"Pass the kimodo chicken, Zuzu!" Calls Kiyi at the top of her lungs.
You shake your head from whatever daydream you are having, as if you are just reawakening in this world. Instinctively, you look to your hands, seemingly moving on their own to retrieve a golden plate with a succulent steaming kimodo chicken to pass to your youngest sister at your left of the dining table. Perhaps, you will never get used to hearing the nickname you once despised said with such affection and admiration.
Instead, you give a warm smile as you cut a portion of the meat to serve to the child.
"You're the best!" You are told in return and a part of you wants to believe it.
If only you could find it in yourself to believe it. Your nation, however, reminds you constantly of your faults, so even as your sister praises you, your girlfriend's blue eyes stare warmly at you and your mother and stepfather give reassuring gestures, you know it is all out of pity. Only one person was ever truthful to you, though all her "Truth" was always told slant.
Stop it! You remind yourself, exhaling deeply, but softly to avoid rousing your mother and girlfriend. It's not your fault. She's gone and it's not your fault.
Not much more is spoken between your small, new family, besides little quips between Ikem and your sister. Ursa and Katara seem as trapped in her thoughts as you are, and you find yourself wondering if you all are thinking the same things.
You miss the opportunity to ask when the dishes are carried away and duty calls you to meet with your head general for a concerning matter.
"Apologies, everyone," you say, excusing yourself from the table.
"We understand, Fire Lord," says Ikem in such a proud way that you wish for the millionth time that you two shared blood.
Katara gives a knowing nod at which you return and exit the dining room to enter the royal throne room where you greet General Mak and June, The Bounty Hunter, absent her shirshu.
"Apologies, My Lord, we are impeding on your personal time. We know the hour is late".
You gesture for the general to rise to his feet. June sucks in her teeth and rolls her eyes. "Well, I'm sure hunting down your psycho sister is more important than your beauty rest, right, Prince Pouty?"
You cannot stop the gasp that slips through your teeth, eyes widening at the news. "She's alive? It's been months!" You say in panic, waves of nervous tension coursing through your veins.
June shrugs. "Didn't think I would have to travel around the world and back, but yeah. Nyla and I tracked her down in the North Pole". You feel skeptical about the location before the bounty hunter adds, "Surrounded by stone and ice, so it was almost impossible to sniff her out, but she won't be going anywhere in her condition".
You blink once, then twice, then thrice, feeling your lower jaw tremble and an old pain shudder through your abdomen as you process the words. Azula survived…She's pregnant… It's been months since… Shaking your head, you turn to the general.
"How soon can you prepare a fleet for the North?" You ask, quickly.
"As soon as tomorrow, My Lord".
You shake your head. "I will go alone by my personal air balloon".
"B-But Your Highness?"
You exhale sharply, making the man stop midway through his protest. "My decision is final," you say without anger, impressed by your own ability to remain calm, given the situation. Your sister would be proud. "Send word to Aang to meet me in a month's time if I have yet to return," you order. "Also, send word to my uncle to watch over the place while I am gone".
Without further words, you take your leave. Your first step is the bedroom. In the mirror you decide that traveling as the fire lord is too distracting and may anger your volatile sister as the last time you saw her… You don't think about it further, instead you remove your crown and release your topknot, allowing your dark hair to cascade over your shoulders in a wave of dark brown. Next, you remove your armor and feel renewed strength from the burden the heavy metal accented by a flowing cape seems to bear each day you wear it.
You feel…good. Good enough to crack a smile in the mirror before turning away to stare into the blue eyes of your girlfriend.
"She's alive?" Asks the waterbender, you claimed for yourself despite the will of your nation.
"Yes," you answer, shamefully. "She's going to have it soon".
"Then I will come with you," she says. "We'll take care of this for good".
You nod, though you cannot meet her eyes.
"This is the best place in all of the Northern Water Tribe," says the wheelchair bound real estate salesman, waving a hand towards the staggering apartment building. "Everyone who is anyone in the Northern Water Tribe has lived here in The Dakota at one point". He stated proudly.
"And died here as well, I hear," added the fire princess, her eyes scaling the huge building from the bottom to the top.
You snicker, giving her a nudge with your elbow, playfully. "Don't tell me you're scared, Sis? Come on, it'll just be for a couple of weeks," you tell her.
"Hmm," is her very serious reply.
Teo looks between the two of you for several seconds before asking to continue the tour.
"Sure, why not," you say, gesturing for your advisor to enter behind the real estate agent.
#
The freezing air gives no warning when it slaps your scarred cheek, causing your teeth to chatter. Thankfully, Katara is used to the cold or you would have even more to concern yourself with. Instant worry does find its way into your mind, however, as you bring the vehicle to a land on the icy terrain in front of the building. It is early morning, so few people walk the streets on your girlfriend's sister tribe. Looking at the formidable building, incased in ice, your fear heightens.
Your sister could be dead in that apartment, she refused to leave. June never actually went inside of the building to see Azula alive. With such harsh temperatures, even the most gifted firebender would struggle to regulate their body heat, let alone, a growing child.
Am I walking into a tomb? You wonder, helping Katara out of the balloon.
The look she is giving you suggests that she is reading your mind. "It is too late to turn back, Zuko," she says, adamantly. "This is about your future. You can't let Ozai win".
You sigh. "Ozai…right," you say softly, watching the waterbender dismantle the ice.
"Pretty quiet, huh?" You joke, sitting across from Azula on the hardwood floor of the massive apartment with several plates and warm tea.
Azula rolls her eyes, obviously undeterred about being in this building even for a few weeks while you will be in and out for the annual four nation's summit. It did not help that the elderly neighbors were quite noisy in this place at difficult times of the night.
"You haven't touched any of the thank you cake Teo sent us," you note, taking a bite of your own.
Of course, she gives the most disgusted look as you slice her piece of the chocolate mousse cake and place it on her plate.
"Have you forgotten who I am, Zuzu? How dare you even suggest I touch a scrap on a plate made with peasant hands?" She hisses back.
You shrug nonchalantly and continue to devour yours. You don't feel like arguing though you do challenge your sister with a necessary trump card.
"Alright, fine. If you are choosing to starve yourself, I will leave you here when I meet with the others at the summit tomorrow".
That does the trick as Azula angrily snatches the fork from you.
"Fine!" She concedes, taking several bites. "You had better make sure your hospitable neighbors keep it down tonight then!" She snaps between gulps.
You agree and stand to go grant your sister's wishes.
"I am going to bed," she says when you return.
Standing, she catches herself when she stumbles, blaming it on the "peasant food" before shuffling with a clumsy walk down the hall and leaving you alone in the unfurnished dining room.
You ignore the voices and climb on the sofa for a much needed rest. It does not take long for your eyes to drift to sleep. You dream of your father which is not unusual, though this dream is quite different from the others. Ozai leaves almost immediately with chilling words.
"Your sister is the key to your bloodline. She has always been. Do what you came to do, now".
You chase him down the hall, but the attempt to catch him is futile. Instead you find yourself at the door of Azula's bedroom. With a careful push, you open it to find her sleeping.
Well, at least she didn't hear that commotion. You think.
You turn to leave, only to find the door closed and locked from the other side. Odd? You think, attempting to turn the door's knob.
"Zuzu?" Azula's voice asks the insanely dark room, with closed curtains thick enough to block out the moon.
You say nothing, surprised by the small sound of your sister's voice. "Father?" She then asks in an almost hushed voice.
You blink, eyes adjusting as you see your sister reaching for something that's not there. You worry instantly, remembering her psychosis during your trip to Hira'a. Nearing the foot of her bed, you call to her. "Azula, it's just me".
"Zuzu…I thought…nevermind, get out," she snaps angrily.
You do the opposite, lying atop the bed's covers and wrapping a comforting arm around your sister as she attempts to bury her herself beneath them to escape.
"Stop being childish," you say, firmly. "This is the only way".
With that, you join her under the covers.
Katara completely melts the building with little effort and the two of you are about to enter when you hear, "Why hello there!" You and your girlfriend turn to see Teo with a huge grin. "Lord Zuko! What a surprise! I was beginning to worry you wouldn't make it in time".
You smirk calmly.
"In time for what?" Asks Katara, at which you shake your head.
"I'll explain later. Teo, any word on my sister's condition?" You ask.
"Come, ask her yourself".
#
I sit quietly with Pakku and other members of the White Lotus, absent Uncle Fuddy in the now fully furnished living room. It was difficult to remember the past few days though I could not forget the dream...
No, it wasn't a dream. I remind myself rubbing my a palm over my protruding abdomen as I felt my unborn child giving katas that seemed to bend my spine. Definitely not a dream...It was all real.
I tried not focus on how the child came to being pushing away the recurring dreams I had been having since the fire lord...
I grit my teeth in shameful anger, though a part of me was feeling the glow of new motherhood overpower the emotion in my limbs. I wanted this child as badly as I wanted Ursa's head on a stake. If only she knew what her first born children had been up to while away in the cold North Pole...
It only took once to find out the gift of fertility had been passed from my mother to me. As for the father of my unborn... he had been granted the same gift of disappearing at the most opportune times. Or did he?
I cannot recall exactly what happened the night of my conception, though common sense would suggest the man in my dreams could not have possibly fathered my child. No, he was rotting away six feet under the bowels of Capital City Prison, I was sure of that...
I stopped my wondering when one of the members stood suddenly. I recall his name as Xai Bau or something. His face holding an angrier expression than even I could pull off, he paced the room in an almost chant to himself. I watched with careful eyes as he walked to and fro, the other men in the room eying me as if I would run at any moment.
I lacked the energy to do so. Feeling my body fighting constantly against the freezing conditions and my pregnancy was enough to keep me grounded to this horrifying place.
I jumped at a knock on the door. The others did not and it was Xai Bau who opened it, exchanging a hand gesture, I had come to know as a signal between the order, to Teo.
"Welcome, come in," he said.
I nearly fell from the reclining chair purchased by the order when I saw my brother enter with his new girlfriend.
"Zuzu?" I say. "I told you never to come back!"
My brother eyes me with a knowing look and I feel sick all over again at the thought...
No...I can't...I can't have this baby. I think to myself in terror before seeing darkness shrouded around me.
I had fallen very dizzy by the time the door to my room was opened.
"Father?" I call out in fear. It had to be him. It was only at the peak of the midnight hour that we spent more than two minutes together.
I expected an answer of some sort, but did not get one. Instead he only moved closer. I felt his presence and sighed.
"You have a duty, Azula," he reminded me, and I knew there were no further words needed to be said until a different voice called out, "Azula, it's just me".
"Zuzu…I thought…nevermind, get out," I say to him, but unlike before he goes against my wishes.
"Stop being childish," he says, and I can almost hear Ozai's voice laced within his. "This is the only way".
At the pull of the covers, I feel his warmth despite the wretched cold, my mind in a dizzy whirl as I slip between my dreams and reality. One moment, I am on Ember Island in a yacht with the entire Order of the White Lotus surrounding me, along with the creepy fire sages, who saw it necessary to witness royal consummations. The next moment, I cannot bring myself to stop the scene before me, along with the sensation inside of me. I can only groan in attempt to stop the madness. I hear answering groans from the man above me switching faces between my father and my brother. I grasp his shoulders and close my eyes, but cannot stop the dreams. The madness threatened to take me whole until suddenly with a splash that I could not discern from either inside of my body or the rocking yacht...it all ends.
I awaken alone, blinking once, then twice, then thrice times as I open my eyes to look about the room. I am in the nursery on a soft, white linen bed, sharp pains clawing my body. I look down at my form and my slightly deflated belly.
Where is it? I wonder, jumping from my bed and hurrying to look inside an empty white crib. It is then that I hear...voices. The Order...
I take off for my room as fast as my legs can carry me, checking my sleeve for Mai's confiscated knife that I always kept near since my bending has been nearly nonexistent since my pregnancy. Inside the completely decorated parlor, at the expense of the order, I look at each face seated and standing around the room. I note the peasant waterbender next to the fire lord, along with Pakku, Xai Bau, Bumi and The Deserter. I feel faint as I step towards a black bassinet on wheels.
"Is it...Where is the child?" I demand to know from Zuko.
"His name is Zaheer," Xai Bau instead answers, stepping closer to me. "He belongs to the order now".
No! I think, eyes wide, knife shaking in my palm from the soreness of standing too long shortly after giving birth to...
"The sins are corrected," Zuko's girlfriend pipes from her seat. "Ozai cannot win," she adds, eyes boring holes towards the bassinet.
Over my dead body I would allow these peasants or the fire lord to use me.I would kill the child myself in that case. These are my thoughts as I step towards the crib to behold the child, knife in hand, daring anyone to stop me.
"Azula!" Calls my traitorous brother.
"Stay back!" I spew at him, pointing the knife as I continued to walk backwards. "I'll kill him, myself before I let you take him!" I threaten, which halts the man's movements.
It is when my back hits the bassinet, that my legs are trapped in earth, followed by my wrists behind my back forcing the knife out of my hand. I look to the mad king, whom I knew was responsible. "I'll kill you all, I swear!" I scream, fruitless writhing in the bondage. In a final attempt at freedom, I look to my brother. "How could you? He's...He's yours! He's YOURS!" I reveal at which the room gasps.
"She's lost it again," I hear my brother immediately tell his cunt. "Take her away," I feel my heart pounding, sweat popping on my brow.
No...I can't go back to that place. I can't...
"Xai Bau, I trust that you will honor our agreement?"
The man nods solemnly. "This night will be forgotten". Turning to me, he added. "The child will be as well with the help of a former advisor in Ba Sing Se...He will be there to greet the princess at the asylum when she is readmitted. For good, this time".
Word Count: 3061
This post is on behalf of our captain KDintheCity. I hope you enjoyed.
Prompts: Worst Fears Come True, North Pole, Teo, AU Horror Movie-Rosemary's Baby.
There were a couple fears I chose, but the main one was Azula's fear of being readmitted to the nuthouse.
Earthbending element used.
QTZ