Chapter One: Three Girls and a Twisted Conscience
Azula wasn't always like this.
She couldn't understand.
What had happened to her?
All she remembered were the voices. She wasn't crazy, oh no. She was talking to herself, she knew that, but she began to label her emotions, and soon, these emotions began to take on their own personalities and divided her very being right down the middle.
Her favorite voice was a being known as The Beast. Azula smirked and pulled out a metal nail file.
The Beast made her strong. It took her stubborn mindset and warped it into something completely different. It made her decisions when the "others" got in the way. It was like a lion, at least that's what he appeared to her as. Hmm but it has tiger quantities. A liger then? Hah. What a ridiculous word. A lion-tiger then. More lion than tiger, it's mane was full and barely striped. When she listened to The Beast, her only concerns were for survival. Survival meant power. Power meant dominance. Dominance meant control. Control over everything.
The Beast was the only manifestation in the universe that Azula would take orders from. Other than Father of course, but I'll take him out eventually anyways. Note to self, do not have children. From experience they'll just end up weak like Zuko. Or they'll be exactly like me and attempt to assassinate me. Azula laughed out loud and filed another nail to pristine sharpness.
Her least favorite was a being called The Guardian. It wasn't much help. It let all of the annoying voices out: the ones having to do with attachments and love. I guess it's not much of a Guardian then, anti-guardian would be more correct, she thought, still filing her nails.
She didn't need those at the moment. When she finally had what she want, she could buy love with fear.
Why mess around with silly, petty emotions when she could skip right on ahead to the good parts?
"Princess, reports on your brother's location have just come in."
Brother? Oh yeah, almost forgot about him. Almost…
"Yes?" She said, immediately wiping the dazed and amused look off of her face. Musn't lose face in front of the common people, she corrected herself. "Where is he?"
The soldier went into a detailed report. The Beast purred greedily for the hunt to begin. Not now, love, Azula thought, we'll get to it in due time. First thing is first, we can't rush into this alone. A wave came over Azula. Only many years training at the Fire Academy for girls kept her from revealing her distress during the wave's passing. She felt the edge of the crest, and let it slip away, breathing deep and slowly, keeping her face stern. The Beast retracted its claws.
Damn that (Anti-)Guardian. He had attempted to release her conscience and to let sympathy out of it's cell. I am going to need a reliable force to complete this task. She allowed the Guardian to release select memories. Childhood friends. Ty Lee and Mai.
Yes, she smiled. For once the Beast was in agreement with the Guardian, well sort of. The Beast had his own reasons.
"Leave me. No. Wait. Tell my captain to prepare my ship. I must be ready to go as soon as possible."
"Yes, Princess."
Mai.
Silent.
Deadly.
Beautiful.
Bored out of her mind.
"If her ladyship should find it to suit her pleasure, would you like for me to perform another trick?"
Mai sighed, "It can't get any worse than your last attempts at entertaining me."
Ignacio forced a smile. This was quite possibly the worst gig he had ever been forced to take. Mai wouldn't find pleasure in any of his acts. He had come close to sarcastically suggesting that he would be more entertaining if he set himself on fire, but then remembered that she was Fire Nation. It probably would entertain her.
"I will now cut my lovely assistant in half." Mai straightened in her chair. Of course she would like that, Ignacio cringed, I'm glad I remembered not to suggest the Swords in a Box trick. She probably would have wanted to help…and I doubt she'd put them in at the certain angles that my girl could bend around. Ignacio smiled inwardly. The girl's flexibility did more than just make for convincing illusions. The girl smiled at Mai, and allowed Ignacio to help her into the box. Only her feet and head were visible. Ignacio pulled two giant, square blades from the side, and inserted them into the slits of the box.
He separated the boxes, expecting applause and praise. The woman was in two pieces, after all.
"Boring."
Ignacio couldn't take it anymore. He grabbed both halves of his girlfriend, and wheeled out of there. Hopefully, she'll be too bored to tell her rich, aristocrat of a father before I can get out of here. He didn't need to be given a bad rep, but mostly, he didn't need to be "shown out" by the Fire Nation guards.
Ty Lee grinned widely out at the crowd. She had just finished her last performance for the day.
Walking past the platypus-bear, she ended up in her own tent. It's been a long week. At least there is only one day left.
The high-wire was her calling in life. There was nothing like a good balancing act to make you feel alive. Act like these were where she gathered her strength. It made her light on her feet. She was fast and agile.
She pulled back the flap of her tent and let the cool air rush in and over her flushed face.
Muscles are tense. I should go stretch and meditate. My aura is looking a little dingy. More of a dusky salmon than a beautiful rose.
She pranced outside running through a few motions she had picked up over the years that made her a master acrobatic.
"Ty Lee, could that possibly be you?" Shock sent a yellow pulse through her otherwise pink aura.
"Azula!" Ty Lee makes a few graceful movements, changing her position from head stand to pouncing hug in an almost melodic way. "It is so good to see you!"
"Please, don't let me interrupt your... " Azula raised her eyebrow, trying to find a word to fit the situation. The Beast growled with impatience. "…whatever it is you were doing."
Ty Lee smiles even wider and flips so that she is laying on her stomach with her feet by her head.
The voices broke into Azula's mind, thoroughly disgusted and tired of all of the animals. The Beast was threatening to break out of his cage. In an attempt to appease all of them she continued her conversation, "Tell me, what is the daughter of a nobleman doing here? Certainly our parents didn't send us to the Royal Fire Academy for Girls to end up in... places like this."
Ty Lee's aura wavers and darkens, as she braces herself mentally for Azula's crash. She could always see the torrent of various colors that surrounded Azula. Rarely did it stay one color for very long. Ty Lee had always wondered whether Azula had some issues to work out. Of course I would never ask her in person…
"I have a proposition for you. I'm hunting a traitor. (Looking at her wrist a bit absent mindedly) You remember my old fuddy duddy uncle, don't you? "
"Oh yeah. He was so funny. " Ty Lee's face widened into an even wider grin. What is she up to?
How the hell does her smile continue to grow? I'm surprised her face isn't broken. It would be interesting to see how much farther it could be when truly fractured. Some of the voices laughed at the apparently funny image. The Guardian frowned down upon her. Azula hopes this will be a quick kill. "I would be honored if you would join me on my mission."
So that's it. "Oh...I...uh...would love to," Ty lee leaps back to her feet, "but the truth is, I'm really happy here. I mean, my aura has never been pinker!" Maybe she'll understand…Ty Lee hoped. Logically, she knew that wouldn't be the case.
Sorry. That was not the right answer. " I'll take your word for it. Well, I wouldn't want you to give up the life you love just to please me. "The Beast demanded a hunt.
Ty Lee bowed to Azula with her hands clasped in front of her. "Thank you, Azula." She truly hoped that was all.
Azula turns to walk away, but turns back around. " Of course, before I leave, I'm going to catch your show. "
Shit…Ty Lee can't keep her expression still. "Uh...yeah...sure...uh...of course... "
Azula begins to walk away, realizing how easy it is to grin as wide as Ty Lee.
It was dark.
There was laughing.
Something was indeed wrong.
The beast was sitting at the head of a long table. It reminded her of the one they had in the palace of the Fire Nation, except they were outside. There was no moon in the sky. They were completely surrounded by a black forest. Only the dim candlelight gave Azula any indication of her environment. The other voices…they were faceless. She sat on the Beast's right. His honored guest.
The Beast flexed his claws. The voices laughed. Azula missed the joke completely. She didn't understand this at all. If they were speaking words, she did not understand them.
The Guardian stood a few feet away from the table. He was silent. His mask pulled across his face, holding a white staff across his chest. He was dressed completely in white. Silver trim lined his robes and cloak. Azula looked pleadingly at her. He just stared blankly.
The forest turned into a banquet hall. It was beautiful and elaborate, but still barely lit up.
And she could finally tell what they were laughing at. Ty Lee was in a cage looking beaten, as though it was her very essence that had been incarcerated. Her sprit was broken.
Ty Lee… I am so sorry.
The Beast turned to her.
Mai.
He just looked at her, but suddenly she could understand their language.
Yes, we must get Mai. The Beast smiled, and his face rose into a baring of teeth.
She completes us. The Guardian shook his head. He was the epitome of solemn and sadness.
And then, we will be unstoppable.
All of the voices erupted into laughter.
The universe has given me strong hints that it's time for a career change. I want to join you on your mission.
Ty Lee let out a huge sigh. What was I thinking? No, I have to do this. I should have known Azula wouldn't take 'no' for an answer. Well, we are friends, and I know there is some nice in her. It's just hidden somewhere in there. Yeah, that's it. It's hidden. I've seen it in her aura. In flashes, sure, but it's there nonetheless.
Ty Lee leaned over the railings on the ship, gazing into the watery depths below.
Well at least I'll get to see Mai again. It'll be just like old times! We were such good friends.
Mai…
"I wonder what Azula is up to." Mai wondered aloud, not really too concerned with anything. Probably something exciting. Or at least she's getting to order a few servants around. Why is everything so dull in this horrible city? Whatever.
She leaned over the railings of the balcony.
What is this emptiness? I can't pinpoint it. It's a feeling inside that I just can't get rid of. I don't know where it hurts, I just know that it does. It hurts so much. I wish is would go away. Something is going to happen, I can feel it. Or maybe I'm forgetting something…Oh please. Make the agony stop. I don't know how to make myself feel better, because I have absolutely no idea what the problem is. What hurts?
It's in my chest…so does that mean that something is wrong with my heart? Is it breaking? Did it already break…I don't know. Please…make it stop. I don't know what it is. I don't know how to fix it. I just know that I feel an emptiness that I can not fill, no matter how hard I try.
I miss something, I think. I don't know who or what it is...but I know that it was there at some point. And now, it's clearly not. Where is it? Or am I just supposed to forget and find something else? Wait, am I supposed to find someone else? Where the hell am I supposed to look?
I don't need this. I have The Beast. The Beast always protects me. He's more than I need. I'll ignore the pain in my chest until he has filled it. Is that it? Is that what's supposed to fill me? The Beast.
Or maybe I hurt everywhere else. And the spot where I hurt is just the one place I don't…
No. The Beast makes me strong. Somehow that doesn't feel right. It's never been like this before. Everything used to be so clear and precise. Now my entire being is muddled up
.In the distant reaches of her mind, she could hear claws extend from their sheath.
Oh this pain…
A/N: Eh…Honestly, I have no idea where I was going with this. I'm not even really sure if I care for it…So I guess it's up to you. What do you think? Reviews sound fun.