Chapter 3: Ideas of Justice

The domestic operations that followed in the two weeks after the battle at the North Pole were far more stressful than anyone cared to admit. The North Pole marked the first capital city the Fire Nation had conquered during the war, and with it came numerous logistical problems that were difficult to manage. First and foremost among these was actually subjugating resistance. Despite a total military victory over the city, small bands of warriors and Waterbenders that had not been captured were still striking out at the newly established Fire Nation patrols and occupation forces.

Needless to say, this had led to more than one skirmish, with numerous casualties for both sides. Thankfully, this city was the only major settlement the Northern Water Tribe possessed; all of their other settlements were so scattered and small that meeting any resistance from them was extremely unlikely. It made it easier for the Fire Nation to focus its manpower if nothing else. Even so, it was difficult to establish order when you had to constantly watch your back for icicle spears or worse.

The state of affairs was a tentative one. Obviously, none of the natives were happy about being conquered and occupied, but aside from the most stringent and bitter of them, most of the city's inhabitants had already realized that their negative preconceptions about Fire Nation dominion were, at the very least, significantly exaggerated. After all, the city was still standing, no one had been executed, and none of them had been dragged off in chains to slave away in some faraway mine. Of course, Xisheng knew that many rumors spread during wartime that were essentially straight up lies: one of the most ridiculous that he had heard was that the Fire Nation dressed their prisoners in Army uniforms and pit them against their own comrades unarmed. Aside from all of the particular reasons such a tactic would backfire horrifically, it was a practice the Fire Nation had never employed. They did take many prisoners, but certainly not for reasons such as that.

Of course, he also knew that not everything he had heard about the Water Tribes and Earth Kingdom was true either. While the Fire Nation didn't rely on propaganda for morale nearly as much as their enemies, considering that they didn't have to lie about winning, Xisheng had still heard a rumor or two that had turned out to be false. The city he currently occupied was proof enough that the concept of savagery and barbarism was as foreign to the Northern Water Tribe as it was to the Fire Nation. While they were lacking in some regards, it was not like they were living in caves and inbreeding. They had their own culture, and while it had some growing to do, it deserved to be treated with dignity.

Thankfully, one of the Fire Nation's objectives was already coming to fruition. While it was little more than eavesdropping and a general atmosphere, considering the tight lipped nature of the Water Tribesmen around their conquerors, it was fairly obvious that they were disgruntled with their dear moon spirit for failing to protect them, or otherwise do anything to really help them at all. Of course there were still many individuals that were praying to the stupid fish for salvation or simply out of misguided faith, but there seemed to be a good number of people that now shunned those spirits for abandoning them: or at the least, they were asking doubtful questions about said spirits that never would have crossed their minds before.

This realization lifted Xisheng's spirits a great deal. If there was one thing that had been proven without a doubt thanks to the Fire Nation's conquest, it was that the spirits of this world were useless leeches that did nothing for the ones who revered them. In the past several decades of their expansion into EK territory, not once had they been opposed by a spirit. Not even in areas where spirits had actually been sighted.

In the larger scheme of things, reliance on spirits to solve problems was hindering human progress. After all, if you truly believed some sort of spirit would handle all of your problems, what ambition did you have to advance your own standing? To innovate and grow? Many of the Fire Nation's academic minds attributed their massive technological advancement to the shift in spirit worship a hundred years ago. Maybe they were biased, but it couldn't be denied that the Fire Nation had advanced by leaps and bounds after the abolition of spirit worship.

Either way, there was a lot more to be done here at the North Pole. The current combats with the few renegade fighters in the city were unacceptable, mostly because they hindered the Fire Nation's efforts to implement any semblance of unfettered control. For that very reason, Captain Chikaraishi, with Xisheng and another guard at his flanks, stood before the Princess of the Northern Water Tribe within her private quarters to discuss the matter. Under normal circumstances this issue would have been brought to the Chieftain, but the man had been killed in the final assault on the palace. He had been a warrior through and through, fighting alongside his men in the final reckoning. Xisheng respected him for that, but he imagined that his daughter felt quite differently about the whole ordeal. After all, she did not seem to be in an extremely cooperative mood.

"Princess, surely you understand the severity of the situation. The remnant fighters in your city are inflicting casualties on both sides. As their leader, it is your duty to order them to stand down."

The white haired teenager, thrust into a position of power she was not ready for, looked ill at ease with the entire situation. However, she was still firm in her reply. She had guts, even if she wasn't fully confident in what she was doing.

"You expect me to tell my people to simply surrender to you after you invaded our home and killed our people? For what reason should I do this?"

Captain Chikaraishi, the man who had spoken so highly of Xisheng after the battle and his duel with Iroh, sighed. "The battle is already lost, Princess. Further fighting will change nothing. It will only cost both your people and mine dozens of lives."

"I will not order my people to give up. You are invaders and murderers. Even defeated, we'll never give into you."

The Captain sighed again, seeing that his efforts were fruitless. He motioned for his two comrades to follow him out of the Princess' private chamber. The Princess herself was not being imprisoned, at least not in a traditional sense. She was allowed to go wherever she pleased within her city, but she was always escorted by two Firebenders. She'd been treated very well for a defeated royal.

Stepping out of the room with his immediate commander, Xisheng watched as the Captain pulled off his helmet and pinched the bridge of his nose. His short black hair would have normally been slicked to his head by sweat, but that was not the case with the temperature around here taken into account.

"I fail to see how this is my job instead of the Admiral's..."

For the record, Xisheng felt exactly the same way. Zhao had done very little after the battle itself. He had mostly relegated all of the important tasks to his subordinates. It was just one thing Xisheng had found to dislike about the man among many others.

Though Chikaraishi wasn't specifically talking to anyone, Xisheng responded to his comment anyway.

"It's honestly better off this way, Captain. I can't imagine the Princess would respond well to someone of the Admiral's... disposition."

The Captain snorted in amusement. "Well, that's true. Admiral Zhao's not exactly the most tactful person to speak to. On top of the age gap... this girl's what, fifteen, or thereabouts? I'm not even sure how to deal with someone that young when they aren't a soldier who has to listen to me."

Xisheng glanced back at the icy doorway he and his comrades had just recently exited. "She's a young and inexperienced person forced into an incredibly demanding position with little warning. That alone would be a heavy burden, but it is also falling on her shoulders right after her city has been conquered and her father has died in battle. Frankly, I'm impressed she is handling it as well as she is. She is more level-headed than she appears. I do not think her beyond reason. We simply need to find the right rationale to persuade her."

The young soldier received no immediate response, prompting him to look back at his immediate superior. Chikaraishi was leveling a curious look at him. Xisheng wasted no time in trying to rescind his words. He'd already been very bold the day before with even higher-ranking officers. It had worked out that time, but it would be best if he stopped pushing his luck.

"My apologies, Captain. Don't mind me, I'll speak no further."

Chikaraishi smiled. "No need to apologize, Corporal. I like to think of myself as someone the enlisted can see as an approachable comrade. Besides, you seem to have an intuitive understanding of these things. Tell you what, why don't you try talking to the Princess?"

Xisheng raised an eyebrow, not that it could be seen under his helmet. "Sir?"

"Why not? Admiral Zhao wants results, but he isn't going to try himself. I've been trying to get through to her for days. I don't see any harm in letting you take a shot at it. We've only worked together for a brief time, but so far, I've come to see you as very rational. You often think of things others do not. You may come up with some angle to pursue that would never occur to me. At worst, you fail, which leaves us exactly where we are now anyway."

Though he had only known Captain Chikaraishi for about two weeks, Xisheng was honored to hear the man speak of him this way. At the very least, Chikaraishi seemed like an honorable soldier trusted by many of the men under his command.

"If you would like me to make an attempt, Captain, I'll do my best."

"Have at it then. Me and Corporal Ting here are returning to the barracks. Consider yourself off-duty until midday. I'll need your for another patrol at that time."

Bowing to his superior officer, Xisheng turned to head back into the Princess' chambers, pushing open the large white doors that he had just so recently exited. The two Firebenders standing guard at said door did nothing to stop him. It probably helped that they had overheard most of the conversation just now.

Yue, who had been sitting on her bed with her head in her hands, glanced up to identify who was now intruding on her space. Xisheng could easily pick out the traces of tears on her face, though the young woman swiftly put on a stern expression. She was a tough one, there was no doubt about that.

Naturally, the white-haired teen couldn't tell him apart from the Captain, so she seemed especially irked that he was in there.

"Was our last exchange unclear, Captain? I will not order my people to cease resistance."

Xisheng folded his hands behind his back. "I'm not Captain Chikaraishi, Princess. My name is Xisheng. I'm a corporal."

Yue looked surprised at the presence of an enlisted soldier to appeal to her rather than an officer, but she still did not seem any more cooperative than before. "I assure you the rank of the invader that comes to me will not change my decision."

Seeking to gain a more human approach, Xisheng removed his helmet, leveling his dual colored gaze at the girl just a year or two younger than him. The look on her face proved she was actually shocked by the revelation that there was an actual human being under the helmet. Xisheng supposed he couldn't blame her; it was difficult to humanize the enemy, especially when you never actually saw their face.

"I admire your resilience, Princess. Few people in your position could remain so composed and strong-willed. Though I must confess, your courage in the face of adversity is crossing the line into foolishness. I hope you'll forgive my bluntness in saying that."

Whatever her initial impression of him had been, Yue's expression hardened at Xisheng's words.

"Nothing would be more foolish than to give in to your tyranny."

Xisheng refrained from making any expression that could present him as smug. That really wasn't the angle he was trying to go for here.

"Our tyranny doesn't seem to be so catastrophic as you are making it out to be, Princess. We haven't razed your city to the ground. We haven't enslaved your people or killed them in the streets. We haven't even imprisoned you."

Unfortunately, Yue didn't seem to find any solace in these points. "Oh, forgive me for not appreciating how reasonable your unprovoked foreign occupation has been. Do you honestly expect me to be thankful because our conquerors managed to exercise some form of restraint amongst their evil? My father, and many of my countrymen, lie dead because of your actions! You think that sin can be mitigated or forgiven because of your 'reasonable' terms of occupation?!"

Xisheng fell silent for a moment, pondering how to respond to that. What could he even say at all? It was hardly like he could try to diminish Yue's loss by saying that her father died for some abstract concept of greater good. No one who had been slighted was going to believe that.

"I cannot deny you that, Princess. Many lives have been lost because of this conflict, on both our side and yours. Lives that could have gone on for years to come had this battle never happened. Those lives are lost forever. And I understand why you will only see injustice in it."

Yue said nothing to that, seemingly surprised that a Fire Nation soldier was admitting to such things, instead of trying to deny her accusations or wave them off as irrelevant. This was admittedly not a conversation she had ever expected to have with a Fire Nation grunt of all people.

With the newly minted chief silent for the moment, Xisheng continued, figuring that he could take a new approach to his persuasion. He was never going to convince Yue with a 'it's not that bad, just accept it' argument. He needed to focus on something that mattered to her; something that she had not lost yet.

"Princess Yue, I cannot ask you to set aside your hate for us. I know that is impossible. However, I can ask you to consider the lives of your countrymen who have not yet been lost. This occupation has been tame thus far because resistance has been light. But if partisan attacks continue to increase in severity, if Fire Nation casualties continue to mount due to rebel activity, there will be retaliation. Our military will not stand idly by and allow its troops to die without recourse. And stamping out rebels is no simple matter: they tend to disperse into civilian crowds, hide in the homes of innocent people... rebels and partisans almost always drag innocents into danger. If the Fire Nation has to launch a campaign to root out rebel forces in this city, there will be many more lives lost."

To Xisheng's credit, Yue's stern expression did falter somewhat. His words seemed to at least plant some doubt in her mind about the validity of her stance. Seeing this, Xisheng did his utmost to drive the point home.

"This is not a matter of pride or justice. The Fire Nation already poured immense resources into taking this city. Hundreds of warships, tens of thousands of soldiers, hundreds of thousands of gold in supplies and logistics: having spent all of that to achieve victory here, our forces are not going to leave, no matter how determined your rebels become. If your people push, we will push harder. Our army is dozens of times the size of your own forces. Even the occupation force here right now dwarfs it. If it comes down to a matter of bloodshed, it is your people who will suffer the most, not us. But it doesn't have to be that way. You are the leader of your people now. You can drive the truth home: that living, for both themselves and their families, is more important than resisting as a point of pride. This war has claimed an untold number of lives already. That statistic does not have to grow even more grave because of a pointless insurrection demanding needless sacrifice."

To all of this, Yue still remained silent, even though her icy blue eyes were fixed on the floor in front of her. For a moment, Xisheng wondered if he had actually gotten through to her. But he didn't get to think that for long before Yue finally spoke once again.

"What right do you have?"

Though disappointed to hear this instead of some sort of agreement with his narrative, Xisheng did his best to maintain a neutral expression.

"I'm sorry?"

While she had been staring at the ground before, Yue now raised her steely gaze to the soldier before her. "What right do you have to speak of unnecessary death? Of avoiding needless loss? How can you speak of such things when it is your nation that started this war? Your nation that invades homes, destroys families, your nation that has wrought so much death and pain against people that have done nothing to you? All of the suffering that the world has endured for the last one hundred years is the fault of the Fire Nation. And yet you have the audacity to speak of such things?"

Xisheng closed his eyes for a brief moment as he contemplated his answer. Long had he pondered these very truths; the Fire Nation had inflicted a great deal of pain on the world. Pain that could have been avoided. However, the pain they caused now was to save the world from centuries of suffering later. Centuries of living under stratification forced upon humanity by a spirit that fancied itself a demigod. But just how much sacrifice could be justified for the potential of a better future? A better future that, most certainly, was not envisioned by everyone who waged this war?

Xisheng didn't have an answer to that. And yet, he posed that exact sentiment to Yue now.

"Tell me, Princess: do you believe there is some amount of evil that can be justified in the pursuit of a greater good?"

Yue's expression was clearly confused. "What are you talking about?"

"If you must steal from those who have done nothing wrong in order to feed your starving family, is that just? If you are a healer who must refuse to save one innocent person so that you may save two elsewhere, is that just? What if you are forced to kill one undeserving person to save another? Can that be justified?"

Yue's brow furrowed in consternation. "Surely you are not daring to imply that your nation commits these evils to achieve some greater good?"

Xisheng merely shrugged. "Surely you must know that we genuinely believe we are, at the least."

Growing furious in a heartbeat, perhaps in part due to Xisheng's nonchalance in saying this, Yue raised her voice.

"Your misguided nationalistic pride and supremacist beliefs do not make your nation right! You expect me to believe that this war has been anything more than a matter of greed for you?!"

"If it is a matter of greed, we have not done a very good job of it. We have gained much, particularly when it comes to territory, but we have lost so much more. It's been a hundred years of war, Princess. On and off, for sure, but a hundred years of preparing for or waging it regardless. The amount of time, resources, and sheer human lives we have poured into this conflict at this point have far outstripped the value of the colonies and territory we've gained. If greed were truly our only goal, we would have ended the hostilities decades ago: when the amount that we had lost was still less than what we had gained."

The snow-haired girl across from him crossed her arms. "I hope you are not sincerely expected me to perceive this war of aggression as some sort of noble sacrifice on the part of your people."

"I do not. We are the enemy. We've killed people you love. Damaged the home you've grown up in. I know you will not see us as anything other than monsters anytime soon. My point was only that some undesirable actions can be justified if the outcome is worth it: that you may consider the lives of your people a valuable enough reason to submit to your foes. Foes who are, currently, only interested in trying to maintain a military presence here with as little hassle as possible."

 Xisheng could see Yue grit her teeth as she contemplated this notion. Her father had died to resist these invaders. Would she not dishonor his legacy by submitting to them without a fight? And yet, the reason her father had fought them was to protect the lives of his people... was that more important than pride?

Ultimately, the young woman turned leader heaved a heavy sigh. "Know that it leaves a bitter taste in my mouth, but... I will implore my countrymen to think of their lives and their families. But make no mistake: we are not accepting your rule. The tides will endure far longer than the flames of your nation's ambition. We are not surrendering: merely turning our resistance from direct aggression to outlasting your occupation."

Doing his best to keep a pleased smile from his face, Xisheng returned the helmet he had removed earlier back to his head.

"Whether it is gladly or reluctant, I cannot complain. This decision will spare the lives of your people, who never asked to be in this situation, as well as many of my own, who are only here because the ones who rule their livelihoods commanded it of them. I am satisfied with that alone."

"Then I implore you to leave me. I... have much to think about."

Though he was under no obligation to do so, Xisheng offered a short bow of respect to Yue. It was the least he could to, since she had chosen to be reasonable. With his diplomatic mission complete, Xisheng turned on his heel and headed for the door, though not without one more comment.

"I hope that we'll both live to see the better future all of this sacrifice has been building towards, Princess."

Not following his rhetoric but obviously not caring for it in the first place, Yue's tiredly glowered at Xisheng's back as he left. "I will live long enough to see the retribution your nation has rightly earned. Be certain of that."

The young soldier said nothing to that as he exited the Princess' chambers. Xisheng nodded to the two guards that stood outside before walking away from it and down the icy steps that would lead him into the city proper. Chikaraishi had said that he was free to relax until midday, but he was unsure of where he should go or what he should do. He supposed he could have returned back to the barracks early just to get new orders, but honestly, Xisheng felt that he deserved a bit of a break. He had just completed an objective far beyond the purview of any ordinary soldier, after all.

With that in mind, Xisheng ventured out into the awful temperatures of the North Pole, wondering why anyone would choose to live there willingly. Then again, with the Avatar ensuring that trespassing on the lands of others was nearly impossible, perhaps the Water Tribes had never really had anywhere to go. Then again, maybe they were well and truly happy here.

Either way, should the Fire Nation emerge victorious, the notion of people being forced to remain in their ancestral homeland under threat of godly retribution would be no more. Perhaps then, some people from the Northern Water Tribe could be enlightened to the joys of living somewhere with a better climate. There was still plenty of water away from these frigid ice caps.

Still, as he slowly walked along the ice bridges and walkways of the North Pole, Xisheng couldn't help but dwell on Yue's words to him. She was right on all accounts in saying the Fire Nation was solely responsible for initiating this war. Frankly speaking, every single person that had died fighting this conflict was on them, as was any of the suffering caused by wartime strife. He couldn't help but ponder the answer to the very moral conundrum he had used to persuade Yue. Could you justify evil if the outcome morally outweighed it?

On one hand, the logical choice was yes. If you had to murder one person to save three, then you did something wrong to achieve something right, and that should have been acceptable. But intrinsically, the question was much more complex. Morally, evil was evil regardless of why it was carried out. The murder of one to save many would still be considered immoral. That said, how could anyone be sure of the righteousness of the Fire Nation's cause? Whether it was intentional or not, they had wiped out an entire race, and claimed the lives of tens of thousands besides.

Ultimately, this cost could change the course of the world, and both save and improve the lives of millions in the future. But did that make it right? Was there a certain point in which the wrong committed would make the better future not worth it?

And of course, there was always the possibility that said better future wouldn't happen anyway. Xisheng wasn't completely naive: he knew that some grand mission to change the world for the betterment of all humanity was not the driving motivator for most people in the Fire Nation. Xisheng didn't believe that was their goal, merely that the outcome of this war would lead to such a thing by default.

The world had been held back too long by the Avatar and the reverence for spirits. Humanity needed to look to itself for the future. There was a world of enlightenment in the future if humanity could just break the chains that had bound them for so long.

This was Xisheng's conviction. He knew that many evils had been committed, and would continue to be. He knew that the people who were wronged would never care for this hypothetical future. But it was why he, personally, chose to fight. Maybe it would take the Fire Nation's conquest to set the wheels in motion, but he was certain that, one day, the things that transpired now would become the stepping stone humanity needed to unleash the potential that had always been kept from them.

And yet, despite having this conviction, Xisheng was certain that his discussion with Yue would haunt his dreams tonight.

---

A mere day later, Princess Yue stood before her assembled people to give the speech that Xisheng had convinced her to be necessary. She stood atop a balcony several stories above a large courtyard that held the assembled inhabitants of the city. Several Fire Nation troops, Xisheng among them, were around the area as well, just to make sure nothing got out of hand. By now, Yue had already addressed her countrymen, and was beginning her speech.

"My countrymen, it is with a heavy heart that I must address you today under the flag of a nation not our own. It has been two weeks since our fathers and brothers gave their lives to defend our home. And in that time, many of you have taken up arms to fight further still. Those who have fought have been brave and fearless. I commend you for that."

Honestly, it was a bit odd to have a speech like this one condoned while under the occupation of a hostile force, but Xisheng had told Chikaraishi that Yue had agreed to a cease in hostilities, and Chikaraishi had told that to Admiral Zhao. That was the only reason they were even allowing her to say things such as this. Still, if she didn't get to the 'stop fighting the Fire Nation' part soon, there would likely be a problem.

"Indeed, you have been brave. That is why I must ask you all... to have the courage to lay down your arms."

A sweeping murmur of confusion and uncertainty rippled through the crown of Water Tribe citizens that had been assembled here. Surely, they had misheard, right? And yet, Yue reaffirmed her sentiment soon enough.

"I understand your desire to fight for the dignity of your home and your people. I am not suggesting that we simply give up and accept this as our future. But as much as it pains me to admit it... war will not bring us the freedom we desire. It will only bring further suffering upon those who yet live. We can continue to stand proud, but we must do so without conflict. Those of you that continue to fight, please consider the lives of your families and friends. As things stand now, more fighting will only-"

At this point, a large portion of the crowd was getting into a frenzy. The outraged voices of many attempted to be heard over all of the others, but more importantly, it was possible that a riot was on the horizon. For the moment though, the majority of the anger was focused on the Princess, and not on the surrounding Fire Nation troops.

"Are you suggesting we just roll over and let them trample on our home?!"

"The real Chieftain would have never said such a thing!"

"You're just a coward! You'd rather surrender to the Ashmakers than fight to the death!"

Xisheng, some distance away from the enraged crowd, shook his head as he witnessed it all. It was difficult to imagine an outcry such as this in the Fire Nation. The people wouldn't dare speak so brazenly to the Fire Lord, even if they were displeased with his decree. Was it respect or fear that created that reality? Probably a little bit of both. Xisheng couldn't honestly say it was a good thing. But then again, maybe it was preferable that your people wouldn't be incited to riot so easily.

As for this situation, many of the people around were starting to move against the perimeter of Fire Nation soldiers. And while Xisheng wasn't actually a part of that perimeter, he was certainly close enough to have some sort of obligation in containing the threat.

However, before Xisheng could take a step towards the commotion, a hand was placed on his shoulder. Turning to face the person that clearly wanted his attention, Xisheng came face to face with Captain Chikaraishi. Considering that he looked no different from any of the other soldiers here with a helmet on, Xisheng wondered how the Captain could have possibly known it was him, but perhaps by now the man recognized his stance, or simply the way he carried himself.

"Xisheng?"

"Captain. How can I assist you, sir?"

Apparently affirming that he did indeed have the right soldier, Chikaraishi withdrew a rolled letter from a pouch at his waist, adorned with a black ribbon that denoted a priority message. "You've got new orders, Corporal. By decree of the Fire Lord himself."

Xisheng did a double-take upon hearing that. Such a thing was not what any common soldier ever expected to hear.

"Captain, surely that's an exaggeration."

"I don't blame you for thinking so. I hardly believed it either: the Fire Lord himself read my written report on the invasion! Apparently, he took a special interest in a perspective that witnessed General Iroh's betrayal... untainted by a certain Admiral's penchant for making himself look good. At least, that was what the messenger told me."

"I suppose there's some merit to that... but what does that have to do with me, Captain?"

Chikaraishi handed the scroll to Xisheng. "As I said, I tried to report what happened as objectively as possible. That included your impressive fight with that traitor. And what I heard from your guard partner about your tactical inputs to Admiral Zhao during the assault."

Xisheng raised an eyebrow. "How did you even know who to talk to for that?"

The Captain chuckled. "She was extolling your virtues in the barracks a few days ago. Well, more like regaling the common soldiers with a tale of 'the most insane and cheeky bastard she'd ever served with', but I digress. Just read the letter, Corporal."

Still a little doubtful, Xisheng took the message and unrolled it so he could read it for himself. The beginning of the message was addressed primarily to the Captain, acknowledging that the report had been thoroughly analyzed and taken into consideration. The second part pertained entirely to Xisheng himself.

For his bravery and dedication to the Fire Nation, Fire Lord Ozai commends Corporal Xisheng. For his role in thwarting a catastrophe and reducing the casualties incurred by the Fire Nation Navy through tactical appraisal and counsel, Corporal Xisheng is hereby promoted to Lieutenant. For his exceptional combat prowess, Lieutenant Xisheng is ordered to return to the capital immediately for induction into the Royal Guards. 

Simple as that, the message had nothing more to say, at least in regards to Xisheng. Obviously, it had not been written by the Fire Lord's own hand, but the commendation certainly came from him. No one spoke for the Fire Lord, so no one would ever presume to voice his thoughts for him. That meant that the Fire Lord had indeed read the report submitted by Captain Chikaraishi, and he was truly impressed with Xisheng's role in it all. Or at the very least, he felt that Xisheng's actions were worthy of acknowledgment. The soldier in question couldn't help but feel a massive surge of pride in knowing that, even if he was still some faceless soldier to his nation's leader, he had earned some modicum of respect from him.

Still, all of this news at once was quite shocking. "I didn't even know you could jump from enlisted to officer like that..."

Captain Chikaraishi gave him a hearty pat on the back. "Field promotions are always sudden, soldier. And often extreme. Besides, based on your role in the battle as an individual warrior and a tactician, not to mention your diplomatic success with the Princess, your talent is wasted as a mere Corporal. You've got the makings of a great officer, Lieutenant Xisheng."

"Thank you for saying that, sir. But although I'm honored to have received such a drastic promotion, it doesn't sound like I have a choice in this Royal Guard business..."

This earned another chuckle out of the older man that was still a superior officer by one rank. "Certainly not, but look at it this way; there's no way the Fire Lord would pull you from the field just to stand guard at home after proving how useful you are out here. The Royal Guards must be seeing some serious action soon."

"Do you think-?"

Xisheng's query was cut off by the cacophony of a scuffle erupting behind him. For a moment he had completely forgotten about the potential riot that had been brewing.

Turning on his heel, Xisheng witnessed several Fire Nation soldiers attempting to hold back dozens of angry Water Tribesmen. No one was bending yet, but it seemed likely that the situation was going to escalate from bad to worse.

Xisheng was about to join the fray purely on instinct, but Chikaraishi stopped him a second time. "Hold up Lieutenant. You have a ship back to the capital to catch."

"Right now? Sir, there's about to be a full-blown riot!"

"That's true. But the Fire Lord's orders are to be carried out the moment they are received. We've got more than enough men here to keep things under control. You head back to the shoreline and get going. It's a long trip back as it is."

While Xisheng was incredibly reluctant to leave with an impending fight coming on, he figured that Chikaraishi had a point. It wasn't like the Army would collapse without him there. "If you say so, Captain..."

Still watching the brawl going on in the courtyard, Xisheng began to walk away from the scene, barely hearing the words of the Captain one last time. "Good luck, Lieutenant. I hope the next time we meet, it's at the victory parade."

Finally turning to face the ocean instead of the city, Xisheng mumbled to himself in the mild shock that was coming on due to his rapidly shifting reality.

"You and me both, sir..."