Disclaimer: Avatar: The Last Airbender is the creation of Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, and is owned by Nickelodeon.
Author's note: Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed! I hope you all enjoy the official Chapter 1!
Picking up the pieces, now where to begin?
The hardest part of ending is starting again.
-Linkin Park, Waiting for the End
Chapter 1: Desolation
Zuko stood with several of his friends in the main square outside the Fire Palace, enjoying the fireworks display with everyone else. He had just given another speech – he was beginning to grow weary of them, but he knew he would be giving speeches for a long time to come. Fortunately, he was able to speak words of peace and hope, and the populace had cheered.
He looked around at his companions. Toph sat down on a rock-bench of her own creation, idly forming shapes out of her much-loved piece of meteor. Understandably, she was unimpressed by the booming fireworks. Sokka kept poking her in the arm, asking, "Did you see that one? That was the best one yet!" at which point Toph would punch him and retort, "HOW many times do I have to tell you I'm BLIND, meat-for-brains?" The Water Tribe boy would look properly abashed until another large boom would fill the sky. After the third time, Suki drew him away from Toph, since his arm was beginning to show a collection of bruises courtesy of Toph. The young couple walked over to a stand of cherry trees for a more…private viewing of the show.
Aang…was being Aang. Avatar or not, he was still a young boy who wished to have fun. Even now, he was sailing around the sky on a new glider built for him by Teo and the mechanist. The just-turned thirteen year-old was on top of the world. He had defeated Ozai, brought peace to the world, and seemed to think that Katara was in love with him. As he looked at the waterbender, he wasn't quite sure that that was the case. Certainly, she cared for Aang, but it was becoming increasingly apparent that she was with him merely out of not wanting to disappoint the young Air Nomad. Zuko wondered if Aang had yet noticed Katara's steady distancing of herself. He knew the others had noticed, and everyone avoided the subject of the relationship as much as possible.
Zuko shook his head. It wasn't as if his own relationship was without problems. Well, it seemed he wasn't even in a relationship any more. On the day of his coronation, Mai had made him promise to never break up with her again. He hadn't broken that promise. She had broken up with him. He sighed. He did care for Mai, but it seemed that things came crumbling down every time they hit an obstacle. How could they build a relationship on that?
He felt a flash of anger when he thought of her refusal to support the search for his mother. She had been there after his mother disappeared; she had seen how devastated he was. He thought that she would understand his need to find the woman who had birthed him. Then again, Mai had both of her parents – neither of whom she particularly cared for. Granted, they never paid her much attention, except to tell her how to behave.
He knew she would be jealous of Katara's agreement to help him in his search. Mai had expressed some jealousy over his relationship with the waterbender, even after he assured her that there was nothing romantic going on. He had informed her that Katara was joining him purely out of anger at her reaction. He had known she would react badly. He pinched the bridge of his nose. So why had he said it? He supposed she would have found out soon anyway, but that certainly wasn't the best way to inform her.
As his thoughts turned to Katara, he looked over at the blue-eyed girl. Unlike Mai, Katara understood firsthand the loss of a mother. He had already helped her to confront her mother's killer, and in return, she wanted to help him find his mother. She had been overjoyed when he told her that there was a chance that Ursa was still alive. He hadn't missed the pained flash of jealousy in her expression, but it had quickly passed, and was replaced with genuine happiness for him.
Today, when he had relayed the news that his mother may have been spotted in the Earth Kingdom, she had been ready to depart at that very moment. As much as he wished to, he knew he had certain responsibilities to deal with before leaving. He had sent a messenger hawk to his Uncle informing him of the news. Iroh had told him that if there was any word of his mother's whereabouts that he would temporarily take over the Fire Lord's duties while Zuko investigated.
A shout interrupted his musings, and he looked up as a young messenger boy ran breathlessly up to him. The young man had a look of panic on his face. Zuko felt his heart skip a beat. He had the feeling this would not be good news.
The boy approached Zuko and spoke to him in a whisper. "My lord, Princess Azula has escaped her prison cell. The guards are already conducting a search, but she is nowhere to be found," he said in a rush.
Zuko felt his heart drop to his feet. He noticed Katara look over at him worriedly; she seemed to be the only one who had taken notice. He motioned for her to join him. He looked down at the young boy who had brought him the message.
"Inform the guards to continue their search. Have each member of the military council be informed that there will be an emergency meeting in one hour's time. The celebration is to be cut short. I want the Imperial Firebenders out here to protect the populace."
The boy scampered off to deliver the Fire Lord's instructions just as Katara reached his side. Sensing the need to keep things quiet, she whispered, "Zuko, what's going on?"
He looked at her gravely. "Azula has escaped," he said simply. He heard her sharp intake of breath above the celebration. "We need to get the people out of the streets without causing a panic."
Katara thought a moment, then spoke. "Can you just announce that you have been made aware of a threat, and you think it best to end the celebration now? You know, nothing specific?"
He nodded slowly. Hopefully it wouldn't cause a panic among the populace. He turned to motion the rest of his friends over, but Aang, Toph, Sokka, and Suki had realized that something was going on, and were making their way over to where Zuko and Katara stood.
Zuko ascended the steps, and called the crowd to attention.
"Everyone! Please listen! I have been made aware of a threat to the security of this celebration! Stay calm and return to your homes," he entreated. He instructed his guards to spread the word among the throng of people.
Disappointed celebrants began to gather up belongings to return to their homes. Zuko felt his forehead crease in worry at the sheer number of people in the city. The inns were completely full. World peace would not be off to a good start if Azula went on a rampage through the crowded city – especially if she harmed any Water Tribe or Earth Kingdom citizens.
Despite his fears, he was somewhat reassured by the thought that more than likely, Azula would flee the city. However, at this point, he wasn't sure how mentally unstable his sister was. She was certainly…unbalanced on the day of their Agni Kai. She had continued to rant and rave after her imprisonment, but the devious spark of intelligence had returned to her golden eyes within the past couple of days. As soon as he saw that, he knew she was planning something. Obviously, escape would be first on her list.
He rubbed his temples as his friends looked at him worriedly. He didn't even want to think about what condition the prison guards were in. Being on the receiving end of Azula's wrath usually didn't end well for anyone. And to escape the security he had placed her under…he was sure it hadn't been pretty.
Aang looked at him with far more seriousness than should ever be seen on a young teenager's face. The boy knew the gravity of the situation. Katara had filled them all in on the fact that Azula had escaped.
"What now, Zuko?" the airbender asked.
"I have my forces combing the city for her, but my guess is that she's long gone," he stated. "I think we should go back to the palace, regroup, and come up with a plan."
Aang and the others started to agree when the pounding footsteps of another messenger approached at a run. The messenger's face was deathly pale.
"My lord," the man breathed, "Lady Mai…has been found dead."
Dawn was approaching by the time Zuko entered Mai's room. The place where he and Mai had shared happy memories smelled of death. The metallic hint of dried blood hung thick in the air. Bile rose in his throat at the scent. He was certainly no stranger to death…but this, this was different. Servants had covered the young woman's body with a silk sheet by the time he arrived, and it was all he could do to enter the room.
Mai's parents stood off to the side. Her mother's eyes were red and puffy, and she held a silk kerchief to her nose, as if she could ward off the death in the air. Her father looked sad…and angry.
NOW her parents show emotion over her? Agni, if only they had shown they cared before…before this. I think she believed they cared nothing for her.
He forced himself to approach the shell of the woman who had once been Mai. The sheet draped gracefully over her slender form, and he reached out to a corner of the fabric. He lifted the material back enough to see her face. Someone had taken the time to close her eyelids. He reached out to her skin. If she hadn't felt so unnaturally cold, he could have told himself she was asleep. The horrors of death had set in, however. Her body had become stiff in the hours after her passing. He cupped her cheek and traced her jaw, which was now unmovable.
He felt a tear slide unbidden down his cheek. In spite of the arguments they had been through, he had loved her. Perhaps not enough to continue their romantic relationship, but he had admired her strength of will. He remembered her self-sacrificing actions to save him at the Boiling Rock. She had been his friend. He gently replaced the sheet.
He looked at the guards who had dealt with her body after the discovery.
His voice quivered with rage as he put a question to them. "Who did this? How did she die?"
In his heart, he knew the answer. Mai would not have gone down easily. She would have quickly dispatched a lesser opponent. There was only one person who could have done this. And that person had escaped prison last night.
The guards stuttered. "Her…her chest, m'lord…"
With that, Zuko pulled the sheet back from the unmoving woman before him.
He knew what he would find, but he needed to reconcile it in his mind. A large, gaping burn mark filled her chest. He quickly replaced the covering. He had his answer.
Another guard entered the room. With a quick bow to Zuko, he held a wrinkled, blood-stained piece of parchment out to the Fire Lord. Amid the blood smears, characters spelled out a simple phrase.
Sozin's Fist shall crush you.
His mind whirled. He recognized his sister's penmanship, even though the message was hastily scrawled out. What did it mean? It appeared to be a threat, but it didn't make any sense. Amid his confusion, he realized that the guard was holding out another object to him. It was one of Mai's knives…and it was covered in blood. Grim satisfaction filled him as he realized that Mai had gotten a shot in before succumbing to death. In a strange way, it gave him a measure of peace.
He rose to his feet, and slowly exited the room, giving one last glance to Mai.
I promise you, I will bring her to justice.
Several hours later, Zuko knelt in front of the turtle duck pond feeling lost and alone. His uncle was not due to arrive for another two days. He needed a dose of Iroh's tea and wisdom right now. Absently breaking a piece of bread off a loaf for the hungry waterfowl, his thoughts turned to Mai.
I didn't even get to apologize.
If I can't make peace in my own life, how can I bring peace to the world?
Light footsteps approached him from behind, and a figure in blue settled herself beside him. They sat in companionable silence, and Zuko handed the waterbender part of the bread so she could join in feeding the turtle ducks.
He stared ahead and a rueful smile came to his lips.
"I always loved this place. My mother and I would sit here and feed the turtle ducks. After she disappeared, I would come out here and…and talk to her," he admitted. "Of course, Azula caught me talking to myself one day and would never let me live it down."
Katara finished with her piece of bread, and leaned back, resting her hands on the soft grass.
"I'm glad that you had a place where you could be with her," she said softly. "I didn't really have a place, but I carry a part of my mother with me…always."
Zuko looked at her knowingly, and his lip quirked up into a small smile. "Your necklace," he observed.
"Yes. I never saw her without it, so when I see it, I feel like she's close to me," she explained, reaching a delicate hand to the pendant.
The turtle ducks finished mopping up the bread crumbs, and began to disperse across the pond once again. A soft breeze blew through the garden, and the leaves of the cherry trees whispered in the wind.
"Katara, I didn't get to apologize to her," he said suddenly.
The waterbender's eyebrow lifted. She seemed to sense he wasn't talking about his mother any longer.
"Zuko, look at me," she demanded. "You can't dwell on that. I think – I know – Mai would have forgiven you. She was a woman of honor, and despite your fight, she admired and cared for you. That transcends the words of a careless fight. Even now, she is in the Spirit World, and she knows that you cared for her in return, and that you will bring Azula to justice."
The young Fire Lord held back the hot tears that pricked at his eyes.
"How do you do it?" he asked.
"Do what?" she replied in bewilderment.
"You always know the exact right thing to say. My uncle has that gift too. I never know the right thing to say," he said with a hint of frustration.
He saw Katara's lip quirk. "Yeah, Sokka told me about the 'silver sandwich'."
Zuko groaned and placed his head in his palm.
"But you know what Zuko? When it comes to doing the right thing, you've really been coming through lately," she assured him. "Actions speak louder than words," she finished.
"Thanks Katara," he said with a small smile. "I needed to hear that."
"Zuko?" she inquired. She waited until he looked at her to continue. "What's going to happen now?"
The young Fire Lord sighed. "I assume you've already figured that the search for my mother will have to be postponed," he said with sadness.
Katara nodded.
"Uncle is already on his way back here. I want to show him Azula's note to see if he can make any sense of it," he said.
"I am hoping that Uncle will take temporarily take over my duties here in the capital while I search for Azula, and-"
Katara cut him off. "Zuko, you can't possibly be thinking of facing her alone?" she asked incredulously.
He gave her a wry smile. "Actually, I was hoping you could help me with that. Instead of joining me to search for my mother, will you join me to search for Azula? We make a pretty good Azula take-down team," he observed.
A look of determination came over Katara's features. "It would be my pleasure."
Shortly before his uncle's arrival, Zuko had prepared a table in his study with a tea set. He set everything out, but waited for his uncle to arrive to make the tea. Zuko's tea lacked the…drinkability of his uncle's.
He heard the door open, and the gray-haired general stepped in. Zuko stood and embraced his uncle.
"My nephew, I am sorry for your loss. She was a brave woman," he said simply.
"Thank you, uncle," he replied as he attempted to hide his emotion. He couldn't say any more on the subject.
Iroh seated himself, and quietly prepared the tea. Zuko waited until they each had a steaming teacup, and reached into his robes for the note his sister had left.
"Uncle, this note was found in Mai's residence, after…" he trailed off. "Azula wrote it, but I don't know if it has any meaning. It's obviously a threat, but I need to know if there's more to it," he finished, passing the wrinkled paper to his uncle.
Iroh looked at the mysterious parchment, and his brows furrowed in worry.
"What is it, Uncle? Do you know what this means?" Zuko inquired.
"She knows…" Iroh said quietly.
"Knows what, Uncle?" the young Fire Lord asked, beginning to lose patience.
Iroh sighed.
"Long ago, when I was heir to the throne, my father, Fire Lord Azulon, hinted at a great secret – a secret that was only known to the Fire Lord."
Zuko's single eyebrow rose to his hairline.
"And you didn't tell me this earlier because…?" Zuko asked, mildly insulted.
Iroh reached for his teacup, but for once seemed too worried to even take a sip. That did not bode well.
"Because I thought there was no longer a secret. Azulon was a suspicious old man who was caught up in the legends of old. I dismissed the talk of a great treasure and a "key" to the ultimate mastery of firebending as a legend. None of my travels, including those into the Spirit World, indicated that there was such a threat to the world," he said wearily. "I was aware that Azulon had searched without success."
Iroh finally took a sip of his tea, and set his cup down with a soft clatter. "The fact that Ozai must have known is disturbing. The secret was passed from Fire Lord to Fire Lord. Since Azulon met an untimely demise, Ozai should not have known, since it was I who was next in line for the throne." He sighed. "He must have discovered the secret somehow, and passed on his knowledge to Azula."
Zuko fixed his stare on the aging general. "Uncle, what do you know?"
Iroh turned his gaze out the window, staring at the setting sun. "This history goes back thousands of years – back to the fall of the Sun Warriors and the rise of the first Fire Lord. There is a hidden history. Your tutors surely told you the story of their defeat and subsequent extinction, and you now know that a few survived and continue their civilization in secret, but there is another story I must tell you."
Zuko looked at his uncle with an expression of confusion. There is more to the history of the Sun Warriors?
He let his uncle continue. "In the history you are familiar with, a sect of the Sun Warriors broke off and migrated to a new land to start a new civilization – what would eventually become our Fire Nation. In the written history, the Sun Warriors decided that the new Fire Lord was gaining too much power and influence and decided to end him. The Sun Warriors mounted an invasion of what is now our capital city, and Taro, the first Fire Lord, defeated them and earned his right to rule."
"I know all of this, Uncle! What does this have to do with-" Zuko's protest was cut off as Iroh continued.
"This account of history is false. In the true histories, which are buried deep within the Dragon Bone Catacombs, you will discover that the Sun Warriors never invaded the city. The Fire Lord knew of a weapon the Sun Warriors possessed, and he wanted it for himself. He decided to eradicate the Sun Warriors and take possession of the weapon."
Zuko pinched the bridge of his nose. "Even our ancient ancestors were evil?"
Iroh ignored his question and continued his telling of the story.
"This weapon was said to increase a firebender's power tenfold. Thousands of years before the Fire Nation came into existence, what would eventually be called Sozin's Comet passed through the sky, as it does every 100 years. However, on one of these passes, a piece of the comet broke off and fell to the earth. Knowing that the comet increased a firebender's power, the ancient Sun Warriors mounted a quest to find the fallen pieces of the comet. They found a piece of this fiery stone from the sky, and had it mounted into a ring. The wearer of this treasure was said to experience greater firebending power than even the day of the comet's passing could give."
Zuko's eyes widened. If Azula found such a weapon…he couldn't finish the thought.
"As was bound to happen, various power-hungry people came into possession of this weapon." His brow furrowed. "It was said that even a fully realized Avatar had difficulty in subduing these threats," his uncle paused as Zuko's eyes widened at that news. "Great civil wars broke out throughout the years, and finally after the last defeat of the weapon's bearer, the ring was hidden. There were even rumors that it had been destroyed."
"And was it?" Zuko asked.
"That brings me back to the beginning of our nation. Taro knew of the weapon and wanted it for himself. He knew the Sun Warriors were a threat, and he wanted them out of the way. He invaded and killed every single Sun Warrior…or so he thought. As you know, a few survived and are carrying on the Sun Warrior traditions. Eventually, Taro found the former hiding place of the weapon – but it was missing – and several key members of the Sun Warriors had not been located among the dead. Taro knew they had escaped with the weapon and a very large treasure of gold artifacts. He mounted a search, but never found them. The story was passed down through the generations of Fire Lords. Some took it as truth, and searched relentlessly, while others dismissed it as legend."
The elder man's eyebrows furrowed as a troubled look came over his face. "I had always dismissed it as legend, but perhaps there is some truth to it. We cannot risk Azula getting her hands on the weapon or the treasure. She knows something, and she is not one to chase legends down," he said with a wry look.
Zuko gave his uncle a mirthless smile. It was he who was the one to chase down a legend – the Avatar. And that legend had been truth.
"Zuko, you must follow her," Iroh said steadily.
"Uncle, where do I start?" Zuko asked helplessly.
"Might I suggest the Catacombs? That is where the true histories lie. If the secret exists, the first clue will be there," he replied.
Zuko abruptly stood and walked out of the room, and his uncle followed close on his heels after one more longing look at the still-steaming teapot.
Zuko never had liked the Dragon Bone Catacombs. He supposed his dislike of the dark corridors had begun when Azula had dared him to go in alone as a child. Rather than risk her ridicule, he had risen to the challenge. He knew his father had forbidden them from entering the secret tunnels, but he didn't want to appear weak to Azula. Of course, he should have known it was all a set-up. Even at the age of six, his sister was cold and calculating. She had run to Ozai to inform him that Zuko had disobeyed his orders and entered the catacombs. Although it didn't even come close to the worst punishment his father had doled out, he still didn't relish the memory.
Now, Zuko entered the area as Fire Lord. The sages bowed to him as he passed. His uncle's footsteps followed closely behind him as they traversed deeper into the maze of tunnels. He brushed a cobweb out of his face as he turned into yet another corridor.
He stopped, and his uncle nearly plowed into him. "Uncle, I don't even know where to begin looking!"
Iroh looked thoughtful. "We should start in Sozin's tomb. After the defeat of the other nations at his hand, the mythical weapon was nicknamed 'Sozin's Fist', since interest in the myth had been renewed."
Zuko nodded and retraced the path he had already taken not so long ago. Then, it had been a quest to discover the truth about his great-grandfather. Now, his quest was to discover the truth about a legend.
They entered the tomb, and it looked the same as he remembered. He doubted anyone had been in here since his departure a few months ago. He walked over to the scrolls chronicling his ancestor's life, but stopped short of opening them. He had already been through them – he knew what was contained in those scrolls.
"This isn't going to be obvious, is it?" he asked Iroh wearily.
The general sighed. "I'm afraid not. It's been the most well-kept secret of our family…and our family has many secrets. There must be some sort of clue for the future generations, though."
They poked around the dusty room, tapping at various stones to look for hidden compartments. After a long while, they still came up empty. Zuko growled in frustration, letting loose a small punch of flame. He looked down at his still-smoking fist.
Fist. Sozin's Fist.
"Uncle! The statue of Sozin!" he said excitedly.
Iroh looked at him strangely.
"You said that after Sozin's victory, the weapon was nicknamed 'Sozin's Fist'," he stated.
Comprehension came over the elder's face, and the two men stepped over to the statue to investigate. Zuko saw that the stone figure's hands were forever frozen in the form of a fist. He ran his hands over the sculpture, and felt something on the underside. He worked his finger over it, shot a small blast of flame at it, and was finally rewarded with the sound of stone moving on stone. The top of the stone hand was released, and a hidden compartment was revealed.
Inside was a single piece of parchment.
Zuko ran his golden eyes over the words. Four words. This is it?
The parchment simply read, "Desolation is the Key."
"What does it mean, Uncle?" he asked with a hint of frustration.
The Fire Lord was relieved to see comprehension on Iroh's face.
His uncle spoke. "I have an idea, but I think we should gather some friends and tell them what is going on first."
Azula breathed in the salty air as her small boat neared her destination. The perpetual fog made navigation difficult, and she forced herself to concentrate as she made out the shapes of jagged rocks. She narrowly missed one, and only turned away at the last second because she heard the pounding of the surf on the stone. She never did see the obstacle.
After an exhausting hour of working her way through the maze of jagged rocks, she was finally able to relax as she neared the island. She aimed for the small harbor, and now that she was in the lee of the wind, she could let her guard down.
Her journey had been long and difficult. After dispatching her former friend, she had quickly fled to the docks of the Fire Nation harbor, where she had stowed away on a passenger ship bound for the shores of the Earth Kingdom. She had lingered for a few days in the port city, stealing what she needed to survive. After regaining some strength, she had stolen this small ship in the dead of night. The voyage hadn't taken long, which was lucky, since she had only managed to bring a few loaves of bread, some dried meat, and three large water skins as nourishment. The only other object she had aside from the clothes on her back was the map her father had entrusted to her long ago.
"Azula, this map is the key to a great secret. In the unlikely event of my demise, you must follow this map."
She had scoffed at the idea of her father's defeat. He was the greatest firebender in the world.
"Father, no one will defeat you," she said lightly.
Her sire had gifted her with a small smile, although there was no warmth in it. Strange how a firebender's expression could be so full of ice.
"True, my daughter, but I wish for you to have this knowledge. Listen to me, Azula. Knowledge is power. Arm yourself with it. Never reject knowledge, even if you think you will never need it."
Her gaze remained steadily on the horizon as she reflected on the long-ago conversation. Her father had been right. Knowledge was power, and this map that she thought she would never need to use had become her lifeline. He had gone on to tell her that it was the key to finding a secret weapon. She tried not to be discouraged by the fact that generations of Fire Lords had attempted to find it and failed.
There was more to the secret besides the weapon, however. Her father had discovered that Sozin had found part of the great treasure, and had hidden it away with a secret army in preparation for the worst. Sadly, the weapon had eluded him. Azula felt resolve come over her. She would not fail in this. She would find the key to ultimate power, and she would bring the world under her fist. She would fulfill the destiny laid out by Sozin.
She had already sent a messenger hawk to the man her father entrusted to enact the secret military if it was ever needed. He should have received the missive a week prior, and by now should be well on his way to an Earth Kingdom port, where he would begin his mission. According to her father's instructions, she would need to meet the man in a month's time from the day she sent the first missive at a Fire Nation colony on the southwestern coast of the Earth Kingdom. In the meantime, she was to make a visit to Desolation Island to recover some sort of "key".
She wished she was wearing her armor and her royal hair ornament. The warden of the prison would be somewhat difficult to convince of her royal status when she was dressed in Earth Kingdom rags. At least she had been able to rid herself of the prison clothes. Even dressed in rags, she still carried herself as royalty. She hoped the warden was someone who would recognize her on sight. If not, she would have to gain entrance the hard way. Her fingers burned in anticipation.
She brought the boat ashore, and surveyed the seemingly abandoned facility. She knew that it was designed to look abandoned. Her boots beat a staccato rhythm on the wooden dock as she strode toward the nearest building, and when she reached the structure, she blasted the door open.
A thin, greasy-looking man cowered before her.
"P-princess Azula!" he stammered, "What brings you here?" He prostrated himself before her.
Relieved that the man recognized her, she stared him down as he took in her disheveled appearance. The princess knew he questioned her sudden appearance in his mind, but he was too cowardly to confront her. The look on his face told her he was suspicious.
"It is no concern of yours," she replied easily, relishing the familiar feeling of command.
She looked around curiously. "Tell me, are there still prisoners held here?" she inquired.
"Y-yes, princess. Would you like a tour of the facility?" he asked.
Azula considered. As much as she hated to admit it, she wasn't quite sure what she was looking for. A tour of the island would be a start.
She sighed. "Very well. Show me your little prison."
A short time later, Azula was being led through the dark corridors of the prison. The stench of unwashed bodies filled her nostrils. She wrinkled her nose in distaste. If despair had a scent, this would be it.
"These are the people the Fire Nation wishes to erase from existence," the warden explained. "Death was too good for them, and so they rot here. I was entrusted with the task of making sure they stay forgotten." There was a hint of pride in his voice.
Azula peered into some of the cells. When she came upon a cell that was significantly larger than the others, her curiosity was piqued. A woman with raven hair sat up on her cot and peered back at her with piercing golden eyes. Her features were noble, although she was dressed in rags. A few objects were placed around the room, including a family portrait. Recognition flew through Azula's mind, more shocking than any lightning would ever be.
"Mother?"
