Dawning: Compliant

Dawning

Part 1: Compliant

One dark night, an old man walked in the clear, cool air; he was alone in body, but not in spirit. There was no warning when a flash of light illuminated his path. He turned towards the source, and the light was revealed as the death of the warship he had traveled on for three years. What remained of the craft after the explosion was burning furiously. The old man's former path was one that would not be walked, now.

As soon as his eyes beheld the glowing destruction, the old man remembered that his surrogate second son had still been aboard the burning ship.

That afternoon, the old man might have had a second cup of calming tea. Or, perhaps, he could have indulged in that considered nap. A different song might have been sung during Music Night, one that soothed his emotions instead of raising them. He could, even, have added a single minute to every Firebending practice session he had held over his life, resulting in a slight strengthening of his cardiovascular system.

None of this had happened.

The man was struck. He was struck by horror, by sorrow, by regret, by denial. As the emotions washed over him, his generous heart gave one last time.

It gave out.

The old man's body crumbled where it stood, beyond all help.

This is largely irrelevant.

---

"I… am… a legend, now. The Fire Nation will for generations tell stories about the great Zhao, who darkened the moon! They will call me Zhao the Conqueror! Zhao the Moon Slayer! Zhao... the Invincible!"

The people around the so-called Moon Darkener stared at him with only partially hidden horror. Already, they were forgetting the immediate events that had led up to this moment- the war, the siege, the attack, the audacious infiltration, the Bending duel on the grass, and the unlikely end that directly led to Admiral Zhao threatening the humbled defenders with a fish in a bag. Their focus was entirely on how they were going to get out of this situation with the planet's balance intact.

That's when the Avatar spoke, and gave voice to everyone's eloquent thoughts. "Zhao... don't."

Zhao did not, to Princess Yue's eyes, look particularly impressed by the plea. "It's my destiny to destroy the Moon... and the Water Tribe."

"Destroying the moon won't just hurt the Water Tribe," was Aang's gentle reply. Yue could hear the artificiality of his voice's soothing tone. "It will hurt everyone- including you. Without the moon, everything would fall out of balance. You have no idea what kind of chaos that would unleash on the world."

Zhao's smirk grew larger. "Don't I? Do you have any idea how many years I've spent anticipating this moment? Trust me, Avatar. I know exactly what it is that I'm doing." Flames began dancing on the fist he held clenched beside the wiggling bag.

Yue could not breath, the possible consequences of this crisis stretching far beyond her ability to even imagine, but she still knew what she had to do. Her duty was as clear as the water that flowed in the creek around the Spirit Oasis. She was the daughter of the Chief, and this Zhao was threatening the Tribe. "Then tell us what you want."

That's when everyone turned to look at her.

Yue held herself confidently, and kept her gaze locked on Zhao. "What did you imagine for this moment, Admiral Zhao? What does all your planning say happens next?"

He nodded. "Next, my dear, the Fire Navy crushes all resistance in this city. Is it just me, or have we not heard the sounds of massed Waterbending since I captured the Spirit?"

That's when Katara moved for the first time, giving a startled shiver.

Yue used all the strength of her will to keep the faces of the Waterbenders she knew from clouding her thoughts. "Please, Admiral. You've won. There's no need to for more people to be hurt. Tell us your terms."

"Need?" Zhao gave a short laugh. "Oh, we're far beyond needs, now. All that matters... is exactly what you said before. What. I Want. And right now, I want the Northern Water Tribe to be broken beyond all hope of ever standing against the Fire Nation again. I also want you to kneel before me, right now. Tell me who you are, and kneel in allegiance to your new Lord."

Yue slowly lowered herself to her knees. "I am Yue. Daughter of Chief Arnook. Betrothed of the Warrior Hahn son of Kajuq." Ideally, Zhao would take the offered bait, and release the Koi fish- one of the two great Spirit of the Water Tribe that had chosen to take a mortal form- in favor of Yue herself as a hostage. "Please, I'll make sure you get what you want, but let the Moon Spirit go, for the good of the entire world. The Fire Nation needs the moon, too."

"Oh, I very much doubt that, but for now, the Moon Spirit will remain our property, or else be destroyed. So it is for the Water Tribe. So it is for you." He looked down at her with undisguised arrogance. "After all, there's no reason to ignore a useful hostage. You are now mine, as well."

"No!!" A boomerang flashed into the air.

Sokka.

That's when things got worse.

Yue didn't see much of it. Whether she was right to try to take responsibility for talking Zhao down, or it was instead the biggest mistake of her recently chaotic life, her truest instincts were still working perfectly. After Sokka attacked, all of Zhao's Firebenders let loose with their flames, prompting the Avatar into action, in turn sending his lemur into the air with a screech, then encouraging Appa the Sky Bison to join the battle, which resulted in making the Firebenders panic, all turning the Spirit Oasis into a very dangerous place.

Yue dropped to the ground and tucked into the smallest shape she could manage.

At one point, buffeted by a particularly warm gust of air, the Water Tribe Princess opened her eyes to see what was going on. The only thing she could make out was Katara, crouched directly in front of her as though a shield. The Waterbender's lips were pulled away from grinding teeth, her fists shook, and her eyes were locked on the battle.

Yue closed her own eyes again and chewed her lip. She didn't lift her head again until Sokka screamed in pain. The Princess was halfway to her feet when a hurricane-force wind burst wildly out from where Aang was standing.

That's when everything went dark.

---

She awoke to find her father sitting at her bedside. Once he was convinced that Yue was okay, he had the worst news imaginable.

At least the Northern Water Tribe would survive. More or less.

---

A single ship would be bringing the whole group to the Fire Nation- Admiral Zhao, Princess Yue, and the Moon Spirit (Incarnate). Yue wasn't sure how she should feel that it was Zhao and the fish who would be sharing a room on the voyage back.

The Princess kept her eyes on the Fire Nation's flagship, rather than the man beside her, as she spoke. "Please Admiral, couldn't we have at least a quick ceremony here? My father-"

"Your father should be glad he's not being executed for his role in resisting the Fire Nation's will." Yue couldn't reconcile the venom in Zhao's words with the casual tone of his voice. "I don't see any reason to waste my time with a barbarian wedding ceremony for your father's comfort. He's going to be dealing with a very… stressful time in his life, and there's little you can do to alleviate any of it. Best not to worry yourself, Princess."

Yue said nothing to that.

They were silent for a while, watching the ship prepare for departure. At a signal from one of the deckhands, Zhao turned to the Firebender guard who stood a step behind Yue. "Take her for her goodbyes. Have her on the ship and ready for departure in half an hour, and lock her in her cabin. Let me know when she's secure."

The walk back to the Great Hall didn't last long enough. Father was there, both as 'Father' and Chief Arnook of the Northern Water Tribe. A group of women, Master Healer Yugoda at the forefront, had come as well; less than half were weeping.

Amazingly, Hahn was there. Yue hadn't realized that he survived the siege.

As they said goodbye, Yue couldn't help but marvel at how courageous her father was being. His voice was strong, and gentle. "I wish I could save you."

"We're saving the Tribe," she comforted. "We're doing everything we can, and the Avatar… and his friends… will do all they can. They'll save us both."

He didn't respond for a moment. He drew her into a desperate hug and gasped, "I love you, Yue."

The women had more practical (whispered) words for her, but the Princess couldn't bring herself to hear any of it. Yugoda caressed Yue's hair, and only said, "You won't give up. I know it."

Then she turned to Hahn, who for once in his life was actually fidgeting. As he looked to his Chief, he ran a hand through his hair, but it wasn't his usual flaunting gesture. He was plainly worried. "Can I," he mumbled, "have a moment with Yue? Alone?" His voice picked up and he squared his head. "I would like-"

"Stay in sight," the Firebender guard growled from behind his face-concealing helmet. Yue had forgotten he was there.

Hahn glared at him with undisguised loathing. "We'll just be right over there. Sir."

The Firebender nodded.

Hahn took Yue by her left elbow and led her to the other side of the Hall. After he let go of her, he took another two steps so that Yue stood between him and anyone from the rest of the group who might have been watching. "Here."

Yue looked down to see him holding out a knife.

It was a good one, made from the tooth of a Killer Flint Whale, and very dangerous to handle. Every edge of the tooth was sharp, the tip was pointed and strong, and Yue could see that Hahn hadn't been lazy in maintaining it; it would probably cut her no matter how lightly she touched the blade. "That's a knife, Hahn," was all that she could think to say.

He nodded with a grim set to his jaw. "It's my best one. Hide it in your coat, and save it for Admiral Chow, as a last resort." He took the weapon by its handle in his right hand, and motioned with the other. "This is the proper grip. It will keep the knife steady, even if there's a heavy impact. Make sure your thumb is resting here, that'll give you better control. Try not to attack until you're up close to the target, and aim for this spot," he said as he tapped his own chest just above the stomach, "when you stab. Push the knife upward all the way in. That should avoid the bones and puncture something vital, but if you do hit a bone accidentally, try to scrape the blade against it, and Chow will-"

"Thank you, Hahn." Yue quickly took the weapon out of his hand, and slid it carefully into her sleeve. "I probably haven't treated you as fairly as I should have, but I appreciate this."

She kissed his cheek, and turned to go. "Goodbye, betrothed."

---

When she boarded Zhao's ship, the Admiral was still conversing with the newly arrived Governor. Yue kept the knife hidden until she had been locked in her cabin. It was larger than most on the ship, and decorated in the tradition of the Fire Nation. The bedding was soft, but dark red. Perhaps it was the 'silk' she had heard of.

The only window, a small porthole, could be unlocked with a twist of a brass gearbox. Yue used it to throw the knife into the ocean.

---

As the ship chugged onward to the Fire Nation, Yue was left with little do but think. Meals were brought three times a day, plain but well-prepared food that was usually familiar to her. Most of it was seafood from local waters, and while the seasoning styles were completely foreign, none of the meals were as heavily spiced as the Fire Nation was said to enjoy.

Zhao never bothered her. A young, lower-ranked shipman brought the meals without saying a word, and a Firebender guard was always visible in the hallway while the door was open.

Yue did not like being left alone with her thoughts. They turned either to the future, or the immediate past. She couldn't bear speculating about the future. The past was only a little better; Sokka had been injured badly, but Katara and the Avatar had extracted him from the Oasis immediately. The moon was red every night, and Waterbending now nonexistent, but as long as Tui and La both still survived, even separate, there was hope that they would be returned to the Spirit Oasis someday.

The Avatar, although he had been forced to flee the North Pole, still lived, and still fought the Fire Nation.

It was only Yue's future that was without hope. She would be married in a week.

---

She had to admit, the Fire Nation's capital island was a breathtaking sight. Visitors to the Northern Water Tribe's main city were always so impressed by the architecture, but Yue had been born there, and knew how everything was built, how the architects drew everything out beforehand and guided the Waterebenders in the shaping. The structures in the Fire Nation, though, were made of stone, and despite the unlikelihood of Earthbenders lending a helping hand, everything was solid and well-maintained. The statue of Azulon, set at the entrance of the Gulf, rose higher even than the Great Hall back home. Yue would have liked to see it from the deck, but her porthole would have to do.

She was finally released from her cabin after the ship was docked. They had been in port for about an hour when the door finally unlocked with a shriek of scraping metal. Yue assumed that the armored figure who had come for her was a Firebender, as his attire looked similar to the skull-faced figures who had conquered the Northern Water Tribe, but this soldier's armor was crimson, and his helmet's faceplate thoroughly inhuman.

Yue wondered if it was modeled after a sacred animal, the same way the Northern Water Tribe invoked the protecting energy via totems.

The soldier led her out to the ship's deck, where Admiral Zhao waited, looking out at a crowd that had assembled on the path to the volcano-city. He nodded at her arrival. "To my great surprise, it seems that a welcoming parade has been organized in my honor as a conquering Hero of the Fire Nation." His voice did not sound surprised at all. "As it would be unwise to risk the security of the Ocean Spirit's physical form, the only trophy I have to showcase for the people is you."

Yue nodded. She supposed she should have expected this. "Can I have a change of clothes, first? I'm carrying my coat, but this dress is still rather heavy for this warm weather, if I'm to walk in a parade." She kept her head lowered, and spoke softly.

Zhao's eyes met her own, and that horrible smirk blossomed on his face again. "I hardly think we should keep all these enthusiastic people waiting, while suitable clothes are fetched for you. If you're so uncomfortable, you could always go in the nude. I expect the people would find it in character for a barbarian Princess."

Yue could have responded in any number of ways to that, but her most overwhelming feeling was weary annoyance. Her face rose to meet his, rivaling his expression in intensity. "That was tiresomely petty for a 'conquering hero.' I'm not going bother asking if meanness like that was necessary. I already know what you think about. But a wiser man probably would have wondered about its worth, considering all the other humiliations you're already forcing on me." She crossed her arms and gave the man a Royal Glare. "Really."

By the end, Zhao was gaping at her. After a long moment, he summoned up a scowl, and opened his mouth to retort.

Yue upped the power of her glower. The message was clear: 'You can't take this any further, right now, without looking like a petulant child, and in the long term I don't have a single thing to lose. You've over-played your advantage, Betrothed.' The point was all the clearer for the brevity of the delivery.

Zhao shut his mouth, turned to the crimson-armored soldier who stood silently behind the princess, and growled, "Let's get this waste of time going already."

Throughout the whole parade, Yue kept her gaze forward, her expression passive, and her back straight. Many sought her gaze, but none received it.

To Be Continued...