Chapter 9: Mercy Forsaken

Having taken rather spartan courses in basic training in regards to operating vehicles, Xisheng had only needed a few minutes to figure out the gist of controlling the steel beast he now commanded. Truth be told it wasn't an overly complex machine. The engine that powered the vehicle pushed it forward with coal, and all Xisheng had to do was steer really.

Other than that it was just a matter of getting a feel for handling the essential train-tank hybrid. It had great acceleration in a straight line, but it definitely didn't turn all that well. It made navigating the passages of Omashu rather interesting. Xisheng did accidentally nick the corner of a storage building at one point, gouging it pretty seriously, but it wasn't really his fault. The view port on this thing was pretty narrow.

Either way Azula had informed him not to take the Overlord straight out of the city, but instead to its stables, which were near the gates anyway. Upon reaching that particular location, Xisheng was met with the somewhat troublesome prospect of lining up the Overlord with another car that had to be added to the back of the already present one. Xisheng didn't actually know what was in that first car, but he imagined that it was probably some sort of living quarters for the ladies. They would probably be on the road in this vehicle for quite some time after all. That said, Xisheng was fairly certain that he would be calling the driver's cabin home for longer than he would have liked. While the cabin was technically spacious, it was crowded with so many controls and machines that it was still cramped. The only place there would really be to sleep was the driver's chair itself.

Then again, he could always sleep outside whenever they stopped if it was possible. He was no stranger to outdoor living and sleeping under the stars while deployed in the Earth Kingdom. Granted, he usually had a sleeping bag and a tent, but it was mostly still the same.

Either way, Xisheng at least discovered what the car they were adding now was for, as three reptilian creatures were ushered into it as soon as it was attached. He vaguely recognized them as some sort of native Fire Nation creature, but the name of the species eluded him. They were versatile mounts and distant cousins of dragons, or something like that. Other than that Xisheng didn't know anything about them. Basic training had only included general knowledge on Komodo Rhinos, since they were the most commonly used beast of burden and war in the military.

Once the scaly steeds were secured, Azula gathered her quintessential cronies to discuss where they were actually going. After all, none of them knew precisely where the Avatar had headed, so an impromptu meeting was in order, with all of them gathering outside of the driver's cabin.

"So, here's the dilemma. We have no idea where the Avatar is going, and all we can do is reasonably deduce his most likely destination in order to pursue. The good news is he has limited places to run to considering how much of the Earth Kingdom is under our control. Admittedly I have a fairly good idea where he'll probably go next, but thoughts from all of you first."

Ty Lee was the first to speak. "Well, isn't Ba Sing Se the most obvious choice? It's the safest place in the EK. And if he is looking for an Earthbending teacher there's gotta be plenty of them there."

Xisheng admitted this was not bad thinking, but Ba Sing Se was pretty far away. Even flying it would take the Avatar quite some time to reach it. Apparently Mai knew this as well.

"Gaoling is closer. And the way I heard it Gaoling is considered one of the best places to learn advanced Earthbending. Supposed to be all sorts of schools there."

These were both fair points, and Xisheng figured Azula would make a decision without his input, but this turned out to be untrue when she waited for his insight with a nonchalant expression. As though there were no question as to whether or not he was supposed to say something.

Xisheng was still caught off guard by the notion. "Ah, surely I don't have anything worthwhile to add Princess…"

"I beg to differ. You have the most unique perspective out of all of us, being a soldier and a commoner. No offense."

Xisheng decided not to take any offense at the remark, seeing as how it was true. He was surrounded by nobles and he was just an average man from an average family.

"Well… from the few encounters we've had with him, it seems to me that the Avatar is rather impulsive, and not very patient. If his primary objective right now is find an Earthbending teacher, it seems likely that he would try to achieve it as soon as possible. That being the case I think he would head for Gaoling before Ba Sing Se."

Worried that his deductions seemed foolish, Xisheng was relieved to see Azula give one of those approving smirks. "My thoughts exactly Lieutenant. The Airbenders were notorious for being impulsive and rarely thinking more than a few steps ahead."

She was briefly interrupted by a sardonic comment from Mai. "Sounds like someone we all know…"

There was a brief moment in which Ty Lee glanced around their little group, likely trying to determine who Mai was talking about. Naturally she frowned when she figured it out. "Hey, I think some stuff through. Sometimes."

Truth be told Xisheng did think the acrobat had an uncanny number of Air Nomad qualities. She certainly had their agility, and the jab at her impulsiveness was not misplaced. She even had some of their physical features. That said, Xisheng knew it was stupid to identify everyone with brown eyes and an impulsive personality as being reminiscent of Airbenders. After all, eighty percent of the world had black hair and they weren't similar in any way.

Ignoring the brief exchange, Azula continued on with her point. "Either way, I think it's fairly safe to assume that the Avatar is heading for Gaoling. That'll be our destination for now."

Mai felt the need to point out something important here. "It might be the most likely assumption but it's still just a guess. Like you said, the Avatar seems pretty cowardly, what if he goes to Ba Sing Se because it's safer? We could be heading off in the complete opposite direction he's going."

"You make a fair point, but either way we still have no guarantee of making the right choice. That said, I'm willing to make another assumption; the Avatar likely feels safe the moment he's flying away from danger on his ridiculous flying buffalo. I doubt he thinks of the best way to stay safe in the long run, feeling as though he has an easy means of escape at any point in time. I still believe our safest bet is Gaoling."

Having only wanted to bring up the point and not debate it, Mai merely shrugged, deferring to what Xisheng had to say. "I agree with you Princess. I know I would feel safe being able to soar far from any dangers. That said, I think we should make neutralizing that animal a primary objective when we encounter the Avatar again."

Ty Lee was on him in a flash. "Gohan, how could you say something that horrible?!"

The soldier turned officer briefly noted that this was the first time he had seen Ty Lee genuinely upset about anything. Which confused him because he had no idea why she would be upset at what he had said.

"W-what do you mean…?"

"There's no need to hurt the bison! It's not like it got a choice in whose side to be on!"

Xisheng prepared to make some sort of statement about how he had simply been making a tactical assessment, but Azula had it covered before he did, albeit in a less gentle manner.

"Don't be an imbecile Ty Lee. The Lieutenant's right. As long as the flying pack animal is around the Avatar could potentially escape our clutches every single time we corner him. Besides, the filthy animal is just a remnant of a backwards bygone civilization. Who cares if it joins the rest of them in extinction?"

For some reason Xisheng was surprised to hear the Princess speak so maliciously. Honestly he had almost forgotten that aspect of her character, since it was generally absent from most of their day to day interactions. Xisheng had to remind himself that she could be cruel; and that she often was to the people and things that were of no interest to her, though he didn't necessarily judge her for this. Was not everyone apathetic to the things they did not care for? Azula just had a wider range of negligible concerns compared to the rest of them: save Mai, of course.

Speaking of the marksman, Ty Lee turned to her for support, for some reason Xisheng couldn't fathom. "Mai, say something! You don't support animal cruelty right?"

Mai seemed as confused as Xisheng that Ty Lee was looking to her for backup. "What are you looking at me for? I don't care what we do to the stupid flying steak."

While he had been the one to make this suggestion in the first place, Xisheng saw that Ty Lee was truly upset by the notion. While there was no way to be sure, he figured that maybe it had something to do with her tenure in the circus. Perhaps she had a greater appreciation for animals than the rest of them. Either way, seeing as how she often tried to provide assurance of some sort for Xisheng, he felt morally and emotionally obligated to try and comfort her.

"I-I wasn't suggesting we kill the Sky Bison, Ty Lee, just that we should neutralize its usefulness somehow…"

The acrobat was halfway to giving him a grateful smile before Azula cut in. "Speak for yourself, I was suggesting we kill the Sky Bison. Or rather, I'm suggesting it now."

Naturally it was almost impossible to tell when Azula was joking, so Ty Lee simply scowled at her for the remark either way. It was unfortunate for her that her physical appearance didn't support scowls, frowns, or general displeasure as well as Mai's.

Having decided their course and sufficiently dampened the mood of the most cheerful of their number, the cadre of Fire Nation natives boarded the Overlord a second time, though they would not disembark again until they had covered some distance or someone had the courage to inform the male driver that one of the ladies needed a bathroom break, though how they would make that known to him with no means of communicating between the engine and the passenger car was a good question.

Unfortunately for Xisheng, the addition of another car with numerous heavy animals in it made the Overlord even more unwieldy, and steering it through the sloping streets of Omashu was a real pain. He was fairly certain that the rear car knocked over a cabbage stand or something at one point, but he cut himself some slack because he had been driving this vehicle for less than forty minutes tops.

But despite his amateur skill in the craft, Xisheng managed to get out of Omashu without too much trouble, clearing the newly erected steel gates to the city and crossing the land bridge that he had no doubt would be replaced by steel later. After all, it wouldn't do to have the only conventional entrance into the city be something Earthbenders could easily destroy.

Crossing said bridge briefly reminded Xisheng that a machine had been expressly built for the siege of Omashu. A literal mobile bridge that could be deployed on one side of the chasm and extended to the city walls for the attacking troops, since the regular earthen bridge would obviously have been removed by the defenders prior to the assault.

Naturally it had not been used because King Bumi had surrendered the city without a fight, which left Xisheng rather disappointed. He was always eager to learn of the efficiencies of new Fire Nation technologies. If anything it proved their point in having advanced far beyond their counterparts. Still, he supposed it was better that it had not been needed.

Having been provided a map and following rather straightforward directions to Gaoling in the first place, Xisheng didn't have much trouble setting the Overlord in the right direction, and thankfully they didn't have any mountains or hills to really deal with just yet. While he was curious to see how well this vehicle functioned on such terrain, he preferred to leave it a mystery as much as possible.

And since the driving was so easy, it gave him time to do what he did best: think. Or more accurately, ponder his life choices. Xisheng did that a lot, seeing as how he had often been given plenty of downtime in his career in which there was nothing else to do. Perhaps that was why his conviction in their cause was so strong, because he had always had plenty of time to dwell on it.

That was not to say he was blindly loyal to the cause of course, even if he was totally committed. He did not question the end goal of the war, but he often questioned how they got there. After all, the genocide of an entire race was a heavy sin to bear, and one that no amount of good intention could ever redeem.

But Xisheng had long ago accepted that evil for what it was. It could not be atoned for. All that could be done was ensure that their extinction was not in vain. If the Fire Nation failed to achieve victory in this century long conflict, the Air Nomads would have died for absolutely nothing.

Of course, Xisheng felt as though that logic wouldn't fly very well with the rest of the world. 'Surrender and let us win so the people we killed won't have died for nothing.'

Yeah, he didn't see that approach to the war working anytime soon. Thankfully though, they were in the final stretch. With only Ba Sing Se and a few major yet ultimately unimportant cities like Gaoling still standing, the EK's days were numbered. That said, saying 'Ba Sing Se is all we have left to conquer' was equivalent to saying there was still a whole country to fight, as the city almost had just as much total area to it as the Fire Nation in its entirety.

Even so, with Sozin's Comet soaring through the atmosphere in less than a year, the war was practically won already. The Fire Nation didn't have to really make another offensive. They could just hunker down, gather their forces, and unleash everything on Ba Sing Se when the Comet came. The Earth Kingdom had no hope of really winning at this point.

Or at least, they wouldn't if it weren't for that pesky supernatural bender of all four elements that had the gall to try and determine the course of humanity for them. Xisheng doubted that was how the Avatar truly thought; he was but a twelve year old boy after all, and probably didn't think of his situation beyond what everyone told him it was, which was undoubtedly 'saving the world from Fire Nation tyranny.'

Of course his companions were just children as well, so Xisheng could understand their naiveté. Everybody thought their enemies were 'the evil bad guys.' Who looked at their foes and thought of them as people with their own convictions and beliefs in right and wrong? Hell, who even looked at their foes and thought them human like everyone else?

Not children certainly. It was easy to vilify those that wronged you as a child, justly or not. It was even easier when your side also happened to be losing. After all, everyone liked to think themselves the victim when on the receiving end of a beat down. The Fire Nation had been gradually stomping the EK into the ground for the past one hundred years. Being on the losing team for that long made it laughably easy to vilify the winning team.

Xisheng didn't really care too much about that. He knew there was no way to convince the world they weren't evil until the war itself was over. They would be hated until their good intentions were made clear, provided the Fire Lord actually followed through with all of it. Based on what he had seen so far Xisheng was fairly certain that the Fire Lord was interested in their manifesto to some extent, though perhaps he was more in line with Azula. Maybe he was just improving conditions in the conquered EK cities because they were now Fire Nation cities, and their problems became the Fire Nation's one way or another.

He supposed it didn't matter why change was implemented so long as it was. Practical or philosophical reasons notwithstanding, as long as it happened that was good enough.

Really, the world didn't appreciate just how much effort the Fire Nation was putting into this revolution. Did they have any idea how many lives and resources they were pouring into this effort? Did they know how much money and materials could have been used for something else if the FN didn't need them for complex and costly prisons for captured benders?

And surely no one with half a brain really thought the ultimate goal of the war was world conquest. There simply had not been enough gain as opposed to cost in the past one hundred years. If the point of the war was material gain in territory or power, then going this far had done more harm than good. The only explanation was that the Fire Nation had some goal in mind that was not purely for self-gain.

Not that anyone would believe that, and not that Xisheng would blame them. They'd killed a great many people, and for a future they would never get the chance to see.

This ultimately led Xisheng back to the ultimate question: was it worth it? Was the extinction of an entire race and tens of thousands more besides worth a brighter future for all of humanity? A future free of the restraints of the Spirit World, which had kept them in darkness for thousands of years, maybe even since the dawn of time?

Xisheng figured that ultimately only the future could condone or condemn their actions. One day when the events of the past hundred years could be viewed in retrospect, society would determine if what had occurred was just or evil. Until that day the people that lived this event could only carry forward with trust in their own cause.

Weary of dwelling on such things even for a brief time, Xisheng turned his thoughts to far more tasteful subjects. He was traveling with an entire trio of beautiful girls after all. Any man his age would think himself lucky to be in such a situation, even if it was an entirely 'look and don't touch' kind. Fantasies aside, Xisheng knew his place in their merry little band. They were all nobles and beyond in Azula's case, and he was just a soldier. Just a faceless grunt in a mask.

He was on this mission because he had practical uses, not for sentimentality. Azula hadn't brought him along because she valued him in any other way than his ability to fight and his ability to drive the Overlord. As for the others, Mai couldn't care any less about his existence and Ty Lee probably valued him for the amusement he provided more than anything else. He doubted he would be too sorely missed had he not been here at all or was removed from the situation one way or another later.

With all of that taken into account, Xisheng didn't view his stance as a matter of self-esteem. It was just facing the facts. He knew he had no chance in forming a real relationship with anyone in his current group, primarily due to social even if that wasn't the case, he was fairly positive they were all astronomically out of his league regardless. Girls that gorgeous were far outside his aesthetic means in life. He certainly didn't think himself good looking enough to catch their interest, at least in any serious light considering Ty Lee, and he doubted his personality was anything great enough to be worthy of such affections either.

Granted, that might have been low self-esteem. Either way, the reality of the situation, perceived or not, didn't stop Xisheng from daydreaming about impossible fantasies from time to time. After all, how could he not? He was more or less a grown man at this point and a young one besides, no one could reasonably expect him to not dwell on some scandalous things every once in a while considering his company.

Of course, it was not like that was his only interest in the girls of the group. He was hardly that shallow. And moreover, they were all far too interesting people for him to simply care about their undeniable good looks.

Though, truth be told, his greatest interest was in Mai. Not that he thought any higher of her than the others, but unlike Ty Lee and Azula, she was a mystery at the moment. Xisheng knew almost nothing about her other than her relation to Omashu's new governor, her childhood friendship with Azula, and her incredible proficiency with projectiles.

That lack of information about her made for an enigma Xisheng was eager to solve. He loved figuring people out. And not in the 'learn their weaknesses so I can pick them apart' kind of way he was sure Azula preferred. Xisheng was a people person at heart. He liked knowing the people around him. The things that made them who they were. After all, how could you truly appreciate someone if you didn't truly know them in the first place?

The process was made even more intriguing with people like Mai, who seemed to care about nothing or hardly even be human at times, but only because they were so good at hiding the things that made them smile or laugh. Hell, even Mai's closest friends seemed to truly think of her as some impenetrable fortress of gloom and misery.

Xisheng for one could not understand that belief. Could you really call yourself someone's friend if you didn't even know them well enough to differentiate a facade from their true character? Then again, maybe Xisheng was, not for the first time, being too idealistic. Maybe Mai was completely without warmth or passion of any sort. He found that hard to believe with her being a Fire Nation native and all, but hw wasn't sure if that whole 'will of fire, burning passion and drive' thing talked about in school was only an alleged quality of Firebenders.

Either way, Mai was more of a mystery than her two friends at the moment, and truth be told he had already figured out Azula and Ty Lee for the most part. That was not to say that they were simple or he knew everything there was to know about them, but identifying the things that drove them forward in life was no great challenge even this early in his limited familiarity with them.

Azula seemed like an ambitious person that wanted the whole world but in fact wanted very little. She wanted perfection from herself and competence from everyone that served or aided her. Whether for nationalistic pride or simply pleasing her father, she wanted to help the Fire Nation succeed and advance their power and position. Surely there were other things that motivated her in life, but those two were clearly the most influential. Improvement of herself and advancement of her nation.

As for Ty Lee, she was an outright hedonist. Not in the bad sense, where she cared nothing for anyone and simply sought to fulfill her own desires, but in the sense that she just wanted to enjoy life to the fullest. And she wanted the people around her to enjoy it too. It was at the core of everything she did. Why she was always so happy and excited and why she tried to get everyone else to be the same, which made her a real trooper for constantly trying to breach Mai's impervious defenses.

And Mai, well, Xisheng didn't know enough to fairly say anything about her. She had stated that finding a cure for boredom was enough reason to embark on this mission, and Xisheng got the feeling that was not a lie, though not the whole truth either. Maybe she wasn't looking for a cure for her boredom so much as a cure for her apathy. It was possible that the reason she was so bored all the time was not because she had nothing to do, but because she had not found anything to care about.

That notion made Xisheng incredibly sad. He could not imagine living life without some sort of passion for something. Anything. What was there to live for without something to love? Something to love doing, someone to love being around, somewhere to love being?

What did soldiers live for but a love of their country or their families? Artists, dancers, and musicians but for their craft? Scientists but for their love of learning, and doctors for their love of helping others? Xisheng couldn't fathom having no passion for anything. It was entirely beyond his ability to comprehend.

But to be fair, this was pure conjecture on his part. He had literally known Mai for less than twenty four hours and he hardly had any right to make assumptions on her character, and he certainly had no evidence to support those assumptions either way. He just found it hard to believe she could be as cold and uncaring as her friends claimed her to be.

After all, there was that mention of the wayward prince Zuko in the conversation yesterday. It had sounded like she at least cared about him in some regard, from the observation of an outsider that knew nothing of the matter at least.

Xisheng entertained himself with these thoughts as the hours of the day dwindled away under the ceaseless toil of the Overlord's engine. And during this time, Xisheng learned quite a bit about the machine. The first was that it wasn't really designed to be driven by one person, especially considering the two chairs that existed up here. After all, someone had to make sure the engine constantly had enough fuel to burn. Considering that Xisheng was the only person available to drive, he had to do that himself. Which meant leaving the driver's seat and going to the rear of his particular car to do that.

Thankfully if he was smart about it the issue didn't pose a huge problem. As long as he left the driver seat when the Overlord was passing through a long straight or something, he generally had time to refill the engine before he was needed to control the machine again.

Speaking of which, he was mildly concerned about fuel. The Overlord did have a considerable coal reserve already stocked, and though the consumption rate of that coal wasn't too alarmingly high, it was still a limited resource. It was easy to stock at Fire Nation camps and facilities since coal powered so many of their machines, but elsewhere it wouldn't be so readily available. Still, he was sure this was a detail Azula had figured out already.

The second thing he learned about the Overlord on his first day on the job was that the seat was not especially comfortable over the course of several hours. The Fire Nation was great at designing things for a practical purpose. They hadn't yet mastered the fine balance between practicality and personal comfort. The only padding in Fire Nation development existed in the armor of their soldiers, and that was actually because it provided more insulation than anything else. More safety against both wayward Firebending and the cold of icy Waterbending attacks, with comfort just being a nice bonus.

Either way, about the time he had been driving for six hours or so (he noted for future days of travel that he would need to bring some sort of food into the driver's cabin with him), Xisheng was met with another more serious problem: Azula had not told him when or where to stop for the day. Or if he was supposed to stop at all.

He imagined that he was, as reaching Gaoling was more than a quick jaunt across the countryside and would take several days, but considering how early they had left Omashu it was only late afternoon by now. There was still enough light to travel safely at top speed, and Azula was a real stickler for efficiency.

Still, having been locked up in the driver's cabin for so long, Xisheng knew he needed a break anyway. For one it was undeniably boring as hell driving around such open and easily passable terrain in this thing for so long, and on a more basic note he kind of needed to relieve himself. He was only human after all.

That being the case he allowed the Overlord to consume what coal was in its engine before gradually slowing to a halt in a relatively flat plain of land that nevertheless had a few hills here and there to grant some minor variety. The mountains they would have to cross eventually loomed on the horizon, but aside from the setting orange sun behind them they were too far to really appreciate in a visual capacity.

Regardless, Xisheng wasted no time in exiting the driver's cabin, just in case Azula wore into him for wasting valuable time in their pursuit of the Avatar and daring to stop for anything so banal as basic human necessity.

He didn't get to actually relieve that human necessity before the car that housed his companions opened, with significantly more steam than seemed necessary. Xisheng supposed it was the result of imperfect hydraulics. The Fire Nation may have been the world leader in technology but even so they were technically still amateur practitioners only beginning to really hit their mechanical stride.

He also imagined that exiting from such a cloud of steam could make any entrance dramatic, but a coughing fit from what could have only been Ty Lee ruined it. After all, it couldn't have been Mai or Azula. Coughing was a sign of human weakness, and they both liked to pretend they didn't have that.

Either way the Crown Princess stepped through the cloud of steam just as it began to dissipate, glancing around for only a moment to see where Xisheng was. When she spotted him there was no hesitation before she asked the obvious question.

"Is there an issue Lieutenant? Why have we stopped?"

Unwilling to say anything along the lines of 'I had to go to the bathroom' to the Princess of the Fire Nation, Xisheng quickly devised an excuse that was, humorously enough, the exact same excuse but for a different subject.

"There's no issue Your Highness, but I figured it would be prudent to allow the animals we're carrying a few minutes of reprieve and relief. They've been confined for some time."

From inside the car that Xisheng couldn't see inside of from this angle, he heard Ty Lee's seemingly triumphant voice.

"See, I told you! Gohan's a nice guy, he was even thinking of the animals! I knew he would."

Naturally, she was answered by the entirely deadpan voice of the car's only other occupant at the moment. "And I told you, probably six times by now at least, that I really don't care for anyone's love of the animal kingdom, or my lack thereof. Please shove it already."

Not put off in any way, Ty Lee had a suggestion for that too. "Hmph. I told Azula all those years ago that if we had gotten that baby Deerhound for your eighth birthday you would grow up to be a happier person…"

"Remind me to thank her for not burdening me with an animal that needs even more attention than you do."

Azula ignored their exchange entirely, instead providing a reply to her direct subordinate. "I suppose you make a fair point. It would be far more hassle than it's worth if they were to… well, obviously you know or you wouldn't have brought it up. Ty Lee?"

Essentially summoned, the acrobat front flipped out of the passenger car, because she could and why not? "Leave it to me! I've got plenty of experience with Mongoose Lizards, so I don't mind."

The Crown Princess considered stating that she didn't really ask whether or not her friend minded, but ultimately she settled on a more pressing question.

"What does a circus need with Mongoose Lizards?"

Already pulling the switch on the outside of the third car to release said animals, Ty Lee gave her friend a look of confusion. "Huh? Who said anything about the circus?"

Needless to say this left everyone else baffled, but at the same time they all figured it was best not to dive any deeper into that particular issue. Instead, Xisheng decided it was a good time to ask the other more important question as Ty Lee coaxed the Mongoose Lizards into staying somewhat orderly and controlled in their mad dash from the car.

"While we're stopped Princess, I figured this would be a good time to ask; but when or where exactly do you want me to stop? You didn't really specify before we left Omashu…"

For her part, Azula looked at him with a completely serious expression. "Were you under the impression that you're supposed to stop before we reach Gaoling?"

As usual, Xisheng had no idea if she was serious. And the fact that she very well could have been was kind of terrifying. That said, Xisheng tried to say something that would make her reveal this statement as a joke.

"W-well, you and your friends will need to sleep sometime, correct…?"

The Princess donned that one smirk that always worried Xisheng as she motioned for him to look into the passenger car she had been riding for the past six hours. "Indeed, but I do believe that dilemma has already been solved."

Now curious, Xisheng moved to a position where he could see within the still open passenger car. Needless to say what came out of his mouth was not exactly professional.

"What the hell is this absolute nonsense?"

The passenger car may as well have been a small suite for all the difference the interior made. It had beds. It had rugs covering the cold steel floor. It had a small closet looking compartment in the corner that Xisheng was fairly certain was a bathroom. Aside from the walls that were still steel, it was way nicer than any passenger car pulled by a military vehicle should ever have.

The downright absurdity of the sight was ironically offset by Mai's lazily reclining form on one of the beds, as though nothing were strange about this at all.

"You have got to be kidding me. Where did this come from?!"

Azula looked into the car as well as she came to stand beside him. "I had it prepared overnight by servants at Omashu. You didn't really think the Princess of the Fire Nation was going to ride in any level of discomfort did you?"

Temporarily forgetting his position in who he was talking to, Xisheng gawked at her. "You had them install plumbing in a passenger car over night?"

"At the Governor's expense of course."

Xisheng didn't know what to say to that, but thankfully Azula filled in the silence. "That said, I don't expect you to drive all night…"

Before he could give thanks silent or otherwise, Mai had something to say to that. "Don't see why not though. It's not like we couldn't sleep just fine while you did."

A little irked by Mai's seeming disregard for his well-being, Xisheng snapped at her before he really thought about it. "Oh, I'm so sorry that you get impatient while lazing around in bed all day. Maybe you wouldn't be so bored if you drove the Overlord, milady."

Mai actually looked moderately surprised that Xisheng had spoken to her with such disdain, but she didn't actually seem mad about it. If anything, the look she gave him was almost… appreciative. In fact, she almost appeared to be actually considering his not to be taken seriously suggestion. Ultimately, she simply shrugged and returned to reclining as she was before Xisheng's criticism.

"Maybe."

Left flat footed after a response like that, Xisheng did feel immediately bad about what he had said, though he was more confused by her reaction than anything else. That said Azula gave one glance to the orange sky before making a statement.

"Well, now that we have that drama out of the way, I suppose this is as good a time as any to stop for the day. After all, it's better to train with some amount of sunlight still available…"

Xisheng's only response to that was a despairing grimace, which prompted Azula to almost smile in amusement.

"You seriously believed you were going to get out of it for a while, didn't you?"

"No, of course not. Not at all. I was looking forward to it actually. Please bless me with your eminent wisdom Princess."

Azula cocked an eyebrow at him, but Mai actually commented on it with some very small amount of amusement in her voice. "I understand getting all sarcastic with me, but was that really wise?"

"Well sarcasm seems to be a prevailing quality around here so I have to get in on it sometime. Otherwise I'll just end up like Ty Lee."

"Hey! What is that supposed to mean?!"

---

Thankfully the training session Xisheng had with Azula was a short one since they started so late in the afternoon. The whole thing was wrapped up in just under an hour, with the lesson being short and to the point in regards to concussive Firebending.

Xisheng was no stranger to the technique of course, having employed it several times on the battlefield. It was a phenomenal technique really, once one realized that fire had no physical force to it at all. And this brought Azula and Xisheng back to that one particular point about Firebending, in that what they were necessarily bending might not have been fire in and of itself.

Well, it was fire, but it was a matter of whether or not fire was just a manifestation of what they were really doing, which Azula had theorized to be 'energy bending.'

After all, if flame had no physical force of its own, how did Firebenders utilize concussion? It was something they all just kind of did without really thinking, using Firebending to knock people back or blast them away with an explosion, but it didn't make any sense in regards to what fire was and how it worked.

It did however, make some sense if Firebenders actually bent energy and just used fire as they primary manifestation of it. Because if that were true, Firebenders could manifest physical force with their bending, seeing as how force was just a reaction to energy.

All in all, Xisheng didn't know how the hell it worked. Ultimately he cared that it did, though the mechanics of it still intrigued him. For now he was content knowing that he could condense his Firebending so it would 'explode' with physical force on impact. Quite useful for numerous situations.

Naturally Azula had demonstrated how useful it was by shooting Xisheng with one such fireball, but thankfully at a low enough power to avoid truly hurting him. Mai had been right about her mild payback for snarking her.

But, all in all, that part of the day passed quickly enough, and Xisheng was free to supposedly relax for what was left of the evening, and hopefully eat. Aside from the quick breakfast he had grabbed in Omashu that morning, he had consumed nothing all day.

Thankfully, by the time training was over Ty Lee has gotten a fire going with wood she had mysteriously acquired from some source Xisheng couldn't discern. They were out in the middle of God-forsaken nowhere after all.

He chalked it up to Azula having thought ahead and bringing supplies or something, not questioning it any further as he came to rest at the fire as well. The Mongoose Lizards were more or less scattered about the immediate area, well-trained enough to avoid running off. That said it was just Xisheng and Ty Lee at the campfire, because Mai had yet to leave the passenger car (Xisheng was pretty sure she had fallen asleep in the position he had seen her last) and Azula was poring over the map of the Earth Kingdom they had as she leaned against the Overlord.

This left Xisheng in especially good company either way, made more obvious when the currently ex-circus performer handed him a bowl of whatever she had been cooking.

"Here. Guess what it is?"

A brief glance at the contents of the bowl proved Xisheng's suspicions true even as they formed in his mind. It was, of course, rice.

"Of course… I guess this is actually thoughtful, all things considered. Thank you."

Supposedly Ty Lee thought it was kind of funny, wearing an even goofier grin than usual as she provided him with a pair of chopsticks from somewhere unseen. The recently promoted officer decided to take it as her general sense of happiness and not any particular jibe at him.

Still, he noticed that there was only one bowl to be had, leading him to ask the obvious. "Aren't you going to eat any?"

The acrobat gave him a brief apologetic look before answering. "Well, no offense, but the rest of us kind of already ate, well, y'know, nicer things."

Recalling his last debacle with fancier foods, Xisheng was silently grateful to whichever girl had remembered his preference for food. Though he wouldn't have minded some other basic things. Bread maybe. He hadn't eaten a good, wholesome sweetroll in what felt like forever.

"No worries. Can't help what I can't stomach."

That remark left the duo in silence for a few minutes as Xisheng sought to actually sate his hunger, but he was not so foolish as to pass up this one on one opportunity with someone who was still a relative stranger. As soon as he wasn't feeling completely famished he got started on learning a bit more about the girl sitting a few feet from him.

"So, if you don't mind me asking…"

There was an extremely brief frown to be seen on Ty Lee's face when he said that. Mostly because every time someone said that to her, the question to follow was, 'why did you join the circus?' Or sometimes it was, 'why did you run away from a life of nobility to join a circus?' Even the people at the circus had asked her that and it irritated her. It just proved that everyone thought she was nuts for abandoning a life of posh nobility for any reason at all.

"What started your interest in acrobatics?"

Having literally been halfway through the first word of her typical response for the circus question, Ty Lee was caught off guard when it never came. "I-huh?"

"Your acrobatics. I was wondering when and why you got into them. If you don't mind sharing."

Truth be told this question had literally never been asked of her. People asked Ty Lee about her life choices all the time. No one ever asked about her for the sake of just knowing more about, well, her.

"Um, well… there's wasn't anything really special I guess. I mean, not like whatever epiphany Mai must have had the first day she caught on to how much she liked throwing things. I just… gave it a try one time. You know, a cartwheel. I was out in the palace garden, just waiting for that super long dinner my parents had been invited to with the rest of the nobility to be over. I can't even remember why they brought me along, but a lot of parents did so maybe it was expected or something…"

Ty Lee was worried that she was kind of rambling without getting to her point, but to his credit Xisheng didn't seem bothered at all. He was listening intently, giving her his full attention. And she liked that fact more than she'd admit to anyone out loud.

"And uh, none of the adults really cared when the kids got kind of antsy. We were all raised in noble homes so it wasn't like we didn't know how to behave. At least, I think no one really minded. It could be that no one noticed when I slipped away from the banquet table. But either way, I kind of just roamed the palace for a while, since it was my first time there. And I thought the garden was really nice, but by the time I got there I was really bored, and it felt like the dinner was going to take forever. So I just… kinda cartwheeled around a bit. Trying to pass the time. Entertain myself I guess."

Glancing furtively at her conversational partner to make sure he was still interested in this simple story she felt like she was dragging on far too long, Ty Lee was relieved to see he was. Though in hindsight his complete attention was kind of nerve wracking. He was looking at her so intently with that gorgeous multi-colored gaze of his…

"And w-well, uh… Azula was there. I mean, she saw me doing all the cartwheels. She clapped when I was done, said it was really impressive… and I guess… that was kind of it really. I mean, maybe it was just the logic of a little girl, but I figured… if the most basic acrobatics could get the attention of a Fire Nation princess, then doing all the really cool stuff would really get people to notice me right? I realized that everyone pays attention to me, even if it's only for a second, when I'm doing something acrobatic that impresses them. I always enjoyed that attention. And I guess I still do, so I just got better and better at what I do, until I got where I am now."

There was a moment of silence as Xisheng contemplated everything she had said. "I guess that explains joining the circus… what better place to capture everyone's attention than with a performance and a real audience?"

For some reason that comment made Ty Lee feel extremely self-conscious. "That… all of that makes me seem really shallow and vain doesn't it?"

The soldier looked genuinely confused by this notion. "I don't think so. There's nothing wrong with wanting to be noticed. I'm pretty sure almost everyone wants to be noticed by someone. Part of feeling good about ourselves is being important to other people, and that's just human. I'm just as guilty as you and I'm certainly not going to judge you for it."

That seemed to be all Xisheng had to say on the matter, and that seriously shocked Ty Lee. He didn't want a backstory? Some sort of explanation that would justify her need for attention or validation? He was just going to take it at face value and say, 'this is who you are, and I don't mind at all'?

But apparently she had 'spoken' too soon, for Xisheng did have something to say after a moment of thought. "Although now that you're away from the circus, I suppose there's no one to really watch you perform…"

"U-um, yeah, I guess so… but it's fine, I-"

"I'll watch."

Once again caught off guard by this completely nonchalant statement from the man across from her, Ty Lee fumbled in responding. This was a feat in and of itself, because she actually didn't get flustered all that often. Moreso than her friends, but definitely not as easily as most girls.

"Uh, w-what do you mean?"

"I'm sure you have all sorts of routines or just moves in general I haven't seen. I only got to see one performance. So if you ever have anything you want to show off, I'm always willing to make time for you. You've got my attention whenever you want it."

There were all sorts of implications Ty Lee could derive from almost every inch of that response, and all of them totaled together brought one of the most furious blushes she had ever experienced to her face. For once she actually found herself trying to change the topic of conversation to something that had nothing to do with her at all.

"T-t-thanks, b-but um, y-y'know, I'm sure you'll be busy doing uh… stuff, with the others. Right?"

It was impossible to tell if Xisheng noticed how badly he had flustered his conversational partner, as he gave her diversionary comment real consideration, though it ultimately caused him to scoff. "That's a joke right? I mean, I guess training with Azula could be take some time, but I'm fairly certain Mai doesn't want anything to do with me. I'm pretty sure she flat out hates me or something."

The defeated expression on Xisheng's face as he said this was enough for Ty Lee to forget her prior embarrassment to offer real insight on the matter. "Aw, come on, Mai doesn't hate you."

"It certainly feels like it."

"Well, it's more like… hm, how do I say this without sounding mean? You're uh… kinda boring Gohan."

Xisheng gave her an incredulous look at this blunt statement. "Just so you know, that wasn't the way to say that without sounding mean. You think I'm boring?"

The pink clad acrobat waved her arms in dismissal. "No, I don't think you're boring. But that's because you're… well I feel like you're more of yourself around me. Look at it this way; Mai's nobility too, she grew up surrounded by good little servants that treated her with utmost respect and deference and all that."

The man she was speaking to cut her off. "You can't possibly be suggesting that I shouldn't treat her with respect. No woman wants that."

"That's not really what I was implying… ugh, this is so much harder to explain than I thought it would be! I mean, there's a big difference in respect for authority and like, respecting a woman, y'know? I'm not saying you should like, objectify or hold her in lower regard or anything. But she's never really cared about being a noble. She's been surrounded by dozens of people in her life treating her like she's nothing but a noble, like there's nothing else to her other than being a noble. Which means all of her interactions with them where the same. Deference and respect to her position but no real interest in the person that held that position. You get what I'm saying right? Please tell me you do because I don't think I can explain it any better."

Xisheng finished off what was left of his dinner as he mulled it over. "Essentially what you're saying is that the attitude of servants and deference to her position bores her, right?"

"Yeah, exactly! Like, she's dealt with a hundred of those guys in her life. And as far as I can tell, you've kind of been one of those guys with her too so far. So you're just another bore in a big sea of bores because you're no different than all those other people she never cared about at all."

"You know, you're almost as good as Azula at insulting people very subtly."

"Sorry, but that's probably how it is from her point of view… like you were totally on track when you snapped at her earlier. I know that sounds weird, but it's something that set you apart from a bunch of nameless faces. None of her family's servants would ever dream of doing something like that."

Xisheng was silent for another moment. "So... this all amounts to essentially 'don't treat her like anything special'?"

"Er… yes?"

"That… sounds like awful advice in regards to being on good terms with a girl."

Ty Lee gave him an apologetic smile. "Admittedly, this is all kind of stuff I just guessed at. It's not like Mai ever like, spilled her heart out to me or anything."

"So what you're saying is that it's just as possible that she does expect and want me to defer to her position of nobility and doing otherwise could easily get one of many lethal weapons buried in my jugular?"

"Arguably, yes."

The soldier glanced stoically in the direction of the Overlord and the woman in question. "Somehow your ability to reassure is both the best and worst I have ever been subjected to."

---

Back in Omashu, the dethroned King Bumi was in his metal cell, still trapped within his steel coffin. He'd been whistling some tune he couldn't remember the name or origin of when the new governor, Ukano, entered the cell, followed by six Firebenders. This event brought a cold snap to Bumi's train of thought and all of his plotting, for at this moment he realized he had severely underestimated one particular trait of his foe.

"Governor, I'd say it's nice to see you again, but I get the feeling I won't quite like the news you're here to give me."

To his credit Ukano looked entirely uncomfortable with the situation, which was evidence enough that what was about to happen was not his idea.

"I'm… afraid not. I… I want you to know that I do not agree with this, but by explicit orders from her Highness the Crown Princess…"

Bumi smiled, despite feeling no merriment at the moment. "Execution, yes? I was prepared for this eventuality. I figured someone would have the brains to do me in eventually."

Ukano actually looked apologetic. He had always been a man of politics, not the necessities of war. "I'm… truly sorry-"

"Oh, don't be Governor. I'm not taking it personally. Honestly it's a smart move by the Princess. Why take all the risks of keeping an Earthbender like me alive and kickin, and in a city I know better than anyone no less? I'm too dangerous to be left alive and there's no benefit to doing so. Heck, all of the people in Omashu that were willing to fight have already left. Even if my death is publicized none of the remaining citizens will be galvanized enough to revolt. I'll admit that I played my hand poorly. I didn't think the Fire Lord's daughter would be quite this ruthless at such a young age."

"I know it's not much consolation, but… I'd like to at least offer you a choice in the matter…"

"I don't suppose letting me die of old age is an option?"

Ukano hesitated a moment before realizing this was supposed to be some sort of morbid joke. "I… don't believe the Princess would find that acceptable."

"Phooey. Worth a shot. Well then, surprise me! After all, at this old age death is the only real surprise, ruining it would make me a pretty bad sport, don't you think?"

With Bumi descending into cackling laughter, Ukano led his entourage back out of the cell, closing the door behind him. He spent a few moments pondering his macabre task before simply turning to the captain of his guards.

"Captain, what would be the most humane way of doing this?"

Factual to the letter, the soldier didn't seem emotionally invested in this situation at all. "We could fill the chamber with gas sir. He'd pass out before dying. Wouldn't feel a thing."

Still reluctant to give the order, Ukano knew he had no choice in the matter. "So be it. When it is done, preserve the body. Her Highness wishes for it to be plausible that he died of old age some months from now."

"Yes Sir."

With that, Ukano left the men to their morbid task, resigned to drown his guilty conscience on the matter in the arms of his wife or at the bottom of a bottle. And somewhere in the back of his mind, he worried for his eldest daughter that happened to be traveling with the ruthless and calculating girl that had ordered this execution of a prisoner.

Back in his cell, Bumi's face lit up just as gas started pouring into the room through it's vents. "Hey! I just remembered the last line of that song!"

He took a deep breath of the air that was slowly being poisoned and bellowed out the last line in the deepest voice he could manage.

"And diiiiiieeeeeeeeeeeeee!"