In my headcanon, the imperial firebenders are the most elite unit in the domestic forces of the Fire Nation. And the domestic forces are basically dregs, with almost everything of value - and the actual most elite units - being committed to the front lines. The imperial firebenders definitely don't seem as skilled with fire as the Yuyan archers are with bow and arrow, for example.
Well, that just indicates good prioritization on the part of the royal family that they're willing to deploy the most elite units somewhere they can actually do some good and rely on their own world-class personal power to make up the difference in their personal security.
That also means that if we discover a need to have an actual top-tier combat unit under our direct command, we should just reassign an existing one rather than try to reinvent a training course from the ground up. For one thing, the existing units have years and years of actual experience rather than armchair theorizing.
Yeah, I'm sort of up in the air about how to handle the Imperial Firebenders. They're difficult to work with because it's implied all the time that they're the best the Fire Nation has, but in the show we only ever see them in action when they're getting roflstomped by main characters. I'm trying to figure out how to handle that without implying that the Fire Nation's army is just low-quality overall.
I didn't pay much attention to the uniforms when I watched the show, but the wiki seems to think the actual Imperial Firebenders mostly showed up in ceremonial roles, and their only real combat showing was rather conspicuously flubbing an attempt to capture Zuko and Iroh, directly after Azula warned them that she knew they'd hesitate to attack even disgraced royals. That particular failure doesn't seem hard to explain by means other than incompetence.
That also means that if we discover a need to have an actual top-tier combat unit under our direct command, we should just reassign an existing one rather than try to reinvent a training course from the ground up.
By all means, do tell which unit of elite firebenders we'd pick, because I don't recall any ever being named, MAYBE if you consider the Southern Raiders elite which is up for debate. And even if we could reassign them, that means having to be lucky enough to be able to pull said elite unit from whatever task they were doing to help us, potentially on extended assignment. If we need to make up new elite units for this anyway, and we want to be sure to have access to them when we need them then why not go with the training plan for the "Elite" unit whose only job it is to guard and assist the Royal Family on and off the battlefield?
Just as a general statement... I know that Akane is a villainous/imperialistic protagonist and there's a decent amount of the player base that would like to keep her that way. But when you make arguments for Akane being a conqueror, I'd just really prefer it if we did so without throwing in examples of why any particular real-life war really was good or why any particular real-life empire really did uplift the territories it occupied. We get discussions like that on fiction.live every once in a while and it's not something I really enjoy.
so, why exactly do we care about the northern water tribe? they live way the hell over in the pole and don't have the numbers to be a threat. why can't we just leave them to their irrelevance?
It didn't achieve its primary objective at all. First Nations came out of the process resolutely separatist from the Canadian polity, outraged, and culturally traumatized. It did not work, even by the colonialist standards of the Canadian state. First Nations had been more willing before the residential school process to integrate than they were afterwards.
And no, that's stupid, given we all watched the actual show and saw what actually happened- peace between the four nations, even if you take the comics at face value. That didn't need to end in re-education camps either.
That is because "assimilation" wasn't the intention, at that point in time the Canadians wanted to damage the culture of the natives as much as possible in a way that wouldn't rile up the average non racist canadian, that they wanted to assimilate the natives was the lie the racist told everyone else and you just have to take a look that the program to know it. I....
Just as a general statement... I know that Akane is a villainous/imperialistic protagonist and there's a decent amount of the player base that would like to keep her that way. But when you make arguments for Akane being a conqueror, I'd just really prefer it if we did so without throwing in examples of why any particular real-life war really was good or why any particular real-life empire really did uplift the territories it occupied. We get discussions like that on fiction.live every once in a while and it's not something I really enjoy.
Fair enough. But i think people should remember that humans are tribal by nature, modern morals, heck civilization as a whole are a social construct people grow into, adapt and learn. Without its pressures A LOT of people are fine with things that would be considered unethical or inmoral and internet anons are a good example of this.
Anyways no more real life examples and comparisons from me and if you aren't comfortable with the direction the player base is taking the quest you should tell us.
so, why exactly do we care about the northern water tribe? they live way the hell over in the pole and don't have the numbers to be a threat. why can't we just leave them to their irrelevance?
They are irrelevant as a threat, but you wouldn't need much to get rid of them, all it takes its one air ship captain with 'initiative' deciding to burn them the day of the comet and they would join the air benders, heck that is probably what was happening with the southern water tribes, a couple of captains seeking glory hunting/capturing water benders at the start, followed by bored captains trying to repeat the same feat then getting pissed when all they could find were "water benders" that couldn't bend an ice cube IE Kataras mom. The fire benders hunting the dragons to near extinction speaks about their culture and the desire for personal glory.
No, but I suspect that by, "ethnic cleansing," he meant, "cultural genocide." Eradication of their culture, and complete assimilation into FN culture, instead of slaughtering them.
No, but I suspect that by, "ethnic cleansing," he meant, "cultural genocide." Eradication of their culture, and complete assimilation into FN culture, instead of slaughtering them.
There actually is a difference between Ethnic Cleansing and Genocide.
Ethnic Cleansing is the relocation of a socio-economic/religious/ethnic group through use of coercion [a process which can range from arbitrary arrests, taxation, all the way up to terror attacks and massacres][An example of this would be the flight of Hindus to India and Muslims to Pakistan shortly after Ghandi's death], while Genocide is the systematic murder and Annihilation of a socio-economic/religious/ethnic group. [Examples: Holocaust, Armenian Genocide, Yugoslav Wars in the 1990s] Both stem from similar causes and overlap to a degree, but they are ultimately different beasts. (Note: Both are reprehensible, though I don't think that Ethnic Cleansing is a charge that can be prosecuted by the ICC. I'd have to check though; it's been a while since I've read up on the court.)
I think I can safely say (from observations of the A-Kun thread) that neither of those are the goal of Akane's conquest. Assimilation, yes. Fusion of Earth Kingdom culture with that of the Fire Nation? Yes. Genocide and Ethnic Cleansing? No. People are adamantly against Ozai's comet plan as well, which is somewhere between coordinates attacks and just burning down the entire Earth kingdom.
They are irrelevant as a threat, but you wouldn't need much to get rid of them, all it takes its one air ship captain with 'initiative' deciding to burn them the day of the comet and they would join the air benders, heck that is probably what was happening with the southern water tribes, a couple of captains seeking glory hunting/capturing water benders at the start, followed by bored captains trying to repeat the same feat then getting pissed when all they could find were "water benders" that couldn't bend an ice cube IE Kataras mom. The fire benders hunting the dragons to near extinction speaks about their culture and the desire for personal glory.
The whole hunting down waterbenders situation was probably ordered by Azulon in an attempt to hunt down the presumably reborn waterbender Avatar, given that the cycle goes from Air to Water and he probably assumed that his father succeeded in killing the air bender avatar by genociding the Air Nomads.
Ethnic Cleansing is the relocation of a socio-economic/religious/ethnic group through use of coercion [a process which can range from arbitrary arrests, taxation, all the way up to terror attacks and massacres][An example of this would be the flight of Hindus to India and Muslims to Pakistan shortly after Ghandi's death], while Genocide is the systematic murder and Annihilation of a socio-economic/religious/ethnic group. [Examples: Holocaust, Armenian Genocide, Yugoslav Wars in the 1990s] Both stem from similar causes and overlap to a degree, but they are ultimately different beasts.
That's all well and good as specific legal terminology but you do realize the Yugoslav wars of the 90s were where the term was created to most of the "western" world and all your examples are retroactively applied with the new definition.
That's all well and good as specific legal terminology but you do realize the Yugoslav wars of the 90s were where the term was created to most of the "western" world and all your examples are retroactively applied with the new definition.
You're trying to disassociate the term Ethnic Cleansing from Genocide and then using the Yugoslav wars as an example of Genocide when they're pretty much single-handedly responsible for the modern use of the term Ethnic Cleansing.
I dunno if it's just me, but if that's your plan it needs to go back to the drawing board.
EDIT: Like my chain of logic here is
To most people, Yugoslav wars = Ethnic Cleansing, whether that's right or wrong is immaterial as it's really just a matter of perception.
You then come in with: Ethnic Cleansing /=/ Genocide but Yugoslav wars = Genocide.
Surely you can see why that may cause some disconnect?
You're trying to disassociate the term Ethnic Cleansing from Genocide and then using the Yugoslav wars as an example of Genocide when they're pretty much single-handedly responsible for the modern use of the term Ethnic Cleansing.
I dunno if it's just me, but if that's your plan it needs to go back to the drawing board.
EDIT: Like my chain of logic here is
To most people, Yugoslav wars = Ethnic Cleansing, whether that's right or wrong is immaterial as it's really just a matter of perception.
You then come in with: Ethnic Cleansing /=/ Genocide but Yugoslav wars = Genocide.
Surely you can see why that may cause some disconnect?
Oh, yeah I see. I actually had a long (but polite) debate with one of my teachers over the topic of whether the Yugoslav wars were a genocide and came away convinced that they were. However, the point can be argued as to whether or not they are, but I'm not willing to debate or discuss that topic and get this thread even more off track. Therefore, I respectfully disagree with your assessment, but concede that the point may be up to interpretation.
We had a lot of big debates/discussions about worldbuilding today, and I ended up being persuaded to retcon the Fire Nation literacy rate given in Zuko's interlude to be ninety instead of seventy-five percent. The Fire Nation doesn't have conscription apparently so the school system is the main way they keep people funneling into the military. Sorry for the trouble ^_^'
Stop: This is your daily reminder that genocide is bad
this is your daily reminder that genocide is bad
Ahem. Genocide is bad. Advocating it is also bad, under Rule 2.
@Chaoswind has been removed from the thread permanently. Please do not respond to him further, as he will not be able to respond.
On a related note, the tangential discussion regarding the definifions of ethnic cleansing and genocide has gone rather afield from the topic of the story. It stops now.
I'm sorry for all the trouble. Chat for this quest both on fiction.live and on here I guess has tended to get pretty far afield, and I'm not very good at keeping it under control. I hope it doesn't impact people's ability to enjoy the story.
Here's the final part of Chapter 5. Thank you all for reading! Let me know what you think.
-----
"Durjaya," you murmur. "That's a fine name. Does it have its roots in the Earth Kingdom, or the Fire Nation?"
Durjaya seethes.
"The Earth Kingdom," he lies through his teeth.
Azula snorts. You incline your head.
"Of course," you say. "You know, even with the war, I've always appreciated what a charming, quaint culture the Earth Kingdom -"
"The Earth Kingdom is a noble culture!" Durjaya explodes. You nudge Azula's foot under the table to keep her from interrupting, and hold up a hand to forestall the guard before he can strike him. "Our country isn't quaint!"
'Our' country, 'noble' culture. Who filled his head with these things? How did they convince him? He certainly didn't learn this in school; Fire Nation schools don't spread propaganda pretending that the Earth Kingdom's 'culture' is noble, or even that the Earth Kingdom has a unified culture at all.
"Forgive me," you say. "I imagine that, being a citizen of the colonies, your schooling must have taught you a great deal about the Earth Kingdom."
He scoffs. "As if we have schools in Yu Dao," he says. "As if the Fire Nation has schools at all. You just lock kids in a building and tell them how superior you are all day. And send any kids who complain to die in the mines."
Children don't die in reform schools, that's absurd. And even children in the homeland are subject to being sent to reform school if necessary. But you can see how an Earth Kingdom propagandist could try to convince someone that there are similarities between reform schools and labor camps; they do both involve working in mines.
You already know who sent the assassins, and you have competent investigators with solid leads on finding the remaining conspirators. This information - information about what propaganda the Earth Kingdom is using to recruit people - is likely the most valuable thing you can get from Durjaya, long-term.
Ask Durjaya if that happened to someone he knew. (23)
Correct Durjaya - tell him no one dies in reform school. (2)
Tell Durjaya he has only himself to blame if he failed to benefit from all the Fire Nation has done for him. (1)
"Did that happen to someone you knew?" you ask gently.
A flicker of pain crosses his face. Genuine pain.
"Everyone knows someone it's happened to," he bites out. He's deflecting - this is personal for him, there's something there. "I don't have anything to say to you."
It shouldn't be possible for someone to die in a reform school - if he knows someone who did, how did it happen? An abusive school? Or - actually, it could simply be the case that he knew a repeat offender, someone who was transferred out of reform school to an actual prison. Children don't die in reform schools, but if a child or teenager - especially an earthbender, perhaps - continued to cause trouble, or even engage in treasonous activities... they could have certainly been transferred away.
You'd guess that it was a sibling, so... you have a fifty-fifty chance.
"Your brother?" you ask, voice still gentle.
He tenses. "Shut up."
Brother it is.
"If a child died in a reform school, that is a terrible tragedy," you say sympathetically.
"Shut up!" he snaps.
He's shutting down. You're not sure if sympathy will make him open up about this.
Tell him that, if he had gone to the authorities, you're certain they would have helped. (25)
Give Azula a turn. (25)
Provoke him. Tell him that his experience is no reason to disregard all the things the Fire Nation has done for his people. (12)
Tell him that we will look into what he told us, and if it's true, there will be changes made (8)
"If you tell me what I need to know, then I can open a formal investigation into your brother's death" (6)
Keep poking. Claim the fact he is deflecting just shows he is lying, making up a story to defend his actions about some mysterious person that this happened to. He'll tell us inevitably just to "prove us wrong" (5)
"If you had gone to the authorities," you press gently, "I'm certain they would have done their best to stop this."
"Stop it? The authorities are the ones doing it!" he snaps. "Why would they try to stop it?"
You nudge Azula's foot with yours.
"So you decided that the only way you could solve it was on your own," Azula says disdainfully. "And the best plan you could come up with was to lash out against the Fire Nation. Congratulations. I'm sure your brother would be proud; you've probably repeated exactly what got him killed in the first place."
"He didn't do anything!" Durjaya shouts, slamming his fist on the table. He tries to stand; the guard slams him back into his chair. You hold up your hand to stop the guard from knocking him out. "He was a child! You killed a child!"
"How do you even know he's dead?" Azula asks, raising an eyebrow. "Maybe he just ran off to live in the mud with the rest of your precious Earth Kingdom peasants."
"They disappeared him!" Durjaya snaps. "They sent him to prison and wouldn't tell us where! Do you think we're stupid? We know about the prisons! We know about the camps! You're rounding us up and killing us!"
You must have been right - the brother must have been transferred from a reform school to a prison. Of course they wouldn't give his family his location if he'd done something serious enough to warrant being sent to prison; the family would have likely been under suspicion too - they're natives who raised a child with countercultural tendencies. There wasn't necessarily any particular abuse that took place; the child might not even be dead, just imprisoned. Still, if Earth Kingdom agents are telling people about Father's labor policies, and just blurring the lines a bit...
"Why would we round you up and kill you?" you ask. "The Fire Nation is here to help you."
"You're not here to help us," Durjaya spits. "You're here to take from us. Our families, our lives, our money -"
"You people had nothing before we got here," Azula reminds him.
"We had land!" Durjaya says incredulously. "The same land you ash-makers are getting rich on now! Do you think we're stupid? Do you think any of us think we're better off now? You stole everything from us and all of us know it! And we're taking it back!"
It seems you've got him talking. He seems volatile - easily led from topic to topic. But which would get more details out of him - letting him rant, or pushing back against his ideas?
Say nothing; let him rant. (26)
+If his rant starts to run out of steam, say something that you know will anger him. (19)
Tell him that the people who own land in Yu Dao today did not take it from anyone. What right does he have to ask them to give it away? (11)
Discus fire nation property laws. He may not know he was eligible to purchase and own land prior to attempted murder. (9)
Poke Azula, signalling for her to keep going. (7)
He continues without any prompting.
"The governor lives in a palace on our ancestors' land! We live in slums!" he raves. "We have to pay ash-makers for food instead of growing it! We have to go to schools that tell us we're inferior and work in forges that make weapons to kill our own people! We hammer iron that was mined by slaves!"
It's arguable whether they live in 'slums'.
"You can parade around your pet traitors all you want, but the real people of Yu Dao see right through you," Durjaya sneers. "The Earth Kingdom hasn't forgotten us, and we haven't forgotten who we are. Killing me won't make a difference. We're going to drive you ash-makers back to the sea."
Is that all he has to say?
"The only people in Yu Dao who've forgotten who they are," you murmur, "are the people who believe they are not citizens of the Fire Nation."
Durjaya opens his mouth to yell at you again - then pauses, grits his teeth, and sits back in his seat.
"I don't have anything to say to you," he says.
Azula tries to provoke him again, but it seems like he's finally shut down completely. Getting him to talk more is a matter for people whose time is less important than yours. And now you have at least some idea of the rhetoric and the complaints of the rebels - the reform schools, the prisons, land ownership, the war itself. The labor camps, especially. It's enough to give you a place to start for future research.
You leave the prison.
* * * * *
You aren't in a position to enact major changes in colonial policy - the most you could do would be to talk to Father about it. But you still take time to think it over, of course. The conversation suggested several points of contention for the natives that the Mayor and his family never brought up.
The labor camps are obviously an issue. You've always thought Father's policy of forced labor would be counterproductive and stir dissent, and this seems to confirm it. Now that the natives have heard rumors of the labor camps and the killings, it seems that some of them believe that all Fire Nation prisons and reform schools are really just death camps. It's true that prisoners are often used for labor, especially in the colonies, but that doesn't mean that you're 'rounding up' the Earth Kingdom natives and killing them. You'll have trouble convincing the natives otherwise, though.
The other issues he raised were more unexpected. Apparently teaching the natives about the Fire Nation's virtues might in itself cause some dissent among a portion of them. If they've been told by people they trust - perhaps family, or foreign agents who somehow convinced them of their trustworthiness - that the Fire Nation's culture is evil and the Earth Kingdom's culture has value, they may be biased against the content of your schools' curriculum. That would cause them to be disgusted by it rather than persuaded. Perhaps the curriculum could be modified to attempt to find decent things to say about the Earth Kingdom, to mollify their wounded pride, but that would run the risk of causing people to believe the Fire Nation's conquest is unjustified. Land ownership was also not an issue you had heard much about as a cause of dissent here, but you suppose it makes sense. The land was divvied up by the original colonists, and although natives now have the right to purchase land you imagine that there are few of them with the money to do so; it's fairly valuable, now that Yu Dao is so developed.
On the whole, you think...
The situation does not provide the natives with the full benefits of being Fire Nation citizens, and will require reform. There is not currently enough groundwork for the problems to disappear on their own over time. (38)
+ This reinforces your opinion that Father's forced labor policies are a mistake. (32)
+ You think that ending Father's forced labor policies would not really provide much benefit after all, as there are too many other issues causing dissent.
The situation has some unfair elements for the natives, but they are acceptable for the sake of bringing civilization to this land. The problems will disappear on their own with growing prosperity. (4)
Most of the issues can be explained away by the older population glorifying the good ol' days. The rest can be solved by forcing the worst of the offending businesses into being less offensive. (2)
The situation is unfair to the natives, but the unfair elements - like land ownership - can not realistically be corrected, by reforms or by time. They are simply unfortunate side effects of the colonial process, and must be accepted as such. (1)
The prevailing opinion among the authorities of established colonies like Yu Dao seems to be that the inequality in the colonies is minor and will eventually fade away as general prosperity continues to increase. Or, at least, that's how the Mayor and the Governor talk; perhaps they simply didn't want to be up front with you about the problems they face here. Either way, it seems clear that that is an overly optimistic view of the colonies.
The forced labor camps are obviously a problem that is undermining the long-term stability of the region, but even after they're removed you'll still have reforms to make. The descendants of the Earth Kingdom natives currently don't have the opportunities they need to fully experience the benefits of Fire Nation citizenship. The gulf in economic power between them and the colonists is vast enough that it will likely tend to reinforce itself rather than fade over time, if left alone. There may be inequalities in how the legal system is applied to colonists and natives, even setting aside the issue of Father's labor camps. And you'll likely need a more nuanced approach to integrating your new citizens than simply educating them about the virtues of the Fire Nation; there may be more effective ways to encourage assimilation.
You may not have a plan yet, but it's clear this is something you'll need to think about as you prepare to take the throne.
* * * * *
97 AC (15 years old)
Yu Dao: Capitol Training Grounds
"Oh, oh, this time - watch this!" Kori shouts. She stomps and lifts an earthen barrier out of the ground between the three of you and the training dummies. "Okay, Princess Azula, get ready! I'll lift you up on a platform so you can shoot!"
"I'm already ready," Azula says.
"Right! Okay, here we go!"
You smile to yourself at her enthusiasm; it's starting to grow on you, to be honest. She reminds you of Ty Lee. That's probably why Azula likes her, too.
Kori bends a pillar of earth out of the ground under Azula, lifting her high enough to fire over the wall. Azula rapidly sends a series of firebolts flying downrange. You can't see where they hit, but you can hear the impacts against the dummies.
"Amazing!" Kori gushes, peering around the side of the wall. She lowers Azula back to ground level.
"I know," Azula says, flicking her hair back. Kori beams at her.
"Okay, Princess Akane, your turn!" Kori tells you. "If you want!"
You incline your head. "Certainly."
"Okay, get ready!"
Having earth bent under you is a slightly disorienting sensation - the ground beneath you just suddenly abruptly lifts itself up. But you don't stop moving when the pillar below you does; you make use of the motion, launching yourself into a leap. You flip over Kori's barrier and descend with an explosive fire kick, washing away half the training yard in flame. Kori's barrier holds, protecting her and Azula from the torrent.
It can be enjoyable to let loose occasionally. And if there's one thing you've learned from studying airbending techniques, it's to never squander momentum.
"That was incredible!" Kori gushes, rushing over the cinders to join you. "I've never seen that big an explosion!"
You incline your head to her. "Well, you provided me with my lift-off," you say.
Kori grins proudly. "Anytime, Princess!"
Azula gives you a flat look. "Congratulations," she says. "You've managed to squander four perfectly good training dummies. Again. Must you always make it so difficult to train with you?"
You bow apologetically. "Forgive me, little sister," you say. "I am, as always, indebted to your limitless patience."
"Obviously."
"What do you want to do next, Princess?" Kori asks eagerly.
Mitsuko is resting again after an exhausting day working in the forge, so you've been taking some time to train with Kori and Azula. What should you focus on?
Ask Kori to teach you about some earthbending forms so you can experiment with using them for firebending. (33)
+Take this chance to ask Kori about how the other colony children are doing around here. (10)
Practice ways to fight in tandem with an allied earthbender, rather than against them. (8)
See if Azula wants to do something in particular. (6)
Practice sparring against Kori, or against Kori and Azula at the same time. (4)
"I'm curious..." you say. "Do you think you could show me some earthbending forms, Kori?"
"Yeah, totally!" she says. "What do you want to see?"
"Start with the basics," you say. You smile to her. "I've always found that learning from the styles of other benders can help improve my firebending. I would be very grateful if you would teach me - and my sister, if she would like to join - whatever you can."
"I would be honored, Princess!" Kori exclaims.
The basic premise of most Earthbending, as you already know, is a steady stance and solid footing; an earthbender must be unmovable, rooted, steadfast. But there's more to it than that, Kori says - earthbending isn't passive defense, it's about waiting for or creating opportunities. Ideally, you strike only at the moment when the motion of a single pebble can start an avalanche. You quickly grasp that the forms she shows you aren't just solid and stable for the sake of defense - an earthbender stays stable at all times so that they're ready to move at all times, so that they're always balanced and prepared to strike effectively when the opportunity arises. It's a very different approach from firebending and airbending - those styles stay constantly on the move, always building up momentum and trying to push foes on the defensive. It's difficult to switch between that and the steady patience of earthbending. Fully integrating earthbending into your fighting style will require a great deal of adaptability and -
Adaptability. Isn't adaptability considered a hallmark of waterbending? You had been just been reflecting on adaptability the other day, but hadn't quite made that specific connection... interesting.
Avatar Roku mastered fire first, then air, then water, then earth. The Avatar always studies the four elements in a specific order. Perhaps there's something to it.
* * * * *
97 AC (15 years old)
Yu Dao: Taro Gou's Smithy
A week passes. You spend your days providing the flame for Mitsuko's blacksmithing and your evenings learning about earthbending with Kori and Azula. Piandao spends his nights out in the city, helping with the investigation - you have no idea when the man sleeps, but he provides you with daily reports in the mornings that assure you the investigation is going well. The people who perpetrated the mass poisoning of the garrison are rounded up over the course of the week; Piandao believes that none of them successfully escaped the city. The poisoners are sent to prison - they didn't actually kill anyone, so you deign to have mercy - but the would-be assassins are, of course, publicly hanged. Including Durjaya.
By the time the week ends, the investigation has succeeded. And so has Mitsuko's forging.
Her sword is beautiful.
"This is some of the finest steel I've ever seen," Gou compliments. "And perfectly balanced. A fantastic blade. You and your father are truly gifted."
"This was Mitsuko's work, not mine," Piandao says. "She hardly needed any help from me."
He and Gou exchange compliments back and forth, but you have eyes only for Mitsuko, and for the sword she holds as delicately as a newborn in her hands. It's a jian, like her father's, but you can't imagine anyone ever mistaking the sword to be anyone but hers. It belongs in her hand. It's hard to describe. The blade looks more silvery than her father's, and she made her guard a little thicker. It's just slightly longer than her father's sword, too. Maybe she's still a little optimistic about her future height. They're little details, nothing dramatic - there's no solemn inscription, no carved dragons. But the sword conveys that it's hers nonetheless.
"It suits you," you murmur to her. "Like an extension of you."
She looks up at you, wide-eyed, and smiles.
"Like a extra-long, really sharp arm," she breathes.
Her smile is contagious. "Exactly," you agree.
She looks back down at the sword cradled in her hands.
"You can tell that your fire is in it," she says quietly.
"I -" Why are you stuttering? "You can?" you ask neutrally.
She nods. She looks up, and your eyes meet.
It's extremely warm in this forge.
"I'm glad," you say after a moment.
"Me too," she murmurs. "I'm glad."
She has this wide, innocently happy smile on her face, as she looks down again, it's...
"It feels almost like it's alive," she says quietly. "I feel like I should name it or something?"
"What would you name it?" you ask.
"Uh," she says. She grimaces. It pains you to see. She should be smiling. "I don't actually know. Um. I, uh - I feel like I should've come up with a name sooner, I have no idea, um..."
"It's alright, take your time," you say soothingly. "It deserves a beautiful name."
"Akane," she blurts.
"Yes?" you ask.
"W-what?" she asks, looking up.
You look at her. "What?"
"N-nothing," she mumbles, looking hastily down again. "Um."
"Alright..."
"I can't think of any original names," she mumbles dejectedly. "Maybe I should just name it Mitsuko."
You look between her and the sword. "That is your name, Mitsuko."
"Mitsuko Junior," she mumbles.
You look at her.
"I think it's alright to take your time," you say.
You hear a muffled noise and glance over to see that Piandao and Taro Gou are actually still standing there. Gou is looking away, and Piandao has a hand over his mouth, expression neutral.
You raise an eyebrow at the two of them.
"I'll go fetch the pieces you had commissioned, Princess," Gou says immediately, bowing as he leaves. Piandao doesn't even make an excuse, just leaves with him.
Mitsuko looks up at you again, her eyes sparkling with unshed tears.
"I'm really a swordswoman now, Akane," she says quietly. "I've been training for this my whole life."
You nod, stepping closer. You aren't sure why.
"I have a sword now," she whispers. "I did it."
"It's perfect," you say, your throat oddly tight. "It suits you."
"It suits you," she echoes. "You're perfect."
She sheathes the sword and starts to bow, but you stop her before she can, your hands on her shoulders. It's a reflex. You've had it since you met her; the first thing you ever said to her was to stop her from bowing.
You can see in her eyes that she remembers.
"The sword belongs to you too," she whispers. "Always. It's for you. I couldn't have made it without you."
She is so, so close. You can't look away from her eyes.
"You could have," you say quietly. "I know you could have."
She nods, hesitantly. She doesn't look away. She could. Even if you can't, she could.
"I didn't want to," she whispers.
Kiss her on the lips. (23)
+ ensure no one is looking if we kiss. (12)
Hug and Nuzzle (13)
Kiss her cheek again. (8)
Step back. (1)
You don't know why you do it. But her lips are soft, and she kisses you back. For a moment it's as simple as that.
Only a moment.
You pull hastily away after only a second. A short, short second. Your heart pounding, partially with fear. Mitsuko stares at you, her eyes wide and grey and beautiful and -
What's wrong with you?
You tear your gaze away and look around the room. Gou and Piandao aren't back, you're alone. No one saw. No one you can see. You don't know. You can't be sure. What were you thinking?
Mitsuko's hand gently turns your cheek back towards her. Your eyes meet again.
Ah. That's what you were thinking.
Your mouth opens but you can't think of what you were going to say. Mitsuko opens her mouth too, then hesitates, then hesitates again. She says nothing.
You step back -
Mitsuko steps with you, and her lips are on yours again.
Kiss her back. (24)
+Wrap your arms around her. (14)
Stop it, this is too much, you'll be seen. (13)
You don't know what you're doing. You're kissing her, your arms are wrapping around her, she's close and warm and soft -
There's a knock at the door. You throw yourself back just as it opens.
Gou stands in the threshold, holding a sheathed sword. Piandao stands just behind him. Their glances dart between the two of you. Your clothes are likely somewhat disheveled.
Did they see? Did they see?
Greet them as though nothing happened. (29)
+Poker Face (23)
Ask Gou why he didn't ask before entering. (2)
Your heart pounds and your muscles tense and your blood rushes in your ears and you let nothing show on your face. Your posture is perfect. You can't evaluate your clothes; you can't look down in front of them.
Nothing happened.
"Gou," you greet politely. He straightens. "You brought the swords?"
"Yes, Princess, I did," he says quickly. He hurries closer. He suspects. Or he saw. Piandao isn't a threat, he wouldn't act against his own daughter. Gou could be used by your enemies. If agents from the Earth Kingdom were to kill him in retaliation for his assistance in forging gifts for royalty -
"First, the requested twin swords," he says.
He bows as he draws them; you use the opportunity to glance down at your dress. Passable. Not as bad as you feared. You adjust your posture and try to subtly move your hands to smooth the dress; Gou is between you and Piandao and is looking down, so you can hide your motion using his body.
After a moment, you actually glance at the weapons he's turning over in his hands. They're fine weapons. Not on par with Mitsuko's sword, but excellent nonetheless. The gladiolus flowers on the hilts and the inscriptions are well-defined and high-quality. "Clarity and Conviction," Gou says. "Are they to your liking, Princess?"
You're not certain how you would even arrange an assassination; you don't have a private force for it. Father may find out if you used the Imperial Firebenders for it. "They are beautiful weapons," you say. "My compliments."
"Thank you, Princess," he says, sheathing the swords. He holds out the sheathed pair to you, and you take it and pass it to Mitsuko. Your fingers brush. "And next, the twin knives..."
'Twin'?
He produces a small sheath, and pulls from it a pair of small stiletto blades. The handles have inlays of gold in the shape of dragons. 'Crimson' is inscribed on one, and 'Azure' on the other.
"Very precise work, if I may say so," he tells you, glancing up at you. "Small enough to be concealed in hair but large and balanced enough to be useful if needed. Two halves of a single weapon, just as the swords are."
Two halves of a single weapon. You did ask for a 'pair' of daggers, he must have...
"Ah, is something wrong?" he asks. "If the commission is not what you desired -"
"No," you say. Your lips twitch. "It's exactly right. Well done, Gou."
Killing him, you think, would be too much trouble after all.
* * * * *
97 AC (15 years old)
Yu Dao: Capitol Building
Your palanquin is carried back to the capitol in silence. Mitsuko walks alongside it as it goes. You can practically feel her there. Your thoughts are a jumbled mess, always coming back to the same two questions -
What were you thinking? Was Mother right about you?
- and never any answers.
You're jarred by your thoughts by the calls of a courier. He doesn't even wait for you to disembark from your palanquin before shouting your name.
"Princess Akane! Princess Akane!"
You hold in a sigh -
"Urgent instructions have arrived for you from the Fire Lord!" the courier calls.
The palanquin halts before you can even give the order. You pull the curtains open and see the courier standing there, letter already outstretched, desperate for you to take it.
"Thank you," you say politely. He bows and backs away. You wonder sometimes what these couriers tell one another that makes them think they have to deliver Father's messages quite so insistently. You open Father's letter...
Father is not a man to waste unnecessary words.
Daughter,
Return to the Capital immediately.
Iroh has returned.
You look up from the letter. The courier stiffens under your gaze.
"Have my ship readied at once," you say quietly.
-----
Thank you all for reading! I hope it was okay. ^_^ I always appreciate your feedback! Next week we'll pick up again with Chapter 6: Sunstroke.
Just wanna say, I've been following this on the other site for a while and only just realized it's cross posted and I'm super glad to see it on SV. It'll be way easier to recommend it to people when they can read it in reader mode or things.
Seems like the voters couldn't hold it in their pants and now we have more drama for Akane. I wonder who would be our husband in the future, we need tp continue the line after all.
Adaptability. Isn't adaptability considered a hallmark of waterbending? You had been just been reflecting on adaptability the other day, but hadn't quite made that specific connection... interesting.
Avatar Roku mastered fire first, then air, then water, then earth. The Avatar always studies the four elements in a specific order. Perhaps there's something to it.
Now that promises to be very interesting. Especially with Iroh around, although our position as the favored heir means we can't really be seen having that much to do with him.
Seems like the voters couldn't hold it in their pants and now we have more drama for Akane. I wonder who would be our husband in the future, we need tp continue the line after all.
The labor camps are obviously an issue. You've always thought Father's policy of forced labor would be counterproductive and stir dissent, and this seems to confirm it. Now that the natives have heard rumors of the labor camps and the killings, it seems that some of them believe that all Fire Nation prisons and reform schools are really just death camps. It's true that prisoners are often used for labor, especially in the colonies, but that doesn't mean that you're 'rounding up' the Earth Kingdom natives and killing them. You'll have trouble convincing the natives otherwise, though.
There is a part of me that wants Akane to do a surprise inspection of a reform school and discover a death camp. That would be a really powerful scene. Kosm could pull it off.
Seems like the voters couldn't hold it in their pants and now we have more drama for Akane. I wonder who would be our husband in the future, we need tp continue the line after all.
There is a part of me that wants Akane to do a surprise inspection of a reform school and discover a death camp. That would be a really powerful scene. Kosm could pull it off.
As is, I'm half beginning to suspect that Akane isn't going to be playing the Azula for the gAang, but the Zuko, with her face burned off for arguing against working little children to death.
