ALL OF US --!!

Willow didn’t regret being the bearer of bad news. Hiding the truth wouldn’t have changed it, the world was at war and needed the Avatar to find a way to put an end to it.

“We will be honored to have the Avatar and his fierceful dragon as our guests. Please, follow me.”

With that, she began heading back to camp, carrying an only half full net. It wasn’t much, but they often had to make do with what little they could find.

“I suppose you will resume your journey towards the Northern Water Tribe afterwards, correct?”

“No, I’ll need to...”

Those words came instantly but they died just as swiftly.

What did he need to do?

The sound of his footsteps were the only noise he made for a few moments, thoughts somehow flying too fast to comprehend while also being utterly still.

How?

The stream of flames dispersed when Rook backed off. She had gone all out on that attack, it really shouldn’t have missed.

And now she needed to get away from before the monster could strike. But how? She couldn’t use the cinder step to jump off a building. Suddenly, figuring out flight didn’t seem like such a bad idea.

Geoferd’s sudden appearance startled her, but her instinct made her react pretty quickly and joined in, summoning her flames and directing them at the beast.

“This asshole better go down!” She had plans for the weekend, dying there would have been rather inconvenient.

This wasn’t the first time that Geoferd was very, very thankful that demons didn’t leave behind blood and guts.  The beast drew close enough that ridges in its beak were visible, even as the attacks tore through most of its abdomen, but, maul gaping, the injury suddenly rippled outwards.

Only ash rained upon them.  

A small tremble tore through Geoferd and he frowned.  Demons weren’t known to be able to resurrect once they fell to ash, but he’d hurt some terrifying rumors as a child, so he still eyed the falling dust with some apprehension.  

He lowered his bow, but kept it by his side.

Well, she supposed that was a good explanation.

Rook reached for her flute. She figured she could try gathering a few more money before heading back.

“It was nice talking to you again. Perhaps we should consider meeting at some tea shop. At least I could get myself to be a little more presentable.”

Chatting could be much more pleasant when you’re not covered in dust.

“Thank you for sharing that with me. It wasn’t my place to ask, that was very ungrateful of me. If anybody asks, I’ll say I got it from the wind.”

She was many things, but she wasn’t a snitch.

“Tea shop?”

Well, Rezon couldn’t exactly disagree with that notion and he peered over at her, some interest in wide eyes.

“I don’t believe I’ve gotten to try anything of note in this area, so I’d be happy to do so.”

Suki stood with her fan folded but still in hand, she watched curious now as the man from the Fire Nation explained how he had got to her island.

“Was it the  Unagi?” Suki asked curious “It roams near out island.”

Although she knew there could be another reason to why his ship was attacked so she added.

“Are did something else attack you?”

She knew those things happened, the sea had many creatures, many enemies on it, yet when it it the man where he was he added he would keep his distance from them.

“Well do you not need help? We will offer you help.” Suki responded a bit taken aback

@lesserlovedlovelies

“No,” Rezon sighed, frowning at the unruly state his hair remained in.  With all of it pulled around to lay flatly over his right shoulder, he could only imagine he looked quite pathetic, basically pouting, too.

“I believe they were earthbenders, some rebel force attacking the ship as they passed by. Such is the way of war.”  He didn’t hold anything against them.  If anything, he understood.  They were fighting for their lives, just as the Fire Nation was fighting for their supposed destiny.  

At her offer, he simply gave a small grin, bringing his hands together in front of him and bowing.

Most would think the volcano erupted  without warning, but there had been small earth quakes for days before now.  Roku had made sure she and the other got off the island before he fought the volcano.

She was surprised to see the fire Lord here but Roku wasn’t around and she had asked with wide tearful eyes where her husband was.

“Gone?” She questioned shaken

she clutched her chest, they were old this was going to happen soon, one of them  was bond to die sooner or later. Yet still , yet still she felt her tears slip.

“I can’t believe this.. What about the volcano?  is it still? I can’t believe it took my husband.”

She held her mouth, her home, her husband was gone, where would she go now? She was just glad her daughter was on Ember Island away from all this, she would have to tell her the news to.

“Everything is gone…” she whispered upset

@lesserlovedlovelies

Roku has died so that the Fire Nation can GROW.

Those are the words circling in his mind, endlessly, chasing one another like he and Roku had chased each other as children.

He’s not even looking at her anymore, staring through her, eyes glassy, his dragon circling overhead in continuous arc.  Perhaps it was unsettled by Fang’s death.  They were quite intelligent animals, and possibly spiritual too.

He exhaled, inclining his head the slightest bit.

“Avatar Roku gave his life to halt the volcano’s fury.  Unfortunately, with the sheer amount of ash and debris, it is likely not feasible for you to continue dwelling there.”

He turned away.   

Mai could tell that Roku was quite taken her back by her words, she couldn’t blame him a lot of time had passed and a lot had changed. The news that Sozin had a son seemed to shock him, maybe she should give him a quick royal history and she knew she was about to add to his shock.

“Well did you think even a man as powerful as Sozin could live that long? “ she asked dryly “Sozin had a son called Azulon whom married Illah, they had two son the oldest if Iroh  but he’s not around at the moment then his youngest son became Fire Lord.”

It was usual but apparently it been Azulon’s last wish, Roku said he wanted to meet the fire Lord and she knew a  way in for him.

“Well I’m childhood friends with Fire Lord Ozai’s children, I can enter the place to go see them you shall come as my guest but  I warn you they might not be as welcoming as I am.”

@lesserlovedlovelies

“Of course, thank you.”

Remembering his manners, Roku brought his hands in front of him and bowed. 

He forced himself to keep up the friendly, easygoing appearance the Avatar needed to have.  An inhale.  An exhale.  

Surely, if the Spirits saw fit to bring him here, there was a reason?

They may not be as welcoming; those words echoed in his head and tied his stomach into knots.

Joey laughed a bit. 

“Natural climate indeed.”

If it kept the fire nation out, then Joey hoped it would get even colder. Of course, it hadn’t seemed to have helped their sister tribe much. Every waterbender had been taken prisoner at some point, and the tribe never fully recovered from it. They hadn’t had contact in decades.

They needed to fix that.

Maybe, if he was lucky, he’d be able to visit the sister tribe on their travels, though they would need a boat of some kind.

Ah, the days seemed to fly; they always did when one’s time with their beloved was limited.  

Before Rezon knew it, he was hugging Meri tight, wishing her farewell, and heading towards the dock.  

He prepared to step onto the boat, and peered over his shoulder at the young man.  

Joey looked up and was surprised to see the man offering him a hand. He took it gingerly and stood up, only to find the dragon watching him. 

A real dragon- he could hardly believe what he was looking at. They’d been extinct for years. Or so the world thought.

“His name is Arnook and he’s a very reasonable man. I can show you to him, but, you’re….going to get some weird looks.”

Roku reached out and patted Fang, a mutual understanding for him to stay here.  There was something in the dragon’s eyes, something that gave Roku a brief pause, but he brushed it off.  

Joey was glad to hear the man laugh and couldn’t fight a smile of his own. There was something so infectious about Iroh’s general happy personality. 

“I’ll have to give it a shot sometime.”

He thought back to his original question, wondering what it would take for Iroh to do anything. 

“Though, I doubt you’d do just anything for even the most delicious tea.”

“What, poisoning myself wasn’t a good enough story for you?”  Perhaps those words are a bit sharper than they should be, than they usually are for Iroh, as he inclined his head, a hand resting on his forehead.

He paused, wondering how best to answer the question that the young man wasn’t dropping.  

“I think it’s a very dangerous question.  There are things in this world that should not change, no matter how desperately we may want them to.  Sure, I could--” a small hiccup, a small pause, “--could wish for my son to return.  But, if he had not... passed, then things would be very different now.”

More than likely, Iroh would be Firelord, commanding this war with just as much fury and dedication as his brother did.