by The Tale of Aang; Azula; Toph; Sokka; Zuko; Katara (retail) (epub)
The circus master came hurrying over to me and bowed. “We are deeply honored to have the Fire Lord’s daughter at our humble circus. Please tell us if there is anything we can do to make the show more enjoyable.”
“I will,” I replied.
I watched Ty Lee perform with confidence, high up on a tightrope. With the palm of one hand planted on a board that was balanced on a cylinder, she lifted her body straight up, her toes pointing toward the top of the tent. It is good to know her remarkable skills have not dulled with time. If anything, they have improved. “Incredible!” I exclaimed to the circus master. “Do you think she’ll fall?”
“Of course not,” he replied, without taking his attention away from Ty Lee.
“Then wouldn’t it make things more interesting if you removed the net?”
He looked at me, obviously shocked by the suggestion. But I could see that this useless circus person would not dare to defy my will. I could up the ante a bit more. “I know! Set the net on fire.”
He was too afraid to disagree. With a quick Firebending blast, he set the safety net ablaze. Ty Lee, the dear, kept her balance, but I could see the sweat bead on her forehead. I hope she’s beginning to get my point—but perhaps I could make it a bit clearer. “What kind of dangerous animals do you have?”
“Well, Princess,” he began, “our circus boasts the most exotic assortment of—”
“Release them all!” I commanded.
The expression of horror on the man’s face was absolutely priceless! He bowed, then hurried away. A few seconds later a thundering herd of animals charged from the back of the tent. Ty Lee’s tightrope shook. She teetered on the brink of disaster, but, trooper that she is, she kept her balance. I see more sweat than before. Excellent. Perhaps my point has been made. If not, I’ll just have to endure another performance.
After the show I joined Ty Lee in her dressing room. She noticed me walking in, but did not acknowledge my presence. Her face revealed nothing, but I knew that she was afraid. She remained silent. It was up to me to draw a response.
“What an exquisite performance, Ty Lee,” I said admiringly. “In fact, I’ve decided to stay in town. I can’t wait to see how you’ll top yourself tomorrow night.”
That did it. She turned and faced me. “I’m sorry, Azula,” she said, smiling. “Unfortunately there won’t be a show tomorrow.”
You are good, I told myself. All it took was a few minutes and a few simple suggestions. “Really?” I asked, trying to sound genuinely surprised.
“The universe is giving me strong hints that it’s time for a career change,” she replied sweetly. “I want to join you on your mission!”
That was nice and easy. The first piece of the puzzle has fallen into place, and now it’s on to Omashu for the next step in my plan.
Ty Lee and I journeyed to Omashu, the former Earth Kingdom city that now belongs to the Fire Nation. We were there to see another childhood friend, Mai, who just happens to be the daughter of Omashu’s Fire Nation governor.
We met in front of the governor’s palace, where Mai greeted me with a formal bow. It is good to see that she, too, does not take our early friendship for granted, and that she is wise enough to show me the respect I deserve.
“PLEASE tell me that you’re here to kill me,” Mai said dramatically. “Omashu is the most boring place in the world.”
Then we both laughed and hugged. I’ve always appreciated her sense of humor, along with her loyalty. “It’s great to see you, Mai,” I said.
“I thought you ran off and joined the circus, Ty Lee,” Mai said. “You said it was your calling.”
“Well, Azula called a little louder,” Ty Lee replied.
Good girl. I see her loyalty is also beyond doubt. “I have a mission and I need you both,” I told Mai. And without any hesitation, she responded, “Count me in!”
This was excellent. Mai didn’t even need to hear what the mission was. I now have two underlings who will obey me without question, who will fight and give their lives for me if necessary. Iroh and Zuko are practically in my hands.
“Just get me out of this place,” Mai added. “I’m DYING for some excitement.”
Soon you will have more excitement than you can imagine, my friend. But I must take care of one small piece of business first.
I had Ty Lee and Mai wait outside while I visited the governor in his throne room. Mai briefed me on the recent happenings in Omashu, and I am not pleased. Granted, the former king of Omashu, Bumi, is now a prisoner since he surrendered the Fire Nation, but apparently her incompetent father has simply allowed most of the citizens to just walk out of the city. It’s inconceivable to me how he could let that happen! Among them was his young son, who ended up in the hands of the resistance. And now the leaders of the resistance want to trade the former king for the governor’s son.
“I apologize, Princess,” the governor said. “You have come to Omashu at a difficult time. At noon we’re making a trade with the resistance to get my son back.”
You’re trading a king—an Earth Kingdom leader—for a toddler? I hate sentimental drivel. “Yes, I’m sorry to hear about your son,” I said, not feeling sorry at all. “But really, what did you expect by just letting all the citizens leave?”
“We thought there was a dangerous plague spreading,” the governor replied. “We didn’t know it was a trick.”
I could not believe he was actually admitting how stupid he was! How did he become governor?
“My father has trusted you with this city and you’re making a mess of things!” I snapped. “And in case you haven’t heard, my father is not a very forgiving man!”
“Forgive me, Princess,” the governor said nervously. “I CAN govern Omashu. I WILL do better. I just need a little time.”
Time is a luxury you do not have. “You stay here. Mai will handle the hostage trade so you don’t mess it up. And I will be by her side.”
“Thank you, Princess.”
Don’t thank me too quickly. I will deal with you in due time.
Ty Lee, Mai, and I approached a wide plaza near the top of the city. Mai had handled the preparations for the return of King Bumi. All was ready.
A delegation of three resistance fighters approached us from the far end of the plaza: a short boy wearing a turban and carrying a staff, a girl, and a taller boy who carried the governor’s child. I let a moment pass, then nodded for Mai to begin.
At a signal from Mai, a crane lowered a large metal cage from above. King Bumi peered wildly through a small window. This is the great Earth Kingdom king? He looks like a giggling lunatic who deserves to be locked up. Still, he is a king, and obviously of great importance to these people.
Mai stepped forward, as did the rebel with the turban.
“You brought my younger brother,” she said.
“We’re ready to trade,” the boy replied.
Mai nodded. But something is not right about this. It’s too easy, and we’re giving up far too much. I refuse to let this happen. Still, this is Mai’s little brother we’re talking about. I must depend on her unwavering loyalty to me—which will now be tested for the first time.
I leaned toward Mai and spoke softly. “I’m sorry, but a thought just occurred to me. Do you mind?”
“Of course not, Princess Azula. What is it?”
The respect and fear is in her voice, and she addresses me by my formal title. This may not be much of a problem. “We’re trading a two-year-old for a king,” I explained. “A powerful Earthbending king at that. It just doesn’t seem like a fair trade, does it?”
Now it’s up to Mai. Will she agree with me blindly, putting aside any feelings she has for her brother, or will this be the first conflict in our new alliance? She looked at me, expressionless, then glanced over at her brother, who was squirming in the arms of the taller boy. Then she looked back at me.
“You’re right,” she said. Then she raised her voice and called out, “The deal’s off!” She signaled wi
th her hand, and the crane lifted King Bumi’s metal container back up into the air.
Excellent! You will be rewarded for your loyalty, my old friend.
“Whoooah!” King Bumi shouted as his cage rose skyward. “See you all later!”
The boy with the turban raced toward the crane. “Bumi, no!” he shouted.
So this resistance fighter has decided to be a hero. I will show him that he has made a grave error in judgment.
I unleashed a wall of blue flame blocking his way. But then something amazing happened: The boy leaped into the air, and his staff opened into an Airbender’s glider! Then his turban blew off in the wind, revealing an arrow-shaped tattoo on his bald head. He is the Avatar!
Well, well, well. This IS my lucky day! It appears that I’m going to get much more than a toddler out of this deal. The taller boy and the girl had taken off with the little runt, but Mai and Ty Lee are sure to catch them.
Today I will succeed where my pathetic brother has failed so often. Today I will capture the Avatar!
The Avatar flew up and landed on Bumi’s box. Then, using his breath, and what appeared to be a form of Waterbending, he began freezing the metal chain that held it up.
But he will not complete this task. Using the pulley system that had lowered the cage, I hoisted myself up above the Avatar, then shot a burst of fire right at him.
No! My fire burst has only served to snap the chain and release Bumi’s box, with the Avatar still on top of it. It’s plummeting toward the city’s mail chutes. Wait—my plan may succeed after all. When the container slams into that chute, both Bumi and the Avatar will be destroyed in one swift stroke!
Uh-oh. The Avatar has created some kind of air cushion to soften their landing. Clever. You are quite the challenge, Avatar.
I jumped into a cart used to carry mail along the chutes, and set off after them. I fired a blast, but the Avatar simply spun his staff, creating a whirlwind that redirected my fire burst.
Oh, this is taking much longer than necessary. I unleashed a barrage of fireballs one after another, but again the Avatar proved resourceful, outrunning or dodging my—
What’s this? The Avatar has used his Airbending power to slice off the tops of the metal support beams above the mail chute! The beams have tumbled onto the track. I’m going to crash! I have to time this perfectly.
I leaped high into the air as my cart bounced through the rubble on the track. When it righted itself, I landed gently in the cart and continued my pursuit. Suddenly an enormous flying creature of some kind appeared out of nowhere. From the looks of it, it was a huge white bison. I have heard about Airbenders and their companion bison—this must belong to the Avatar. He’s trying to make his escape. If he reaches the bison, I’ll never catch up!
As I fired another burst of blue-hot flame, the Avatar lifted Bumi’s box up off the track and soared toward the bison. Ah! He’s overshot his target. They are flying right over the creature, and they’re still in the chute.
I have to think fast. No one has ever resisted my fire-pinwheel attack, so I spun my hands swiftly, creating a rotating pinwheel of searing flames, then launched it at the container. This will put an end to—
Ahhh! A wall of rock rose up through the track, blocking my pinwheel blast. In a matter of seconds I’ll crash right into the rock! I jumped out of the mail cart, which smashed into bits against the rock wall. Landing on the tracks, I could only watch helplessly, my fury growing, as Bumi and the Avatar escaped.
This boy is skillful and resourceful. But he has no idea with whom he is tangling. It is only a matter of time before he is mine.
I returned to the palace, where Ty Lee and Mai were waiting after chasing the other resistance fighters for a while. As we prepared to leave I explained our mission to them.
“So we’re tracking down your brother and uncle, huh?” Mai asked.
Ty Lee couldn’t resist the chance to tease Mai. “It’ll be interesting to see Zuko again, won’t it, Mai?”
They both laughed. When we were kids, Mai had a crush on Zuko. He may have felt the same way, but he was so busy brooding and sulking all the time there was no way to really tell.
I told the girls that our mission had changed somewhat. Though Father charged me with the task of bringing Zuko and Iroh back to him, I have now set my sights on a third target as well. Not only will I fulfill Father’s wishes, but I will also deliver the biggest prize of all, the one that has eluded my brother: the Avatar!
Chapter 3
Tracking the Avatar is proving to be a more difficult task than I expected. His flying bison gives him an advantage, as he is free to travel anywhere without concern for roads, mountains, lakes, or other obstacles. We followed the Avatar through as much of the Earth Kingdom as we could cover, but soon lost him in the rugged terrain. I knew I needed a vehicle that could handle any environment I encountered. I acquired the finest all-terrain vehicle in the Fire Nation. It was a huge ironclad tank, with three sharp spikes that jutted out from the front. A tall smokestack belched black fumes from its top, and the thick treads of the tires were designed to travel over rock, sand, and water. The vehicle was even capable of climbing straight up the sides of mountains! Powered by fire itself, this tank could go forever without running out of fuel. Also traveling with us were three agile mongoose-dragons. We were more than ready for our pursuit of the Avatar.
We began our hunt and found that luck was on our side. A short distance from Omashu, we discovered several large clumps of thick, white fur leading in a straight line toward the mountains.
I recognize this fur. It is the fur of the Avatar’s bison! Perhaps this is a sign, telling me that it won’t be long before I stand before my father with the Avatar at my side.
Energized by this finding, I poured more fire into the tank’s engine to increase our speed. With the city far behind us, we encountered a long, flat plain that stretched out for miles, leading to the mountains in the distance. There, in a wooded area at the edge of the plain, blue smoke curled into the sky.
I’ve found them!
I pushed the machine even harder, picking up speed. A short while later we reached the remains of a campsite at the edge of the woods. Charred cinders from a campfire that had been doused in water smoked and sizzled. Impressions in the grass showed where tents and bedrolls had been set up.
We are too late! They must have known we were coming and fled. But how? How could they know we were following them?
Then I noticed an odd tent, made from rock, jutting out of the earth. Is the Avatar now an Earthbender too? Or did one of his party do this? Perhaps whoever created this tent could sense the vibrations of our tank rumbling through the ground. I have heard that some Earthbenders can do that. But they cannot run forever, especially not from me.
We followed the trail of fur deeper into the woods. Our tank simply flattened smaller trees, while I steered around the larger ones. As we approached a clearing in the woods, there was a flash of movement. Several people rushed around in a panic, and then I saw them—the Avatar’s bison rising into the sky, with four figures mounted on its back.
They headed deep into the mountains. The Avatar must think he can lose me, but he does not realize that his bison is leaving a convenient trail of fur. And of course, he has no idea what this Fire Nation tank is capable of.
We arrived at the base of a tall mountain, and then began to climb—straight up! We were amazed at how easily the tank did this. When we reached a plateau, there stood the Avatar and three others.
Apparently they were waiting for us—and ready to fight. Well, that’s exactly what we were ready to do as well.
“Prepare the animals for battle!” I ordered. I shut down the tank’s engine, and the tank rolled to a stop. Then Ty Lee, Mai, and I mounted the mongoose-dragons that had traveled with us. “Ready, girls? Now the fun begins!”
I threw open the door of the tank and we charged toward our enemies, riding the lizards hard. When we came to a river the creatures reared
back, splashing across the water on their hind legs, their colorful necks flared wide open. Once back on solid ground, they dropped down to all fours and picked up speed.
Suddenly a jagged mound of rock sprang from the earth right in front of me. I tugged my reins hard to the left and skipped around the obstacle, but another quickly appeared before me. Again and again, rocks rose in my path, and in front of Ty Lee and Mai as well. However, mongoose-dragons are very swift and nimble creatures, and they were able to maneuver around each rock.
But who was responsible for creating these obstacles? I looked around as I pulled on the reins of my mongoose-dragon. That’s when I saw a girl who had not been with the Avatar and his two companions at the exchange in Omashu. She stomped her foot on the ground, and a huge wall of rock exploded from the earth in front of me.
So the Avatar has found a skilled Earthbender to help him. Cute of him to think that I could be stopped by someone like her. But this is getting tiresome, and I don’t plan on going around any more of these rocks. The time has come to go THROUGH them.
I fired a powerful Firebending blast that leveled the rock wall currently in front of me. Then the three of us raced forward.
Seeing this, the Avatar and his companions jumped onto his bison and flew off. The cowards didn’t even bother to say good-bye.
We returned to our tank and continued to follow the trail of fur. It led to a clearing next to a river. Once again, we got out of the tank and surveyed the clearing on our mongoose-dragons.
I spotted a saddle and the remains of food supplies, signs that they had been here.
“The trail goes this way, Azula,” Ty Lee announced.
Sure enough, a thick trail of white fur continued into the woods heading east. I looked at the river and noticed huge amounts of fur floating in the water. Then I glanced to the west and saw a wide swath of broken branches, leading in the opposite direction from the path of fur.
