Avatar: Chaos Water

"My lady, we saw Sage Shisui board one of those Fire Nation airships, we don't know their destination, but it seems they have finally left the battlefront in Ba Sing Se," a man knelt in front of a large throne made of rock.

His head was always looking down, his clothes had a distinct Earth Kingdom style, and even the place they were in seemed to be a cave or a subway place. 

There was hardly any light in this place, but it wasn't as if the figure sitting on the throne needed it. A large bun that kept her black hair fairly tidy, feminine clothing that might indicate the nobility of this figure, and eyes that lacked light. 

Although her figure was not as tall as the throne she sat on, this young woman seemed to radiate a rather haughty and fierce presence, as if the whole world was at her feet.

A mischievous smile graced the girl's face, and with a simple wave of her hand, she caused changes to occur around her. The earth rippled and became a statue that looked quite similar to what she 'perceived' as Shisui. 

"Too bad, I wanted to face him, you know, they say he's an exceptional fighter," the young woman said with some mockery in her tone, and as she clenched her delicate hand into a fist, the statue of Shisui seemed to compress against itself.

Soon, only a vague mound of sand was left on the ground, which 'melted' into the ground, returning it to its normal state. Such a display of earth control on her part, with simple gestures, did not astonish the kneeling man, it only made him marvel even more. 

'The Boss is truly powerful, the man thought, not daring to look at the young woman. 

"We also received news about the strange spiritual pulse a few days ago, Boss. Although it is known to have been at the South Pole, no one knows what it is, but rumor has it that a Fire Nation fleet is planning a voyage, and icebreaker ships have been spotted among them.

We believe that whatever happened, it has attracted a lot of attention from the Fire Nation, and with the departure of Sage Shisui, it is likely to head in that direction," the man said, and his words caught his boss's attention.

"Wasn't it said that there was land under the ice at the South Pole?" she asked after some thought. 

"Yes, some waterbenders were interested in what was under so much ice at the poles, and they found land masses at the South Pole, while only small islands were found in the north," when the man said these words, the young woman started to laugh before standing up. 

"Then let's go to the South Pole! The Blind Bandits want to know what's cooking there," the young woman said, causing the man kneeling before her to nod before hesitating for a moment. 

"But Boss... what about your parents?" the mention of parents did not sit well with the young woman, but soon she shook her shoulders and pursed her lips. 

"The fools want to marry me off to some old man in Ba Sing Se! I will never let that happen! Come on, it's time for us to make an official appearance and stop being a dinnertime entertainment rumor," the young woman replied before walking over to a stone wall with a block of stone separating it and revealing an entrance. 

"But just in case... don't forget the Beifong house seal, okay? Sometimes it helps to be a world-famous noble," the girl said before walking away and blocking the wall. 

"To think that the Boss is a daughter of the Beifong... Who are the blind people here? Never mind, none of my business," the man muttered before getting up. 

His size once earned him the title of Boulder in wrestling competitions, until he was defeated by the young boss and decided to pledge allegiance to her. Though they called themselves the Blind Bandits, they were anything but bandits. 

They had made a name for themselves as people who went into troubled areas to prevent the damage of war from affecting civilians, and they also provided shelter and food to those in need. 

Though they did so covertly, they were recognized by the warring sides in Ba Sing Se, and though there was no direct cooperation between the three sides, the damage from the fighting was limited to the open field. 

Meanwhile, the young girl was walking in a completely dark earthen tunnel, but since she didn't use her eyes to perceive the world, she had no trouble navigating the darkness until she reached what looked like a large subway chamber. 

"I'm back!" exclaimed Toph before she felt something lick her cheeks, making her giggle. 

"Did you miss me little buddy, I missed you too! Come on, let's go play, but this time don't eat the iron ore, okay? In Toph's perception, a large Badgermole was leading the way, approaching two of its kind, though these were larger.

"Hi Ma, Hi Pa," Toph hugged the two large Badgermoles, receiving licks from them that made her laugh a lot, before touching the female's somewhat bulging belly.

"It's getting big and strong in there! I want to meet it already; I hope to play with it a lot in the future!" Toph celebrated as she felt the new life growing in Badgermole's belly.

The creatures began to make sounds, and as if she understood what they were saying, Toph shook her head as she put her hands on X, if there was light in this place, someone would be able to see her flushed face. 

"I'm too cool to find a partner now! I have so much to learn and do. Remember, I'm not like you, I'm still amazed that you thought a two-year-old should be using Earthbending, you should learn that we humans are a little different from you," Toph told the Badgermoles, who looked like worried parents about their daughter. 

"What, no! Of course I'll introduce you to my mate if I have one in the future, how could I date someone if you don't approve? At least you're better than my parents, well, my mom. 

She's obsessed with how I should already be fulfilling my noble role and stuff; dad is too soft to set limits for her. You know she wants to set me up with some ridiculous old man? 

For Avatar's sake, he's 18, what kind of old man is that?" Toph kept complaining about her usual life with the Badgermoless while playing with the youngest of them. 

Down here, in the absolute darkness of the earth's depths, Toph was not the leader of a band that inspired others, she was not the noble daughter of the Beifong, nor was she a blind and fragile girl.

She was just a teenager with some puberty issues seeking advice from the first Earthbenders... not quite normal for some, but for her it is. These Badgermoles makes the young Earthbender feel comfortable and happy. 

"By the way, I'm going to the South Pole soon, is the Avatar really there? What will they be like? Will they be an old Airbender or a young Waterbender? I can't wait to meet them!" exclaimed Toph in the darkness, and then Badgermoles answered her.

"Meditating is boring! I want to have fun!" the girl complained, before giggling at the reproachful licks the Badgermoles gave her cheeks. 

...

On the side of a certain Vice Admiral who felt that his promotion was close at hand, he stood next to a tall, black-haired, golden-eyed man who bore a slight resemblance to himself. 

It was Zhao and his nephew, who 'mysteriously' got the best chances for a promotion worthy of being in Vice Admiral Zhao's office now, without anyone muttering too much. 

"Do you understand the plan, Cao-Cao?" asked Zhao to his nephew, who nodded with a confident smile on his lips. 

"Beating a waterbender in a pure firebender duel? Easy," the man boasted, but Zhao's fierce glare erased any smugness from his words, especially when he told him the following. 

"He's not just any waterbender, nephew. Shisui is THE Waterbender, okay? Never underestimate what someone with his title can do. Do you think His Majesty Azulon and His Majesty Fire Lord Ozai would let an ordinary young waterbender run wild out there?

The royalty's vision is truly qualified, pairing the most promising person of their lineage, Princess Azula, with the most promising waterbender of their generation, Shisui. Even if he can't use his element in battle, don't underestimate him. 

He's a master at fighting with spears; haven't you heard of his exploits? They may sound like fiction, and I have no doubt that they are a bit exaggerated, but battle records cannot be falsified, Cao-Cao, Sage Shisui is a monster," Zhao said sternly, and to add more weight to his words, he tossed a rolled scroll to his nephew. 

"These are confidential excerpts, be sure to burn them when you read them. Remember, Cao-Cao, the most important thing in a fight is never honor or your own power, but the information you have about your enemy. 

Shisui is powerful, but you will fight him without his waterbending and spear. But think of it as if you were facing him at his peak. Even if he cannot win because he cannot burn you with fire of his own making, he can turn your arrogance and pride against you. 

Remember the rules of Agni Kai, he could easily send you flying with a blow into your own flames. There will be nothing more ridiculous than burning yourself with your own fire. Don't try to play games, poisoning him won't work, he's a potion master. 

But... no one said that you can't take something yourself, right?" Zhao then handed a wooden box to the very nervous Cao-Cao, who opened it and smelled a seductive aroma that made him swallow saliva. 

"100-year-old ginseng, straight from the Ba Sing Se farmlands. Expensive, very expensive. Though only good for improving blood circulation at certain times... deprived, mixed with certain things you will 'eat' at dinner, it will give you a considerable increase in strength. 

What we want is to break Shisui's golden facade, to degrade him from idol to human, to show the world that he is not so unbeatable, and thus to establish authority, my authority. 

Don't get any silly ideas, Princess Azula doesn't like you, you were overzealous with her and she even broke your nose, but the excuse of a willful young man who wants to regain his reputation is the perfect facade. 

Now go, I must coordinate the preparations for the royal family's reception," Zhao stopped his nephew from speaking and waved his hand for him to leave his office, which he did. 

"By Agni, what a foolish boy, he has only momentum and no poise at all," Zhao rubbed his temples as he sighed, but at least things would go well with his plan.

"Even if it all goes wrong, I should just reprimand him and demote him, it's not like he really deserves his position, plus it will make me look more impartial," the man whispered, his golden eyes shining brightly as his mind schemed. 

The Avatar has returned, any being with a modicum of ability to sense spiritual energy, or Chi, could feel that overwhelming pulse running through the entire world. There was only one being capable of such a thing, and that person would be one of the tickets Zhao planned to seize. 

"Capturing an experienced Avatar will be tricky, I hope it's just a normal young Waterbender... if I didn't know Shisui wasn't, I'd think it was him. What an extraordinary young man he is, why can't I be like him?" Zhao complained, before hesitating for a moment and pulling a small glass bottle out of a drawer. 

Although unwise for a high commander and fighter like himself, Zhao decided to take a sip of the alcohol to relax. He could not sink into envy, his plans should not be colored by his emotions, he had to be completely detached. 

"A toast to me," Zhao shook the small crystal glass containing the alcohol before drinking it in one gulp. 

After a few minutes of silence, Zhao began to coordinate the preparations. The royal airship will arrive tonight at the latest, so he must have everything ready for the reception. 

A dignified banquet is surely the best sign of respect!

...

Ignoring the other sailors who shared his room, Cao-Cao lay down in his hammock with a rather ordinary parchment scroll, but its contents were anything but ordinary. 

Much of Shisui's actions were recorded in it, from his childhood to the final battle of Ba Sing Se. Sure, some details and top-secret events were missing, but it was still information that only the High Command could obtain. 

The deep-seated arrogance in Cao Cao's eyes faded as his face became serious. Giant water Dragons, tsunami-like waves, ice blocks the size of icebergs, steam arrows, and even controlling tree plants to avoid a sudden ambush. 

Many events were recounted either by an eyewitness or by someone who collected accounts from those who were present at the time. Shisui's exploits indicated one thing:

He was a monster in human form. 

Cao-Cao's hands shook a little as he realized that he had to fight someone like that. Now he understood why his uncle had said those words to him. 

But still, he clung to a small spark of hope: Shisui could not make fire. Even if he had hot water or steam to burn, those were only waterbending applications, not firebending. 

That alone was, in a way, the only advantage Cao-Cao had. But something inside him encouraged him, and without realizing it, motes of black energy fell onto his hair, perfectly mimicking the color of his hair before melting into him.

Cao-Cao's eyes seemed to shrink for a few moments before some unusual thoughts popped into his head. 

'If I defeat a sage, won't that make me better than him? Princess Azula will notice me and know that I'm better than him... no, why am I having these thoughts?' motes of black energy escaped from his body as Cao-Cao wondered about this. 

For now, he had freed himself from the influence of that strange energy, but how long could he resist the influence of something much greater than himself? The influence of a certain spirit had been sealed for nearly 10,000 years. 

The growing influence of Vaatu.