Chapter 33.5- And so the Dragons Danced

“Nothing much. The hit that took you out took out much of the ship. Toph managed to tear off enough of it for us to remain afloat until Toji found us an escape ship and our lovely Healer Amara. The Earth Kingdom kept firing until they’d sunk the entire fleet and most of the escape vessels. We managed to skirt the entire thing thanks to some clever water bending from the Healer. After that, we were adrift for a bit before we came across this vessel. They’re smugglers of a sort-“

“Pirates, My Dear Maki. We’re pirates.”

“Like I said, they’re smugglers who are going to be moving g some very illegal alcohol into the walled city. Toji and I were able to negotiate with them to allow us aboard and give us the medical supplies necessary to get you back on your feet. Can’t lie, you were in a bad state when they found us so we needed the help. Toji promised gold from his family’s coffers.” She said in reply

“And they just believed that and agreed to help?” I couldn’t deny being curious.

“They took both your armour and Toji’s as collateral to ensure you paid up” It was then that I actually thought to question the lack of the familiar weight of my chest piece on me. I had noted that I had woken up in only a pair of trousers but hadn’t thought too much of it.. But now that I knew that my armour had been….pledged to pirates of all things. I could not say I felt pleased about it but I swallowed the feeling. Better alive than slightly dishonored. Besides, I would be receiving my armour in no time. All it would take would be a letter back to the Homeland and this man would be swimming in gold. I just had to make sure news of the disgrace did not spread far.

Not like it mattered, in the end. I was a General in name only. My army. It was gone. The largest, most well-trained force in the entire Fire Nation Army. Wiped out in one fell swoop with no casualties imposed on the enemy side. Iroh had quit the siege of Ba Sing Se after losing his son. I never even made it to his shores. That didn’t even add to the fact that there was a Princess of the Fire Nation missing or dead in this mess. I wondered if the White Lotus would take me for a moment. My family had committed great crimes but surely if I turned cloak early enough. I could even deliver Omashu to their war effort. Bumi was dead, at my own hand but what did that matter, so they were short one powerful bender. I could come with three, and a non-bender that would give Piandao a run for his money.

That was one hell of a military force. Wasn’t Aang big on forgiveness as his schtick? I could spin house arrest for Grandfather. He’s an old man who poses no significant threat on his lonesome. It was doable. Of course, it grated at me to give up everything I’d worked for. Also, turning traitor would see my family in the dumps for a generation or three. I could marry Maki. She didn’t have the right blood but she had power aplenty. Maybe combustion bending was something in the blood. Children with that kind of power would be good for family. As for my children, wedding them to Toji’s or even just a merchant family with a good enough background would be permissible. My Grandchildren would be well placed to return the family to prominence.

But it felt like failure. Not it wasn’t just the feeling. It was failure. Failure of the kind that I was not even close to being used to.But what were my other options? Getting a Princess killed did not bode well for my future with the fire Nation. Even if I took Ba Sing Se with this lot, there was no chance I was going to live that down. Ba Sing Se was the jewel of the earth kingdom but it was not worth a Princess. Not Ozai’s princess, at the very least.

I finally made it up to the deck and noted the positions of everyone in it. Toph was next to Toji, holding on to him like a lifeline. It was then I noted that we were on a wooden ship of all things. She was probably only a few steps away from freaking out completely. If a metal ship had been bad, then this was probably a nightmare.

“Good to see you alive, Natsu” Toji said as he noticed me step into the light and I hurried the few steps that seperated me from them as I noticed Toph had gotten up and was beginning to seek me out.

Before she could move more than a step, I’d gathered her into my arms. “I heard you figured it out” I said. It was another thing Maki had mentioned. Toph could metal bend now.

“I thought you were dead” She said instead, sounding so small and tiny.

“Never, kid. Who’s going to be here to make you do the impossible if I went and got myself killed” I said in reply, drawing a smile from her that I returned even if I knew she would never see it.

“So what’s this I hear about a fool plan of assaulting Ba Sing Se?” I asked.

A/N: Final bit