human
Lan had been more than a little excited when the meeting was announced, and she was expected to attend. Of course, she knew that the only reason she was really being invited was because her father was Admiral Fu. One of the greatest Admiral's the Fire Nation has ever seen. She had grown up with the prince and princess, along with Mei and Ty Lee. However, Lan had always been closer to Zuko whereas Mei and Ty Lee were best friends with Azula. When the two of them were young they would always play in the garden, exploring the little world and pretending to be great warriors. That changed when they got older and were given responsibilities; Zuko being the crown prince and Lan being the only child of one of the world's best soldiers, sworn to protect the royal family even at the cost of her own life.
However, the two were able to remain close despite not spending as much time together. They no longer played silly games, but instead now spent their time together training. Lan did take it serious, but the two still managed to have fun while they trained.
Like the fun and games from their childhood, though, Lan knew that this too would end. Soon, Zuko would be too busy to spend time with her, instead spending more time with the Fire Lord in preparation for the day he took the throne. It made Lan sad to think about it and determined to follow her own father's footsteps so she could work at Zuko's side just as her father worked closely with Fire Lord Ozai.
It had been a while since she had last seen Zuko. She had been away for a year, training at a prestigious academy near Ember Island. It was where all the children of great admirals and generals were sent to go through intense training. Not just with firebending, but with various weapons as well as hand-to-hand combat. It was such intense training that many students dropped out, leaving with their head down and tail between their legs.
Lan, however, had too much riding on her success to give up. Including Lan, only ten of the eighty students graduated from the academy; and Lan did so with the highest scores in all areas. This, of course, brought great honor to her father, and showed the Fire Lord that she had great potential to become an exceptional soldier.
Despite all of that, though, Lan was the only silent one as she, her father, and the Fire Lord's most trusted military heads were all waiting for the meeting to begin. No one knew for sure what the meeting was about, but it didn't take a genius to realize it had to be about the Avatar.
Her whole life, Lan had been told that the Avatar was the greatest threat to the Fire Nation's ambitions. And so, he needed to be captured or killed. Personally, Lan would prefer to capture the old man; it would save them from having to hunt down the next Avatar. Then again, the next Avatar would be born a firebender so wasn't that good for the Fire Nation? Then the Avatar would be on their side! Though, to be honest, Lan didn't enjoy the fact that it was 'them' versus 'us'. The point of this war was unity, was it not?
Sighing softly, she sat silently beside her father as he discussed the war so far with another of the Admirals. They were seated within the war room, sitting around the map of the world which documented where there troops currently were compared to where the enemy was, the main point of concentration of course being Ba Sing Se where the Avatar was stowed away.
Meanwhile, Azula walked beside her brother and behind their father as they approached the war room. She wore a satisfied smirk across her pouty lips, her head held high, giving off an air of pride and arrogance. She knew what was about to go down; she was going to be selected to infiltrate Ba Sing Se, where she would locate and kill the Avatar. She had no doubt in her mind that she could accomplish this simple task. Why it was taking her father so long to finish the job, she had no idea. But she would do it, and thus bring great honor to her name. Leaving her
poor
big brother out of the loop. The world would see just how much more capable she was than her soft big brother, and her father would finally realize just how talented she was. Though, honestly, all the mattered was that the public saw her as a hero. After that, it would be simple to pick off Zuko, and perhaps their dear father as well.
Shrugging that aside for now, though, Azula just gave Zuko a smirk while peeking at him from the corner of her eye in an almost playful manner. This is going to be such a fun meeting, don't you agree, Zuzu~? And I've heard that little Lan is attending the meeting as well! That's impressive, considering niether Mei nor Ty Lee were invited. Honestly she didn't give two shits about Lan. She could potentially be used as a pawn, but really, she just brought the girl up to make it seem like she wasn't at all nervous about the meeting. She needed it to seem like she didn't care which of them was selected for this mission, though honestly, they both knew Azula was the one their father would choose.
It was the logical choice.
gpt
It wasn't that long ago when Iroh had called his favorite nephew into his room for tea and a game of chess. Back then, the gods of war had favored the Fire Nation, blessing them with victory upon victory, covering admirals and footsoldiers alike with glory, wealth, and all that that implied.
Iroh was poised to write his own chapter in the legacy of the family by bringing Ba Sing Se to heel. The capital of the Earth Kingdom, it had long been the headquarters of the only major power that still resisted the Fire Nation. And until then, it had resisted every attempt the Fire Nation had made against it.
Why, Iroh had asked, had the military geniuses who had preceded him failed? The Earth Kingdom was a formidable foe, to be sure, but decades of constant war hadn't made them flinch. Why?
Zuko had remained silent. Advance with the knight, retreat with the rook, and play a cautious game with the pawns that remained. A deft move of Iroh's bishop put the queen in danger, so Zuko covered her with her husband--
"Checkmate," Iroh said. "You don't sacrifice the king to save the queen. Never forget that, nephew."
After that, Iroh had left for his doomed siege of Ba Sing Se. There he'd lost his son and his will to continue the fight, and thusly he'd also lost his birthright to his younger, more determined brother. Now, Iroh was marauding the seas with a half-baked fleet whose mission was to harass the Southern Water Tribe. To bother peasants. And it was because while he knew not to sacrifice the king to save the queen, he didn't seem to understand that no matter what happened, the game had to go on. And the game had to be won.
The poison-laden voice of his sister made Zuko look up halfway. That filthy grin on her face.. it was all he could do to keep himself from slapping it off. Azula always had had a penchant for the Machiavellian.
"My dear sister," Zuko said, "there's nothing impressive about it. Father prefers the company of those whose loyalty is true over blithering sycophants."
Instead of waiting for the snarled response that Azula was sure to give, he stepped forward so that he could enter the war room directly after his father. This was his right--and his right alone--as the crown prince.
All present stood as the Fire Lord entered the chamber. And standing they remained as Ozai delivered his speech. It was as brilliant as the arts he used to bring the world to its knees. Ba Sing Se still stood and behind its walls, or perhaps elsewhere in the Earth Kingdom, the Avatar hid. In the name of Sozin, mighty and revered, this was unacceptable. But it wouldn't be for much longer.
And then, when the Fire Lord shot a nearby serf a glance, they were unfurled at his back. Blueprints for the latest ships to form the latest fleet that would ferry the grimmest, most powerful army the world had ever seen right to the gates of Ba Sing Se.
But not from the west. No, that approach had been attempted a dozen times before, and the Earth Kingdom was wising up to it. Their waterways were patrolled--mined in some cases--and the loss of such a vast force before it could even be used would be a devastating defeat. And so this marine force would travel west. Off the edge of the world and back up it to circle around the Earth Kingdom and attack it from the east. That approach was practically unguarded, and the villages there were fertile and wealthy. The Fire Nation's bravest soldiers would feast on the fruits of their labor until the armies of Ba Sing Se left the protection of their walls and dared to engage in open combat. And there they would die, die by the thousand, until their scorched carcasses littered the ground like so many fallen leaves.
This might result in a weakening of western defenses that could result in the capture of the city. Or, perhaps, the Avatar would come out of hiding. But in case he didn't...
Well. Hunting teams had been sent out into the Earth Kingdom before, dozens-strong groups of elite killers led by priests and the most skillful trackers the world had ever seen. They were invariably found within weeks and relegated to the mission of regular military forces. They were too big, too unwieldy for a mission like this. A smaller team was needed. A smaller, more agile team, unmatched the world over in skill and lethality.
And now was the moment that Azula had been waiting for. The moment she'd be given a chance to outshine her brother.
"And so, my friends and loyal followers," Ozai said, "I am pleased to announce the creation of the Avatar Advanced Assassination Unit. It will be headed by one force and as many followers as are necessary. And that guiding light will be my son, your crown Prince Zuko."
His shock showed on his face. But only for a moment. The Fire Prince stood and then bowed before his father, swearing loyalty, success, and the head of the Avatar at his feet.
human
Azula felt a small twinge of fury swell within at being called a 'blithering psychopath', though at he same time, she couldn't help the little mused grin that played at the edges of her lips. Mostly because it was Zuko who was insulting her, and there was nothing Azula enjoyed more than irritating Zuko. Well there were a few things she liked more, but she still enjoyed it thoroughly. She was going to act hurt by his words, but before she could, he quickened his pace a little and stepped in front of her to take his place behind their father.
The Fire Princess found herself sneering at this, her hands balling into fists at her sides and her well groomed and thinly plucked eyebrows twitching in silent rage.
She
deserved to be in that position. Not her pathetic older brother. He was too weak to ever become Fire Lord
'
Soon,
' the princess reassured herself, her eyes narrowing dangerously at the back of Zuko's head before she entered the war room and immediately smoothed out her expression. With quiet resentment, she took her place at her father's left-hand side as her brother took his spot at his right. Soon, and she would be at their father's right. Poor Zuko would be left out, cast to the side as she found and killed the Avatar. And then Zuko could be removed
permanently
Lan stood alongside her father as Fire Lord Ozai entered the room, followed closely by none other than Little Zuko. Well, he wasn't so little now, was he? Lan smiled softly to herself as she silently appraised the man her friend had grown into. She used to be taller than him by a mile, but now he had a few inches on her. Not only that, but he looked stern and poised while standing beside his father. However, she could still see the Zuko she knew in those golden eyes of his; the kindhearted and fun-loving boy she had grown up with.
Shrugging that aside for the time, though, Lan averted her gaze to the Fire Lord instead as he began to speak. Her expression grew serious, and she absorbed every word he spoke. It was indeed humbling to be in the man's presence. Everything about him exuded pride and strength, demanding the attention of anyone near him. She respected him, but she also feared him she was told that was what made him such a perfect leader, though.
The girl listened as he gave his speech, feeling a deep bitterness as the Avatar was mentioned. The Avatar was the cause of all of this. Didn't he understand that if he just gave himself up, the war could finally end? Not just the Avatar, but if the Earth Kingdom would just surrender to their inevitable defeat, then so many lives could be sparred. She clenched her fists at the thought of the enemy, her jaw clenched and anger boiling within her core, spreading a warm heat across her skin.
That silent rage quelled though when the Fire Lord began to introduce a new unit, that was designed specifically for hunting down the Avatar. It sounded like a really cool unit, though it also felt like a suicide mission to whoever was appointed to it.
That, however, was when everything came crashing down. Fire Lord Ozai announced who would lead this unit and that someone was the last person in the world whose name she wanted to hear called. Her eyes slowly went wide and the air was sucked out of her, like someone had just kicked her in the gut. The other men in the room all cheered for their young prince, admiring Fire Lord Ozai's plan, as well as their choice in sending the crown prince on this task.
Lan, who had gone as pale as ghost, just stared in near horror at Zuko as he bowed and pledged to bring his father glory. She was forced then to swallow her dread and tear her eyes off of Zuko.
Lan wasn't the only one horrified by this twist.
Azula had been prepared to stand as he father announced who it was who would lead this mission, her heart soaring high in her chest and a grin visible on her lips. However, that quickly came crashing down when, out of the blue, Zuko's name was called instead of her own. Her eyes were wide and, for a few seconds, a look of absolute shock written all over her features. Slowly, that shock boiled into rage, her teeth gritting so hard that her teeth very nearly cracked and bled.
But above all else, Azula was a quick thinker and a great actress. Before anyone could notice her previous expression, she smoothed her features back out and smiled pleasantly. Almost TOO pleasantly. Her eyes, however, were nearly ablaze with rage as she glanced over at Zuko.
The plans would need to change.. but the outcome would be the same. She would just have to fast forward a few things. Zuko would pay dearly for this.
gpt
Ozai had never been one for patience or long farewells. And he was a man who led by example. His troops were ready to deploy at a moment's notice, and he was no different and his son was no different. No bags needed to be packed, because they already were packed and secured in place at the foot of his bed. Knives, maps, phrasebooks in every language spoken in the world, gold, first aid, and, of course, the mask and broadswords that had become something of a legend in the blackest depths of Fire Nation prisons, where secrets needed to be told and tongues needed to be loosened.
He was ready. but what about his team?
Despite his insults, Mei and Ty Lee weren't blithering sycophants. And Azula... well, she was her brother's sister and her grandfather's granddaughter. Her firebending skills were second to only a few, and, Zuko admitted, he wasn't one of those few. She could cast lightning with ease and some claimed that she couldfly, a feat that hadn't been accomplished since the last appearance of Sozin's Comet. Apart from that... there was friction between them.
If he extended the olive branch, and if they together defeated the Avatar... then maybe someday she wouldn't look at him with just barely concealedsomethingin her eyes. Maybe. Or maybe her prissy and high-maintenance ways would get them compromised and killed.
He'd have to think about Azula later. But there was one person he trusted, one who Iroh himself had taught, one who too could breathe fire and one who some called the Young Dragon. She wouldn't complain about long marches or a lack of food and sleep, because she had lived it for months at the academy. They had exchanged a few letters over those trying months, and, in fact, Zuko often got the feeling that she enjoyed the hardship.
His decision was made before he was out of the palace and on his feet, skulking through the alleys. His only farewell was a note written in the old style and signed with his name, addressed to those he cared about. His room was guarded, of course, and the palace was too, but Ozai's orders were clear and intentional. If Zuko couldn't even sneak out of the palace and the country, he had no business sneaking into the Earth Kingdom for an assassination operation.
Well. Consider that his first success in the operation. Now all he had to do was to sneak into Lan's place, which ought to be a lot easier, now that night had fallen. There had been a number of incursions into the Fire Nation of late, and this was the capital city. A curfew had been in effect for generations, so there were no crowds to avoid. Just patrols of guards and the overlooking eyes of the nearby sentries.
They were easy enough to dodge. And Lan's house was... that one, right there, that modest four floor place with its private garden and its koi pond and its private security and its gated fence. A few thrown coins here distracted the guards long enough for Zuko to sneak over the gate and scale up the wall... and there was Lan's window, halfway open and still glaring light out into the street.
The Prince took hold of the sill and, with a jolt of effort, pulled himself through. And there she was, right in front of him. This was the first time they had been together in months, and the first time they had been together without immediate supervision in... he didn't even know how long.
"A little late for melancholy, isn't it?" the Prince said. "So sorry to interrupt you, Lan. I just wanted to say goodbye."
He always had enjoyed a little bit of drama. Besides, it would be interesting, given what his father had mentioned about Lan and her family, and how prominent they had always been, to see just what she thought about his departure...