Shadows and Embers

Murphy's Law

"Twenty six days. We can't wait longer than that. In exactly twenty six days, we breach the wall. You go into the Si Wong Desert, discover what's so important that the Avatar would take a four-day detour for it, and meet us in Ba Sing Se," Azula recited for the third time, her words as sharp as a blade.

Soza nodded along with Mai, her jaw tight. She had helped draft this plan. She knew it down to the last detail. Yet Azula's relentless need to rehash it grated on her. Normally, she found some satisfaction in being thorough, in leaving as little to chance as possible. But this situation—the sprawling uncertainties, the risks they couldn't control—felt different. Her usual pragmatism faltered under the weight of it all. 

For weeks, they'd been chasing leads: Zuko, the Avatar, scraps of intelligence that never amounted to much. Each failure had chipped away at Soza's patience. It wasn't like her to be on edge, yet here she was, her stomach coiled tight with an unease she couldn't name. She hated feeling like this—off-balance, uncertain. 

"The drill will be positioned at the southeastern section of the outer wall," Azula continued. "This section is already weakened from the 600-day siege—" 

The door banged open, and Ty Lee bounced in, clutching a large bundle. Her face lit up as though she hadn't just interrupted Azula mid-sentence. 

"This is the best they had here! Food for eight days, water for thirteen, and I got you something else! Guess!" 

Soza glanced at Mai, who raised an eyebrow but said nothing. With a sigh, Soza indulged Ty Lee. "A new sword?" 

Ty Lee giggled. "No, silly! An outfit! You can't go incognito in those clothes. Not only are they Fire Nation, but they're royal designs!" 

She opened the bundle with a flourish, revealing a simple yet functional Earth Kingdom ensemble. The sleeveless tunic was a muted greenish-brown, with a lighter stripe running from the neckline down the front and along the hem. The trousers were baggy and dark green, cropped to fall just below the knee and cinched at the ankles with sturdy cords. Ty Lee pulled out a pair of scuffed brown boots with thick soles, clearly meant for long treks. 

"See? Practical and stylish!" Ty Lee beamed as she held up the outfit for inspection. 

Soza's stomach sank. It wasn't that the outfit was bad—she could see its practicality. But something about it made her feel unmoored. Maybe it was the reminder of how far they were from home, from everything familiar. Or maybe it was just the thought of abandoning her Fire Nation identity entirely, even temporarily. She pinched the bridge of her nose, forcing herself to focus. 

"It's fine," Soza said, her tone clipped. She took the clothes from Ty Lee and set them on the desk behind her. "Thanks." 

Ty Lee tilted her head, clearly expecting more enthusiasm. Azula stepped forward, arms crossed, a faint smirk on her lips. "Clever, Ty Lee. Though a sword wouldn't have been a bad idea either. It won't be wise to fire bend where you're going—especially not with blue fire." Her smirk grew as she added, "It seems that mandatory kenjutsu class at the Fire Academy might finally serve you some use." 

Soza snorted, more out of reflex than amusement. She hardly ever relied on her sword—it was always bending or hand-to-hand combat for her. Yet the saber was always with her, tucked neatly among her things. She was proficient enough, even adept, but wielding a sword felt like a relic of an older tradition, something for show more than necessity. Still, Azula had a point. In the Earth Kingdom, discretion would be her greatest weapon. 

Ty Lee grinned and began unfolding the outfit piece by piece, arranging it on the desk like a proud artist displaying their work. "The tunic should fit perfectly, and look! The boots will hold up even in the desert! And the trousers have pockets—lots of them!"