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. |
Kingdom of War 14
Desert Reign
“Ugh…not again…”
Sokka was familiar with the feeling he had going through his head. When he woke up with it last time, he was bound to a bed post. This time though, he gathered that it wouldn’t be so pleasant.
And he was correct. As his vision cleared, he found himself on the ground, surrounded by several Dai Li Agents. He looked around to see Suki & Jet to his right, along with Ty Lee & Mai to his left, all with their hands tied by rope, like his. Zuko was about a dozen feet away, sitting on the floor with his back to the wall.
“Ah, looks like all of them have finally wakened up.”
It only angered Sokka more that the first voice he heard was Azula’s. Turning back to his right, he spotted her wearing a smug grin with her arms folded over her chest. Kyoko was standing right beside her. “Did you sleep well, Water Tribesman?”
“Azula!” Sokka tried to leap at her, but two Dai Li stepped in front of him, quickly putting an end to that. “We trusted you…”
“And therein lies your fatal flaw.” Azula replied. “I must say, you were far more useful than I’d thought you’d be. I was tempted to kill you the first night of the journey. But, I guess even buffoons have their place in this world.”
Those words, and the tone of her voice; It was like she never changed. Was it all a ruse? Was her triumphant ‘redemption’ just part of her plan? Sokka overheard soft chatter, and turned to see Ty Lee with her head down, speaking to herself.
“It’s not true. It’s not true!” She repeated.
It was obvious that Azula’s betrayal hit her the hardest. She was the one who believed the most that the Fire Princess was capable of redemption. Suki was just as shocked as Sokka was. Mai however, showed no sign of emotion over this situation at all, though she didn’t bother to look at Azula as Kyoko began to speak.
“You all should’ve known it was a futile effort to even challenge the forces of Long Feng.” She said. “But you won’t live long enough to regret that mistake. Dai Li…bury them.”
“Wait!”
All eyes turned to Azula. “Before you dispose of these peasants…I want the Fire Lord.” Zuko lifted his head and shot a cold look at his sister. “Zuko will fall by my hand!”
It was then that Mai began to show an emotion, anger. “So this is how it ends?” Zuko asked, almost laughing in disbelief. “You’re not even gonna challenge me to an Agni Kai?”
“Sorry Zuzu, but I’ve decided to leave politics out of it this time. Put him on his feet!”
Two Dai Li Agents grabbed the Fire Lord by his arms and forced him to stand. Azula then stretched into her most deadly bending stance. A spark erupted from her fingertips, and she pointed her index & middle finger up like a gun. She then called upon all the lightning energy she could muster. Bolts began swirling around her body, rising from her legs and descending from her shoulders, all journeying through her right arm into her two fingertips, which she then pointed at her brother.
“SAY GOODBYE, ZUKO!!!!”
And with those words, she fired.
…
It happened so fast that a simple blink would cause you to miss it. Zuko was hit dead on…in his own fingertips. The lightning energy Azula had fired was now coursing wildly inside of him, ready to be redirected with a simple gesture. And Zuko didn’t hesitate to make one. Extending his arms out to his sides, he fired off dual lightning bolts, taking out almost all of the Dai Li, including the ones guarding Sokka and the others. Before Kyoko could react, she sensed an extreme source of heat nearby, and was forced to put up a rock barrier as Azula unleashed an intense fire blast.
Smoke filled the small room, leaving Sokka barely able to see in front of him. But he did spot Azula, who rushed over and began untying his rope.
“OK…what’s going on?”
She didn’t answer. Instead she just moved on to Suki, then Mai & Ty Lee, using a flame to release their hands from the rope. Once they were all free, she waved them towards the exit.
“Come on, we need to hurry!”
Running behind her, Sokka was still confused over the developing events. “No seriously, what’s going on?”
Loud rumblings filled the small cavern as Kyoko lowered her rock barrier. She was joined by two still-conscious Dai Li, which Azula noticed quickly.
“ZUKO!”
Her brother spotted them too, and after exchanging quick glances, they knew what to do. Flames ignited in both of their hands, and they braced themselves for the attack.
”Sokka, you might wanna turn away!” Ty Lee suggested, huddling over his head. Suki & Mai averted their eyes as well, as the two Royal Fire Nation siblings unleashed a torrent of fire that burned hotter than Si Wong. Kyoko again was forced to create cover with a rock barrier, as did her subordinates. After several seconds, the two extinguished their flames, and turned back to the others.
“Let’s go, NOW!”
It was a quick dash out of their holdings, but they soon found themselves greeting the sunlight of the desert as they exited the cave. And Sokka found himself still with the same question.
“SERIOUSLY, JUST WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!?”
“I knew it! I knew it!” Ty Lee cheered as she jumped on Azula’s back, hugging her. “I knew you had a plan for this!”
Azula simply smiled at the show of affection. “Thank you, Ty Lee. I’m sorry for the deception, but I had to make it look real.”
Sokka began to understand. “Wait, you mean…”
“She’s not a traitor.” Jet finished for him. “She’s still with us.”
“I knew Kyoko would be flanked by her toy soldiers.” Azula continued. “We couldn’t afford to let her make the first move, and we couldn’t risk an attack head on. I had to get close, gain her trust so she’d let her guard down, even if a little. Now, the situation is more manageable.”
After her explanation, the group remained quiet, letting the desert wind whip around them, until Mai broke the silence. “I should’ve known…” She said, wearing a rare smirk. “…you’d never willingly join Feng and work under him. You always have to be in charge.”
Azula smirked back. “Why do you think I enjoy bossing around you & Ty Lee?”
THOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!
The very sand beneath them began to tremble wildly, and was followed by a large boulder shooting out the entrance of the cave.
“GET DOWN!!!”
Zuko’s warning was heeded, and the group barely avoided having their heads taken off as the boulder flew far across the desert landscape. A moment later, Kyoko would calmly walk out, flanked by the few Dai Li who were still conscious.
“Did you really think it would be that easy?” She asked Azula.
The Fire Nation Princess smirked. “Actually, no. Which is why I’m always prepared.”
“THERE! THEY’RE OVER THERE!!!!”
The group’s attention turned towards the Southwest, where they spotted Dai Li reinforcements charging strong to their location.
“Zuko, you hold them off with Jet and the others.” Azula ordered.
“No, Sokka, Jet & Suki can handle it themselves.” Zuko debated. “You’ll need help…”
“Wait a minute!” Sokka interrupted. “What makes you think I can’t fight Ms. Cold Shoulder over there!?”
“Sokka, do you want to fight a Sand Bending Master, or do you want to fight Dai Li agents who have little to no experience bending Sand?” Azula proposed.
Sokka didn’t need long to think about it. “I’ll just go handle the Dai Li with Suki and Jet.”
The three rushed off to intercept the Agents, but Zuko remained with her sister. “Zuko…”
“I’m not leaving.” Zuko reaffirmed.
“You know they’ll need you as backup, ZuZu.” Azula told him. “Besides, this is a matter between us women…”
Zuko didn’t like it, but he knew his sister had a point. Dai Li rarely traveled without pieces of Earth to aid them in battle, and a Firebender would be formidable against them in the hot desert sun. So reluctantly, he went to join Sokka and the others, as Kyoko & her two agents stopped several feet in front of the ladies. The 6 of them stood silent as Kyoko stared down Azula. Neither wavered, neither showed a sign of weakness or fear. But as her two Dai Li agents prepared to attack, Kyoko broke the silence.
“Leave.”
The two agents looked back at their commander. “Ma’am?”
“I don’t need you for this fight; you’d only be in the way.” She elaborated. “So leave, now.”
Both agents were puzzled by her orders, but they knew better than to ever question them. So they made their leave, as Azula smiled. “Sure you won’t need them? Someone will have to carry your body out of this desert.”
“This is my home.” Kyoko replied. “And you should be concerned with your lives ending in a few moments.”
“Seriously, you’re boring me with that empty threat.” Mai commented, throwing darts in hand.
“Yeah, and that makeup, SO tacky!” Ty Lee added, before sticking her tongue out.
Azula simply grinned after hearing her friends. She missed this; it was good to be in battle with them again. In a way, this felt like her home to her. She stepped to the front line before dropping into a traditional Firebending stance, as Ty Lee moved to watch her back. Mai remained in the rear as she moved her arm behind her, and ejected 4 throwing knives from her sleeve into her empty hand. Kyoko simply stood still, unimpressed at the strategy her foes have taken. The battle field was silent, save for the sounds coming from Zuko and the others holding off the Dai Li. Moments passed as only the wind moved across the sands…then, they attacked.
Azula was first; spinning in the air, she landed and stretched out two fingers, shooting blue flames directly at her target. Kyoko responded by bringing her right hand up to her face, which brought forth a sand barrier from her feet, one thick enough to shield her from the flames. In the midst of her defense, Mai struck; throwing all 8 knives with deadly accuracy. But Kyoko saw this as well and, using her kasa, she skillfully stopped all of them, letting them stick in her hat. However, the maneuver forced her to drop her sand barrier for a moment. And as it dissipated, she turned to see Azula and Ty Lee right on top of her.
Retreating backwards, she was put on the defensive as Azula, with fist aflame, and Ty Lee pursued her with a relentless attack. The two femme fatales were swift with their strikes, but nothing that Kyoko couldn’t handle. She soon was able to hold her ground, pushing the attack into a stalemate as the three traded strikes and blocks. But Azula would break the stalemate; with a feint of retreat, she executed a flip kick which Kyoko avoided masterfully…and served as the perfect distraction. As soon as Kyoko stood up straight, she was greeted by Ty Lee, who unleashed a torrent of bent-knuckle strikes to her chest, shoulder & neck, 22 in total.
She then stepped back, and responded in a fashion Azula did not expect. “OOOOWWWWWW! That Hurt!”
“It hurt?” Azula asked. “How could it hurt, you’ve done…she’s wearing armor.”
Kyoko grinned over Azula’s quick deduction. “Of course.” She said as she opened her robe to reveal most of her torso protected with a layer of rock. “I knew there was a possibility I’d face your jubilant friend, and I always come prepared.”
“Hey, that’s like cheating!” Ty Lee complained.
“So suck it up and keep fighting.” Mai told her friend. “She doesn’t have her whole body protected.”
“Agreed.” Azula added. “She’s already revealed she has a weak link…we just have to find where…”
Kyoko grinned. “You three actually believe that I’ll allow you to get that close again?”
Azula answered with a grin of her own. “As I told your Master Feng, you have no choice in the matter.”
This time, Mai initiated the first attack, launching several darts right at the Dai Li Lieutenant, who easily dodged them. Azula used this opportunity to close the gap, but Kyoko kept her outside arm’s length. Mai followed up with several more darts as Azula kept the pressure on, but the Dai Li Lieutenant was masterful in her defense, deflecting every attack thrown at her and standing her ground. Then she saw it, a wide spinning kick which exposed Azula to any counter attack. And she took advantage, executing a thrust kick that connected cleanly with her gut. The Fire Princess tumbled to the sand, holding her stomach. But as Kyoko looked to strike her down, she saw Azula gazing back up at her…grinning.
A moment later, she felt several sharp stinging pains behind her left knee, and realized her error. She didn’t account for Ty Lee, and the bubbly contortionist made her pay by paralyzing her left leg.
Leaping in the air, she landed several feet away, right next to Mai. “Ha, try to cheat your way out of that!” She said, sticking her tongue out at her.
“Good work, Ty Lee.” Azula told her, before turning to their foe. “I suggest you surrender now and save yourself more embarrassment!”
Azula’s threat however, did not do anything to dissuade Kyoko’s resolve. In fact, she simply summoned all her concentration to adjust her stance to an ancient Sandbending style. “Long Feng was correct…your confidence was always your weakest link”
“You just don’t learn easily, do you?” Azula responded with a hint of annoyance. “We are the finest warriors the Fire Nation has to offer! This battle was lost when you didn’t run!”
“Actually, this battle was lost when you three stepped foot in Si Wong!” Kyoko countered. “As I said, this is my home, ladies. I was born here, and I know every inch of this desert. Did you really think you stood a chance against an accomplished Sandbender?”
With a simple gesture of her left hand, a small whirlwind of sand rose around Mai, incapacitating her. She then closed her hand, and the sand entrapped Zuko’s love in what appeared to be a sand cocoon.
Ty Lee was in shock over the mastery of her foe’s Sandbending, but Azula knew any idle moment would give their foe even more of an advantage. “Ty Lee, MOVE!”
Following her friend’s order, Ty Lee used her speed to close the gap between her and Kyoko, as Azula circled around from the other side. Kyoko did not flinch though, as she called on her Sandbending to open several openings in the desert sand. It took expert agility and reflexes, but Ty Lee was able to avoid every surprise pit fall that opened in front of her…until she realized Kyoko was leading her. Landing on her feet, she noticed the sand around her was now sinking into the ground, and she was left unable to escape. A moment later, Ty Lee herself sank into the sand, her submerged up to her neck.
Kyoko grinned. “Two down, one to G—!”
A swift kick from Azula cut short her boasting and refocused her mind. Though she did take down the first two, she was left with the most dangerous. “You will pay for what you’ve done to my friends!”
“No, YOU will pay for what you did to my Kingdom!” Kyoko countered. “For the embarrassment and imprisonment of Master Feng, and the damage you caused to Ba Sing Se!”
Those would be the last words either of them uttered, as they would let the fight talk for them. Azula struck first by releasing a palm fire blast, which sent Kyoko on the defensive. Waving her hands, she called forth a sand barrier to block the blast, and then went on the offensive by reshaping the sand in the area, drawing it up from the ground to create her own Sandstorm. Azula anticipated that, and quickly went airborne, using her Firebending to propel herself skyward. Immediately Kyoko changed tactics; calling off her Sandstorm, she calmly waited and watched Azula’s position high in the sky. Her patience paid off, as she was able to draw up a sand pillar which rose into the air and engulfed the Fire Princess. Having her caught, Kyoko brought the pillar down, intending to slam her foe into submission. But the idea backfired, as Azula masterfully landed on her feet…in point-blank range.
Hand-to-hand tactics were now utilized as the two lethal women traded shots back & forth. Kyoko strongly held her ground, but was limited with her offense thanks to Ty Lee’s paralysis. It was something Azula was determined to exploit. Seeing an opening, Azula unleashed a closed-fist fire blast, looking to end the fight. It was a maneuver that could only be avoided by jumping, which Kyoko could not do. However, Kyoko left the Fire Princess astounded as she literally bent over backwards to barely dodge the blast. Her face was inches away from the blaze, and she could feel the fire’s intensity. Azula was stunned, but quickly refocused on the fight as Kyoko came back with a haymaker. The attack was halted, but she was able to follow with a stiff kick to Azula’s gut, which sent her sliding back on the sand, and opened up space between them.
Azula shook off the blow, and grinned. “Impressive!”
“I could care less of your approval!” Kyoko snapped.
“I’m sorry to hear that.” Azula replied. “You should really be proud of the effort you put in today…but it ends now!”
Narrowing her eyes, Kyoko stood her ground as Azlua went airborne again. This time however, she soared at an arc and emitted blue flames in her Firebending. Kyoko thought her foolish to try the same tactic, until she realized it was not the same.
“No!”
Azula had flipped through the air and was descending fast, with a blue flame-whip trailing her leg. There was no way to dodge the attack in her current state…no escape.
FWOOOOOOOOOOOOSSSSSSHHHHHHHH!!!!!!
The flame-whip landed with devastating force, leaving the sand in its past charred black. It was one of Azula’s more formidable techniques, only used against those who would not fall against standard Firebending. But Azula grinned to herself again as it did the job…perhaps too well.
“What?”
The path of the blast was burnt severely, but Kyoko’s body should’ve remained, as it wasn’t powerful enough to incinerate living beings. But there was no sign of the Dai Li Lieutenant; it was as if she vanished.
“That’s impossible. There was no chance she could escape how could…huh…What the!?”
It was then that Azula felt it; her legs were bound, trapped in the grains of sand that surrounded her. She was left completely immobile, try as she did, she couldn’t free herself. And it left her a sitting duck.
A sand geyser erupted in front of the Fire Princess, disrupting her vision and hearing. It allowed Kyoko to strike without warning, as she emerged from the sand and delivered a devastating uppercut to Azula’s chin. One that sent her airborne against her will, before dropping her almost lifelessly back onto the sand. The blow was bone-rattling, and left her nearly breathless as she laid there, barely able to move.
The grin was now adorned on Kyoko’s face, as she twisted her body sharply, snapping feeling back into her right knee. It was painful, but worth it as she could now walk freely again. “Don’t look so shocked…you were never even a player.” She told the fallen Princess. “I simply buried myself beneath the desert, and used the sand to aid my movements. As you landed, I also used the sand to bind your legs, just as your friend paralyzed mine. From there, it was the simple matter of striking you down…and here you are.”
Azula huffed, and responded with a dual-palm fire blast that Kyoko effortlessly blocked with a thick wall of sand. She then used her bending to bind Azula’s hands. “Is this how you left Master Feng?” Kyoko asked. “He never revealed exactly what happened when you took control of the Dai Li and locked him up. But I imagine the way he felt then…is how you feel now…Helpless!”
She walked closer, glaring at the Fire Princess as she prepared to end it. “Remember this moment Princess, the moment of your greatest failure! I’m going to bury you slowly beneath Si Wong, so deep that 100 Sandbenders won’t be able to dig you up. And then I’m going to bury your friends…and your brother.”
Her grin turned sinister as Kyoko began to sink Azula beneath the sand dunes, the Fire Princess struggling to break free. “It’s futile to fight…no one’s coming to save you.”
But as those words left Kyoko’s lips, she found herself in the shade. Looking up to the sun, she spotted the reason for the impromptu shade, a flying bison. She and Azula watched as the bison slowly floated down, and a figure leapt from his back. Rocketing right towards her, Kyoko used her Sandbending to slide back, just as the figure touched down in front of Azula. With staff in hand, he stood fearlessly as he stared down the Dai Li Lieutenant, who readied herself for an even fiercer battle.
The Avatar had arrived.
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