In a room filled with men dressed in Fire Nation noble garb, the generals were silent as they filled out the fourteen seats beside the large map of the Four Nations on the floor.
Right at the point of each row and right next to the flaming wall obscuring the Fire Lord sat Zuko to his right and Azula to his left, both wearing stoic expressions.
Behind the generals and standing guard against the walls were the Royal Procession, the elite firebenders standing with their three-point masks and white coloured masks that left all but their eyes visible.
Fire Lord Ozai himself observed his greatest generals and his children, his gaze lingering on his son for a moment longer before he turned to the general seated beside Azula.
"War Minister Siko, start the weekly meeting."
"Yes, Fire Lord Ozai!" Siko declared with a formal salute, standing up and clearing his throat as his dark brown eyes scanned the papers he had in hand. "Firstly, a congratulations is extended to the Crown Prince Zuko and Princess Azula for their wondrous work in taking Ba Sing Se as our territory."
"Yes, that was impressive on your part, my prince," one of the generals spoke up and Zuko just gave a curt nod as Azula hid her displeasure.
"Secondly, Lord Iroh has returned with news that the Avatar and his team have fled east and south due to the increased presence of Fire Nation soldiers in the Earth Kingdom."
"Does it say what their reason for doing so is?" another general asked, his brown hair tied into a bun as his similarly coloured eyes focused on Siko.
The minister in question scanned his report before shaking his head with a frown, "I am afraid not. All it says is that the Avatar and his bison were seen flying to the east and that's it."
"Increase the scouts around that area," Ozai spoke up and the minister wrote down his words with a nod.
"As you wish, my lord. Thirdly, the attacks on our ships and outposts stationed around the western coast have all been eliminated."
"How many?" Zuko asked and Siko looked down before he grimaced and replied.
"Approximate sixteen outposts, six dreadnoughts, one Empire-class battleship, eighteen war cruisers and fourteen destroyers."
"Casualties?"
"Four hundred were placed as MIA and two hundred were confirmed KIA, but the list of the latter is still rising since the reinforcements are still dragging bodies up from the ocean."
"Toji Fushiguro?" Ozai asked, making everyone grow quiet as Siko took a nervous breath and nodded.
"It appears so, my lord. While he might not be the only one capable of doing so, he has been sighted in the area and he has a gripe with us ever since we tried to recruit him."
"A foolish one," Azula murmured, Ozai catching it as his gaze turned to her.
"Something to say, daughter?" he asked and Azula sat up straight while lifting her chin with a smile.
"If Toji Fushiguro is responsible for this level of damage, then perhaps it would be better if we point this strength at our foes."
"Many have suggested his recruitment to our army. Many have failed. What makes you so different, princess Azula?" Ozai asked and Azula's smile widened as she saw Zuko shaking his head.
'Too late, brother.'
"Perhaps we should offer him terms that would be fitting of a man such as himself. A marriage contract, mayhaps?"
"With you? You believe that he is worth the hand of a princess, sister?" Zuko asked, wanting to end this in its track as he saw some of the generals murmuring in agreement at his words.
"He has eradicated armadas on his own, brother. If he is not worthy of my hand, then there is no one in this world that is."
"The princess speaks the truth, my lord," General Wang spoke up, stroking his long silver beard with a hum as Zuko hid his frustration. "Every time we have pushed, it was because we wanted to force him into servitude without a gift worthy of his attention. The hand of a princess is something not many are offered."
"Still, we must also take the words of our Crown Prince in consideration. Toji Fushiguro never agreed with our commands even when we offered enough money to let him and his descendants live comfortably until the end of time," Another general spoke and soon, everyone was beginning to take sides.
Unfortunately, Zuko frowned slightly as he noticed more of them taking Azula's side, which left him with one to do.
"Father, what is your opinion on this?" he asked, turning to the man in question as they all grew silent. Azula herself hid her anger behind a thin smile as she looked to her father, who looked between the two of them before rising from his seat.
"You believe that you can tempt him to our side, Azula?"
"I do, Father."
"What will be your punishment if you can't?"
"My...punishment, Father?"
"Your brother allowed himself to be burned for his foolish mistake. Am I to assume that you will take a similar punishment should you fail?" Ozai asked with narrowed eyes. "Are you willing to risk your life on your ideals and plans?"
Azula didn't say anything as she stared at her father, a frown on her face before she nodded with a smile, "Yes, I am, Father."
"Then proceed. Crown Prince Zuko, you shall accompany her. Should she fail, deliver her punishment yourself. As for my generals, continue with our plans for Project Phoenix."
"Yes, my lord!" The generals and his children barked out with salutes, Ozai barely sparing them a glance as he stood up and made his way to his room.
The Royal Procession moved with him and the generals stayed seated as Azula and Zuko stood up before leaving the room.
"Well, brother, it appears that we shall be fighting together on this journey yet again."
"Azula, I will help you, but I will give you a warning. Do not under any circumstances underestimate Toji Fushiguro."
"Oh, no need to worry about that, Zuzu. I know better than to underestimate him."
"I don't think you do, Azula," Zuko answered and the woman frowned as he continued. "Toji isn't a court noble you can corner with your flattery or your fear tactics. He cares for nothing other than a few and will kill the rest if it means that few live on to see another day."
"Then, I simply need to add myself to that short list," Azula replied, turning away before she paused and turned her head with a smile. "Oh, and Zuzu? Try not to send a warning to him."
"Don't worry. I'm sure he will see you coming a mile away," he replied, watching as she narrowed her eyes before continuing down the hallway to prepare.
Zuko himself watched her leave before letting out a sigh as he palmed his face.
He could only hope that uncle Iroh finished with his task before Azula failed with hers.
'Come on, uncle. The final phase is now or never.'
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Off the south-western coast of the Earth Nation stretched a shoreline of scorched earth, a komodo rhino charging forward and disembowelling another smaller komodo rhino while its rider tackled the other one off to the ground.
Rolling with the tackle, Toji spun and threw Kuruk's spear, the cursed weapon impaling the rider to the ground before the Split Soul Katana sung as he cut their head clean off.
Flicking the blood off with a swing, he turned to see Wormy swimming through the sea and into another war cruiser. Behind the worm was a dozen more cruisers, all destroyed beyond repair as their crew's corpses drifted soullessly across the sea.
Turning his gaze behind him, Toji watched as the Fire Nation outpost crumbled in upon itself, its form set ablaze by the gas tanks he had left behind.
"That makes number seventeen, huh Iron?" Toji muttered and Iron nodded in agreement, ripping a leg off of the komodo rhino as Toji smirked.
"Right. Wormy! You good?" the spirit let out a warbled cry as it slithered through the sea and onto the shore, shrinking back down to its original size.
Toji allowed it to climb up his body and rest its head on his shoulder, turning back forward as Iron sat beside them.
"Well, with our attacks on the Fire Nation navy, we can be sure that they'll send their ships to this area," That also meant that hopefully, less ships will be near the north-western shore, which meant that Sokka, Suki and June along with the supposed army would have a clean entry into the Fire Nation.
'Supposedly, they'll meet us at a series of coastal cliff-faces just offshore an uninhabited island in the Fire Nation,' Toji thought, staring at the message that was sent by an eagle-chameleon just yesterday.
He was sure it was Sokka's since he could smell and taste the man's scent on the paper, but one can never be too careful.
"It says here that we should still meet up with Aang at the Wulong Forest and then cross over with him, but I think the little pacifist would want a 'peaceful' entry into the Fire Nation, wouldn't he?" Both Wormy and Iron caught the excited and bloodthirsty tone in their master's voice, the two letting out displeased cries/ growls.
"Oh, come on! Where's your sense of devastation?" Toji spoke with a scoff, hopping onto Iron's back as Wormy flopped down on the rhino as well. "Iron! Take us to the most-western shore near the eastern Fire Nation islands. Then, Wormy, it's time for you to work!"
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"I feel like punching Toji," Aang murmured before he winced as a hand smacked the back of his head. Toph snickered at it from where she was lounging while Katara narrowed her eyes at the guru that smacked him.
"Concentrate and focus on the final chakra."
"Why, though? Why should I give up earthly attachment for power?" Aang asked with a groan as he flopped backwards, Guru Pathik turning his gaze to Katara and Toph.
"How do you teach him?"
"Eh, I just irritated him enough until he figured out earthbending."
"I just...showed him a scroll of waterbending and he got it."
"He is supposed to be a master of the spiritual arts as both an airbender and the Avatar. Yet, it is hard to get him to focus on that."
"Well, Master Pathik. Should he stay permanently detached from said attachments after he opens the chakra?"
"No. Perhaps I should have explained it better," the guru murmured and Aang sat up as he cleared his throat. "Let us think of it this way. Do you know what an addiction is?"
"To stuff like drugs or alcohol?"
"What about sex? Love? A need for attention? Could one not call those addictions as well?" he asked, smiling as they all paused before he continued. "Being the Avatar is a task not many can achieve as you must place the needs and balance of the world over your love to others, i.e. your earthly 'addictions'."
"So, I can still have my attachments, but I need to learn to see past those attachments when the world needs my guidance."
"Yes, even if it means that you lose one or all of those attachments in the process," Guru Pathik nodded and smiled sadly as Aang's eyes widened. "As I said earlier, being the Avatar is a task that many only see as a gift until they receive the duties that come with the power."
"I think...I get it."
"Good. Now, imagine the tethers that keep you attached. List them off as you do so."
"Appa, Momo, Toph, Sokka, Suki, Katara...Toji."
"Toji? Why Toji?" Toph asked and Aang glanced at her with a sigh.
"Because every time he fights, people die so that I don't have to. I think I actually fear losing the shield that buys me time."
"Huh, never thought of it that way," Toph murmured before giving a shrug. "Well, then you just have one job to do: get so strong that Toji gets to rest easy while you take care of everything."
"Right. Guru Pathik."
"Yes, Avatar Aang?" the guru asked, smiling as he saw Aang taking a deep breath before he nodded.
"I want to finish this."
"Then, let us finish this."
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"Well, that's quite the quick response," Toji muttered with a raised eyebrow, standing atop a cliff while staring down at the fleet slowly sailing towards him.
Right at the forefront of the fleet was a royal sloop ship, Azula and Zuko standing at the front with Ty Lee and Mai along with dozens of firebenders in armour behind them.
He could see the same armoured firebenders on the other ship and he patted Iron's side as the beast snorted.
"No, this is good. Wormy, Yangchen and Kyoshi," he replied, reaching into his pocket and taking out Szeto's ring. It gleamed in the sunlight as he put it on, taking the Split Soul Katana from Iron's saddle.
Strapping it to his left side, Kyoshi's fans that were still connected by a chain to his right and Yangchen's staff on his back, Kuruk's spear shimmered ominously in his grasp as Wormy crawled out onto Iron's back.
"Take him to the Northern shore just a few clicks from here and then come in from behind," he whispered, the two snorting as they took off before he turned to the army coming at him.
Crouching down, he lunged forward and crossed hundreds of feet in the blink of an eye, both Zuko and Azula leaping back as he crashed feet first into their ship.
To everyone's surprise, the ship's hull was lifted out of the water for a brief moment before it slammed back down, but it was enough to make them remember the tales of the monster currently standing with a frown.
"It hasn't been that long since we last saw each other, Zuko. You miss me that much?" Toji asked with a smirk, Azula being the first to recover as her smile turned sharp.
"Well, you certainly know how to make an entrance."
"And you don't know how to take no for an answer. I told you that I'm not going to be your slave nor your pet or whatever it is you want me to be."
"Toji, while I believe this to be a bad idea, I do also wish to protect my little sister," Zuko spoke up with a frown as he stepped to the side, Azula's smile thinning when Toji raised an eyebrow at his words.
"What's a bad idea?"
"We have come to offer you something in exchange for your services and loyalty."
"Urgh, let me guess. It's either gold, land or titles, which is the usual for you people."
"No. Instead, we have decided to offer you, my hand in marriage. Of course, as my husband-to-be, you shall also be my proxy and hold my power should anything happen to me," she replied with a grandiose smile, but his reaction made her pause as he just raised an eyebrow at her.
"I'm currently in a relationship with one of the strongest earthbenders in the Earth Kingdom that is also blind and has invented a sub-bending known as metalbending...and you expect yourself to be on the same level?"
"A relationship? How...touching," The mocking tone wasn't lost on him and Toji narrowed his eyes before he nodded and took off Yangchen's staff. Holding both it and Kuruk's spear in hand, he stared down the army as they all took a step forward.
"Here's how this is going to go. You stop trying to make me into your pet and you take your army back home. In exchange, all of you get to return back to your friends and families."
"And if we don't listen?"
"Then, only you four will return, though not with all of your limbs intact," Toji replied with a thin smile, which Azula returned before she shook her head.
"I'll have to decline on that. Officers of the Fire Nation! Here is your target!" she exclaimed, pointing at him as Toji narrowed his eyes.
Well, no one can say that he didn't try the peaceful route.
A/N: And we end this one here~! Okay, check-up at the doctor went a lot longer than I expected and as it turns out, the stomach thing is just a regular stomach bug.
The headache thing however, is because I have tonsillitis. Not an extreme case thankfully so there was no need for surgery, but I'm going to have to cancel the chapters for My Dad and He Who Is Death for tomorrow because ibuprofen and the throat medicine I got have me dizzy and high as a kite.
Thankfully, doc said that it's only for the first couple of days so by Monday, I should be okay to write and by next week Sunday, it should be gone.
Anyway, back to the story! We got Toji now facing off against an army.
Like always, you can go to my Pat-reon-.-com-/-KingCrimsonNova to read ahead on this as well as many other stories & even some that haven't been released out to this site yet. If you want to, you are free to, but if you don't want, all's good as I will still be uploading here. This is just me trying to get some extra cash.
Anyway, as always, read, enjoy, review and until the next one…
Ba-Bye~!