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NOTES: FEBRUARY 14, 2008
I was going to hold off writing this story until after Book 3 concluded but, the ideas I had were serving as a major distraction that was preventing me from writing “Solstice”. I figured I'd get it out of my system.
Once again, I'm sorry for the lack of updates. I rewrote this chapter seven times over the course of three months. This is the end product of a lot of grief and hard work and thought I don't much care for it, it's better than I thought it would turn out.
Please read either the “Author's Notes” page or the end of this chapter for the latest spoilers for episodes up through The Firebending Masters.
Since it's been more than three months since my last update, let's play catch-up!“You didn't have to show her that, Roku. You knew she'd be upset by it. How could you show a mother something like that about her own son?”
“She needed to see it. If she is to truly understand why Zuko has been dealt this hand by the spirits, then she needs to understand the circumstances surrounding his forced entry into the Spirit World.”
“I don't agree with what you just did to her, Roku.”
“I know. It's okay. You're allowed to find faults with my methods.”
“Is that why you brought her here? So you could scare the crap out of her?”
“I brought her here to show her the truth behind her son's motivations, but I also brought her here to meet you, Aang. Ursa didn't know she was a descendant of my family's until she came into the Spirit World. Since then, we've been playing catch-up. I wanted her to meet the Avatar who had brought stability back to the world.”
“Ursa's family – my family - were conscientious objectors to the war until they were forced out of the Fire Nation by Azulon during the early days of his reign as Firelord. When her grandfather returned to the Fire Nation, he returned under false pretenses, creating new identities for himself and his wife and children. He made his way through the ranks of the classes to become a wealthy shipping magnet thus securing his family's place among the elite nobility of the Fire Nation under his assumed identity. Eventually, Ursa, a noble girl who was unaware of her true past, ended up being betrothed to Ozai at the age of nine.”
“But you told her the truth, right?”
“I told her everything...”
“You'd freeze in that water, Toph,” Jee tells her. “I can't risk you freezing to death.”
“Hey, I'm tough. I can take it. I'm not gonna be out there for more than a few minutes tops. Besides, with a ship full of Firebenders, I'm sure you guys can figure out how to thaw me out.”
“Well, I guess I could go out with you in one of our lifeboats and literally pull you alongside a rock. Only problem is, with this storm, our boat could easily be overturned or smashed to pieces and you don't know how to swim, Toph.”
“You just get me near a rock, Jee. I can take care of the rest.”
“I don't think this is such a good idea,” I hear myself say just before her foot slams into the deck.
“Crap, people! I'm tired of being whipped around like this. I need to get to land. I'll do whatever it takes. I'm going stir crazy on this boat! And frankly, I'm not the only one. We need to make landfall before everyone onboard this ship really starts to come undone.”
“She's got a point,” Ruri says. “Everyone's pretty worked up, Iroh. The young men are barely seaworthy as it is. It's crazy but we might have to do it.”
“Ruri and I'll take Toph out,” Jee says as he pulls the life preservers down from the wall.
I only nod. At this point, there are no other options available to us.
“Good. It's about time I started doing something useful on this miserable trip,” Toph fusses.
SOLSTICE: Chapter 24
Piandao
“Are you giving sword lessons to Hawky again, Master Piandao?”
“Yes,” I tell Fat who always seems to be rather bored with and annoyed by my interactions with Sokka's hawk. “He needs to learn to do something other than poop on the floor and stare at me all day long so I'm teaching him the way of the sword.”
“Riiiight...” Fat moans. “You know, Master Piandao, there are other ways to alleviate boredom, preferably ways that don't involve sword fighting with members of the animal kingdom.”
“I'm not sword fighting. I'm just teaching him a few tricks.”
“With a sword...”
“With a knife, actually.”
“All a sword is is a really long knife, Master Piandao.” Fat shakes his head before shuffling away. “I'll be in the other room.”
Hawky squawks his dissatisfaction because Fat never supports him during his lessons.
“Give him time, Hawky. He'll come around. When you defeat your first opponent in battle, Fat will be the first one to congratulate you on your victory.”
“No I won't,” Fat groans from the other room. “And if you think I'm sparring with a bird, Master Piandao, think again!”
“That's not nice, is it, Hawky? Don't you worry, though. You'll feel a lot better when you see what I've made you. I made you a special dagger using some of the material left over from that meteorite. The next time you see Sokka, which will be in just a few weeks, he'll be so proud of you for acquiring battle skills. He'll probably buy you something.”
“Or he'll sale you for half of what he paid for you and get on with his life,” Fat tells Hawky.
Hawky lets out a sound that sounds like something between a squawk and a groan. If I didn't know better, I'd say he was imitating Fat. Then he shakes his feathers at me.
“Hawky! Concentrate on what you're doing! Ignore Fat. He's just trying to distract you.”
“Actually, I'm trying to scare him off. Since that doesn't seem to be working, I'll settle for being a distraction.”
“He's just jealous, Hawky, because you have a handsome new knife and he doesn't.”
Hawky looks at me for a few minutes. I think he gets it.
Hawky takes the dagger's gold handle into his beak then flies off to his perch in the corner where he squawks at his own reflection staring back at him from the blade's surface before returning only to drop it in front of me.
I sigh when the blade clanks against the floor at my feet.
“We had this discussion yesterday, Hawky. If you're gonna let loose of your weapon, you should throw it at your opponent's head, not toss it on the ground at his feet.”
“You heard him, Hawky. Master Piandao wants you to throw your knife at his head. Right between the eyes, Hawky!”
Fat points out that I should probably get out of the house more while Hawky cocks his head to one side as he waits for me to say something he actually cares about.
“You're never going to be a master if you don't change you attitude, Hawky,” I warn as three runny blobs of poop splat onto the floor next to my feet.
Vexation pulls my mouth into a frown while Hawky blinks back at me, unashamed at having soiled my carpet.
Hawky's testing me. He stares back at me like he's daring me to do something about it.
“FAT! HAWKY POOPED ON THE FLOOR AGAIN!”
Fat
I clear my throat to gain the master's attention.
“Master Piandao... Do you remember, a year ago, when Sokka asked you to babysit Hawky for him?”
“I'm in trouble, aren't I?” he asks.
“... And I told you that I was not a fan of pets. You said, “Don't worry, Fat. I'll take care of Hawky.” I've been waiting for you to take care of Hawky for a year now. Today, you will live up to your promise because I will not be responsible for his upkeep anymore.”
“Fat!”
“If I wanted to clean up after animals, Master Piandao, I'd work in a pet shop or an animal shelter.”
I have never defied Master Piandao before. I have to say, there's a sort of liberation I feel right now as I watch Master Piandao's jaw drop while Hawky squawks his discontent.
“But Fat--”
“And if you ask me to clean up after him again, Master Piandao, I will pack my things and leave. Then you'll have to eat your own cooking again, instead of just gifting it to people you hate. That could get downright ugly,” I warn as I match the master's steely glare with one of my own.
“But - “
“No “buts”, Master Piandao!”
Master Piandao groans like a spoiled child when I hand him some rags and a bucket of hot soapy water. “I suggest you get started if you want to finish before dinner, Master Piandao.”
“And perhaps, instead of teaching Hawky the way of the sword, you could teach him the way of the potty, Master Piandao?”
The master, who is on his hands and knees scrubbing Hawky's poop out of his expensive red carpet, glares up at me. He opens his mouth as if to say something but decides against it.
I leave Master Piandao to his work and make my way to the kitchen so I can start dinner. Hawky's blade, which is setting on a nearby writing desk, reflects the light of the setting sun at me, catching my full attention.
It's unusual for Master Piandao to leave a blade lying around unsheathed. In fact, until now, I don't think he has ever done such a thing. The blade scrapes against the gold sheath as I slide it in. The sound of it is remarkably loud but only because all of nature's sounds ceased to be heard some time last night. Without the gentle hum of nature to muffle the sounds of man, my own heartbeat sounds like a drum cadence in my ears as I watch dark clouds role in from the east.
A flash of blue lightning illuminates the corridor around me and everything in it, giving way to mysterious shadows previously never seen while a crack of thunder heralds the storm's ominous approach.
“Fat!” the master calls. “We might as well shut the windows.”
“Yes, Master Piandao.”
As I'm shutting the only open window in the room, Hawky flies out it.
“Crazy bird,” Master Piandao complains. “Leave that window open so Hawky can get back in, please.”
“Of course, Master Piandao.”
A chill wind blows across the pages of an open book as the first drops of rain tap their arrival against the castle's walls.
“Would you really leave me, Fat?” he asks and I can hear the sadness behind his question.
“No, Master Piandao. I would never abandon you.” Upon hearing this, the master lets out a breath neither of us realized he was holding.
A tiny smile tugs at the corners of his mouth. “Good because I can't eat my own cooking again, Fat. I'm old and my body will no longer withstand...whatever it is my cooking does to the human body.”
“I'm sorry, Master Piandao. I should never have threatened to abandon you. But you should know that I will no longer be responsible for Hawky. You promised me-AND SOKKA-that you would see to his needs, needs that include cleaning up after him. I fully expect you to keep your promise from here on out. If you don't, I will become very unhappy, and you wouldn't like me when I'm unhappy, Master Piandao.”
“No, I suppose I wouldn't,” he admonishes as the room grows dark.
“Hawky's out in this storm,” he frets as he gazes at the black clouds which roll in like clouds of smoke that signal the coming of a firestorm the likes of which he would have seen in battle so many years ago.
“Animals can read the signs nature gives, even when we can't. He'll be fine,” I assure him. But my words do little to ease his mind I think as I watch him crack the stiffness from his neck.
“What's for dinner, Fat?”
“Grilled komodo chicken, brown rice, and vegetables, Master Piandao.”
“That's my favorite!” he praises as the setting sun casts a volcanic glow all around us.
“Another strange sunset,” he says as we watch a sky that glows red hot peek through high black storm clouds which pop and spark to life with each lightning strike. Then he wanders off to finish the job Hawky started.
Strange is a bit of an understatement I think as I debate whether or not to tell Master Piandao that things are about to get very interesting.
Azula
I dare to earn the Master's ire by stepping forward into the room before he has invited me in, something that women of Fire Nation nobility are forbidden to do while in the home of a true master.
“I'm sorry, Master Piandao. I tried to ignore her incessant knocking but then she tried to scale the wall so I thought perhaps I should just go ahead and let her in.”
“It's fine,” he tells his discourteous and otherwise unremarkable butler.
“I'm sorry for your loss,” he says without turning to greet me.
“Excuse me, Master Piandao?”
“Admiral Zhao? He was your betrothed, wasn't he?”
“Yes, he was, and he was a lifelong friend of the Firelord's. I barely knew him, though.”
“He was an insufferable man who never shut up. That koi fish and the Avatar did you a big favor,” Piandao quips.
“If I see the Avatar,” I say, “I'll be sure to thank him.”
“So how are Li and Lo?”
“They're well. They actually pointed me in your direction. They seem to have taken quite an interest in you, Master Piandao. If I didn't know better, I'd say they had a bit of a crush on you.”
“Really?”
“Yes, really. When I said we were paying you a visit, they giggled like a couple of lovesick school girls. It was disturbing so I ordered them to never do it again.”
“Before this charming conversation goes any further, you should know, Azula, that I am fully aware of everything that has happened since the Avatar had returned to us. I know about the failed Siege at the North Pole. I know that Iroh stands accused of treason and Zuko is dishonored and disgraced because he has failed to capture the Avatar. If you came here to enlist my help in capturing them, forget it. I won't help you hurt Iroh or your brother.”
“To refuse to help me is an act of treason, Master Piandao.”
“I'm already a traitor, Azula.”
“True. Still... If you were to help me, I'm sure the Firelord would restore both your honor and your high rank. And since my uncle no longer holds it, there's a vacant seat in the Firelord's war room for you.”
“No, thank you,” is his polite response. And he still hasn't seen fit to turn around to address me. No matter... His rejection doesn't surprise me. After my silly grandfather tried to strike him down with a hand of fire for speaking out-of-turn in front of the other high officers, I doubt Piandao will ever walk into the war room again. Wild ostrich-horses couldn't drag him in there.
“As intriguing as teaming up with you would be, Master Piandao, I didn't come here to solicit your help. I'm here on a matter of personal business.”
“What sort of personal business would you have with an old, broken-down traitor like me?”
“Personal business that should never leave this room, Master Piandao.”
“Sounds pretty serious. Why don't you have a seat and you can tell me all about this serious “Should Never Leave This Room” personal business of yours?”
“Very well.”
A silent hand gesture commands his butler to bring him a pillow for me to sit on. I prefer sitting in chairs but, since there seem to be no chairs to speak of, I'll settle for sitting cross-legged on the floor next to Piandao.
As I take my seat, Piandao flashes a bright, pleasant smile at me, revealing the dark-skinned, well-defined features of his face to me for the first time since I stepped into the room. Time has been kind to him. And I can respect a man who is well-groomed and who keeps himself up. Not like Uncle, who has let himself turn into a lazy, gluttonous pile of fat. It's difficult for me to believe that Piandao comes from the peasantry when his posture and presence are more refined than most of the men who are born of noble blood.
“Did my mother sit with you in this room while you wrote calligraphy, Master Piandao?”
“That's an unusual question,” he notes with the same calmness he has displayed since I first stepped foot into the room. “I'm afraid I don't know the answer to such a question.”
“Since my mother killed my grandfather and abandoned us, I have been curious about what had happened to her after she fled the palace. For years, it was as though she had simply vanished into thin air. I suspected there were traitors in the palace who aided her in her escape. My suspicions were correct, of course.”
“The years passed by and everyone either thought she was dead—-Zuko-—or, those who still thought she might be alive simply didn't care. Without a body to burn, I continued to believe she was alive. Unlike my father, I cared about her fate if for no other reason than to find her and confront her about why she would allow herself to be dishonored and disgraced to save Zuko.”
“At my behest, Li and Lo set out to research the matter. They've done their homework, Master Piandao. You and your butler were the last people to see her alive three years after Azulon's murder. So I'll ask the question again: Did my mother sit with you in this room while you wrote calligraphy?”
“Why are you still here?” comes a bored voice from just behind me.
“What?”
“You heard me,” he bemoans, leaning his face into the palms of his hands as he peers up at me.
It's that stupid monkey who has hands for feet again. He sits in judgment of all who pass his line-of-sigh. If he's going to make stupid faces at me, he could at least be useful.
“I can't meditate while you stand there mumbling about your idiotic brother and other unworthy humans.”
“What do you know about my idiotic brother? Something interesting, perhaps?”
“He's an idiot!” he snaps. “I don't need to know anything else about him. Why don't you go ask the knowledge spirit, Wan Shi Tong? He loves it when Firebenders waste his time with stupid questions.”
“I'm not falling for that one again,” I say.
“Too bad,” he regrets. “I was really looking forward to finally getting some peace and quiet around here.”
“Could you tell me, if you know, if it's possible to cross over into the physical world during the solstice. I realize that the ancient spirits can do this, but is this option available to any spirit?”
“How should I know, stupid girl? Do I look like I know these things? If you aren't asking me questions about how to do crazy things you have no business attempting to do, then it's the Avatar asking me questions about where to find things as if I'm some kind of tour guide or something. Go talk to Koh.”
“Is there anyone I can speak to in this place who isn't a creepy face stealer, or a bitter spirit owl, or an unhelpful monkey man like you?”
“Avatars,” he says. “Go to a spiritual place and meditate. An Avatar will come to you and answer questions. Like that place over there. That's the spiritual embodiment of the oasis pond at the North Pole. Or you could just roam around until you run into Hei-bai. He's that giant panda who always stomps around as if he owns the place. If you tell him who you're looking for, he'll take you right to them.”
“Very well,” I say.
“And move over to your left. You're standing in my personal space.”
He rolls his bulging eyes at me. Some spirits are so ungrateful.
“What?” I ask when his mouth curls into a snarl.
“Your other left, idiot.”
Piandao
He shakes drops of rain loose from his feathers and squawks his disapproval at me as if there's anything I can do about the bad weather he's had to put up with during his travels.
“You have a black ribbon message for the Firelord. But you're on the wrong island, friend. I guess the storm must've knocked you off course. It happens to the best of us.”
After I toss him one of Hawky's treats, I remove the ribbon and break the seal. When I unscrew the cap, a lotus tile falls into my hand.
“This should be interesting...”
Ursa
“It wasn't necessary to show him that, Roku!” I hiss.
“It's okay,” Aang cuts in. “Really. I, uh... To be honest, it was just a matter of time before Sokka poked a hole so large through Zuko's crazy lie about dying at Lake Laogai that we'd be able to fly Appa right through it. It's good that I find this stuff out from Roku.”
“I see...” My voice, strained with worry over the fallout from Roku's little “Truth” session, cracks.
I consider myself a calm person, but it's difficult to hold my composure when facing an all-powerful Avatar who can either choose to help Zuko or choose to abandon him.
“This doesn't really change things,” he assures me. “Even if I am mad because Zuko told Katara such a crazy lie just to get her to trust him, I know that I can't let my feelings for Katara—for anyone—blind me. I'm still the Avatar and, at some point, Zuko will need my guidance while he's seeking his spiritual redemption. I just hope that when Zuko comes to me for help, I'll have the answers.”
He studies me with sincere gray eyes. “That's what you were afraid of, right? That I'll get mad and stop caring about what happens to Zuko?”
“Yes,” I choke out.
“Don't worry... I'd never do that to Zuko. He's come so far. Besides, when Katara finally figures it out, me giving up on him will be the least of your worries,” he laughs.
Knowing how powerful and prone to fits of furious anger the Waterbending Master is, I can only hope that she never finds out.
“Since you didn't actually get to see Zuko, maybe you could take this opportunity to see someone else before the rift closes,” Aang suggests. ... As if I hadn't already thought about this.
“There's no one else...”
“What about Iroh?”
“I can't see Iroh, either. His journey into the Spirit World wasn't that much different than Zuko's. If Iroh dies before he redeems himself, he'll never be reunited with Lu Ten, his wife, or any of the rest of us.”
“But I thought Iroh had already redeemed himself years ago.”
“No. He's only managed to break even. Becoming the Firelord, ending the war, and teaching you has helped him along on his journey but he still has so far to go. If he continues to work hard to turn the Fire Nation from a warring society to a peaceful one, then I think he might be okay. But Iroh should have never allowed Ozai to steal his birth right. If he had returned from Ba Sing Se sooner, he could have challenged Ozai to an Agni Kai to fight for the throne. He chose not to so the Fire Nation had to suffer through yet another ruthless Firelord who would continue to threaten the balance.”
“But Iroh didn't want it anymore. He told us that, once Lu Ten died, he didn't have the strength to fight for it, and it had no meaning for him anymore.”
“It wasn't his choice to make. Once he returned from the Spirit World, he was on the spirits' clock and he knew what he should have done. He just didn't do it because he couldn't overcome his grief.”
“She's right,” Roku tells Aang. “Iroh was out-of-line when he forsook his birth right and he was out-of-line when he was aiding Zuko in tracking you down. Iroh was the adult in that relationship. He should have done whatever it took to prevent Zuko from following through on Ozai's orders. He should have never used his vast resources to help Zuko while he was tracking you all over the planet.”
“But Iroh was Zuko's uncle.”
“It doesn't matter, Aang. Putting the needs of loved ones above the balance of the world when you know it's wrong is a crime against the natural order of things. Iroh made the same mistake with Ozai that I made with Sozin. Iroh should have killed Ozai outright, sending a message that what Ozai did was wrong. I should have killed Sozin when I had the chance. In the end, Sozin ended up betraying me, killing your people, and starting the Century War that threatened the precious balance, and Ozai ended up destroying his entire family. And look at where Iroh is now. He's the Firelord, after all, and Zuko still ended up in the worst possible situation imaginable, despite Iroh's best efforts to cushion his fall from grace.”
“But Iroh couldn't have known that things would turn out the way the turned out for either him or Zuko. I'm sure if Iroh would have known--”
“He knew,” Roku interrupts. “The signs were all there, and others had foreseen the outcome years earlier...
Fat
“You've taken to intercepting the Firelord's mail again, Master Piandao?”
“It wasn't me. That crazy messenger hawk got his signals crossed and brought it right to me.”
“Imagine that,” I say, not entirely convinced. “What are the odds?”
“Oh, Fat... You know I don't usually tamper with mail unless I have a good reason to. And like I said, this is not my doing.”
“You could have chosen not to read it, Master Piandao. Reading the Firelord's mail is treason, after all.”
“But I'm already a traitor, Fat. Why doesn't anybody get that? And besides, what the Firelord doesn't know won't hurt ol' Piandao. Besides, it's Iroh! What's he gonna do to me? Suspend my Pai Sho privileges? Not offer me any tea when I go to his home?”
“Are you drunk, Master Piandao?”
“I'm inebriated, Fat. Happily inebriated.”
“”inebriated” is just another word for “drunk”, Master Piandao.”
“Th-this is true. But I loooooooooove the word “inebriated”. It's rare that I get to use it in a sentence.”
“I see. And are you trying to craft a sword while you're inebriated, Master?”
“In the Fire Nation, Fat, a sword crafts you!”
“Riiiiiiiiight... Why don't you let me help you back into the house before you hurt yourself?”
“That would be nice. But first I have to look for the message. Will you help me find it, please?”
“We've had this talk before, Master Piandao. There's no message. You've searched the entire property for it, uprooted plants, dumped your potted plants onto the floor so you could sift through the soil in the hopes that a message would be buried there, torn out your custom tile work in every room of the castle... You didn't find anything.”
“That's because I wasn't looking in the right place, Fat.”
“You already looked in the foundry, Sir.”
“I'm not talking about the foundry. I'm talking about an actual sword. I just have to go through my invoices and figure out which swords had hallowed-out hilts. That message could have been hidden inside the hilt.”
“Master Piandao... If you were sober rather than stinking drunk-”
“Inebriated!”
“... Inebriated, you would realize that, if there was a message put within the hilt casing of a sword you had sold to a customer, they would have found it once they cracked the casing open and they would have given it to you, or they would have destroyed it. I doubt she would have been foolish enough to put a message within the hilt of a sword you were planning to sell.”
“I know you think I'm crazy, Fat.”
“I don't think you're crazy, Master Piandao, I just think you're holding on to something you should have let go of three years ago.”
“I know there's a message, Fat. Before she took off out of here, she was trying to tell me something.”
I cringe as I watch Master Piandao take apart rare swords that he created years ago with his own hand; priceless swords that are sought after by collectors around the world.
“Look at you, Master Piandao. Your tearing apart pieces of art and tools of the trade that you created with your own hands out of sheer desperation and longing. I will not watch you self-destruct all over again. The weather is taking a turn for the worst and I don't have time to baby you.”
the Master knows he's about to get it but he's too drunk to dodge a series of quick jabs that block his chi and cause his body to crumble and slouch against a nearby work table.
“Fat... You attacked me.”
“I did not attack you, Master Piandao. If I had, you'd be dead right now.”
I clean up while Master Piandao tries to clear his head.
“I wish it had been Sokka who had slain Ozai rather than the Avatar. It has always been my greatest dream which can never be fulfilled that Ozai be killed by one of my own swords. It would have been like killing him without leaving the comfort of my own home.”
“Let's not talk about this again, Master Piandao,” I say as I heft him over my shoulder.
“Don't tell Sokka I said that, Fat.”
“You know I always keep your confidences, Master Piandao.”
“Oh, Fat...”
“Yes, Master Piandao.”
“Put that letter in the vault, please?”
“Yes, Master Piandao.”
Shyu
“People are being visited by the dead, Jeong Jeong. At some point, we will need to address the nation so that we can try to calm and reassure people. You're the highest ranking advisor among us. I need your guidance.”
Jeong Jeong is never silent when the situation calls for swift action. When he fails to answer me, I know he is deeply troubled.
“What's wrong?”
“I just saw my wife,” he whispers before extinguishing the candles that circle him.
Fung
“I should warn you, the master is in a particularly nasty mood this evening. He's in the kitchen, butchering meat. ...With his sword!”
I consider leaving and coming back in the morning, knowing that Master Piandao's mood will only grow darker when I brief him on the goings-on in the Earth Kingdom.
“And just so you know, he's drunk--very drunk.”
“Perhaps I should come back tomorrow when Master Piandao is feeling better?”
Butler Fat rolls his eyes at me. “And miss all the fun? I think not. Confront the master now while he's drunk and wielding a sword and singing musical numbers and cooking food that makes the whole castle smell like death.”
Before I can politely decline to enter the master's home, Butler Fat pulls me inside the gate and closes the door behind us. “I'll take you in through the back door and get a room ready for you. When Master Piandao calms down, I'll tell him you're here.”
“Very well,” I say as I let him lead me in through the back door and up a winding flight of stares that takes us to the third floor of Master Piandao's lofty castle.
Butler Fat stocks the drawers of an elegant wood dresser with clean towels and wash cloths while we make small talk about how the whether has taken a nasty turn for the worst.
“it's been many years since we saw freezing temperatures in the middle of summer. I believe the last time the Fire Nation saw such whether was on the day of Prince Zuko's birth, during the eclipse that has so famously marked that legendary day.”
“Yes, even in the Earth Kingdom, we heard blurbs about a Prince of Fire born under the darkness of a full solar eclipse. A remarkable coincidence, to be sure.”
“I'll bring your carriage onto the property and bring your bags in for you. Then I will talk with Master Piandao while you can enjoy the comforts of the library at the end of this corridor.”
I bow and give thanks shortly before he takes his leave of me.
Fat wasn't being his usually snarky self. Master Piandao's cooking really does smell like death.
Piandao
As I wander around thinkin' about stuff I can't help but notice that there's a really angry lookin' Earth Kingdom soldier leanin' against the wall, starin' at me. His brows are all knitted together so it looks almost like he's got a unibrow.
“What's up?” When he doesn't answer me, I think he must be the rudest person in the world.
“I may be sword, but I'm still the Drunkmaster!” I tell this Earthbender guy.
Well, I guess I told him. Wait... What did I just say? Oh, right. That doesn't make any sense.
“Why are you looking at me like that? Am I naked? Are you naked?” When I look down to see if I'm naked, I notice there's a little while splotch of somethin' on the tail of my robe.
“Hawky pooped on my robe? Gross!”
I shine the candlelight onto my, uh, guest, and he's just lookin' at me like I'm crazy. Bright green eyes just lookin' on like he just can't figure me out.
“You're not naked. ... And neither am I. Do I have a “Kick me” sign on my back?” I try to twist around to see what's back there. “I can't see back there!” I fuss. And when I turn my back to him, he snorts and crosses him arms. I reach around to point to my back with the tip of my sword. “Do you see something back there?”
“You're pathetic,” he says. Well that's just not a very nice thing to say to the Master.
“Hey, you! You can't just come in here and say stuff like that without introducing yourself first. That's just rude. And have you seen my messenger hawk, Hawky? He left me. Everybody leaves the Master.” I raise my arms and give my pits a good sniff. “I don't stink so why does everyone leave me? Ursa left me and Hawky left me and my parents left me...”
“Do you mind?” he asks.
Well, of course I don't mind so I tell him as much. He keeps gnashing his teeth together. I don't think he likes me.
“What's your name? I need to know what to call you. Random Earthbender Guy has too many syllables.”
“Master Piandao...”
“NO WAY! I'M MASTER PIANDAO! WE HAVE THE SAME NAME! I CAN'T WAIT TO TELL FAT THE GOOD NEWS!” I cheer as a twirl around.
Woo, dizzy...
It's a good thing he was there to catch me or I woulda just tipped right over onto the floor. That woulda been embarrassing. Well, he really didn't catch me. I just sorta fell into him accidentally/on purpose and bounced off. Or maybe he pushed me off. He pushed me! That was mean.
“My name is Sheng Win--”
“But you just said your name was “Master Piandao!” I tell him as I swing my sword around in a grand fashion, with dramatic flare, no less. I like the way the red and yellow candlelight looks as it shimmers across the blade's surface as my sword whooshes through the air around me.
“No, I was addressing you when I said that, you moron!”
“You were dressin' me? But I'm not naked, remember? WOAH! WAIT! Nobody dressed the Master without the Master's permission. Did you ask my permission first? I don't remember...”
“I was calling you by your name, Master Piandao.”
“Right! My name's Master Piandao--first name: Master, Last name: Piandao. You were calling me by my naaaaaaaaaaaame,” I shout, both excited and relieved that we don't have the same name. Then we'd be at some fancy shmancy party and someone would say “Master Piandao...” and both of us would answer and there'd be all of this confusion. ...Kinda like when I'm in a crowded room and someone calls out to “Lee” and ten guys answer back. So annoying...
And that's when it hits me! He was calling me by my name. “Ho! It all makes sense now. I'm so glad that's over with! But seriously... What're ya doin' in my home?”
And for no good reason, he just starts throwing my writing table at me.
“THAT'S IT! MAKE YOUR SURROUNDINGS FIGHT FOR YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!” I praise. It's so nice to see people using the tools available to them in a fight. I'm just glad he didn't throw that stone statue at me. Oh wait! Here it comes. Never mind, Piandao, just never mind!
“Don't you remember me, Master Piandao?” he asks as the statue slams into the wall beside me. His aim is so bad, I don't even really have to dodge. I just stand here and look pretty.
“Wait! I know this one,” I say when he stomps toward me, swinging his fists, which are the size of my face, by the way, at my head. “I sold you a sword, didn't I? Ya know, you're really takin' that whole “Customer Dissatisfaction” thing to a whole know level of crazy. And I know the Firelord's family, so I know crazy!”
I get a good look at his boxed-shaped face when he steps into the lantern's light. His uniform is one of those old Earth Kingdom uniforms from thirty years ago – the ones with the helmets that come down around their heads much like the Fire Nation helmets do.
“I remember you now! And I just wanna say that what your daughter and I did was totally consensual. You have my word on that as a Swordmaster!”
“I don't have a daughter!” he says while he continues to trash my study and throw heavy objects at me.
“So she was a “he”? Wow... WAIT! I remember! She was definitely not a “he”! Definitely! I mean, it's not even a debatable issue. She had all the right equipment and everything was in good working order. So don't even try to tell the Master any differently.”
He just told me to shut up! I'm so tired of his rudeness. I dump metal clips out of a small ornate brass bucket I have sitting on a table and punch my fist into it. Then I throw my arm around when he comes at me for another pass, putting all of my force behind the swing, and (bam)! Baby stumbles backward into the wall when I go right upside his head with a mean left hook.
“Fat's gonna be angry cuz you trashed my study,” I warn. “You wouldn't like Fat when he's angry!”
Fat
Brother Fung tells me not to worry. “I'll be staying at the inn for at least a week, maybe longer. It really depends on the weather.”
“Or you could just stay here. I'll have to confirm this with Master Piandao once his head clears but I doubt it will be a problem.”
In the far corner of the 2nd floor library, there's a large stair case that has an elaborate pattern of lotus blossoms weaving through vines carved into it. It spirals around the winding set of stairs which leads to the large open area on the 3rd floor that overlooks Master Piandao's courtyard. When I left Master Piandao, he was sitting in their, gazing out the window into wicked stormy skies. He's probably in there pining because he thinks Hawky hates him.
As if summoned by my thoughts, Master Piandao comes flying down the stairs, literally. Brother Fung makes his way to his feet when Master Piandao careens through the elegant wooden banister and onto the marble floor at the foot of the landing.
Master Piandao, who's lying facedown with his lower body sprawled out across the bottom three steps of the stairs, looks up at us. His eyes criss-cross back and forth between Brother Fung and I.
“Don't look at me like that, Fat. All I said to the guy was “The sex was consensual...” and he jis went nuts. And you should see what he did to my study, Fat. It's jis—it's jis-it's a tapestry of justice, Fat! And he told me to shut up, Fat!” the Master whines. “Nobody tells the Master to shut up!”
“Master Piandao!”
“Whut?”
“Shut up!”
“Fat! That's not very nice--Hey, Fung! How you been?”
“I've been well, Master Piandao. You?”
Master Piandao grins and gives Fung a thumbs-up. “I've been great!”
Pleasantries are cut short when a large, strapping Earth Kingdom soldier who looks like he's taller than Master Piandao and weights more than I do stalks down the stairs.
“I don't recall letting you in, but I fully intend to throw you out,” I tell the man who has so diligently seen fit to make his presence known. The wild grin that spreads across his face begs me to do just that.
“Ur in trouble, Mister! I told you not to make Fat angry. Ur gonna git it now!”
Jee
“Toph, the weather's gotten worse in the past five minutes--It's sleeting!”
“Crap, Jee! Just get in the boat with me and help me find the rocks like we talked about. If I can get within a few inches of them, I can cut a path through them or, even better, we can turn them into a stone dock that we can anchor the ship near and just walk to dry land. I'm tired of being tossed around like this. People, I'm gonna throw up again if we don't hit dry land soon!”
Toph's yelling is muffled by waves and screaming winds that pound the ship's haul, tossing us about though we're little more than a child's toy.
Toph cries out when a fierce wave that nearly pulls her over the side of the ship crashes into us. Five of us grab her before the sea can claim her.
“Toph...”
She says nothing, just stares at me wide-eyed. Terror has moved in where her confidence used to be.
“We've lost a lot of people to the sea,” Ruri tells her while sea foam careens over the side of the boat.
Another tall wave smashes into us with astonishing force that causes the ship to tilt as such an angle that we nearly capsize.
Toph screams that the ship has sprung a leak on the bottom deck. “I felt the metal give way!”
“Iroh! The water's already flooded the lower decks. This ship is sinking! We have to abandon it.”
Iroh gives the order for everyone to abandon their heavy armor and come down to onto the main deck and hang on until she starts to sink.
“I can do this,” Toph cuts in, her hand held tightly in Iroh's. She takes another deep breath as the wind tears the Earth Kingdom flag from it's pole and carries it off into the black clouds above. “I'm ready.”
As men who've stumble and fallen down from the stacks flood onto the main deck, the wind knocks them over but they use each other as a means to steady themselves. Like a chain gang, they line up in rows on the deck for support as the boat rocks when another black wave at least twenty feet high smacks into us. Iroh and Toph grab onto one another for a long hug and he whispers something in her ear then turns her over to me so I can lower her down into the lifeboat.
Blue lightning flashes the worried faces of men, some of whom are only sixteen, at my as I make my way into the boat so I can tether myself to Toph using a a thick rope that I tie around both our wastes.
“Toph, if anything happens, just follow the rope back to me. And whatever you do, don't kick too hard against the current. You'll just use up your energy. We're tethered so, I'll get you before anything bad happens.”
“Got it!” she says as Ruri and Ganji row us toward the largest rock we can see, hoping like hell the waves don't slam us right into it.
“We can't get any closer,” I tell Toph when Ganji anchors the boat. “...or else, the waves will ram the boat into the rock.”
“Understand,” she says as she pushes her heavy wet hair from her face.
I check to make sure our tether's secure and tell her to hold on. Toph clings to me for life when we break the frigid water's surface. As the water bites through my clothing, memories of surviving the icy seas of the North Pole come racing back me as the wind howls like so many dying soldiers.
Even with bursts of lightning that light up the landscape with the intensity of the sun, the salty spray makes it impossible to see. “Gotta keep your mouth closed,” I say when Toph coughs and sputters.
After she spits a mouth full of water in my ear she thanks me for being so helpful.
“The rock is just a few yards in front of us, Toph! We're almost there.”
“Well I gotta Problem, Jee. My feet are completely numb because it's so cold. I'm not gonna be able to see because I can't feel with them.”
“But you can still Earthbend with your hands like normal Earthbenders, right?”
“Well, duh! Don't ask stupid questions, Jee!”
I create a strategy to keep us from swallowing water. I give the signal and then we both hold our breathes as the waves crash over us.
Through the blinding rain, the storm surge inundates us with sour-tasting salt water as we creep closer to the rock. The water is covered in froth, the foam so thick it looks as though the sea's gone as rabid as a crazed moose-dog.
A loud clap of thunder and spark of lightning sets a dramatic scene as Toph's pale hand suddenly breeches the water's surface to grab onto the rock slab before I can even tell her to reach out for it.
The storm has been pushing the ocean into a nearby fishing village then pulling the village, house by house, out into the sea. Chunks of debris from the aftermath swim around us as the slab Toph clings to shakes and rumbles to life under her influence.
A streak of lightning flickers, striking against the rock just as Toph cracks into it with her bending. We cry out to one another as a jolt goes through both of us, tearing her from my grip, throwing the both of us into different directions. The frozen water pricks against the bare skin of my face while the rope that binds us chokes my waist as Toph and I are flung in opposite directions. I grab for air, but only water fills my lungs...
My eyes burst open, only to screw themselves shut again when the salt water floods in. As I'm falling toward the ocean floor, flailing desperately as the chill water and undercurrents overtakes me, I realize that by tethering Toph to me, I've sealed both of our fates...
Hama
At the pinnacle of the storm, I can harness the energy produced as the water rushes in to claim the land. I will walk free once again, my captors bent until they're broken...
THE EXTENDED AUTHOR'S NOTES BELOW CONTAIN DETAILED INFORMATION & EPISODE SPOILERS
3.02 THE HEADBAND: If you've been following the story, you know that Zuko is a dancer. His mother taught him and I fully intend to show that dancing, the theater, music, and art are things that are openly enjoyed and appreciated by Fire Nation citizens despite what has been said in The Headband.
Combustion Man, another amusing character from Book 3, will also make his way into this story. His ability to Firebend with his mind intrigues me. I have already plotted out his purpose, which, as you know, has to be different from his purpose in Book 3 when you consider that Zuko's the one who hired him to kill Aang. Since Zuko isn't even a threat to them after they flee Ba Sing Se in “Solstice”, Zuko has no previous ties to Combustion Man within the context of the story. And, uh, I'm still waiting to find what this guy's real name is.
3.03 THE PAINTED LADY: Totally usable.
3.04 SOKKA'S MASTER: Master Piandao is my cartoon boyfriend. I have actually fallen in love with this man. He will become a main character because that's just how plushulala rolls.
3.05 THE BEACH: ... Never happened because Zuko never went back home to the Fire Nation e.i. they never took a weekend trip to Ember Island together. I might figure out a way to get Chan and Ruon-jian into this story just for the lulz, though.
3.06 THE AVATAR AND THE FIRELORD: We've learned that Roku is Zuko's great grandfather. Frankly, I must be the only person in this fandom who wasn't surprised by this but whatever. In this story, however, he is Zuko's great uncle. I should have stuck to my guns and made him Zuko's great grandfather but I had this stupid notion that Avatars can't have kids or something. This is what I get for buying into fandom nonsense. No matter... I won't go back and retcon the story by changing Roku's biological relationship to Zuko. Besides, it amuses me that Ursa calls Roku “Uncle”. On a related note: Roku's relationship with Sozin may come into play. Even before I saw The Avatar And the Firelord, I had always intended to introduce it into the story. A relationship between Roku and Sozin had always been a fanon notion anyway.
3.07 THE RUNAWAY: Hawky Love. 3 I introduced him when I introduced Master Piandao and Butler Fat into the story.
3.08 THE PUPPETMASTER: Bloodbending? Most of the fandom called Bloodbending a long time ago. Look for it to show up in this story. I've already made references to similar bending of bodily fluids in previous chapters by having Katara threaten to bend the water from someone's eyes and by having her bend the fluid in Zuko's inner ear to disable him. Oh and Hama's totally coming back and she's bringing her crazy with her.
3.09 NIGHTMARES AND DAYDREAMS: There's nothing particularly useful in this episode.
3.10 THE DAY OF BLACK SUN, PARTS 1 AND 2: With the exception of Zuko's confrontation with Ozai, everything from this episode is fair game for referencing. At this point, I'm pretty sure most of what happens in Book 3 will be completely unusable.
THE NEXT SECTION CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR EPISODES THAT HAVE NOT YET AIRED IN THE U.S.
3.12 THE FIREBENDING MASTERS: Heh... Cute episode but it's totally useless to me.
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