note: hey all. I hope you liked ch. one I know it was super short. I got some constructive criticism that Azula had been put in a mental institution, not a prison.. I have not read the promise so i did not know this. haha but thanks for letting me know and thank you for enjoying anyway ^^" but yes i forgot to do this before, disclaimer: i do not own these characters.
Azula had grown accustomed to the slow steady sound of sea quite quickly. She knew in about a days time she would come up on Earth Kingdom shores, then she could make her way to the capital and reclaim what she had lost. As the sun dropped slowly towards the horizon, her eyes slowly closed and she allowed her body to relax, as much as possible anyway. Her muscles always remained somewhat tense, ready for anything, ready to strike her opponent down in the blink of an eye. Even though she was only in prison for a couple months, to her it had felt like years since she'd been able to be outside, feel fresh air blow soft against her face, or run around freely, letting her muscles stretch full and her fire burn. Her lips curved up forming a slight smile at the thought. She had not been able to firebend full force in some time. That was the one thing she missed the most.
Just a couple more hours and we'll be there.
The waves suddenly grew stronger, rolling and punching up against the small sailboat making it rock uncontrollably. Finally one wave splashed up high almost tipping the boat over, when made Azula's eyes snap open. She had fallen asleep, how long had she been asleep?! She got to her feet and held the sail, securing it with all her strength as her eyes struggled to see through the darkness before her. Her right hand flew forward, sending a quick plume of fire so that she could take in the surroundings. She was sailing straight through a patch of tall, sharp rocks, which was why the water had become so strong.
I'm lucky the boat didn't crash. How could I have been so careless?
There can be no mistakes this time. Not even one hair can be out of place, she must be perfect this time- no weakness. She reprimanded herself inwardly as she carefully steered the boat between the remaining rocks and and on to the shore. She grabbed a bag that was lying in the corner of the boat and threw it over her shoulder before taking a step out onto the soft sand. It had been so long since she'd seen sand. The last time was when they had been forced to go to Ember island...
A low growl escaped her throat and her eyes narrowed at the thought. She didn't want to think of that time, of her stupid brother Zuko, or of her friends, Mai and Ty Lee-
She shook her head angrily and kicked the boat out towards sea as hard as she could. She watched it hit one rock and then catch a wave to send it colliding into another rock. This continued for only a few more minutes before the boat had been reduced to small pieces of driftwood and cloth. Surely they already had people out looking for her, and she didn't want to leave behind any trail.
Letting out a soft sigh she turned and began walking into forest. The Earth kingdom was covered by many forests, swamps, and wooded areas. She could keep cover here and avoid being seen by anyone while she made her way to Ba Sing Se. But first she would need to find a change of clothes. She couldn't very well stay in her red prison garb and expect to blend in with the green of the forest.
She wasn't walking long before she came across a couple of houses, they were very small and seemed to be empty. She walked carefully toward them and looked inside making sure all was clear before she opened the doors, inviting herself in. She was surprised that the doors weren't locked, but that only made it easier for her to not leave a trail. A large amount of dust had been gathered on all surfaces of the tiny cottage, and it looked like no one had touched anything for quite some time. This house was empty, only a single lantern remained on the table. That was useless to her, she could make her own light.
Must have been some sort of rest spot for the travelers or soldiers during the war.
Azula only looked around a moment more before continuing onto the next house. This one also appeared abandoned, however there were still a lot of items in the house. She went inside and found pots, pans, eating utensils, cups, a teapot. Useless items. She was traveling light so she would have no need for these things. She gave a displeasing grunt and was about to leave when she noticed a large chest in the back of the room. When she opened it she found exactly what she was hoping for. Whoever had stayed here before was so elated that the war had been declared over that they simply picked up and left, leaving whatever they didn't care to grab behind.
She picked out something simple, something comfortable that she could be flexible and move around easily in. Some tan pants and a green top, she also managed to find some black boots that were just her size. Anyone looking for her would recognize her usual top knot bun so she let her hair hang in a high ponytail. She folded her prison clothes and packed them away in her bag just in case, then closed the chest. She had just finished tying a belt around her waist when she heard a noise and quickly ducked into hiding.
Her golden eyes narrowed as she peered out into the dark night. She heard people, they were walking quickly and they were coming up on the houses. She had just spotted a lantern and a group of about 4 people when she heard a door crash open. Azula's heart stopped, she ducked under cover and every muscle in her body froze.
"The lantern we left is still here Ria!"
She let out a long sigh as if she'd been holding her breath. They had gone into the other house to retrieve something they had left. Azula managed to peek out the window for a moment to see they had lit the other lantern and were continuing on their way. Her eyes narrowed once more and she let out a groan in disgust. It was those infernal Kyoshi girls, no doubt they had been sent to apprehend her. So they were the ones who had stayed here last- that explained why there was a chest full of teenage girl's clothes.
She took a quick count of the girls and frowned a bit. They must have split up, she could have sworn there more girls they had captured before. Also, their leader wasn't with them. That Suki girl who was friends with the Avatar.
She must have went on vacation along with ZuZu to see that watertribe peasant..
This thought pleased Azula, since no group could be at their best if their esteemed leader did not come along. She then sighed and sat down leaning against the wall, taking a moment to relax and let the ladies walk a reasonable distance away before she set off herself. No doubt they were headed in the same direction she was, probably to warn any towns and most importantly, the Earth King that she had escaped- why not let them create a clean path for her?
After a moment passed she got to her feet and followed the path the ladies took, hoping to hear some useful information. She had the confidence that she could simply wipe out this small group on her own, but she didn't know how many more girls they were meeting up with, or if any were waiting around in the event of an ambush. She stayed hidden, only staying close enough to just barely heard their conversation. Seeing them meant nothing, she could not tell them apart with their uniforms and make up anyway.
They walked in a steady quick motion for a while before Ria turned her head to look at her comrades.
"We don't want to tell Suki, the Avatar or any of them about this quite yet. Even the Fire Nation has kept this from Zuko hoping to let them have a little relax time without interruption. They have all worked hard, the least we can do is solve this little crisis on our own.."
The other three girls nodded their heads and agreed quickly, keeping a watchful eye as they continued to listen to the plan.
"We already checked most of the coast line that was adjacent to fire nation land. Now we should meet up with the other three and head to Be Sing Se. We already sent someone to warn King Bumi in Omashu, and we sent our fastest ahead to warn the Earth King, she should come back around and meet us when she is done.. Then we can split up and look for Azula around the walls of the city, there is no way she will beat us there."
"And when we find her, what are we to do?"
"Capture her. They didn't specify, so I'm telling you now. If you run into her as a group and are able to detain her and capture her alive than I commend you, but she is a dangerous foe. If any of you girls find yourself in the position of facing her alone, then go for the kill because I can assure you that the former Princess of the fire nation will show you absolutely no mercy."
Ria's blue eyes shone and determination rang out proud in her voice. But there was also a bit of anger that was detected which brought all the other girl's to silence. She knew well of Azula's power, she had personally felt it when they had been captured by her. In fact she still had the scar to prove it. Without saying a word, all the girls started off at a sprint, they were hoping to reach their comrades by morning so that they could be on their way to the capital.
Azula continued along, allowing them to run off into the distance leaving her in the pitch black dark of the forest. The corner of her mouth had perked up as she reviewed the information she had learned. She accepted the challenge of reaching Ba Sing Se before they could, it was clear they would already be two days slower since they were meeting with a group or girls and the one they had sent to Omashu. Even with their fastest girl going to tell the Earth King, she would not make it in at least a two days time. But still, she would no doubt feel the need to stop and rest which would mean at least three or four days time would be needed to reach the big city.
No sleep for me, I shall travel all day and night if I have to.
If she continued at her fastest, with no stops and no sleep she could possibly make it to Ba Sing Se in time to surprise the Earth King before the whole Kyoshi warrior group could make their way up there. With the added bonus that the Kyoshi Warriors believed they had a significant lead on her, she knew she had enough time. They would probably take the safest path, where as Azula would cut through the desert and take the quickest. She could very well meet the messenger and kill her before she even reached the king.
Let them be confident, it'll give me even more of an advantage when I arise from the darkness and destroy them all.
"Thank you for the ride, I really appreciate it!"
Ty Lee bounced off the wagon and gave her usual big smile before bowing before the elderly couple. The old man only smiled while his wife shook her head in ernest.
"It's no problem, young lady. Just please be safe out there. We'll make sure we tell everyone on our way to watch for anyone suspicious."
The old woman gave a wink and the old man gave a snap at the reigns, causing his six mighty ostrich horse to take off at full speed.
Ty Lee waved and watched until they were out of sight. It was lucky she came across those nice elderly traveling merchants. She took a deep breath and continued up the road on her own. The sun had begun to rise and everything seemed so beautiful and fresh to her. The plants were covered in the morning dew and she even saw some animals start to scurry. She felt well rested and she took off at a sprint. It had already been about three days since the Kyoshi warriors landed and all went their separate ways. Of course, she was one of the most agile so she was sent ahead with the important mission of warning the Earth King.
With the merchant's speed she was able to make a four day trip in about two days, even with several stops along the way. She got plenty of rest because for the next few days she would have to travel on foot. If she maintained her speed she could make it there in about a two days and a half. If she crossed through the desert she would make it in only a day, but Ria had forbidden her from taking that route, especially if she would be taking it alone.
Thanks to the merchants she was able to send news of the notorious criminal escaping from prison to more than half of the Earth Kingdom already. Word was spreading so fast that a couple hours later when she stopped to rest in Plain's Village just outside of the desert, they had already been told of the news. This elated Ty Lee, she had come to love her job and she was good at it. A few of the children and some of the townspeople joined her as she rested a bit, they asked her of her travels and enjoyed a quick meal together. Just as Ty Lee was readying herself to leave, a young man approached her. He was dusty and his arms, legs and part of his head were wrapped up so as to block out the harsh desert winds.
"I've heard you are trying to get to Ba Sing Se to warn the Earth King of danger.. if that is the case, it would be most beneficial to travel through the desert."
"Yes, i have heard that is the fastest path. But if I get lost, I could be stuck out there for days.." Ty Lee gave a bit of a frown as she replied, she didn't like the thought of becoming lost in a vast desert with such a small amount of food or water.
At that the young man chuckled a bit, "we are sand benders, we came into town to get some supplies but we are on our way home. We know these deserts inside and out, we can get you across to where the ferry's are."
Ty Lee smiled giving the man and his comrades a quick bow.
"Thank you, your help would be very much appreciated."
She smiled big and followed them as they led her to their sand gliders. What luck! She would be able to warn the King probably by the next morning and then she could be on her way back to meet with the other girls. As soon as she took a seat on the glider, it was moving ahead full force, gliding swiftly through the sands.
I've been having all sorts of luck here. These people are so kind. Everyone is willing to help..
She thought happily to herself before her thoughts strayed back to the task at hand. She made a face and wondered, what sort of criminal could be out that that would have Oyaji and the whole Earth Kingdom in such a panic. The details of the criminal were vague, they were simply told it was someone who escaped and was out to get the Earth King and they were to return the criminal dead or alive. She shivered at the thought, someone so dangerous that she was advised to kill them before they had a chance to kill her. This made her all the more determined to inform the Earth King and return to her friends- she would feel much better knowing that they were all safe.
These thoughts of prisons were one of the only things that brought a saddened frown to Ty Lee's usual happy-go-lucky self. She wondered how Azula had been doing since the last time she'd seen her. Since she had saved Mai from something she believed even Azula, with all her malice, would have regretted for the rest of her life. She had tried to visit before she moved to Kyoshi Island with the other warriors, but she was told that it wasn't safe enough to allow visitors.
Princess Azula...
Ty Lee's thoughts continued to wander as she pulled her legs to her chest, hugging them close to her. Her eyes grew sad and she let out a soft sigh before letting her eyes slowing fall shut. Maybe her friend would get better and she could be free soon. Maybe she could see her again..