FicWad

When acting naturally, Seung was by no means an intimidating man. His face was clean shaven, save a tuft of hair at the base of his chin. (This wasn't intentional; it was simply because when Seung shaved, the reflective surfaces he would use to check his progress were usually curved, making it difficult for him to see the aforementioned facial hair. If you were to tell him about it, he would immediately feel around his jaw with a puzzled look until he found it.)

Seung was well respected, both by his superiors and by the troops below him. Far more so than the arrogant and insubordinate Dak-Ho, whose promotion to the rank of general was due strictly to a decisive victory years prior.

Upon asking Dak-Ho to recount the tale, he would regale his troops with the story of his twenty hour siege of the fire nation camp, his hammer never faltering nor going still for a moment. Through his brilliant maneuvers and understanding of the enemy, he was able to overcome vast odds and destroy those before him with masterful Earthbending.

Seung was more reluctant to discuss it. Yet to those whom heard him tell the story, it was far less inspiring. In the dead of night, Dak-Ho led an assault unit with twice as many soldiers as the Fire Nation encampment housed. As they slept, he had each and every soldier slaughtered, the skulls of their generals becoming aspects of his armor. Dak-Ho himself did nothing, remaining on the outskirts of the camp, calling out orders to his subordinates.

Dak-Ho was a weakling, both as an Earthbender and as a soldier. He had done well in hiding this fact for years, yet now, in the face of the Demon of War, his true face was revealed to Wen Lan. He trembled, nearly dropping his hammer.

The Demon stood silently before him, his grinning mask instilling a deep and sudden cold in the general's chest.

"Demon," Seung's eyes widened as he landed, staring towards riverboat. He dove forward, an arch of flame tearing past him as Gang thrust his leg up. He stepped back quickly, Gang continuing the offense without pause. As he drew closer, Seung lifted his leg, slamming it into the ground. "Give me a minute," he muttered.

Gang stopped as a wall of rock shot up before him, meeting with another just behind it. He turned quickly as two more rose up, locking him within a pyramid of stone.

"Sir!" Seung turned and called out, having given himself the breathing room he needed. Leaping slightly, two pillars rose up beneath his legs, his palm lifting to rip a chunk of earth from the ground below. Thrusting his other palm forward, the rock flew towards the riverboat.

The breath in combat was short lived, a howl of anger rising up within the walls of the newly formed pyramid. Charred earth exploded around Gang as he stared skyward, screaming with clenched fists. Glaring, he lowered his eyes to his opponent, who had already lowered himself from his stone stilts.

"You could've done that from the beginning, couldn't you?" He snarled.

"...Yes," Seung admit.

"Why didn't you?"

"Hmm, I don't know. Maybe because you would have broken out of it with a burst of fire?" the soldier folded his arms.

"Heh," Gang grinned, understanding the situation. "You're stronger than me."

Silence. Seung was not one to compare strength, much less do anything that felt like bragging.

"Alright, you're stronger. So what is it you're hoping to do, here?"

"Honestly?"

"Honestly."

"I was hoping to disable you, to the point where you'd command your subordinates to cooperate. From there, I'd secure you all as prisoners. Since you're not with the Fire Nation army, I'm hoping I can somehow convince my commander to let you live, then have you escorted to Bai-Jing unharmed."

Gang grinned again, setting himself into a combat stance as his fists began smoldering. "That's no good for me."

Seung stared calmly, disappointed.

"If I'm a prisoner, I can't serve my lady. And if I can't serve my lady, there's no point to bein' alive."

Disappointed yet understanding, Seung breathed deep, stepping back into a stance. To some degree, he envied Gang. He wondered quietly as to what it would be like to defend a superior out of admiration instead of requirement.

The two stared at one another, the sound of yelling from the opposite bank not losing its furor. Beneath the rage of battle, the river washed quietly against the bank beside them.

"W...Why are you doing this?" Dak-Ho yelled, gripping his hammer tightly.

The Demon remained silent.

Wen Lan remained near Xiu, analyzing and trying to understand the situation.

"You're of the Earth Kingdom, you fool! You should be fighting with us, killing this Fire Nation scum!"

The Demon stepped forward slowly. It was obvious from this that Dak-Ho had said something wrong, perhaps stupid. Perhaps both.

"S...Stop! Stop right there! Spare me, help me rid our Kingdom of the Fire Nation and I promise you anything you want! Gold! Wealth, power! I'm a general, I can use whatever resources I have to make any dream of yours a reality!"

Another step, a faster pounding within the general's chest.

"I'll kill you! Right where you stand, I'll strike you down! You think the Earth Kingdom fears some renegade?!"

Wrong again.

In desperation he threw his hammer forward, screaming both loudly and obnoxiously.

His hand shooting up, the demon grasped the hammer as it rushed towards him, tossing it off the side of the riverboat in the same motion as he continued forward.

Wen Lan reassured Xiu by placing a hand on her shoulder, standing up and staring at the scene in sheer wonder.

A broad smile of relief crept across Dak-Ho's face as he saw the boulder flying towards him, courtesy of Seung. He began laughing, lifting his hands toward it, pulling it beside him and leaving it in midair as he turned towards that which he feared.

The Demon came to a stop, standing still.

"Ha ha, you thought you had me, didn't you? Just because there was nothing here for me to bend? How unfortunate for you...Now, I'll offer you this one last time! You can either join me, or I can crush you here and now!"

Cold silence.

Dak-Ho sneered, his hand tensing. "So be it," he grumbled, motioning his body fiercely towards the Demon as the chunk of earth took flight.

"No!" Wen Lan called out.

From Dak-Ho's perspective, it was an absolute success. He could see the boulder slam into the Demon's chest, forcing him backwards. He could hear the monster's feet slide along the deck of the boat; see him pushed back towards his original target. The image of rejoice on the part of the local Earth Kingdom generals passed through his mind instantly, villages paying homage to "Dak-Ho the Demon Slayer."

Wen Lan's eyes went wide, Xiu sitting behind her, terrified.

The fantasies faded within the same instant they had formed, as Dak-Ho's mouth opened in shock.

The Demon had been forced back to where he had originally landed upon the riverboat, the veins in his arms bulging as his hands shivered, gripping the sides of the boulder. A low grumble could be heard from beneath the mask as the muscles along his arms suddenly tensed. A moment later, his arms sank through the rock as though it were water, dust escaping around it as it fell to pieces in front of him. A low grunt could be heard as he breathed deep, his head turning back towards Wen Lan and Xiu.

"Leave."

"How?!" Dak-Ho screamed.

"I have women on board," Wen Lan protested.

The Demon paused, peering back towards the doorway to the hold. The eyes of the mask fell upon Wen Lan once again. "Get them off."

Her mouth still open, she felt no other option besides nodding in agreement. Turning quickly, she brought Xiu to her feet, her hands falling upon the trembling girl's shoulders as she gave careful instruction.

"Xiu, listen carefully. I want you to go prepare the raft; the other girls will be with you in a moment."

"But my lady, what about you?!" The girl shivered.

"I'll be by as soon as I can," she smiled reassuringly.
"Y...Yes..." Xiu could feel a sudden sorrow, hoping that Wen Lan wouldn't be so brash as to get involved with the two monsters in front of them. She hurried to the side of the boat, preparing the raft.

"Fire Nation whore," Dak-Ho sneered towards the fleeing Xiu, his body shaking as he tried to Earthbend the rubble around the Demon. The efforts were in vein, too shaken to properly manipulate it.

The Demon began stepping forward again, this time leaving no pause for effect.

"Why are you doing this!? You wear the clothes of an Earth Kingdom warrior, why are you fighting alongside the Fire Nation!?"

More silence as Wen Lan hurried the girls out of the hold, guiding them towards the raft.

"Go! Get to the bank and wait for me! If I'm not back by sundown, seek out the nearest village!"

Panicked, the servants rushed to the raft, lowering it quickly. As it hit the water they screeched, paddling quickly towards the riverbank.

"They're getting away!" Dak-Ho screeched. "You're letting them get away, you traitor!" In another, more feeble act of desperation, he launched his fist towards the Demon, falling to his knees as he felt a tremendous pressure upon the hand.

His hand wrapped around the general's fist, the Demon continued closing it, squeezing harder. The motionless eyes continued their piercing gaze, Dak-Ho whimpering.

"I'm no traitor," he answered in a low, harsh tone.

Crying out again, the general looked up in rage. "You strike down Earth Kingdom soldiers, you aid our enemies, you're the very definition of a traitor!"

Squeezing again, the Demon began twisting Dak-Ho's arm. "I strike down those who threaten peace."

Standing a distance behind him, Wen Lan's eyes went wide at the words.

"We'll have peace if we defeat the Fire Nation!" he could barely speak the words anymore, his voice high-pitched from the intense pain.

"War creates war," he squeezed harder. "Violence inspires violence," he began stepping forward, dragging the squirming general beside him. "No matter the nation, they wake destruction in the name of peace." With these words, he threw Dak-Ho along the ground, letting him slam into the back of the ship. "And yet if they find that peace, their thirst will not be quenched."

He clutched his broken hand, sobbing loudly.

"I will protect those that are threatened by that destruction," the Demon warned. "Whether they are a warrior of the Earth or a soldier of Fire, I will destroy those who threaten the peace of the innocent."

Wen Lan screamed out, her face tense with anger, "No! What you're doing is no better than the actions of those you fight!"

From her perspective, all Wen Lan could see was the muscular frame of the stranger's body. His head rose, his body turning slowly as the soulless mask looked towards her.

"If you bring harm, doesn't it defeat your purpose?! Peace should be attained through compromise, not through pain!"

"There are those that refuse compromise," the answer was automatic, as if it had been prepared, expected.

"Then they must be reasoned with, not struck down!"

He turned his body again, this time facing her entirely, a wide gap between them. "Your argument is flawed," he answered coldly.

"No, I believe your outlook is flawed!" She stepped forward, yelling out the words with confident passion.

"You make your argument based on the assumption that all men have the capacity to be reasoned with. That they'll choose peace over combat."

"That's my philosophy, yes!"

"I won't contest that that is how the majority of people will function. Yet there is a select few who are deaf to reason, who will live and breathe battle."

"Is that really the case, or justification of a vendetta?" she narrowed her eyes.

The mask stared back, coldly. The answer was calm, though spoken as low as all the others had been. "It is the role of the strong to protect those that will reason."

"That's not an answer to my que," she started.

"I am not the sort of person who breathes battle."

"What are you, then?" she asked almost hopefully, the question on the tip of her tongue since his arrival at the scene.

"I am the one who will protect those who reason, protect peace."

"Through violence?!"

"I do not fight to kill. I fight to disarm, to disable," he lifted his arms, the Earth Kingdom crest shields giving a soft glare in the sunlight.

"You crushed that man's hand!"

"He's killed civilians."

An explosion of silence, the sound of Dak-Ho sobbing softly at the pain the only audible noise.

"What...?"

"This man is wicked, taking pleasure in death. The skulls on his armor are mostly those of fallen Fire Nation generals, yet there are some that are of civilians, men and women who never rose a fist against him."

She stared in shock towards Dak-Ho, his sudden smirk at the mention of his crimes sickening her. She brought her hands to her mouth, completely disgusted.

The Demon turned his back to her, facing Dak-Ho again. "I will never harm those that can be reasoned with. I live to protect them."

Staring, her eyes came back to the stranger's back.

"I am the answer to the destructive minority."

"...What is your name...?"

Silence. The Demon turned quickly, slamming both arms into the ship, shattering the deck.

Wen Lan fell back onto the deck, looking up as the boat began splitting in two. She came back to her feet, hurrying to the fractured edge. As she arrived, the Demon had already completely separated the two halves of the boat.

The Demon stared silently as her half continued upstream. He turned quietly towards Dak-Ho, who stared up in rage, breathing heavy as sweat poured down his face.

"Those civilians" he panted, "they all deserved it. They were Fire Nation, they had it coming."

The large hand grasped the general by the throat, lifting him with ease. "I am the Demon of War," he started. "Fire Nation or Earth Kingdom; I am the result of all wicked men."

The general began squealing in fear, his useable hand clinging to the giant's arm.

By the time Wen Lan's half of the ship had drifted to the bank, she could no longer see the other half. Jumping down quickly, she hurried downstream, stopping as she discovered the remaining bit of the riverboat's rear end as it sank.

The stranger was nowhere to be found, the general gone as well. She stood there quietly, pondering the debate she had just found herself engaged in. There was a gain in perspective, certainly. Yet more so, there was an increase in her curiosity about the man. As question after question rose in her mind, a familiar voice called out to her.

"My lady!" Xiu called out as she rushed towards Wen Lan, the servants close behind.

"Xiu, you're alright!" She smiled, hurrying towards her. The two embraced, Wen Lan placing her hands on the girl's shoulders. "Is everyone alright?"

"We all are, my lady! But..." Her face had grown from a cheering smile to an expression of dismay.

Wen Lan looked up, over the shoulders of the other girls. "...Where's Gang?"

An awkward silence was shared among the girls, Wen Lan smiling softly, her eyes hinting at a sudden tightness in her chest.

"I see," she nodded a bit. Folding her hands in front of her she looked over her servants with a smile. "Ah, I know! I bet he finished dealing with those Earth Kingdom soldiers early and decided to beat us to Bai-Jing!"

They looked up inquisitively, confused by the statement.

"Gang's much too strong to be beaten by a bunch of Earth Kingdom soldiers, I bet he's already there, drinking and waiting for us."

"Yeah, no way Gang'd be defeated here!" one of the girls brought her fists up, boasting.

"He can't die, he knows it would make lady Wen Lan sad!" another realized.

"Gang could fight a hundred soldiers before even getting a scratch!" yet another theorized.

Within seconds, the group was gossiping cheerily, guessing as to what Gang and the other guards were already up to. The group began making their way along the bank, in the direction of Bai-Jing.

"Ah, lady Wen Lan! I'm so sorry; your hat got damaged..." Xiu looked ashamed as she held up the hat, a section of it chipped and torn.

"That's fine, we can mend it when we get to Bai-Jing," she offered a reassuring smile, nodding towards Xiu.

"Hey Xiu, how drunk do you think Gang will be when we get to Bai-Jing?" one of the girls called out from the back of the group.

"He always drinks when he thinks he's won a big fight, but those soldiers weren't so tough!" Xiu turned, walking backwards as she lifted a fist.

As the girls laughed and carried on, Wen Lan continued forward ahead of them, her mind soaked in questions, her heart heavy with sorrow at the understanding of what fate befell her most loyal guard and oldest friend.




Li Mei rubbed her eyes, sliding open the panel separating her room from the hallway. Her mother hurried by, carrying several small sacks with her.

"Mother...? What's going on?"

Huan turned as she hurried along, her pace unwavering. "Li Mei! Go get as much as you can carry from the clinic and load it into the cart!"

"What? Why? What's going on?"

"Hurry Mei, we don't have much time!" Bai had finally fully recovered from the sickness that had plagued him for so long. Yet now, his face was flushed with worry, his body sweating with exhaustion as he hurried from room to room.

With quiet obedience, Li Mei hurried into the clinic, grabbing that which she could carry and hurrying out to the cart her mother used almost daily to deliver medicines. It was now bustling with tools and ingredients, with no particular organization. She loaded up as much as she could, hurrying behind the clinic to where the ostrich horses were kept. She led out two of the three, hitching them up to the cart's front before tying the third to the side.

"That's all of the tools," Bai threw a large cloth over the top of the wagon, looking back towards Huan. "What else is left?"

"Nothing, that's it!" Huan hurried out, brushing some hair out from the front of her face before climbing up onto the wagon. "Li Mei, ride alongside!"

Li Mei groaned a little, untying the knot she had just tied to the side of the wagon. She hoisted herself up onto the ostrich horse, becoming increasingly frustrated with her lack of understanding of the situation. "Father, what's going on?"

He kept to the front of the wagon, taking out a scroll and handing it to Li Mei. "Read that, it explains everything."

She stared at it curiously for a moment, before opening it and reading aloud.

"Bai; I have known you long, and have become far too aware of how stubborn you are. I have been robbed of my wealth and rank, yet these are meaningless to me. My rage is instead caused by the theft of something far more sacred, the..." her voice trailed off, as she looked up at her father.

He stared forward, nodding softly in silent command to keep reading.

"...Something fare more sacred. The smile of your daughter. I am old, and I have seen much hatred, much conflict." Tears lined her eyes as she continued. "Yet nothing has stung me more than her sorrow. She has been robbed of her happiness, and her older sister, Wen Lan. If I were to tell you to seek her out, you would refuse and instead choose to remain here to help me. I do not seek revenge, but I must act on behalf of justice. I see no other end for this besides...Besides my own destruction..." her grip over the scroll tightened. "You would never permit this, and it is because of your stubbornness that I must inconvenience you...?" This confused her. "In one day, I will make it known that you and your family housed a fugitive of the Fire Nation. I have made arrangements for you in an Earth Kingdom village just outside the Fire Nation's borders. There is an abandoned clinic there that I have arranged to purchase. In the room farthest east, you will find Earth Kingdom disguises for your family..."

Bai grunted, then waved his hand for Li Mei to continue.

"...If you hate me for this, Bai, I accept that. It is a small price to pay for the safety of you and your family. I ask one last thing of you. When the Avatar...Wait, mother, isn't the Avatar dead?"

"Keep reading, Li Mei."

"When the Avatar returns, please apologize to him on my behalf. Chao and I, we hoped that we could restore balance. I have seen only pain, as the result of these actions. Take care Bai, may the Avatar watch over you. Sincerely, Bo."

"Idiot," Bai grunted.

"Father...?" Li Mei looked up. All she could see of him was the back of his head.

"He tells me I'm the stubborn one, when he's the one that chooses to go die and refuses my help?"

She simply stared, noticing as he shuddered slightly.

"He was right, though. I wouldn't have left. I would have stood right beside him."

"...Fath," she stopped as Huan's hand touched her shoulder, shaking her head from side to side softly to indicate that it was not the time for words.

"Then he thinks he can get off easy. That I'll just hate him," the old man continued shuddering, harder now. The sound of him choking back tears could be heard as he lurched forward slightly. "Idiot..."

They continued on in silence for awhile, Bai looking back up and breathing deep. "Well then, let's go find Wen Lan."

Huan and Li Mei's eyes went wide, surprised by the comment. Before they could ask, Bai had turned around, smiling.

"I still have to thank her for helping us out while I was sick. Besides, when she learns about being exiled, she's going to need some of our best medicine."

"What medicine do we have for that?" Huan's eyebrow quirked in inquiry.

Bai slowed his pace, walking alongside Li Mei. He brought his finger to her chest, the same spot that Bo had touched upon earlier, smiling gently.

Li Mei looked at the finger, then towards her father. She dropped off of the ostrich horse, wrapping her arms around him as she buried her face into his chest.

Holding her close he kissed her forehead, helping her back onto the ostrich horse. Walking alongside the cart, he had no idea of the soldier standing behind them in the distance.

Grateful that everything had worked out as he intended, the old soldier gave a simple sound of satisfaction.

"Hmm."

With that he turned, walking along the streets of the capitol as the sun set in the distance.




"Sir, we found him," the guard stepped into the tent quickly with the news.

"Where?" Seung looked up from the map of the river, having marked out the sections that had been patrolled already.

"In the river, sir."

"What about the Demon?"

"Nowhere to be found, sir. It's as if he vanished completely."

"That's always the case, I don't consider it surprising. Where is General Dak-Ho now?"

"Still by the river, sir."

"Has he given any orders?"

"No, sir...When we found him, he was dead. His right hand had been crushed, and it appears his right arm was broken."

Seung stood silently, taken aback by the news. "...Alert all the soldiers. We'll bury him tomorrow at sunset."

"Yes sir. One last thing though, sir...Is it true that because of this, you would be taking the role of squad commander?"

"I think so, unless someone's dispatched here to replace Dak-Ho, yes." He looked up at the soldier. "Why do you ask?"

"The men, they had something they wanted to say to you."

Seung raised an eyebrow, folding the map as he made his way outside. After a single step, he found himself completely surrounded by the soldiers of the unit.

"What's going on?" he looked around curiously, his hands open at his sides and ready to move, hoping the situation wouldn't call for it.

"Listen up!" The soldier called out to the others loudly. "You all know by now that we found Dak-Ho deceased! Because of that, Seung is at least temporarily in command! A bunch of us have been discussing for awhile what we'd do if that ever happened!"

Seung studied the faces of the soldiers, a devilish grin in their faces. A sudden wave of nervousness fell over him.

"So let's show him what we've got in store for him!" the soldier turned quickly, pointing towards Seung. "Go!"

Before Seung could lift his hands, four of the Earthbenders had dropped down, surrounding him as they slammed their legs into the ground. A large pillar of earth rose up under him, launching him into the air. As he fell, a wave of assault troops caught him, holding him up above everyone and cheering.

The Earthbenders and soldier whom had led him out of the tent watched and laughed, clapping their hands as the troops chanted his name repeatedly.

Whether on the side of good or evil, a tyrant is a tyrant. And the rise of a hero shall always be celebrated.

Seung laughed as they continued tossing him up and down, the soldiers more jovial than he had seen them in months, some more so than he had seen them exhibit in years. As they did, a group of prisoners watched from a distance, within the walls of the cell. Studying the commotion, the oldest and most experienced of them smirked in understanding.

"Get ready, men." Gang smiled. "Looks like we're going to BaiJing after all."