reach Yu Dao as soon as possible," said the guard.

[Hmm?... Zhao is in a hurry?... But why?] thought Zuko, confused.

"...Then I'll just take a walk around the deck," said Zuko.

Although the soldiers agreed to the request, Zuko could see that they started to follow him around the ship.

[... So I'm being kept under surveillance... Well, I have to be careful if he capsizes this ship to the Fire Nation, even though I'm allowed to enter the colonies and military bases in the Earth Kingdom, the Fire Nation is a different story...] thought Zuko.

Zuko even considered leaving at dawn as a blue spirit, but it would be too risky since this was not his ship, and he was being watched most of the time. Also, June wasn't necessarily someone of extreme importance in the current situation.

Considering the pros and cons of leaving the ship, Zuko decided to stay on the ship and go to Yu Dao...

Days passed, and Zhao's ship finally arrived at the Yu Dao colony, one of the oldest colonies in the Fire Nation since the beginning of the Sozin war.

Zuko was the first to leave Zhao's ship and went in search of his crew in the dock full of warships, however...

"Prince Zuko" a voice caught Zuko's attention as he got off the ship.

When Zuko looked at the source of the voice, his eyes widened a little when he realized who it was... Or more precisely, what they were wearing.

Firebender Armor.

But not just any firebender...

Royal firebenders.

The elite of firebenders.

An elite consisting of the best of the best, tasked with accompanying and protecting the Fire Nation royal family.

Zuko immediately realized that their presence could only mean one thing...

Someone from the royal family was here.

Since Ozai would hardly leave the Fire Nation Capital, there was only one person who would be 'protected' by the elite firebenders...

"Princess Azula wishes to see you immediately..." said the royal guard.

[... This shouldn't happen right now... But I suppose a butterfly's flapping really does cause a tornado...] Zuko thought, reflecting on the current situation.

Zuko was pretty much out of options at the moment, given that declining the 'invitation' will likely make Azula basically go ballistic, or at the very least, make her interested in the 'Zuzu' who doesn't want to see her.

Zuko's fear was that Azula's mind was too unstable... Azula's next move was completely unpredictable, and furthermore, she was an expert liar, capable of even fooling the 'walking lie detector' that was Toph.

Zuko just waved briefly and was soon escorted by royal soldiers to a larger and considerably more modern ship compared to the remaining ships in the shipyard.

While Zuko climbed aboard, all he could hear was a very distinct sizzling noise of energy.

When Zuko looked up, he saw a girl younger than him, wearing standard firebender armor, with a few more details, performing a very dangerous dance...

Lightning bending itself.

Lightning danced on the tips of the two fingers, index and middle, and the young woman performed concise and quick movements until she extended an arm towards the sea quickly and the result, as well as the resulting sound, was seen by everyone present in the shipyard.

*Rumble!*

A bolt of lightning shot from the young woman's fingertips and was launched towards the sea.

Perfection.

That would be the word that would describe the phenomenon that occurred by any firebending master present.

"Excellent, perfect execution and form, as well as –"

" – Always, Princess Azula"

Two voices resounded across the deck and Zuko then saw two old ladies, who would best be described as identical twins by anyone present... They even wore the same sage outfit.

When Zuko looked back at the young woman, who he knew was Azula as soon as he stepped onto the deck, he saw that she was frowning as she looked at a small strand of hair, which had fallen onto her forehead due to the movement of the lightning bending.

"… Still not good enough," said Azula, while fixing her hair.

It was then that Azula noticed Zuko's presence and gave a smile that Zuko, through memories, recognized immediately...

A fake smile.

"Hello Zuzu, it's good to see you again…and alive," said Azula, raising her eyebrows in amusement.

Zuko approached Azula, though he left the royal guards, who were on immediate alert, behind.

In fact, every firebender present on deck was alert to Zuko's next actions, as their priority was to protect Azula, even though they didn't assume a firebending stance.

Once Zuko was only an arm's length away from Azula, he decided to respond to the princess in a way that slightly surprised her.

"... Azula... Unfortunately, it seems that you are disappointed that you are not the 'only child' of... Our father" said Zuko, frowning slightly at the end of the sentence.

Azula widened her eyes slightly and even lost her smile for a brief moment… before the smile returned even wider.

"… Oh… Not really Zuzu. I would be disappointed if you, my dear brother, died at the hands of some peasant..." said Azula.

If this were Zuko in the original timeline, he would hardly see the meaning behind those words...

But this Zuko already had a good idea...

"Hmm... So that means I'm only allowed to die at the hands of someone important, huh?" said Zuko, while keeping his face expressionless.

The apathy that Zuko showed when saying the question made Azula frown slightly, because never in Azula's life did she think that Zuko would ask such a question with such an expression on her face.

"... You've changed..." said Azula, losing her smile.

Azula was far from concerned with Zuko's recent behavior. In fact, Azula was thinking about things much more simply...

[... Boring~... I really expected the return of the crying duck-turtle or something else more interesting. He's not more fun to play with if compared to how he use to behaves when we were young... But then again, it might be fun figuring out the right buttons again] Azula thought, smiling again.

"I suppose a few years at sea have changed me a little..." said Zuko, looking at Azula.

Azula seemed to disregard the conversation until she flashed a smile that showed interest.

"I heard you were having fun. Besides, I heard from some rumors that you had... 'talent'... for combustion bending" said Azula, waiting for an answer.

Zuko remained impassive as he knew the combustion bending would be tackled by someone sooner or later, but that's what he planned from the beginning so that he won't be a 'disposable piece' like before...

Unfortunately, that didn't seem to be the case, as he was ordered to be on the front lines of the northern invasion.

Although, with Azula present… Zuko had some misgivings that the Fire Nation princess would take the opportunity of the confusion of the battlefield and send a bolt to his back.

After all, 'accidents' happen.

"... The rumors are true... I learned during my banishment" said Zuko.

"In just a few years of banishment, you awaken this rare ability?" Azula asked, raising an eyebrow.

Of course, it was bullshit, but Zuko really didn't have a better excuse.

Before Zuko was banished, according to the original memories, Prince Zuko was never an expert firebender, having only awakened his bending ability at the age of 7, and always struggling to learn.

And then, just as Zuko was 'replaced' by someone else on the first day of his banishment, he wakes up as a natural-born firebender...

That would arouse suspicion in anyone.

"…The shocks after the Agni Kai and our mother's death contributed a little to my…Condition" said Zuko.

Azula obviously didn't buy the blatant lie, but she didn't know what had happened to Zuko either, although she recognized her brother's face... It was like she was talking to someone else.

Also, Azula's eyes showed a bit of hesitation when Zuko mentioned their mother... Although that hesitation disappeared as quickly as it came.

The princess just stared at Zuko briefly before changing the subject.

"We'll leave today, the rest of the fleet should arrive soon, if all goes well you'll return home as a hero, Zuzu... Or a martyr... Want to ask me my preference?" asked Azula, with a playful smile.

"... No," said Zuko, without emotion.

Azula just looked amused at the answer.

"Well, you'll stay on this ship; the royal guards will guide you to your accommodation... We'll set sail at sunset" said Azula, already leaving the deck while being accompanied by Zuko.

Zuko didn't say anything else, not least because he didn't think it was necessary, besides that talking to Azula would be comparable to poking a lioness with a stick...

Days later, most of the ships had already set sail and headed north, Zuko stayed inside his room most of the time, although he always checked through the bedroom window which direction he was heading.

On the morning of the fourth day, knocks on the door aroused Zuko's attention.

"Prince Zuko, Princess Azula… Requests… Your presence at breakfast" said a voice from the other side of the door.

Zuko obviously knew that Azula doesn't 'request' for something... She 'demands'.

The banished prince just organized himself and wore the armor he used, as well as all his weapons, and was guided by some guards to the place where Azula was having her morning breakfast.

Turns out she wasn't alone...

"Hey Zuko!" said an excited voice.

That voice belonged to a girl, around Azula's age, who was waving excitedly at Zuko and wearing a big smile.

"Ty Lee... I didn't expect to find you here" said Zuko, while looking quickly at Azula, who was showing an amused smile.

Zuko at that moment remained alert more than usual because now there was a person who could temporarily incapacitate him...

Although Zuko wasn't afraid of the person that was Ty Lee due to her personality, Zuko was quite sure that the art of 'chi blocking' should not be underestimated.

In fact, with Ty Lee present, Zuko thought about the possibilities she could offer him...

"Yes! I didn't intend to leave the circus, but Azula was very convincing! I didn't say hello to you yesterday because I was so sick from the trip," said Ty Lee, with a smile.

"Enough Ty Lee, your motion sickness habit is too disgusting to talk freely over breakfast... Join us Zuzu, or you'll just stand there like a statue just like any other guard" said Azula, with a smile.

Zuko frowned briefly and went to sit down at the table, but as soon as he sat down he stared at the food briefly, waiting for action from both Azula and Ty Lee.

Azula seeing what Zuko was doing only scoffed briefly.

"It doesn't have poison if that's what you're asking... I wouldn't use something so cowardly" said Azula, picking something up from the table.

Ty Lee soon grabbed a piece of fruit and started eating it while letting out a satisfied groan.

Zuko glanced at Azula before returning his gaze to the food and reaching out to grab something and start eating in silence.

The rest of breakfast was a comfortable silence in Azula's sight; while Zuko ate calmly and silently, though he glanced from time to time at Azula and Ty Lee and alternately glanced at the nearest guards.

[Only royal guards, 9 master firebenders, 10 with Azula, and 1 female fighter capable of not only taking away my bending ability but my body's movement as well... If something happens, Ty Lee has to go down first] thought Zuko, briefly.

Zuko, all through breakfast, was planning different scenarios in case he needed to make an escape in that situation.

"By the way, Zuzu… I heard that you had some confrontation with one of your father's most prestigious commanders" said Azula, with a disinterested tone.

Zuko didn't miss a beat and responded as soon as he swallowed the food he was chewing.

"We had a little disagreement... Nothing that is a bother" said Zuko.

"Oh? But that's not what I heard~..." said Azula.

Zuko stopped eating and looked Azula in the eyes and saw that the princess was wearing a slightly troubled smile.

"I heard that Zhao made serious accusations against you, claiming that you aided the Avatar in some way… In my opinion, this goes far beyond a small 'disagreement', don't you think Zuzu?" asked Azula.

Zuko remained unaffected but chose to speak soon after.

"… And what do you believe?" Zuko asked.

"I believe that something must be done… Don't you think so?" asked Azula.

Zuko went back to eating as soon as Azula gave that answer.

[What does she intend? I know that Zhao is told to be one of the most renowned military leaders, but that is hardly the reality; Zhao got the post of commander because he knew the right people and was a great supporter of Ozai... But what does Azula want?] thought Zuko.

"… Then by all means tell me… What do you want to do?" asked Zuko, curiously.

"Oh~ come on Zuzu~… A peasant cannot disrespect and make such accusations about a member of the royal family, banished or not. You may have changed, but are you still soft-hearted?" asked Azula.

[So she wants to get rid of Zhao... But the question of 'why' still remains] thought Zuko.

"…I offered him an Agni Kai, but I didn't get any response, so I disregarded it," said Zuko.

Pov. Zuko.

She wants to get rid of Zhao, and she's not making the effort to deny it, and although I don't know her motives...

I can use this to my advantage.

After all... Zhao is a stone that will always bother me if I don't remove it soon.

I spoke about the Agni Kai as I hoped Azula could make it happen.

With the Agni Kai going on, I could get rid of Zhao and not risk the safety of the moon spirit in the north, seeing as Zhao is the only one who knows of the existence of such a spirit, or at least, was the only one foolish enough to kill an ancient spirit.

But it seemed that my suggestion didn't have the effect I wanted, because Ty Lee had choked on her food, and Azula...

She just stared at me.

It was like she was studying me...

"Hmm... Agni Kai, you say?... Want to have another scar to match the one you already have?" asked Azula.

I soon came back with an answer.

"...At least you'll have a happy smile on your face, just like before," I said, shrugging.

Silence.

Only silence was my reply, and I was a little worried about what I had said, as it was by the force of the moment...

While Ty Lee alternated her worried gaze between me and Azula, Ozai's favorite child answered me.

"…Okay, let's do that now," said Azula, with a smile.

I froze.

… It actually worked?

"You!" said Azula, looking at a random guard.

The guard froze under the princess' gaze, although he was waiting for orders...

"Send a message to Zhao's ship, I want him on my ship… now," said Azula.

The guard immediately ran out, and Azula went back to eating calmly, as if nothing much had happened, while Ty Lee looked at me in concern and seemed to want to say something, but she soon gave up when she looked at Azula.

Well... At least I got what I wanted.

Although one issue concerns me...

What does Azula gain from Zhao's death?

Does she think I'm going to lose and just hope I die in the process?

That would be the most likely scenario, considering that the 'previous' Zuko would also challenge Zhao for impulsiveness of accusations.

However...

During those seconds of silence after I declared that I had challenged Zhao to an Agni Kai...

Why was she silent? Like she was studying me?

She thought I was bluffing?...

Ugh... It's no use, I don't know what goes on in that unstable mind.

I'm getting too paranoid, I better work with what I have and just get rid of Zhao.

Obviously, Zhao dying by my hands would spread, and it would bring me downsides with Aang because he refuses to kill; and Ozai, since Zhao was one of his main supporters in the Fire Nation navy.

But Zhao was a piece, who could be replaced by Ozai, and there was no way I would risk the safety of the Moon Spirit, as Zhao is probably arrogant enough not to share this information, only to take the credit later...

Moonslayer.

A 'glorious' title for a man who is driven by ambition.

But it is undoubtedly a silly thing when you think about it.

At this moment, I noticed that the guard returned to the cabin...

"My Lady, the message has been passed on, but... At the present time, he is not with the fleet," said the guard, greeting Azula, as he nervously broke the news.

Oh sure... Master Jeong Jeong is reunited with his former disciple...

Zhao.

"Hmm… Then why are you here?" asked Azula, looking at her nails disinterestedly.

As soon as Azula asked the question, two feelings were the only ones that dominated the people present at the place...

The first was the feeling of confusion, but the other feeling...

It was the most primordial feeling of the human being.

Fear.

"I... I beg your pardon, your highness... But I don't understand your question" said the guard, uncertain.

Azula then looked up from her nails and looked at the soldier.

"What part don't you understand? I thought I had been quite clear 'I want him on my ship', I didn't ask you to send a message and wait for a response from Zhao... I asked you to do exactly what I said, immediately" said Azula.

She wasn't smiling.

"My Lady, I will immediately go to –" said the guard, before being interrupted.

"No, one mistake is enough..." said Azula, glancing briefly at the guard, who froze under her gaze and swallowed hard.

The princess then got up from her seat, which was soon followed by Ty Lee.

"Well… I don't want to be kept waiting, after all, it ends up being boring. It's early morning so nothing better than a little spar, what do you think Zuzu? Do you want to join us, or would you rather check each food for poison and become a royal food taster?" asked Azula, with an amused smile.

I could only stare blankly at Azula's noticeable amusement, while Ty Lee also looked like she wanted to laugh...

Although catching the food they were catching, even though Azula had guaranteed there would be no poison, it was a kind of guarantee, after all believing in Azula would be like believing in someone who was a compulsive liar.

"…I'll go too," I said.

My decision was based on a principle that would be good for my training...

Witnessing Ty Lee's art of Chi blocking firsthand, and applying it to my fighting style.

Obviously, I won't be a master at the end of the training, after all my 'golden finger' was only in relation to firebending, but I hope that Zuko's body muscle memory, resulting from being a master swordsman at the age of 13, be able to learn something...

Pov. Third-person.

A few hours later, if someone asked Zuko what he learned in training with Azula and Ty Lee, he would answer that he learned two things.

First...

*BAM*

Ty Lee can be brutal when taught in a more interactive way.

Second...

"...Oh, my dear brother~... I didn't know you had a new girlfriend and that her name was 'ground', maybe you should stop kissing her so much in front of me and start learning something from Ty Lee~" said a voice.

Azula would mess with him in every defeat.

Azula's satisfaction was noticeable, considering the smile that remained on the princess's face from the moment Zuko started a spar against Ty Lee at his request.

A spar that has been going on for hours and Zuko hasn't tasted a single win.

The banished prince just grunted at Azula's teasing and tried to get up, until he noticed that both of his arms weren't responding.

"...Ty Lee... Arms, please," said Zuko, closing his eyes in resignation.

The young acrobat soon quickly approached.

"Oh! Sorry Zuko, here let me help you with this..." said Ty Lee.

When Ty Lee approached, she tapped her knuckles on specific areas of Zuko's body where the Chi points would be located, although Zuko could use energybending to reopen Chi points, he chose to hide this method in case he needed the surprise factor in the future.

As soon as Ty Lee finished hitting, Zuko could feel his arms again, albeit a little numb.

"... Let's do it again," said Zuko, already getting up.

Ty Lee gave him a worried look.

"Don't you think we should stop? I think you already... learned enough" said Ty Lee, shyly, not wanting to make fun of the banished prince.

Zuko soon denied it and got up, assuming an unarmed combat stance, which was soon reciprocated by Ty Lee, although the young Fire Nation teenager looked at Zuko worriedly.

Azula remained with an amused smile as if she was enjoying the show in front of her, although the princess's smile didn't last long when a royal guard soon approached Ozai's daughter and whispered a few words that made Azula smile again.

"That's enough for now! As much fun as it is, it's getting boring watching you, Zuzu, kissing your new 'girlfriend' every time Ty Lee wins," said Azula.

Zuko and Ty Lee soon relaxed and looked at Azula, although it was noticeable to see the scowl of displeasure on the banished prince.

Princess Azula, sensing Zuko's mood, just laughed in amusement.

"Don't be like that Zuzu~… Your new opponent has arrived" said Azula, gesturing towards an entrance on the deck.

Zuko's eyes widened briefly when he saw Zhao, being escorted by two royal guards, and from the commander's frown, it was clear he didn't want to be there. Though Princess Azula seemed to disregard Zhao's mood and she began to talk lightheartedly.

"Commander Zhao, you haven't been very helpful lately, this made my father questions your ability to lead. By all means, you were initially supposed to lead the siege after being promoted by my father; however, after letting the Avatar pass through the navy blockade, and then failing to capture him in Fire Nation waters, plus I now hear from my royal guard that you failed again to capture not only the Avatar but in addition a bunch of deserters. In light of all this, my father's concerns are more than valid," said Azula, with a disinterested tone.

With every word Azula spoke, Zhao's mood turned somber, in addition to a growing fury when he briefly glanced at Zuko, as for Zhao the banished prince basically contributed to his current situation.

"Although... This can all be forgotten and you can keep your military rank as a naval commander, possibly being promoted in the future, if you do something..." said Azula, with a knowing smile.

Zhao was immediately interested, although most of the people who witnessed Azula's statements on deck remained nervously silent.

"… What should I do to redeem myself in the eyes of the Fire Lord, Princess Azula?" Zhao asked.

Azula gave a bigger smile and gestured to someone...

Zuko.

"Accept the Agni Kai my brother proposed... If you emerge victorious, I guarantee your failures will be forgotten and my father will see you as competent again, and who knows… You might even get promoted after all~" said Azula.

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Well, that's all, peasants!

Hope you enjoyed the chapter!

Next update: February 12th!

Reason: I'm taking a test on the 4th of February!

Until next time!