Chapter Twenty

Welcome to Book Two: Earth !!

I hope everyone is enjoying reading this as much as I am writing it! Unfortunately updates are going to slow down a bit now that I'm not on winter break anymore.

Let me know what you think of the book in the comments!

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I had forgotten how much I hated dust. It was somehow dry, chalky, dirty, sticky, powdery and everywhere all at the same time. I REALLY hated dust, but I was out of money and so I was stuck sleeping in the dirty, dry, dusty sand which was the base of the Earth Kingdom. As I was trying to fall asleep a tumbleweed had even passed by along with a cloud of dust.

I have been travelling by ostrich horse for almost two months now through the Earth Kingdom. I was following, from afar, Aang's spiritual pull. But it was difficult considering every time I got close they would zig-zag back across the desert, or swamp or city that they had been in before and end up on the other side of the country.

I'd had a lot of time to think in the last month and I'd come to a few conclusions. First of all that I really liked Sokka. More than I had liked anyone in a very long time. Maybe even more than I'd ever liked Azulon, although it felt premature to say that already. I thought of Sokka all the time, even when I was sleeping sometimes. But I knew getting close to him and then dying when Aang dies was only going to hurt him, and I couldn't do that.

The second thing that I'd realized was that my bending could use some work. I hadn't all out practiced firebending since Aang woke up and I could feel the difference. So, whenever I had a moment where I wasn't visible to anyone and wasn't in danger of lighting anything on fire, I would practice. It felt good. All the open space to send blasts into, the wide open air that would crackle with energy as I bent lightning into the sky. It was exhilarating to practice without the eyes of nobles, guards or my family on me for once.

The third thing I realized upon my trip was that I was utterly alone. I had pushed Sokka away, told him we'd never see each other again. I had sent Zuko and Iroh away so they wouldn't be imprisoned in the North. Ozai had turned on me, and I had supported the person training to kill him. Finally, Azula probably thought I'd abandoned her, and I was worried for the fallout of the mentally precarious teen when she finds out her father still prefers to have Zuko regain his honour and win the throne than have Azula take the title.

This third realization is the reason why when I saw my oldest son walking along the street I practically jumped into his arms. And Iroh, being Iroh, hugged me tightly, even before he realized who I was.

–

"You've been practicing." I observed out loud as Iroh moved his lotus tile across the board. He gave me a proud smile, but it disappeared when I moved my own piece and won our game of pai sho.

"And yet you still win." He mused and I grinned back.

Iroh had been traveling alone for a few weeks when I met up with him. Zuko was going through a tough time after Ozai had sent Azula to take him prisoner and he'd realized his father saw him as a failure. Iroh and I had been trailing Zuko for two weeks now, and Zuko seemed to equally be trailing the Avatar. But not super closely. And so, all was well.

– Two weeks later

"Have you been in contact with Pinandao recently?" I asked my son as we walked down an unnamed street, following the prints of what we hoped were Zuko's ostrich horse's hooves. I had sold my own horse to get some money for food.

"Not particularly." Iroh answered, "Why do you ask?"

"I want to see if he'd train someone for me." I said, thinking of Sokka and his potential for swordsmanship. Once I died, Sokka could continue his training without me. I would pay in advance for it, and I trusted Pinandao.

"Who is it?" Iroh was curious, I could tell. I didn't make friends easily anymore, I was always too scared to have to watch them die. No, this was stupid. Piandao was in the Fire Nation and Sokka was in the Earth Kingdom. Plus my money was tied up in the Fire Nation. The logistics would never work.

"It was a stupid idea. Nevermind."

"Mother-" Iroh started, but I cut him off.

"We should take a break soon. The sun will be setting in an hour." I said. Iroh sighed, he was used to this by now. I was hurting, and I was beating myself up about it but I wasn't doing anything to stop it. He'd tried to talk to me, but I already knew what he was saying. And I wasn't listening.

– A few days later

"So, do you think I'll ever get another sibling?" I spit out my water at Iroh's question and glared at the grinning man sitting beside me. Even as a child he'd had a tendency and an intent to trip me up with his questions. He used to do it to Azulon too, but that had long stopped by the time I left.

"Spirits, Iroh!" I snapped, "Where did that question come from?" He just shrugged in response and I huffed, taking another sip of my water. He was still the same teenage boy who liked to get under my skin to be able to see me out of my element.

I had to admit that when he was a teen I was quite closed off at times. Azulon and I fought quite a bit by then, not in front of the children, but in private. He'd instigated the majority of his father's war tactics and policies by then, and I did not agree with the imperial dictator who had taken over my husband's previous outlook. I was still present as a mother, there was no doubt, but I'd become more reserved and quiet. I see now that I'd been depressed only I didn't know it. Now, I know it. Iroh's presence was helping though. I was feeling better. I wasn't alone anymore.

– Three weeks later

"How do you think Zuko is doing?" Iroh asked me. He had been asking me the same question every hour today, as if he was once again a child and we were on our way to Ember Island. He used to ask how long it was until we arrived every 5 minutes for the entire journey.

"I'm sure he's fine. You worry too much." I told him. I was trying not to become annoyed, I know he sees Zuko as a second son so it was normal for him to be concerned, I was too.

–

I was growing concerned as I watched the smoke from the battle. Iroh and the young girl we'd met had gone ahead of me but I'd declined, instead staying behind to watch from the sidelines. I was worried about getting in between Sokka's friends, Zuko and Azula. I knew Aang, Katara and Sokka would fight together, trying to get away while Zuko and Azula fought each other and the Avatar's gang to take him back to their father. Whoever wins, I lose.

But as I watched a building completely collapse I couldn't take it anymore. I ran into the abandoned village to see Azula surrounded. I walked towards them slowly, no one had noticed me due to the intensity of their standoff. "I know when I'm beaten. A Princess surrenders with honour." The second I heard the words from Azula's mouth, I knew they were a lie. She was about to strike someone, her lightning was flickering between her fingers. I need to distract her.

"What is going on?" I asked, and I began walking normally up to the group. Everyone's heads turned except Toph and Iroh. I acted annoyed and curious, as if I was irritated at the confrontation happening but not caring about the outcome. "This is an interesting meet up. We have someone from each nation, it's quite the unique feat in our day." I gave them all a little grin.

"I would have to agree, Mother." Iroh said, he still wasn't looking at me. He was watching my granddaughter like a hawk, he didn't trust her. And he was right not to. Azula had never liked her uncle.

"Hmm, I'm not a fan of this situation, anymore than I'm sure all of you are." I said, again taking another deliberate step towards them. I had avoided looking at Sokka up to this point, I didn't want to know what he was thinking, what his eyes were saying, but I could feel him watching me. "I believe what we all need, is to give the Avatar a little head start." I shrugged, acting carefree. Azula was grinning at me, to her this seemed like I was helping her out of her current predicament, cornered against a wall. "Azula will come with me for a while, Zuko with Iroh."

"We can leave?" Aang spoke up. I looked at him for the first time and noted how tired he looked, the large swollen bags under his eyes were prominent.

"Sure," I said, returning my face to neutral. "You're running a little behind anyway." He looked nervous at my words and I kept my eyes on him. When none of them moved, I raised an eyebrow. "Do you want to be captured?" Aang jumped up and began to back away, his friends followed his movements. I kept my eyes off Sokka.

I turned back to Azula and she was smirking, watching the Avatar leave, but she was also following my instructions. She would not go after him yet, not until he got a head start. Zuko on the other hand was not giving up.

– Sokka's Point of View

Ren was smart. I mean, that wasn't a surprise, I already knew she was smart, but really, she was super smart. With only a few words she had talked the crazy girl, who Ren had called Azula, into giving us a head start at a getaway. And yet, I was willing to bet that the girl thought that Ren was helping her, we had her cornered, we would have hurt her, Ren saved her and gave her a second chance at capturing Aang. Really, she was helping everyone. But this way it wasn't so obvious, we could get away unharmed and flee without a trail now that Appa wasn't going to be leaving a trail of fur to us. And, no one else would get hurt.

It struck me suddenly that the girl, Azula, looked a lot like Ren. The hair, the eyes, the build, it was like looking at Ren's long-lost younger sister. I wondered how they were related, I would guess they are. Iroh was Ren's son, that was clear now. Zuko was her grandson but I don't think he was Iroh's kid. And the way that Iroh was looking at Azula made me think she wasn't his either. Was the girl Zuko's sister? They didn't seem to get along all that great if they were siblings, though not all do.

As we kept backing away, I watched as Azula's lightning began to fizzle and spark around her. She was losing control. Ren saw this too, and she stepped to the side so that she wouldn't be behind Zuko and Iroh, now there was a clear shot between her and Azula. The next word confirmed my hypothesis that Ren was Azula's grandmother. "Nan?" Her voice still sounded calm and level, but I could see it in the girl's face that she was worried.

"You're fine, Azula." Ren responded, "Just breathe." We were getting further away now, and I couldn't hear but Ren made a motion with her hand, as if inviting Azula to hit her. I stopped walking when the younger girl began to twist her hands and point them towards her.

"What is she doing?" I questioned out loud, Aang had stopped too. But Katara had called Appa over and Toph was getting on to the bison.

"Guys, let's go!" Katara called out from beside Appa, I ignored her.

Ren looked completely calm. She got in a stance that looked like a waterbending one and when the lightning hit her, she was controlling it. She began to let the blue electricity out, allowing it to direct into the sky. Ren had explained it to me when she told me about killing Zhao, how she struck him down a final time with lightning. She had to be careful, otherwise the energy could hit her heart and she would be dead. But, as Aang and I watched in awe, another moment caught my attention.

Zuko struck out at Azula with a strong blast of fire and then turned to run after us, but Azula had managed to dodge and sent her own, much larger, blast back. Zuko hadn't realized. Ren couldn't do anything, with the lightning in her hold she could die with one wrong move. But, I watched her horrified face as Iroh jumped in front of Zuko.

There was a pained yell from Iroh as he was hit, and Zuko turned abruptly to catch the older man. But, Ren's scream was the worst. She completely abandoned her redirection of the lightning, causing the electricity to hit one of the old buildings and make it collapse, luckily, it seemed the lightning was out of her core by that time and she skidded to her knees beside her son. I noted Azula, her face white as a ghost, as she turned and ran, but I didn't care.

Without realizing it, I was running back towards them.

:)