Diplomacy at its finest (Open)

Kuzon arrived to the earthen palace with a slight frown on his face. He hadn't been here in several years, having been off training for the last long while. Master Goh had taken him here once he had mastered Earth Bending to meet the previous earth king, though the meeting never occurred due to the rioting in the streets. Which brought him here today, amidst the rioting. The non-bending populace had been in revolt from the status quo in the last few years, and not just in the earth kingdom but in every capital of the world, aside from the Air Monasteries. Kuzon was here to discuss possible solutions to the crisis of non-benders wanting a voice in the world governments. He decided to start this quest with the Earth Nation as he spent an extensive amount of his training here and as such had a bit of a good reputation with the general populace.


Entering the palace, he was ushered through the halls into a grand throne room by one of the Dai Lee agents issued to him as little more than a tour guide, as he didn't need him as a body guard. But, the Earth Kingdom had always taken careful precautions, ever since what happened with his predecessor. Regardless, he was told by the Earth Kings aide, that he would be arriving shortly, and to wait in here, so that is what he would be doing. Little did he know just how interesting this meeting would become.

Footsteps would echo through the halls of the Earth King's Palace, as a diplomatic envoy would enter the room currently being occupied by only one other person. The envoy itself seemed to be made up of the Fire Nation's royal guard, surrounding a handsome young man in his early twenties. He wore the traditional robes of a member of the royal family, and had messy purple hair that matched a startling pair of eyes. He seemed to be laughing at something one of the guards had said, completely at ease despite the rioting outside.

Noticing the other man in the room, however, he raised a hand to his guard, who quieted immediately held their places as he wandered over, inclining his head in a brief moment of respect to someone that he took to be a fellow diplomat. "Greetings. I did not expect there to be more than just my own party at these talks. I am Okami, Crown Prince of the Fire Nation. Might I know your name?"

Kuzon looked over to where another party entered the throne room. The lead of this party were a few members of the Fire Guard, an elite unit of firebenders, followed by a man, seemingly around Kuzon's own age, and then a few more guards. The man in the middle, who wore elegant clothes and moved with regal grace made his way towards Kuzon before introducing himself as Prince Okami of the Fire Nation. Kuzon gave a customary bow to the young prince, "I am Kuzon, not really the prince of anything!" It was a bit of a lame introduction to the prince, but what could he say? He wasn't exactly known for being skilled at speaking with those of high esteem. Taking a moment to look around the room, "I suppose you are here to meet with the Earth King as well? He should be here momentarily." He wondered what purpose the Fire Nation had to be here, could there be war brewing? or peace? It was impossible to tell with simple guessing, he supposed he would need to wait to see how things played out.

As soon as he heard that the other man was not some sort of royalty or nobility, Okami's shoulders would seem to relax, and he'd run a hand through his hair. Giving a lazy smile to Kuzon, he'd shift to look around, his eyes scanning the room for entrances and exits in a manner only a veteran combatant would be capable of, all while obviously listening to what the other man had to say. "Yes, I am...These riots have grown far too chaotic, and yet they all have the same complaints. It's beginning to become a pattern, and such a thing is disturbing, to say the least."

Groaning and pinching his nose, the prince would continue. "The Fire Nation has been trying to settle it's people the best it can, and we've had limited success. At least there are no more active riots, but the public unrest has not quelled. Obviously the Earth Kingdom hasn't gotten that far, and we are here to offer what aid we can. After this, I will be going to the Water Tribes to see whether or not they are having the same issues. From what I've heard, the Air Monasteries are as peaceful as ever, but that's only a small consolation. So, what does a wanderer such as yourself have to offer? I would assume that it must be dire, considering you have been permitted to meet the Earth King."

Verrock had received a notice for a meeting for this quite early morning. He had wanted to take the day off and work on his bending but sadly this was not in his schedule for quite a long time. He had a vague idea of who had come to seem him, but he preferred people to give face to face introductions instead. He had planned to make a glorious and slight obnoxious entrance he needed to bring life to a meeting that would like be filled with stuff he didn't like very much, non benders. The room that strangers had been waiting in for him would began to shake violently. Moments later a square shaped hole just big enough for a person to fit through would open up right in front of the kings throne. Just as the hole expanded to its full size the king himself would be elevated from the hole. Despite his appearance the violent shaking still would not dissipate. Next similar holes would appear in the corners of the room and directly in the center of the massive room.

Larger crystal lanterns would appear in the four corners, just as an extremely elaborate crystal chandelier would appear from the middle of the room illuminating the remainder of the darkened areas. After these lanterns and chandelier would full set themselves in place the violent shaking would stop. It would be then that Verrock would wall down the flight of stairs in front of his throne and approach the two people who were here to meet them. "Oh ho? What do we have here? Welcome to my kingdom. I truly apologize for the riots occurring outside we still haven't quite figured out how to peacefully deal with the non benders. But before we began would the both of you mind stating you name and titles? I am Kazeram Calden but I am known as King Verrock to the inhabitants of this powerful nation hahah!" The king was sure to project his voice across the whole throne room. He had always been a boisterous man and that would certainly be apparent to everyone present at the moment.

Kuzon was about to answer the prince, when the room began to shake. He didn't even need to use his bending to tell this was the result of an earthbender. He simply turned his attention to the throne where the earth king in all his glory rose to greet them. He seemed to be a rather large, well built man with a large personality. As he introduced himself, he also asked that they do the same. He decided to lead with his more official title this time, so as to alleviate any misunderstandings from the two world leaders in his presence. Following a quick bow to the King, Kuzon would step forward, "Greetings, King Verrock. I am Avatar Kuzon, here to offer counsel and assistance with bringing these riots under control." He spoke with a calmness and control that he learned in his dealings with the four Grand Lotuses. They had instilled discipline and had given him some training on etiquette and noble bearing. It wouldn't be a far stretch to say that he KNEW how to talk to them, but, given his title and his general view on the world, didn't feel that someone's bloodline or social status made them any more important than anyone else.

It seemed that Kuzon was unable to answer his question before a localized earthquake caused by an Earthbender began to change the room, revealing four lanterns and a chandelier, as well as the Earth King himself, who wandered over to introduce himself, an introduction that left Okami wincing slightly, for numerous reasons, before Kuzon gave his own introduction, an odd one indeed. A second Avatar, or perhaps he was the original? No, the original Avatar Spirit has been dead for a hundred years, so perhaps it split in half...? Regardless, Okami would give him an appraising look, before shifting slightly, taking a step back before bowing politely to the ruler of the Earth Kingdom.

Taking a brief moment to compose himself, he would introduce himself properly, just as the other two had. "Well, this is awkward...I am Avatar Okami, the Crown Prince of the Fire Nation. It is a pleasure to meet you both, despite the many questions I now have."

Verrock had been incredibly surprised at who the two gentlemen in front of him were. Two Avatar's here at the same time? What an odd, yet incredibly delightful occurrence. Verrock would begin laughing loudly before he could respond to either of them. While Verrock himself did not like non benders he appreciated would the Avatar was willing to do for them and non benders to keep the peace. He would be sure to assist both of them as much as he could. However, in the back of his mind he felt slightly apprehensive in dealing with the Fire Nation's Avatar. He hadn't had the best relationship with them in the past and but of course those things had been resolved but the feelings and memories that had resurfaced bothered Verrock for a few moments. The rather large earth bender would fold his arms before smiling bright as he prepared himself to speak. "My my... Two Avatar's this is truly and honor and a treat to meet the both of you! Please forgo formalities I want those I interact with to remain casual and comfortable in my presence. This may seem foolish but I have my ways to keep those in check who go to far with the freedom..."

"Dear Avatar's I would like to thank both of you for meeting me today. I am fully willing to corporate to settle the riots of people. Sadly I am not very fond on none benders so please excuse me if I be a bit stubborn. Since Avatar Kuzon has told me a bit about why he has come, I would like to hear from you first Avatar Okami. Please feel free to ask any questions you need and I will try to answer them if they are within my ability to do so at the moment... But first let us have a seat." Verrock would snap his fingers just as he finished talking. After a brief pause the room would once again began to shake as another hole would appear in the the ground in between the king and the avatars. A rectangular crystal table and matching chairs would be elevated from the ground in front of Kuzon and Okami. Rumbling and rustling from behind Verrock would becoming increasingly louder as his throne would move through the earth to eventually stop and rest behind him. He would wait for his guests to sit before he would but if they did not intend to sit he would anyway. This second rumbling would also be a cue for any aids present to bring tea to the table for all to drink and then be on stand by if needed, who would show up this time?

Kuzon was surprised when the other man introduced himself as the Avatar. Wasn't he supposed to be the only one? How can there be two? There were many questions bubbling around in his head, so he would need to do his best to figure out what to do in this situation. Deciding to hold his thoughts and comments until the appropriate time, he would listen as the bombastic Earth King spoke. It was good that he was willing to aid them in quelling the mobs and attempting to bring some form of peace to the kingdom, but it would be no easy task and would most likely call for some leniency on the Earth Kings part. But, from what he heard of the man, he would be a tough nut to crack when it came to giving things up. Either way, he would remain silent as the, apparently other, Avatar spoke, gleaming any and all information he could from what the other man would say.

Sitting down in the chair offered to him with the elegance dictated by his station, Okami pondered what he would say as he sipped his tea. Deciding on a course of action, he would set down his cup, then call on the water within it in order to bring a small amount to his hand, hovering above one of his fingers. Above another, a spark of blue flames, the mark of a prodigy in Firebending, lit up, while another had a concentrated gust of wind forming into a small sphere, and the final one collected dust from around them and formed it into a small stone. Letting all four elements dance above his palm while watching them absentmindedly, the prince would speak, the bass tone of his voice soft and relaxed. "I came to extend an olive branch between the Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom, and to offer what assistance we can in your ongoing riots. We have managed to quell our own, although we do have some civil unrest."

Sighing, the second Avatar would allow the three elements that were uncommon to his homeland to fade, leaving only the flames floating above his palm before he spoke once more. "I understand if you have some...reservations about making a deal with those who once imprisoned you. I would like to assure you that the people responsible for that decision have been removed from power, and my father has punished them appropriately. The capture of royalty from another nation is not something that should be taken lightly. If you would like to test my honesty, however, I know of a simple way to do so. As I understand it, the Earth Kingdom has a small population of Firebenders. Thus, I would assume you've heard of the tradition of Agni Kai?"

Verrock had been truly surprised by Avatar Okami's words. It appears that he was aware about what his nation had done and seemed as if he wanted to repair the situation between the two nations. On top of it to lend assistance in dealing with the riots in this kingdom was more than enough for Verrock to not question Okami any longer. His words alone was enough to make Verrock smile. While truly Verrock did not completely trust the fire nation he was aware that his kidnapping wasn't the fault of the main royal family. In fact he hardly had any grudge against the fire nation. The only reason the nation itself bothered him is because of his late best friends betrayal. It would seem that Okami was indeed an avatar. Verrock studied his usage of the elements and he could tell they were under splendid control. Verrock truly wanted to test his strength against an avatar and he would be estatic at the offering of an Agni Kai.

"Fret not Avatar Okami. While I do still have some feelings that I cannot escape I bare no grudge against the fire nation. I trust that the royal family has been doing their best to keep the peace both in and outside of their the nation. I am very familiar with the tradition of Agni Kai. Not a lot of people know this, but I am master in the art of fire bending as well. Agni Kai was the way my father taught me how to perfect my bending as a child. While I would like to take you up on the offer I do think we should get to the matters of settling the riot first. However! After we finish this intial meeting I will be sure to take you up on this challenge. In fact I dare say we challenge Avatar Kuzon to join us in a three way Agni Kai HUUHAHAHA!"

Kuzon took a seat in one of the crystal chairs and watched as Okami displayed his bending talent, bending all four elements at once. He knew now that the man was beyond a doubt, another Avatar. He listened to the man speak about helping with the riots and about the.. tense.. history between the current Earth King and the Fire Nation. He listened silently and intently, taking in all the information provided to him, whether through words or body language. Listening as the two seemed to come to an agreement on peace, he was somewhat surprised by Okami challenging the Earth King to an Agni Kai. What surprised him moreso, aside from the man accepting, was him bringing Kuzon himself into the fray! "I accept. It should be an interesting experience to say the least. Once we get things under control outside, perhaps we could work as a cohesive unit to build an arena for such an event, to perhaps give the people a morale boost? Three Masterful Earth benders should be able to pull off such a feat, no?" He spoke looking from the Earth King to Okami. He had a hard time suppressing the excitement in his voice at the thought of the upcoming fight, but, work comes before play.
He would stand and stretch his limbs, "What say we get this show on the road then?!" He wouldn't wait for a response before he began to head for the door, to meet the angry mob outside. This should go well.

Okami smiled back at his two unlikely companions as he let the fire in his palm die out. Chuckling at Kuzon's words, he stood up and straightened his robes, prepared to go and confront the rioting people of the Earth Kingdom. Walking over to his own personal guards, he would look at their leader, an attractive pink-haired girl, and gave his orders. "I'm going to join Avatar Kuzon and King Verrock in settling down the non-bending population. I would like the rest of you to introduce yourselves to the Dai Li, and begin incorporating yourselves into their schedules. Captain Sakura, I already know you're going to stick to me like glue, whether I want you to or not. Just...take care of your men for now, and come back later."

Getting a salute from his men, and a blush and wink from the Captain, he would follow his fellow Avatar out the door to meet the angry mob.

Hopefully, this goes smoothly...

Verrock was happy that everyone had seemed to come to an agreement on settling with the rioting members of the nation. He knew to some extent that he was going to have to swallow his pride to help end the riots and that alone should be enough to show just how much he cared about his nation even the non benders. Verrock would take notice to Okami's orders to have his team coordinate with his Dai Li agents. It was perfect that he had his most trusted agent around to watch the meeting. This agent was the head of the Dai Li and the one of the only people Verrock had considered a friend since the betrayal of fist friend.

Waving his hand upward was the signal for the agent to appear. Verrock seemed it would be appropriate to have his most trusted friend accommodate Avatar Okami's men. He was sure that the Avatar's would also want to meet the head of this generation of the Dai Li before continuing with the conference of the rioting non benders. "Oh my how rude of me. I should have you two meet the head of the Dai Li before we leave the throne room. He is my dearest friend so I please ask that you give him the same respect as you would give me and of course he will do the same!"

Truthfully, Zach had been replaced by the commander of one of his Dai Li teams, because he himself had to go take care of something. It was a rather small something, in the grand scheme of things, but it was something nonetheless. Therefore, for about seven or eight seconds, there was no response when Verrock waved him forward. Additionally, Zach did not come from the direction that was expected of him. He was making no attempt to show off, so his entrance was much less... jarring. A hole opened in the floor beneath his feet while he stood on the floor above Verrock, as he'd actually entered through the top of the building, and Zach simply fell in to the grand greeting room of the Earth King.

He fell for nearly two and a half stories before using his firebending just as he hit the ground. He produced enough heat and pressure with his masterful bending technique that when he landed, it was almost silent. Still, one could hear the slight growl of a flame as a circular wave of fire spread from his point of contact with the ground. Truly, it was quite beautiful. To the Earth King and the Avatars, though Zach had not heard when they said they were avatars, Zach fell from nowhere, the ceiling so high that it was not properly lit, as a streak of flame before the flame circus that was the radiant circle when he hit the floor. It was of no consequence, however, for no one was near enough to be struck. Zach simply walked forward, nodding at the other men, before whispering in Verrock's ear. "There was another riot in the merchant district. I managed to talk them down, but they are demanding an audience with you tomorrow. I apologize, that's why I'm late." It was a voice that the other men could not hear, and he concealed his face so that his lips could not be read. By now, he was quite adept at giving the Earth King information in front of guests while avoiding eavesdropping.

Kuzon would turn and introduce himself to the man who appeared from seemingly thin air above them. He would have to get better at keeping his sonar active, if that was an enemy he would have been totally surprised. Either way, he would offer a customary bow and introduce himself hastily, "Good to meet ya, I'm Kuzon!" With that said, the rather unorthodox avatar would turn around, his singlemindedness getting the better of him as he opened the heavy metal doors and looked at the rather large crowd gathered. When they saw the doors open, they rushed forward, obviously wanting to get inside. Before any of the outer guards could act, Kuzon would raise an earthen barrier in front of them, then use a strong gust of wind to slow their approach. He would then float up to the top of one of his barriers, landing effortlessly on the top.

"People of the Earth Kingdom! I am Avatar Kuzon, I am here discussing with your King a way to come to peaceful terms! Your voice WILL be heard!" There were a few cheers, but mostly just angry yells. Kuzon grew tired of their yelling, he would use vibration bending to cause strong tremors in the ground and would yell, "ENOUGH! You WILL listen to what we have to say." His voice full of power and authority, giving full realization to just who this was. An Avatar.

Nodding politely to the latest entrance, speaking a few quick words to the effect of being more formally introduced later on, Okami followed Kuzon outside, sweat-dropping briefly at his antics. Quickly joining the other Avatar on the mound of dirt, Okami braced himself for the vibrations being sent through the ground, watching as the civilians of the Earth Kingdom fell before getting back up. A few more calmed down, realizing that an Avatar was indeed attempting to ensure that they were heard, but many of them were too far gone, beginning to charge the mound that the two Avatars were standing on. Sighing as several dozen angered people approached them, Okami's eyes flashed as he reached out with his Waterbending skills.

You see, a strong enough Waterbender will begin to understand something, something that is incredibly unnerving. Water is the basis of all liquids...including the very blood that runs through one's veins. It is the darker side of Waterbending, something considered a taboo for most to learn, and to use under all but the most dire circumstances. Of course, there were few skilled enough to use it outside of the full moon, or without much motion.

Okami happened to be one of those people.

Three dozen rioters stopped in their tracks, with vaguely panicked looks on their faces as they realized that they could no longer move their bodies. Stepping forward, the man responsible for this spoke. "Everyone, settle down. I am Avatar Okami, the Crown Prince of the Fire Nation. As your neighbors, we have heard both your pleas, and those of our own people. That is why I am here. Please, heed our words. Both Benders and Non-Benders alike deserve recognition. In fact, one of my best friends, and my personal bodyguard, is incapable of Bending, and she has never once been treated differently by my family for it. We Avatars have spoken to your King, and have discovered that he, too, has heard your voice. Please, work with us, and together, we can make a better future for everyone!"

At that point, the rioters turned to each other stunned, both at the words of the Avatars and at the fact that they had been able to move for some time, yet hadn't thought of it.

Kuzon had laid the bait, and Okami had hooked them. All that was left was for Verrock to bring them in.

----------------------------------------------------

Sakura sighed as Okami followed the other Avatar outside, one she vaguely recognized from training with her grandfather. Walking over towards the leader of the Dai Li, she would bow, her...assets bouncing slightly, before standing back up. "Hello, I'm Captain Sakura of the Fire Guard, and the leader of that jackass's personal guard. It's a pleasure to meet you. By the way, nice entrance!"

Well, if her best friend/boss was going to go off and save the world or whatever, then she might as well go ahead and do her own job.

Verrock seriously thought about the words he should use to soothe the hearts of the people in the kingdom. He was never known to be the kind of person who would deal with non benders but he decided that he must swallow his pride every now and again to keep the peace. Watching the doors open the first thing to reach Verrock were the yells and screams of the rioters. The massive and muscled man would follow the Avatar's lead. In fact they had practically set the stage to end the riots here and now. All Verrock had to do was follow up with his true feelings and thoughts. Unlike the avatar's who stood up on a barrier made of earth Verrock had chosen to take a different and more personal approach. Splitting a section in the wall just big enough for him to cross through he would appear in front of all of the rioting citizens and spectators in all his glory. He could see that everyone in the crowd's eyes would focus on him and were attentive. He could also tell that within these eyes were fear, hatred, and indecisiveness. It would be his job to clear these feelings and as the vibrations in the earth settled from Avatar Kuzon he had finally found out where he should begin.

"Dear Citizens of the Earth Kingdom... I have indeed heard your concerns and as the Avatars have mentioned I am here to lend a hand to quiet your minds. I understand that some of you find issues with the balance in the liberties between benders and non benders. I myself have had a hand in tipping the balance in the favor of benders and I apologize for such foolishness. It is my job to ensure equality for all manors of people under this power nation. I must first start by openly saying that there will be positions of higher authority for non benders within my palace as well as better jobs and more equal pay within the upper ring of Ba Sing Se for non benders. I know that this may seem sudden but it should have been done a long time ago and my stubbornness and feelings have kept me from doing what I should have done. I will also put out a declaration that will limit non government official benders from being able to bend in areas with high concentration of non benders and high traffic residential areas in general... Beyond these changes the avatars and I are willing to listen to any other concerns and issues that all of you have at this moment. So speak clearly and loudly and preferably without any aggressive behavor. We are here to listen, we are here to help, and we shall bring forward an age of the Earth Kingdom that makes all citizens equal."

Verrock stood strong and proud as he gave his speech to the roaring crowd. He was sure to cover many points of concerns that he had heard during these past few chaotic days but he was sure he had missed something. Either way he made his intentions and feelings well known. To say he swallowed his pride to say those things was an understatement. While Verrock did believe the things he said he still did not like having to say them. His feelings had not changed in regards to non benders he still did not like them very much be he agreed that they should maintain some sort of equal standing in a Kingdom that has been and will continue to be a united nation of peace and strength.

Towards the back of the crowd was a man in a hooded cloak wearing a non descript white mask with two black eye slots. The man was almost totally unnoticeable in the crowd, blending in almost unnaturally if that was possible. He moved through the crowd, avoiding drawing their attention in a way that made him almost appear as a ghost. AS he shifted through the crowd with practiced ease, he made his way towards where the Earth King had made his grand entrance. The crowd had grown considerably since the first Avatar made his display of power, it drew benders to the area in the form of the riot police as well as those who had felt the quakes all across the upper ring. There were now hundreds of people here, listening to this speech. Perfect.

He had received his orders in a dead drop, but, he knew that his master wanted him to kill them. These benders. Scum. He dropped two balls from his sleeves and made his way to another area several yards away. Dropping more and more as he made his way through the crowd, he was unnoticed even in this act. The people more interested in what their vile leader had to say. After dropping a few more and noticing that they were being kicked around through the crowd by the shuffling people, he smirked behind his mask. Making his way just outside of the crowd to the right of the Earth King, he would push a hidden button and a light green smoke would begin to spread from multiple areas of the crowd, covering a good 35-50% of the crowd in the smoke, before he lit a match and threw it into the smoke. The sounds of the explosion could be heard from the Lower Ring.

He was not in the rather controlled explosions radius, and sadly, neither had the avatars, nor the Earth King, but he did note there were several benders in the group. He would find himself surrounded by Dai Li before he was able to run off, but it was of little consequence. He dodged their earthen gloves and used his chi blocking to immobilize them before he killed two of them. It was turning out that he was more useful to his master after all.

Upon being rocketed by the explosion, Kuzon immediately sprung into action. His first thought was to go for the one who had separated himself, but he noticed the Dai Li was going for him, so he shifted his focus to the next thing he was equipped to handle. Treating the wounded. He waved his hand over the crowd, causing millions of water droplets to form, each one going to cover the different wounded people. Once they were covered in droplets, they began to glow as he healed hundreds of people at one time. It was a tiring ordeal, even for one with his skill at bending, but he endured, for the sake of those who were suffering. 

He wanted answers. It took several minutes, but he was able to heal the people enough that when the paramedics arrive, their jobs will be slightly easier. Even counting the ones he healed, there were still countless counted among the dead. This man would pay. Dearly. Kuzon had a duty to protect the balance, and one guy killing a bunch of people wasn't balanced at all. He would get to the bottom of this if he did anything.