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Kingdom of War	By : Jayrich Category: Avatar - The Last Airbender > Het - Male/Female Views: 28040 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 12
- 13
- 14
“There, all done!”
Ty Lee’s grin was wider than usual as she finished her task and marveled at the results. Azula, taking advice her uncle Iroh gave her, had decided to spend the day with Ty Lee, in an attempt to strengthen their friendship. However, she never expected to end up in an impromptu sleepover, with her hair being the victim of Ty Lee’s fashion sense. But it was too late as the euphoric young woman had already finished, and all that was left for the Fire Princess to do was turn towards a mirror, which she did.
“Well, what do you think?”
For the first time in her life, Azula was at a loss for words. Her majestic royal mane was now the exact duplicate of Ty Lee’s style, ponytail & all, though Azula’s was decidedly shorter. In the past, Azula would’ve verbally assaulted her friend for such an act. But at the moment, the soften Azula couldn’t bring herself to say anything like that.
“I…think its…great!” She answered, lying through her teeth. “I…think you did a great job, Ty Lee.”
She could tell Azula was lying, but the fact that she still had kind words for her afterwards meant more. “Thanks, Azula.” She said, hugging her friend. “But, I think we should stick with your old style.”
“Yes, wise decision!” Azula quickly agreed.
“Uh, what the…” Both Azula & Ty Lee turned to see Mai standing in the doorway. “…did I miss something here?”
“Nope! You’re just in time!” Ty Lee declared. “You could use a good makeover! Those bangs & ponytails have gotta go!”
Hearing that, Mai realized what was going on, and slowly backed away. “Actually, I think I’ll pass.”
“Oh, but I insist.”
It was then that Azula stood up, the look on her face reminiscent of days past when she was an expert at intimidation. “It’s a way for all of us to become closer, and you wouldn’t want to sever our strong bonds of friendship…would you?”
Mai knew that tone. It meant that Azula would have her way, whether you liked it or not. But she wasn’t about to relent, as she quickly shifted into her fighting stance. Azula followed suit, and the scene was almost a mirror image of how they faced off at Boiling Rock, when Mai betrayed her friend to help Zuko escape. Unfortunately, the outcome would be different for Mai, as she felt 3 quick strikes against her side. A moment later, she fell limp to the floor, courtesy of Ty Lee’s technique.
“This is for your benefit, Mai.” Azula told her. “You were due for a new look.”
Ty Lee gasped in delight. “I just remembered…I still have some Kyoshi Makeup! She looked so cute in it last time!”
As Mai’s eyes widened in horror, she tried desperately to move any part of her body to escape, but to no avail. Left completely helpless, she took the only recourse that she could right then.
“ZUKOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
…
“Did you hear something?”
The Fire Lord stared off at the landscape outside, with Sokka standing next to him.
“No, not really.” Sokka answered. “This place looks familiar…”
“Isn’t that what you said about the cliffs we passed?” Zuko asked.
“No…well, yeah.” Sokka admitted. “But, I mean this area is familiar. I think this is where I fought the Fire Nation Fleet with Suki & Toph.”
“Man, I missed a lot when I was out, didn’t I?” The two turned around to see Jet walking up, joining them.
“Yeah…” Zuko agreed.
“That reminds me…How the hell DID you survive down there!?” Sokka asked bluntly.
“Don’t ask me.” Jet answered. “The last thing I remembered from that day was Smellerbee & Longshot standing over me, while you and the Avatar were escaping. Next thing I knew, I woke up in an Earth Kingdom prison.” He turned to Zuko. “You’re sister was the first one I saw.”
Sokka was about to open his mouth, until Zuko spoke. “Sokka, I don’t think it’s wise to make a joke about my sister now.”
Wisely, the Water Tribesman remained silent. “I just wish I knew what happened to my partners.” Jet continued. “Hope they’ve found peace somewhere with the war over.”
“Well, you should know you don’t have to worry about Longshot.” Zuko revealed.
“Yeah, since he’s got a job in your elite army.” Sokka added.
Jet was shocked. “Wait…Longshot…with the Fire Nation?”
“Second-in-command of my Yu Yan Archers.” Zuko confirmed.
Jet laughed a little. “Let me guess, he’s gunning for the captain position?” Zuko nodded his head. “Heh, same old Longshot.”
Zuko grinned, and turned to Sokka as he noticed him rolling his neck with his hand on his shoulder. “What’s wrong with you?”
“Ty Lee.” Sokka commented. “I swear it’s like she invents new positions whenever we’re together.”
“I don’t get it.” Zuko said. “I mean, you have Ty Lee crazy over you, and you’re with Suki. How did you make that happen?”
“Hey, I didn’t do anything.” Sokka replied, shrugging his shoulders. “Heh, guess you’re right though. But hey, you’re the Fire Lord. Don’t you get to have like, concubines or something?”
Zuko developed a confused look. “Not all royalty works like that. I only have Mai. But sometimes…it would be nice to have more than her.”
Sokka was a little surprised. “What, you mean like Azula suggested an O—!”
“No! No! Not that!” Zuko quickly shot down. “It’s just…you know June?”
“The Bounty Hunter?” Jet asked.
“Man, setting the bar high, Fire Lord.” Sokka joked, nudging Zuko in his side. “Seriously, I can’t shake the feeling that this place is familiar. Like, something happened here. Something…that’s missing from me.”
“Well, I don’t know about that.” Jet replied. “But I can see someone’s missing a sword down there.”
And then it hit him, like a boulder flung by Toph. “MY SPACE SWORD!!!”
Both Zuko & Jet grew confused. “…Space Sword?”
“Stop this Tank…thing!”
Before either of them could react, Sokka was already on the ladder, climbing down the rungs. Zuko put in the order to halt the ship, before he & Jet followed after him. When they reached the ground, they saw a memorable sight…Sokka hugging a sword in its sheath while dancing around joyfully.
“I finally found you! I can’t believe it!”
Jet grew even more confused by this sight. “Are you sure this is the guy who took out your Father’s Fleet?”
“Trust me; he’s more dangerous than he looks.” Zuko answered.
The dancing stopped as Sokka noticed he was being watched, though. “OH! Uh, heh-heh. It’s not what you think. I lost this sword during the battle against the Air Fleet. It fell when I was hanging on to Toph, and the edge of an airship.”
He unsheathed the sword and examined it over; not a scratch was on it. “If it weren’t for Piandao I wouldn’t even have this.”
“Wait, did you say Piandao?”
Sokka paused for a second before answered. “Yeah, he trained me while I was in the Fire Nation. You know him?”
“Uncle had me to train with him some years ago while I was at sea.” Zuko revealed, as he drew his dual Dao blades from his back. “He helped me with these…”
Sokka examined the blades in Zuko’s hands, and the form in which he held them. “Huh…”
“What?”
“Nothing.” Sokka said. “Just…it’s kinda funny how we have a lot of things in common.”
“Heh…” Zuko uttered faintly, in agreement. It hadn’t gone unnoticed by him, either. Ever since the Boiling Rock Prison break, the Fire Lord and the Water Tribesman have made a good team, even if sometimes Sokka had been prone to improvise more than plan. Truth be told, he was a good friend, and he appreciated his help, especially during this time.
“Uh, you two aren’t having a moment, are you?”
Jet’s question effectively ended the silence between Sokka & Zuko.
“WHAT!?”
“Of course not!”
“That’s good.” Jet continued. “Because I think we have an uninvited guest on your ship, Zuko.”
The Fire Lord was about to speak when he noticed it as well; movement out of the corner of his eye, coming from the top of the Drill. Instinctively he rushed back up the ladder, with Jet & Sokka following behind. As he reached the top though, he found that it wasn’t an intruder that had come aboard his convoy, but a Shirshu. One with a familiar rider perched atop of it.
“June!”
“You boys done holding hands and singing around the campfire?” She asked.
“It’s none of your business, but we were down there getting Sokka’s sword.” Zuko told her angrily.
“Yeah!” Sokka added. “I…lost it while fighting the Fire Nation Fleet.”
Even Jun couldn’t help but roll her eyes after hearing that. “And you actually defeated that Fleet?”
“Why does everyone keep asking me that!?” Sokka said, becoming annoyed.
“You guys should’ve been in the Desert by now.” She commented.
“We’ll be there by noon.” Zuko replied. “Why are you so interested? Uncle told me you’re only after Long Feng.”
“I am.” June confirmed. “But one of his subordinates could make it hard for me to get close enough. And I was hoping on Team Avatar to take care of her.”
“Her?” Jet asked.
June paused, and then laughed under her breath. “Unbelievable. You don’t even know who you’re facing.”
“Hey, we DO know who we’re facing!” Sokka countered. “…we just, don’t know what she looks like.”
June sighed, and decided to give them useful information. “Her name is Kyoko. She’s a Lieutenant in the Dai Li, and considered one of the deadliest Earthbenders in known history. Rumor has it Long Feng found her as a young orphan in Omashu, took her in as his daughter, and taught her everything he knows. She’s almost a perfect copy of him, right down to his cold ruthlessness.”
Sokka simply laughed out June’s warning. “HA! Are we supposed to be scared!? We have our own Master Earthbender who can wipe the floor with her!”
June smiled. “I always did like your cockiness, kid. But you should be cautious. She’s on an elite level when it comes to bending.”
“What makes you say that?” Jet inquired. “Have you seen her in action?”
“No.” June answered. “But look around you. What do you see?”
The three young men examined their surroundings, seeing nothing but an open field encased by the forest. “Nothing…it’s just a field.” Sokka said.
“Yeah…but 2 days ago it was Stone Valley Base.”
Shock ran through the three young men as she spoke those words. Jet took another look around the landscape, and confirmed that… “June’s right, this was Stone Valley Base. But the walls, the towers…”
“The courtyard where Fong forced Aang in the Avatar State…” Sokka added.
“All buried by her and her men.” June revealed. “I’m guessing it’s her attempt to cover Dai Li footprints. Luckily, Nyla’s the best tracker in the Earth Kingdom. As for your friend, I know about the young tomboy. And you better hope she’s up to it. There’s a reason why the Dai Li nicknamed her Cold Kyoko…and there’s a reason they also fear working under her.”
“I believe I know the reason.”
All eyes on the deck turned towards the open doorway, where Azula, Ty Lee & Mai stood, all wearing Ty Lee’s hairstyle.
“Uh, Azula…” Jet started. “Why are…”
“The less said, the better.” Said Azula, cutting him off. “Now, as for Kyoko…I think she was Feng’s secret weapon to conquer the Earth Kingdom. We overheard him discuss her multiple times while disguised as the Dai Li. And from what we heard, it seems she has no reservations dispatching with unfit soldiers.”
“So, she fires them?” Sokka asked. “That doesn’t really so intimidating to me.”
“She kills them, Sokka.” Azula bluntly stated.
“…OK, now I’m a little intimidated.” Sokka confessed.
Zuko grunted. “This is gonna be significantly harder than taking down the last officer.”
“Indeed.” Azula agreed solemnly, before becoming scarily cheerful. “Good thing you got me on your side this time, ZuZu!”
“ZuZu?” June tried to her best to hide the smirk that appeared on her face, but to no avail. “Does the gloomy girl say that when she calls your name? It kinda kills the mood.”
And with that, June hopped atop her Shirshu, leaving a stunned Zuko having to deal with Mai, who currently wore a cold stare. “Uh, Mai…”
“Save it, Zuko. I overheard your conversation anyway.” She walked up to him, and put her finger on his chest. “How about next time you come out and ask if I’m interested.”
She then turned and walked off, leaving Zuko, as well as Sokka, even more confused than before. “Wait, does that me she’s—!”
“Wait a minute.” Suki interrupted. “I’m still trying to figure out the hair.”
“OOH, SUKI!!!” Ty Lee beamed. “I almost forgot about you. A makeover is totally needed, that hairstyle is becoming bland!”
And with that said, Suki put the puzzle together as she slowly backed away. “Uh, I think I’ll just stay out here, with the guys and—!”
Then she felt it. A bumpy yet smooth sensation against her right arm. A moment later, she found herself motionless on the floor, and Nyla’s tongue waggling above her. “Sorry about that.” June said. “She tends to be a bit too friendly at times.”
“Don’t worry about it.” Azula told her. “Makes it easier for us.”
As the three ladies picked up Suki, Ty Lee grinned from ear to ear. “Now that I think of it, we should try some new designs with our Kyoshi Makeup!”
“SOKKA, HELP!!!” Suki screamed as she was carried inside. But as Sokka moved towards her, Zuko put his arm up to block him.
“Remember what happened last time you were in the same room as Ty Lee?”
Sokka did remember, and decided to stay put. “Don’t worry Suki; I’m sure you’ll look beautiful after their done!”
“This is the area, Captain!”
It was high noon in the Si Wong Desert as a group of 7 Dai Li, led by Kyoko, stood in an area which could be considered the middle of nowhere. The Sandbenders’ camp was a mile away, giving them the privacy they required. Kyoko looked down at the sand beneath her & in front of her. To the naked eye it would appear to be just a burning patch of desert. But she recognized that there were no dunes shaped in the sand. It was almost perfectly flat.
“So this is where it was buried…” She remarked.
Her second-in-command, a middle-aged man with a goatee, stepped up to speak. “The professors at Ba Sing Se University said he was last known to be at these coordinates…with the Avatar.”
“But…there’s nothing here.” A young Dai Li said.
“It must’ve been buried in the sand.” Kyoko deduced. “…Wan Shi Tong’s Library, the oasis of knowledge. One look inside and we can gather up all the information Long Feng needs.”
“Yes, but how will we raise it from the sand?” Her second-in-command asked.
“The Library is made of earth stone, so you will have no problem raising it.” Kyoko answered. “All we need to do is gather enough Sandbenders to shift open a clear path.”
“Easier said than done.” He commented.
Kyoko agreed. “We need to keep up the ruse that Long Feng is here to help them. It’s bad enough they don’t know we’re out here now…”
“But, they do know we’re out here.”
Collective gasps swirled through the Dai Li ranks as Kyoko turned her head to the young man who made that statement. Instantly, that young man felt his life was in danger. “You told them we were out here!?”
He quickly dropped down to one knee and bowed his head in shame. “A THOUSAND APOLOGIES!!!” He begged. “The Tribe Leader, Sha-Mo, he saw us and asked where we were heading! I Told him Nothing, I SWEAR!!!”
Enraged, Kyoko moved over to the agent and picked him up by his collar, looking him in his eyes. “Allow me to explain our situation again, you worm! We are here to unearth Wan Shi Tong’s Library, and find out all information about the Earth Kingdom and all other Nations! We cannot let the Sandbenders know because if they do, they will not HELP us! And we must also complete this mission before the Avatar grabs wind of this and tries to STOP us! Do you understand now why we need to remain silent about our actions!?”
“Yes, ma’am!” The frightened agent whimpered. “Completely! No one must know any of our actions!”
“A lesson that you have learned all too late—!”
“Captain!”
Kyoko turned her attention to her second-in-command. “The situation isn’t that bad. We can simply tell the Sandbenders we were out here practicing Earthbending Techniques in secret. They wouldn’t question us since we’re here for their ‘protection’.”
Kyoko took a moment to ponder the suggestion given by her subordinate. “…you make a good point. They wouldn’t dare try to challenge that, especially with what the Tribe Leader’s son told us about the Avatar.”
She relinquished her hold, and the agent quickly fell back to his knees, bowing in respect as she walked away. “Thank you, Captain! Thank you!”
Suddenly, Kyoko stopped. “You’re awfully grateful for someone who’s about to receive punishment.”
The young agent’s heart stopped cold, and sank far down as he saw her hand rise & extend beside her. He knew what was to come. “NO! NO, CAPTAIN! PLEASE!!!”
She opened her hand, and the young agent sank fast into the desert sand. But mercy was granted upon him, as Kyoko closed her hand, just as the sand reached his neck. His life was spared.
“You will remain here and guard this spot.” She ordered. “If anyone comes through this area, you stop them and report back to me.”
“But…Captain…” The young struggled to free himself. “This position…I…”
“Are you saying that you, a Dai Li, can free yourself from a simple trapping like that?” Kyoko inquired, giving her agent a look that could frost over all of Si Wong.
“NO! No, I’m not! I…shall stand guard, Captain!”
Kyoko simply scoffed as she continued on her way with her team, back towards the Sand settlement. But a moment later, they were met by one of their own. Ghashiun, Sha-Mo’s son and newest recruit into the Dai Li, rushed towards the group before stopping in front of Kyoko, trying to catch his breath.
“Mind telling us what’s the hurry, Pebble?” One agent remarked, calling the Tribe Leader’s son a nickname used for rookie Dai Li.
“…Sorry!” Ghashiun huffed, going down to one knee in respect.
“Just tell me what the urgency is, Ghashiun.” Kyoko said.
He rose up and stood at attention. “A large vehicle has just arrived at our settlement…and the Fire Lord is aboard.”
Several agents were taken aback by the news. Zuko in the immediate area never meant good news for them. Some were still bitter over an incident several months ago, where Fire Nation Royal Soldiers clashed with the Dai Li in a massive brawl. Kyoko, however, showed no concern whatsoever.
Ghashiun continued. “He’s riding with his sister, the Princess. And there are two others with him, who are close to the Avatar.”
That news did intrigue Kyoko, as she lifted a curious eyebrow. “Is the Avatar with them?”
“No, Captain.”
“Interesting. I believe we should go and greet them.”
- 12
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- 14
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Kingdom of War