(object) a Treasured Heirloom
(character) Suki
(restriction) Title: "Meet Me in the Middle"
Words: 3321
Suki was silent. Her eyes were shut, and she stood, in a ready but relaxed stance, listening intently to her surroundings. She heard the soft creak from her left as one of her initiates shifted their stance nervously. She heard the distant crashing of the waves, and the large sploosh as an elephant-koi flopped from the water. She heard a merchant yelling about wares in the town proper, and she heard the heavy breathing of all four of her initiates as they waited to attack.
Sokka, she knew, would have gone on the offensive immediately, swinging a sword around with joyful abandon. She missed him greatly, she realized. It had been quite a while since they had seen each other. Their relationship had been a rocky one- on again, then off again, repeated over and over in a near-infinite loop.
Her ear picked up a rustling of fabric from her rear, and it began. Her eyes flipped open.
A girl aimed a savage kick towards Suki's midriff; Suki sidestepped, catching the diversionary nature of the kick and blocking the girl's savage punch combo effortlessly, diverting the blows with her forearm. Two girls- the one to her left and front, dove into the fray, directing punch and jab after jab in her direction. Grimacing slightly, Suki blocked the jabs deftly, her forearms in constant motion.
Then, the girl to Suki's right attacked, aiming a jab for her pressure point by her ribs. Grunting with exertion, she seized an initiate's forearm, and, using the poor girl as a sort of leverage, jumped up lightly, attacking the girl in the chest with a savage kick, before pulling the arm, hard, and smashing her to the ground. Suki dodged two more attacks, before seeing her opening and swiping the legs out from beneath a girl to her front, before pivoting with her arms and swiping the legs from beneath the remaining opponent.
She stood, breathing heavily, before helping each of her initiates to their feet, smiling broadly.
"A good run. Nishihn, it was a good try to go for my pressure point, but you should have attacked lower so that my kick wouldn't have gotten you. If you hadn't been there, then I would have toppled to the ground. Kiti, you should have signalled to the other initiates when you were going to attack. Teamwork is a better way to defeat a skilled opponent, and some of your attacks were disorganized. Zato, Mih, you did a good job with that, but you just weren't quick enough."
The motley collection of girls bowed deeply, their faces red with exertion, and, Suki realized, shame. Guilt gnawed at her.
"Don't be ashamed for having been defeated. Take this opportunity to better yourselves, to learn from your mistakes. And don't be too hard on yourselves; I've been doing this since I was young, and I have a good twenty years of experience over you. I've been defeated more times than I can count, but the important thing is that I learned from them."
She paused, smiling at the more optimistic looks from her trainees.
"You did well today. You can relax for the rest of the day, but I'll expect you at afternoon practice tomorrow, alright?"
The young girls looked as if they could barely contain their excitement, and they all bowed deeply.
"Thank you, Master Suki!" they said, hurrying out the door.
Suki smiled, remembering when she had been like that. Relaxing on the beach, walking through town, or even catching a ferry to the mainland would all be the routine for the now-free girls, and they would explore their new temporary home as thoroughly as they could.
She chuckled to herself, striding over towards the small table and grabbing her canteen, taking a deep swig of the ice-cold water. Instinctively, she poured the remainder of the water over her head, before shaking her hair out and walking out of the training building, soothingly cold water dripping down from her head.
Kyoshi Island had changed drastically since the end of the War. The deeds of the Kyoshi Warriors had spread throughout the world, and throngs of eager girls and yes, boys, came to the island, seeking to join the Warriors. Suki and the others had to practically beat some of them away with a stick, and the waiting list for an initiate's spot stretched out, to the best of Suki's knowledge, for the next three years.
As a result, the village had thrived, and buildings were now situated around the entirety of the island. The quaint houses on the main avenue had all been updated, and now resembled the finest dwellings in the upper rings of Ba Sing Se. The dojo had been expanded, and now a large, modern-looking training house was complemented by separate dormitories, cafeterias, and specialized training facilities for archery, weapons, and strategy.
She had been proud to see her beloved Warriors grow into a world-renown organization. To Suki's surprise, her comrades had elected her to be the formal Master of the Kyoshi Warriors, both making her extremely embarrassed and increasingly overworked. With all the joys of leadership came veritable tons of paperwork, applications, and interviews to oversee- a part that Suki did not like as much.
Suki sighed, wiping the sweat from her brow as she sat, cross-legged, on the wooden porch of the training building, looking at the lush greenery around her in admiration. She had lived on this island all her life, and it never failed to amaze her with its almost effortless beauty.
The sound of running footsteps came from her left, and a girl by the name of Ronna approached her, wearing her short-sleeved training garb and no makeup, as was the new standard.
"Master… Suki…" the girl said, huffing from the run. She held out a pale envelope.
"This… just… arrived…"
"Thank you, Ronna."
The girl beamed and ran off, no doubt to run the obstacle course she loved so much yet again. Curiously, Suki opened the letter, and regarded the neat, familiar calligraphy with suspicion.
My sister was sighted in Ba Sing Se. If convenient, meet me in the city of Nahesa, near Serpent's Pass.
Bring Ty Lee.
-Zuko
Suki could have laughed with joy. As much as she enjoyed training the next generation of Kyoshi Warriors, she had long-missed the adventure she had experienced with Sokka, Katara, Aang, Zuko, and Toph.
She sobered her mood. Azula had only been sighted once in a while since she had kidnapped Zuko's other sister and tried to create a revolt in the Capital City. The so-called "Kemurikage Crisis" had been the last confirmed sighting of the elusive Azula, but rumors and brief sightings had trickled in little by little.
Suki bounded up eagerly, running towards the much nicer Warrior's Dormitories to find Ty Lee.
They approached from the south. Ty Lee, equally scared and eager, had agreed to the adventure after much persuasion from Suki. The woman wore a tight-fitting, bright red outfit that partially resembled the one she had worn as a teen, albeit with more armor and flexibility. She wore a green cloak around her bright clothes, having grudgingly agreed to blend in as best she could so as to avoid being spotted. Suki had opted to wear a streamlined version of the traditional Kyoshi Warrior's outfit. Sections of black armor covered her chest, shoulders, and legs, over a green robe that ended above her knees. She had also brought strong, hard leather gauntlets, and light traveling boots.
She also brought a hood, which she put over her head as they passed the tall, brand-new gates to Nahesa. They passed through the clean, relatively quiet streets, before entering the main square, and looking around, without avail, for Zuko.
They passed a tavern, and Ty Lee tugged on Suki's shoulder, indicating a solitary figure in the corner of the busy establishment. Reluctantly, they entered, making their way to the counter and ordering rice wine. They then sat at the table, hoping that the figure was who they were looking for.
The man, clad in a heavy green robe, leaned forward, revealing a familiar scarred face and piercing golden eyes.
"Thanks for meeting me- both of you."
"How's Mai?!" Ty Lee asked, cheerfully. Suki had to hold in a chuckle- the woman's boundless enthusiasm never got old for Suki.
Zuko's concerned frowned soften at the mention of his wife, and he smiled.
"She's fine. She knows what we're doing here, but she wanted to stay with Izumi."
"Spirits, how old is she now?"
Zuko smiled with pride.
"Seven. It's hard to believe."
Ty Lee giggled, and Zuko sighed, taking a sip from his glass of Baijiu.
"Sorry to get sidetracked. We have business to take care of." He unrolled a map, pointing towards Ba Sing Se.
"My spies indicate that Azula is in the Second Ring, probably on the southwestern sector. My plan is to travel there as quietly as we can manage, meet with my agent there, and find her."
Suki frowned, a thought occurring to her.
"Not that I mind helping a friend, but… why are we going after her, again? Who knows what mental state she's in at this point."
Zuko sighed, massaging his temple in stress.
"I believe she stole the Crown Prince's headpiece. I don't know why, but when it disappeared, she was sighted here the day after. It can't be a coincidence."
Suki leaned back, processing the information. Though she was an Earth Kingdom native by birth, the time she had spent in the Fire Nation had taught her much. The Crown Prince's headpiece, otherwise known as Roku's headpiece, was a highly treasured artifact that represented decades of Fire Nation history- the good and the bad. Losing it would mean ostracization and humiliation for Zuko.
Ty Lee sighed sadly, her hands resting beneath her chin as her expression turned sour.
"That certainly sounds like something she'd do…"
The alleyway was cramped and tiny. Too small for Suki to be comfortable with, but she knew that clandestine dealings were supposed to be uncomfortable. She had elected to not bring her fans- if avoiding notoriety was the point, brandishing the weapons of the Kyoshi Warriors would accomplish the opposite effect. Instead, she had opted for a long dagger- about the length of her forearm, and a short sword, which she kept hidden in a sheath on her waist.
Ty Lee, on the other hand, brought no weapons, as she had said that her chi blocking was getting rusty, and Zuko, of course, had his firebending. So Suki was confident that they could fare well in a scrap.
The journey there had been uneventful- save for a tense moment with a surly customs officer- but they had talked over the plan five times and each knew their job.
Zuko paced around in agitation.
"Where is he? He's late."
"That's not good," Ty Lee murmured, playing with a butterfly.
Suki glanced again at their backs, making sure that they weren't being outflanked. The busy foot-traffic of passing pedestrians and wagons was comforting, in a sense. In a city as large as Ba Sing Se, no one ever paid attention to shady-looking dealings. "Mind your own business" was something of a catechism for the people of Ba Sing Se.
A figure sprinted into the alley, bloodied and panting. The three of them rushed over.
"Spirits, Lar, what's wrong?"
Suki grimaced as the man's cloak fell aside. A rock spike- the favored bending attack by Earthbenders looking to kill- was lodged in his abdomen, causing deep, arterial blood to leak. No doubt the spike itself was keeping his organs and the majority of his blood inside, but it looked to be a fatal wound. And, judging by his clammy, pale skin, his liver had taken the hit.
"Am...bushed...know...you're com-coming… get… out…"
He expired, and several things happened at once. From above, a cluster of dark-clothed individuals jumped down lightly, surrounding them. Several wagons and carts blocked each side, blocking them into the alleyway.
Tension hovered over the scene, tight enough that it seemed likely to snap at every moment. The dark-clothed figures made no move, but one man straightened, revealing an arrogant, mostly bald face with a long braid hanging from the back of his head. Pointed, thin facial hair and a thin, blade-like goatee gave him a familiar, but menacing appearance.
"Now what," Ty Lee murmured, her face serious as she tensed her body for combat.
"Nobody...move…" Zuko whispered.
"Firelord Zuko, Master Suki, and Ty Lee. I welcome you to the city of Ba Sing Se."
Zuko glared again, looking back down at his dead agent.
"Who are you to have the right to kill a Fire Nation official…"
"I am Long Feng. Formerly the Grand Secretariat of Ba Sing Se, until the Avatar and your sister robbed me of that position, Firelord. Given that the Dai Lee no longer exists, we are no longer a government entity and therefore can do whatever we want."
"And what do you want?" Suki said defiantly. Sokka and the others had told her of Long Feng's devious and cunning nature, so she was very suspicious.
"You're all to come with me. Everyone knows that you three are very talented warriors, but I have around 30 highly-trained agents here who are fully capable of ending your legends here and now."
Zuko gestured towards the others, motioning for them to relax and give in.
"Fine," he spat, extinguishing the flames writhing and spitting in his palms. "We'll do it your way."
They were taken underground, to the ruins of what was, in the ancient times, Ba Sing Se. Glowing green crystals inched through every crevice and crack, and the remnants of what looked like a ferocious battle from long ago lay strewn about in the form of scorch marks and craters.
From the way Zuko stiffened upon entering the large room, she could surmise that this was the place he and his sister had turned on Aang and Katara.
"You know this place, Firelord," Long Feng said, smirking.
He led them, where clusters of men in dark robes waited. They shoved each of the three to their knees, earthen gauntlets confining their hands and restricting their movement. Long Feng nodded, walking slowly in front of the three prisoners, his expression one of hatred.
"Now Firelord, I know your sister is somewhere in the city and I know you came here to meet her. I want you to tell me where she is, or else I kill your two lovely friends here, one at a time."
Below Suki, the ground turned into a thick liquid, pulling her in to her waist, before hardening again. Panic began to grip her- she was completely useless right now, and she began scanning the room intently for a method of escape.
"I'm telling you, I don't know…"
He grunted in pain as one of the Dai Li agents tightened his manacles.
"You're trying my patience, Firelord. You forget that I'm not overly fond of either the circus freak- given that she helped your sister overthrow me, nor your Kyoshi warrior friend. Tell me where she is."
They sunk in again, the quicksand-like substance coming up to her chest. Ty Lee yelped in surprise, looking panicked, and Zuko looked at them in desperation. Suki shook her head, her face grim.
She had no love for Azula, but she wasn't going to let this bastard get what he wanted.
"I swear to you, I don't know- my agent was going to tell me…"
"LIES!" he bellowed.
They sunk to their chins, and Suki closed her eyes. She had lived her life as she wanted, and she was proud of what she had accomplished. She had done her duty to Avatar Kyoshi and to the world, and she was happy. She just wished she could have seen Sokka again…
"Oh, Zuzu, how I love seeing you grovel."
The distant form of Azula hopped down lithely from a ruined pillar, smiling victoriously at Long Feng's incredulous face. With a single movement, she moved her hands in a circular motion, shooting a bolt of lightning from her forefinger at the Dai Li agents behind Suki and Ty Lee, and the quicksand crumbled into dust, allowing them to stand again. In a single movement, Suki leapt out of the pit, smashing her back into unconscious agent, prompting her earthen manacles to fall apart, freeing her hands.
Long Feng's face was one of panic, and he uttered an order to his agents, prompting the thirty or so agents to leap into action as he sprinted away.
"Oh, no you don't."
Focusing on the receding man, she sidestepped the first approaching agent, anticipating his rock-pillar and leaping lightly on top of it, diving forward into a different agent, driving her elbow into the man's face, knocking him unconscious. She flipped herself onto her feet again, sprinting forward. From her right, a man bent his earth-fists towards her, but she ducked, the rocks whizzing over her, less than an inch away. She lost her balance briefly, but slightly extended her palms, making contact with the ground and pushing herself away, back to her feet, and on the chase once more.
Before she knew it, she had broken away from the melee, and sprinted towards Long Feng, closing the distance rapidly. Desperately, he bent a large wall of earth and slammed it towards her with violent aggression. Grunting with effort, she leapt over the wall, landing on her feet and tacking the man, rapidly forcing him into a powerful choke-hold until she felt his resistance lessen.
She looked down, making sure he wasn't dead. His head moved slowly, his eyes closed, and she released the hold, lightly pressing her knee and calf into his neck.
At length, the melee behind them ended, and Zuko and Azula ran over to her.
"What do you want to do with him?"
"I say kill him. That's why I lured you here after all, Zuzu."
Zuko glared at her, looking back at Suki.
"It's your call."
Suki looked at the man. Puppeteer, manipulator, dictator- he was, from what she had heard, a terrible man. But did he deserve death? She didn't know if she was qualified to answer. Kyoshi would have ended him, certainly, but it had been so long since she had held a person's life in her hands that Suki wasn't fully sure if she'd follow Kyoshi's example.
"If I ever see or hear that you're in this city or causing trouble in any way again, I'm going to kill you," she said bluntly.
She released the pressure, standing up as he lunged away, her body suddenly exhausted.
"Boring," Azula said, lightly. Suki glared at her, balling her fists.
"So why did you lure us here?" Zuko asked sternly.
Azula looked down… guiltily? Suki wasn't sure.
"Truth was, Zuko, I need your help. All of your help. I've changed since all those years ago, and these bullies have been stealing from people and trying to undermine the government."
"Don't tell me you feel guilty," Suki said derisively.
"I don't know, her aura is looking considerably brighter…" Ty Lee said, lightly.
"So you used us as bait so that you could get the jump on them."
"And because four against 30 are slightly better odds…"
Zuko chuckled, despite himself.
As the train pulled away, Suki sighed, looking at the idyllic countryside. Perhaps one day, when she was older, she'd get a small farm like one of those and finally settle down for a life of relaxation. Unfortunately, judging by the missions she had been getting lately, that wouldn't happen for a while.
"Zuko," she said tiredly, smiling at him.
"Next time you want to me to help you with a dangerous mission, how about we just get a cup of tea instead?"
He laughed.
"Sounds like a plan."