Fire Nation Civil War

[setzer]

"I have a trip to the front planned for the end of the week. After that, I'll have to look over some reports from the Earth Kingdom coastline. We haven't had to fight in that area since the war started a hundred years ago. But until then, my generals can handle things. What did you have in mind?" Azula got up and looked in the mirror. She grabbed a cloth and dipped it in water to begin cleaning her face. "Ugghh, my eyes are all red."

[Sarcasmic Canadian]

OOC: Stupid site... I got left behind...
SO no Iroh with Zuko? Ok....


Zuko looked around at the group. Bumi, the mad genius Earth King. Mai, his fiancee and the person he would protect before anyone else. Aang, the Avatar, possibly his most powerful ally. Most powerful ally? That sounds so... Azulaish. He's a friend. Zuko needed more allies. His uncle held the popular vote among the fire nation troops, not him. If it wasn't for Iroh, Azula would have already won. He needed more allies.
"I'm going to Ba Sing Se, and I'm leaving Bumi in charge of affairs here, as well as my Uncle. Aang, I think i need the Avatar's help on this one. Even Sokka would be nice addition." He sighed, not entirely comfortable with leaving his affairs to a mad man, and bringing an equally mad man along with him. Then he faced Mai, and spoke the hardest part.
"Mai, you must stay here. This will be dangerous, and I can't risk you getting hurt. I'll leave Tyron behind to watch you." Zuko couldn't face Mai, so he faced Bumi.
"You think you'll be alright?" asked Zuko.

"Of course. Plus, I have such great advisers like your Uncle and your fiancee," said Bumi, with a tiny snort of a laugh.
"Of course, my ocndition is that you take Mushi, he's an earthbender and your group at the moment lacks an earthbender," advised Bumi. Zuko merely nodded.

[Beebs]

"Wait Prince Zuko," Iroh interjected, quickly waddling into the large chamber due to his slightly constricting robe. "Before you worry about Ba Sing Se, there are more important matters to attend to. I just received a letter from Commander Xiou-San reporting that the troops at Chang Min Island are under attack by Azula's squadron."

The grey-haired man briefly turned his attention to King Bumi, bowing in respect.

Meanwhile, Ty Lee bit her lower lip in thought, then said, "Oh, I don't know. Things have been a lot more dull for me since--" Ty Lee paused, not sure if bringing up him would be the best thing in the word. She continued to ponder this until finally deciding. "It's just things haven't been as fun since our days chasing the Avatar. He and his bratty friends were always such a challenge...I loved it! I wish we had something like that to do..."

[setzer]

"We did have fun. I can't deny that. But it's difficult work running a war. Travelling across the world, with just you and Mai..." They'd really had fun. Even when they weren't fighting, they saw all sorts of wonderful places.
"But that isn't an option now. I'm the one running things, and I have to be able to keep up with the situation."

[Beebs]

Ty Lee sighed and responded, "I know, Azula. I kind of figured that anyway. You've got a lot of responsibility now, so I can't expect you to just blow it off to have a girl's day out. Maybe there's away for us to have our fun and run the war effort." The format shrugged and continued to contort her body.

[brynna]

Mai inclined her head to the general but stepped away from her fiancee. She did not want to be left behind. She would listen--she had always been obedient--but she refused be happy about it. So it was with down-turned lips that she heard Iroh's news.

Lin screamed and instinctively reached for Mushi's waist. The wind rushing past her barely registered past the feeling of her stomach dropping to the ground so very far below her. She closed her eyes in fear, but they shot open when she felt the chute beneath her rumble.
"You idiot!" she screamed into the wind.
He had formed a jump in front of them, and Lin most certainly did not want to deal with that. The sensation of falling so far was enough for her without knowing that she had lost contact with the ground. Her arms removed themselves from around Mushi and pulled back and out, mostly restoring the chute to its original shape--the slight bump they felt as they crossed the area was the last remnant of the jump.

[Sarcasmic Canadian]

Zuko smiled at his Uncle's arrival, but frowned at the news he brought. Zuko cursed his sister beneath his breath and then sighed.
"Uncle, we are needed on all fronts. We need more allies. We can't abandon our previous allies. I have no experience in such matter. What advice do you have to give?"

King Bumi did a bizarre gesture to greet the Dragon of the West, a gesture he had created himself.
"Prince Iroh, we meet again," said Bumi, deciding that the situation needed brilliant thinking, not insanity.

Tyron had tired of wandering around the city and had returned to find more people had joined and some had left. Tyron moved over to Mai and asked, "What's going on?"


"You're no fun!" screamed Mushi and he stuck his hands out on each side, and brought them down on the ground, using Earthbending to create enough friction to stop the chute at the next stop. He rubbed his callused hands together and then helped out Lin.
"OK, so you may be able to handle insanity and.... blandness... but you have one weak stomach," teased Mushi.

[brynna]

Mai looked at the Firebender with vague annoyance. "Azula attacked Chang Min Island." Her mind sought out her memories of the Princess. She doesn't like leaving a conquered town standing...Would reinforcements even work?

Lin trembled slightly, her face pale as she tried to regain her composure. "I'm just afraid of heights. It feels so...alone up high." She shook her head and straightened up. "Sorry 'bout that."

[Sarcasmic Canadian]

"Ahh... so are we all going to go over there and show her some real firebending?" asked Tyron, a flickering flame floating around in his palm.

"Don't mention it, it won't happen again," said Mushi. He sighed and looked around
"What you think the others are up to?" asked Mushi, hoping they weren't missing a party or something.
We're in the middle of a war... doubt it's time for a party.

[brynna]

"You're an absolute idiot," spat Mai. "No matter how good you think you are, she's better. And she doesn't ever hold back." She glanced at Iroh, remembering how Azula had laughed as she recounted attacking her uncle and leaving him for dead.

Lin shrugged. "Something political, I suppose. I saw a messenger hawk awhile ago." She looked up at the palace. "Mai might start looking for me before too long. Politics bore her." Lin laughed. "Most things bore her, actually. Except Zuko. She smiles every time he comes up in a conversation."

[Sarcasmic Canadian]

Tyron frowned at her insult and then grinned again, but with a more solemn face.
"I wouldn't go up against her, unless it involved your or Zuko's safety. I don't think I'm an idiot, but I may be one for following her main target like a loyal pup. But if protecting Zuko and his 'true' family involves cross fire with danger, then I'll take the risk. Zuko may not know it, but he's brought us all into a family." Tyron grinned at her.
"That would make you mother," teased Tyron. I don't remember the last time i called anyone mother...

"Yeah, Zuko talks about her a lot. Drives me and Bumi insane, so we have to be completely random, to keep him off that topic," said Mushi, with a grin. It was either Zuko's displeasure or their's and Mushi was not one to hear girl rants.
"You think we should be present? Or are we too low on the chain of command to be allowed in?" teased Mushi, making sure she caught the sarcasm in his voice.

[brynna]

Mother...Zuko's real family... Mai rolled her eyes. "I kind of doubt I'd be any sort of mother to you." She looked back to Zuko, her expression again carefully schooled into expressionlessness.

"Oh, I don't know...those high up types tend to lose sight of the real world," Lin smiled. "Us low people should probably help them remember what's going on out here."

[Sarcasmic Canadian]

"Me neither. I think you're younger then me.... imagine how awkward that would be," joked Tyron, hiding the fact that when Mai had blown him off it had hurt him a bit.
"You're more like that annoying little sister whose get a thing for my older brother," added in Tyron, with a grin.


"I like your thinking," said Mushi with a grin.
"So, are you ready for some more insanity, or are you going to stick with me, plain old stupidity?" asked Mushi.

[Beebs]

Iroh paused for a moment, considering each option carefully. "I think you should be cautious in your approach. Perhaps make every effort to reclaim Chang Min Island, without exhausting all of your resources; that's what Azula wants. I think a tactical operation would be the best approach...do something she wouldn't expect. Perhaps Sokka and the young Avatar could be of some use in this."

[Sarcasmic Canadian]

Zuko weighed his options.
If we resort resources to reclaiming Chang Min, we'd leave Ba Sing Se without allies. Chang Min is vital to us, but if we reclaim Ba Sing Se, we cut off Azula's main base in the Earth Kingdom.
"Uncle, the troops will follow you into battle. They are loyal to you, not me. We may need to spilt our forces. We need to assit Ba Sing Se and Chang Min, but without leaving Omashu unguarded," said Zuko, unsure of what really to do. He wanted to reclaim Ba Sing Se, but he was no fool. He knew he needed Chang Min for it's supplies.
"Where is Sokka? He may not be the brightest of men, but he does have some good ideas." asked Zuko. This was not a decision that he could make alone. His uncle'sadvice was helpful, but what about the Avatar's advice? Bumi's advice? Even... Sokka's advice?

[Beebs]

Iroh nodded, having considered many of the options as well; he couldn't think of a single perfect solution. "I believe Sokka is out on one of the training balconies, I'll go get him." The man then turned to King Bumi, continuing, "King Bumi, I'm sure you have many strategic battle plans you could share with my young nephew during my absence." Iroh bowed to the room in respect, just before leaving to fetch Sokka.

((OOC: Booooo, my posts suck. ))

[brynna]

Somewhat unconsciously, Mai reached for the knife she kept up her sleeve. She was trying to focus on Zuko, on this moment, on what she knew she could do to help him. But somebody was making it hard. Still, the sight of Zuko puzzling over the war reminded her where and who she was now. "Just...drop it." Mai tried to force a friendly face for Tyron, but her concerns and insecurities kept her from fully breaking the mask she wore.
"Zuko..." she started weakly, but thought better of it and looked away.


Lin gave Mushi a friendly punch in the arm. "I hardly consider you stupid...Perhaps a bit foolish. But the sanity out here is stifling, don't you think?" She laughed and started to walk toward the palace, but stopped. "Where exactly are we going anyway?"

[Sarcasmic Canadian]

Tyron nodded and slipped away from the couple
"Eh, Bumi, seen my brother?" asked Tyron.
"No... he left with that young girl awhile ago," said Bumi.
"That backstabber, he stole my girl," fumed Tyron. Bumi chuckled and said, "You should of stuck around and I would of taught you my lady moves."

Zuko faced Mai.
"What is it?" asked Zuko, Mai's soft words not going unheard. He moved to her side and put his arm around her shoulders.

Mushi rubbed his arm and shrugged his shoulders.
"I was thinking a tea shop, then a romantic walk through Lower Omashu, and then back to my place," teased Mushi.

[Liamane]

((OOC: *spotlight* I have arrived yet again. *3*))

With his cloak flapping behind him, Koji looked upon his his small, private army as they gathered the rest of the supplies and loaded their naval vessel for the journey ahead. He sneered in absolute delight, and his fist clenched before his face before he emitted a most devious chortle. "Finally, the world will truly know my name," the firebender announced in a whisper; his eyes darted to each man scrambling on the ship's deck. "I'll be a national hero. When I come back home from my noble feats," he extended his arms wide, "I'll be one of the most respected men in the Fire Nation, and everyone will consider me to be one of the strongest men in the world! I'll be sure that all will know my name."

His sneer grew tenfold, and as he made his way to the plank connecting the dock to the ship, his mighty aspiration filled his head. Stepping onto the metal barge, the men under his command arranged themselves in a straight line, and they offered a bow to their commander. Conniving, Koji simply nodded and smirked as his crew stood before him. Without a doubt in his mind, he prepared himself for the battle of a lifetime across the vast seas.

---

Continuing to be incredibly silent, the young Avatar released a most depressing sigh as he lowered his head to gaze at the floor below his feet. "This is all my fault," Aang thought, his voice echoed in his mind. His fists clenched tightly and he allowed anger to slowly take over his being. "I hate that fact that the world is mess. When is this going to end?"

[brynna]

Mai flushed lightly, stiffening at Zuko's display of affection. "Nevermind," she muttered. She knew it would start a fight. "Maybe later." Her eyes drifted to the sighing Avatar and she could almost feel his guilt, for the same thing ran through her.

------

Lin laughed. "I think I drink enough tea for the both of us, thanks." She looked toward the center of the city. "We should be getting back, I guess. We do have responsibilities to the world, after all."