Hey! Welcome to chapter 2. I'm glad you guys liked the first chapter. XD
RRC and ENJOY!
Chapter 2: Fire and Water Together? Part 1
They sat together for a while, neither talking. Katara was surprised she could just sit there with Azula the way she was. Actually, she was surprised she was close to her at all and not trying to put as much space as she could between them. So far the princess didn't do anything 'suspicious', so Katara didn't feel the need to move, though she still had unanswered questions.
"You never answered my first question." Katara stated, gauging Azula's reaction. The firebender stayed quiet. 'What is she hiding?'
"You're not going to answer me?" Katara tried again, gaining the same response. Katara scoffed and shook her head in annoyance. She looked at the raven haired girl once more before standing up, and walking away from the prodigy. Azula looked up at the water tribe girl. "I wonder where's she going..." she thought. She watched as Katara began inspecting the glowing crystals.
"What are these?" Katara said, only half expecting the princess to reply.
"They're crystals-" Azula, started. Katara looked at her before replying.
"Oh! The great prodigy finally answers a question." she mumbled under her breath, causing Azula to roll her eyes.
"As I was saying..." Azula continued, eyeing Katara who waved her off with a quiet 'By all means'. "They're ancient green quart crystals- very sacred to the Earth Kingdom."
"So why are they down here if they're so sacred?" Katara asked gently running her fingers over a large crystal. "Actually, better question, why are we down here with them? Why would the Dai Li put prisoners in an underground catacomb filled with their precious crystals?" She finished, bringing her hand away from the glowing quart. Once again upset that she had been imprisoned.
"Well, the Earth Kingdom believes that green quart crystals provide those around them with a sense well being, self-respect, or in this case- being that they imprison people down here- a sense of balance." Azula explained.
"Balance, huh?" Katara sighed, her question rhetorical."That's why they put a firebender and a waterbender together. That makes sense..."
It had been a couple of hours and the two girls barely made small talk.
"It's night." Azula informed. Katara knew that already. She couldn't see the moon but she could feel it.
"How do you know?" She found herself asking the prodigy.
"I can feel the sun as it moves across the sky, so I can sense when it's setting." Azula explained, watching as the water tribe girl continued to walk around the large space.
"Hmm, you oughta be one heck of a navigator." Katara commented, guiding her attention over to the princess. She noticed Azula quickly turn her head away and stare at the ground. Katara frowned in confusion before turning her attention back to the crystals.
It was extremely late and both benders were slowly dozing off. Katara still didn't trust Azula one bit, so she wasn't going to let her guard down and go to sleep, and Azula...well she had her own reasons not to sleep- or at least to try not to. The fire bender's eyes shot open as she heard approaching footsteps. She went to wake the snoozing girl and nudged her softly. Katara shot upright giving Azula a deadly glare. The princess signaled Katara to be quiet and pointed of the entrance of the cavern. The water bender looked up just in time to see the entrance opening. The two girls watched as three men stepped in cautiously. They immediately identified two of the men as Dai Li agents, but Katara didn't know was the third man was. She shoved Azula, nodding towards him. 'Why was a firebender working with the Dai Li?' She thought
"That's Commander Zhao. One of the most powerful men in the Fire Nation." Azula paused. "Stay here." She ordered Katara, gaining an unpleasant look from the water bender. Without waiting for a reply, she stood up and walked in front of the three men. Katara watched on, wide-eyed at the prodigy's actions. The two Dai Li agents seemed ready to fight, but Zhao brought up his hand to stop them.
"Azula..." He said, a crooked smile plastered on his face. Azula's eye twitched in anger.
"I am still your princess and you will address me a such, Zhao." Azula corrected, her voice taking its usual authoritative tone.
Zhao frowned before he began to chuckle.
"You are a disgrace to the royal family even more so than your pathetic brother, I can call you whatever I wish..." Zhao paused. Maybe, now I'll know why Azula was put down here...Katara thought.
"But you're smart. Dressing like a Kyoshi warrior to gain the trust of the Earth King- very smart..."
"WHAT!" Katara wanted to yell. Azula dressed as a Kyoshi Warrior to trick the King? No wonder she was down here...
"If only you weren't so weak." Zhao continued "you might have been able to finish the job."
"I am not weak!" Azula spat, her face only inches away from Zhao's. The two agents went to step in, but Zhao halted there movements once more.
"Oh, but you are. My dear princess. I'm pretty sure your father taught you that love is one of the greatest weaknesses. Did he not?" The commander said mockingly. Azula clenched her fist tightly. Her eyes darted behind Zhao at the open cavern entrance and back at where Katara was hiding behind a rock. She prayed to the Spirits that the water bender realized that the entrance was open. Azula closed her eyes and centered her energy- it was night after all- before opening them. With maximum agility, the firebender swept her leg across the ground, sending a wave of blue fire towards the three men, catching them off guard. The force of her fire tripping one Dai Li agent onto the floor, knocking him out cold.
"Katara, go! I'll hold them off!" She yelled and was relieved to see the girl run straight to the exit. Her relief turned to slight panic when she noticed Katara turn back slightly as if wanting to help.
"Azula-"
"GO!" She ordered as she watched the girl turn away reluctantly. Azula turned her attention to the Dai Li agent that was charging at her furiously. She threw a couple flaming fists at them before running to the exit herself. 'Where did Zhao go?' she thought, but she couldn't focus on him right now- she had to go find Katara and make sure she was safe.
She had been running for a while when she suddenly heard Katara yell.
Katara had ran away from the cavern quickly, not looking back after Azula had made her leave. 'Why did Azula even have to make me leave in the first place?' She thought to herself as she made her way through the dense greenery of the woods. 'Why did I even turn back? Did I even want to help her?' All these thoughts trampled Katara's mind, but before she could actually evaluate them, she felt someone grab her from behind. She was expecting Azula, but was frightened when she saw that it was Zhao.
She looked around, trying to find something to use to help her break free, when she noticed a small stream up ahead. With a quick motion of her hands, she brought the water from the stream and launched ice daggers at Zhao. He let go of her to dodge the attack. Zhao growled at Katara before throwing a flaming fist at her- one she was unable to dodge. Katara yelled out in pain. Her breathing became ragged as she tried to not cry in front of the firebending man. She looked down at her badly burned arm- this is why she hated fire. This is why she hated firebenders. Zhao brought up his hand to strike, when suddenly a blue flame whizzed past his face- only millimeters away from scorching off his nose.
"Back away from her, Zhao." Azula yelled. The commander turned to the prodigy.
"Azula! How nice of you to join us..." He mocked. 'You will address me as princess Azula.' the young firebender wanted to say, but instead she locked eyes with Katara.
"Are you okay?" She asked. Katara didn't respond, her mind too occupied with the pain that had encased her arm. Azula looked at Zhao. The smile on his face fading as he noticed the wild look in her eyes.
"You dare hurt her?" Azula asked, her breathing becoming deep. Katara tensed-causing the pain in her arm to intensify- as she began to feel electricity course through in the air. Anger burned in Azula's eyes as she walked slowly towards the man. She smiled wickedly as he backed into a tree, his hands up in surrender.
"Please, princess. You really think you'll hurt me. I'm your father's right hand man." Zhao commented cockily. The air became extremely static as Azula got closer to the him. Suddenly, there was something forming in Azula's hand causing both Katara and Zhao to gasp.'She really is a prodigy...' Katara thought
"A lightning whip..." Zhao mumbled under his breath. He had heard stories about it and knew it was a dangerous enough weapon to be deemed illegal in the Fire Nation. "Now princess... there's no need to-" His sentence was cut short when Azula brought the electric whip down on his face. The whip didn't only slash him, but it also electrocuted him. Azula was about to strike again when Katara yelled out to her.
"Azula stop! You'll kill him!" She strained, her voice weak. She hated Zhao, but she didn't want him to die. Azula's teeth were barred as she brought her whip down, dispersing the dangerous weapon just before it made contact with its target. She looked at Zhao and the large hideous slash that ran across his face. 'That'll leave an unpleasant scar...at least he won't forget who did this to him...' she thought. Azula turned away from the injured man, but stopped when she heard a soft chuckle. She turned around to see Zhao attempting to stand, using the tree as something to lean on.
"You really are weak..." He stuttered. She watched his eyes move to Katara, and she moved quickly in front of the injured water tribe girl who was slowly losing consciousness.
"Stay away from her. It is only because of her that you are even able to breathe." Asula barked. Zhao tried to stand up straight and failed miserably. He laughed before looking up at the two girls.
"You were banished, stripped of your authority, and shamed. All because of that stupid-
"Watch what you say," Azula warned, taking a step towards him, a protective arm placed in front of Katara.
"Pathetic..."
"I'm giving you one more chance, Zhao. If you say a one more single word I will end you right here and now." The prodigy wasn't threatening him, simply telling him a fact of the potential future.
"Peasant!" The commander finished. Azula had, had enough of this. She gathered all of the energy in her body- ready to strike him with lightning. With one last breath, she directed the lightning straight to his chest- the bolt lighting up the night sky. Katara gasped as she watched Zhao fall and twitch as the lightning invaded his body. The firebending prodigy turned around towards the barely conscious girl.
"Are you okay?" Azula asked as she slowly made her way to Katara. The water bender was obviously very injured and looked like she could faint at any given time. Katara didn't reply as she looked down at her right arm, the one with the large cut from when the Dai li agents through her in the cavern. The scab that had started to form had re opened and the wound was bleeding immensely. She closed her eyes and gulped audibly, scared to look at her left arm.
Katara let out a staggered breath she didn't realize she was holding as she looked at her severely burned arm. The burn traveled from the top of her bicep to her wrist. The skin was red and swollen, she could already see blisters starting to form. She squeezed her eyes shut. The pain was almost unbearable. She looked up at Azula. The other girl was speaking but Katara couldn't hear anything due to the pounding in her ears. She watched as the edges of her vision slowly started to fade. She felt protective arms around her before everything went black.
Oh No, Katara!
Anyhoo...I know that there hasn't been any actual Azutara, but just wait until the next chapter... XD
Q:Why do you think Azula was imprisoned?
(and no it wasn't because of why Katara thinks)-
demiflower14
